Day 9 + 40 Days of Mercy + + +

There was once a prophet Micah, (as told about in the Hebrew scriptures), who had much to say to the political, religious, and business leaders in positions of power. He chastised them for their greed, corruption, dishonesty, oppression of the poor, and neglect for God’s ways.

Here’s just one bit of what he said:

“Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power.
They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away;
they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance. . .”
(Micah 2:1-2)

Then Micah challenges the leaders to return to God’s way
with these words that we often quote:

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?”
(Micah 6:8)

“Justice” is about fairness and equality for all.
This “mercy” is about acting with loving kindness.
“Walking humbly” is in contrast to those who act
in arrogance without acknowledging God’s help.

Dear people ~
In this season of Lent + these 40 Days of Mercy,
may we seek to do what the Lord requires of us . . .
To balance our desire for justice with acts of mercy . . .

Let us pray for those in positions of power
that they may have compassion for the oppressed
and choose:

Grace over greed
Faith over fear
Love over hate

and walk humbly with our God of Grace.

Anna Lin +

Image is from Repairers of the Breach on Facebook

Day 6 + 40 Days of Mercy + + +

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness

Psalm 103:8

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The Spirituality of Compassion

I was deeply awakened to the spirituality of compassion back in high school when we were required to read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Up until then I pretty much believed that the Law is the Law and if broken
one should be punished. But reading the book I realized there are so many circumstances in which desperate people succumb to breaking the law. . . like Jean Valjean . . . stealing a loaf of bread for his hungry family.

And who can forget the first time they ever read the incident of the Bishop’s candlesticks? We are moved by the mercy that shines through
even this blatant crime that initiated a total transformation in Valjean.

When I am truly honest, I see that again and again I flounder and fail and fall short in so many ways. But God, in his great mercy shows compassion, kindness, steadfast love and forgiveness . . . ALWAYS!
And that is the Grace by which I live . . . and that moves me to share that compassion with others. Thanks be to God!
+ Anna Lin
For further reflection, here is a link to a commentary on this story.
(Note that it includes an audio version at the end of the post)

The Bishop with the Candlesticks

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A Lenten Journey + 40 Days of Mercy + + +

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow, as the season of Lent begins, I invite you to walk the path of Jesus with me + which is all love, compassion, and grace . . . .  40 Days of Mercy + + +

During Lent it is customary to give up something, as a sign of penitence.
Therefore, let us give up hatred, anger, meanness, gossip, bullying,
bitterness, arrogance and self-pity.

May we be empowered by the Spirit and filled with the Love of God
to heal ourselves and heal the world through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Lord, in your mercy, may it be so.

Anna Lin +

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling
and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children,
and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:31-32; 5:1-2

Night Prayers

For now – the day is over –
all that is left undone . . .
may it pass away
into your realm of grace.

For now – may I be at rest
and be at peace;
my soul restored
to live onto another day.

~ Night Prayers of Anna Lin

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What Is True For Me?

Going Deeper ~ ~ Reflections ~ ~ What is True for Me?

As I mentioned earlier, since December I have been reflecting on my word for 2017, which happens to be TRUTH!

Please note: It is not my intention to be political here. I actually wrote this before the recent events of the day; but now the whole world is actually focusing on the word Truth.

In my personal reflective time I began asking: What is true for me?
Our character tells the truth about who we really are, ideally revealing
honesty, integrity, authenticity, faithfulness . . . being honorable, sincere,
pure.

We live in a time of deception when it is difficult to know truth from falsehood. . . where some think that if something is said over and over again people will believe it’s true. We even do this to ourselves. . .
pretending we are what we are not . . . covering over our lives with lies and deceit about our character . . . our deeds . . . our life’s purpose.

Like the apostle Paul, I catch myself doing this again and again.

“ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. . . For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7: 15 & 20)

Or, we may be too hard on ourselves . . . only focusing on our mistakes, our weaknesses, our failures.

Dear friends, Let us be honest about our lives. What is true for me?

Each year I find it helpful to take an honest assessment of my life.
I make a list of all of my strengths and all of my weaknesses.
Then I give thanks and celebrate my strengths and look for ways I can build on these strengths.
But I am also aware of my short-comings and realize that it is my weaknesses that keep me seeking daily communion with a loving God through Jesus Christ. I ask for God’s help to turn these into strengths.

Dear friends, God will use us just as we are!
Of that we can be sure.
God’s grace is true!

~ Anna Lin

With All Of My Life

With all of my life
I shall praise You, O Lord;

With all of my life
I shall worship in Your Holy Place;

With all of my life
I shall honor Your words of life
and truth and grace;

With all of my life
I shall be servant to those in need.

With all of my life
I shall be all that You created me to be . . .
The hands, the feet, the voice of Christ
onto the world;

And then, at each day’s end
I shall lie down and rest in peace,
for I have gratefully given You fully
all of my life.

~ Anna Lin

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Merciful Love

Merciful Love

Anna Lin,
One of Grace and Beauty,
dweller in Merciful Love ~ ~ ~

This Rose I give to you
as essence of the love you’re meant to be,
Gift of the sorrow that has ruled your pain.
Now meant to open as the flower of Love,
Fragrance of myrrh that wise ones
through you bring . . .
mingled with grief of all that you have been.

Know this,
that now the petals bloom,
show forth this Beauty . . . Love and Grace unfold.
Take now the story of your toil,
raise it to life,
so others too may heal.

Wonderful mercy of a gentle flower,
abundant blessing given
amidst the thorns.
Nourish compassion in the way of peace,
Fervently follow the way of Christ, your Lord.

There is such Love,
poured out upon you now . . .
Anointing the remembrance
of broken hearted dreams.

No longer shall the fears infest your soul
for you are raised to triumph as a King’s
most cherished being.

~ Anna Lin
(October 5, 2000)

Tinged with age, but still calls me forth to new life ~ ~ ~

Gentle Spirit

Spirit of Gentleness,

Flow through each moment of this day with me.

Whisper the words of grace and peace that will
calm my fears and heal my soul.

Fill me with hope to see a future bright with promise
for my life.

Nurture my dreams to grow stronger in Christ-like love.

And may I ever listen to your guidance through this day,
trusting that God’s will on earth shall now be done.

Amen

~ Morning Prayers of Anna Lin

 

Gracious Wisdom

“Somehow I feel sure that the most direct route to religious experience is to ask for the grace to give, to share, to console another, to bandage a hurting wound, to lift a fallen human spirit, to mend a quarrel, to search out a forgotten friend, to dismiss a suspicion and replace it with trust, to encourage someone who has lost faith, to let someone who feels helpless do a favor for me, to keep a promise, to bury an old grudge, to reduce my demands on others, to fight for a principle, to express gratitude, to overcome a fear, to appreciate the beauty of nature, to tell others I love them, and then to tell them again.”

– John Powell, S.J.
in Through Seasons of the Heart

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