Inspired by Scholastica

  Inspired by Scholastica   Pondering Christ’s Coming After periods of dryness, darkness, and discouragement, it is sometimes hard to believe in the message of Christmas: “God is with us.” Yet when we really listen and let go of our fears, we can grasp that truth. We can sing, ‘Come Emmanuel, come to save us.” As we behold the stars at midnight, the smiles around the Christmas tree, the warmth of togetherness, we know that God is near, that we can feel safe in the heart of Jesus. When the heavenly messenger came to Mary announcing that she would give birth to the Savior, she was stunned and hesitant to believe.   I’m sure she felt like this sounded too good to be true, and she questioned how this could come about. But she was willing to do whatever God asked of her. And poor Joseph. He loved Mary and wanted to marry her, but how could she be with child already? In a dream, he was told that this was how God chose to become human. It seemed incredible that God wou...

  Inspired by Scholastica   Slivers of Hope   Society seems hopelessly corrupt Nobody cares about God. Yet there is hope That God will set things right.                                     Ps. 53 This is the introduction to psalm 53 in my book of psalms that I reflected on today. During these Advent days, I’m trying to see signs of hope. When I passed our amaryllis plant, which is only a slight sliver now, barely visible, I knew it would eventually become an exotic four-blossomed flower. But If I did not know that, I would have thought there’s not much hope there of producing anything.   As I look around the world and listen to the news, I find only slight slivers of hope. I feel like the psalmist who said, “Society seems hopelessly corrupt. Nobody cares about God.”   ...

  Advent Musings 2024 Advent is a season of reflection and anticipation: reflection on the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming and anticipation of Jesus’ coming again today. The prophets spoke of a savior who would redeem the world. Now we look forward to the symbolic celebration of Jesus’ birth in our day. In these days before Christmas, we might reflect on some of the stories in the Old Testament that told of a Messiah who would bring good news and peace. Those years before Christ’s coming were not too different from our world today, filled with wars, poverty, sickness, and violence. Jesus was born in a humble stable to a virgin and a carpenter. The three magi from the East were looking for a king but found a helpless baby lying a manger. The star led them to Bethlehem, an inconspicuous town, and they knelt before the child, offering their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Today, war and poverty and all kinds of evil still exist in our world, but we try to block ou...

    Inspired by Scholastica Advent Pauses Before Advent gets swallowed up in the mad rush of Christmas shopping and decorating, I invite you to take a few moments each day to reflect on what Advent means for you personally. We know it is a season of waiting for Christ’s coming, but how does he come to us now is this world? Christ comes to us mainly in the poor who are hungry and abandoned. How can we see Christ in the starving child, the lonely elderly, the lost teenager, the drug-addicted man or woman?   How can we respond to their needs?   In a recent retreat, I heard the invitation: “Behold and Be Held.” When we really behold  the smells, the tears, the wounds of those around us, we are Be Held by God. We can also pray to the holy ones to accompany us on our Advent journey, those who had the courage to live out the invitation to love the suffering no matter what the cost. I think of Oscar Romero who spoke out about injustice and was shot while sayin...

Dark Times (Pictured in photo: Harriet Tubman) The world seems very dark these days. Dark from evil, hatred, and violence. Martin Luther King lived in a similar world. He admitted, “The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around.” But he told the people, “Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.“ We need to look closely to see the stars around us, to see the boldness of people who risk their lives to save those in danger, especially war. To observe the moral stature of those who speak out against injustice and evil. To see the courage of those who overcome prejudice and adversity. To observe the bravery of those who protect those shunned by society, even when it means rejection by their peers.  There are many stars barely visible, not yet in the public eye. These people go about doing the right thing, give the honest response, often unnoticed by others. We hope they will continue to have the courage to speak the truth whatever the consequences. Jesu...

