4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Short Reflection for the 4th Sunday in the Ordinary Time (B) Readings: Deuteronomy 18: 1-20; 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35; Mark 1: 21-28 Selected Passage: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” (Mk.1: 22) Meditation: The Gospel invites to reflect on the meaning, “to teach as one having authority”. There are two sources of this authority – first, Jesus proclamation of the reign of God was seen both in his words and deeds; second, his great love for each one of us. And he calls us his friends and he would lay down his life as ransom that we may have life to the full. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD... Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps: 1. Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ… 2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…! It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Short Reflection for the 3rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time (B) Readings: Jonah 3: 1-.10; 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31; Mark 1: 14-20 Selected Passage: As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew and he said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people." (Mk.1:17) Meditation: Jesus continues to call ALL. His invitation is to become his companions and co-workers in building God’s kingdom. The real challenge is: are we willing to abandon everything and heed his call? In building God’s kingdom, no one can remain bystander. The first disciples heard the call; they abandoned everything; and followed Jesus. Today, Jesus invites us to do likewise. Cf. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD... Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps: 1. Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ… 2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…! It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

Beyond Criticism and Anger

 

BEYOND CRITICISM AND ANGER – THE INVITATION TO A DEEPER EMPATHY

Beyond anger, beyond indignation, and beyond justified criticism of all that’s dishonest and unjust, lies an invitation to a deeper empathy. This invitation doesn’t ask us to be stop being prophetic in the face of what’s wrong, but it asks us to be prophetic in a deeper way. A prophet, as Daniel Berrigan so often said, makes a vow of love not of alienation.

But that’s not easy to do. In the face of injustice, dishonesty, and willful blindness, all of our natural instincts militate against empathy. We should feel anger and indignation in the face of what’s wrong. It’s understandable too that we might also feel some hateful, judgmental, thoughts towards those whom we deem responsible. But that’s a beginning but it’s not where we’re meant to stay. We’re called to move towards something deeper, namely, an empathy which previously we did not access.

At the truly bitter moments of our lives, when we’re feeling overwhelmed by feelings of misunderstanding, slight, injustice, and rightful indignation and we’re staring across at those whom we deem responsible, anger and hatred will naturally arise within us. It’s okay to dwell with them for a time, but after a time we need to move on.

The challenge then is to ask ourselves: How do I love now, given all this hatred? What does love call me to now in this bitter situation? Where can I now find a common thread that can keep me in family with those at whom I’m angry? How do I reach through, reach through the space that now leaves me separated by my own justified feelings of anger? And, perhaps most important of all: “From where can I now find the strength to not give into hatred and self-serving indignation?

While not denying what’s wrong, nor denying the need to be prophetic in the face of all that’s wrong, empathy still calls us to a post-anger, a post-indignation, and a post-hatred. Jesus modeled that for us and today it’s singularly the most needed thing in our society, our churches, and our families.

To read more click here or copy this address into your browser http://ronrolheiser.com/beyond-criticism-and-anger-the-invitation-to-a-deeper-empathy/#.X_XxZeBME_8
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Feast of the Holy Child

 Short Reflection for the Feast of Sto. Nino (Feast in the Philippines)

Readings: Isaiah 9: 1-6; Ephesians 1: 3-6; Mark 10: 13-16

Selected Passage: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belong the kingdom of God.  Truly, I said to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10: 13-14)       

Reflection: The call of the gospel today is to accept the kingdom of God with child-like spirit. To them, belongs the Kingdom. The characteristics of being child-like are the following: TRUST, NO MALICE, and NO SELF-INTEREST.  We believe in Jesus with child-like TRUST.  And the Feast of Sto. Nino invites us to this child-like attitude in our following of Jesus. Cf. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.  Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

 

Vatican and al-Azhar Declaration on Human Fraternity

 The Document jointly issued by the Vatican and al-Azhar..

A DOCUMENT ON HUMAN FRATERNITY FOR WORLD PEACE AND LIVINGTOGETHER

We reflected also on the level of poverty, conflict and suffering of so many brothers and sisters in different parts of the world as a consequence of the arms race, social injustice, corruption, inequality, moral decline, terrorism, discrimination, extremism and many other causes.

