Misleading Appearances

~~~ Jer. 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13 ~~~ Psalm 36 ~~~ Matthew 13:10-17 ~~~

"...Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water..."

It is so easy to be misled by the appearances of things.

Jeremiah is talking about the wells the people have dug that are defective.

They appear to be collecting water but in reality

they are broken and the water is being wasted.

Recently I was filling the kitchen sink with hot soapy water to wash the dishes.

I thought I had placed the stopper correctly into the drain.

However, a few minutes later when I returned to the kitchen

the water had all drained out.

Initially it appeared to be retaining the water; it was only later

when the water was gone that I checked the stopper.

We can be fooled into thinking because something looks right that it is right.

It reminds me of the saying you can not judge a book by its cover.

The people listening to Jeremiah were confused they missed the true living waters becasue they were too busy digging their faulty broken cisterns.

"...they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand..."

Too often when we are off doing our own thing we miss what is most important.

Where is your living water today?

Are you focusing your attention on the faulty well?

Are you confused?

Are you missing the crack in the cistern?

Are you losing precious living water?

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear."

Do you have the desire to really see and to really hear?

How long will you be fooled by imitations?

As a child I wanted to prove my daddy wrong. Whenever he said I would not get something accomplished I worked harder than ever to prove him wrong.

Maybe that was his real motive I never asked him.

Jesus is lamenting the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah.

"...You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them."

Today we are in a much better situation; our eyes and ears have

access to the truth.

We can see if we but open our eyes.

We can hear if we but open our ears.

The question for us is once you see and hear, then what?

Is it good enough to just be able to say I see and hear?

Seeing and hearing comes with some responsibilities.

We must in effect keep the cisterns in good repair.

We must be vigilant of even the tiniest crack.

For left unattended a tiny crack can eventually become more serious.

Jesus used parables because they are timeless in their ability

 to convey their message.

We are reminded that keeping the faith is not a one time deal.

Keeping the faith alive requires daily maintenance...

payiny attention to the little details.

Lord, grant us the grace to see and hear the truth in all situations.

Hear My Voice, but Tell No One

~~~~ 1 Kings 11: 29-32, 12: 19 ~~~~ Psalm 81 ~~~~  Mark 7:31-37 ~~~

"I am the Lord, your God; hear my voice."

The readings today all focus on hearing... the prophet Ahijah carries the directive to divide the cloak giving away one piece...in the psalm verse it says, 'If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways...' God is reprimanding us to listen..., and finally in the gospel Jesus restores the physical hearing and speech of a deaf man.

In the first reading Jeroboam, the son of Solomon, is alone when the prophet speaks to him. God speaks to us in various setting. The question we must answer is are we always ready and willing to listen...not just to hear, but to actually listen. In order to listen implies that our hearts are open as well as our ears. If we listen with our hearts we allow the message from God to take root and bear fruit in our life. Bearing fruit for God can be intimidating at times;

perhaps we do not feel worthy or prepared.

"I am the Lord, your God; hear my voice."

This psalm echoes throughout the corridors of my life. It can be frustrating at times trying to hear the voice of God. It often requires patience as we wait for clarification. It has been recorded that the words of the Lord are not our words. He speaks to us in the quiet recesses of our heart. He speaks to us through our friends and family. He speaks to us through our pastor. Sometimes God speaks to us through his silence...in these times only our faith and trust can keep us listening. We know not the time or hour when the Lord will speak to us.

The practice of setting aside time dedicated to listening for the Lord is worthwhile. I try to ask the Lord to speak to me...'Speak Lord, for your servant is listening'.

"I am the Lord, your God; hear my voice."

In the gospel we continue to see multitudes of people coming to Jesus for healing and to hear his teachings. They come to listen to his words and they are amazed. Everyone is talking about this phenomenal person, Jesus. In this story Jesus does not heal from a distance or even in a crowd as he has done previously. "He took (the man) off by himself away from the crowd." Away from the crowd, Jesus can safely look up to heaven and acknowledge his unity with God the Father. Together they open the man's ears and remove his speech impediment.

Not only could this man now hear the words spoken to him he could also go about spreading word of Jesus himself. I can only imagine his excitement...his joy. He must have been bursting at the seams to share about his miraculous healing,

but Jesus ordered him to keep it to himself and tell no one.

"I am the Lord, your God; hear my voice."

When my friends find a good deal or a special coupon it is natural for them to want to share. It was asking a lot for this man to keep his mouth shut. By now the number of those who have heard of healing powers of Jesus has grown tremendously. They were exceedingly astonished and they said,

"He has done all things well."

In spite of what the people felt about Jesus though there were many others who were after him. Many authorities who wanted him out of their way for they felt threatened by his power. They could not comprehend that he was not after their earthly positions of power.

The original image was a beautiful mandala designed to depict faith and wisdom. Those who came to be healed believed in the healing power of Jesus. Jesus had to exercise wisdom in making the request that his healings be kept quiet.

This captured kaleidoscope image repredents the different times when God speaks to us...from a distance in the outer areas...in a small group...or one on one intimately with us.

"I am the Lord, your God; hear my voice."

"Take Care What You Hear"

Mark 4: 21-25

"For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible...nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears ought to hear..." and finally emphasizing..."Take care what you hear."

Yesterday we reflected on seeing in the true sense not only with our physical eyes. Today we have the Gospel of Mark also speaking to us about things becoming visible through the light. Could he be implying through the Light of Christ? For all things are visible with the Divine Light.

Mark, however, continues his instruction concerning our hearing. We were created by God with the gift of our senses. I have a difficult time what my life would be like without one of my senses. I have asked myself, If I had to freely give up one of my senses which one would it be. Well I admit I am selfish because for me the easiest sense to sacrifice would be my sense of taste.

I could not imagine not being able to see all of the wonders God has created for us. I definitely would be devastated to loose my hearing. If I could not hear just music alone I would be a very different person. I always hold in high admiration those who have lost their sight or hearing. Those I know have been given the grace to live full lives in spite of their loss.

Jesus tells his followers, that would be us, to 'take care what you hear'. I wonder how that might apply to us in today's environment? There are so many times I have had the television on and heard something I wish I had not. Until today I was conscious of what was entering into my ears, but now I want to be more discerning about what I choose to listen to. I want to hear about the good things happening in our world, I want to hear words of kindness, love, encouragement, and peace just to list a few.

So if that is what I want to hear I am then compelled to begin with myself. I certainly have the ability to thoughtfully choose my words before I speak. I also realize that I am not perfect and must decide to make this a priority for myself. I invite you to join me. Start with today, speak only kind words to others.

If we take care what we hear, what words are entering into our minds and hearts; we will be giving ourselves an enriched vocabulary from which to draw. You do not need a rich vocabulary to condemn and curse others.

"Take care what you hear" influences daily how you speak.  Words spoken as well as those heard linger within our soul.

Now I have left no time to share with you my thoughts on the lovely letter

Paul writes to his dear friend Timothy...2Tim. 1: 1-8

As I read Paul's words to his friend I was feeling the love he must have had for Timothy. Here are a few phrases that touched my heart...I remember you constantly in my prayers...I yearn to see you again...I recall your sincere faith...stir into flame the gift of God.

So much to contemplate in today's readings.

To you my readers; I give thanks to God and I do remember you in my prayers.



Original image: I chose this photo of a sunset because even though the sun has already set the sky fills with color for several more minutes. I chose this kaleidoscope image because the concentric design reminds me to be aware of what comes into my hears and what comes out of my mouth.

What we hear and speak flow together in continous ripples.