Secrets revealed

With snow flakes already blustering around us, and the promise of wind, snow and freezing rain to come before nightfall, it seems difficult to imagine that the scripture readings today place us on top of a mountain, but that's the truth.

On a few occasions in his life, Jesus shared the secrets of his heart with those who were his best friends. Sharing secrets is what good friends do. Children confide their joys and frustrations with one another, teenagers tell friends secrets of romance and discovery that they would never share with their parents or other authority figures. Adults too, if they are truly blessed, have one or two others who they can trust completely with all the hidden corners of their lives.

Best friends are usually among the first to hear good news about new jobs, engagements, weddings, expectant mothers, and even secret plans to surprise the one we love. Jesus too wanted to share with his confidants a glimpse of the reality which awaits us all. Even though we are still in the early stages of Lent, we may need some encouragement to stick with the disciplines we have adopted. The glimpse of Jesus in glory is therefore an invitation for us to believe, to go on, to trust that all will be well.

As always, my reflection (this week entitled The truth of the matter) is available in text format or in podcast format. Enjoy.

Ah, sweet love

What does one say about love on the day dedicated by so many to the celebration of love? In preparation for this mediation, I consulted a short history of Valentine's day and learned that at least according to some, the celebration of this day in Roman times was one of eroticism in celebration of mid-winter. So maybe all the hype of the secular world around this day of celebration is not so far off the original aim of this festival.

Whether through poetry, chocolate or flowers, the celebration of love finds many forms and variations. Authors such as C.S. Lewis and others have written extensively about love, speaking about it's power to bring joy to the human heart and to overcome any adversity. Love can be tested, sometimes severely but it has an amazing reziliance.

A wise woman once told me that those who have fallen in love, who have known the light-hearted childishness of falling in love are the most able to understand the greatest of gifts that God offers. For those who are aware of the presence of the spiritual, the gift of someone who loves us, and who we in turn also love is perhaps one of the most precious gifts. When the heart rejoices and is guided by love, we are motivated to give everything so that another can be happy.

Give thanks today for those who love you ... Give thanks today for the ability to love another.

Lessons learned from thestrals

In the now world famous series, Harry Potter meets and deals with a host of different characters and experiences while learning valuable lessons about who he truly is, who his real friends are, and the power of true love to overcome all obstacles.

One of the minor characters which appear in the series are the thestrals, the winged horses that draw the carriages used to transport Hogwarts students from the Hogwarts Express to the castle. The horses are invible to all but those who have experienced death, so in the early volumes of the series, it seems as though the carriages move magically; only in the latter years of his stay do we discover the truth about this transportation method.

Thestrals are not the only things that are invible to some and visible to others. In fact, many truths about life only become apparent once we have had to struggle, and in some cases, only those who have experienced the death of a loved one can truly appreciate the most important truths about life.

Children in our society, and even young adults often define success in terms of acquisitions. For some children, dreams would be fulfilled if there were an endless supply of gifts on Christmas morning. For some adults, the thought of a shiny new car, or a particular house might be the object of desire. Strangely enough though, it sometimes takes tragedy to teach us the most important lessons - that things really don't matter that much, and that we are actually much richer if we know the value of love, if we learn that possessions are acquired not as trophies of prestige but rather so that we may bring joy to others.

When all is said and done, and we must leave this earth, we can take nothing of all that we see and touch with us, so should we not learn early the lessons of the thestrals? Live justly, love tenderly and use the gifts of this earth wisely. Then the gift of true joy will be ours.

God's gift

The scriptural texts for the first Sunday of Lent, Year A speak of Jesus' encounter with the tempter. I found these readings quite apropos for those who have begun the discipline of Lent only a few days ago. We often begin this discipline with great gusto, but like all things, we must continue daily to practice the self-imposed disciplines if we are truly going to see the rewards, and believe that we can truly commit to making changes in our lives.

On the first Sunday of Lent, it is also customary for those parishes who have catechumens, those who are preparing for baptism or for entry into full communion with the Church, to experience the Rite of Election. There are three such persons in our parish, therefore their commitment to the process which lies ahead formed another part of the liturgy today.

Tying the readings together with the presence of our catechumens and proposing some challenges for the gathered community resulted in the homily entitled God's gift for the life of the world. As always, the text of this reflection is available on our parish website, and the podcast is also available should you prefer to download and-or listen to it.

Bethany

Everyone needs a place to kick off our shoes once in a while. We all need a place where we can put aside all the expectations of work and just relax.

