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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 February 17, 2005

+ 1st Week in Lent

A positive attitude toward God and neighbor is the most efficacious form of prayer.

Readings: Esther C, 12, 14-16, 23-25 Matt 7:7-12

We learned from our catechism primer that “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.” But there is a variety of prayer forms and formats. The most common is the prayer of petition also known as the ‘gimme prayer.’ We learned this form during our earliest years and used it often. “Lord, help me to pass my test; Don’t let us lose the big game on Saturday!” Adults are not unfamiliar with this script either.

The next form of prayer is of praise and gratitude. It’s the prayer we use to acknowledge the good things that have come from God as well as the acknowledgment of how often we have survived unwarranted or unexpected defeat.

But the highest form of prayer is prayer without words, contemplative prayer. It is nothing more or less than resting in the presence of the divine through a complete emptying of self. Centering is the doorway to the prayer of contemplation because it helps us to let go of all distractions – anxieties and even the good things that may compete for our attention during prayer.

But whatever form of prayer we choose, it cannot be divorced from our relationship to our neighbor. In fact the efficacy of prayer is measured by our attitude toward our neighbor and our response to human need.