The Word of Life

Dear Friend,

Once upon a time, in a two-hour car ride from El Centro California to San Diego, a friend and I talked non-stop. He was driving, thank goodness! As we sped across desert terrain, up into mountains, and down again toward the coast, we probed our experience and our ideas – our past connected to the present and pointing us to the future. It was the hyper-energy of being in our early 20’s. By the end of the trip, I felt invigorated, and he did too. I’ve never felt more engaged in a conversation since. 

In the Gospel readings over the next three Sundays, we will be joining Jesus in three different conversations. It’s clear that the Gospel writer, John, is working from memories of his own conversations sparked at a time when the church as we know it today, was first coming to life from the body of Judaism. Conversation and debate made up the rabbinical style – they still do - perhaps akin to the “Socratic” style we learn about from the ancient Greeks. In fact, the church has woven those strands together over many centuries in a search for - and a practice of - truth, the full expression of which is always beyond the horizon, as was the ocean my friend and I were headed for all those years ago in San Diego.

Has your Lenten journey so far been a pilgrimage of hope? Have you had a conversation or two about it? Our catechumens and candidates are involved in an ongoing conversation right now, an exciting one. We’re all headed in some way back to our baptismal waters, where “the word of life” even now is generating a new creation within us and around us. I couldn’t be happier to be with you…

…or more grateful!

Father Dan