Hope

 Hope is faith in things unseen, the promise of things to come. Without we hide under the bed of our soul and never let God make us what we can be.

As 2020 turned over into 2021 and the New Year begins with yet more ugliness—deaths from Covid are up, Virtual Mass proves a poor substitute for the relating, hunger is rising and homocide rates with it, and a coup attempt that is probably just an opening sally has occurred—hope has never been a more vital component of our spiritual lives.

Samantha Powers told U.S. Catholic recently that, while the size of if the  world's ills is massive, there are always things that can be done right in front of our noses. No one of us is called to save the world. (The work of Redemption has been done, I believe), but we are all called to remember that the kingdom is at hand--right in front of us. We're called to live in the kingdom, loving God with our whole hearts and our neighbor--whoever that is and a whoever comes our way each day--as ourselves. 

We can't let darkness win. We'll know we walk there if we see His fruit. More on that another time.

Emptiness

 Last week I found a little book I had forgotten, shoved back on my bookshelf behind heavier things. It was The Reed of God, one once dear to my heart. I've been reading it every night and so it is again.

She begins with emptiness, the necessity if we are to be filled with Christ, We must be empty; we must be filled; and then—only then—and can we be the hands, the feet, and the beating heart that carries Christ where He wishes to go.

She speaks of three kinds of emptiness. The reed is the delicate emptiness through which the music of God can flow. The chalice is the solid emptiness in which sacrifice, necessary, and needed, can occur. A next is a soft emptiness in which life can be nurtured. We are, she says, all called to our own specific emptiness in order to be what He wishes.

My first image of God was of as the hub of the wheel that is my life. In that vision, a world of people, things, issues, worries, activity flowed in a chaotic circle held in place and given meaning by that hub.  She suggests a different image, one in which we enter into the emptiness at the center, by freeing our minds and souls of the chatter and the noise. It is harder than it sounds. I'm reminded of a mantra He gave me long ago: Listen; don't talk.

Advent is a good time to let the quiet seep in.

This I Believe

This I believe:

1. God is. Nothing else really matters.
2. God is love. He is the trinity of Lover, Love, Beloved in neverending exchange.
3. The logic of love is creation~the sharing of love.
4. The gap between humanity and God demanded redemption. The continued gap calls out for salvation.
5. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him, not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...  And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

 I accept the formulation of the Nicene creed, and I choose to be a submissive daughter of the Roman Catholic church, never blind to its greed, sins, and administrative blunders, but joyful in its life in the Spirit, the beauty of its traditions, and the communion of its saints.

Word on Fire

...for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit

                    1 Thessalonians  1:5

In the middle of the angst, divisions, and failures of the Catholic Church this decade, I've looked for a spiritual home.

My parish, as luck would have it, is lovely; bible study there keeps me going. But it is shrinking. Between the flight of believers, aging out and changing demographics, it teeters toward disappearing. In my heart of hearts, I have my doubts about the old structure of parish/diocese/archdiocese/conference... It doesn't seem to be working. I have total faith that we as a community of faith can march on no matter what, but the structure? It may be time to let it fall.

I considered one of the traditional religious orders, some, including the one that raised me, take affiliate members. I've looked at various lay movements without finding much satisfaction. I spent some time perusing Formed and some of the online groups. None spoke to me.

So I've settled on Word on Fire. I admire the way in which the institute engages the culture. Wherever I go on social media (and I confess to being out there a lot) WoF is there, not cringing before the culture, not attacking the culture, but engaging the culture in a dialogue rooted and grounded in our faith. As a layperson called to be in the world but not of it and as a writer who prays for ways to make sure my work is soaked in my faith, and a person who uses technology, it feels like a good fit. I'm particularly fond of the magazine and podcast Evangelization and Culture. I'm happy to have my monthly subscription contribute.

I recommend their work—I hope one day to confidently call it our work. Look for us wherever you go. Start here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo

or here

https://wordonfire.institute