Daily Reflection
May 20, 2010

In the first Reading, join me in visualizing this scene. Paul is imprisoned. Next, visualize a gathering of the Sanhedrin. Now, think about all the individuals who are in this scene – Paul, the commander, chief priests, the whole Sanhedrin, and prison troops. Which individual(s) are you drawn to? Which individual(s) do you think the most about? I am immediately interested in the commander. Here is someone who practices active listening and being open to the other and to new information. By the end of this Reading, I also know he has protective nurturing qualities as he uses his power to rescue Paul from death in this situation. I respect and value the qualities the commander had.

In the Gospel Reading, the message that I took was the trust that Christ had in his disciples. And, by metaphor, the trust he has in us as his disciples (through our word and behavior.) A second message I reflected on was God’s great love for us – and, for us to remind others of how they are being loved by God. The third message for me was to reflect – who, in our lives, are God’s gifts to us? Christ noted how “Father, they are your gift to me.”

Cinco de Mayo festivals were celebrated in some parts of the Hispanic world this weekend (May 2^nd–4^th). In Omaha, Nebraska part of the festivities included an annual Cinco de Mayo parade on Saturday morning. I was part of an entry, the Nebraska Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and we walked in the parade. We had served in a variety of countries and cultures globally, knew what it was like to ‘be the other’ and to be welcomed ‘as the other.’ We walked in solidarity to demonstrate our welcome message to immigrants in this city. Our couple mile walk was a way of being ‘open to the other’ and of transmitting a message of welcome, nurturance, and protection. We recognize their gifts to us.