A biblical phrase sometimes captures our attention. Just as, now and then, I receive an email that really makes me think. Here are a few points that speak volumes.
Once a whole town decided to pray for rain. All the people gathered in church, but only one brought an umbrella. That's FAITH.
Every night we go to bed without assurance of being alive the next morning, but we set the alarm clock. That's HOPE.
We plan big things with little knowledge of the future. That's CONFIDENCE.
Finally, an elderly man's shirt carried this message: 'I am not 80 years old; I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.' That's ATTITUDE. The lesson is: live life with a purpose.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
But first, Malachi reflects on Israel in fifth century BC. Yes, the author says, our leaders have rebuilt the temple, but then he scolds them for their careless worship which jeopardizes the relationship (or covenant) God made with the Hebrews centuries before. But all is not lost; God never reneges on his promises. God will send a messenger who will purify God’s people so that they can experience true worship.
What is leadership? For me, good leadership has three ingredients -- character, courage, and a positve “can do” attitude – yes, three Cs:
Character involves integrity, striving to be true to that inner voice, our conscience, which seeks to do right in all decisions, great and small.
Courage moves us beyond fears and doubts to achieve something worthwhile. And lastly a positive, “can do” attitude is essential for a leader to have.
At times, all of us are called to be leaders as professionals, businesspeople, parents, citizens, volunteers. The author invites us to think about these three essentials whenever and wherever we exercise leadership.
The Letter to the Hebrews describes how God became human in Jesus. Jesus became like us to be merciful and faithful, as we are called to be. And through his death and resurrection, God gifts us with divine life; we are, by virtue of the life-giving waters of baptism, brothers and sisters. Our faith in Jesus Christ proclaims that God will transfigure his people into a new heavenly life as God already transfigured Jesus.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, Simeon took the child into his arms, praised God and said, “My eyes have seen your salvation…a light….” A light for revelation and glory. Quite an extraordinary recognition of this child by a devout old man.
At home in Nazareth, Jesus grew wise. God’s favor was upon him. His family was a vital factor in his human development. Even in his teens and “roaring 20s” Jesus prayed, studied and stayed close to family and to God. That included family activities and chores.
I think of the reflection titled “Children Learn What They Live.” One who lives with tolerance learns patience. One who lives with encouragement learns confidence. One who lives with praise learns to appreciate. One who lives with approval learns to like him/herself. Someone who lives with acceptance and friendship learns to find love in the world.
It is said that we will be more regretful of things we didn’t do than by things we did. The popular lecturer Leo Buscaglia, who authored books like “Living, Loving and Learning,” recalled that one of his students wrote an article titled “Things you didn’t do,” describing the many times he erred and thought his father would yell at him, but his father didn’t. The article ends:
“There were lots of things you didn’t do. You put up with me and you loved me. There were lots of things I wanted to thank you for when you returned from Vietnam. But you never did return!!!”
A compelling message: don’t live a life of regrets. Remember what the BIBLE stands for: Basic Information Before Leaving Earth. To the extent that our everyday lives are in our own hands, do good now. Life is not a rehearsal. Life is the “real thing.”
A few of you may remember the great 20th century actor John Barrymore (thank God for netflix) who electrified audiences with his performances. Barrymore wrote that “a man [and a woman] is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”
Yes, that is a wake-up call. Jesus and Mary and Joseph lived as a holy family, a life with purpose, with no regrets.
May God on this feast of the Presentation of the Lord grace us: with trust in God’s unconditional love for us as God did the prophets; with faith in Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, our healer, our reconciler; and may God grace us, as He did Simeon, with the eyes of faith to see Jesus as our salvation, a light who illuminates the darkness around us as we journey toward our heavenly dwelling place. Amen.