From our fraternal and open discussions, and from the meeting that expressed profound hope in a bright future for all human beings, the idea of this Document on Human Fraternity was conceived. In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace;

In the name of innocent human life that God has forbidden to kill, affirming that whoever kills a person is like one who kills the whole of humanity, and that whoever saves a person is like one who saves the whole of humanity;

In the name of the poor, the destitute, the marginalized and those most in need whom God has commanded us to help as a duty required of all persons, especially the wealthy and of means;

In the name of orphans, widows, refugees and those exiled from their homes and their countries; in the name of all victims of wars, persecution and injustice; in the name of the weak, those who live in fear, prisoners of war and those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction;

In the name of peoples who have lost their security, peace, and the possibility of living together, becoming victims of destruction, calamity and war; In the name of human fraternity that embraces all human beings, unites them and renders them equal;

In the name of this fraternity torn apart by policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women;

In the name of freedom, that God has given to all human beings creating them free and distinguishing them by this gift; In the name of justice and mercy, the foundations of prosperity and the cornerstone of faith;

In the name of all persons of good will present in every part of the world; In the name of God and of everything stated thus far; Al-Azhar al-Sharif and the Muslims of the East and West, together with the Catholic Church and the Catholics of the East and West, declare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.

This Document, in accordance with previous International Documents that have emphasized the importance of the role of religions in the construction of world peace, upholds the following:

- The firm conviction that authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; tore-establish wisdom, justice and love; and to reawaken religious awareness among young people so that future generations may be protected from the realm of materialistic thinking and from dangerous policies of unbridled greed and indifference that are based on the law of force and not on the force of law;

- Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives.

Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept;

- Justice based on mercy is the path to follow in order to achieve a dignified life to which every human being has a right;

- Dialogue, understanding and the widespread promotion of a culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and of living together peacefully would contribute significantly to reducing many economic, social, political and environmental problems that weigh so heavily on a large part of humanity;

- Dialogue among believers means coming together in the vast space of spiritual, human and shared social values and, from here, transmitting the highest moral virtues that religions aim for. It also means avoiding unproductive discussions;

- The protection of places of worship – synagogues, churches and mosques – is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements. Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions as well as a clear violation of international law;

- Terrorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West, the North or the South, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it. It is due, rather, to an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression and pride. This is why it is so necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fuelled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements even using the media. All these must be regarded as international crimes that threaten security and world peace. Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and expressions;

- The concept of citizenship is based on the equality of rights and duties, under which all enjoy justice. It is therefore crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities which engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority. Its misuse paves the way for hostility and discord; it undoes any successes and takes away the religious and civil rights of some citizens who are thus discriminated against;

- Good relations between East and West are indisputably necessary for both. They must not be neglected, so that each can be enriched by the other’s culture through fruitful exchange and dialogue. The West can discover in the East remedies for those spiritual and religious maladies that are caused by a prevailing materialism. And the East can find in the West many elements that can help free it from weakness, division, conflict and scientific, technical and cultural decline. It is important to pay attention to religious, cultural and historical differences that are a vital component in shaping the character, culture and civilization of the East. It is likewise important to reinforce the bond of fundamental human rights in order to help ensure a dignified life for all the men and women of East and West, avoiding the politics of double standards;

- It is an essential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment, and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights. Moreover, efforts must be made to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity. It is also necessary to protect women from sexual exploitation and from being treated as merchandise or objects of pleasure or financial gain. Accordingly, an end must be brought to all those inhuman and vulgar practices that denigrate the dignity of women. Efforts must be made to modify those laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights;

- The protection of the fundamental rights of children to grow up in a family environment, to receive nutrition, education and support, are duties of the family and society. Such duties must be guaranteed and protected so that they are not overlooked or denied to any child in any part of the world. All those practices that violate the dignity and rights of children must be denounced. It is equally important to be vigilant against the dangers that they are exposed to, particularly in the digital world, and to consider as a crime the trafficking of their innocence and all violations of their youth;

-The protection of the rights of the elderly, the weak, the disabled, and the oppressed is a religious and social obligation that must be guaranteed and defended through strict legislation and the implementation of the relevant international agreements.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

 Short Reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Readings: Isaiah 42: 1-4. 6-7; Acts 10: 34-38; Mark 1: 7-11

Selected Passage: “I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mk. 1: 8)

Reflection: In our lives, we always try to discover the meaning being baptized by the Holy Spirit.  In our own Baptism, this reality is better understood in our being anointed by the Spirit as PRIEST, PROPHET and KING. Priest symbolizes the worship of God in our lives; Prophet tells of our commitment to Justice and Truth; and King speaks of our life of service to others, especially those in need.

www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.  Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

 

New Year's Resolutions Testify to our Faith in God

 

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS TESTIFY TO FAITH

It is a sign of health that we keep making new resolutions, despite a history of failure. In striving to renew ourselves in the face of our own falling we are making an important act of faith.

