Providence and Power

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer an opportunity to contemplate the tension between our acceptance of Providence and our tendency to exercise our own ego in charge of events.

Power and Presence

The Prophet Zechariah recalls God’s promises to exiles returned from Babylon in the 6th Century BCE.

* [8:3] Faithful city: a unique biblical epithet for Jerusalem, signaling the importance of the holy city and its leaders for establishing justice in society (see also vv. 8, 16, 19). Holy mountain: Jerusalem and its Temple, the sacred center of the holy land (2:16) and of the whole world.1 

The psalmist recalls God’s promises to save the poor.

* [Psalm 102] A lament, one of the Penitential Psalms. The psalmist, experiencing psychological and bodily disintegration (Ps 102:4–12), cries out to God (Ps 102:1–3). In the Temple precincts where God has promised to be present, the psalmist recalls God’s venerable promises to save the poor (Ps 102:13–23). The final part (Ps 102:24–28) restates the original complaint and prayer, and emphasizes God’s eternity.2 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus demonstrates who has greatness and how we need to relate to those outside our group.

* [9:46–50] These two incidents focus on attitudes that are opposed to Christian discipleship: rivalry and intolerance of outsiders.3 

Beth Samson shares that from what we hear in today’s readings, Love is not about importance or greatness. Love is about proximity, presence, and attentiveness.

In the Gospel, we hear Jesus noticing the intentions of the disciples in their boasting about their importance, their greatness. Jesus pulls a child close and says to these boasting disciples: “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Juniper does not want to be received with my phone in my hand replying to emails or text. Juniper wants to be received with attentive presence. She wants to know that I am watching her every dance move or that I am listening closely to the silly story she is telling me about a friend at school. She wants me to be close, to be present, to be attentive. And in this, she knows how I love her.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus, the Physician of souls, amputates vainglory,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

    "The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple’s mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture (Hebrews 12:15), like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong, and took possession of the heart, he tears up the evil by the very root….    "In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does he deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? “He took a child,” it says, “and set it by him.” He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people".(excerpt from  COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 54.2)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:46-50 observes that in today’s Gospel, we see Jesus’ closest friends having a hard time understanding him. They had already seen him feed five thousand people and heal a boy possessed by a demon. Peter, James, and John had even seen him transfigured in glory. Surely they would know what Jesus thought was most important. But every time Jesus spoke about his upcoming death, they didn’t get it. They couldn’t grasp the sacrificial nature of his love. Ironically, they then got into an argument about which of them was the greatest disciple.

Jesus knows the intention of your heart as well. He lives in you and knows you better even than you know yourself. He sees your every thought and emotion. He knows the words you will speak before you utter them. He sees the good that lies deep within you, and he knows your most imperfect impulses. And just as he patiently helped the disciples, he will help you.
As you sit with Jesus in prayer today, allow him to search your heart. Let his light reveal the mercy and generosity that already lie there. Let him patiently uncover any fear or bitterness that binds you. And let him teach you of his sacrificial love, which has the power to change your mind and heart so that you think as he thinks and love as he loves.6 

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the promise of normalcy to the returning exiles from the Prophet Zechariah. Our call is to serve those who cannot pay us back. Friar Jude reminds us to praise those who seek goodness, even if they are not in our group.

A post by Franciscan Media on the Saint of the Day for September 30 reflects on Saint Jerome who is particularly important for having made a translation of the Bible which came to be called the Vulgate... In order to be able to do such work, Jerome prepared himself well. He was a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic.

Jerome was a strong, outspoken man. He had the virtues and the unpleasant fruits of being a fearless critic and all the usual moral problems of a man. He was, as someone has said, no admirer of moderation whether in virtue or against evil. He was swift to anger, but also swift to feel remorse, even more severe on his own shortcomings than on those of others. A pope is said to have remarked, on seeing a picture of Jerome striking his breast with a stone, “You do well to carry that stone, for without it the Church would never have canonized you” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints).7 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, hopes to show what Francis of Assisi clearly changed and did differently and what flowed from his unique wholeness. We will see that Francis was at once very traditional and entirely new in the ways of holiness—a paradox.

