How does God see? “God looks into the heart.”
Six weeks of Lent, and it is already week four. Are we where we expected to be? Physically, or spiritually? Is life as we may have anticipated it to be? At this point, is anything different or changed? Have we encountered surprises? Have we encountered Jesus?
Anticipation and Expectations!
“Awake O sleeper…
Rise from the dead (darkness)
Christ will give you light!” Ephesians 5:14
As we look back into scripture with the call of Samuel, he was asleep in the night until Eli helped him to see, understand, and hear God’s voice in an unexpected way. He was a boy called to be a prophet. He woke up from the darkness of the night to become a voice of the Light.
Here is David, the youngest child. He is the unexpected shepherd boy anointed to be king. “The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him.” Rushed upon him! God does not hesitate to give us what we need to carry out our call or path in life. In addition, in both cases of Samuel and David, there was someone to help interpret the Word of God in their lives. Eli for Samuel and Samuel for David. Who might be the spiritual companions in our lives who have helped us or will do so in finding our way to recognizing the presence of God, no matter what our age?
“The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
…Only goodness and kindness follow me
All the days of my life…
When we reply to the Word of God, our lives change.
I imagine both Samuel’s life, and David’s was not what they anticipated their lives to be. Did Jesus?
Jesus, the unexpected and anticipated messiah. The one who is Light. But eyes were closed to his reality. There were those who refused to accept the surprise of Jesus, the messiah, among them. A person born blind can now see. They declined to “see with their hearts.” They were in darkness and unable to acknowledge the unexpected. They refused to accept the long-awaited anticipated messiah. Jesus, the Word made flesh, was before them. But, behold, a blind person saw and experienced Jesus, not only physically, but with the heart.
Jesus spoke with the man born blind, and cured him not only by opening his eyes but his heart as well, and he did recognize who was before him.
Do you believe in the Son of Man?
He answered, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?
You have seen him,” Jesus said. “The one speaking with you is he.”
The blind man replied, “I do believe, Lord,” and worshiped Jesus.
Jesus also emphasized that blindness, and may I say, other afflictions are not because of parental sins. Or maybe some hardships are? We are human, and life happens. Through each of our lives, within the experiences of our afflictions, God works the unexpected that helps to bring us to wholeness and peace. We live and work within our abilities and shortcomings. There are times we seek forgiveness. Let us remember and pray the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr.
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.
With faith, we recognize the grace given when the “Spirit might rush upon us.” The works of God are made visible in the mutual building up of the reign of God. God does God’s part, and we do ours in faith, with hope, and in the practice of charity.
In life, it is true, we may sometimes encounter resistance. Even our own. Why? Something to think about. But here, the Pharisees refused to believe in what was before their eyes. They lost the spirit of recognizing unexpected kindness and compassion in their midst. They lacked sight of their call. They were in the dark, unable to see who was present in the light of day. Anticipation of the coming of a messiah may have been forgotten. But here, before them, was Jesus, the Light of the world.
Song: My God and My All
O, Christ Jesus,
Open the eyes of my heart to see as you see.
Open my heart to see you before me.
May I walk with you these next few weeks?
Only a few more before remembering profoundly your death and resurrection.
It is in these darkest moments of your life, passion and death,
that the power of your cross will sustains me.
I desire to be with you.
It is your selfless love that gives me life.
Your selfless love that gives life meaning.
Your selfless love that heals the world.
Your selfless love that is life everlasting.
I weep with joy and with gratitude.
You are my God. I love You.
I believe.
Candice Tucci, OSF
Born in Buffalo, NY, I grew up in a cultural and ethnic diverse environment. My life as a Franciscan Sister has been a profound spiritual journey. Like Francis of Assisi who called himself, “pilgrim and stranger,” this too is a metaphor for my own life.
A trained spiritual director, with a BFA, and MA degree in Religious Studies/Spirituality focusing on the integration of the arts, spirituality and social justice, prepared me to live this Gospel life of prayer and service. First on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and eventually in Tanzania, East Africa. My journey led me to ministry in higher education at various universities. February 2025, I retired from Creighton University after 10 years as Chaplain for the College of Nursing.
Prior to retirement, I was elected to serve on the General Council of my Congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. March, 2025, I moved to Rome, IT where I currently reside. Serving in this leadership role provides incredible opportunities to serve as a woman religious in the Catholic Church at this time in history. Settled in Rome, I am happy and ready to contribute again to Daily Reflections. May we hold each other reverently in this Sacred Space.