In making new resolutions we are saying: “I believe in a God who continues to love me, even when I can’t live up to it.” Every time I pick myself off the floor after a fall and begin again with some hope in my heart looking for a new start, I am saying the creed in a way that is considerably more radical, in terms of expressing actual belief in God, than is my too-easy Sunday recital of it. To make a new resolution is to believe in God.

But to make new resolutions is to express faith in the God of the resurrection. To try for new life, for a fresh start, precisely when bad habit has kept me so long in a certain helplessness, is to say: “I believe in the resurrection and the life!”

Martin Luther once put it this way: “Just as God in the beginning of creation made the world out of nothing, so his manner of working continues unchanged.” For anything to really change, including our capacity to live beyond our own wounds and selfishness, God still had to defy the impossible.

That is where faith and the resurrection enter in. As the angel Gabriel tells Mary: “For with God nothing is impossible.” Somewhere, deep inside of us, in that place where we want to make New Year’s resolutions, we still carry that faith. In that place we still say the creed and still believe in the resurrection.

Because of that belief, because of new year’s resolutions, God can still make something out of nothing!

Happy New Year and many blessings in 2021

To read more click here or copy this address into your browser
http://ronrolheiser.com/new-years-resolutions-testify-to-faith/#.X-30_eBME_8
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Yhe Feast of the Epiphany

 Short Reflection for the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

 Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 2-3a. 5-6; Matthew 2: 1-12

 Selected Passage: “They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  (Matthew 2: 10-11)

 Meditation: This feast celebrates the manifestation of the Lord to the Magi. They saw his star and followed it until they saw the child, the Savior.  We need to see, too, his star, today, and follow it in our daily journey through life. Yes, his star continues to shine, but we need discerning eyes and a heart attune to God so that we, too, one day, find him and pay him homage. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

 1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.

2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...

3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

 

The Feast of the Holy Family

 Short Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family (B)

 Readings: Sirach 3: 2-7, 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 22-40

 Selected Passage:  “Simon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed’.”(Luke 2: 34-35)

 Meditation:  It will NOT be all bed of roses for this child born in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes… NO! This child is the NEW face of God destined for the fall and rise of many. He is the face of God that is MERCY and COMPASSION and by his words and deeds all hearts, thoughts and actions would be measured! Cuidate!

www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

 1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.

2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...

3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

Chastity and Christmas

 

CHASTITY AND CHRISTMAS

Chastity needs to be properly understood. For too long we have had an overly narrow and mostly false concept of chastity. Chastity is too commonly identified with sexual abstinence and sexuality is then seen as something that in itself, militates against chastity and spirituality. But chastity is not the same thing as celibacy; indeed, it is not even, first and foremost, a sexual concept. Someone can be chaste but not celibate, just as someone can be celibate but not chaste. My parents were not celibate, they gave birth to a large family, but they were wonderfully chaste persons. The reverse can also be true. Someone can be celibate but far from chaste.

What is chastity? We are chaste when we stand before the world, others, and God in a way which allows them to be fully themselves without letting our own impatience, selfishness, or unwillingness to remain in tension violate their reality and their natural unfolding.

Here is an image to explain this.

In her book, Holy the Firm, Annie Dillard shares this story: One evening, alone in her cabin, she was watching a moth slowly emerge from its cocoon. The process was fascinating but interminably slow. At a point she lost patience and needed to get on to other things, so she picked up a candle and applied a little heat to the process. It worked. The added heat sped up the process and the moth emerged more quickly from its cocoon, but, since a natural process had been interfered with and unnaturally rushed, the moth emerged with ill-formed wings which didn’t allow it to fly properly. A fault in chastity led to stunted growth.

Chastity is the virtue that invites us to live in patience, to wait, to respect what’s other, and to carry tension long enough so that the other can truly be other and gift can unfold precisely as gift.

That is why the Messiah can only be born from a chaste womb and come to life fully only inside of a chaste heart. Christmas allows for no shortcuts.