Yet Francis’ holiness, like all holiness, was unique and never a copy or mere imitation. In his “Testament,” he said, “No one showed me what I ought to do,” [1] and then, at the very end of his life, he said, “I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours!” [2] What permission, freedom, and space he thus gave to his followers! Bonaventure (1217–1274) echoed that understanding of unique and intimate vocation when he taught, “We are each loved by God in a particular and incomparable way, as in the case of a bride and bridegroom.” [3] Francis and Clare knew that the love God has for each soul is unique and made to order, which is why any “saved” person always feels beloved, chosen, and even “God’s favorite” like so many in the Bible. Divine intimacy is precisely particular and made to order—and thus “intimate.”8 

Our journey will include experience of beauty, truth and goodness and we will need to navigate the tension that puts our ego ahead of the will of God.

References

1	(n.d.). Zechariah, chapter 8 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/8
2	(n.d.). Psalm 102 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/102
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/9
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/09/30/
7	(n.d.). Saint Jerome - Franciscan Media. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-jerome/
8	(n.d.). One World — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from https://cac.org/one-world-2019-09-30/

Love responds to need

The events of yesterday in my family have generated additional contemplation and reflection on Love and our spiritual response.

Locklin Baptism

After the Baptism of my grandson, Locklin, his dad George shared the experience that initiated the process leading to the blessed event. Almost 42 years ago, I had a similar experience. George shared the need he had to see that his son would be saved from struggling to breath during an episode while Locklin was recovering from surgery at the IWK NICU. When my first son was born I was in need of assurance that all would be OK for him as he was facing a prolonged period of facial surgical repair, speech therapy, and special attention to his feeding as an infant. George and I both experienced our needs for our sons being satisfied. My experience was an infilling of Love and confidence that we could do it with the spiritual support I was coming to know. Some spiritual commentators have suggested that our life journey includes seeking revelation of the “name” by which God calls us. Naming our children often is connected to the names of family members. My youngest sons honour their mothers parents in their name. My oldest son, Christopher, is not named for his uncle. The traditional meaning of the name Christopher is “Christ bearer” and his birth marked the beginning of my discovery of Love in Christ that responds to our needs and has nothing to do with our worthiness.

Securing justice

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the current worldwide movement to secure justice for the poor in the face of changes described as a climate emergency.

Care for poor and planet

The passage from the Prophet Amos warns that complacent self-indulgence will be punished.

* [6:2] Calneh…Hamath…Gath: city-states overcome by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C., whose fate should be a lesson to the Israelites. The prophet castigates the leaders for being more intent on pursuing a luxurious lifestyle (vv. 1, 4–6) than reading the signs of the times.1

The reading from 1 Timothy is an exhortation to continue the Good Fight of Faith.

* [6:11–16] Timothy’s position demands total dedication to God and faultless witness to Christ (1 Tm 6:11–14) operating from an awareness, through faith, of the coming revelation in Jesus of the invisible God (1 Tm 6:15–16).3

Psalm 146 shares the source of strength.

* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.2 

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus from the Gospel of Luke exposes lack of concern of the privileged for the poor.

* [16:19–31] The parable of the rich man and Lazarus again illustrates Luke’s concern with Jesus’ attitude toward the rich and the poor. The reversal of the fates of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:22–23) illustrates the teachings of Jesus in Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” (Lk 6:20–21, 24–25).4 

Scott McClure comments that each of us may find ourselves as the rich man at certain times in our life and as Lazarus at others.

In this story as well as others, the question of who is our neighbor – and how we should treat them – is fundamental. The Gospel is clear that we are all neighbors. Once we take ownership of this reality, internalizing it, action must follow. Jesus modeled and preached a way of worshipping God that was far from theoretical and certainly far from comfortable. While we may worship God in many ways, among them must be through our concrete actions in love for one another. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Mt 25:40)5 

Don Schwager quotes “Creator of both rich and poor,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 3540-430 A.D.

