Sunday Scripture - Reflection for January 28, 2024Scripture Reflection: January 28, 2024 – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time IF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE Psalm 95 The Word is Calling! Listen! The Word is calling! Come within the pages of My story. I have written Myself throughout history. I have been rejected, glorified, praised. I have sung in joy! Listen! Listen! The Word is calling! I have breathed my words into you. You are part of My salvation. Your story is mingled with those who have spoken for Me. I am present when you reject Me, when you glorify and praise Me. I am present in your deepest sorrow and in times of forgiveness. I am your joy. I am your hope. Listen! Listen! Listen! The Word is calling! Live your word. A word I breathed into you That you may write the scripture of today. You are part of the plan. Oh, please say YES! Listen! The Word is calling you! Sara Fontana Wildflowers Theresian Community League City, TX
0 Comments
Sunday Scripture - Reflection for January 21, 2024Scripture Reflection: January 21, 2024 -- 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Jon 3:1-5, 10 Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 1 Cor 7:29-31 Mk 1:14-20 Reflecting on the readings for this Sunday, the message I received was to embrace change. Why is that so hard to do? The Ninevites were asked to repent and change their ways. They did and they were saved. In the second reading, St. Paul is tells the Corinthians that things are changing. He tells them that “the world in its present form is passing way.” Again, that’s a hard message to hear. In the Gospel, Mark tells us the story of Jesus recruiting Simon, Andrew, James and John on the seashore and asking them to leave everything behind and follow him. Leave EVERYTHING behind! Can you imagine being asked to do something like that—to change like that? God challenges us to rethink our lives and to change. Change is hard, sometimes almost impossible. Then we hear the message of the Psalm. Ask for help! “Teach me your ways, O Lord.” Psalm 25 tells us to ask for help. “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.” Yes, change is hard, yet God tells us that it’s necessary and that He will guide us. Gretchen Penny Seekers Community, Houston, TX Transforming GraceBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
I had an opportunity this week to attend a webinar on “Transforming Grace,” the new initiative from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) that asks the question: “What is ours to do in this time?” In November, LCWR began creating reflection guides on “Transforming Grace” that are intended for use by faith communities. Each guide has a link to an opening song and includes prayers, scripture, inspirational thoughts, and questions for reflection that are “grounded in contemplation and [are] an engagement in learning the skills and practices that will lead to decision-making and action that leads to being in right relationship...” The reflections for the weeks of January 14 and January 22 are available by clicking here and here. If you are looking for programs for your Theresian community, I invite you to check out LCWR’s “Transforming Grace” page on their website. On this page, you will find downloadable PDFs of all the Transforming Grace Reflection Guides. Sunday Scripture - Reflection for January 14, 2024Scripture Reflection: January 14, 2024 -- 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 40 I have waited, waited for the Lord And he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, A hymn to our God. (Ps 40:2,4) I often wonder where my words come from When I write a reflection on a psalm. When I read Psalm 40 today at Mass, I realized: They come from a place deep within. But only after I spend time with the psalm: I turn the words and phrases over and over, Looking for meaning, looking for connection, Waiting for the Lord who hears my cry. With the Divine above and within and With channels open between, the Spirit stoops down, Guides, provides, and puts “a new song into my mouth”: “A hymn to our God.” Amen. Anne Broussard Esprit de L'ame Community Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Message of love, faith, and hopeBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
Many of you probably are familiar with longtime Theresian Robin Hebert, Open Heart Community, Lafayette, Louisiana. Robin and her husband Easton recently were featured on the podcast “Can I Getta Amen” where they share about their “life and love through loss and laughter.” I encourage you to listen to Robin and Easton’s gentle message of love, faith, and hope in this podcast. Take some time this weekend to “let your spirit catch up with you,” to use Easton’s words. Robin will be one of the speakers at the Theresian International Gathering in Houston on September 20-22. Sunday Scripture - Reflection for January 7, 2024Gospel Reflection: January 7, 2024 -- Epiphany Mt 2:1-12 When people first meet the newborn king, they immediately recognize his greatness. In the Gospel we see the Magi following the star, saying they have come to “do him homage”. The Magi are guided by a light to find the Messiah when the infant named Jesus appears like a light shining in darkness. Imagine their awe at their long-awaited discovery. They are overjoyed and prostrate themselves and share their finest gifts with him. Their faith comes from their wisdom. We should seek out Jesus with this same spirit, giving all of ourselves to Him. When we greet him in the Eucharist and in adoration, we should adore Him in this very way. The Entrance Antiphon from the Vigil Mass (“Arise, Jerusalem, and look to the East and see your children gathered from the rising to the setting of the sun.”) reminds me to follow the light of Christ each day from start to finish. It doesn’t hurt that God bookmarks most days by a beautiful sunrise and sunset. This antiphon also encourages me to evangelize as I picture Christians physically filling in all of these spaces. Come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord. Anita Roberts-Long Roses on the Teche Community Lafayette, Louisiana, USA New Year - Renewed CommitmentBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director In this first week of the new year when my renewed commitment to doing things that enliven my brain and spark my soul is still fresh, I read Brian Doyle’s essay “A Better Monk Would Know.” Doyle begins the essay, “I was in a monastery the other day and got to talking to a monk who, when I asked him why he was a monk… said, because it’s hard.” The monk goes on, “Because I am not sure I can do it all… let alone do it well, and do it for years and years, perhaps for my whole life.” Amen, yes! My professional work; my home life; my spiritual life; the way I parent and step-parent; the relationship with my husband; my coursework for my Master of Divinity program; the way I wash my face, brush my teeth, blow-dry my hair; the way I exercise; the garden I plant; the books I want to read; the healthy food I want to eat – all of it! I am not