Tonight, I was given a rare gift. An invitation to share supper with some friends turned out to be a true blessing. It's such a grace to find moments in our lives, and people with whom we can truly relate. If we're truly lucky, we even find the friends or family members who can almost read us, predict our thoughts and actions before we even think them, and welcome them without judgement.

Jesus found such a place in the village of Bethany, in the home of Martha and Mary. I am beginning to understand how he must have loved these women, and treasured the time he could spend with them. How many times did he arrive at their door, in the early morning hours, or late at night? How many times did they open the door to him and welcome him 'home' from a long journey, providing a meal or simply a place to lay his head? How many times did he sit with them at the table and unburden himself of some of the frustrations that surely were part of his work?

There is a Bethany for everyone. We just need to find it. It is the place where each of us can truly unwind. It is the place where those who love us welcome us, feed us, listen to us, comfort us and allow us to be rejuvinated. Where is Bethany for you? Who are Martha and Mary for you? How often do you visit? How often do you give thanks for the gift of rest and a place to unwind? All of this is a gift from God, meant for our benefit and enjoyment.

For all of this and more, we give thanks.

Touching the sacred

For just a few hours, parishioners in this parish were united today with those who are preparing for the celebration of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. The Congress will take place in June of this year in Quebec City, but for the past year or so, the Ark of the New Covenant, an artistic representation of Noah's ark which was created two years ago, has been travelling across Canada.

Within minutes after the arrival of the Ark, parishioners began to trickle into the church and continued to arrive for the next few hours. As I watched the growing number of people who entered the church, I couldn't help thinking that this was very good news. Perhaps without even realizing it, people welcome the opportunity to touch the sacred in our lives, and seek out opportunities to do so.

Awareness of the sacred is experienced and appreciated when the soul is allowed to sing. For some, this happens through music, for others through silence, and for still others through a variety of activities and experiences. What is most important is that we find occasions to allow the sacred to change our hearts.

Those who facilitate this process are perhaps the most to be appreciated, for they are often the angels who continue the promptings of the heart that draw us ever closer to union with God.

Unexpected lessons

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't taken the time to write since January 9! Time has absolutely flown by, and it's been almost a month. Don't let the silence fool you though, into thinking that this mind has been inactive or just unplugged. I learned a valuable lesson many years ago when I mistook a friend's silence as a sign either of disinterest or a lack of stuff to talk about. It's often in periods when we don't communicate with those we love that some of the most significant learnings are going on.

This past weekend, I had a chance to see not one but two movies which are currently showing in theatres. Now, the fact that I actually found the theatre came as somewhat of a surprise, since I can go for months at a time without even knowing what's on, but I actually discovered two gems which you absolutely must see.

On Friday evening, a friend and I went to see The Bucket List, directed by Rob Reiner and staring Jack Nicholson (A Few Good Men), Morgan Freeman (Shawshank Redemption) and Sean Hayes (Will and Grace). I must admit that when I first saw the trailer for this movie, I wasn't terribly impressed. Sometimes when we see the short clips or ads, we know from the feel of the experience that we absolutely must see the film, but this was not the case for me. Perhaps I was distracted, because to tell the truth, this was an emotionally charged experience that took the viewer from joy and elation to sadness and tears.

The Bucket List is the story of a purely chance encounter which leads two complete strangers to become best of friends. The adventures they embark on, and the challenges they must overcome keep the viewer riveted. See this movie if you can; you will not be disappointed.

Just two days later, I found myself watching the movie rendition of Khaled Hosseini's first novel entitled The Kite Runner. I had read the book a few years ago, and remember it as a very good read. It was fast-paced and the story had lots of twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing right to the end.

The movie edition of this tale which débuted just a few months ago is remarkably faithful to the original text. It is a story about friendship, redemption and hope, realities that we all face at some point in our lives. The story is so well told that I found myself anticipating every scene, and recalling with great detail the book I had read a number of years ago.

Struggles and challenges are a part of life. How we greet them is totally up to us. Whether we accept them and take the time to reflect on them is also a decision each of us must make. Life is full of lessons, but it's up to us to learn them, to reflect on them, and to learn to count our blessings. At times, we have the fortune to travel, to visit other parts of the world, and to appreciate the blessings that are ours. At other times, we can be struck with a deep sense of gratitude simply because we have been afforded a rare glimpse of life through the eyes of others who tell the tale of what it's like to truly live.