Into the Sacred Hills of Jade

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Thursday, January 10, 2019

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” – John 2:1-3

So begins the account of Jesus turning water into wine.  The story is told in such a way that this first teaching miracle was one unintended by Christ, a rather necessary response to a mother’s request to solve an awkward circumstance.  But Jesus responds to the need … in a way that was near hidden from the eyes of the public, in a way that drew not attention to Himself, in a way that was subtly symbolic about the transition that would now take place.  That transition?  The transition from the age of preparation to the age of celebration.

In a lifetime of pastoral work, I went to many weddings, anniversaries, baptismal celebrations … and many more times than once or twice … I felt my soul sigh …”They have no wine.”  Oh, they might they might have the trappings of the festivities, the sparkling decorations, the music playing, the cake and the gifts … but as to the wine, the essence of the meaningful joy, … well, for some reason the wine was now depleted.  Such things happen … when all the focus is on the preparation and none on the spiritual essence of the celebration.

I believe one of the ministries of the Church and the individual Christian is to be sure that people and moments do not run out of wine.  Of course, I do not speak literally, but figuratively … we are ourselves having known the joy of baptismal waters and of baptismal Spirit become jars of celebratory wine.  We celebrate of our joy.  We share our joy.   We pour our joy into the empty glasses of our loved ones.   The wine is the life of Christ and we are the wine stewards.

We live in desperate times, for many, despondent times … and I fear our society is running low on wine.  We in Christ need to rise to the need of our circumstance.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. – John 1:1-5

Life and Light.  Light begets life, we witness this in how sunlight sustains life on this earth.  And life begets light, we witness this in the radiant Presence of Christ.

One dark night when the darkness was heavy upon my soul, I took a slow walk along a quiet lane in farm country.  When the question of “life-or-death” was asked starkly of my soul as I foundered in my depression, I leaned on a split-rail fence overlooking a farmer’s pasture.  As I prayed I felt the stars draw closer to the earth and then suddenly the field was filled with fireflies, as if starry angels had come searching me with lanterns.  And there Light … and the great Darkness that was about to consume me began to subside … and the vigor of Life resurged within me.

To this day, now decades later, I keep a glowing light in my room as I sleep.  Why?  For I have known the darkness far too intimately and I know how much I need the life-sustaining power of His Light.

Christians, we light candles and oil lamps to fend off the Darkness; there are others who deal with the Darkness with angry torches and burning crosses.  I pray that you will be one with me … and light our candles of hope in our search for the Lord’s Peace.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Monday, January 8, 2019

Paul draws his letter to the Philippians to a close … “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9

“Keep your eye on the target.  Keep your eye on the ball.”  In sports this counsel is proven over and over to be true.  And here, in his closing words to the Church at Philippi, Paul counsels his Loved Ones to keep focusing on the virtuous qualities, that which true, honorable, just, pleasing, commendable, sterling with excellence and that which is genuinely worthy of praise.

He cautions his Loved Ones not to turn your focus on distracting lights.  Let not the love of money distract you.  Let not the quest for worldly power distract you.  Let not the latest trend distract you.  Let not the fire of zealous causes distract you.  Let not the mesmerizing preacher distract you.  Let not the temptation to hybrid your faith with nationalism or other worldly ideology.  No keep your eyes on that which is actually true and not presumably true.  Keep your eyes on the honorable conduct of one’s life and not on that which eventually brings dishonor.  Keep your eyes on justice for all and not on that which favors you.  Keep your eyes on that which is pleasing to God and not on what at first look, is pleasing to you.  Keep your eyes on what is commendable and not so much on what is profitable.  Keep your eyes on that which is excellent in quality and truly of lasting worth.

I suggest, Loved Ones, that these words of Paul might be placed on your mirror, so each morning you are once again reminded.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Monday, January 7, 2019

Paul writes …“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7

“Rejoice” is one of those concepts that we all understand but yet when we try to detail what it means, we struggle.  Here Paul uses the verb “to rejoice” as a command, to rejoice out of an intention, to rejoice as an act of the will.  “Rejoice!”

