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Daily Scripture

+ Ascension Thursday

There is no proof; there are only witnesses.

Readings: Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:14-23 Luke 24:46-53

You are witnesses of all these things. And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high. [Luke 24:50-51]

In an age of technology and scientific progress, we have an explanation for everything or at least the promise of the same. Yet, there are still truly human experiences – both positive and negative—that defy human explanation. Death is one such experience. Doctors know the medical reasons for death but an autopsy doesn’t tell the whole story. Conversely, who can explain the field of energy that binds lovers for life?

During his life on earth Jesus created a field of energy that changed the course of history and it did not cease at his death or even at his resurrection. It continues to this day – locally and globally. Or else how explain the heroism of the saints of yesterday and the saints of today? Women and men, energetic witnesses who have said ‘yes’ to unconditional love under any and all circumstances continue to change the course of history in the face of those who attempt to chain the Word of God. No, most of them are not formal preachers or even religious teachers per se, but people who live the message of the Gospel of Jesus day in and day out.

The gospel today is typical of the departure of a hero. We might even consider it the conclusion of a hero story. Jesus assures his disciples that he is not abandoning them. Not only that but he will send an advocate who will empower them to continue his mission. “You will be clothed with power from on high.” They will be clothed with the mantle of Christ just as the ancient Elijah was clothed in the mantle of Elias before Elias departed in his chariot to the heavens. It’s metaphor and allegory, of course but the underlying truth of Jesus mission will continue to be proclaimed as Good News for all.

But hang in there until Pentecost when the gifts of the Spirit will be renewed and we will be empowered once more to preach the Good News—using words only when necessary.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 'C'

Sunday September 2, 2007

The ‘Art’ of Knowing One’s Place

“Progress, man’s distinctive mark alone
Not God’s, and not the beasts’: God is, they are
Man partly is and wholly hopes to be.”
( A Death in the Desert by Robert Browning)

Shortly after Tom Brokaw’s arrival in New York City as co-host of the Today Show on NBC thirty-one years ago, he took off on a shopping spree at Bloomingdales. Although he wasn’t quite ready for autographs, he was feeling very good about his new assignment and very content with himself and his climb to media success. As he wandered through the aisles, he noticed a man staring at him and quickly came to the conclusion that the man recognized him and perhaps might be ready to compliment him on his celebrity status.

Pointing his finger, the man said, “Tom Brokaw, right?”

“Right,” Brokaw responded.

“You used to do the morning news in KMTV in Omaha, right?”

“Right again,” said Brokaw, as he prepared for the usual accolades and fanfare often doled out to the famous.

“I recognized you the minute I saw you,” the man said. “By the way, whatever happened to you?”

Of course, Tom Brokaw went on to become the anchor of the NBC Nightly News but he has never forgotten the lesson he derived from that chance encounter.

Another story is told about Christian Herter, governor of Massachusetts during his campaign. Having arrived late one evening to a campaign barbecue, and not having eaten anything all day, he cued up at the buffet table and when he came to the chicken, he told the woman serving the chicken that he was very hungry. She explained that she was sorry but she had been given orders to give only one piece of chicken per person. The governor decided to push a little harder, “But I’m starved!” Again, she told him, “Only one piece of chicken per person!”

Ordinarily Herter is more modest about pursing his own needs but he was hungry and so decided to pull out all the stops and what he thought would be the trump card: “Madam, do you know who I am? I am the governor of this state!” Without missing a beat, she replied: “Do you know who I am? I am the lady in charge of chicken. Move along mister; one piece per person!”

Neither story is an indictment of the life-style or the quality of either man. They are hardly indicators of a major character flaw or breech of etiquette. Although of much lesser fame than they, I believe I could match each story with several of my own. Perhaps you could too! We may not be celebrities but we may find it very easy to be “on stage” at the family table. Upstaging others can show up in a know-in-all attitude. If you have ever been in the company of a a “know-it-all” you’ve noticed that they like to hear themselves talk and can’t wait to let others know how much they know! Some fathers, including “religious fathers” think they have all the answers; some mothers do too! And teens are not off the hook either speaking from their breadth and depth of experience.

But the scriptures for this weekend are not dealing simply with modesty, manners and the art of diplomacy or as a matter of fact not even about the care of the poor, but about character development and the qualities that distinguish people striving for a place at God’s table.

Although in the first reading, Jesus ben Sirach seems to be advising his readers about successful living and social graces, his reference to God as the object of one’s reverence for truth — humility is truth — makes it clear that he understood humility as an active, positive, cooperative trust and hope in God. This reading paves the way for the “great reversal” of Jesus enunciated in Luke’s Gospel: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted!” and in the Magnificat of Mary: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly!”

It is interesting that Luke places many of Jesus’ teachings and parables within the context of a meal, in this case, a Sabbath meal — for us, I suppose it would be equal to a Sunday meal. His reference to a wedding banquet in the parable of Jesus is an allusion to the heavenly banquet at the end of time.

We are always on the invitation list for the Sunday meal and in this assembly, we are all equal. There are no high places or low places here; we are all equal before the Lord. We might say that Sunday Eucharist is the great equalizer.

Luke employs hyperbole in his brief comment at the end of the Gospel. It pushes us to look at our own list of guests at our table or our turf. Who is excluded from our “list?” from our turf?

In the words of author, Joan de Merchant: “Our willingness to ‘sit down’ at this eucharistic table each week is a sign of our desire to join the great final banquet one day where all will be gathered as one. Our eucharistic table is the great leveler of all who partake at it. As we approach this table, we can be rightfully grateful that God’s invitations, often unlike our own, are totally gift — amazing grace. They may also seem at times to be just a bit quirky: After all, the likes of you and me have been invited to take a place here.”