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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

Tuesday January 4, 2005

+ Elizabeth Ann Seton

Readings: I John 4:7-10 Mark 6:34-44

God’s love is generative.

“Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared the two fish among them all. They all ate as much as they wanted. They collected twelve baskets full of scraps of bread and pieces of fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand…” [Mark 6:41-44]

The Scriptures are the inspired Word of God. The Bible is a living book, which contains faith stories and perennial truths that come to life as they are pondered by believers centuries later down to our own time.

Mark’s narrative is ‘eucharistic, in fact, the very words that are proclaimed by the priest presider during the celebration of Eucharist every day.

We are a Eucharistic community, bread blessed and broken for others.

This story has taken on new meaning in the light of the Tsunami ‘attack’ on Indonesia. People of every race and nation have given generously and in many cases, sacrificially to the tune of over two billion dollars and this is only the response to the first wave of rescue and reconstruction.

Jesus is the bread of life given for all.