To rejoice as a natural response to a joyful feeling seems quite natural, but to rejoice as a deliberate act that seems rather unnatural, even contrived.  What does it mean to go about the act of rejoicing?  I have come to believe it is somewhat like pumping water using one of those old-fashioned hand pumps.  You willfully pour a cup of water into the pump to prime the pump, then you exert one’s own power to draw forth water from a deeper reservoir of water.  To rejoice is the act of drawing forth joy from that deeper reservoir of joy within the heart of the Christian.

I have learned that the mere act of focusing on those experiences where I was joyful draws forth the joy within me.  Now in this contemplative life I live, I have certain people, certain places, certain images that I use to prime the pump of my soul.  And as I focus more and more on the joyful, the rejoicing comes to life.

What is rejoicing?  Rejoicing is letting your joy to be made visible, to bring it to the surface.  I am one who is far more comfortable and is more authentic with rejoicing with a smile or a measure of laughter than with the raising of hands or dancing.  I suppose my rejoicing is of a gentler, quieter kind … not one contrived or forced.

I am one who bundles together joy and love, thus to embrace another’s soul is, for me, the common expression of “rejoicing”.  So do not feel pressured to “rejoice” in the manner of those around you … rather “rejoice” in ways most authentic for you.

So, Loved Ones, I join Paul in encouraging you all … Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Paul writes …“Not that I have already obtained oneness with Christ or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14

Christianity is neither a way of belief that is frozen in time nor a way of belief that is lost in the past, but rather is a forward-looking journey into the future by way of faithfulness in the Present Moment.

The Christian Way is a creative way of life.  The Church, though we are often tempted to make it so, is not a museum but more like an artist’s studio.  Like a weaver at a loom, the Church weaves eternity, each day a passing of the shuttle through the threads.  Day after day, we weave a tapestry that one day in the future we will finally behold in its fulfillment.

The Christian Way is a visionary way of life.  Though the Church has its recollections, its living vibrancy is found in its dreams and visions.  We are dreamers of what could be; we are envision-ers of what will be.  It is the spirit of the prophets to interpret the present times in light of what will come to be.  It is not a yearning for what was, but rather a yearning for what could yet be.

The Christian Way is an unfolding way of life.  The Church is part of the unfolding Creation.  Through the ages of Time we can see that Creation was not a static event but rather a dynamic event.  Creation included within itself this yet unrealized potential that would slowly progress through Time until its ultimate fulfillment.  The Church thus has as its work not the preservation of the past whenever that “sacred past” might have been, but rather the work of blazing the trail into the frontiers of the unfolding future.

We indeed press on toward the goal for the prize of a heavenly, beckoning, guiding, inspiring call.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Friday, January 4, 2019

To the Church members at Philippi, Paul writes … “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. – Philippians 2:14-16a

Purity of soul is much more than the vehement keeping of a few selected rules … it is a quality of spirit, a quality of thought, a quality of intention, and a quality of Love.

Being blameless of life is not a matter of what one can get away with and still be “legal” … it is the fulfillment of both the human and the Divine within our living, a fulfilment of God’s hope in our Creation, a fulfillment of our love become more and more a More Perfect Love, a fulfillment of the Christ born within growing into full maturity.

I find that in the processes of religious zealotry, innocence and purity are not often considered, eventually cast aside as unnecessary.  In our obsession with the crusade, we slowly begin to rationalize our methods and means as being subservient to our ends.  If not vigilantly mindful, we allow our “cause” to demonize the quality of spirit where innocence and purity are found.  In his temptation of Christ, the Deceiver sought to lure Christ away with visions of power and success … but Christ not willing to sacrifice the innocence of His ways and the purity of His motives, declined such mortal enticement.

Of late, my Loved Ones, there has risen a form of Christianity that rationalizes away the need for innocence and the need for purity by way of a self-indulgent disrespect of God’s great mercy.  In our wallowing in self-righteousness without any need for confession and repentance, we allow the ways of the world to become our own endorsed ways of the Realm of God.

Too often we become mean-spirited , insensitive, disrespectful, victory-at-all-cost people, possibly viewed as “successful” rather than “blameless and pure”.

Loved Ones, do not slaughter the innocence of the Priest-King Herod once did, do not neglect the purity as Judas Iscariot once did.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Thursday, January 3, 2018

Paul writes … “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!“ – Philippians 2:5-8

Too often in today’s Consumer-Christianity, I observe preachers peddling an enticing gospel, one that views Christians more as pampered princes and princesses than as humble servants.  Within their holy sounding words is  sanctified arrogance and a glorified self-indulgence.  And when I witness this consumer-ization of the Christian Way, I weep at how far distant it is from the genesis of Christianity.

