"i'll fly away"
"Then he sent out a dove." —Genesis 8:8
The dove Noah sent out from the ark gave Noah three successive messages:
- The world was still flooded (Gn 8:9).
- The world was still flooded, but the "plucked-off olive leaf" in the dove's mouth was a sign of hope (Gn 8:11).
- The flood was over (Gn 8:12), and the dove was free to fly away.
Today, the Holy Spirit, descending in the form of a dove (see Mt 3:16), continues to give us these three messages.
- The Holy Spirit has revealed that this world is flooded with sin and is therefore a "culture of death."
- The Spirit also proclaims "a future full of hope" (Jer 29:11).
- The Spirit sets us free in a new Pentecost (see Lk 4:18).
If we listen to the Dove, the Holy Spirit, we too will fly away when Jesus returns. We "will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thenceforth we shall be with the Lord unceasingly. Console one another with this message" (1 Thes 4:17-18).
Prayer: Father, give me wings in the Spirit.
Promise: "His sight was restored and he could see everything clearly." —Mk 8:25
Praise: St. Cyril prayed on his deathbed, "You hear those who obey Your will and keep Your commands in holy fear. Hear my prayer and protect Your faithful people."
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, August 9, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 18, 2000