The Simple Joys and Creative Reflection

The title could seem boastful and I recognize how that could be interpreted that way, as that’s a fair reaction. 

I recently picked up a book on critical thinking, which I'm now reading. I came across something called the "Socratic Method," in the early pages of the book.  Why I'm writing a blog post on this is because it struck a chord with me. And that's because I’ve been that question-asker, especially later in life. Anyway, the Socratic Method is simply the art of asking questions to get to the heart of understanding—probing, reflecting, and refusing to accept easy answers, or as I like to say, "safe answers," that don't encourage further discussion on the subject at hand.

Divine Mercy Sunday, 2020. It was the time of pandemic, when the whole world was on lock down.

Our deacon, in one of his homilies, once invited us to place our hurts, failures, and quiet heartbreaks on the altar during the Offertory—when the bread and wine are brought forward to be lifted to heaven during the consecration—and to ask God, in His mercy and great love for us, to replace them with His peace and joy, so we can go about our lives with hopeful hearts. Yes, I’ve been doing it ever since!This belief rooted in faith and trust in the risen Lord, is that perfect invitation to surrender our burdens: the wounds we carry, the temptations we battle, the disappointments we still hide at the coming of Easter.  It’s in that sacred moment at Mass, and Easter itself, and any day in between  that we don’t simply offer gifts of bread and wine, but ourselves, too, and any brokenness as well and weariness that we carry. That in itself is the essence of it.

I came across a thought today reflecting on God’s stillness on Black Saturday.It reminded me of a book I bought—"When God Is Silent." It centers on Jesus asleep in the boat with the apostles. Yes, that one stormy night. Relentless waves rocked the boat, and with each jolt, the apostles grew more and more perplexed—wondering, how the Lord could remain so calm in His sleep despite the violent winds and the roaring thunder. Today, Black Saturday, Jesus is not in the world. He is dead. After hours of torment and torture, the cries of a confused crowd calling for His crucifixion, and the agonizing suffering He endured, He breathed His last. Yet, even in this silence—with this seeming defeat—the will of the Father had been triumphantly accomplished. 

Relationships—

It's clear that many people enjoy discussing their thoughts on God and His demonstration of goodness. This is evident by the large number of books published on the topic. Many people have become authors solely on this subject. Additionally, it has paved the way to podcasting, hosting TV shows fostering faith, and becoming ministry leaders to share their perspectives on spirituality.

What we fish for, we will get. Is there a universal truth in this?

This sharing is my take on a Bible Study session via Zoom during the pandemic. I did not join the meeting, but I took the time to ponder and write about it, which I later shared with this friend who spearheaded this intimate Bible Study group.

We all have heard of the saying, "Count your blessings, not your problems."