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God's humility~

10/7/2014

I promised that I would write about vulnerability, which along with availability makes up the rule of the Northumbria Community. But it is evening, and after a day in Boston I’m too tired to compose anything. So instead, here is a piece by Angela of Foligno (1248-1309), sainted by Pope Francis on October 9, 2013. I leave you to your own meditation.
"The eyes of my soul were opened, and I beheld the plenitude of God, wherein I did comprehend the whole world, both here and beyond the sea, and the abyss and ocean and all things. In all these things I beheld naught save the divine power, in a manner assuredly indescribable, so that through excess of marveling the soul cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘This whole world is full of God!’ Wherefore I comprehended how small a thing is the whole world…and that the Power of God exceeds and fills all. Then he said unto me: ‘I have shown thee something of My Power…Behold now My humility.’ Then I was given an insight into the deep humility of God towards man. And comprehending that unspeakable power and beholding that deep humility, my soul marveled greatly and did esteem itself to be nothing at all."

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Taking our turn being poor~

10/11/2013

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Care for the poor, a phrase out there in the ethos these days, from the lips of Pope Francis, scattered among political rhetoric, and expressed from the pulpit and pews of my church. It’s easy to think of the poor as ‘other’, you know, those who are homeless and needing our welfare, certainly not me! But that is not so. Depending on a given circumstance, we are all poor.

The blessing is that when we are poor, we need help. And when we need help, we give others the opportunity do just that. Good thing, because tomorrow the roles may be reversed. It is said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but that just won’t work if there are no receivers. We all have to take a turn at each of the roles.

A friend recently reached out for help as she prepares for serious surgery in a few weeks. She will be poor in strength and in her ability to care for herself. She can’t play the I can do it all myself card that we all like to put out on the table. Humility is the new game. She’ll have to admit that she is poor, which is without a doubt one of the hardest things that any of us has to do. In asking for help she has already done so; her poverty is making her rich indeed, rich in faith and hope.

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'God is still speaking,' around the world~

10/6/2013

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I go to one of those UCC ‘God is still speaking,’ churches, Memorial Congregational Church. And yes, God was speaking there today, as God always does. World Wide Communion Sunday, bread from many cultures, the youth helping the deacons serve communion. The message always at my church is God loves everyone, lead your life for Christ, and feed the poor.

This past week I have been to Assisi and so has Pope Francis. Assisi, the epicenter of the Christian message—love, care for the earth and all of God’s creatures. It warms my heart that the message I heard at my church today is the same one that Pope Francis proclaimed in Assisi. I am hopeful.

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Pope Francis in Assisi~

10/4/2013

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A few days ago I posted about Assisi but I have more to say because today, October 4th is the Feast Day of St. Francis and this year Pope Francis, the first pope to have chosen that name, is there to celebrate. The citizens of Assisi must be particularly elated as plans were made, satisfying hopes and dreams.

I was in Assisi in 2004 on the very day that Pope Benedict was elected. It was early evening and my friend and I stepped into a bar to see if the white smoke had risen from the Sistine Chapel. Indeed it had, and the TV was just announcing that Cardinal Ratzinger, a German, was the new pope. The owners of the bar, husband and wife, looked disgusted, turned off the TV, and went about closing up for the night. On the street outside a little nun, all by herself in the middle of the street, clasped her hands in gratitude. She had a ‘papa’.

Although my daughter and I only spent twenty-four hours in Assisi, I find that with each visit I feel a closer affinity to this little town on the hill, this hometown of St. Francis, this town that calls out to us to care for the earth, the animals, the poor. I sense that everyone who visits here, everyone who lives here, loves St. Francis. Many are Roman Catholic and of course one sees many Franciscan monks and nuns. But there are also the rest of us who, with our own thoughts about saints, know that St. Francis energy can only benefit us and the world. It’s already affected Pope Francis.

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Pope Francis and Saint Francis~

3/14/2013

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I’m hopeful that Pope Francis will bring a spirit of peace and love to our world. He asked for prayers for himself, and being a prayer person, I’m doing just that. He has placed the image of Saint Francis on the front page of the world’s newspapers and that just has to be a good thing. After all St. Francis was calling out and acting out Jesus’ message to feed the poor and care for the earth. And now the voice of Saint Francis is singing out through the voice of Pope Francis.

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God's humility~

Taking our turn being poor~

'God is still speaking,' around the world~

Pope Francis in Assisi~

Pope Francis and Saint Francis~

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