our destination

today's readings: 1 Kings 2:1-3:2, Acts 5:1-42, Psalm 125:1-5, Proverbs 16:25

there is a strong theme that runs through our readings today. it is summed up in the Proverb: There is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death.

David states the same theme when he starts off our reading by saying to his son Solomon: "I am going where everyone on earth must someday go."

Ananias and Sapphira sold some land and generously gave the money they made from it to the disciples. but for some reason, i'm guess probably pride (or maybe greed), they claimed that they gave all of the money while they really kept some of it. they lied... and they went "where everyone on earth must someday go" a little earlier than they expected.

so we see several examples of people taking that last voyage. the disciples point to the way they will eventually die when they rejoice because they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus.

you and i will face that final voyage, too. but take heart - the words of St Therese of Liseux are very cheering when you consider this trip. she told her mom that she wished she would die soon! when her mom (understandably) was alarmed at such a wish, the little saint told her that she would be so happy in heaven that she wished she could go there soon. and the Little Flower (as Therese was known) told everyone that she would spend her eternity helping people on earth.

that's a good way to see it. death is not the end, my friend. it is a door - to a greater place. if that journey scares you, or makes you sad... pray about it! lift up your thoughts and your fears to God, and He will give you what you need to face that journey with confidence and hope.

thank You, God, for being there on the other side of our final journey, waiting for us.

two examples

today's readings: 1 Kings 1:1-53, Acts 4:1-37, Psalm 124:1-8, Proverbs 16:24

two things struck me from today's readings (besides Abishag's name, which made me giggle with puerile amusement). one was when David saw that Solomon was on the throne, and he worshiped God. he was profoundly grateful for the fact that he saw his beloved son sitting on the throne during David's lifetime. David, despite (or maybe BECAUSE OF) his sins and shortcomings, is truly a great example for us of how to live our lives in gratitude and repentance.

the other thing was Solomon's first decision as king. he shows his wisdom from the very first choice he makes... his brother has gone to the temple and is holding on to the horns of the altar, to keep from being killed. it was like claiming "sanctuary" from Victor Hugo's time. anyway, he tells his men to ask Solomon if he is going to have him killed. Solomon doesn't say yes or no, as many of us would. he basically says "if you behave, you'll be fine. if you try anything stupid, you'll die." wise decision!

God, please help me to follow the examples of these two men who, even through their weakness and sins, followed you.

Uriah the Hittite

today's readings: 2 Sam 23:24-24:25, Acts 3:1-26, Psalm 123:1-4, Proverbs 16:21-23

those lists of names in the Bible can be really boring to read. it's easy to skip over them altogether... or at least to skim them. every once in awhile, i'll have the patience to read through them name by name... which kind of transports me back in time to see these men who were among the "lucky few" to make it into the Bible.

but today, there was a surprise waiting for me. you know "the thirty"? well, if not... there was this group of around thirty men... (there were actually 37, the OT tells us today) who were the King's special group... kind of the Navy Seals or the Green Berets of their time. they were bad mama jamas. there are stories in 2 Samuel about their exploits... like when David asks for a drink of water from a well behind enemy lines... and a few of the thirty go and get him some water from that well.

well... i was reading this list of men's names... and the last name on the list was Uriah the Hittite! you might remember poor Uriah... he was Bathsheba's husband. he was a loyal soldier for King David... and David had him killed so he could steal his wife. not cool. but it's worse than i thought... because Uriah wasn't just some random soldier. he was one of the few... the proud... the thirty!

David really messed up when he stole Bathsheba and killed her husband. yet, the Bible calls him "a man after God's own heart". how can this be? well... David knew how to repent. that's the thing that makes him stand out against so many others in the OT... and the NT as well. David messed up... more than once! even in today's readings... he takes a census (which makes God mad for some reason... probably something to do with trusting in numbers rather than trusting in God) and then he repents.

would that we would follow his example. we all mess up. we all sin, and do stupid things that estrange us from God. but God never grows tired of forgiving us... as long as we keep coming back, time and again, and saying "I'm sorry, God. I blew it again. Please forgive me."

