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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 January 14, 2005

+ Friday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 Mark 2:1-12

They raised the roof!

“While he was delivering God’s word to them, some people arrived bringing a paralyzed man to him. The four who carried him were unable to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd so they stripped the roof over the spot where Jesus was and lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.” [Mark 2:3-5]

It’s not an unusual expression, “to raise the roof!’ It has several meanings ranging from rage to outrageous joy or excitement. “We’re going to take the roof off that place tonight can apply to a basketball game, to a frat party or an angry confrontation between union leaders and management.

These examples are figures of speech used as hyperbole, not to be understood in their literal meaning. Nevertheless, they are visceral in their application and so expressive of the deep emotional response to particular events in people’s lives.

Jesus created similar visceral responses in his listeners. Early in his ministry, these responses were indicators of the enthusiasm of the crowds. “He spoke as one having authority…” Later, when the tide turned against him, the response of leaders and the mob was decidedly angry. “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

How visceral is our response to Jesus’ Word within the context of our world? Yes, there are a few who, for example, are raising the roof about the war in Iraq. These are the people who have not distanced themselves from the faces of dead American soldiers (over 1100) and dead Iraqi citizens, (estimate range from 50 to 100 thousand) collateral of war, to say nothing of the wounded on both sides.

There are Christians who read the Bible conscientiously and who come to the conclusion that war is an immoral response to evil.

There are other Christians who are willing to raise the roof for life whether it pertains to abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia or the right to die with dignity.

And there are still other Christians who have taken Jesus’ Word to heart and will not be indifferent to a global economy that promotes the survival of the fittest at the mercy of the powerful.