November 2019
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
The other night at the prison in Concord we had a truly amazing Bible study on Luke chapter 8. The part that touched me most deeply was the story of the Woman With the Issue of Blood. We noticed a good many wonderful things, some I had never seen before.
One was this: the touch of the Lord's garment by this woman was like the completion of an electrical circuit. It was she who initiated this encounter. Through the energetic power of her touch the Lord's healing power was activated. A certain energy passed between them, first from her and then from him. This was a remarkable example of synergy between God and humanity. Among all those touches he must have received from the crowd, it was hers alone that provoked the outflowing of his power. Her touch was unique, full of the energy of hope and faith.
Richard Rohr, the well-known Franciscan priest wrote a book about the Holy Trinity called THE DIVINE DANCE. I learned much from it. The "dance" refers to the eternal circumambulation of love that flows between the Three Divine Persons. In Greek it is called "perichoresis" which means going around or rotation. Rohr refers to it as a "dance." I like that. We are all called to join in the Dance.
The Woman did just that and in the intimate flow that occurs between her and the Lord through her touch, she found her healing. All those who desire to enter the Dance by connecting the circuit through synergy (working together with God) will experience the outpouring of love from the Trinity through Christ in the Holy Spirit. In fact, that is what happened at the prison that night. We all got caught up in the Dance.
With deep affection,
Fr. Antony