Until recently, spirituality to me was mostly about prayer. I suppose this is the result of my Carmelite studies. Their spirituality is mainly focused on prayer.  Plus, if spirituality is about my relationship with God, then prayer is the way that relationship is cultivated.  

Historically, the word spirituality came from the Greek word for “to breathe.” To our knowledge, Paul was the first to use the word for the Holy Spirit, and he was basing his word choice on the ancient Hebrew word for Spirit, which also had to do with breath / breathing.   I see two reasons for this. One reason has to do with God breathing his breath into us at creation.  The other has to do with the little nudges of the Spirit when he is prompting us to do something.  In some ways, it is like a breath pushing us, but not overwhelming our freedom of choice. 

Eventually, the Greek word was translated into Latin (spiritualis), which is the basis of the English word – spiritual.  In effect, Paul’s usage of the word was intended to express the work of the Holy Spirit in and around the Christian community. 

Over time, the word has taken on a lot of different connotations, including some that have nothing to do with the Spirit. For instance, many people use the word to express their desires to find more meaning in life. Some use it to talk about transcendence. The two latter definitions do not have to be based on a religious ideology.  

So, what is my current definition of spirituality?  In short, I think Christian spirituality is the lived experience of a Christian in his or her faith walk. It includes prayer, apostolic works, and the moral code by which we live. In addition, I think it has to include the original concept of living in the spirit. In effect, everything I think, do, and say should reflect my spirituality, my practice of living out my faith. 

This gives me pause. Do my acts, thoughts and words reflect my Christian spirituality? No, but that is ok. Life is a spiritual journey, which consists of being purified in the Spirit.  So, one day, likely at the end of my time on this earth, my spirituality will be perfected. Until then, I will journey on. 

Spend some time today reflecting on your understanding of spirituality. How do your life decisions and behaviors reflect your beliefs?  We are sinners, so don’t expect perfection. Still, spend some time in prayer to see how you can better live in the Spirit, and more direct your life towards a more fulfilling journey.

In Him,

dw

This morning, I pondered how I would live if I knew how much time I had left. I realized it is easy to go to sleep every night knowing (or at least believing) that there would be another day.  I can always accomplish tomorrow what I could have done today. 

The problem is – the list of things I want to do piles up.  At some point, there is no more time to accomplish everything I wanted to accomplish.  Here I am at midlife (barring any illness or accident), and what have I accomplished? What treasures have I stored up in Heaven?  

Let’s see, I worked for a number of years in corporate America.  I helped with a lot of real estate projects. I directed. I took direction.  

I made money, and donated some to various charities.  I have taken in people who were down on their luck to give them a chance to get their feet back under them. I have ministered to prisoners. I have served food to the poor. I have donated clothes to various charities.  I have gone to church, and had an on again / off again prayer life.   I have helped family when they needed help.  I have preached the Gospel, and continue to do so. 

I suppose this is a good start to storing up treasures in Heaven.  Still, if I knew the number of my days, I think there would be more intensity behind my efforts.  Some would say I do not need to perform works for my salvation, but for me, works are an expression of gratitude.  More importantly, if I active the Spirit within me, then I am allowing God to be present to people through me. What else is the meaning of life but being Christ to others? This is the legacy I desire to leave behind me.  This is the legacy that requires more effort to build.  This idea of legacy is what I will take to prayer today in order to see what else I can do. 

Spend some time today pondering your own life. How would you live if you were told the number of your days left on earth? What do you want your legacy to be? If you are not already doing so, how can you increase your efforts to improve that which you will one day leave behind.  

In Him,

dw

In the Bible, Jesus is always asking people to come follow him.  What does it mean to follow Jesus? 

I suppose it has meant a lot of things to a lot of different people over the years.  For St. Francis of Assisi, it meant giving up everything and fixing up a dilapidated church.  For St. Rita, it meant praying for her mafioso sons to convert, even if it meant dying young so they could go to Heaven. For St. Theresa of Calcutta (aka Mother Theresa), it was leaving the safety of her convent to serve people on the streets of India.  It meant martyrdom for some, and many hardships for others.  

In fact, Jesus tells us the way should be hard; that his way will be perilous. He tells people to carry their crosses, and to be of service to others.  He blesses the poor and the oppressed.  He mentions storing up treasures in heaven instead of on earth. He talks about not judging, of being merciful and tolerant.  He insisted that the marginalized not be the target of our own greed and pride.  

In return for the hardships of this life, he promises us a life of sharing in the divine; of being one with him and the Father.  

In reflecting on all of this, maybe each of us should ask – am I doing enough?  I think the answer will always be, I can always do more for Jesus. I do not owe him anything for my salvation, but he does need me to help bring others to him. He needs each of us to be him for others.  

