Lessons of the Trees #6: Under the Fig Tree

Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"  Jesus answered him, "I saw you under the fig tree"      (Jn. 1:48).

Have you ever been noticed across a crowded room?  Has anyone ever paid attention to you unexpectedly?  Has someone noticed something special about you – something small or something you didn’t think anyone knew, or something you didn’t even know yourself?  Has anyone ever looked at you in such a way that pages of words and thoughts were communicated in a moment?

And how did that make you feel?  How did being connected with that person make you feel?  Alive?  Like the best version of yourself?  Not alone?

We live in a constant state of tension between two extreme opinions of ourselves.  On the one hand we are utterly enamored with ourselves – this is the side of us that subconsciously thanks God that we are not like the rest of humanity (cf. Lk. 18:11).  On the other hand, we doubt and even despise ourselves to the point of believing ourselves unlovable (“If they really knew me, they would not love me”).

But what if there was someone whose gaze alone could penetrate us with such clarity that we moved away from this exaggerated tension into the peaceful middle, where we could see ourselves as we truly are – genuinely flawed but entirely lovable?  What if there was someone whose gaze expressed such love to us that we believed once and for all that we are the beloved?  What if there was someone who could simply say “I saw you” – and in those words communicate to us that he knows all the little things about us, all the special things, all the things no one else ever noticed before?  How would we respond to that remarkable person?

Nathanael responded:  “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (Jn. 1:49).  And then he followed him.

I suppose one who noticed us across a crowded room and loved us so would be irresistible. I suppose that is what Nathanael felt.  Jesus saw Nathanael – saw him, knew him, and loved him.  And as one of his disciples, he taught him, nurtured him, challenged him, called him friend, encouraged him, died for him.  He made promises to him and kept them.  Then he went and prepared a place for him.

Under the fig tree, you too have been seen.  Loved, taught, nurtured, befriended.  Everything about you.  Seen, known, and loved beneath the fig tree.

Nathanael Under the Fig Tree by James Tissot

“Standing before him with open hearts, letting him look at us, we see that gaze of love which Nathanael glimpsed on the day when Jesus said to him:  ‘I saw you under the fig tree’ (Jn. 1:48)” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 264).

Good Old-Fashioned Zinger

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

-- St. Augustine

Saint Augustine in His Study, Sandro Bottticelli, completed 1490-1494.  There he is, writing brilliant zingers!

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lover of Solitude

I’ve been wanting to share this litany for a while now, and the intensely prayerful season of Lent is the perfect time to do so!  This is not the typical “Litany of the Sacred Heart” that you find in most prayer books or around on the internet.  This litany comes from the “Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book,” a remnant from my Episcopal days and still one of my favorite prayer resources.  You’ll understand why when you read this litany!

As you pray it, reflect on the meaning of solitude.  Solitude is withdrawal from the world – it is quiet and peace, being alone, or being alone with someone you love.  You can seek solitude by going to a quiet place – or you can find it anytime by withdrawing into yourself and seeking only Christ, who waits for you patiently.  As you pray this litany, solitude just falls around you, or you fall into solitude.  Here you spend time with Jesus who loves solitude, and who loves you.

Please click the link below for a pdf of the litany to view or print:

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lover of Solitude

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter that house.  Revelation 3:20

"Welcome Lent" Article in St. Anthony Messenger

I am honored and excited to have an article published in the March issue of St. Anthony Messenger magazine.  The article is about the cross as the centerpiece of our Lenten journey.  Here is an excerpt:

“We tend to perceive our sinfulness as the thing that separates us from God – but that is only true when we cling to it. When we give it over to the one on the cross, the friend of sinners, then we are drawn to Christ crucified, united with him in the miracle of forgiveness, encouraged and embraced by his love. The sacrifice of the cross becomes for us a seal of divine friendship.”

The article can be read in full by clicking the magazine cover below.

The March issue features an impactful article by Donis Tracy about James Foley, a journalist killed by ISIS whose Catholic faith was a sure and quiet strength.  You can also read this article online at the St. Anthony Messenger website.

Guilt vs. Repentance

“Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10).

This verse from the rich book of 2 Corinthians tells us all we need to know about the difference between guilt and repentance.  This is an important distinction to make – it has extreme consequences for our spiritual lives, for the way we relate to God and the way we believe he relates to us.  It is an especially important distinction to make during the penitential season of Lent, when we spend time pondering the mystery and the harmfulness of our sin, and recognizing our corresponding need for a Savior.

Paul coins the term “Godly grief,” and he contrasts it with what we would call good old-fashioned guilt.  There are several things to know about Godly grief:  1) It produces “repentance,” a term that in the Scriptures is associated with a change of mind and heart, a conversion or turning; 2) This repentance, or change of heart, leads to salvation.  Why?  Because when we recognize and turn away from sin, we turn back to God; and 3) It “brings no regret.”  This is my favorite part.  Godly grief leads to repentance, which turns us to our Savior, who frees us mind and body.  When we turn to him with contrite hearts, the slate is wiped clean.  Life with no regret?  That sounds awesome!

“Worldly grief” is less complicated.  It just produces death.  Worldly grief (guilt) is the kind of sorrow and fretting that focuses on ourselves – what I did wrong, how bad I am, why I can’t stop.  The reason this kind of grief gets us nowhere is because it has no point of reference beyond ourselves.  It turns inward and stagnates.

Feeling bad for doing something wrong is a natural human emotion.  It brings us to a fork in the road.  In one direction, we can choose an open and honest sorrow for sin that unites us with a merciful God and reconciles us with our brothers and sisters (who are also sinners!).  In this direction we move rather freely toward salvation, unfettered by regret and shame.  In the other direction lies the dead end of guilt.  If we follow this path, we get tripped up by our own road blocks until we finally just stumble into a pit.  In the pit we feel restricted.  Trapped within ourselves, it is dark, and we lose all sense of direction.  We experience the slow, numbing death of negativity and self-loathing.  From the bottom of the pit, how could we think of a Savior when we can’t stop thinking about ourselves?  How can we hear his voice when we are so focused on the voices in our own heads?

This Lent, let’s cultivate Godly grief – not to be sad, but to be honest, to articulate within ourselves a need for something beyond ourselves, our need for the one who saves us.  This is how we live a life without regret.  This is how we live in salvation instead of death.  This is how we move seamlessly from penitence to joy and from Cross to Resurrection.

If you’re in my area, here are a few things going on in the next few weeks:

Sat., 3/7:  Share your Lenten journey with me at a Day of Reflection at the Caritas Christi Center in Hamden, CT.  We will reflect on the Cross of Jesus and how it is a source of strength for us.  The day will include quiet time for personal prayer.  Registration is required.  For more information, please click here and see “Lenten Retreat:  Finding Strength in the Weakness of my Cross."

Sun., 3/8:  The Hartford Catholic Biblical School is hosting a Scripture Day open to the public on Sun., March 8 at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield.  Dr. Thomas Groome of Boston College will present on connecting the Bible to our lives.  The event is free, but registration is required.  Please click here for the event flyer and registration.

Sat., 3/14:  The World Meeting of Families is coming to Philadelphia this fall and…you might have heard Pope Francis is coming?!?  Connecticut is getting ready!  On the afternoon of March 14th, you can attend a World Meeting of Families CT Workshop.  A keynote speaker and a panel of presenters will discuss various aspects of the Church’s understanding of family.  The event will be held at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven.  A lot of hard work and planning has gone into this event, and I’m sure it will be a worthwhile day.  Click here for the event flyer.