"God made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the maker of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs - and through the person who does not have, He tests the one who has." (excerpt from Sermon 35, 7)6 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 16:19-31 comments that we all know that being a Christian means caring for the less fortunate. There are so many needy people that we can feel overwhelmed.

It’s helpful, then, to remember that Jesus didn’t have some grand strategy for solving the problem of poverty either. He just reached out to people, one by one. If the rich man in Jesus’ parable had done the same thing by caring for the beggar at his door, his life might have ended much differently.
That’s where we can start too—by helping one person at a time, especially those whom we encounter as part of our daily lives. If every person did that, think about how many people would be reached!7 

Friar Jude Winkler compares the opulence of the very wealthy in purple robes with poor who could be sold for the price of a pair of sandals. The vertical and horizontal aspects of our faith call us to relationship with God and neighbour. Friar Jude reminds us that the mission of Timothy to be an example belongs to all followers of Christ.

In response to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) serves the Catholic family worldwide to turn Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical into action for climate justice, by undergoing our own ecological conversion, transforming our lifestyles and calling for bold public policies together with the wider climate movement.

Focus on transformation

GCCM supports the Catholic Church to bring Laudato Si’ to life inthe following 3 dimensions (which are all equally important totackle this complex climate crisis):1. SPIRITUAL DIMENSION: We promote Laudato Si’ andencourage local communities to undergo the ‘ecologicalconversion’ needed to overcome consumerism and heal ourrelationship with creation and the poor; the Season of Creation isthe flagship project.2. LIFESTYLE DIMENSION: We encourage lifestyle changesthrough the Eco-Parish program to reduce the carbon footprintfrom Catholic parishes worldwide and the Divest-Reinvestprogram to shift Catholic nancial assets from dirty fossil fuels toclean renewable energy.3. PUBLIC POLICY DIMENSION: We raise our voice in the publicsphere to call for bold climate policies, by mobilizing in thestreets, supporting advocacy efforts in the halls of power andamplifying the Laudato Si’ message in the media.8 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, wants to share with us one of the most attractive, appealing, and accessible of all frames and doorways to the divine. It is called the Franciscan way after the man who first exemplified it, Francesco di Bernardone, born in Assisi, Italy.

Our outer world and its inner significance must come together for there to be any wholeness—and holiness. The result is deep joy and a resounding sense of coherent beauty. What was personified in the body of Jesus was a manifestation of this one universal truth: Matter is, and has always been, the hiding place for Spirit, forever offering itself to be discovered anew. Perhaps this is exactly what Jesus means when he says, “I am the gate” (John 10:7). Francis and his female companion, Clare (1194–1253), carried this mystery to its full and lovely conclusion. Or, more rightly, they were fully carried by the mystery. They somehow knew that the beyond was not really beyond, but in the depths of here.
One way to understand Francis and Clare is by reading their lives from what has emerged through their imitators and followers—those who discovered and rediscovered what can only be called radical simplification. Here I am thinking of people like Thérèse of Lisieux, Charles de Foucauld, Dorothy Day, Seraphim of Sarov, Nicholas von der Flüe, Mother Teresa, and, most recently, Pope Francis—to name a few Christian examples. The way of Francis of Assisi cannot be contained inside of formal Franciscanism simply because it is nothing more than the Gospel itself—in very distilled and honest form.9 

The Christian example is one of transformation to living faith in harmony and care for all Creation.

References

1	(n.d.). Amos, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/amos/6
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 146 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/146
3	(n.d.). 1 Timothy, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/6
4	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/16
5	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 29, 2019, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
7	(n.d.). 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved September 29, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/09/29/
8	(n.d.). Our model - The Global Catholic Climate Movement : The .... Retrieved September 29, 2019, from https://catholicclimatemovement.global/introduction/
9	(2019, September 29). Discovering Anew — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 29, 2019, from https://cac.org/discovering-anew-2019-09-29/

Cognitive Dissonance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today point to the state of confusion and misunderstanding that may precede further revelation.

