The article written by Terry Matz in Catholic OnLine throws a new light on my understanding of the life of St. Benedict. She began with a very perceptive description of modern life.
Our impatience to get to the end, our focus on completion rather than process is a real danger in reading Scripture when every word is from God and has a power all its own.At the end, Terry mentions the miracle of a nearly empty bottle overflowing with oil. So, when we read the Bible, let us empty our hearts like the oil-bottle in the miracle. Allow God to fill it until it overflows. This is a lovely image. We modern people are too busy, too much occupied to make room for God to work miracle in us. St. Benedict, pray for us, that we may truly benefit from the correct way of reading the Scripture. Amen.
Let me return to Genesis.
At his deathbed, Jacob told his children to bury him with his fathers.
Then he charged them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah --
the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites." (Genesis 49:29-32)
After reading this, the memory of my grandmother began to materialize in my mind's eyes. My grandmother became a widow when my father was still very young. Probably, it was rather prevalent at a time of opium-infested China. She lived to a full age. I can still remember the scene when a "bare-foot doctor" administered acupuncture to cure her illness. But I do not have the faintest memory of what my grandfather looked like. Ashamed to say, I even am not sure of his name! No, I must do something to make sure that my children know my father's name!
And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel;
forty days were required for it, for so many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days (Genesis 50:2-3).
It took 40 days to embalm Jacob and the Egyptians wept for Jacob for 70 days. Jacob settled in Egypt at the age of 130 (Genesis 47:9). He had spent only 17 years in Egypt and in such an advanced age, Jacob could not have contributed much to the Egyptians. Yet he received royal treatment and was buried like a Pharaoh. This must have been the gratitude the Egyptians owed Joseph, not Jacob. Joseph saved the Egyptians from famine. Therefore, Jacob was honoured because of his son Joseph.
To a certain extent, Egyptian burial customs have influenced the Jewish ones. That explains why Jesus was buried, embalmed with a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloe by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-39). The author of John wanted to treat Jesus like a Pharaoh.
To a certain extent, Mary is honoured because of her son Jesus. That was why Mary was able to make this prophecy.
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed (Luke 1:48).
Of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary has her own role to play in the salvation of mankind. Yet, like Israel, Mary cannot overshadow Jesus.
As demanded, Jacob was not buried in Egypt and the family members mourned for 7 days at the threshing floor of Atad (Genesis 50:10). Here we have another etymology story.
When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians." Therefore the place was named Abelmizraim; it is beyond the Jordan (Genesis 50:11).
וַיַּרְא יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֶת-הָאֵבֶל, בְּגֹרֶן הָאָטָד, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֵבֶל-כָּבֵד זֶה לְמִצְרָיִם; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ, אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם, אֲשֶׁר, בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן
Today was a hectic day. In the afternoon, I attended the ordination of 5 deacons at the Cathedral. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty (Acts 6:3).
Alex, are you a man of good repute? Are you full of Spirit and of wisdom?
My Lord, I know I still have a long way to go.
In the evening, I went to the farewell dinner in honour of John Wong. Had it been a regular annual dinner for the staff of Shung Tak, there would only have been about 6 tables. Tonight, there were nearly 40 tables. The alumni were really very supportive to their alma mater. When speeches were made, the majority of the guests did not listen. It was a rare opportunity for old friends to come together and share. But when John made his vote of thanks, he had all our ears. John was as diplomatic and humble as he always has been. He did not take the limelight but paid tribute to nearly everyone he had come across in these forty years and were present at the dinner. When these people, ex-principals, ex-colleagues as well as the alumni, were honoured, he was honoured. In particular, those ex-colleagues who spent their whole career in Shung Tak, were elated. "One life, one job" was the keynote of John. I still have a lot to learn from him, his proficiency in English as well as his diplomacy. The dinner came to a climax when the 4 tenors of Shung Tak, all vice-principals, sang together a Canto pop song on stage. What a memorable night.
Dear Lord, I pray for John. I wish him a happy retirement ahead. I pray for myself. If You permit, may I continue to contribute to the character formation of the students You entrust in my hand. May I continue to pursue Your call to serve the Church and the needy. Amen.
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