“Our holy seasons always ought to be
something special. They are really holy mysteries, and they should awaken a
mystery as echo, as consideration, as prayer, in our minds and in our hearts.
The
theme…is that, somehow man will be confronted with the Last Things *, will be
placed in the final order, will face the
definitive questions, and definitive answers will be expected of him. Whenever the Church dons solemn purple
vestments, it always means that serious
questions are being set forth and we are facing the great connections, the
principles of universal validity… This means that we think about man, about
ourselves, from the perspective of the ultimate reality and, in so doing, become ready—really ready—to encounter and
respond to Him, the Ultimate, in an appropriate way, as befits a creature
encountering the [Absolute] Ultimate.”
* Note from the book’s editor:
The term Last Things refers to death, particular judgment, Heaven, Hell,
Purgatory, the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the
General Judgment, the end of the world, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
~Alfred Delp, S.J. in
I am reading a collection of homilies and reflections on Advent. Yes, I said Advent—in July!
I ordered the book because its author, Jesuit priest and
martyr Alfred Delp, is often quoted in the
Magnificat Magazine reflections, and his insightful thoughts consistently
speak to my heart.
This particular book, “Advent of the Heart,” is a collection of Father Delp’s homilies at his parish before
being arrested by the Nazi, along with meditations that he wrote from prison.
I have a feeling
you’ll hear me talk about this book again.
It’s a bit daring, maybe even dangerous, for me to blog
about the themes I’m reading while I’m in the process of reflecting on them. I
have many more questions than I have answers.!
Take the quote I cited above, for example. While the
author’s statement regarding “holy
seasons” is clearly meant in relation to the Church’s liturgical seasons, I
am struck by the reality that the
confrontation with “definitive questions” that he describes applies rather well
to significant, major life events—be it the birth of a baby, a sudden
crisis, or as is the case for me right now, the death of a parent.
Major life moments like these are our very own personal holy seasons, and they, too, confront us in a
very private, personal way, with the ultimate questions on life and its
meaning.
I would describe what I’m living right now as I mourn the death of my dad as a “holy season.” It seems a very
appropriate label.
If I’m honest with myself, this “holy season” of mourning
has also demanded that I confront deep
questions and fears, even doubts, about death and about my certainty (or
lack of?) about the meaning of life—both now and in the hereafter.
In other words, whether I admit it to myself or not, God
knows that along with the sadness and grieving, my heart is full of questions. What do I really believe? Why are we here? Why death? How confident and certain am I about
the “Absolute Ultimate”? Is it okay to acknowledge doubt?
More on that next time.
At the end of the day, at least today, all I can do is kneel
humbly before God… right in the midst of this
holy mystery that is my life.
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| to see original source click here |
Note:
I did manage to keep Michael’s garden alive while he
traveled on back to back work trips. But I admit I had quite a bit of help from
Nature…. We’ve had rain in Oklahoma... and temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Yes, in JULY!
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