Filling the gaps

The Prophet Zechariah uses the image of a man with a measuring line to instruct about Divine Protection.

* [2:9] Encircling wall of fire: divine protection for an unwalled Jerusalem. Urban centers were generally walled, and Jerusalem’s walls were eventually rebuilt in the late fifth century B.C. (Neh 2:17–20).1 

Jeremiah describes the return of exiles of the Northern Kingdom.

* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.).2 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus again foretells His death.

 But they did not understand this saying; (Luke 9:45)3

Edward Morse comments that it can be tough to endure until the whole truth is revealed.

In the midst of his counsel, Jesus seems to be reassuring his disciples not to fear, but to trust him.  This is the message the Angel was sharing, too. Look not at the enemy that may be measuring you, but at the Lord who lives among you and guards you with a holy fire.  This is not easy to put into action, but it is a call for us to heed.4

Don Schwager quotes “The scapegoat foreshadowed Christ's passion,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"The mystery of the passion may be seen also in another instance. According to the Mosaic law, two goats were offered. They were not different in any way from one another (Leviticus 16:7-8), but they were alike in size and appearance. Of these, one was called 'the lord,' and the other was called 'sent-away.' When the lot was cast for the one called 'lord,' it was sacrificed. The other one was sent away from the sacrifice, and therefore had the name of 'sent-away.' Who was signified by this? The Word, though he was God, was in our likeness and took the form of us sinners, as far as the nature of the flesh was concerned. The male or female goat was sacrificed for sins. Death was our desert, for we had fallen under the divine curse because of sin. When the Savior of all undertook the responsibility, he transferred to himself what was due to us and laid down his life, that we might be sent away from death and destruction." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 53)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15 notes that in today’s first reading, the prophet Zechariah promises that God will be with them, this time as a wall of fire. He will protect them, and, even more, will be present among them as they rebuild.

Of course, we know that God is always present to us. Our Bible says so; our catechism says so; even our own memory of past events says so. Still, his presence in the Blessed Sacrament stands above all of these assurances. Visible yet hidden, understandable yet mysterious, he is inviting you to come sit with him. Can you take a few moments out of your day and respond to his invitation? Go spend time with him; he just may have a special message for you.6 

Friar Jude Winkler connects the protection of Jerusalem by God to the need of the residents to keep up hope. Our expectations need to be tempered by consideration that God may have a better plan. Friar Jude reminds us of the link of Jesus as Son of Man to Daniel 7 and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, suggests that for today’s contemplative practice, we sit in a comfortable position with the simple intention to be in the Presence of God.

With playful, childlike sincerity, offer the least resistance to being overtaken by the God-given, godly nature of yourself—just the way you are. Abide for five or ten minutes or more in this state. James Finley, one of our core faculty members, writes:We have each had a taste of nondual consciousness: the face of our beloved, a child at play, the sound of running water, the intimacy of darkness in the middle of a sleepless night. Our lives move in and out of nondual consciousness. In these moments, we intuitively use the word God for the infinity of the primordial preciousness with Whom we realize ourselves to be one. In these moments we realize that nothing is missing anywhere and what fools we are to worry so.7 

The cognitive struggle to understand today is an opportunity to engage contemplative practice for deeper insight into our life in Christ.

References

1	(n.d.). Zechariah, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/2
2	(n.d.). Jeremiah, chapter 31 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/lk/9:66
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/09/28/
7	(n.d.). Oneness: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and .... Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://cac.org/oneness-weekly-summary-2019-09-28/

From Trouble to Glory

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the path from anxiety and trouble to the peace of relationship in Christ.

Journey with Him

The reading from the Prophet Haggai declares the future Glory of the Temple being rebuilt will exceed their memory of the past and be for them an assurance of God’s Presence.

