The Torchlight In Our Heads . . .

Some years ago in my last parish I remember a conversation I had with my brother. He had called on me during the week to check up on me and see what I was doing. Almost at the beginning of the conversation, he began to speak about how overwhelmed he felt at times with his own job, in the face of the growing responsibilities with which he was entrusted and the many challenges he encountered as a supervisor. “I think I need to take my rest very seriously and do absolutely no work on my days off!” A light went on in my head because not five minutes before he called me, I was wrestling with the very same problem. This led to a very long and productive conversation on the “work-life” balance and the need to avoid become completely “absorbed” by work. Looking back on the conversation, it seemed that a torch went on in my head and in my brother’s as well. He gave voice to an inspiration that was already inside my spirit, or to use the language of today’s gospel “inside my womb”. Recognizing the truth of what he said was at the same time to recognize the “truth” of what I was thinking.

Something similar, but perhaps more spectacular happened to Mary and Elizabeth. On this the fourth Sunday in Advent, the church always presents us with the Blessed Virgin Mary, pregnant with the invisible Word yet already experiencing the joy and wonder of his presence. She goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah and as soon as Mary’s greeting reaches the ears of Elizabeth, scripture says “the child leapt in her womb”… This child leaping in the womb was the same as that torchlight turning on in my head and my brother’s head. For Mary and for Elizabeth, their meeting was a moment of recognition that they both bore something special within them and they saw themselves as ‘blessed.’ As Elizabeth says: ‘Of all women you are the most blessed!’

I find that this happens a lot in ministry at times. Someone floats an idea and this idea is really a reflection of a deeply felt need in the community. In the faces of the people one can see those ‘babes’ ‘leaping in the womb.’ Those are very special moments when I sense that this idea is something ‘from the Lord’ and that we were being paid a visit by the ‘mother of our Lord.’ I feel affirmed and in my turn I come to recognize that our people too are inspired. We both bear something special from God.

Perhaps many of us have experienced this moment of recognition sharing deeply with a friend on the wisdom of life, on marriage or on suffering or some other area. Perhaps we may have had this moment of recognition with some musical artiste who touched us, or even a poet. Many persons for example are moved to tears by the late Maya Angelou’s account of someone telling her over and over again to read the lines “God loves me.” After several tries she fell into silence awed by the realization of what a beautiful insight it was. To hear her tell the story causes the babe to leap in one’s womb. We thank God for her and all others who inspire us by their word and testimony . We pray that God may send us many others who will make that torchlight turn on in our heads.