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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

Wednesday October 10, 2007

27th Week in Ordinary Time

Thy will be done as long as we do it my way or, it’s my way or the highway!

Readings: Jonah 4:1-11 Psalm 86:3-6, 9-10 Luke 11:1-4

”_When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come_…” [11:2]

Jonah wanted is way or no way. Of course, we will read later this week that he ultimately succumbed to the Lord ‘whose way is not our way.’ The Lord even wanted the cattle saved!

We speak of the ‘will of God’ as if God were the principal of a school or the dean of discipline in fancy prep school. We pray as if we needed to bargain with God. “Do it my way this time, Lord, and I’ll do it your way next time.”

How did we develop this mentality that God is always testing us or that God’s will is somehow opposed to our personal wellbeing or at least not something we would choose for ourselves.

All the great spiritual writers and saints suggest otherwise But they are not alone. I know of no recovery programs that do not subscribe to some form of that axiom, “Let go, let God.” In other words, if I go with God’s flow, I’ll get all I need and more – not just to survive but to flourish.

I suppose that’s just another form of the ‘Jesus prayer.’ ‘Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit,” not only unto death but unto life until death.