Sunday, May 26, 2024
Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 | Rom 8:14-17 | Mt 28:16-20
“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
It is Love and the Spirit Energy which is eternal and timeless that connects us with the Source and with one another in relationship and interdependence.
Who we are is pure consciousness or oneness expressing itself in different forms at different times in our evolution.
Great modern gurus and quantum physics are coming out with insights that give us a glimpse of what this pure consciousness is:
“Imagine that you are the whole universe; you live in total joy and bliss. Imagine there is no past or future, only now. Imagine there is no space or time, just an unbounded eternity. Imagine endless peace, harmony, and unconditional love. Imagine no fear and equality in all things. This is Oneness.” – Dr. Deepak Chopra
Here is the challenge, a lifelong struggle to transform our ego, to come closer to authentic connections in relationships. “Imagine endless peace, harmony, and unconditional love. Imagine no fear and equality in all things.” It doesn’t mean that I can separate or run away from war, disharmony, hatred, and inequality but I can practice what I learned some time ago: “Suffering is optional.” I can choose among the polarities facing me wherever I am. From time to time I forget, I get trapped and I suffer. That is the moment to practice mindfulness, to stop and return to the point where I got lost, to return to the path towards transformation and oneness again.
It is said that the trinity of a healthy and substantial relationship is trust, respect, and loving communication. It sounds simple but it is not. I struggle with it all the time. In my experience what breaks connection and relationships is precisely the lack of trust, respect, and loving communication. It happens at all levels: in personal relationships, in communities, in partnerships and busyness, as well as in politics.
The invitation today as we think of unity and oneness is to reflect once more on how every connection, every relationship, has the potential to teach us about ourselves. In fact, there is no better laboratory for self-study than relationships. Relationships are such a large part of who we are that their dynamics manifest themselves throughout our body, mind, and spirit, threatening our integrity and affecting our well-being. Relationships can introduce us to the parts of ourselves that might otherwise remain hidden. As a result, relationships can be quite painful because facing our own limitations and learning about ourselves are things we don’t do enthusiastically.
In the name of the Source of all being, the Eternal Word and the Holy Spirit, we come together to support one another on the journey towards unity and transformation.
Let’s close this reflection with Psalm 33: 20- 22 of today’s liturgy, taken from Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan C. Merrill.
“Behold, the love of the beloved One is stronger
Than ten thousand bombs,
More to be desired than the wealth
Of all nations.
Our soul yearns for peace, joy, justice, and assurance.
Praising the name of the Holy One,
May every nation come to live in the steadfast love of the Spirit of Truth!”
Maryknoll Sister Gladys Gonzalez, from Tolima, Colombia, joined the congregation in 1992. She was assigned to Tanzania in 1995 to work in education at the Murghia Girls School. She also assisted with peacebuilding conflict resolution in East Africa. Since 2016, she has served in Brazil at AFYA, a holistic healing center.
This reflection was first published in 2018 by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. To read other Scripture reflections published by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, click here.
Featured image: An image of the center of our Milky Way galaxy is shown, made available by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (NASA)
