Summer’s Symbols

For the last 6 months we have been enjoying the increase in daylight, leading up to the solstice of summer on Wednesday of last week. Sunlight fills our sky and lifts our spirits, and during nighttime hours, we see tiny flickers of light as fireflies dart about. It reminds me of the time I took a drive late at night and, beginning to tire, pulled my car into a wooded area to rest. When I awoke I was surrounded by thousands of glittering yellowish lights of fireflies on the trees and bushes. The entire area was aglow, engulfed in their light, flickering in and out, as if attached to some big electric switch someplace in the woods. It was an experience that I will not soon forget.

Summer’s symbols are all around us: the welcome splash of cool rain on our face, the morning mist, the dew on the grass in the hours of dawn, the colors of the rainbow after a storm, twilight’s glow of the setting sun. This week’s hymn, “Healing River of the Spirit” (Ruth Duck 1996) calls to mind a symbol of our Baptism: water. The sacred springs of new life wind their way through the quagmire of our sin and darkness, purifying and cleansing as they flow.

This weekend, we celebrate the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, one who used the great symbols of our Baptism to cleanse and purify. His message of repentance set the tone and paved the way for the birth of the Christ, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Fire and water: both symbols of the Spirit, which cancel each other out in the earthly realm, but work as a team in the spiritual one to rid us of the stain of iniquity and sin. John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Spirit and the Light, readying the way for the One who would purify humanity, who would bring God’s light into a world darkened by evil.

As we begin this summer season, let us use its gifts of water and light to quench our thirsty spirits and revive our weary souls.

Bees on the Keys and Shaky Knees

It’s June. Flowers are blooming. The sky seems bluer. Temperatures are kinder. Insects are back in droves... flying, creeping, crawling, slithering. Being a gardener, I’m pretty much used to encountering an occasional worm or beetle while digging. I keep my distance and they keep theirs. We respect each other’s space. It’s only when these insects invade my work space that I become slightly uncomfortable.

Last Sunday one of those beloved creatures affectionately known as a “yellow jacket” entered that very work space. I watched as he buzzed around church during the homily, visiting each chandelier and... finally spotting the choir loft, turned, midflight, making a “bee line” for the organ pipes. By the time I began the offertory hymn, Mr. Hornet had buzzed over to the organ console. It wasn’t long before he decided to land... on the organ keys. As my fingers moved up the keys, he crawled up the keys. I moved my hands to the lower keyboard. He followed. I motioned to the people in the loft to please grab the can of “Raid Hornet and Wasp Spray” that I keep under the pews. Of course, they were following the song in the hymnal and didn’t notice what was happening. Finally, to my relief, the pesky little bee flew off to places unknown, leaving me to play in peace.

Hopefully my “dance on the keys” wasn’t too noticeable to the singing faithful in the pews. My encounter made me think of how, at times unexpected events can change our best laid plans, knock us out of our routine, and a seemingly small challenge can turn into a larger issue in no time at all. It’s how we deal with those unexpected moments that determine their outcome. Should we dance around the problem, confront it head on, or should we simply smile, laugh, and move on?

Before I Die…

Why write about dying on the Feast of Corpus Christi? Each morning I drive by a series of large blackboards that were recently hung on a fence bordering a middle school in my neighborhood. On the top of the blackboards are these words, written in very large print: “Before I die I want to…” There is chalk below the boards, inviting passerby's to fill in the blank. Each day the written responses from the public change. Here are a few…

Before I die I want to…

• Zip line down the Grand Canyon
• Lose 20 pounds.
• Find the meaning of life

You get the idea. I thought it might be interesting to find out what some other famous folks wanted to do before they died. I found that Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bomber) wanted to eat two pints of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Joan of Arc wanted to receive the Eucharist. Jesus Christ wanted to celebrate a last meal with his Apostles, offering himself - his sacred Body and Blood as a sacrifice. Today, as we receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Celebration of the Mass, let us consider his great sacrifice - The Bread of Life hidden beneath the veil, this “Sangue del Signore” (Blood of the Lord) - and how privileged we are as Catholics to receive it. Let us always think about our dying wish - and what our last meal might be... “Before I die I want to…” It’s your turn to fill in the blank.

Lord, You Give the Great Commission

Lord, you give the great commission:
“Heal the sick and preach the word.”
Lest the Church neglect its mission,
And the Gospel go unheard.
Help us witness to your purpose
With renewed integrity,
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us,
For the work of ministry.

Lord, you bless with words assuring:
“I am with you to the end.”
Faith and hope and love restoring,
May we serve as you intend,
And amid the cares that claim us,
Hold in mind eternity;
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us
For the work of ministry!

Text: Jeffrey Rowthorn (b. 1934)