Mother Melania and the sisters

 

Have you ever seen the poster with the following text?

Optimist - my cup is half full

Pessimist - my cup is half empty

Christian - my cup runneth over

"My cup runneth over." That sounds wonderful, but what does it actually mean? The reference, of course, is to Psalm 22/23, the great psalm of comfort and fullness of jou. But we often overlook the context of this lovely little phrase. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." (v. 5) One meaning of the word

'table' here is 'tableland.' So, this verse is still about a shepherd and his sheep - the shepherd provides a place of safety and fullness for the sheep in the midst of predators. Safety in the midst of predators? That doesn't make much sense unless we have the greatest ever shepherd. Thankfully, we DO. He not only protects us, He lays down His own life in order to do so. And He feeds us not with grass, but with His own Body and Blood. So, this cup that runneth over is the Eucharistic cup, through which we eat and drink Christ. At the same time, it is the cup of His sufferings, which we are called upon to participate in, as members of His Body. And if we do so with love and trust in Him, then this is joyful, too. As we travel through these uncertain times, neither the optimist nor the pessimist is likely to fare well. But if we willingly drink the cup of Christ, we will have unshakeable joy - no matter what predators lurk on the edges of the tableland!

With love in Christ,

Mother Melania and the sisters