The story of the Gerasene demoniac is certainly colorful and legendary. It is the first time in Mark's short Gospel that he took some time to tell a story. The story shifts from its focus on a possessed man, to the sacrificial herd of swine, to the people of the area, and back to the liberated man. Raw human emotions are swirling throughout each verse as sheer terror grips the onlooker. It comes after a series of parables describing the kingdom of God and it is the middle of three miracle stories in which Jesus shows his power over Satan - this time in a case of demonic possession. The tale is set within the tombs as the people connected 'death' with 'demonic possession.' Death touches each human heart uniquely.
We are to examine our responses to death. Perhaps we recall the experience of a deceased loved one or we have dealt with aging or illness that puts us one day closer to our own death. The thought of death unsettles us and we want to find meaning in it, and sometimes it is difficult to do, especially when it involves an innocent person. It is a mystery to behold and too often, we don't want to do it. We find clever ways to resist and even deny death. We anaesthetize ourselves to its presence and we don't want it to cheat us or take us too soon. Death shows we are powerless.
I call to mind a current film, The Rabbit Hole, that will not will any Academy Awards, but I honor it for its realistic portrayal of a couple's coping with the death of their four-year old son to a tragic accident. Their happy suburban world is turned upside down. Becca, the wife, and Howie, her husband are caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage from which they cannot escape. Their ways of coping are diametrically opposed to one another. Becca finds pain in the familiar, Howie finds comfort in the familiar. Becca mocks the "grieving parents" support group while Howie finds solace, but both come in contact with a whole network of friends who are beset by loss. No one grieves the same way. No plan or timeframe exists for healing; memories will never fade; the search for meaning remains elusive. Death is final.
Shifts comes in abrupt, unforeseen moments. Becca hesitantly opens up to her opinionated, loving mother who is still dealing with her son's death to a drug overdose, and Becca secretly reaches out to the teenager involved in the accident that claimed her son's life. Howie lashes out and daydreams about the solace he will find with another woman, a kindred spirit who lost her daughter 8 years ago. Everyone's life is shattered. Yet, as divergent their paths are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for beauty, meaning, laughter and happiness. They needed to take their own pathways, because not one way is clearly demarked. The same goes for us.
Becca and Howie must have felt like the Gerasene demoniac. No one could help them as no one could help the possessed man. These demons and our disordered attachments possess us. They define us and we cannot imagine life without them. They are our identity. Once these demons within us have life, they multiply and rule over us. Many times, we did not invite them in but they are part of the cycle of shame we inherited from our parents, our upbringing, and the events that happened to us. These are things beyond our control, and they may result from boundaries that were transgressed against us. It is unfortunate. I'm deeply sorry for what has happened to you.
Look at the chaos it creates within us: debilitating, paralyzing shame, sadness and loneliness, stifled anger, repressed memories, a life that is damaged. We are cut off from our true selves. We have fallen far from our dreams of the way our life ought to be. We don't want these demons to have power over us anymore. They kill our spirit and we desire to be liberated and happy. We want our life to have meaning. There is no sense of hiding these demons. We all have them and they will do their best to hook us. We present our best face instead of our reality for some reason. We are broken and we come to realize we need a savior, and only this savior's deeper affection, only his love can subdue our demons. After a struggle to keep control, we realize we have no control and we admit our powerlessness. We are not God. The possessed man did not save himself. We can't save ourselves.
The good news is these demons do not stand a chance in front of Jesus. When the possessed man catches sight of Jesus, he runs towards him crying at the top of his lungs. I know I have spent many prayer periods crying out to Jesus. What does he do? Jesus enters into my chaos. He doesn't move me. He stays with me in the stillness. He stands there among the tombs with me with all the shackles and chains binding me up, and looks at me with love.
He desires my liberation, and he asks me to name my demons, to which I reply, "there are so many of them. They are Legion. I want to be free of them." He wants me to cry out to him, but to notice that he is looking upon me with love. I, too, have to clearly name these demons and acknowledge their power over me, the power I gave them whether consciously or unconsciously, and I have to let Christ free me - even if the man is hanging on the cross near death, or already dead and buried in the tomb. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High, God. Why can't I?
I have to let him free me. I have to let him take all my chains and shackles, anything that weighs me down, and give it to him on the cross or lay it inside his tomb. I have to do it even though it is going to weigh him down and cause him even more pain or break his back or even takes the dying breath from the man. We may further hurt from our doing this, but it is the reason he came to us. And if I cannot give it to him, he will understand. My prayer for you is that you will at least consent to let him take it from you so he can achieve the purpose for which he came. Give his death the meaning he desires.
Like Becca and Howie, you have to find your own way of doing that. It will be a way that you uniquely can do it, and it may take you great courage and energy. This man who hangs on the cross or lays in the tomb is the same man you held in your arms when he was an infant, the same boy who was swept away into Egypt, the teen you met in his hidden years, the man who cured and taught and revealed something precious about God to you. This is the guy who became your good friend. He remains steadfast to you, even though you deserted him or denied him or fell asleep on him in his time of need. He is still in front of you reaching out and saying, "I want to share my heart with you. Will you open yours to receive mine. It breaks my heart that these demons separate us." Christ took on our powerlessness because of our powerlessness.
Find Christ in this intimate moment of death. He wants to liberate you so your heart can be brought into his own and to his Father's.
Others may be seized with fear and astonishment when they see us like the man who was once possessed. When we allow Christ to liberate us, we too will go off and proclaim to others what Jesus has done for us. Our hearts will be amazed. Our hearts will remember the tender moment of salvation when Christ called our true selves forth and showed us the true power of God.
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High?" asks the possessed man. "Everything," he replies. "I want your liberty, your memory, your will, your understanding, all that you have and possess. You are mine."
Monday, January 31, 2011
Poem: D.H. Lawrence from The Hands of God
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But it is a much more fearful thing to fall out of them …
Save me, O God, from falling into the ungodly knowledge of myself as I am without God.
Let me never know, O God
let me never know what I am or should be
when I have fallen out of your hands,
the hands of the living God …
Save me from that, O God!
Let me never know myself apart from the living God!
But it is a much more fearful thing to fall out of them …
Save me, O God, from falling into the ungodly knowledge of myself as I am without God.
Let me never know, O God
let me never know what I am or should be
when I have fallen out of your hands,
the hands of the living God …
Save me from that, O God!
Let me never know myself apart from the living God!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Const.: GC 34, Decree 4: “Our Mission and Culture”, par. 6
As Jesuits, we live a faith directed toward the kingdom, through which justice becomes a shaping reality in the world; we therefore bring the particular quality of that faith into dialogue with members of the religions and cultures of our contemporary world…. We [Jesuits] have insisted on the inseparability of justice, dialogue, and the evangelization of culture.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 30, 2011
The Beatitudes are one of the most beloved passages from the Gospels. It opens the famous Sermon on the Mount that was masterfully recorded by Matthew. Mountains are often places of revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus rightly is taking his place on the mountain in a way similar to an Oriental teacher. He address, as in concentric rings, first the disciples, next the crowds who gathered, and then all peoples, even the Gentiles, from the lands beyond Galilee. This is meant to show the shining power of Jesus who his mighty in both words and deeds.
The Beatitudes set a high standard of moral wisdom about life and are not meant to be exhaustive, but they also are not arbitrary. Most of the Jesus sayings are taken from the "Q" source that helped shaped the Gospels. Matthew probably took some of his expressions from the Psalms. Mark records no such speech and Luke provides four "blesseds" and four "woes" given on a plain instead of a hillside. Though we can never know for sure what Jesus actually said, it is very likely that he said something akin to these sayings. It carries through in the development of his thought.
These sayings represent a form of congratulations that recognize an existing state of happiness. Categories of people are rejoicing because the kingdom of heaven has been proclaimed to them. The poor, the mourners, and the hungry are recipients of Jesus' mission to the needy. His preaching ushers in the dawn of a new era of salvation history. Jesus is not saying the poor are happy because of their condition in life. Poverty was seen as an evil; wealth as a blessing. Jesus is telling the poor that they are happy because they receive God's special care for them, just as an Oriental king specially provides for his people.
Matthew emphasizes God's justice as it is a major theme of his Gospel, hence the concentration on one's persevering through terrible persecutions. The poor are the needy ones in Israel who prefer divine service to financial advantage and yet he adds "in spirit" to move the emphasis from social-economic to a personal-moral, voluntary poverty with highlights of humility and detachment from wealth. Wealth carries with it an inherent risk of neglecting God and others who are needy. The meek show a form of charity; some mourn to see evil reign on earth; the merciful pardon one's neighbors; the pure of heart stand close to justice; and peacemakers are no longer only mighty monarchs, but can be anyone. Hence, the Beatitudes become a program of life for the believer. God will stand by those who strive for these lofty virtues.
Jesus is not asking the people to change their status in life, only their attitudes. These actions will influence their hope-filled future and will make them able to notice God's steadfast presence in their life today - a presence that reaches everyone, especially the neediest in society. Following the way of Jesus is sure to bring us happiness today because we are in right relations with others and with God. We can see ourselves as blessed because our saving God stands by us. This changes our attitudes and we learn to see others as God does. Everyone wants to be happy. We are to realize it is within our grasp today - and always. It really is.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
First Reading: Hebrews tells of our ancestor's sacrifices in the face of adversity. God approved their good efforts as they lived according to God's promise. When you offer worship, you approach Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and of his angels and spirits. You also approach Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, whose sacrifice was far greater than that of Abel. Because of the Christ event, we are to let fraternal love continue while we are mindful of those whose lives are vulnerable. The Lord will never forsake them. Through Jesus, we are to continually offer God a sacrifice of praise. God is pleased with our good actions towards one another.
