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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.

Thursday April 10, 2008

+ 3rd Week of Easter

A tent and a table will suffice

Readings: Acts 8:25-40 Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 John 6:44-51

Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me from being baptized?”

One of the many positive outcomes of Vatican II was the restoration of the RCIA,

The RCIA is a model for parish life. Christianity is indeed a process, a movement, a journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, from the manger to Calvary. But our ultimate destiny is eternal life. The institutional aspects of Christianity are not ends in themselves but intended to protect and enhance the movement.

the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (also known as the Catechumenate). Its title gives a clue to its purpose. The word ‘Rite’ suggests that it is rooted in the Church’s ‘year of grace’ as it unfolds in the liturgy. The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the textbook for catechumens. It is a process not a program.

However, as with all ‘textbooks’, the Bible needs a teacher’s manual to prevent us from reading into the text what is not there or from a too literal interpretation that fails to take into account the historical context in which the Bible was written
and the impact of the evolution of Christian thinking since the Bible was written.

We are living in a time of great change in thought. Science and religion need to stay in touch with each other and recognize the impact that one has on the other.

The reform of the Church will come not from tinkering with external changes in structure but from viewing the Church as a belief system in a radically new way that honors the evolution of human thought and consciousness.

The post-Easter period is called the ‘Mystagogia’ or the experience of ‘living the mystery’ of Christ’s incarnation, of his death and resurrection. It is the period of integration or better, the process of being absorbed into the life of Christ so that we can say with Saint Paul, “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me.”

It’s a process that will continue for the rest of our earthly life. The RCIA is not just for catechumens; it’s for all believers everywhere. The Church as a movement will be present wherever there is a Bible and the Eucharist and the willingness of believers to tell their story about how God has partnered with them in the course of their earthly lives.

A tent and a table will suffice.