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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 April 12, 2008

+ 3rd Week of Easter

“Hanging in there!”

Readings: Acts 9:31-42 Psalm 116:12-17 John 6:60-69

After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him. Then Jesus said to the Twelve, “What about you, do you want to go away too?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe, we know that you are the Holy One of God.” [John 6:68-69]

To be honest with you, I really don’t care for that expression, “Hanging in there.” It’s a phrase that is often used in response to the question, “How you doing?” Of course some folks assume that you really want to know how they are doing! Most of us accept it as a common salutation rather than a question. Whatever.

But ‘hanging in there’ seems so minimalistic, as if to say, “Oh, I’m just waiting for the end!” It’s true; some folks wake up in the morning assuming the worst is yet to come.

No matter who we are, life has its ups and downs, its highs and lows. Sometimes we know why, other times we know why but we are in denial and still other times, we simply don’t know why we are down. Simply put, life is complex.

Jesus came not to give us all the answers to life’s mysteries but to give meaning to the inexplicable mysteries that challenge us from time to time. Conscious always of our weaknesses and inadequacies, we search for answers. Indeed, life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved.

As a child when I became frustrated with one problem or another, my dad would say, “Sometimes you just have to ride it out.” He meant of course to stay on course to the best of my ability. Problems come and go and then the air clears and the sun shines again. He didn’t mean that we should remain passive in the face of life’s challenges but to remain steadfast in the hope that we have the inner resources we need to solve the problem or at least wade through it.

Now whenever I become frustrated by my own failures or by my inability to understand a problem much less to solve it, I turn to the quote above and join the disciples of Christ knowing that there is nothing that can happen today that Jesus and I can’t handle together.

Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the wisdom that leads to wellness and peace. You are the way, the truth and the life!