Sunday Inbox Inspiration: August 28, 2022: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 28, Cycle C

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – C  

August 28, 2022

 

The Fine Art of Small Talk 

 

A woman named Debra Fine has written a book titled The Fine Art of Small Talk – The Fine Art of Small Talk.

 

She also leads seminars on this same topic. These seminars have attracted many people and often they are persons who cringe at the thought of making small talk at social gatherings.

 

One of Debra Fine’s interesting insights is this. She says that to be a good conversationalist, we need to focus our attention first on others and not on ourselves.

 

She says that a good conversationalist always lets others know that they have our undivided attention. That begins the process of a relationship.

 

Then, after others feel that we are interested in what’s going on in their lives, they will usually turn the spotlight back to us. Then we will have a chance to share something about ourselves.

 

Humility  

 

Well, without intending it, that book or seminar – The Fine Art of Small Talk – contains a significant insight into humility.

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus says: “Those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.” So, Jesus lifts up the virtue of humility, but the question is: what is humility?

 

Maybe the first thing is to say what humility is not. It is not pretending that we are less skilled or less intelligent than we really are.  

 

Humility does not mean that we put ourselves down and feel that we are less than others. It is not diminishing ourselves. 

 

What Humility Is 

 

So, what is humility? Humility has more to do with our center of attention.

 

It means that in our relationship with God, we recognize the greatness of the One who has created us. So, our focus first needs to be on God and not on ourselves.

 

And then, humility means that in our human relationships, we recognize that each of us is of equal value. And because the love of God calls us to take the first step in reaching out, again our focus first needs to be on the other person and not on ourselves.

 

The insight is that humility is really about the center of attention—similar to what the book and seminar say that I quoted. It means that our center of attention is first on God and others.

 

Not Easy to Do

 

Now, this is not always easy to do.

 

It is not easy for shy folks to engage with another person; 

or for chatterboxes to listen to the other person; 

or for those of us who are driven by their own personal goals to listen to the interests of another;

or for those of us who are stressed all day long to take in the stress of another.  

 

Placing our attention first on God and others takes real effort because so many factors in our human condition lead us to do just the opposite. So, let’s look at a few examples that may help us to do this.

 

Some Helpful Examples

 

Young children with their toys have a good training ground for humility.  

 

By our encouraging them to share their toys, children develop the ability to be friends. Our encouragement helps them to make others and not just themselves the center of attention.

 

A married couple or two adult friends also have opportunities for learning humility.

 

When we see one another after a hectic day, we might first be tempted to unload and dump. Instead, you might first invite your spouse or friend to share how their day has been.

 

Or even when we come here to Mass, we have an opportunity for humility.

 

We can make sure that we are first interested in what God wants to say to us rather than what we want to say to God. And we can make sure that our prayers include the needs of others. 

 

If we do things like these, if we first make God and others the center of our attention, then amazingly, we will almost always find ourselves well-tended. As paradoxical as it may seem, the words of Jesus will ring true: “Those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: August 7, 2022: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 7, Cycle C

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C  

August 7, 2022

 

Trust Not Clarity 

 

Back in the early 1990s, a priest named John Kavanaugh went to Calcutta to work at Mother Teresa’s “house of the dying.”

 

Father Kavanaugh was looking for a clear answer about his future and whether to remain a priest. On his first morning at the “house of the dying,” he met Mother Teresa.

 

She asked, “What can I do for you?” He asked her to pray for him.

 

Mother Teresa then asked, “What do you want me to pray for?” Father Kavanaugh responded, “Pray that I have clarity.”

 

Mother Teresa answered, “No!” When Father Kavanaugh asked why, she said that clarity was the last thing he was holding on to, and he needed to let go of it.

 

Father Kavanaugh responded that she always seemed to have clarity. Mother Teresa laughed and said, “I have never had clarity."

 

“What I’ve always had is trust. So, I will pray that you trust.”  

 

Faith as Trust 

 

Mother Teresa’s insistence on trust is the core of faith and this is what we hear about in today’s second reading.

 

That long passage makes two points: 1) Faith is trust about what is not present but hoped for. And 2) faith is trust about what is present, but not seen.

 

1.    Trust: Not Present, but Hoped For 

 

So, first, faith is trust in what is not present, but hoped for.

 

The Letter to the Hebrews gives us Abraham as a model. Abraham and Sarah had lived in what is now Iraq, but at God’s calling, they set out for an unknown land.

