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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 September 22, 2006

+ 24th Week in Ordinary Time

So what happens after death?

Readings: I Cor 15:35-37, 42-49 Psalm 56:10c-12, 13-14 Luke 8:4-15

“Sisters and brothers: Someone may say, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?’ You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.” [I Cor 15:35-36]

Except when death occurs within our family or circle of friends, we tend not to dwell on the hereafter beyond an occasional curiosity. Many of us Catholics were ‘scared to death’ on more than one occasion by a feisty sister or over enthusiastic preacher. Do you remember the annual parish mission? Guest preachers would conduct the weeklong retreat—one week for the men and one week for the women. The objective of the first two or three days was to get everyone to ‘go to confession.’

There is nothing like a negative incentive such as the fear of hell to scare the hell out of a struggling Christian. (For the most part, the hardened sinners didn’t attend the mission for obvious reasons.)

Several years ago at St. Therese in Paterson—in my first assignment as a priest—a parishioner said to me, “Father Lasch, we need to get back to those old fire and brimstone sermons that we used to have during the parish missions.” Of course, I later discovered that he was not interested in the sermon for himself but for his neighbor who he thought was in greater need of conversion.

I’m not suggesting that a little fear now and then to keep us accountable for our misdeeds is not a bad thing. However, I think positive motivation and affirmation are more effective and productive.

Saint Paul used both fear and positive affirmation. I think we need to focus on the present moment, remaining open to the Spirit of Christ in our midst. To open ourselves to the seed of God’s grace through prayer and worship so that we may be in our own time and place what Jesus was in his time and place. If that be our daily intention and goal, I don’t think we need to worry about what happens after death because we will already be experiencing the first fruits of our redemption.