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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

Friday February 11, 2011

+ 5th Week in Ordinary Time Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Be open!

Readings: Genesis 2:3:1-8 Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7 Mark 7:31-37

He put his finger into the man’s ears and spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’ (that is, “Be opened!” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. [Mark 7:33-35]

There’s nothing worse than a closed mind and heart. I know it’s an overstatement to make the point. One of my colleagues commenting on the intransigence of a particular pastor remarked, “His mind is open only to further closure!” An apt comment for those who have cordoned themselves off from points of view and perspectives different from their own for fear of the challenge to change.

To some openness means exposing oneself needlessly to the whims of public opinion, going along with the crowd instead of holding fast to one’s convictions. While it is accurate to state that not everything new is true, not everything old is gold!

A mature person should be able to withstand the winds of change and able to distinguish wisdom from folly.

Of course the miracle of Jesus described by Mark is technically about the ability to hear and to speak. But these physical miracles always have a deeper meaning and application.

The faith of the deaf mute enabled him to ‘hear’ and understand Jesus and recognize who he was. His openness won for him a new freedom and the power not only to speak but also to testify to what belief in Jesus had done for him.

On this feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we celebrate the many ‘pilgrims’ who have traveled to this wonderful shrine with the hope of a cure. While it is true, physical miracles are few in number, the miracles of faith are numerous. Many a cynic or skeptic has returned with renewed faith in the wonder of human beings reaching out to each other carrying the sick to the baths or simply accompanying them to the shrine where drooping spirits have been lifted and the burden of illness lightened just a bit.