Spiritual Direction

A few years ago, researchers began talking about something called "ambient stress." It's the feeling that nothing is necessarily wrong at this moment, but everything feels heavy.

You wake up and check the news.

You check your bank account.

You look at your calendar.

You worry about your kids.

You worry about your parents.

You worry about your health.

You worry about the future.

Nothing catastrophic may have happened today, but the weight keeps building.

Many people live every day carrying burdens they never talk about.

Then someone asks, "How are you doing?"

And we answer, "Fine."

But we're not fine.

We're tired.

We're worried.

We're discouraged.

We're carrying things that nobody else can see.

When I read Matthew 9:36, I wonder if that's what Jesus saw.

Not just a crowd.

Not just faces.

He saw exhausted people.

People carrying burdens.

People trying to hold everything together.

People who felt alone.

People who felt forgotten.

Matthew says they were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

And when Jesus saw them, he didn't lecture them.

He didn't shame them.

He didn't tell them to work harder.

He had compassion.

That matters because it means that before Jesus sends anyone to say peace, Jesus first sees the people who desperately need peace.

"And maybe that's why this text matters. Because before Jesus sends us to carry peace into the world, he first recognizes how desperately we need that peace ourselves."

Can God be so unfair?

Underlying this beautiful parable is the Old Testament conception of God as the Creator who is good, that is, generous to all! 

(Ps. 145:9 God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace)

Matt 5:45 "for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Ezekiel 33:7–11

Ezekiel is saying WATCH! in this NEW moment…

Recognize and confess that we have a chance to turn this all around. God is opening the door for us if we would only WALK IN OBEDIENCE THROUGH IT! 

“Small Faith” serving God! You and I are servants of the most HIGH! You and I will never, even with increased faith, move above the role of servant; there is no such thing as above and beyond service and duty (vv. 7–10). We are servants of the MOST HIGH GOD. This is what we do.

It is not the exception; we are not called to be exceptional. Jesus says we are called to be obedient servants.

Are you a Rule One or a Rule Two person? This episode discusses the difference using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

When our day is come for the victory of death, death closes in; there is nothing we can do, except be crucified-and resurrected; dismembered totally, and then reborn.

Covid-19 and the new yearning to be bodily present with each other.