Remain by Going

A short reflection this week.

We have arrived at the last week of classes of the Spring Semester. We have also (finally) arrived in True Spring here in Iowa, with legitimately sunny and warm days, trees springing into leaf and blossom, the verdant hue making a proud return to the area. 

In the midst of these signs of life coming into full swing, and as we wrap up the school year, this past Sunday we heard Jesus telling us that he is the True Vine, and we, the branches. Along with his admonition that apart from him, we can do nothing, he gives the promise that remaining in him will yield much fruit. Liturgically, we are ramping up for Jesus' Ascension into Heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is known as the Church's Birthday, when God equipped those tasked with proclaiming the Gospel with the grace to do so fruitfully. In the liturgical year, we're not there yet, but the ramping up hopefully also serves as a reminder that this event happened in history; The Spirit is with us, and we live in its age.

Pentecost's Jewish origins stem from a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Shavuot), then combined with a celebration of God's giving Moses the Law. Fitting, then, that graduation traditionally comes around this time of the liturgical year: after a lifetime of schooling, years of formation, graduates are sent out into the world to bear fruit through their labor and relationships. Perhaps this is why we refer to it as "Commencement": the beginning of a new chapter, of a commissioning, of being sent forth.

There's a parallel to the Catholic Mass in that, actually: "Mass" comes from the Latin "Missa," the second to last word the celebrant utters in the liturgy (in Latin): "Ite, Missa est." (Go, Mass is/Go, has been sent). We derive our name for the Divine Liturgy from the command to go forth and leave it. An important part of Remaining in Christ is, in fact, going forth. Having had the encounter with him in Word, in Sacrament, and in Community, we are called to go out into our world and bear fruit. 

While we should be mindful every time we leave a church/chapel of that commission and of our call to communicate the Good News, the end of the semester offers another opportunity for reflection.

What have I learned this year, both academically and more generally? How can I put it to use for the betterment of my community and those I encounter this summer?

How am I called to show love and mercy in my job, in my friendships, back home, whatever I'm doing this summer?

And, before I head out for the summer, how am I called to be loving and merciful in this time of busyness and stress both for me and for others? How can I be attentive to my responsibilities and aware of others' needs?