A SMOLDERING WICK

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Monday in Holy Week  is, “A Smoldering Wick.”

I noticed that image in today’s first reading from Isaiah 42:1-7. 

In the past I’ve enjoyed preaching about Mary in today’s gospel anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume oil and then drying his feet with her hair. [Cf. John 12: 1-11]

That’s a powerful scene, powerful image, and can be a powerful metaphor. We’ve all walked into an elevator - and wow someone with powerful perfume must have been on this elevator!

I haven’t thought about the smoldering wick image and possible metaphor from today’s first reading, so let me take a look at that today.

CHURCH CANDLES

Those of you who have a fire place in your home - and you use it - know about smoldering wood or coals if you use a charcoal fire place for cooking steaks, hotdogs or hamburgers in warmer weather.

We didn’t have a fireplace or a charcoal stove, so let me use the image of a candle.

Hang around Churches one would get the image of the smoldering wick.

I used to be a candle boy in our church as a kid. We got paid $2.50 a week. I jokingly say, “Don’t work for the Church. They don’t pay well.” But for a kid in the early 1950’s, $2.50 was great.

We’d have to keep our eyes on the candles. As soon as the fire went out, as soon as the candle burnt out, then we’d replace the little red cup with a brand new candle.

Being an altar boy, then a seminarian, then a priest, I would know about altar candles. Sometimes it looks like the candle is dead, cold, out - but surprise there is  a tiny glow - a tiny spark, sometimes in the candle. There would be plenty wax in the candle, but it was going out or just sleeping or smoldering.

If one wants that candle to continue, one blows on it. We use wax and oil candles here at St. John Neumann and St. Mary’s.

So sometimes we need to get a new wick. Sometimes we need to get more oil. Sometimes we need to replace the candle. Sometimes we need to replace the candle.  It all depends.

MESSAGE FROM ISAIAH

The metaphor is clear - but what is the message.

Isaiah is saying that we are God’s chosen servants.

Isaiah is saying that God’s Spirit, Breath, Wind, Air, is surrounding us - let God go, “Phew. Phew - Breathe, Breathe on us.”

We’re called to be light to others.

We’re called to bring justice, fairness,  into our daily situations.

We’re called to open the eyes of those who are blind. When we are in the dark, people don’t know what they are doing. We are to be night lights for others.

CONCLUSION: A BRIEF EXERCISE

Here’s a possible spiritual exercise for today. 

Find yourself sitting in a quiet place. 

Close your eyes. 

Picture yourself as a candle. 

The wick is barely lit. It’s smoldering. 

Next say and pray to God, “Come Holy Spirit” or “God breathe into me, onto me, puff, push air at me, and let me come back to life again - come back to fire again - light again - so that I might burn brightly for your greater glory. Amen."