At the heart of the Christian Way is a self-giving Love, a Love that is willing to sacrifice all for the sake of those who are beloved.  At the heart of the Christian Way is a sharing of God’s blessings with others, the mercy, the grace, even the material blessings of Providence.  At the heart of the Christian Way is a humility that does not seek to control others but rather to serve others.  The Christian Way is about sharing one’s basket of bread with the crowds; the Christian Way is about washing the feet of the road-worn and weary; the Christian Way is about giving of self and the Christ within one’s self.

I believe the life of holy devotion is set plainly before us when He spoke about a widow who gave her two small coins, all she had to live on, while the rich gave only from the excess of their wealth.  The life of holy devotion is as a poor woman giving her last two coins.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Paul writes to the Christians in Philippi …“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.“ – Philippians 2:1-4

From the very beginning of Christianity, humility and unselfish service has been at the heart of the Christian ethos.  Yet, throughout the generations that followed, in our past and in our present moment, a share of Christianity has forgotten or given mere lip-service to this essential aspect of the Christian quality of spirit.

Oh, we deny it, but our souls still often blush with the reality that we too often allow selfish ambition and self-centered glory to become intertwined with our devotion to Christ.  From the “prosperity gospel” to books emblazoned with our own portraits, we succumb to the temptation of selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-glorification.  Too many of us are attracted to be a part of the “bigger and brighter”.   Too many of us are attracted to more popular and trendier.  Too many of us are more in tune with “success” than with “humble devotion”.

Higher values of community, harmony, peace-making are made the lesser so that self-righteousness holier-than-thou, righter-than-thou, and zealotry might take center stage.  And when pride and arrogance enter into the soul of Christianity the very essence of the Christian ethos fades away.

Loved Ones, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Monday, December 31, 2018

Paul writes … “Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment.  What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.”              – Philippians 1:15-18

The Good News, the story of Christ and the legacy of His words, this intention and invitation of God, has power in itself in spite of and overcoming the ill-intention of the proclaimer.  The clearer message, of course, comes through the voices of those with purer motive … but even the those who do so with selfish, self-centered envy and rivalry cannot silent the message of Christ.

Paul writes with remarkable and gracious tolerance.  Though he fully understands how an ill-motived heart can tarnish the message, still he has confidence in the Higher Power of Christ to shine through the tarnish.  And I join him in believing in focusing on the person of Christ, His words and His mission, His dreams and His vision, His example and His ongoing Presence.  Christ cannot be refuted by the sins of those who speak of Him.  They can be wrong in their interpretation, but Christ Himself can never be wrong; they can be wrong in their implementation, but the ways of Christ can never be wrong.

Christ above all!  This I do believe … even though such messengers as Paul and I are but mortal servants.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Friday, December 28, 2018

Paul writes … “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” – Philippians 1:9-11

Throughout Christian history there have been those who have proposed emotionalism as the “true” faith and others who have proposed scholasticism as the “true” faith.  Emotionalism in its many expressions was overflowing with heart and enthusiasm but rather meager with mind and depth of thought.  Scholasticism in its many expressions was rigorous with reason and rigorous thought but rather lacking in warmth and passion.  To the maturing community of Christians in the church at Philippi, Paul writes of the more fruitful balance … a faith overflowing with love and charity yet rich in knowledge and maturing insight.

Emotionalism is vulnerable to manipulation by the fear mongers and panderers of rage.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to easy answers and conjured delusions.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to mass hysteria and mesmerizing snake oil peddlers.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to the influence of the wild-eyed “Rasputins” who preach at the edge of madness.

Scholasticism is vulnerable to the limitations of logic and cold rationality.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to skeptics and rationalizations.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to the temptation to dwell in ivory towers and cold calculation.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to the clever deception and the faulty premise.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to arrogance of presumption and intellectualism.

Paul in his own maturing appreciates more and more the absolute necessity of both heart and mind.  He understands that a mature faith is in need of deeper thought than mere parroted buzzwords.  He understood that a mature faith is in need of  a deeper compassion than intricate explanations.

Loved Ones, our faith journey is both a gaining of wise discernment and a gaining of a more Perfect Love.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz