Daily Reflection for Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners!
We encourage you to reflect on Wednesday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052720.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 20:28-38
Responsorial: Psalm 68:29-30,33-36
Gospel: John 17:11B-19
Our reflection on Wednesday’s readings:
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. John 17:16
In today’s gospel, Jesus is praying to God the Father about his disciples, asking God to care for them when he is no longer with them, to consecrate them as he was consecrated, sending them out to into the world to share the Word, to share the Truth. But he is saying that while they must be out in the world, they will not belong to the world.
As Christians we are called to be disciples in the world today, called to share the Word, to share the Truth. And so it should follow that we also do not belong to this world. Reading this caused me to ask, is this true for me? Do I live as if I belong to this world or do I fully embrace that I belong to Jesus Christ and to God the Father?
I recently did some reading about Julian of Norwich. She was an anchoress that lived in England in the 14th century during the time of the Black Death, famine, and peasant uprisings. We don’t know her given name or what her life was like before she was called to her vocation as an anchoress. We do know that she chose a life of permanent quarantine, living in a small cell attached to St. Julian’s church in the city of Norwich. From this cell she was able to observe Mass in the church and also to interact with the outside world where people could pass by and ask for her advice, counsel and prayers. During her life of quarantine she immersed herself in contemplative prayer and writing about God’s love for us. Interestingly, she chose to remain in the world--in a city, not in an isolated cloister--and yet she did not belong to the world.
During this time of quarantine and separation from the world we might consider how we can be in the world but not belong to it. Can we spend more time in prayer? Can we demonstrate our love for God through acts of service to each other and be less attached to material goods, entertainment, or personal goals and achievements? Perhaps if we can make that shift we can feel more centered during this challenging time and feel as Julian so beautifully wrote: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and every manner of thing shall be well.”
Blessings to all,
Andra Liepa