Reflections on the Readings
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Eight Sunday After Pentecost
August 3 , 2014 - Year A
A Love Story
Brothers and Sisters, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" - St. Paul to the Romans
In the darkness of the night an old man, bent by the burden of time, caresses the brow of his bride. Their eyes meet and they hold hands. A long time ago they pledged to each other their love until death should part them. Throughout the years many things challenged that pledge, but their love remained strong through thick and thin.
Tonight, like all the hundreds of nights before, they take refuge in the love of Christ. For it is his love that makes their love possible. It's been their ritual for fifty years to pray together at bedtime: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God. Pray for us sinners, now, and at the our of our death. Amen." Afterward they say goodnight with the promise of saying good morning one day in the presence of that love that never fails.
Above their bed is a crucifix. He placed it there on their wedding night. He had said to her, "No matter what comes, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ." Pointing to the cross he had just hung he promised his bride, "And with his power in me, I'll never leave you; my heart is yours." And from their first kiss until their last kiss he kept his promises and she kept hers.
Imperfections? Arguments? Sure they had their tussles. Some had predicted, "It'll never last!" But they had a secret power, a secret love to guide them through their disagreements and quarrels. While reading the scriptures together they grew in that grace and love and in the knowledge of their salvation. In fact, after one particular bad week, or was it two, he read in the Bible of his need to tend to the log in his own eye and to stop worrying about the splinter in her eye. After that it was amazing how much more often they saw eye to eye!
Now the old alarm clock on the night stand announces each passing second of time and goes tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. And both go to sleep with the assurance that as in life so in death, nothing shall separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
In the morning, Mary kisses the old folks on their cheeks and greets them with these familiar words:
"He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away."
Then the old folks replied with vibrant and confident voices, "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us!"
And sitting down to breakfast, the old folks greeted each other with a good morning kiss. Then they blessed and broke bread and ate and were satisfied. A new day had begun.
Amen.
Dennis Hankins is a parishioner at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, of the Diocese of Knoxville, TN. Prior to uniting with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil 2006, Dennis served as a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. E-mail Dennis at: dennishankins@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @dshankins or visit him at: www.dennishankins.com
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