Hunker Down

SIDE NOTE: Today is apparently my 500th blog post! I had no idea. What started out as an assignment from a spiritual director to give me more confidence in sharing my writing, has become a transformation of my own heart through The Word. I want to thank each of you for reading these reflections when you can and to know that I pray for each reader when I am writing. I so enjoy when you give me feedback and love that God is touching people through this effort of love. God bless you and it is well with my soul. 

I went outside this morning and the distinct smell of fire is in the air, which, unfortunately, smells like October in California. Most of our most devastating fires happen during this time of year. The smell is haunting and chilling and a sense of danger surrounds our ordinary lives. Today’s gospel combined with this troubling smell of wildfire calls to mind a story from the 2003 fires. Two fires merged on the road of our beloved camp Whispering Winds. Essentially, the firefighters working in this area were trapped, without radio contact, and they needed a plan to hunker down and trust in the bigger plan of God. There is a large meadow at camp that was surrounded by huge pine trees (or matchsticks) and they pulled their fire engines to the middle of the meadow in a circle and they hunkered down in the center covering themselves with fire blankets as the fire jumped over them, pine tree to pine tree, in a furious storm. They all survived, thanks be to God. The last group of people at the camp before the mandatory evacuations happened to be a women’s Cursillo (retreat) group. They thoughtfully left snacks and water and letters of encouragement for the firefighters in the building next to the meadow as an act of love for these courageous warriors. As the firefighters discovered these gestures of love, they were moved to write thank you notes back to the women and the staff for their kindness. Did I mention that two raging wildfires merged here and they were fighting for their lives? They were so moved by the act of kindness that they wanted to stop and write their gratitude! Just wow. 

How does this relate to the gospel, you ask? Jesus uses a sweet image today in this obscure gospel; that of a hen shielding her brood beneath her wings. Can you picture this? All the baby chicks hunkered up under mamma’s wings to hide from predators, or rain, or fire, or to just rest there? The mamma’s main concern is protecting those babies and her life comes second to that. Jesus became second because of His amazing love for you and me. His arms spread wide on the cross are the wings of this love that cover us, shield us, protect us, save us, and give us rest. He knew that fires would rage and so He spread His wings and all we have to do is run for cover under the shadow of that love. Why is it so hard to do? Why am I the “unwilling” one that He talks about in today’s gospel sometimes? I think that trust is one of the many things that this world has been successful at stealing from us. I mean don’t we all have the proverbial “trust issues”? How can we let this beautiful image of a mamma hen shielding her little ones change our own thinking today? How can we deal with our “trust issues” and know that Jesus made Himself second so that we would be covered in grace? 

As the smell of fire lingers in the air, I am grateful for the fire of the Holy Spirit that burns within us, drawing us into the shadow of His wings. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 8:31B-39

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31

R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Alleluia SEE LK 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.'

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."