Carmelite homily for Lectionary 476 – Thursday, October 24, 2019
From his prison cell in Dachau, Titus Brandsma wrote a poem called Before a Picture of Jesus in My Cell.
A new awareness of thy love encompasses my heart; Sweet Jesus, I in thee and thou in my shall never part. No grief shall fall my way but I shall see thy grief-filled eyes; the lonely way that thou once walked has made me sorrow-wise. All trouble is a white-lit joy, that lights my darkest day; thy love has turned to brightest light this night-like way. If I have thee alone, the hours will bless with still, cold hands of love my utter loneliness. Stay with me, Jesus, only say; I shall not fear if, reaching out my hand, I feel thee near.
Today’s Gospel is filled with upset and anxiousness and conflict but I think when we just put our hand in the hand of Jesus we can rise above it or live apart from it. That’s the call of today’s Gospel.