To read more click here or copy this address into your browser
http://ronrolheiser.com/chastity-and-christmas/#.X85mgOlKg_8
www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser

4th Sunday of Advent (B)

 Short Reflection for the 4th Week of Advent (B)

Readings: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5. 8-12; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38

Selected Gospel Passage: And the angel said to Mary in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God”. (Luke 1: 35)

Reflection: Jesus comes to us anew through the power of the Holy Spirit and like Mary, our mother, in events we least expect. What is important is our generosity and readiness to respond, like Mary, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word’. Cf. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1. Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

 

Make Space for Jesus Christ

 MAKE SPACE FOR CHRIST

The story doesn’t suggest that the innkeeper was malicious or inhospitable. It says only that “there was no room in the inn.” In short, the man was booked up, full, there was no room for further guests, he already had all he could handle.

No room! No place for more guests! Booked up! No space for hospitality!

In these expressions, I see the reason why there is so little of Christ left in Christmas. It is not so much, I believe, our excesses in shopping, decorating, or partying that deprive Christ of a place, as it is our busyness, preoccupations, hurriedness, and agenda which fill the inn and leave no place for him. Our hearts and lives are too full for Christ to have a place.

That sounds like a harsh judgment, and it is. Looked at from the outside, our lives often do look selfish, inhospitable, idiosyncratic, and un-Christian. However, we are not bad people, nor are we, deep down, inhospitable. Beneath all the hurry, pressure, and preoccupations, our hearts are warm, unselfish and welcoming.

Then why aren’t we warmer and more hospitable? In brief, because we haven’t the time. There is not enough space within our lives for Christ.

Love and hospitality are not abstract.  To have Christ in our lives involves something much more than creating time for him, time for the poor, time for hospitality, time for celebration, time for prayer, time for the itinerant couple who show up unannounced on a busy night.

We must create some room in the inn!

(Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI()

Terrorist Attack in Dulawan

2nd Sunday of Advent (B)

Short Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (B)

 Readings - Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

 Selected Gospel Passage: A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Mark 1: 3-4)

 Reflection: Like John the Baptizer we prepare for the coming of the Lord.  He comes in events and moments we least expect.  And how do we prepare for his coming into our lives? We celebrate Advent through good deeds and actions on behalf of the poor and the needy. By these good deeds our many sins are forgiven. Visit www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

 Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

 1. Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2. Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3. Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

 It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

 

 

 

1st Sunday of Advent (B)

 

Short Reflection for the 1^st Sunday of Advent (B)

Readings: Isaiah 63: 16-17. 19. 64: 2-7; 1 Corinthians 1:  3-9; Mark 13: 33-37

Selected Gospel Passage:  “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.  And I say to you: WATCH!” (Mk. 13: 33 & 37)

Reflection: Take heed… Jesus comes in moments and at events we least expect.

Vigilance is NOT doing anything or looking out at the sky but DOING our task and role well and conscientiously. The Lord comes to us in a very ordinary way and often in little things,  Thus we need to be watchful for his coming …

 

Secrets of Happiness

 

SECRETS TO HAPPINESS

The Pope’s commentary on each point was rather lengthy, and I will risk synthesizing his central point in my own words.

1. Proceed calmly.
Move with kindness, humility, and calm. These are the antithesis of anxiety and distress. Calm never causes high blood pressure. We need to make conscious efforts to never let the moment cause panic and excessive hurry. Rather be late than stressed.

2. Respect and take care of nature.
The air we breathe out is the air we will re-inhale. This is true spiritually, psychologically, and ecologically. We can’t be whole and happy when Mother Earth is being stripped of her wholeness. Christ came to save the world, not just the people in the world. Our salvation, like our happiness, is tied to the way we treat the earth. It is immoral to slap another person in the face and so it is immoral too to throw our garbage into the face of Mother Earth.

3. Stop being negative.
Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. Negative thoughts feed unhappiness and a bad self-image. Positive thoughts feed happiness and healthy self-esteem.

4. Respect others’ beliefs.
What we cherish and put our faith into grows “by attraction, not by proselytizing.”  Beauty is the one thing that no one can argue with. Cherish your values, but always act towards others with graciousness, charity, and respect.

5. Work for peace.
Peace is more than the absence of war and working for peace means more than not causing disharmony.  Peace, like war, must be waged actively by working for justice, equality, and an ever wider inclusivity in terms of what makes up our family. Waging peace is the perennial struggle to stretch hearts, our own and others, to accept that in God’s house there are many rooms and that all faiths, not least our own, are meant to be a house of prayer for all peoples.