Spend some time today reviewing your own definition of discipleship.  Spend some time in prayer asking God what you can do to better fulfill his mission here on Earth.  Ask him to help you be open to what he is calling you to do.  Thank him for all that he has done for you, and ask how you can bring light to someone’s darkness, even if it causes you discomfort or pain. 

In Him,

dw

Yesterday, the Church celebrated the Epiphany. According to Alexa, epiphany means to make manifest; to make visible to the eye; to make known.  For these kings, it was both a visible manifestation and an intellectual understanding.  

Here, we have three kings who arrive in Jerusalem.  They ask Herod, the perceived king of the Jews, where they can find the king of the Jews so that they can pay him homage. Some translators use the word worship here. I think homage is the better word for worship has a connotation of godliness, and I’m not positive that the kings saw him as God. Let’s face it, the disciples followed him for three years without fully connecting the dots.  

What does it mean to pay homage? This word is often used in regards to recognizing the rule of one greater than oneself.  It is often about pledging fealty to someone greater.  Fealty has to do with loyalty and faithfulness.  

Thus, we have three kings wishing to plead fealty to someone greater than them. Who is greater than a king?  This King.  

In recognition of their fealty, they brought gifts to their new King.  The gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh were symbols of kingship and of the priesthood.  These gifts remind us that Jesus is both. 

Spend some time today pondering the truth revealed in this scripture.  Jesus is high priest and king.  How does your relationship with him reveal your understanding of his kingship?  What can you do to improve this understanding of your relationship with Jesus?  In closing our meditation, imagine yourself kneeling before the baby Jesus.  Make your own pledge of fealty to the King of Kings, and make some new years resolutions about how to honor this rededication in your day to day life. 

In Him,

dw

Yesterday, my family received a love letter from dad. It was filled with love, admonitions, and hope.  It was filled with thoughts about self-improvement (in a positive way), and with hope that the family would learn to live life even more fully.  

As I ponder the letter today, I see two things.  First, I see how many excuses stand in the way of me going for a more fulfilling life. For instance, I don’t really have any hobbies, outside of writing.  When I think about picking up art, there are a million excuses why I could never be good at it.  I mean, I literally cannot even draw a cube.  So, instead of giving it a shot, the lies in my head say things like, “why try something unless you can do it well?” Maybe I would find new avenues of self expression, even if poorly constructed, which would change my life.   I think another important lie to confront, is what if I invest energy in this endeavor, and it doesn’t pay out.  In all honesty, any energy invested in self-improvement is not any more a waste of time than sitting in front of the TV or playing video games.  

Second, it made me think about God the Father’s greatest love letter, the Bible.  That letter, too, is filled with love, admonition, and hope.  When I compare my life to that book of lessons to be learned, I see that I have room for improvement in this regards, too.  Jesus’ love was one of pouring himself out. The Greek word for this is “kenosis.” All aspects of heavenly love are tied up in this one word.  Jesus gave us his all, and asks us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to learn to do the same. It is a day-by-day process of learning to reciprocate God’s love.  It is a day-to-day process of learning to die to self for the benefit of the entire body of Christ. 

Spend some time today pondering the Father’s love letter to you. Pick a few concepts from the letter, and start making some New Year’s resolutions to go even further into your love relationship with your Father.  Whether you choose to take baby steps or big steps in this regards, your 2020 will be greatly blessed in the good times and in the bad. 

In Him,

dw

This morning, we celebrate the day of our savior’s birth.  God has become man! What an amazing choice he made for us!  He has come into the world he created; the good, the bad, and the ugly of our world.  

Ponder this – the all-powerful has become the least powerful.  He did this for you.  The baby in Mary’s arms is vulnerable.  He feels cold. He feels pain. He feels love and warmth.  The incorporeal (non-bodily), has become flesh. He dwells among us.  

While these facts have become second nature to us, they are still mystery in the sense that it doesn’t make sense. Why would God step down from heaven and enter into the created world?  Why does he care for us so much that he took his first step towards his last?  

I suggest that the answer is – God is love. Jesus is the embodiment of love. Love is warm and kind; it has the ability to build us up. It has the ability to return to us our joy and our hope in something more. It has the ability to bring us new life; to transform our very being. 

Spend some time today pondering the mystery of the incarnation, the mystery of Jesus taking on our fleshly bodies.  Ask Mary to let you hold her child.  As you cradle the baby Jesus in your arms, ponder how the amazing power of God can reside in one as little as him. Spend some time mulling over how vulnerable the all-powerful is.  Touch his tiny face.  Kiss his little forehead. Hold his petite fingers in yours.  Spend some time soaking up the love that pours forth from the Godly essence that is a part of this baby. Then, pass on that love to your friends and family. Pass it on to anyone you encounter today.  

My wish for you today is not a white Christmas, but one filled with warmth, love, and joy.

