Monday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
(John 14:21-26)
“’Heart of my heart’ meant friends were dearer then.” This is a line from an old song that we may still hear in barbershop quartet ensembles. Is it true? Were friends dearer, was life better, back then? Or is this kind of talk just nostalgia? Does time purify our memories of the rancor and bitterness of life without bachelor apartments, personal computers, and cellular telephones?
In the gospel Jesus promises that he and his Father will make a dwelling place with those who keep his word. His word, of course, is the commandment to love one another as he loves us. We find an answer to our question here. As much as friends truly loved one another back then, times were better. I suppose that many people really did love better when they were not so independent. All the conveniences at our disposal now tend to make us think more of ourselves than of one another.
Then what are we to do? Should we dump our computers and cell phones and move back to our parents’ home? Perhaps some simplifying of lifestyle is in order. But more helpful might be the formation of small groups or communities dedicated to spiritual reflection. One writer claims that he has lunched with the same three men every Friday for twenty-five years. They listen to one another explain how each has met Christ in study, prayer, and fellow humans during the past week. Could there be any doubt that these men grow in love for Christ and for one another?