 

They were also advanced in years, but they awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise of a child. So, they had trust in what was not present, but hoped for.

 

In our lives, we need this same kind of faith. At the very beginning, a child must leave the safety of the womb to be born into an unknown world.

 

At the very end, we are to let go of this life and move into a new life with God. And in between birth and death, we must leave home for the first day of school or college, or we must go from one job to another, or we must leave behind one habit or mindset and adopt another.

 

We are constantly called to have this kind of faith: this trust in what is not present, but hoped for.   

  

2.    Trust: Present, but Not Seen

 

And then, faith is trust about what is present, but not seen.

 

Faith is trust that there is a creator who is the very ground of our being; that this creator, God, is a Father who cares for us and that, in him, we always have a home to go to.

 

Faith is trust that God became human and that the distance between God and us has been bridged; that Jesus, the Son of God is with us in our joy and suffering, in our peace and upset.

 

Faith is trust that because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, life is not futile; that everything we do has meaning and value. 

 

Faith is trust that the Holy Spirit is present to us as a community of faith and in the sacraments; that all of us are members of God’s family, one family, the living body of Christ on this earth.

 

We are constantly called to have this kind of faith also: this trust in what is present but not seen.  

 

Conclusion

 

So, as Mother Teresa, Saint Teresa of Calcutta says, faith is not so much clarity as it is trust: trust about what is not present but hoped for, and trust about what is present but not seen.

 

With that understanding, we now once again offer our Profession of Faith.   

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Inbox Inspiration: July 27, 2022: The Our Father - 1-7

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

July 27, 2022

 

The Our Father – 1         

 

Dear Friends,

This is the first in a series on the most widely known prayer in Christianity – the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus himself taught this to his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4) and that is why it is formally named the Lord’s Prayer. Nevertheless, most of us refer to this by its first two words, and they are significant. 

 

When Jesus teaches us to address God as Father, he is inviting us to share in his own relationship with his Father. He is conveying that we also are God’s sons and daughters; there is a family bond between God, the Father, and each of us. Scripture scholars tells us that it is likely that Jesus taught this prayer in Aramaic and used the word Abba for Father. Abba is an affectionate term of address, like “Dad.” This is significant because the Jewish tradition would not have allowed ordinary expressions to be applied to God. The Jews looked upon God as transcendent and almighty, and thus ordinary names were not to be applied to God. So, here Jesus is taking us to a different, closer relationship with God. 

True, we still see God as greater than us, as beyond us, as transcendent. This is why Jesus teaches us still to pray “who art in heaven.” However, he now also wants us to relate to God as a caring and loving parent. “In other words, when the disciples pray ‘Our Father in heaven,’ they are speaking to the all-powerful, transcendent God of the universe as their loving Father who is concerned with each of their needs and invites them into a loving relationship as his children.”  

 

The next words in the Lord’s Prayer follow from what has just been said: “hallowed be thy name.” Obviously, God’s name is already holy or “hallowed.” Our prayer is that it will be treated that way. Therefore, how we use God’s name is very important. To use the name Godin vain, as part of a curse, or even in exclamations of frustration or whatever, is inappropriate. It is up to us to treat this name as “hallowed” or sacred.    

 

More on the Our Father in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.       

Father Michael Schleupner

Quotation above from The Gospel of Matthew by Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri.

The Our Father – 2         

 

Dear Friends,

After addressing God as “Our Father” and praising God who is “in heaven,” we pray “hallowed be thy name.” I reflected on this last week, in the Inbox Inspirations of July 27.  Let’s now move on to the next of the “thy” phrases, as I like to call them.

 

We pray “thy kingdom come.” The expression “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven”occurs 122 times in the New Testament. What is God’s kingdom? I see it as having at least three layers, maybe four. 

First, Jesus himself is the kingdom of God. Jesus, by the way he speaks and teaches, leads us to realize the overwhelming fact that in him, God himself is present among us. He is the kingdom of God. So, the kingdom is then first and foremost a person, not a territory or government or seat of political power or anything like that. 

Then second, the kingdom of God is something interior to us. Through Jesus the Christ, the kingdom enters us and dwells within us. God, Christ, through the Spirit is within us. Again, here the kingdom is first and foremost personal and not visible or locatable, as if we could identify it on MapQuest or on our car’s GPS system. 