Merry Christmas,

dw 

This morning, I ponder all of the “Christmas” carols that talk about winter related issues.  If I pick a Christmas station on any of the music services, I hear, “Let it Snow!”  “Jingle Bells,” Where is “silent night”? “Away in a manger”?  I’m sure they are there, but they seem buried deep behind the winter themes.  

Jesus is the reason for the season. Let us spend this Christmas Eve day focusing on things that remind us of this. Let’s spend some time thinking about a baby who is coming into the world to save us. Let us spend some time with him in the manger, which represents the dirty sin in our lives, and let us fill the day with joy and amazement. 

In Him,

dw

What does it mean to keep Christ in Christmas?  Yes, it includes saying Merry Christmas to people, instead of Happy Holidays.  Still, it means more.  

Christmas is a time for reflecting on the generosity of God.  For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son into the world.  Jesus stepped down from the perfection of Heaven, and came into our messy, imperfect lives.  I believe the tradition of gift giving began as a way of reflecting this generosity. Does it still? 

Maybe the true meaning of keeping Christ in Christmas could be viewed as reflecting on our lives as disciples of Christ.  Jesus’ mission was to further reveal the nature of God to humanity.   God’s nature was thus revealed as self-giving.  He poured himself out for us.  

Spend some time today reflection on your Christmas traditions. How do they reflect the elf-giving love of God? Think outside of the box. Is there anything you can do to tweak your traditions to even more fully reflect God’s generosity in sending Jesus into the world? How can you better reflect the nature of God’s self-giving love in the world this Christmas?

In Him,

dw

This morning, as I read the second Office Reading (see the link below), I almost fell into tears.  What beautiful words! It made me ponder Mary, which lead to thoughts about giving birth to Christ.  This gave new meaning to Advent.  

In this reading, St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes about the annunciation when Gabriel tells Mary that she is to bear a son.  While this is not what he says, he basically takes on the role of Gabriel.  He is talking about that moment of time, which likely felt an eternity, between Gabriel’s words and Mary’s answer.  He talks about how the whole world waited with bated breath for her response – “be it done unto me according to your word.”  He talks about how Adam and his family in the “shadow of death” are tearful and begging her to say yes.  

As I pondered this, I fell into the role of a pregnant Mary, about to give birth. I have always hesitated to take on the role of Mary in my meditations, but this morning, I found myself there.  

No one at the time of Jesus understood what the Messiah was to be. The prophets didn’t give specifics.  People had hopes for many different types of saviors; anointed ones.  In the end, all they knew was promise of something new; they placed their hope in Yahweh, and trusted in him. 

Now, we find this young lady who is about to deliver on this hope.  She knows she has the king of Kings within her womb, the long awaited return of the Davidic kingship.  Instead of a palace, she finds herself in a barn or cave that housed the animals. She goes into labor and brings the Messiah into the world. She delivers God’s hope into the world. 

Jesus dwells within each Christian.  He is aching for us to give birth to him, to bring hope to others.  People are longing for this hope. They are waiting to be clothed in kindness. They are thirsting for words of salvation. They are imprisoned in sin and oppression, and looking for deliverance.  We, the body of Christ, are the answer to all the hopelessness and pain in the world. We are Mary, and it is our job to give birth to the King of Kings.  

Spend some time today pondering how you might give birth to the Messiah.  Spend some time with your insecurities, your fears, your weaknesses. Spend some time remembering that God calls only the weak.  Spend some time asking Jesus how you can deliver him to your neighbors. Make some resolutions for the new year about how you can play this forward. 

https://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=586

In Him,

dw 

We are a week away from Jesus’ coming. Do you feel a sense of excitement as we relive this momentous occasion?   Let me see if I can help you build your sense of excitement.  

In the ancient Hebrew culture (and possibly even today), there was a belief that when something was said out loud, it brought the “thing” into existence. Thus, by saying aloud a praise to God when in a sad place, there was a true turn of mood. When they spoke of their history, especially the passover, there was a sense of being with their ancestors who lived those events. 

Thus, as we say Merry Christmas, as we talk about Jesus’ coming again (both in celebrating his birth and in acknowledging his second coming), we bring these events into our reality.  

I had to stop and ponder the second coming.  Did I believe that? As I meditated on this, I realized that there is a sense of Jesus’ coming in the Body of Christ.  I realized that my statement was correct.  I don’t know when Jesus’ full coming will happen. I’ve pondered about him coming through the body of Christ.  I think maybe more likely, it is an interim coming. The problem is – we don’t fully participate in our role in the body.  I wonder if we have lost our sense of being a part of the body, and what that means.  A thought for another day. 

Spend sometime today pondering the coming of Jesus (in both senses).  Say some prayers aloud asking him to make himself more fully present in your life.  Say some prayers of praise and bring some joy into your life. We were made to praise God, and in so doing you will experience a sense of joy; a sense of living out your purpose. Of course, you have to believe to feel the joy. May God bless you on your journey towards living out your faith more fully. 

In Him,

dw