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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 November 11, 2011

+ 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of St Martin of Tours – Veterans Day

“All creation rightly gives you praise; all life, all holiness come from you!” [From the Third of the Eucharistic Prayers]

Readings: Wisdom 13:1-9 Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5 Luke 17:26-37

For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy is seen. [Wisdom 13:5]

So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the rooftop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them…. [Luke 17:30-31]

No, contrary to the opinion of some, St Martin of Tours is not the patron saint of Priceline. He is the patron saint of soldiers.

It’s an interesting combination of readings. The first is a simple profession of faith in the God whose face is seen in all creation and whose breath is in the air. There is a gentle but firm warning to those whose culpable blindness prevents them from perceiving the mystery of God’s life in all of creation—in sight, sound and smell.

The Gospel is not so much a threat as an alert. The distinction is subtle and easily missed. I suppose if we read or listen to it within the context of a natural disaster such as the earthquake in Turkey and its aftershocks in neighboring countries or perhaps the war in Afghanistan or just the ongoing threat of a terrorist attack we can grasp how fragile life is and how contingent is our dependence on the laws of nature as well as the will to power by authoritarian leaders.

Someone has said somewhere that we should strive to live each day as if it were our last. As all of the above, this is not a threat but an invitation to live each day more graciously and more joyfully. Though it may be a hundred years from today the end is near for all of us.

Before the 8th century BC, the Jews thought of the ‘Day of the Lord’ as a day of glory when all people would come to live in the rapture of God’s life. After the 8th century and the advent of the prophets, Day of the Lord was also viewed as a day of judgment and retribution for those who did not abide by God’s covenant. The biblical warnings about the end times are apocalyptic, i.e., severe warnings of impending doom. The apocalyptic writings are more metaphorical than scientific. They are what we might call theological constructions in order to justify the reality of final personal and communal accountability.

Today we honor veterans of all the wars. I think that most of these men and women went to war knowing of the risk and that they might not return but I’m sure to a person they did not assume that their remains would be returned in a flag-draped coffin.

Though it may be inevitable, war is never the solution in the pursuit of justice and peace, an oxymoron to be sure.

As we honor our veterans, living and dead, we strive to live each day as if it were our last. In my opinion, the healthiest way to do that is to live the rhythm of God as we experience it in all of creation.

So take a good deep breath of the air today because God’s breath is in the air.