Little things

Years ago, the bumper sticker wisdom was "don't sweat the small stuff." But in today's liturgy, I would say, "don't skip the small stuff!" In particular, I mean the little antiphons you find at the beginning of the Mass and at Communion. Generally, these are tidbits of psalms with some connection to the spirit of the liturgical celebration. Today's entrance antiphon (in the Easter spirit, of course) is "Fill me with your praise, and I will sing your glory..." I like to turn it around a bit, and ask the Lord to fill me with the very praise that is in his own heart.

An interesting observation on the first reading: Luke notes (in Acts) that when a fierce persecution started, "all but the apostles" fled to the outlying districts. What a difference Pentecost makes! In Gethsemane, those same apostles had fled to safety, and only John was anywhere near the cross. Now, the entire community is endangered, and it is the apostles who are able to stay put. Providentially, though, the persecution led to the first wave of Christian mission!