God.... well, You know.

allll... part of the plannnnn

today's readings: 2 Sam 22:1-23:23, Acts 2:1-47, Psalm 122:1-9, Proverbs 16:19-20

so i found myself wondering today... why were these Jews living all over the known world? when the Apostles start speaking in tongues, the Jews from all of these different nations can understand them, because God "gave them utterance." but how did the Jews get all spread out to begin with?

well, it goes back to the diaspora. as a part of God's huge plan, after the Jews were exiled to Babylon, they spread all over the world in a huge exodus called the diaspora. i had heard of this, but i didn't know many details.

so, all of these Jews came to Jerusalem to worship for the Passover, and they heard the Apostles talking about Jesus in their own languages. then they became Christians and went back to their homes, taking the Gospel with them. pretty amazing.

thank You, God, for having these awesome plans for us to know You and receive Your good news... which You have for us every day!

psyche!

today's readings: 2 Sam 20:14-21:22, Acts 1:1-26, Psalm 121:1-8, Proverbs 16:18

we get psyched out in today's reading. the disciples are picking a replacement for Judas. the writer of the book of Acts (probably Luke) says that it comes down to two guys - either Joseph, who is called Barsabbas (which means he was the son of someone named Sabbas, BTW) and who had the nickname Justus... or some guy named Matthias.

it seems pretty obvious who is going to be chosen, right? i mean, they give us all this background information on Joseph. we know who is father is, and we know that he comes with a nickname built in - and as you know the disciples were big on having nicknames. my fav was "the twin", because it seems ironic. doesn't it? how odd would it be to walk into a room and say "is the twin here?" it kind of implies two people...

but we're wrong! it's a red herring. Joseph, the son of Sabbas (which is a cool palindrome name), with the admirable nickname Justus... is NOT chosen!

instead, the guy named Matthias, about whom we know nothing... he's the one chosen.

leave it to God to surprise us. He does that, doesn't He? just when you think you've got a grip on His way of doing things... He throws you for a loop.

for His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. He's so far above us, it boggles the mind.

but we CAN trust Him. as much as He is far above us... as much as He is not a tame Lion... He is good. He is love. He is ultimately trustworthy. that is, one might argue, the entire purpose of most of the Bible - to teach us that God is good... and loving... and kind. He is rich in mercy and forgiveness. because our natural human nature is to think of God as being powerful and scary and mean. He IS powerful and scary... but He's not mean. He is love.

thank You, God, for keeping us guessing... and for being Someone we can always trust.

my calling

today's readings: 2 Sam 19:11-20:13, John 21:1-25, Psalm 120:1-7, Proverbs 16:16-17

the Gospel today is one of my favorites. mostly because it was where i first found out what God is calling me to do in my life. see, it went like this...

when i was a Jesuit novice, we did this cool thing called the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola. we did these exercises during a 30 day silent retreat. on this retreat, we practiced what is called lectio divina, where we read a passage of Scripture and put ourselves, with our imagination, into the story. we watch as Jesus does things, and then in our imagination we interact with Him.

the cool thing about this is that it's a prayer. so while i'm imagining Jesus on the beach, cooking the fish, and me and the other disciples coming to talk to Him... He's actually with me, in real life, as i practice this prayer, and speaks to me.

well, after the events of the Gospel, Jesus and i took a walk down the beach. i asked Him tons of questions. and He answered all of them. it was amazing. one of the things i asked Him was what i should do with my life. and what He said surprised me.

He said that He was calling me to write. i thought He might call me to teach, but He said my main calling is to be a writer. so i've started practicing writing.

but He has a calling for each of us. what is your calling?

thank You, God, for calling me to use my talents, and not waste them.

my Lord and my God

today's readings: 2 Sam 18:1-19:10, John 20:1-31, Psalm 119:153-176, Proverbs 16:14-15

we read about Thomas today. i never noticed before that he wasn't present when Jesus breathed on the disciples and gave them the ability to forgive sins. i wonder how that played out... did Jesus breathe on just Thomas later? or did the impartation of that ability go to him as well just because he was one of His disciples?

in any case, Thomas gets a bad rap. all of the other disciples SAW Jesus resurrected, and believed. but Thomas just happened not to be there. and he said what probably any of them would have said... that he would believe if he saw Jesus with his own eyes.

so Jesus appears to him, and he makes the bold profession of faith, "My Lord and my God". i could be wrong, but i think this is the first time in the Bible that anyone besides Jesus calls Him God.

so Thomas makes this great profession of FAITH, the first one to do so. but do we call him Faithful Thomas? nooooooo.... we forever remember that one moment when, because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he missed out on seeing Jesus... and we forever know him as Doubting Thomas.

how often do we find ourselves in the wrong place, the wrong time? and how many times do we miss seeing Jesus because of that? let's pray that He reveals Himself to us, like He did to Thomas, so that we, too, can say with him, "My Lord and my God."