Put Love to Work

Dear Friend,

Hearing the clarion call of our Franciscan brothers last weekend, we were challenged – each in our own way - to put love to work. We heard Father David and Father Frank put that challenge in the context of the Gospel story of Bartimaeus, the sightless beggar crying out at the side of the road, determined to make contact with Jesus, despite the noise of the crowd. With so many voices competing for our attention these days, can we dare to listen deeply for the call of others and the voice of compassion deep within us? There’s the challenge.

This week, as election day gets closer and the sonic atmosphere within us and around us gets ever more frenetic, our scriptures offer us the foundational text of the Hebrew tradition: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” And then the words that make this a text of daily prayer for all who practice the Jewish faith: “Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today!”

For Catholics this week, “take to heart these words” means honoring the memory of the saints, whose lives are themselves vital words made flesh. Through them God put love to work, as our brothers would say. On Saturday night, at our Service of Remembrance, we will be mindful of our loved ones who have died. (And what a blessing that our choir will assist us with the music of Gabriel Fauré!) Let’s really listen. No matter where we find ourselves on election day and post-election, if our hearts are shaped by love, we will be, as Jesus tells the understanding scribe, “not far from the Kingdom of God”.

Gratefully,

Father Dan ofm, Pastor