Word to the Wise
Saturday, October 17, 2020 - Saturday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 1:15-23 and Luke 12:8-12]I do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call....[Ephesians]
OCTOBER 17 ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
The wonderfully majestic words of the Letter to the Ephesians are really inspiring. They can be a wake-up call to all of us who may unintentionally take our faith for granted and settle for a "basic package" of sacramental and devotional practices. As important as those can be, the depth of reflection in this letter shows that with a little effort, we can go much deeper into the mystery of Christ.
What amazes me is that this letter was composed and circulated within the first sixty or so years after Jesus' death and resurrection! How could the death of one person in Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans (there were many such deaths) give rise to such a cosmic and awe-inspiring vision of the meaning of that one death and resurrection. It could be argued that resurrection alone might make one pause, but the vision is much broader than that one event. It goes back to the beginning of time. We see a similar development in the Gospel According to John in the "prologue" [John 1:1-18]: In the beginning was the Word....." which was also composed around the same time.
Going deeper means praying for that "spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him," and that the "eyes of our hearts may be enlightened," to obtain "the riches of glory in his inheritance...." Amid the challenges of everyday life, this can seem to be unattainable for the "ordinary person." But some of the greatest "mystics" of the western Church like Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart and others actually had considerable administrative and executive responsibilities to take care of.
The Letter to the Ephesians serves as a reminder that there is much beyond the "basic package" that can be ours if we are willing to give even a little time to it! AMEN