Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.
A reflection on the daily readings, for Thursday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
“Levitated Mass” is the name of an art piece by Michael Heizer at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
This piece gives new meaning to the word understanding, or standing under.
This author could not find any explanation for this seemingly strange combination that makes up this word, but this picture made sense all by itself.
To stand under this enormous rock brings instantaneous understanding.
It is almost freaky to stand under it, look up, and just think about “what if” this fell on you.
Yikes!
Well, four times in this first reading from Nehemiah, Ezra the scribe read aloud from the law of Moses and implored the people to understand the law.
That meant to stand before and under that law; it seemed, at first, to bring sadness and perhaps even fear.
But Ezra enjoined all to rejoice at the reading of the law, and to eat and drink and be merry.
And they found Psalm 19 to be true, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.”
And, “Right, rejoicing the heart. Clear, enlightening the eye.”
And the people understood!
“Levitated Mass.”
