This reflection however still falling into the category of New Testament will focus on the ever complicated St. Paul. I might throw out there anyone that goes through a conversion is going to be complicated, its tough to understand conversion at times. After all how could Saul go from persecutor to Paul evangelist. Perhaps that will be a topic for another post, for now I will focus on the reading at hand.
From the 20th Sunday of Ordinary time we hear from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians 5:15-20. Sitting in little St. Anthony's which is older and somewhat dark inside, especially with the sun behind the clouds as it was last weekend I paid extra attention to the readings, if for no other reason than it was hard to hear the reader, and perhaps because I wasn't overly distracted by finding God in all things around me. A good thing I was paying extra attention too seeing as the reading is only 6 verses. Had I been day dreaming I may have missed all the perfect quotes to use for a blog post found in this short reading.
First and foremost when hearing the lines "Brothers and sisters: Watch Carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity" upon hearing this I immediately thought of my dear friend Aaron. Aaron is the inspiration for the title of this blog, after living with him for over a year certain Aaronisms rubbed off on him, just as I'm sure some Mikeism rubbed off on him, "I mean" anyone who lives with someone else for that long these things are bound to happen. Yet the most important Aaronism is his approach to life, which just as the title states is, just embracing it. I can't tell you how many times in the past year he has told me to "Just embrace life" it happened so often I started saying it to other people, and started saying it in a most sarcastic of manner at times, which he would then glare at me for, which I of course deserved.
But he is right, and I agree with him, as did St. Paul, we need to embrace life and take what it has to offer us, making the best out of it.
Now the next part of the reading, which is one of my favorites, and one that I had friends texting me promptly after they went to mass because they just thought it was too funny not to. Since I have been known to drink a bit of wine or more than a bit of wine (to better explain this I call upon Gladys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNRFGvGRUgE) and as a result wether it is my friends posting all kinds of wine related memes on my Facebook, or even receiving a wine glass big enough to hold an entire bottle, it would seem that I am forced to disagree with the following quote from St. Paul. "And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" now my friends might accurately point out to me, but Mike you drink wine often, even to the point of debauchery, and I would have to say but of course, and then again rely on Gladys to help me explain again.
The simple reality is that St. Paul is right (I can't believe I said it either) even though drinking too much wine with my friends can be a tremendous amount of fun (believe me it is, or come visit me, it's a fun time). But the reality is that life could be so much fuller if we didn't need the wine to lead to the fun, if we didn't rely on spirits of a different sort to create the fun memories. Even though the below picture is 100% correct, what if it wasn't?
Now don't get me wrong drinking is all good and well, I mean after all even the good lord saw fit to change water into wine, and again may I point you back to Gladys....
Lets think back to the times in our life when we were filled with the spirit, was there not joy there? Did great stories not follow? After all in the words of my dear friend Babs, "it's not what we do drunk that should make us worry, but what we do sober"
Yes after alcohol follows great stories, but if we are taking the advice of both St. Paul and Aaron, if we don't act foolishly, if we take each opportunity that comes our way, if we Simply, and yet most profoundly just embrace life, will we not be filled with the Spirit? Will we not find Joy? Will we not have great stories!?
Happy Monday everyone!
Peace and Blessings Always
~M
Note: each instance of Aaron should be read as A A Ron, for those who don't understand please click the link below!
No comments:
Post a Comment