* [2:6–9] These verses emphasize that the total fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel is on the horizon. Such an eschatological event, which will shake the nations (v. 6; cf. v. 21), finds an echo not only in the political revolts in the Persian empire in 521 but also in the formative events of Israel’s history (Ex 19:18; Jgs 5:4; Ps 68:8–9) when God intervened on behalf of the Israelites. The bringing of treasures of all the nations (v. 7) to Jerusalem recalls the visionary passages of Isaiah of the pilgrimage of all nations to Jerusalem (Is 2:2–4; 60:6–9).1

Psalm 43 is a prayer to God in time of trouble.

* [43:3] Your light and your fidelity: a pair of divine attributes personified as guides for the pilgrimage. As in Ps 42:9 the psalmist prays that these divine attributes lead him back to Jerusalem and ultimately to God’s presence in the Temple.2 

The Gospel of Luke presents Peter’s Declaration about Jesus and subsequently His foretelling of His Death and Resurrection.

* [9:18–22] This incident is based on Mk 8:27–33, but Luke has eliminated Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus as suffering Son of Man (Mk 8:32) and the rebuke of Peter by Jesus (Mk 8:33). Elsewhere in the gospel, Luke softens the harsh portrait of Peter and the other apostles found in his Marcan source (cf. Lk 22:39–46, which similarly lacks a rebuke of Peter that occurs in the source, Mk 14:37–38).3

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that not all will make the same response as Peter. Jesus does not convince, but invites a free affirmation of Who He is to them.

This form of intimacy or knowing, involves the knower’s also being known by the other, the known. Intimacy involves knowing as we are known. Peter pipes up not merely as a spectator to all the activities of Jesus, but as someone who has received himself, because of his receiving Jesus as a real human person. It is rather easy for us to reflect what answer we would give today to Jesus’ question about His identity. The more intimate reflection is who is Jesus saying we are as we become more familiar in our knowing of Him.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed Son and Savior of all,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"You see the skillfulness of the question. He [Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way. When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them, 'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you! He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:18-22 asserts that our identity exists in the web of relationships that defines us and sustains us: our parents, our siblings, our close friends, and our children. All of them have helped shape us in ways that no single card could ever contain!

When Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replies, correctly, “The Christ” (Luke 9:20). But to what extent is he aware of the way in which being with Jesus has shaped his own identity? Peter and the others have been following Jesus for some time now, and he has made an indelible mark on them. He has reshaped them to the point that they are committed to following him even to his death. They may not be completely faithful to him, and they have much more to learn, but they have already been changed in dramatic ways.6 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that Authentic spirituality emphasizes a real equivalence and mutuality between the one who sees and what can be seen. There is a symbiosis between the heart/mind of the seer and what they will pay attention to.

All being (earth and planets, waters, all growing things, animals, humans, angels, and God) can rightly be spoken of with “one voice,” as John Duns Scotus (1266–1308) put it. We Franciscans call it “the Univocity of Being.” What I am you also are, and so is the world. Creation is one giant symphony of mutual sympathy.
To understand this, I must know that I am, at least in part, the very thing I am seeking. In fact, that is what makes me seek it! But most do not know this good news yet. God cannot be found “out there” until God is first found “in here,” within ourselves, as Saint Augustine (354–430) profoundly expressed in many ways in his Confessions. Then we can almost naturally see God in others and in all of creation, too. What you seek is what you are. The search for God and the search for our True Self are finally the same search. St. Francis of Assisi’s all-night prayer, “Who are you, O God, and who am I?” [1] is the most honest prayer we can offer.7 

Friar Jude Winkler describes the frustration of the returning exiles who are rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem under the guidance of Haggai. Do the best and God will provide the rest. Friar Jude reminds us that the Son of Man is connected to Daniel 7 and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.

Meditation on our identity as shaped by our relationships highlights the centrality of our mission to know Jesus even as we are known by Him.

References

1	(n.d.). Haggai, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/haggai/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 43 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved September 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/43
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 27, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/9
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Creighton .... Retrieved September 27, 2019, from http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 27, 2019, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/09/27/
7	(2019, September 27). What You Seek Is What You Are — Center for Action and .... Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://cac.org/what-you-seek-is-what-you-are-2019-09-27/