sure I can do it all and do it well for years and years. The temptation is to curl up on the couch, pull a blanket over my head, and watch Netflix until my brain turns to mush. But Doyle’s monk continues, “I try to be a good monk for a week at a time… I might have been happy and fulfilled in a dozen ways. But I knew inside that I had to try to do what was hard for me to do, to be of best use.” This year, our Theresian Litany of Solidarity invites us to stand in solidarity through prayer and action with women emerging in leadership in church and society -- the women, like you and me, who are not sure they can do it all or do it well, but who have committed themselves to being of best use by doing difficult things. As we prayerfully unite to support women emerging in leadership, I invite you to spend some time with Doyle’s essay “A Better Monk Would Know.” What does it say to you about the emerging leaders in your life, in your church, in your family, and in your Theresian community? What does it say to you about being of best use and doing hard things? My hope is that 2024 is filled with opportunities for each of us to take these words of Doyle’s monk to heart: “I cannot explain why I hope that what I do matters; all I can do is do what I do, either well or ill, patiently or not, gracefully or not.” You are enoughThere is a phrase I have been sitting with in my quiet moments this Christmas: You are enough. The words are from writer Tosha Silver who recently shared on her Facebook page: “The innermost heart says, ‘You are enough. Nowhere to go, nothing to get, nothing to change. No need to grow more deserving. You, yes You, are Love.’” You are love and you are enough. (Notice that the word is “love,” not “loved.”) Imagine for a moment that right here, right now, exactly as you are, you are love and light in our tumultuous world. In your brokenness, in your tiredness, in your mourning, in your joy, in your delight, and in the messiness of presents and wrapping paper and leftover Christmas dinner strewn around your house, you are love and you are enough. This Christmas season and in these concluding days of the year, I invite you to rest with me in the light of the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and to feel love, to be love, and to know that you are enough. An Advent Invitation to SilenceBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director As I write this reflection, contractors are at work in our kitchen, hammering and sawing and grinding their way through a remodel. To drown out the noise, I have headphones on and am listening to instrumental Christmas music. Next to my keyboard, my phone emits intermittent sounds alerting me to messages and emails and phone calls. Soon my husband will be finished with his workday and will be walking through the house with questions for me, then the TV will be on. Noises from the furnace drone in the background. A school bus rattles by on the street. And that doesn’t even begin to describe all the thoughts running through my head – the to-do lists, the plans, the worries! My life is very noisy. Quiet time with God is almost non-existent for me right now. And I am craving silence. I am reminded of the Yiddish folk tale “It Could Always Be Worse.” In the story, a poor man complains to the Rabbi about how crowded and loud his small house is. The Rabbi’s advice is for the man to bring his chickens into the house. As the story builds, the Rabbi continues to advise the man to bring in more animals: goose, rooster, dog, cat, goat, cow (the animals vary depending on the version of the tale you read). At the end of the tale, the Rabbi tells the man, who is now at his breaking point, to remove all the animals from his home. The story ends with the man exclaiming, “Holy Rabbi, you have made life sweet for me. With just my family in the hut, it’s so quiet, so roomy, so peaceful… What a pleasure!” I believe God gives us chaos and noise as a way to teach us to appreciate the gift of silence. In this week’s Advent video from the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture, Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, reminds us that silence is difficult, especially with all the distractions in our world. But silence is so important in our relationship with God. Fr. Mark says, “Silence is to prayer like a canvas is to the artist.” He goes on to say, “Silence sensitizes us to hear God.” If your life is as noisy as mine is right now, join me this Advent in accepting God’s invitation for silence, even if it is only for a couple of minutes. For inspiration, please watch Fr. Mark’s 9:39 minute video below. AdventBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director My husband and I recently treated ourselves to reservations at a new restaurant. We thought it would be nice to enjoy some conversation over a plate of tacos after a long week. Maybe a bowl of guacamole if we were feeling extravagant. The reality proved to be a bit different. When we arrived, we discovered the restaurant was loud, crowded, and dark -- that level of darkness that makes it hard to read a menu. Most diners seemed half our age. A live DJ blasted music in one corner. Performers in Day of the Dead costumes strolled among the tables while servers brought out flaming plates of food and drinks. Quiet, intimate, simple, it was not. This misguided date night comes to mind as Advent approaches (Sunday, December 3). While I like to think of Advent as a month-long date with God where we make plans to hang out and talk, maybe over a plate of tacos and guacamole, the reality is rarely the quiet intimacy I had planned. Too often I allow my life to become too loud and too crowded with holiday preparations that I leave little space for quiet time with God. It is this noisy distraction that is addressed in the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture. The series features Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana; Fr. Josh Johnson from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Sr. Josephine Garrett, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. (Sr. Josephine offered a presentation on community and commitment to Theresians on June 24, 2023. You can watch a recording of her presentation here.) In the first Rejoice video offered below, Fr. Mark, Fr. Josh, and Sr. Josephine talk about the importance of silence, perceptions of silence, and obstacles to silence. If you are unable to watch the entire 28-minute video, please consider watching Sr. Josephine’s three-minute message that can be found at the 11:50 minute mark in the video. Each week through Advent, we will be sharing these Rejoice videos with you. A journal is mentioned in the video and is available for purchase through various online booksellers (options are available here). The journal is NOT needed to enjoy the program. Please join with me this Advent in finding time for silence and simplicity. Maybe we can even find some time for tacos with God this holiday season! |
Archives
May 2024
Categories
All
|
Theresians International
PO Box 487 | Elburn, IL 60119 |
QUICK LINKS
|