K.I.S6/20/2024 Thursday of the 11th Week in OT
As I was searching for an image to accompany this reflection on "keeping it simple" I stopped again to marvel at the beauty of the simple gift my friend Mary Ann sent me while on retreat. The amazing thing was that it lasted for the full week. It looked "fresh as a daisy" each day. (Yes, I know there are no daisies in the bouquet.) Sometimes a simple gift is all that you need to lift your spirits. With yesterday’s Gospel which is heard on Ash Wednesday, and today’s which is heard soon after, it feels like we are “re-lenting.” What these scriptures suggest is that we “keep it simple.” Don’t make a show of yourself. Be authentically yourself before God. Let your prayer come from the heart. K.I.S….. The “paean for the prophet Elijah” is anything but simple.The author of the Book of Sirach certainly succeeds at praising Elijah for the marvels that God has done through him. There’s a long list of his accomplishments. What is missing, however, is his despair when he was fleeing for his life. He had given up on God and life itself. His only desire was to die. Life held out no attraction for him. This, of course, is the story that precedes his encounter with the mystery of God in the cave which we heard last week. The angel wakes him from sleep two times to give him nourishment for the journey. He is strengthened by this food and drink and continues the journey. The phrase in the Our Father from today’s Gospel that stands out for me this morning is “Give us this day our daily bread.” I’m not thinking of this so much in reference to physical sustenance, but rather the spiritual nourishment we need each day to feel God’s sustaining us in love and compassion. What is the food and drink we need today to give us strength for our journey. Returning to Elijah’s Eulogy, I ask the question, “Would it have been less praise of Elijah, had his eulogist removed the mantle of all his accomplishments and let his human fragility be uncovered? None of us are perfect…… All of us need strength for the journey. Sometimes we just forget to ask for it. “Give us this day…..” What do you need today for your journey? What’s the double portion for today? What's the simple gift that you will receive today? I hope this "k.i.s." is one of the simple gifts for today.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorAs an ordained Catholic priest for 45 years and a member of the Jesuits for 57 years, I've had a great deal of "spiritual" experience! This is a place where I can continue to share my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what it means to live the "mystery of God." Categories |
Proudly powered by Weebly