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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

Thursday March 26, 2009

+ 4th Week in Lent

I surrender!

Readings: Exodus 32:7-14 Psalm 106:19-23 John 5:31-47

But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God: “Lord” he said, “why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster upon your people.” [Exodus 32:11-12]

In their discouragement, the Israelites turned to their former gods among them Baal. They constructed their own image – the golden calf because it was something they could see, an image to which they could relate as an object of worship.

The dialogue between Moses and God is a midrashic (reflective) expression of what the author of Exodus perceived the exchange between God and Moses. In a sense, God surrenders to the pleading of Moses as if to suggest that he had the power to change the mind and heart of God. More than likely, Moses was projecting his own disappointment on God, pouring out his heart to God in an effort to deal with his own anger at the people.

The gospel reinforces the will of God to save despite the obstinacy of those who challenged Jesus as the authentic human expression of God.

It seems to me that the real issue at stake in both readings is the stubbornness of the Israelites and of religious leaders who confronted Jesus. In essence, it was to be their way or the highway. If God would not accede to their grumbling, then they would create their own god – in their image and likeness, as it were, a stubborn bull.

We do the same in our attempt to pave a path or establish a life plan that is to our liking and then attempt to get God to go along with our plan.

It doesn’t work that way. Until we surrender to God’s wisdom and travel the road God has paved for us, life is not going to work to our advantage or to anyone else’s for that matter.

And so we begin this day with the psalmist: “I have come to do your will, O Lord.” [Psalm 40]