Daily Reflection Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Judith Schiavo
 
In her prayer-poem, “Understanding Your Wounds,” Benedictine Sister Macrina Wiederkehr describes the process of how each of us inches our way to God. Where Paul tells us to strengthen our drooping hands and weak knees, Macrina describes our journey to God through a process of letting go.
 
Slowly, gently
I lift the clutter out of my life
I must let go of my ego-self.
I’ve known this part of myself intimately.
It’s like an old friend.
It’s a bit hard to send it on its way.
It has become a kind of cherished sin for me
a dis-ease that I am familiar with.
Still, it has hindered my growth
and kept me from adoring.
It has prevented me from noticing
the holy ground of my life.
 
Macrina continues describing our faults and sins—our shadow side—that we cling to, that we find hard to let go. In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul admonishes us in a similar way: “All discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.”
 
    When we take time for self-reflection, we see those “wounds” within ourselves: pettiness, envy, sarcasm uncontrollable anger, unnecessary words. Instead of avoiding God’s call to us through our conscience, let us sit with our wounds, our sin. Let us recognize the prophet in ourselves—because through our Baptism, we were called to be prophet—and call forth positive change.
 
    Paul counsels us, “See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled.” Our prophetic voices do not allow us to echo hateful diatribes against people because of their origins, skin color, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. Thirteenth century Dominican theologian, Meister Eckhart, counseled us: “The way to enlightenment is a way of subtraction not addition.”  
 
    The evangelist, Mark, describes Jesus teaching in the synagogue. Because of Jesus’ message, as well as his eloquence, his own townspeople criticize him. They claim that they know his family. They remember him growing up. This Jesus is ordinary just like us. How dare he preach to us! Who does he think he is!  
 
     As Mark describes the reaction of the people to Jesus’ preaching, we can sense how hurt Jesus must have felt. After all, these are his people, his neighbors with whom he interacted in his growing years. Yet, Jesus does not give up. He continues to spread the good news that our God is a God of unconditional love. As we gradually clear the clutter of our lives, we participate even more in this unconditional love.
 
    Our responsorial psalm 103, “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting,” encourages us to let go of what is not of God. Macrina Wiederker confirms this response:
 
Yes, all the clutter of my life
                                                       that ego stuff that held me back
                                                       when embraced and owned
                                                       can change before my very eyes into grace.