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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 December 31, 2007

+ 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Readings: I John 2:18-21 Psalm 96:1-2, 11-2, 13 John 1:1-18

The end is just the beginning – again!

“Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour.” [1 John 2:18]

“In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God and the Word was God…” [John 1-1]

The first letter of John is a bit ominous and foreboding of terrible things that are about to happen. Yesterday after Mass, an elderly gentleman who is usually upbeat about life remarked to me that 2008 is not going to be a good year. I must admit he caught be off guard. Although I am not blind to the evils in society—a review of the events of the past year is proof enough of the existence of evil in the world—I am reminded of the words of my father, “The only reason people refer to the past as the ‘good old days’ (Auld Lang Syne) is because they survived them.” And so the yearend calendar published in the morning news confirms that truism for sure.

Notwithstanding the fact that it has been stated a thousand times and more that Jesus has changed the course of human history, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I am not suggesting by any means that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has had little or no impact on civilization. I am suggesting that the tension between good and evil is as daunting as ever.

Then what difference has Jesus made? I think the difference resides in the fact that Jesus’ interventions have not been spent and that the life of grace surely makes a difference in the manner in which we deal with the tension between good and evil.

In am exchange with another gentleman, Deacon Ray, after Mass at St. Luke Parish, I was reminded once again of this fact, namely, that the perspective with which we view life has a significant impact on the way we deal with the tension between good and evil.

Deacon Ray is the coordinator of ‘Operation Chill Out,’ an interdenominational effort to reach out to the homeless with food and backpacks, cf. http://stjudeparish.org/chillout07.

Some folks may be dismayed by the fact that the homeless differ one from another and range in attitude from the very grateful to the very demanding, from the selfless to the selfish. Ray reminded the words of Kahlil Gibran in his meditation-dialogue entitled ‘Eventide of the Feast:’ “This is the time of the year when the people are kind to all other people. The rich remember the poor and he strong have compassion for the weak.” [The ‘stranger’ returned:] “Yes, the momentary mercy of the rich upon the poor is bitter, and the sympathy of the strong is naught but a reminder of superiority.” I affirmed, “Your words have merit, but the weak poor do not care to know what transpires in the heart of the rich, and the hungry never think of the method by which the bread they are craving is kneaded and backed.”

And the stranger responded: “Those who receive are not mindful, but those who give bear the burden of cautioning themselves that it is with a view to love, and toward friendly aid, and not to self-esteem.”

In other words, it is the attitude of our mind and the disposition of our heart that makes the difference and this is where Jesus can make all the difference in the world and beyond.

The prologue of John’s gospel is the key to faith in the power of God to make a difference and Jesus remains that difference that can make tomorrow a better day for all.