PRAYER TO THE GOD OF THE SEEKING

SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART AT FARHNWALD JESUIT RETREAT CENTER
OSHKOSH, WI

Teach me to seek you,

and when I see you , show yourself to me;

for I cannot seek you unless you teach me,

or find you unless you show yourself to me.

Let me seek you by desiring you.

Let me find you by loving you

and love you when I find you.

I do not seek to understand so that I can believe

but believe so that I may understand

For this too, I believe:

Unless I believe, I shall not understand.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

 As the Christmas Season approaches,

let us remember those whose lives have been interrupted by sudden, unwanted and uninvited losses.
May our celebration of God's coming into our midst 

bring us deeper consolation and hope.

PRAYER IN TIMES OF TROUBLES

God is our REFUGE and our STRENGTH,

Who from of OLD has HELPED us in our DISTRESS.

Therefore we FEAR NOTHING -

Even if the EARTH should OPEN UP in front of us

and MOUNTAINS PLUNGE into the DEPTHS OF THE SEA;

even if the EARTH'S WATERS RAGE and FOAM

and the MOUNTAINS TUMBLE with its HEAVING...

(Ps 46:1-3)

The Light will Dispel the Darkness!

The morning will surely come; the darkness will vanish,

and your Voice will pour down in golden streams through the sky.

-Rabindranath Tagore-

O God of Light!

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead me on!
Keep thou my fee! I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

(Venerable John Henry Newman (1801-1890)! 

"A ROOT SHALL COME FROM THE STUMP OF JESSE AND A BRANCH SHALL GROW OUT FROM ITS ROOTS"

"A root shall come from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its roots,

The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of the knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord."  - Isaiah 11:1-3

CHRIST'S COMING 

IN THE MIDST OF OUR BROKEN WORLD

AS WE CELEBRATE THE ADVENT SEASON

I am reminded of powerful words of the late Henri Nouwen 

from"Gracias! A Latin American Journal" that have always helped me focus my attention 

on the what is really the heart of the liturgical season.

"I keep expecting loud and impressive events

to convince me and others of God saving power...

Our temptation is to be distracted by them...

When I have no eyes for the small signs

of God's presence - the smile of a baby,

the carefree play of children, the words

of encouragement and gestures of love

offered by friends - I will always

remain tempted to despair.

The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown

man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher,

the naked man on the cross,

he asks for my attention.

The work of our salvation takes place

in a world that continues to shout,

scream, and overwhelm us with

its claims and promises."

AS WE MOVE ON TO THE ADVENT WEEKS,

MAY OUR EYES AND MINDS BE SHIELDED 

FROM THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF EMPTY PROMISES AROUND US.

RATHER, MAY OUR HEARTS BE FOCUSED 

ON THE PROMISE OF GENUINE HOPE AND LIFE 

 FROM A LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE GOD,

 WHO CHOSE TO BE BORN IN THE POOR STABLE OF BETHLEHEM

AND WHO CHOSE TO DWELL AND LIVE WITH US 

IN OUR BROKEN WORLD!

LET US OPEN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

AND BE PREPARED FOR HIS COMING!

GOD'S SEEMING ABSENCE AS GOD'S PROFOUND PRESENCE

"Dark Night of the Soul" is a profound feeling of God's seeming silence
and distance to everything that craves for deeper union with God

I have experienced the "Absence of God" so  profoundly

and that this "negation" has gradually became 
God's New Presence in my Life! 
May God be Praised!

EVER PRESENT GOD, 
THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME 
THAT YOU ARE THE GOD OF DARKNESS AS WELL.
EVEN IN MY DARKEST MOMENTS, YOU ARE THERE,
SEIZING ME AND LOVING ME.
I PRAY THAT I MAY ALWAYS FIND YOU
IN THOSE MOMENTS 
WHEN I AM UNMOVED TOTHE BEAUTY OF CREATION, WHEN I AM FROZEN TO THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY, WHEN I AM OBLIVIOUS OF YOUR ABIDING PRESENCE. AMEN.

You made the night your cloak,
you covered yourself in a canopy of storm clouds.
Psalm 18:11

Zechariah and our Christmas Prayers

As Christmas approaches, I thought that it is good to highlight Zechariah and the role he plays during this advent season.  We are all familiar with his canticle as we recite or sing in our Lauds proclamation "the Dawn from on high will break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death!"  

Zechariah both knew about light and darkness. He prophesied the coming of God and God's revelation to the people of Israel. But because of his doubt, specifically, about how God's power can become a reality in his life and for his barren wife Sarah, for nine months, he was prevented to speak.

As we anticipate the coming of Jesus, Zechariah can teach us to look closely at ourselves and examine how we experience God in our world.  Just like Zechariah, we can always speak of light and goodness, but like him, we too have strong doubts about so many uncertainties in our lives.  Sometimes, our darkness always seems too strong to loom against our world and our own life's horizons.  This darkness seems to overshadow the light, especially during this winter seasons in our lives and in the lives of the people today. 

Sister Joyce Rupp in her recent article in NCR, reminds us that even though we find some darkness in our lives and in our world, this darkness is not pure darkness. This darkness is always interspersed with light. She points out that  "it is to these dark corners that the Savior comes, bringing light by the tender mercy of God." She reminds us that, "to the darkness of our hurrying, our self-centeredness, our weakness, our frustration, our half-lived lives, our Savior comes. To the darkness of our world of war and torture, alienation and deceit, greed and corruption, our Savior comes."  We just have to believe that " the God's Light YEARNS to dawn upon us;"  All we need to do is "to open our hearts to receive this gift of loving presence."

Easier said than done. But like Zechariah, during this advent season, we are invited to believe in God's awesome greatness.  God is ever-revealing its Godself to us - in our lives and in the lives of the people around us. There is nothing dark in the presence of God's light.  May we experience these glimmers of light in the midst of our darkness.  Let us all join Sister Joyce Rupp in her hope-filled Advent prayers! 

"EMMANUEL, OUR GOD-WHO-IS-WITH-US 

may your Light 

be perceived by all who sit in darkness.

Be a Beacon of Hope 

for all whose lives are troubled this Christmas."