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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 April 23, 2009

+ Second Week of Easter

“Let your conscience be your guide.”

Readings: Acts 5:27-33 Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20 John 3:31-36

The high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders to stop teaching in that name.’ But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, ‘we must obey God rather than men.” [Acts 5:28-29]

I think it was my mother who first uttered those words to me before going out for the evening. She also followed it with the warning: “And remember, God sees all things!” Mothers tend to be very protective and do not want to subject their children to the wrath of God!

In hindsight, I chalk it up to our early Catholic upbringing. I wouldn’t suggest that my mom was ‘driven’ by the rule of Church discipline but she did adhere firmly to a more traditional view of God as ‘judge of the living and the dead.’ Thankfully, she mellowed over time and shed that rather torturous image in favor of a more benign and loving God. I think my dad was a great influence on her in this regard as he was on me.

At any rate much later in life my understanding of conscience broadened but not so broad to justify anything and everything as in “if it feels good, it must be okay.” However, a healthy conscience is a well-formed conscience that makes us confident to think and act ‘in good conscience.’

‘Official’ church teaching insists that we have the obligation to form a right or correct conscience. In this view we are to think and act in accordance with official church teaching. However, a more refined interpretation does not limit the formation of a right conscience to official teaching but includes other sources such as common sense and a broad appreciation of how church teaching has been understood and interpreted over time by reputable theologians and by the faithful at large. In fact, church leaders have a responsibility to engage the faithful in matters of conscience prior to formulating ‘official’ church teaching. How else in God’s name can men deeply embedded in a closed clerical system understand and appreciate what God’s spirit has revealed through ordinary believing folks trying to live fruitful lives.

When all is said and done, God speaks the loudest in the human heart and when God speaks, we must respond.

Let your conscience be your guide.