  Spiritual Growth A lot of people make resolutions to do better, overcome their addictions, help others, treat others with kindness, be charitable, love our enemies. They ask God to help them change their ways.  Yet they often give up and go back to their former ways. That’s usually considered human frailty. Then regret and shame fill their lives and make them feel like failures.  We know Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit who would be with us all our days and teach us all we need to live a good life. In Romans 8, St. Paul reminds us: “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.” If the Spirit has been dwelling in us all our lives, why do we feel like we have made so little progress? Our culture may have conditioned us to feel like we are not good enough, that our faith has failed us.  According to Vinita Hampton...

  For the Good of the People “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Ps. 34:18 ) The United States has been a democracy since 1776, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Americans elect representatives to carry out the Constitution. Eventually two major parties developed, Republican and Democrat. Most of the time the government worked pretty well except for the Civil War period and a few other upheavals. Despite some rough spots, we maintained our democracy. Hopefully, we can continue to do so. The election we just had was very divisive. Each of the two persons running for president had very different views. But if we are going to live together in peace, we will have to try to understand each other and learn how to cooperate even when we disagree. We need to acknowledge each other’s viewpoints and discuss our disagreements without becoming antagonistic or violent. We have one of the strongest democracies in...

  Break Open Puffy clouds blush, reflecting dawn rising in the east, a splendid beginning of a new day full of possibilities, of encounters with unknown people and adventures.   Welcome sunrise! Spread your many-hued rays across our sleepy world. Awaken in us all we can behold as day breaks.   Open our eyes, our ears, to embrace all that comes-- surprise encounters, unique and unrepeatable, challenging us to enlarge our limited horizons blurred by unclear vision.   Yes! Make our spirits blossom-- renew our often hesitant hearts.   By Barbara Mayer    

  Women of Courage When I watched “60 Minutes” on TV last week, I was stunned by the story of Yulia Navalnaya, wife of the Russian dissident who recently died in a Russian prison. Andrei Navalny had defied Putin and fought for the Russian presidency but was put in prison. Yulia has been described in the media as the “first lady” of the Russian opposition. After her husband’s death, she declared that she would continue his work. She has his last notes from prison that she plans to publish. Last July she became the chair of the Human Rights Foundation. Moreover, she said, “I will be the next leader of Russia.”   She said it as if there were no doubt in her mind that she would replace Vladimar Putin who now                             has unlimited power and control. She wants to build a free Russia for her children and all who are committed to ...

  Inspired by Scholastica A Joy Spreader How would you like to be remembered when you die? How about “one-of-a -kind kindness advocate”? That’s what SuEllen Fried was called when she died this week at age 92. The last thing she did was get out of her bed and go to say goodbye to her prison friends at Lansing Correctional Facility. Her whole life was spent bringing joy to people in pain. One of the most noteworthy things she did was start a program led by the Lansing inmates called Reaching Out from Within, a self-help program. She also co-founded the first Alvin Ailey summer dance camp for urban kids in Kansas City.                                                               ...

  Overcoming Fear   What did the Apostles do after Jesus was crucified? They holed themselves up in a locked room, fearful as mice hiding in a secluded corner.   When they heard that Jesus had risen, they slowly began to understand what He had said about rising on the third day.   Still fearful, they inched open the door and found the women who had discovered the empty tomb. Dumbstruck, Peter and John hastened to see if it were true.   The apostles felt shame at deserting Jesus and letting him die alone, except for Mary and John and the other faithful women.   The twelve knew they had been chosen to carry on Jesus’ mission, but they were uneducated and simple, and a little hesitant to step forward.   Maybe the women, his mother, Mary Magdalen, Mary Salome, and others showed them how to begin their work. Women seemed to know how to touch and heal, and are bold enough to spread the good ne...