To read more click here or copy this address into your browser http://ronrolheiser.com/ten-secrets-to-happiness/#.X6l0bVl7k_8
www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser

Solemnity of Christ the King

 Short Reflection on the Solemnity of Christ the King (A)

 Readings: Ezekiel 14: 11-12; 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26; Matthew 25: 31-46

 Gospel Passage: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and fee you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25: 37-40)

 Meditation: In the end, the real test of discipleship is ‘believing and attending to the needs of the people I need, that is, caring for and ministering to people, especially the least of our brothers and sisters.  The real fellowship at the table of the Lord is when we are able to break bread with the poor. The true image of Christ the King is NOT Jesus with Crown and scepter and sitting on his throne! That is the Constantinian King! The true image of Christ the King is Jesus with a crown of thorns before Pilate or Jesus Crucified with  INRI label – the sentence for his claim!www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

 Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.

1st step: Write the text in your heart.

2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...

3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

 

 

The Right Answer Alone Is Not Enough...

 

THE RIGHT ANSWER ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

That might sound abstract, but what it means concretely is that sometimes we can have all the right answers and still be wrong. How? If we are acting in truth how can we be wrong?

The first pitfall is this: We may be acting out of truth and, in fact, doing all the right things, but our energy can be wrong. T.S. Eliot once famously said: “The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

We can see this looking at the older brother of the prodigal son. On the surface his devotion to his father lacks nothing. He rightly attests that his life is blameless and a paradigm of filial devotion. He has kept all the commandments, has never left his father’s house, and has done all the required work. The irony is that he fails to notice that he is not in fact inside his father’s house but is standing outside of it and is being gently invited in by his father.

What is keeping him outside since after all he is doing everything correctly? Bitterness and anger. His actions are correct, but his heart is wrong. Bitterness and anger are not the right energy to fuel truth. We can be scrupulously faithful and still find ourselves standing outside of God’s house and outside the circle of community and celebration because of a bitter heart. Gratitude is the energy that ultimately needs to fuel the truth.

Like the older brother of the prodigal son, we can be doing everything right and still, somehow, be wrong. And where this is particularly important in terms of a challenge is in our efforts, both as individuals and as churches, to offer the truth, the right answers, to those around us, be that our own children who no longer go to church or society as a whole. If, inside of our speaking the truth, there are elements of elitism, arrogance, anger, lack of respect, lack of understanding, or worse still, embittered moralizing, our truth will not be heard, not because our truth is wrong but because our energy is.

Truth is not a sledgehammer; it is an invitation that we must respectfully offer others.

To read more click here or copy this address into your browser http://ronrolheiser.com/the-right-answer-alone-is-not-enough/#.X7KxBtt7k_8
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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 hort Reflection for the 33rd Sunday of the Ordinary Time (A)

 Readings: Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30

 The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30)

 Selected Passage: “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 25: 29)

 Meditation: Every gift we receive from God has corresponding responsibility. It must bear fruit in plenty so that others may also share in the blessing.  Each one receives gives according to the measure one is capable.  We become responsible and accountable for that gift else we become half-hearted servants.  . The Parable of the Talents is a warning to those who do not produce anything. It is a kind of stripping (recalling) of anything that is left in an unproductive person.

 Pope Francis reminds us that “only one whose gaze is fixed on that which is truly essential can renew his yes to the gift received.” Cf. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

 Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.

1st step: Write the text in your heart.

2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...

3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

 

 

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 Short Reflection for the 32nd Sunday of the Ordinary Time (A)

Readings: Wisdom 6: 12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14; Matthew 25: 1-13

 Selected Passage “While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt. 25: 10-13)

 Meditation: The parable tells the wise and the foolish virgins.  Both groups went out to meet the bridegroom that took time in arriving. The wise ones went out to meet the bridegroom bringing flasks of oil, as well, while the foolish ones did not. And when the bridegroom arrived, the foolish ones were not around and they missed him. 

 We must, then, imitate the wise virgins who take things seriously, who are prepared to meet the Lord, anytime when he comes. They are prepared at anytime and they don’t scramble for things, when it is time to act. We cannot make God and others wait for us and let us stop being foolish! www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.

1st step: Write the text in your heart.

2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...

3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.