Sunday, April 02, 2006

Word over Water March 28

Dear God, you know that we like to sit in our comfort zone. Come to us where we are like you came to the crippled man at the pool in Bethesda. You know that people, places and things get in the way of our fulfilling your commandments. Please take away these obstacles so we can understand the unconditional love and grace that is your gift to us freely given. You know that we want close moments with you. Please remove the planks from our eyes so we can see you when you come to us through the Holy Spirit. When we see you, give us the strength to do what you will and wade into your waters no matter how far out of our comfort zone you want to take us. Amen.

Study

God offers to us sacred scriptures for today to read, to study and to hear.
You are invited to study and reflect on today’s readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032806.shtml

The theme of the life-giving water runs through the reading today from the Hebrew Bible. But when we get to the third sign related in the Gospel of John, Jesus changes everything. Again.

What does it say? The Gospel story is of the man crippled for 38 years waiting at the side of the pool in Bethesda. When the water bubbles up, people thought that an angel had given the water healing powers. However, this crippled man can not get down to the healing water fast enough when the waters are stirred up. Someone always gets there first and uses up the benefits before he can. Until Jesus comes along.

In his first encounter with Christ, he is asked, “Do you want to be well?” Who wouldn’t?

Jesus gives him the first of two commandments: “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”

In his second close moment with Christ, he is told the second commandment, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.”

What does it mean? This is a turning point in the Gospel for many reasons. First of all, the water no longer offers the promise of healing, the words Jesus speaks offers the healing today as they did in yesterday’s reading about the Roman officials son. Second, the love is given unconditionally. Jesus asks him not to sin any more but that was not a condition he had to meet before he was healed, before he benefited from the free-flowing waters of grace. Third, because this action happened on the Sabbath, it is cause for the Jews seek out who was working on the Sabbath. When they learn that it is Jesus, they begin to persecute him, foretelling the Passion that is to come.

What does it matter? Once we get God’s unconditional love, we can’t just sit around on our comfortable mats. We have to get moving to show our love for God.

If you put yourself in the place of the crippled man, I think that today’s Gospel is an invitation for us to figure out what mat we need to get off so we can do Jesus’ work and spread his Good News.

What mat are you sitting on today? Are you sitting on the mat of busy-ness. Oh, I’m so busy, Lord, with work and commuting that I just don’t have time for Mass and Lent.

Are you sitting on the mat of lazy-ness? Oh, I’m so tired Lord, let me just sit right down and watch another episode of Law and Order/American Idol/All My Children/Survivor/NCAA Basketball/all of the above and more. Then, I’ll get to what you need me to do.

Are you sitting on the mat of self-pity-ness? Lord, look at all I have to deal with in life. I gotta pay those college bills, that gas bill, that mortgage. I gotta get better cause I am not feeling too good today. Plus, my mother needs some more medical tests that we have to schedule. Once I take care of these, then I can take up my mat for you and walk.

If you put yourself in place of the people who saw the man walking around, maybe today’s Gospel is asking us what is in the way of us seeing and hearing the signs of God’s love that are all around us. What is blocking that vision?

Is your vision-blocking mat the mat of materialism? Lord, I have to take care of all these “things.” When I am done with that, I will take some time to see your great work on earth…the flowers of spring, the sun rise, the sun set.

Is your vision-blocking mat the mat of position? Lord, I have all these other people telling me to “Do this” or “Don’t do that” that I have to follow those instructions before I have any time for myself or for you.

Is your vision blocking mat the mat of criticism? Lord, I have to tell everybody about the splinter that is in my neighbor’s eye. After that, I will deal with the plank that is in front of my own.

Action

Why not move over and sit on the mat of piety and praise? Why not be, as the song says, so busy praising God that you don’t have time to die. This is the day that the Lord has made for you. Rejoice and be glad and do what God asks of us.

Why not move over and sit on the mat of study? What can you study today that will bring you closer to God?

Why not sit on the mat of Christian action? The man healed in Bethesda didn’t have to do anything but walk. He preached Jesus’ healing word just by walking. The act of walking was proof to those around that he was healed. Instead of the people being amazed at his walking, they couldn’t see the sign because they couldn’t see beyond the mat. What kind of action can you take today that will preach the Gospel without using words?

PS: I would like to thank and credit Rose Marie Berger, Catholic author-poet-teacher-worker, who taught Beth and I this three-step process for looking at and into scripture in a workshop last year. Asking these three questions when I read sacred scripture help me to pursue and understand what the Word of God means when revealed in my life. What does it say? What does it mean? What does it matter? The Wikipedia tells me that a heuristic is a particular technique of directing one's attention in learning, discovery, or problem-solving. It is originally derived from the Greek "eureka", which roughly means "I find". I hope this technique and these e-mails help you find what the Word of God reveals in your life.

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