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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 November 17, 2007

+ 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

God is more consistent and persistent than we.

Readings: Wisdom 13:14-16; 19:6-9 Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43 Luke 18:1-8

“Jesus told his disciples a parable abut the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” [Luke 18:1] (Read the entire parable!]

I pray every day or I suppose it’s more accurate to state that I attempt to pray every day, in fact, many times during the day. If nothing else, I’m persistent and sometimes even consistent!

To be persistent in prayer is not to necessarily to keep asking for what I want. I think it might be more accurate to say that I persevere in prayer. I have more or less given up asking for things I want. I have come to the conclusion that it’s much better to ask for what God wants for me. During the weeks that preceded my mother’s death she asked that we pray not for a cure but for the grace to accept each day and all that goes with it until her last day. We joined her in that prayer and persevered until the end. I learned through that experience that indeed prayer is not asking for what we want but asking for whatever grace we need for the day ahead—one day at a time—until the end. I think this is what guarantees an efficacious response. “Give us this day, our daily bread…”—all that we need to sustain us along the path to salvation.

Luke’s parable is really a biblical cartoon—an amusing anecdote that contains wisdom for the simple and a lesson for everyone. The unjust judge gave the woman what she wanted only out of fear that she would give him a black eye if he did not respond.

God is not an unjust judge but a wise caregiver that does not do life for us but with us. There is nothing that can happen today that God and I can’t handle together and that’s the truth.

However, I must confess that there are days that I wish God would do things my way but when I get over my little prayer tantrums, God is still there waiting. As I stated above, God is more consistent and persistent than I am.