Written by Father Michael
Where’s the camera!!! Last Friday at noon the sky was baby blue with scarce soft tuffs of pure white cotton. A Dali colored sky without melting clocks. The crispness of the autumn sky signals both death and life. Leaves of persimmon rouge are beginning to brush against the verdant rows of trees. Gold, mustard and milk chocolate offer a savory feast to the eye. Nature is putting on its annual banquet of life celebrating another year of life before it dies.
Sunday, two young bucks were highlighted against the golden sun drenched cornstalks with new antlers crowning their brows coyly as they begin their rut with hope and a lively spark of new life. The spry bucks dart among the stalks displaying their youth, vigor and virility in their search for mate. In the coldness and icy death of winter life grows anew waiting to burst forth in the spring.
Life and death are so intertwined. The season that announces death to some brings life to others. The pleasure of slowly driving or walking along the old city streets seeing the new palette of colors now in the trees and not on the ground in the faded flowers. Riding or walking down country lanes encountering the quizzical look of the deer or the glimpse of a wild turkey or pheasant is a gift of fall. The squirrels are frantically gathering acorns and other nuts full of boundless energy and are symbolic of continuous life.
Unlike the squirrels we can take time to enjoy the cornucopia of treasures that life gives. We can savor life. We can decide to take time to enjoy. In the Gospel reading of Martha and Mary we hear Jesus saying that Mary has chosen the better part. Mary has taken the time to enjoy the company of Jesus. Martha’s work is necessary and in fact if Martha did not tend to the household duties Mary’s duties as a hostess would not be fulfilled.
The homilist would ask the question do you hear voices. He said he did. A deer-like quizzical look and silence came across most faces. Of course we hear voices, the radio, the TV, children playing, our spouses, coworkers and strangers. It is difficult not to hear. Among all those voices there is also a voice, the voice of God.
Do you hear it? What is God saying to you today? In all the splendor of life and death around us it is difficult to take time to hear. God’s bounty is so great it drowns out His voice. We do not hear it because we have so many distractions. We have the choice to hear God and the ability to choose the better part.
All the earthly gifts, works, and sorrows keep us in whirlwinds of business and duty. They bind us to this time and place. God’s voice calls us to Him, Who is outside this time and place. God calls us to live with Him and for Him. Mary found the better part and listened. Try listening and you may find new life.