Bless What There Is For Being

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 -- Week of Proper 26

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 991)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) 68:1-20(21-23)24-36 (evening)
Ecclesiasticus* 43:1-22
Revelation 14:14 - 15:8
Luke 13:1-9

* found in the Apocrypha; also called the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach, or just Sirach

Today Ben Sira praises the whole of the created universe, in which, by God's word "all things hold together." In Revelation the Son of Man fills the earth with Eucharist, his sickle gathering the ripe grapes which are "trodden outside the city" (an allusion to the cross) where the wine of Christ's sacrifice covers the wholeness (the symbolic number 200 miles = 1,600 stadia = the whole earth). In Luke Jesus reflects on the suffering of the innocent and says they were not punished because they "were worse offenders." Then he calls all to repentance.

These themes remind me of a passage from David Steindl-Rast's book "Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness." He writes:

Our heart's most comprehensive vision shows us that all is gift -- blessing. And, in response our heart's most spontaneous action is thanksgiving -- blessing.

But here my ...question arises. What if I cannot recognize the given as a blessing? What if it is not sunshine that pours down on us, but hailstones like hammer-blows? What if it is acid rain? Here again, the gift within the gift is opportunity. I have the opportunity, for example, to do something about that acid rain, face the facts, inform myself about the causes, go to their roots, alert others, band together with them for self-help, for protest. By taking each opportunity as it is offered, I show myself grateful. But my response will not be full unless I respond also to the ever-present opportunity to praise.

W.H. Auden has helped me see this by his poem "Precious Five," especially by its last stanza. " I could," says Auden there,

Find reasons fast enough
To face the sky and roar
In anger and despair
At what is going on,
Demanding that it name
Whoever is to blame:
The sky would only wait
Till all my breath was gone
And then reiterate
As if I wasn't there
That singular command
I do not understand
Bless what there is for being,
Which has to be obeyed, for
What else am I made for,
Agreeing or disagreeing?

To bless whatever there is, and for no other reason but simply because it is -- that is our raison d'etre; that is what we are made for as human beings. This singular command is engraved in our heart. Whether we understand this or not matters little. Whether we agree or disagree makes no difference. And in our heart of hearts we know it.

No matter how hard you strike a bell, it will ring. What else is it made for? Even under the hammer blows of fate the heart rings true. The human heart is made for universal praise. As long as we pick and choose, making praise depend on our approval, we are not yet responding from the heart. When we find our heart, we find that core of our being that is attuned to reality. And reality is praiseworthy. With clear vision the heart sees the ultimate meaning of all: blessing. And with clear intent the heart responds with the ultimate purpose of life: blessing." (p. 80-82)

Bless what there is, for being.

Lowell

_____________________________________________

Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas