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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

Tuesday November 23, 2004

+ 34th Week in Ordinary Time

We’re always in the process of moving from fear to faith.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You will be seized and persecuted; you will be handed over to synagogues and imprisoned, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep carefully in mind: … I will give you the words and a wisdom that none of your enemies can withstand or contradict.’” [Luke 21:15]

During this time of extremes, it is very difficult to maintain balance. Conversations have become debates. We listen only long enough to psych the speaker and wait for the first opportunity to knock the socks off the other person with our wisdom. The only absolutes are our own. No one else’s opinion counts.

As Christians, we surely must be people of conviction but we need to be sure that our convictions are rooted in God’s wisdom and not just our truth. Someone has said that we gain wisdom through silence. We learn more about ourselves by listening to how others perceive us.

It has been said that truth has a thousand faces and there is much truth to that statement! Though we may need to avoid a relativism that waters down our deepest convictions, sincere believers who keep their focus on God through prayer can be confident that God will never let them allow them to stray from the truth that will make them free.