Word to the Wise
Friday, October 16, 2009 - Friday in the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
[Romans 4:1-8 and Luke 12:1-7]Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
Out here in the desert near Tucson, Arizona, (where I am preaching two retreats for clergy) I see sparrows, doves, cactus wrens, and flickers (a kind of woodpecker) as well as the usual desert creatures. The sparrows remain an emotional and prayerful symbol to me because the words of scripture quoted from today's gospel were on my mind one time when I was on retreat here and saw many sparrows around my hermitage. I became powerfully aware of God's loving kindness and care for me and all creation. During my time in Kentucky I did my best to keep a bird feeder going year-round especially for the sparrows! (I am less inspired by the count of my hairs on my head since they have become more sparse over the years!) A great Dominican scholar once wrote that all he had studied and learned taught him that God's providence rises before the dawn. If we can look around and find a sparrow to inspire us, the gospel of God's providence will come to life! AMEN
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