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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Readings: Acts 20:17-27 Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21 John 17:1-11

I am in the world no longer, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. [John 17:11]

Shakespeare ‘penned’ the phrase quoted above. I didn’t understand it as a student of Shakespeare in high school but I began to understand it when I waved goodbye to my family as I sailed off to Italy on September 21, 1963 for a three-year stretch in Rome. In fact, it has multiple meanings and applications that I appreciate now more than ever before.

There is another phrase that perhaps gives credence to my thoughts so poorly expressed and it’s this: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Ah, that’s it. At times we need to separate from ‘the source’ in order to appreciate how important it is to stay connected.

The farewell speech of St. Paul in Acts and the farewell ‘prayer’ of Jesus in John’s gospel were more likely composed by the authors of these texts along the lines of the farewell speeches of great leaders of their times in order to attract the attention of Jesus’ followers.

The departure of Jesus and later that of Paul created ‘fallow’ time in the hearts of the neophyte believers that was absolutely necessary if they were to grasp the significance of Jesus’ message and the teachings of St. Paul.

We are once again in ‘fallow’ time as we prepare for Pentecost. It’s a time of discernment during which we are invited to ponder the words and deeds of Jesus so that in his absence, we may come to know his presence in the Spirit that remains within us and around us.

As we ponder, it is important to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and reverence of the Lord. And the fruits of the Holy Spirit are qualities that are characteristic of a community living in Christ: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty self-control and chastity.

There is much to ponder as we wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Daily Scripture

Saturday December 23, 2006

+ Third Week in Advent

In God’s image

Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 Luke 1:57-66

“For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fullers lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver and he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or life silver.” [Malachi 3:2-3]

“When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, the were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, ‘No. He will be called John.’” [Luke 1:59-60]

Several months ago, I received a short reflection on this text of Malachi, courtesy of Sr. Mary Anne Duva, former bookkeeper and office manager at St. Joseph. Despite her careful administration of the fiscal stewardship of our resources at St. Joseph, she was and is an artist, a poet and a connoisseur of classical music. I saved the reflection carefully printed on a card but I can’t remember where I ‘filed’ it and the day is not long enough for a thorough search.

As close as I can recall, the point the author of the reflection made was that God as divine artisan does polishes the face of humanity until God can see her own face in the reflection as in a silver cup.

Once again a poet comes to the rescue of the biblical exegete.

Of course, it all makes perfect sense when you consider that the sin of Adam and Eve was not that they wanted to be like God but their failure to appreciate they were already created in God’s image and likeness.

We are the cup and God is the divine artisan. Over time we will be purified by the sacrifice associated with love.

Jesus’ sacrificial love remains the paradigm if all love, human and divine.

At the Christmas feast, we are invited once again to become the cup in which others may see the face of God.