Friday within the Octave of Easter

First Friday of the Month

Readings of the day: RB 54 The Reception of Letters and Gifts in the Monastery

Mass: Ac 4:1-12; Resp Ps 118; Jn 21:1-14

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE;

LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD.

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA.

Jesus revealed himself in this way.

Today’s Gospel gifts us with ‘the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.’ With that in mind, I look to the Holy Father’s words: The Word of God is a light in the darkness: it helps us face our difficulties without fear (Pope Francis, Twitter, April 6, 2018). Spend some time with the Gospel accounts we have heard during the Octave. Think of the gamut of emotions the disciples have experienced these days: intense love, loss, grief, panic, confusion, amazement, belief, fear, peace, incredulity. These were difficult times. And today, maybe boredom sets in. Simon Peter declares: I am going fishing. It occurred to me that Peter returned to something he was familiar with, to calm himself, to give him direction at a time when he was not sure what to do. Now what? So, some of the other disciples join him. However, they caught nothing. More boredom—even more darkness of an emotional roller coaster. Defeat. What is the light that shines in the darkness—It is the Lord! The Word speaks:Children, have you caught nothing to eat? Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something. Come, have breakfast.

Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.

YOUR WORD IS A LAMP FOR MY FEET, A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.

(Ps 119:105)

Keep reading…Simon Peter finds out soon enough what he is to be about.

See Jn 21:15-19.

😊

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 35:1-11

Mass: Wisdom 6:12-16; Resp. Psalm 63; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

Today’s readings made me think of triathlon. What does triathlon have to do with the spiritual life? More than one might think. Many may think that triathlon consists of three disciplines, namely, swimming, cycling, and running. In fact, there are five disciplines—swimming, transition 1, cycling, transition 2, and running. Training for the sport requires not only physical training, but mental as well. For anyone who excels in the sport, she must spend hours training in both areas, as well as others. The motto taught me by my coach was, “Don’t forget nothing,”  adapted from Rogers’ Rangers Standing Orders, by Army Major Robert Rangers, 1759. The prepared triathlete knows what she has to do before she even does it. This is especially important during transitions, where races can be won or lost. All movements in the transition must become instinctual. Therefore, the transition area must be organized; everything in its proper place. In other words, don’t forget nothing. 

Looking to today’s gospel, Jesus tells us to stay awake, for we know neither the day nor the hour. Five of the virgins in the parable were wise. They were alert and prepared; their lamps trimmed, oil ready. They forgot nothing. They were ready to meet the bridegroom and be welcomed to the feast.

The athlete and pilgrim on the journey to God have much in common. The lover of Saint Paul knows this well (1 Cor. 9:24-27). The disciplined and trained triathlete cannot predict what will happen with weather, race conditions, or her physical and emotional responses to the intensity of the sport. What she can do is train and prepare as best she can, taking nothing for granted, and forget nothing. The one seeking God can also prepare as best she can. With grace, she is faithful to a disciplined life of prayer while serving God and her sisters and brothers in love. With the guidance of a trusted and wise spiritual companion (a coach!), she is better able to navigate the vicissitudes of life. Like an athlete, the one who seeks God cannot predict what will come on a daily basis, but she can learn to respond in ways that help her grow in intimacy with the Living and True God. Son of the Living God, grant us the grace.

Wisdom is found by those who seek her.