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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

Monday April 2, 2007

+ Monday, Holy Week

Have you gotten the gist of the story?

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-7 Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14 John 12:1-11

“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit: he shall bring justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break.’” [Isaiah 42:1-3]

By this time, I assume we have all gotten the gist of the ‘story’ but there’s a part of me that believes that I’ll never get the whole gist until I get to the end of my own story, I mean the end of my earthly journey. There is too much static in the air and too much clutter / chatter in the airwaves to distract me from getting to the core of the message and the meaning of the Jesus’ story.

As a preacher / homilist, I ask myself daily if I really believe what I am saying / writing. I think I do but as the day unfolds, my words and actions belie that statement of belief. It’s much easier to succumb to the expectations of the crowd or to the prevailing ‘political’ rhetoric. I’m not referring to politics but to popular opinion.

Jesus did accede to popular opinion in the course of his journey to Jerusalem. He was an opportunist in that he said on many occasions that ‘his time had not yet come.’ What he meant was that he was not yet ready to lay down his life until it was clear that there was no other way out or rather no other way to fulfill his commitment to life. He was faithful to life unto death.

There was no phony baloney in Jesus. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s suffering servant described in the first reading today. But his mission and ministry were directed at every moment, every step of the way toward life. He was a liberator, not a warrior. The story of Lazarus was a metaphor for his entire life as liberator. Resurrection was his destiny and ours but there are no shortcuts.

In the core of my being, I believe this but I’m having a difficult time living it. I get the gist of the story but I haven’t made it my story yet.