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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 December 2, 2004

+ 1st Week in Advent

Seeing is believing, or better, believing is seeing.

Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24; Matt 9:27-31

“The Lord says this: In a short time, a very short time, shall not Lebanon ecome fertile land and fertile land turn into forest? The deaf, that day, will hear the words of a book and after shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.” [Isaiah 29:17-18]

From my childhood until the present, I have never ceased to be in awe at the work of the ‘Seeing Eye’ here in Morristown. Trainers walk the streets with dogs of a variety of breeds that will become in time the eyes of their physically blind owners.

At a certain point, they are introduced to their new owners with whom they will spend the rest of their lives.

I have heard it said that people who lose the gift of one of their senses are compensated by a heightened sensitivity in one of their other senses. I think this is true. The physically blind are often more insightful about life than we who have the gift of physical sight.

The gift of sight precious but the gift of faith is even more precious and enables believers to see far more than the human eye can see. People of faith are visionary and tend to view life as a mystery to be embraced rather than a problem to be solved. People of vision search for creative solutions to human differences and do not resort to violence or warfare. They are pro-life in every respect. They value creation and reverence the presence of God in all living creatures.

Advent provides many lenses which enable us to see a Jesus saw and to walk with greater confidence that life is more than what the human eye can see.