Finding Margalo

A Reflection on the Second Reading for May 24th, 2020:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Ephesians 1.17-23

Brothers and sisters: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

I just finished reading E. B. White’s Stuart Little with my children.

Stuart Little’s connotations have fascinated and evaded the adult mind for decades. At the time of its writing, critics called it bizarre and questionable literature for children. Now, for many a book study, Stuart is thought to be a metaphor for the reality that often pervades our human desire for the ideal.

Stuart, a young mouse (is he really a mouse?!?), arrives at the home of his human family and makes the best of his size and circumstances, despite his “mousey” limitations. He meets Margalo the bird, and loves her deeply. Faced with danger, Margalo migrates without notice. Stuart is heartbroken and embarks on a never-ending journey to find her.

We are left wondering, but I would argue, whether or not he finds her is irrelevant. She invokes deeply in Stuart that which is unattainable — the satisfaction of pure, unfettered, relational love. Unfulfilled and wanting, Stuart awkwardly navigates his delusive wandering. Along the way, he wavers between finding Margalo and finding a substitute to replace her. Both are subjects of misplaced hope.

There is a Margalo equivalent for each of us.

I hope isolation is over soon. I hope I find someone to marry. I hope the church is renewed. I hope I can beat cancer. I hope my kids turn out okay...

… I hope I find Margalo.

“Day by day, man experiences many greater or lesser hopes that keep us going. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain.” Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 31.

We need greater and lesser hopes to help us move forward in life. Yet even if these hopes are fulfilled, reality will inevitably show us they are not the whole ideal we desire. In Ephesians, Paul’s prayer is that we “may know what is the hope to which he has called” us. What follows is a description of this glorious inheritance, this blessed assurance of God’s immeasurable greatness and power for we who believe. It is the power of God that anticipates our final satisfaction with Him in Heaven, and it is attainable and possible through Jesus Christ.

True hope is virtue and gift. It puts smaller hopes in their proper place. It re-orients the heart and mind to the pure, unfettered, relational love God wants to pour into us for eternity.
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Let us pray:
God, regardless of my circumstances, sustain me with your Greatest Hope. You have promised me glorious inheritance. Only You can satisfy.




Michelynne Gomez

Photo by Katerina Kerdi on Unsplash

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