  Inspired by Scholastica   Success or Failure? I’m reading an interesting novel titled Patchwork Quilt by Anne Tyler. She is one of my favorite authors because of her unusual characters. The main character, Barnaby, works for a small company called Rent a Back. It caters to elderly people who need help doing small jobs that they can no longer do. His family considers him a failure since he didn’t go to college, lives in a tiny apartment, and drives a run-down old truck. His parents are wealthy, and his brother works in his father’s trust company. Barnaby had been married and has a nine-year-old daughter that he tries to visit once a month, but his former wife is not very welcoming. The people he helps think he is kind and trustworthy. Instead of having set hours, he adjusts his work hours to his clients’ wishes. He doesn’t seem to have any friends except the people he works with. He seems happy with his life and has no desire to change. Is he a failure for his li...

  Inspired by Scholastica   Angels Watching Angels are watching over me etched in stained glass windows in our choir chapel.   The angel straight across from me has majestic silver wings and a long simple staff.   When the sun comes through I am thrilled by the beauty of the colors shimmering above the wooden choir stalls, shining on all the pray-ers.   I like having angels around me ready to protect me from danger, to lift my spirits when I am sad, to give me courage when I hesitate.   Angels radiate God’s glory remind me that I am cared for. They keep me from stumbling or straying or forgetting that I have been chosen to bring that radiance to those who may need a reminder that angels are always there-- Do not be afraid.   Barbara Mayer            

  A Listening Church This October, representatives from all over the world will meet again in Rome to discuss the issues they have been studying for the final phase of the synod. While some may dismiss the event as inconsequential, Pope Francis sees the synod as reflecting his vision for dialogue and decision-making in the church. This sounds like a monumental task considering there are so many different cultures, languages, experiences, and needs of the worldwide church. Pope Francis took a great risk in calling this world-wide synod in 2021. He realizes he cannot know what is happening in every corner of the world and decide how to respond to its needs and issues. He must remain true to the Gospel and the commandments yet realize this is a very different world from the world at the time of Christ. Adaptation seems to be very essential at this time in our history. For example, in some countries there are not enough priests to care for the people. Often married men are appoin...

  A Woman of Courage To climb a mountain, the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest, is a challenge beyond my comprehension. Yet Lhakpa Sherpa, a poor, uneducated woman from Nepal, climbed to the top of Mt. Everest ten times. No other woman has ever accomplished this feat. In 2022, her last climb, at age 48, was celebrated by family and fellow Nepalese along with journalists and many admirers. She is an inspiration to Nepalese women and women around the world. Lhakpa worked doing dishes and cleaning houses to earn money for the equipment to make the climb as well as to raise her two children. She walked a lot but did not have any training in climbing mountains.   She overcame an abusive husband and other setbacks, but she achieved her dream.  “Never give up,” she writes on her website. “Keep going and follow your dreams no matter what. We make our own world. Don’t try to do everything but do what you love. And someday you might climb your Everest.” That’s great advic...

  Inspired by Scholastica Psalm 16 (adapted) Watch over me, Lord, place your protective cloak over my weak, frail body. Help me in my need. You are my savior You lift me up.   I used to honor false gods, wealth, fame, security, things that are useless. Now I put them aside and honor your name.   Lord, you are my God, You lead me and guide me, You lift me up when I fall. Take away my broken spirit to live with you forever.   God teaches me and all those who long for life what we must do. He is here with us, we can stand firm.   I rejoice in my God who dwells in me and steadies my steps. I walk secure.     

  Inspired by Scholastica Nurdles in the Oceans In recent years, I have become more conscientious about care of our environment. I recycle paper, pop cans, plastic, peelings and clothing. Our community practices composting and has eliminated the use of pesticides. I know this is only a tiny contribution to a cleaner, safer environment, but it’s a beginning. Then I learned about nurdles, tiny plastic pellets used as building blocks for most plastic products. Scientists estimate that 10 trillion of them enter our oceans every year. Even though that number is staggering, the companies responsible are seldom penalized. Often fish, birds, and turtles eat these pellets that they think are food. They then think they are full but get no nutrients and often starve to death. Most people have never heard of nurdles, but they are dangerous polluters of our environment. When companies dump them down the drain, they become contaminated with dirt and dust. From the moment nurdles are crea...