Daily Reflection for Friday, May 22, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Friday’s readings at this link:
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/052220.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 18: 9-18
Responsorial: Psalm 47: 2-7
Gospel: John 16: 20-23
Our reflection on Friday’s readings:
“So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” John 16: 22-23.
When will our hearts rejoice? Will there be a day when I don’t lodge even a small complaint to God and not question God?
Today’s Gospel continues the final words of Jesus to his closest friends, the Apostles, who will carry forward the overarching commandment of Jesus to “love one another.” His Last Supper discourses. He was in anguish and his friends were fearful. But he called us to love and to hope.
I recall a tee shirt with a glass printed on the front. The words were, “The glass is half-full of water and half-full of air, so the glass is full.” That’s realism and an alternative viewpoint. Often, I need another point of view.
Most days now, I need to intentionally remind myself of how lucky I am during this pandemic. I’m healthy and I have people who love me. I have shelter, safety, enough food and money to pay the bills.
But that is not true for so many. As always, the poor are suffering more than those with resources. People who are old or sick with other diseases are at greater risk. People in prison are facing death sentences. People in refugee and detention camps will die.
It is also easy to surrender to fear on the one hand or submit to fatalism on the other. I can lock myself up and create my own prison. I can fatalistically think the end is coming and there is nothing I can do. Or like St. Paul in the first reading, I can shave my head.
But there is joy and peace to be found. In the name of Jesus, I need to ask the Father how I can love and spread peace and find reason to rejoice.
Peace and blessings,
Al Mytty