Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - April 17, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
Though everything in our adult human world seems disrupted, the goldfinches once again are putting on their bright summer feathers. Two- and three-year olds still stagger gingerly and carefree across grass or pavement. Birds and babes are reassuring!
From Rome, Francis, to me the ‘herald of hope’, gave what I think was a very hopeful address a number of years ago about this time. The starting point of his talk was the Gospel episode (Mark 4:35–41) where Jesus, in the boat with his disciples, is sleeping during a storm. Francis says: “Like the disciples, we will experience that with him (Jesus) on board there will be no shipwreck. Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things.”
In the meantime, we can find concrete ways of helping along God’s strength: giving our time and effort to food shelves and showing practical solicitude for disabled neighbors. And in other ways reassuring and comforting people adversely affected by illness, worry, business shutdowns, loss of income.
And above all, as Andy Langford of the UK puts it: “Make sure you are already linked in with people you trust and have regular contact on the phone, by text or on social media." Other: FaceTime, even handwritten notes (!), etc. “We have a hope: by his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing can separate us from his redeeming love. . . . (W)hen we are suffering from a lack of tenderness and chances to meet up, and we experience the loss of so many things,” once again listen to the word that saves us: “He is risen and is living by our side.” Even with the worries we have, we can at times resonate with deceased minister David F. Taylor of Pittsburgh who put it: "Too blessed to be stressed."
(From Francis) “May God’s blessing come upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort to our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak; we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: 'Do not be afraid' (Mt 28:5)."
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
