OPreach

God’s Faithful Forgiveness

opreach — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:18:09 +0000

David’s saga continues today when the prophet Nathan comes to him and demands repentance. In this story of unvarnished humanness, David admits his sinfulness and turns to God for forgiveness. God doesn’t remove all the consequences for David’s despicable actions, but faithfully forgives David’s sin.

This story gives all of us hope, that no matter what we are guilty of, there is forgiveness. I am reminded of the passage from 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all injustice.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us.

King David Acted Despicably

opreach — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:45:39 +0000

One of the wonderful thing about the Scriptures is that they show our ancestors and heroes as unvarnished human beings. Today’s reading from 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17 shows King David at his lustful, adulterous, murderous, and most faithless worst. You can read it for yourself, but basically David commits adultery and makes sure that the woman’s husband will be killed in battle so that he can take his wife for his own without recrimination. Despicable.

Can we find our unvarnished human selves in the pages of Scripture? I’ve been reading about the way the assemblers of iPhones, iPads, and all things Apple are treated in factories in China. And as I hold my own Apple products I have to wonder, how am I implicitly guilty of the inhuman conditions in those factories? How do my buying habits affect others in the world?

How am I complicit in the War Against the Poor?

What Should We Do about that Moon?

opreach — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:40:01 +0000

One of my favorite poets is Hafiz. I thought of his poem a couple of weeks ago when I saw this moon . . . not even full.

What should we do about that moon?

A wine bottle fell from a wagon and

broke open in a field.

That night one hundred beetles and all their cousins

Gathered

and did some serious binge drinking.

They even found some seed husks nearby

and began to play them like drums and whirl.

This made God very happy.

Then the “night candle” rose into the sky

and one drunk creature, laying down his instrument,

said to his friend ~ for no apparent

Reason,

“What should we do about that moon?”

Seems to Hafiz

Most everyone has laid aside the music

Tackling such profoundly useless

Questions.

- Hafiz -

Go into All the World and Tell the Good News!

opreach — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:32:42 +0000

From Psalm 117 – today’s psalm:

Praise the Lord all you nations
Glorify him all you peoples
For steadfast is his kindness towards us
and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

How Do We Welcome Christ through the Doors of our Lives?

opreach — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:12:51 +0000

Today’s responsorial psalm is Psalm 24. We hear:

Lift up, you gates, your lintels
Reach up you, ancient portals
That the King of Glory may come in!

Who is this King of Glory? It is each and every person we meet. Let us greet them all in the manner that their dignity deserves.

How do we welcome Christ through the doors of our lives?

God Loves all without Exception

opreach — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:37 +0000

I read a wonderful quote from Anne Lamott that I thought was worth sharing.

You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

This advice on the back of a t-shirt would be good for all of us to follow.

Open a New Window, Open a New Door

opreach — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:23:14 +0000

There are so many instances in the Scriptures where we see someone being called by God. Today’s Gospel reading gives us another one of those instances. Today Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John. And, truly, God calls each of us today and every day to follow.

I like the way Auntie Mame expresses it in the musical “Mame”. She sings:

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That’s never been tried before;
Before you find you’re a dull fellow [or perhaps young woman],
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you’re slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show ‘em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn’t fizz too long.
There’s only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev’ry day!

A window in Chartres, France.

Even Jesus’ Family Thought He Was Mad

opreach — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:45:13 +0000

This is a door of a Dominican Sisters' convent in Pisa, Italy.

In today’s Gospel (Mark 3:20-21) we read:

Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Some people wonder why a young, happy, and intelligent woman would want to be a sister. They might even think it’s a crazy idea.

What might God be calling you to do? How might God be calling you to live? Do you worry about what people might think or say? “What-people-think” never stopped Jesus – don’t let it stop you. Come and meet the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael on February 4th. We don’t know what others would say, but we don’t think it’s a crazy idea.

Would You Ever Think about Walking through a New Doorway?

opreach — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:26:09 +0000

Doorway at a home in Caleruega, Spain, St. Dominic's birthplace. Might a Dominican doorway be inviting you?

In today’s Gospel reading we see Jesus naming the Apostles and sending them (the word apostle means one who is sent) to do the ministry of preaching. All of us are called at the time of our baptism, and we are all sent to preach the Gospel in our own particular way, according to our own particular gifts.

The Dominican Sisters are hosting a “Come and See” day in San Rafael. It is an opportunity to reflect upon how God is calling you to preach the Gospel, in your own particular way, according to your own particular gifts. Why not come and see if life as a Dominican Sister might be good way for you to live out the call you received from God at your baptism. The date is February 4, 2012 – please contact us at 415-257-4939 or vocations@sanrfaelop.org for more information.

How Can We End the Cycle of Violence

opreach — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:21:07 +0000

In today’s First Reading from 1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7, we read about King Saul who is angry and jealous because David is rising in popularity, since he is better in battle than the king. We read a song sung by the people:

Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

He is angry enough to become murderous. And at the end of all the stories about King Saul, his son Jonathon, and King David, and all his sons, we really don’t see a happy ending – except that we can always count on the faithfulness of God in spite of our faithlessness, greed, lust, or violence. And these stories in the books of Samuel and Kings present a rather unvarnished picture of sin. In the face of all these monumental failings, we see the unfailing grace of God that reaches us wherever we are.

We are also presented in these stories with the truth that violence begets violence. Saul, and David who followed him (as well as his progeny) were trapped in the cycle of violence. They sanctified their violence and wars by claiming that God was on their God . . . . on their side, so to speak.

When will it be possible for us to lay down our weapons and stop the cycle of violence in its tracks?

This is a tomahawk missile on display at the Smithsonian in D.C.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the only weapons were those on display in museums? What would a world like that be like?