“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
The art of losing, as Elizabeth Bishop said, isn't hard to master. Entering the Church we lose much. I am thinking today of the loss of innocence.
Some fortunate souls lose it even before coming to the Church. Wasted by poor choices, clinging with little hope to what is left to them, they ask the Lord for deliverance and accept it from the kind strangers who welcome them into fellowship with prayer, compassion, and even material help.
The art of losing is more difficult for those respectable people who have not lost that much. They may find themselves welcomed by denizens of a lower social class. They may hear words and expressions they learned to despise in their adolescence.
The Acts of the Apostles describes both the consternation and the enthusiasm of Jews in Jerusalem on that Pentecost fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus. Many heard stories of his post-death appearances with dismay. They'd hoped they'd never have to think about that dreadful incident again. They could not understand what came over them as they shouted for his blood upon them and their children; and they didn't want to revisit the whole sorry business.
But Peter's words made sense. They had acted insanely because the Lord God had abandoned them, the Holy Spirit had withdrawn like a receding tide from their hearts. Left with nothing but dread, anxiety, and their sinful habits, they'd demanded that Pilate crucify an innocent man. They'd hoped a human sacrifice would pacify their unease.
But as the Apostle spoke, reminding them of that terrible day, his enthusiasm and joy were infectious. He and the other disciples were just as frank about their desertion of the Lord as they were ready to speak of the Lord's healing, merciful appearances to them. We have sinned; we and our fathers have sinned but God has again offered mercy. And we're ready for it now.
The art of losing isn't hard to master. We've carried the burdens of innocent self-righteousness for too long. We can let it go like an overcoat in the springtime. It never fit very well; never looked very good; and, despite its promises, never lived up to expectation. Who needs it?
We turn to the Lord through the narrow doors of Baptism and Reconciliation and Communion in the Church, and find what we've been missing all along.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.