God’s Thirst for Us

By Lucy Strohl OPA ~ June 5, 2008

Feast of St. Boniface, Scripture: Mark 12: 28-34

I loved my work as a registered occupational therapist and as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.  I got to learn and grow and do many, many things through all of my employment opportunities.  But folks who were around me, my friends, always had to help me with one thing in particular--I took everything I did much too seriously most of the time.  My friends had to encourage me often to take time and to take it easy; sometimes that meant literally dragging me from my work!  I was reminded of that as I read today's scriptures and learned about St. Boniface, whose feast we celebrate.

St. Boniface is the patron saint of Germany… and of beer brewers.  Even though  large numbers of German immigrants  settled in the United States-- many of them our relatives-- this day has little if any celebration connected with it.  Maybe that's because of our  practical, hard-working German ways.Yet, according to Father Ed Hays, it's never too late for a revival of a festival.  He would invite us to celebrate this Germanic holy day by raising a glass of beer to toast Boniface!  Tradition tells us Pope Boniface I, took the name of the famous saint and granted an indulgence to anyone who would drink to his health.  We are encouraged to drink to Boniface today--raising our cup of tea, coffee,wine, beer or whatever-- to celebrate his life and each other.

Boniface was a serious and tireless reformer.In his day paganism was a way of life; the priests were very lax. Boniface worked to restore obedience to proper authorities.  As a Benedictine he established many houses of prayer. Wholly given to God, the life of Boniface bears witness to the Christian rule: to follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. 53 companions and Boniface were massacred as they prepared converts for Confirmation.  We thank God for his work of reconciliation and healing in the Church-- in the midst of much uncertainty and pain. May our prayer or simply reaching out to someone unexpectedly  become a source of healing, too.

On this hot June day it would  be good to drink  to Boniface, to our heritage of faithful  German ancestors and so many more -- Irish, Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese,  Czech--and to all our new Dominican family members.  We will soon be part of a wider, richer cultural landscape. Boniface would encourage us, like the gospel, to listen more closely, to use all our passion, prayer, intelligence and energy-- to indulge our whole selves in praising God today.  We may feel-- because of our seriousness, slowness, ill health or long to-do lists--that we can't really celebrate.  Thankfully, we can ask for the precious gift of God's NOW grace.  It's only here, now.  Today's saint and our readings remind us that God accepts and celebrates whatever we have of heart, mind and strength to share.  Boniface founded many houses of prayer.  This place-- you and I-- are important sources of prayer upon which so many count.  We are very close to the kingdom of God right here.  Let's celebrate God's unending festival of fidelity to us, God's thirst for us.  We come to eat and drink at this table.  Let's drink in God's faithfulness, joy and delight in us now.