Pass It On October 21

“The fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” Ephesians 1:23

“The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Luke 12:12

Piety
(Inspired by Ephesians, Chapter 1)

God, source of love and wisdom, please enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we may know the hope that belongs to Your call, the riches of glory in Your inheritance among the holy ones, and the surpassing greatness of Your power for those who believe, in accord with the exercise of Your great might, which You worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. Help us to learn all this so that we may pass it on to others as your eyes, your ears, your hands and your heart work through us. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/102106.shtml

When I was in high school, we learned a folk song called “Pass It On” that goes something like this:

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going
And soon all those around will warm up to its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you experienced it.
You want to sing, its fresh like Spring,
You want to pass it on.

We see that chain reaction take place in today’s readings. First in Ephesians, St. Paul tells of Christ getting his inheritance of wisdom from God. According to the NAB, some scholars take the one who fills as God, others as Christ: “The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Eph 4:10).

The notes to this passage continue that: If in Christ “dwells the fullness of the deity bodily,” then, as God “fills” Christ, Christ in turn fills the church and the believer. “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:19) [1]

The note concludes by explaining that this “difficult phrase” may also allow the church to be viewed as the complement of Christ who is “being filled” as God's plan for the universe is carried out through the church. “To bring to light [for all] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.” (Eph 3:9-10).

This wisdom, this fire is passed along from God to Christ to the Church and then to us, as St. Luke picks up the theme, by the Holy Spirit. Even at that First Confirmation, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit was depicted as flames above each disciples head. When we are in a difficult position and are searching for words to say or to write, the Holy Spirit comes through with the words we need to say and the words that others need to hear.

Action

Several people have written to complain about how they think this journal gets caught up in political issues in the action phase. Some have said they want their Good News straight without the action installment. I can accept that but will not stop this final part of the tripod. While we do need to act locally by feeding the poor and providing affordable housing, we also need to be aware of what is happening globally to the family of God – to our brothers and sisters in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, and elsewhere.

In fact one of the issues that turned off some now “former” readers of this blog is references to taking action about the genocide in Darfur. I promise that when our churches and governments save the innocent children of God who are being slaughtered there, I will stop writing and reminding you about what is happening in Darfur.

Until then, some more intelligence about the situation will air on Sunday on “60 Minutes.” Scott Pelley and his CBS TV News crew traveled to the Sudan to learn of the situation first hand. Yet, despite the devastation they will show us Sunday night, we must not give up hope. There is something we can do to stop this genocide. It begins with raising awareness to help build pressure on our leaders to act.

For some, that awareness is a purely political act. I contend that it is a moral and Christian act.

Watch the show and then write to Bishop Loverde, Bishop Wuerl, Mr. Allen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Davis, Mr. Moran, Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Bush. Urge them to urge the world to act.

[1] http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians1.htm#foot11