Surfing the Wind: Setting Your Sails for a Monday Move to the Top Rung

Fr. Paul's reflection on Monday's readings, 2nd week of Easter

Surfing the Wind: Setting Your Sails for a Monday Move to the Top Rung

Happy Monday, St. Alexander family! Did you feel that incredible energy yesterday? We just finished celebrating the high-octane joy of Easter and the beautiful, healing grace of Divine Mercy Sunday! It was so moving to see so many of you here at St. Alexander Church, stepping out of the “locked rooms” of fear and into the light of God’s mercy!

But here we are. It’s Monday morning. The “to-do” list is staring you in the face, the laundry is piled up, and the world outside seems to be moving at a frantic pace again. If you’re feeling a bit of a “spiritual hangover” or wondering how to carry that Easter fire into a regular work week, you are not alone! In fact, you’re in great company!

In today’s Gospel, we meet a man named Nicodemus who is in the exact same boat, or perhaps, he’s waiting on the shore, trying to figure out how the boat even works! Are you ready to stop over-thinking and start surfing the wind of the Holy Spirit with us?

The Nicodemus Trap: From “Looking” to “Beholding”

Nicodemus comes to Jesus “by night.” Why at night? Maybe he was busy, or maybe he was hiding in the “bushes” of his own reputation, afraid of what people would think! He is a smart man, a leader, and a scholar. He is used to having the answers. But he is stuck in what we might call a “literalism trap.”

He asks Jesus, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

Poor Nicodemus! He is looking at the words, but he isn’t beholding the Word! He is trying to fit the infinite mystery of God into a tiny, logical box. How often do we do that on a Monday morning? We look at our bank accounts, our schedules, and our health, and we try to “calculate” our way to peace. We try to solve our spiritual problems with a calculator instead of a prayer!

Spiritual growth catholic life isn’t about having a perfect checklist! It’s about a relationship! When we only “look,” we see problems, obstacles, and math. When we behold, we see the Presence of Jesus standing right in front of us, even in the middle of our “nighttime” moments!

Setting Your Sails: You Can’t Control the Wind!

Jesus gives Nicodemus a beautiful, wild image to think about. He says, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

This is the secret to moving from the “bottom rungs” of anxiety and shutdown to the Top Rung of connection and safety! You cannot steer the wind! You can’t tell the Holy Spirit when to blow or how hard to gust! But, as the old poem says, it is the “set of the sail” that determines where you go!

If you are a sailor, you don’t sit in the middle of the lake and scream at the wind to change direction. That would be silly! Instead, you adjust your sails. You work with the energy that is already there!

In our spiritual lives, God’s grace is the Wind. It is always blowing! It is always pushing us toward home, toward love, and toward healing! Our job isn’t to create the wind; our job is to set our sails through prayer, the Sacraments, and community connection.

The “Shaking” of the Early Church

In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the early Christians are facing a massive storm! The authorities are threatening them. Their “nervous systems” should have been in total “fight or flight” mode! Most people would have gone back into hiding in those locked rooms we talked about on Sunday.

But look at what they did! They didn’t hide! They gathered together! They connected! They stayed on the Top Rung of the ladder by choosing connection over isolation!

They prayed a bold prayer. They didn’t ask God to make the storm go away. They didn’t ask for the wind to stop blowing! Instead, they asked for the boldness to stay “knotted” to the truth! And what happened? The place where they were gathered was shaken!

That “shaking” is such a powerful sign! It tells us that when we stop trying to “calculate” our safety and start “connecting” to the Holy Spirit, God provides a power that we could never produce on our own! When your world feels “shaken” by stress or fatigue this week, don’t panic! It might just be the Holy Spirit moving the furniture to make room for more grace!

Staying “Knotted” to the Lord on a Monday

So, how do we practically “set our sails” when we have emails to answer and groceries to buy? How do we stay in that “Ventral” state of safety and connection?

1. Stop the Calculating: When you feel that “Sympathetic anxiety” rising, that feeling of I have to do this all myself, just stop. Tell yourself: “I am not the captain of the wind. I am just the sailor.”

2. Stay Knotted: A sail is useless if it’s not tied to the mast! Stay “knotted” to the Lord through small, micro-moments of prayer throughout the day. A quick “Lord, I trust you” is a perfect way to tighten the knot!

3. Find Your Crew: Don’t sail alone! Church community pelham is here for you! We are a family that sails together! If you’re feeling lonely or overwhelmed, reach out! Connect with our staff and leaders here, we would love to pray with you!

4. Expect the “Aha!”: Look for those glimmers of the Spirit! The “wind” shows up in a kind word from a stranger, a beautiful spring flower, or a sudden moment of peace in a busy office. These are signs that your sails are catching the Spirit!

We want to hear from you! How are you setting your sails today? Share your reflections with us! Together we can navigate any storm!

A Special Message for Our Young Sailors! ⛵

Have you ever been outside on a windy day and felt the air pushing against your back? You can’t see the wind, can you? It’s invisible! But you can see the leaves dancing on the trees, and you can feel the coolness on your face!

Jesus says the Holy Spirit is just like that! Today, if you feel a little bit worried about school or frustrated with a friend, just imagine God’s love is like a warm breeze pushing you along! You don’t have to be strong enough to do everything by yourself. You just have to be brave enough to let God’s “Wind” help you!

Try this today: Every time you feel the wind blow outside, say, “Thank you, Holy Spirit, for being my friend!” It’s like a secret hug from God!

Your Invitation to the Top Rung

Brothers and sisters, the route home is open! The stone is moved, the mercy is flowing, and the Wind is blowing! You don’t have to live in the “night” like Nicodemus, trying to figure it all out in the dark!

Step into the light of the Second Week of Easter! We are so blessed to have you as part of our St. Alexander family! Remember, you are never alone on this journey. Whether you are celebrating a joyful “shaking” of the Spirit or you are just trying to keep your head above water, we invite you to join us for Mass and the Sacraments!

Let’s make this Monday a day of boldness and connection! Let’s stop striving and start surfing! The Holy Spirit has amazing things in store for you this week!

God bless you, and see you soon!

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Together we can move to the Top Rung! Amen!