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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

Friday November 2, 2007

+ Commemoration of All Souls

Let’s keep in touch.

Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 23:1-6 I Corinthians 15:51-57 John 6:37-40

This is a repeat of last year’s reflection. It still makes sense this year. I will be facilitating a two day staff workshop for St. Luke Parish.

“And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.” [John 6:38]

I think of them every day and speak with them often about the joys and challenges of the day. I’m referring to my mom and dad. Oh, yes, mindful of that axiom, “send bouquets to the living,” I experience just a tinge of guilt about not having done enough for them while they were living—acts of appreciation and gratitude, acknowledgments of what they meant to me and so on.

Folks in the ‘Catholic world’ will record the names of their loved ones who have passed on in the ‘book of memories’ that has been placed in or near the sanctuary so that they can be remembered at the daily celebration of the Eucharist during this, the month of All Souls.

Why do we observe this practice? Most do so because they want to be sure that their loved ones are not forgotten. Others, I suppose because they want to make sure that their loved ones have been or will soon be in the eternal embrace of God.

Between you and me, I believe that the time and space between death and the welcome into the loving embrace of the eternal God is very brief and short. What person—saint or sinner—in the face of infinite beauty and love and goodness and compassion is not ‘transformed,’ indeed, absorbed into the very heart of and soul of eternal love.

So, keep in touch today with all your loved ones—even those who didn’t always see things your way. Entrust them to the loving God who loved them into being and who we believe has now loved them into eternity.