Third, the kingdom of God is to emerge from within us as individual persons and become visible in and through the community of believers. In other words, the kingdom is to take on some visibility in and through the Church. As Saint Paul says, we as God’s people are to be the living body of Christ on this earth. We should be able to be identified as distinct because of who we are or, better, because of who is within us. 

And finally, through this presence within us as persons and as a community of faith, the kingdom of God is also to become present in the human community in general. This happens whenever and wherever we see the works of God being done. It happens even though they are not done avowedly in the name of God or of Jesus or of the kingdom. 

 

More on the Our Father in next week’s Inbox Inspirations, that of August 10.       

Father Michael Schleupner

 

The Our Father – 3         

 

Dear Friends,

“Hallowed be thy name” and “Thy kingdom come” – I reflected on these parts of the Our Father in the previous two Inbox Inspirations, those of July 27 and August 3. Let’s now move on to the last of the three “thy” phrases.

 

We pray “Thy will be done.” I see this expression in several ways.

First, when we offer petitionary prayers, we in effect are praying that it will be God’s will to heal me of a sickness, to gain entrance to the college of my choice, to reconcile a broken relationship, to end the war in Ukraine, and on it goes. We all know that sometimes our prayers are answered as we would like, and sometimes they are not. Various explanations have been offered for this – like, God answers our prayers but the answer is no, or God answers but God knows what is best for us and that’s why we don’t get what we want, or God answers but we can’t see how. The explanation I find most satisfying when my petition is not answered as I would like is this. “God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way that we would like, and why remains a mystery…To me, this is the most honest response and the one I rely on most.”   

 

How does this relate to “Thy will be done”? Whether or not my prayers are answered as I would like, my ultimate disposition needs to be to accept what is, to live and work with that, and to make the most of that.  Sometimes praying “Thy will be done” is very difficult. It was difficult for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed to be spared the suffering that was lying ahead, but ended up praying, “Not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) Mary is a great example of accepting the will of God when she responds to the angel’s message about bearing a child through the power of the Holy Spirit and this child being the Son of God: “May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

So, ultimately, I feel called to trust in God and to trust that God will be with me and strengthen me, even if what seems to be God’s will is very difficult. That is the challenging invitation and call to faith.      

 

More on the Our Father and “Thy will be done” in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.       

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Quotation above and some of the thoughts on petitionary prayer from Learning to Pray by Father James Martin, S.J.

 

The Our Father – 4         

 

Dear Friends,

“Thy will be done.” We say these words every time we pray the Our Father. The question is: How do I know if my “will” is God’s “will”? How do I know if what I think I should do is really what God wants me to do? How do I know if the deep desires within me are really God speaking and guiding me?  These questions, or really this question is not an easy one. It may be a question that each one of us has to answer at some point.

 

Here are several ideas that may guide us in discerning whether my “will” is really God’s “will” for me.

First, am I basically trying to live a God-centered or Christ-centered life? Do I pray and think about God? Am I concerned about living my life as the gospel calls me to live it? If I can say Yes to these questions, then I immediately have some assurance that what I want to do is probably God’s “will” for me.

Second, we need to remember that God’s communication is usually done through our consciousness. In other words, my thoughts and ideas are not necessarily separate or divorced from God. God lives within me and acts in and through me. Our belief in the Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit forms the foundation for our belief that God acts through us. We can live with this trust and confidence. 

Third, based on the above, our deepest desires may well reflect or be the “will” of God for us. Here I am not talking about my desire for stopping at Starbuck’s and getting a cappuccino. I am talking about the desire to use my own gifts fully, to do something in my life that gives to others – things like that. 

Fourth and last, one author comments on how Saint Ignatius discerned whether his “will” was really God’s “will.” “When he found interior consonance within himself (which registers as peace, joy, contentment again) from the immediate interior movement and felt himself being his true congruent self, then he knew he had heard God’s word to him at that instant.”             

 

More on the Our Father and “thy will be done” in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.       

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Quotation above from Consciousness Examen by Father George Aschenbrenner, S.J.

The Our Father – 5         

 

Dear Friends,

We pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We assume that God’s will is done in heaven. That’s what heaven is all about – the full presence and realization of God who is love itself. So, we are praying that the earth will be made like heaven, that the way of Jesus will prevail here. 

What occurs to me is that we cannot just depend on God to do this. The intention of these words must also be that we have the wisdom and strength to do our part to make the world more compassionate and just. This may be in very practical ways, like baking a casserole for a soup kitchen, or praying for a conversion of heart for world leaders so that they will work for peace and not resort to war. The fulfillment of God’s will on earth as it is in heaven depends on both God and us. 

