Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 22, 2020 - Thursday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 3:14-21 and Luke 12:49-53]I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God....[Ephesians]
I am often asked on the spur of the moment to give someone a blessing! I wish I could recall this blessing from Ephesians on those occasions. Most folks, however, may find it a bit too long even if it is beautiful, especially if the petitioner is one of many standing in line after Mass to say hello!
What captures my attention today is the word "strength" or "strengthened." Right now, the stresses of living with a pandemic are added to the ordinary challenges of life, and one can feel weak and overwhelmed "by it all." What I really want is to be overwhelmed by God's love that strengthens me in my inner self! I definitely experience that love from family and friends. But I live a long way from where my natural family lives. My "other families" are my Dominican brothers with whom I live and the wonderful students that I have gotten to know. These are the daily assurances to me that St. Paul's blessing can be a regular reality. I try to echo the blessing/prayer in my efforts to minister to them!
After reading all the majestic reflections that begin the Letter to the Ehesians, one may say, "That's all very nice and wonderful, but I'm barely treading water in my own life!" It is this prayer that speaks of the strength to go on with Christian life each and every day that can make it possible to wake up, put my feet on the floor and say to God, "Nothing can happen today that you and I can't handle together!" AMEN