Healing Redemptive Love

Healing Redemptive Love

"LOVE REDEEMS. DESPITE all the lovelessness that surrounds us, nothing has been able to block our longing for love, the intensity of our yearning.  The understanding that love redeems appears to be a resilient aspect of the heart's knowledge.  The healing power of redemptive love lures us and calls us toward the possibility of healing.  We cannot for the presence of the heart's knowledge.  Like all great mysteries, we are all mysteriously called to love no matter the conditions of our lives, the degree of our depravity or despair.  The persistence of this call gives us reason to hope.  Without hope, we cannot return to love.  Breaking our sense of isolation and opening up the window of opportunity, hope provides us with a reason to go forward.  It is a practice of positive thinking.  Being positive, living in a permanent state of hopelessness, renews the spirit.  Renewing our faith in love's promise, hope is our covenant."

                                                                      -  ALL ABOUT LOVE
                                                                         BY BELL HOOKS

Personal Reflection/Insight:
   During the week, most especially at those moments when I was not feeling well due to some physical pain, I took time to think back of my past experiences, making a quick survey how complicated and difficult those moments when I was longing and searching for possible breakthrough of hope.  Then love nestled gently like the rains of early spring in my heart's desert place.  Then and there, I was strengthened, renewed and rejuvenated by uncontainable feelings for another human being.  
   Being married and in a committed love relationship now, at times I pause and look at this person whom God has given me to share my life with.  And to be honest, I am still mesmerized my the mystery and beauty of God reflected in her, the kindness of heart, the comely appearance, the gentle voice, the hearty laughter, the healing hands.  Despite the humble situation we are in our place under the sun, we take it moment by moment to continue to share, care and love one another.  love truly makes life exciting and bearable to live, especially when you share it with the one God has chosen for you.
   The healing process and love's redeeming power comes piece by piece in the daily small gestures of thoughtfulness, understanding, concern and hope for the better promise of tomorrow.  Henri Nouwen's image of the wounder healer comes again in a poignant way.  Struck and wounded by love's error searching in the past, now we become angels of hope, friends of peace, healers of love for each other.  At the resurrection, no wonder why Jesus was so spontaneous in showing his wounded hands, feet and heart to his fearful disciples.  He witnessed to them the true courageous, brave and pure power of love.  He still loves each of them and all of us despite the pain and the death He suffered out of love.  In being apostles of love, we can also be resurrected redeemers of a world bereft of love as it is truly is.

GIVE ME WARMTH - A Winter Prayer

For all warm things of this season I thank you, Lord

For the warmth of my house as I come cold from shopping.

For the fragrant warmth of my kitchen as I turn on the oven and sift and measure and stir and bake.  

For the snug warmth of the bedrooms where (finally, after much commotion) 

my children sleep.

For the warmth of this cup steaming coffee in my hand

as I settle down (exhausted, not at last) before the fire that dances

so warm and festive on the grate.

And for warm clothes, Lord.  

These slippers, this robe -

all the untidy closets bursting.  

That car coat tossed across a chair.  

And the car itself, a warm car to take us places

(once we get it started). 

And those warm places:  the homes of neighbors, friends, a warm church to worship in.

And the warm people there.  The warm smiles and greetings.  

The generosity and kindness of people everywhere.

I am full of warmth, Lord.  It comforts me.  It calms me.

It makes me feel aglow almost as rosy as the embers in the fireplace.

I want all people to be warm and rested and at peace.

Thank you for this blessed season of warmth

in the midst of so much that is chill and stormy.  

Let it draw all of us together against the coming cold.

- by Marjorie Holmes, from her book 

Hold Me Up a Little Longer, Lord

Personal Reflection:  (By Bobby Sagra)

The holiday season has become so commercialized

There is an air of excitement everywhere with last minute Christmas shopping and hitting all routes to be home for Christmas.

In southern Philippines, where over a thousand lives stopped breathing, after a sudden flood caused by swift storm

the people left behind bury their dead and pick up the leftover pieces of there shattered and devastated lives,

and some with meager strength celebrate Christmas with feelings of brokenness, not even having a "a room in the inn"

just a roof over their heads, warming themselves as they hug and cry, as they pray and hope for some aid to come.

As we come to pray, and worship God this Christmas.

Let us not forget that in the atmosphere of joy around, there is sigh of loss and pain somewhere, in the plenty and fullness of it all, there is want and emptiness beneath it, in all wish and desire to be home, there is some unavoidable barrier, but in the end, it is truly love that keeps the heart warm, it is really love that gives true meaning and joy, it is only love that can unite every family and heal each pang of sorrow.  For even on Christmas there are still children left orphans,
people staying on hospital beds, in prisons or out there somehow lost in the darkness of the night, waiting for some comfort of love and joy.  After all,  there is no better place to celebrate Christmas

than being at home, with our loved ones, to stay together

in mutual love and self giving.  Let us have a merry Christmas as we worship the Baby Jesus lying in the manger.

Performing the Work of God during the day

A time of grace in my life, I spent as a Benedictine monk in Pecos Benedictine Monastery, Pecos, New Mexico (2005-2007). In my period of Novitiate there I learned about the Rule of St. Benedict. In Chapter 16 of the Rule, St. Benedict tried to reflect on the question: How the Work of God is to be performed during the day. In reading the Rule, each one of us first reads it as a Lectio Divina. One of the important moments in Lectio Divina is to ponder on a word or a phrase. In this particular chapter, as I spent some quiet time praying over it, I underlined the Bible verse, "Seven times a day, I have given you praise." (Psalm 119:164)In performing the work of God, the first act is to praise him. And what is praise? According to a comment on this chapter, "Praise is the joyful overflow of a heart filled with gratitude and delight." Psalm 119 and the spirit of praise in it recalls us to our center, who is God Himself and His Kingdom within. The number seven is a sacred number which in jewish mind is perfection or completion. As Benedictine monks we take time to pray seven times a day and we are aware that in our recollection and singing of the psalms it is our common act of embodying both the perfection of our persons and the glory of God. In our worship of God together and with those who join us we witness how mighty and how loving is the God who was and is and will be. At the end of the Lectio Divina on this, I wrote my Prayer/Response and I gladly share it with you:

A joyful song stirs
from within my heart's portals
sounding forth
bursting of awe
wordless echoes
tearless cries
brightness of lights
of my soul's awakening
from a slumber
and fatigue of yesterday's
bleak, stormy, restless nights.
So this morning
I sing my song of praise
to you my Lord
and I delight
in giving thanks
for this new beginning,
so peaceful in its unfolding
so gentle in its embraces
so calm in its assurances
of your never exhausting love!
My soul praises you
Mighty fortress in my weakness
Flowing river of my dryness
Solid rock of my defences
Full moon of my quietness
Golden valley of my playfulness
White mountain of my emptiness
Oh Holy Presence of my world,
blessing, sanctifying this moment
at day's beginning
all praise to you now and forever!

- B. Sagra