 

Now, after the three “thy” phrases in the Our Father, we come to the four petitions. We begin with “Give us this day our daily bread.” These words are rich in meaning.

v Here we are asking God for food and for all that we need at least for today, for daily living. In this way, we express our dependence upon God for all our human or earthly needs.

v These words also seem to refer to the bread (the manna) that God gave to the Israelites for their survival in the desert during the Exodus. God gave that bread to them each day.

v That reference takes us to the Eucharist. Because the manna is seen as prophetic of the food of the Eucharist, these words in the Our Father express our yearning for this spiritual food that Jesus provides for us. The gift of Jesus’ body and blood is the bread of life that will sustain us for both today and for eternal life.

v As we pray for “this day” and not for all days, we also remember those right now who must live day-to-day and aren’t sure where tomorrow’s food or water will come from. So, the prayer is one of trust in God for all of us, and one of specific petition for those just trying to survive. 

 

 More on the Our Father in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.       

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Some of the above reflections are derived from The Gospel of Matthew by Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, and from The Gospel of Luke by Pablo T. Gadenz.

 The Our Father – 6         

 

Dear Friends,

We pray “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is the second of the four petitions in the second half of the Our Father. There are several things to say about these words.

 

First, the word “trespasses” reminds me of the “No Trespassing” signs that we see at times. Owners may place these signs on their property for various reasons, maybe because they want to protect their right of privacy or because they don’t want their property damaged. That may be a helpful image to recall when we pray this part of the Our Father. The “trespasses,” for which we ask God’s forgiveness, have hurt someone in some way. These sins damage another person – maybe emotionally, socially, spiritually, relationally, even physically.

We ask God to forgive us, knowing that God will always do that. Jesus reveals this wonderful trait or image of God time after time. I think especially of the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) where the father, without hesitation or delay, forgives the lost son as well as the older son who in his own way had also trespassed against his father. The Scripture also tells us that “God is love…In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that God loved us and sent his Son as an expiation for our sins” I John 4:8,10). 

Because God initiates this relationship of love, and because God first forgives us, we also are to be forgiving of one another. It is not that God’s mercy or forgiveness is conditional on our forgiving one another. God’s love for us is unconditional and so is God’s forgiveness. The issue is that when we do not forgive, we prohibit God’s grace and life from becoming fully present in us. We are not allowing it to flow through us to others. This is why we ask God to forgive us as we forgive one another. We simply have not fully received or benefitted from God’s forgiveness until we forgive others.

 

I just want to add: forgiveness is not always easy. It sometimes happens in stages. And it may not entail a full restoration of the relationship as it used to be. It can be complicated, and I believe God knows and understands that. 

 

More on the Our Father in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.     

Father Michael Schleupner

 

The Our Father – 7         

 

Dear Friends,

We pray “Lead us not into temptation.” This is the third of the four petitions in the second half of the Our Father. 

 

I have often wondered about these words. Would God tempt us or even lead us into a temptation to sin? To use the words in our traditional Act of Contrition, would God even lead us into a near occasion of sin? I don’t believe God does that. On the contrary, I believe God gives us the grace to live according to his Word and follow the way of Jesus.   

I recall something that Pope Francis has said about these words. He says that their real meaning is, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” His idea is that God, our loving Father, would never “lead us into temptation.” The devil or ungodly tendencies in our world may lead us into temptation, but not God. So, here we are really praying, “Do not let us fall into temptation.”  We are asking God’s help against any temptation to sin.

One more point on this. Some translations of these words are “the final test” instead of “temptation.”  Maybe the idea is much the same as I have said above, except here we are asking God’s help not to weaken but to persevere right up until the last moment of our life on this earth. I like to think about that too when I pray this part of the Our Father.

 

The last petition in this prayer really flows from what precedes it. Maybe it is really saying the same thing but in different words: “But deliver us from evil.”  Here we ask the Almighty One to free us from any evil – whether that evil is abandoning God or giving up on prayer, being unfaithful to my vocation in life or neglecting my loved ones out of self-focused concerns, or participating in the larger, societal webs of consumerism or racism or whatever. So, here we are asking God to enlighten us about the forms that evil can take and deliver or free us from their power. 

 

I hope that these seven Inbox Inspirations will enhance our praying the Our Father.     

Father Michael Schleupner