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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 January 20, 2012

+ 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Psalm 57:2-4, 6, 11 Mark 3:13-19

The Lord will be the judge; he will decide between me and you. May he see this, and take my part and grant me justice beyond your reach. [1 Samuel 24:16]

What goes around comes around.

It’s an old Irish proverb and it is true more often than not.

Saul was in pursuit of David to kill him out of jealousy. David had the chance to take revenge on Saul but he did not because he was faithful to God first and because he was faithful to God, he was able to put his relationship with Saul in perspective. In our old theology, we refer to this as actual grace, the energy for good that God supplies in a time of need.

I think it’s fair to state that all of us experience an urge to get even. It may not be the urge to kill though that may be in the mind of those who have been battered and abused. It surely happens in war when fear may move the soldier to kill the enemy before the enemy kills him.

It happens more often that we may suffer the urge to get even with the driver who cuts us off or even by a ‘friend’ or family member who has wronged or slighted us.

We have witnesses it in politicians who resort to half-truths against those who oppose them in vying for the office of president or congress.

Such a response is often a regression to childhood, indeed childish behavior.

“What goes around comes around” and that applies equally to the offender and the offended. Virtue always opts for the higher road, indeed, the road less traveled.