Parish Mssions

But the Disciples Finished His Work

The great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote a number

of famous operas. Among them are La Boheme, and Madam

Butterfly. In 1922 the 64 year-old Puccini was stricken with cancer.

In spite of the disease, Puccini was determined to complete his

final opera Turandot, which many now consider his best.

He worked on it day and night. Many urged him to rest,

thinking he couldn't possibly finish it anyway. When his sickness

worsened, Puccini said to his disciples, "If I don't finish Turandot,

I want you to finish it for me." Then came that fateful day in 1924

when Puccini was taken to Brussels for an operation. He died

two days after surgery.

Back in Italy, Puccini's disciples gathered together the various

scores from Turandot. They studied them carefully and then

completed the opera. In 1926 the world premier was offered

in Milan's magnificent La Scala Opera House. It was directed

by Puccini's favorite student, Auturo Toscaninni.

Everything went beautifully until the opera reached that point

at which Puccini was forced to put down his pen. Tears ran down

Toscaninni's face. He stopped the music, put down his baton,

turned to the audience and cried out, "Thus far the Master wrote,

but he died." Then there was silence throughout the Milan opera

house. No one moved; no one spoke.

After a couple of minutes, Toscaninni picked up the baton

again, turned to the audience, smiled through his tears and cried

out, "But the disciples finished his work!" When Turandot ended,

the audience broke into thunderous applause. No one there ever

forgot that moment.

--Source Unknown

The story of the writing of Puccini's Turandot bears a striking resemblance to the story of Christianity. In particular, it recalls that moment in the history of Christianity that is referred to in today's Gospel. Before Jesus was able to complete his work of establishing God's kingdom on earth, he died. So he asked his disciples to complete his work.

Today, like our ancestors in faith before us, we stand at that point in the history of Christianity when we cry out: "Thus far the Master wrote!" And now in our turn it is our task, his disciples' task, to complete the work Jesus began.

We have more than the sketchy notes Puccini's disciples had. We have the story of his life so full of compassion and understanding, so full of forgiveness and healing. We have God's Word manifest in and through Jesus, and that Word is truth. Today the liturgy invites us to be consecrated in that truth. Today we receive our commission from the Master himself as he says in the prayer to his Father: "As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world."

To complete the Master's work we too, like Puccini's disciples, must understand the score -- the text prepared by the Master. Our ability to carry on the spirit of Jesus is directly related to our knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Pastoral staffs, dedicated catechists and competent instructors in our parishes offer the opportunity for adults and children to understand and reflect on the Scriptures. In the light of Jesus' challenge to be consecrated in Word and truth all should avail themselves of such programs that help us “understand the score.”

To complete the Master's work, we must also connect Jesus's message and mission to our gifts. Like Puccini's disciples, each of us is called in her or his own way to bring the Gospel to completion in these times. In our families, in our work places, in our community, in our church we bring the message of Jesus' healing and compassion to life by what we do and say each day. This is what it means to live by Christian values. At the end of each day, we who are consecrated in Word and truth, must ask how the reign of God is closer to completion because of our Christian witness.

Finally, like Puccini's disciples, we must practice for the final performance. We must rehearse for the eternal banquet by coming together as one body in Christ to celebrate the message and mission of Jesus in our lives through this Eucharistic celebration. Each of us comes to this altar to share in a foretaste of the heavenly banquet which Christ initiated by his death and resurrection and which we are called this day to bring to completion.

So we prepare our hearts for the coming of the eternal Pentecost by recommitting ourselves today to the mission of the Master: to live peacefully, to act justly, to bring compassion and healing to conflict and division. In preparation for the coming of that day, may it be said of us: "But the disciples finished his work!"