STRETCHING EXERCISES

A Coincidence?

Some people say that there is no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to talking about our spiritual life. Well, in this case, it seems that the Lord arranged a beautiful “coincidence” for me in the mass readings yesterday and today.

Yesterday, Friday, the gospel of Matthew tells us that when the leper asks Jesus to heal him, Jesus “stretching out his hand” touches and heals him. The Greek verb for “stretch” (ekteino) describes a very straightforward, physical action of Jesus, reaching out to touch this man.

In today’s first reading for the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Acts of the Apostles tells us that while Peter was in prison awaiting execution, the church was “praying constantly” (ekteinos) for him. But the translation “constantly,” while a legitimate second meaning, hides the important fact that the word is based on that same Greek verb “to stretch out” that was used of Jesus (in the first verse above) when healing the leper. The image, then, is of the early Christians “stretching out” in prayer. (The idea of “constantly” comes from the idea that if you pray earnestly, you will pray constantly.)

Stretching exercises?

The image that I reflected on this morning was of that small group of persecuted Christians praying for Peter, with their hands stretched out earnestly in fervent prayer, begging the Lord to watch over Peter.

It occurred to me that, unfortunately, my own prayer seldom looks like that.

Sometimes, though, inspired by this very scene from the Acts of the Apostles, I do pray with that intensity, maybe even with my hands stretched out in earnest prayer. It’s a powerful experience, maybe too powerful, too intense. When I’m praying like that I’m not in control, but leaving myself completely open to the Lord -- and that, as you know, can be very unsettling.

Peter and Paul

On this solemn feast of  Saints Peter and Paul, we celebrate two men who give us great examples of both living and dying with heroic earnestness. Even as a Pharisee, Saul was so earnest about persecuting Christians that Jesus had to knock him to the ground and strike him blind to get his attention. We all know of his enthusiasm for preaching the gospel after his conversion.

And Peter, too, was known to act boldly for the gospel -- his brash and enthusiastic personality gave him a head start in this direction.

When it comes to the Greek word we’re looking at today, Peter leaves us a powerful verse to meditate on. In his First Letter (Ch. 4:8) he uses ekteinos to describe not Christians’ prayer but their love for their brothers and sisters: “Have constant love for one, another,” or, if you’d like, “Have earnest love for one another.” What a beautiful image!: I need to love my brothers and sisters with the same intensity and earnestness that characterized the prayer of those first Christians, and with the same purposeful “stretching out” that Jesus did when he lovingly reached out to touch that leper.

So, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, this “coincidence” of the Greek root ekteinos occurring two days in a row at mass has proven to be a very fruitful gift to me.

I hope it may be the same for you today.