Love That I Desire

March 1, 2008

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

Talk Day – 126^th Women’s Cursillo Team

Lenten Day of Reflection

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts. Hosea 6:4-6

But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:13

Piety

Lord, guide the team of the 126^th Women’s Cursillo as they set out building a loving and caring community with trust that the Holy Spirit will guide them and forms them to do His work. By answering, “Here, I am, Lord,” we pray that those who are called to this weekend will answer in the same way and bear the fruits of the gifts of this faith filled team. Strengthen them with our prayers through the friendship and loving presence of your son, Jesus Christ.

Be with the members of our community who gather at Missionhurst in your living presence today to reflect on the meaning of this Lenten season and your sacrifice for us. Help us to discern whose cross we are intended to carry this holy season. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/030108.shtml

I never did have much fun in kindergarten but everything I ever wanted to know about life I learned in photography class.

The Cursillo Image of the tripod usually has all three legs being equal in length. If the three legs are connected to a stool, then the stool will be more stable on the floor with three legs of equal length. However, photographers will tell you (and show you) that tripod legs usually adjustable. One never knows when you have to find stability on an uneven surface by making one leg shorter or longer than the others. Other times photographers must spread the tripod legs wide and vary their lengths in order to get close to the subject.

When I used to teach at the at photojournalism workshops, new shooters would come in and proudly show off their equipment, especially long telephoto lenses that they could use at football games and other venues to try to get close up. They would stand off at a distance and rely upon the power of the optical zoom to appear to get closer to the action. Most times, their early attempts to get sharp images were marred by camera shake and motion that they could not eliminate without the stability of a tripod. Such long lenses also were no substitute to getting in tight. “Appearing” to get close to the action is not like getting close to the action.

Today, we learn how God the Father and Jesus wants to get close to the ground with us today. Even if we stay off at a distance like the tax collector, God will invite us into a closer relationship. “The latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Complementing this desire for close relationship, Hosea Chapter 6 expresses so eloquently what might be the earliest recorded references to the Cursillo tripod: God does not desire surface glory or piety. Such devotion passes by like “a morning cloud,” or evaporates like the dew “that early passes away.” He wants the genuine thing.

Side-by-side with genuine piety, the Lord wants to get to know us better. And He wants us to get to know him. He wants us to live in His presence. God seeks our constancy in turn for the reliability of His love. We can count on him just like the Son (sun) rises. “Let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming.”

Hear and recall your commissioning ceremony on your Cursillo weekend as you meditate on Hosea 6. “Christ is counting on you.” And I am counting on Christ.”

In the end, overwhelmingly, God seeks our ultimate love – our active love for God and our love for all the children of God. “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.”

Action

Today, as we reflect on the beautiful story and images in Hosea, the team who will lead the 126^th Women’s Cursillo for the Diocese of Arlington, VA, will gather at St. Anthony of Padua in Falls Church to prepare their talks for the upcoming weekend.

Let us pray and support them in their efforts through our palanca for the team as a whole and each individual member as well as for those candidates who are still in prayer and discernment about participating on the March 27-30 weekend.