Gospel: Jesus enters the 10 Gentile cities of the Decapolis where he meets a strong man possessed by demons named Legion. After exorcising them from him, Jesus sends the spirits into the swine who are impelled to jump into the sea and drown. Jesus crosses back into Galilee where he is met by a synagogue official whose daughter is near death. Jesus heals her from afar. He also heals the woman suffering from hemorrhages for 12 years. He then calls the Twelve together and sends them forth with instructions for preaching and healing. Herod wonders about Jesus, but at a banquet he foolishly grants his daughter a wish, which she misuses as she asks for the head of John the Baptist. Jesus withdraws with his disciples to a quiet place so they can rest and tell their stories of preaching. The crowds arrive and Jesus' heart is moved with pity for them.
Saints of the Week
Monday: John Bosco, priest, (1815-1888) grew up in Turin, Piedmont in the northwest corner of Italy. As a priest, he surveyed the fate of children in prison and formed a religious order to help them build better lives for themselves. He educated working class boys in the evenings and in factories or fields or wherever he could reach them. He was noted for his charity in finding the goodness in these boys.
Wednesday: The Presentation of the Lord is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. Often called the Purification of Mary, it remembers her fulfillment of Mosaic law that demands new mothers to present themselves to the priest who will adjudge their cleanness. She and Joseph brought the child to the Temple with an offering so as to be cleansed by prayers. During this time, Mary and Joseph met the elders, Simeon and Anna, who represented the passing of the old covenant of God.
Thursday: Blaise, bisop and martyr (c.316) was from Armenia was died under the persecution of Licinius. He received fame for curing a boy who nearly choked to death by a fishbone that was lodged in his throat. He has been invoked for many throat afflictions. The rite for blessing throats is done on this day in commemoration of his legendary miracle.
Ansgar, bishop (801-865) was a French bishop who became a monk to preach to pagans. He preached in Denmark and Sweden and met great success and became archbishop of Hamburg. He is known as the Apostle of the North.
Friday: John de Brito, priest, martyr, and Carlos Spinola, Rudolph Acquaviva, and companions, martyrs of the missions, are celebrated for giving their lives for the build up of the faith in foreign missions. John de Brito was a Portuguese who ministered in India; Spinola, an Italian, went to Japan, and Acquaviva, from Naples, was killed with companions near Goa, India.
Saturday: Agatha, martyr, (d.251) was a martyr in the Decian persecution. When she was forced into a brothel to give up her faith, she was tortured and killed. Agatha's intercession is attributed for the stilling of Mount Etna's eruption the year after her burial. The faithful began to invoke her protection against fire. She is mentioned in the first Eucharistic prayer.
This Week in Jesuit History
• Jan 30, 1633. At Avignon, Fr. John Pujol, a famous master of novices, died. He ordered one of them to water a dry stick, which miraculously sprouted.
• Jan 31, 1774. Fr. General Laurence Ricci, a prisoner in Castel S Angelo, claimed his liberty, since his innocence had been fully vindicated. He received from the Papal Congregation the reply that they would think about it. Pope Clement XIV was said at this time to be mentally afflicted.
• Feb 1, 1549. The first Jesuit missionaries to go to Brazil set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, under Fr. Emmanuel de Nobrega.
• Feb 2, 1528. Ignatius arrived in Paris to begin his program of studies at the University of Paris.
• Feb 3, 1571. In Florida, the martyrdom of Fr. Louis Quiros and two novices, shot with arrows by an apostate Indian.
• Feb 4, 1617. An imperial edict banished all missionaries from China.
• Feb 5, 1833. The first provincial of Maryland, Fr. William McSherry, was appointed.
Groundhog Day
Spring is seven weeks from February 2nd, Groundhog Day. If the groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and sees his shadow, it will return to its burrow and wait out the winter. If the day is cloudy and he does not return, an early spring and moderate weather is predicted. Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous of the groundhogs where crowds of over 40,000 have been known to gather on February 2nd to find out if spring will come early.
The tradition arises from German folklore that was brought to the United States. This poem was proclaimed on Candlemas, which is also the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
Candlemas is 40 days after Christmas. The priest will bless candles that will be used throughout the liturgical year during Mass on this day.
The Beatitudes are one of the most beloved passages from the Gospels. It opens the famous Sermon on the Mount that was masterfully recorded by Matthew. Mountains are often places of revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus rightly is taking his place on the mountain in a way similar to an Oriental teacher. He address, as in concentric rings, first the disciples, next the crowds who gathered, and then all peoples, even the Gentiles, from the lands beyond Galilee. This is meant to show the shining power of Jesus who his mighty in both words and deeds.
The Beatitudes set a high standard of moral wisdom about life and are not meant to be exhaustive, but they also are not arbitrary. Most of the Jesus sayings are taken from the "Q" source that helped shaped the Gospels. Matthew probably took some of his expressions from the Psalms. Mark records no such speech and Luke provides four "blesseds" and four "woes" given on a plain instead of a hillside. Though we can never know for sure what Jesus actually said, it is very likely that he said something akin to these sayings. It carries through in the development of his thought.
These sayings represent a form of congratulations that recognize an existing state of happiness. Categories of people are rejoicing because the kingdom of heaven has been proclaimed to them. The poor, the mourners, and the hungry are recipients of Jesus' mission to the needy. His preaching ushers in the dawn of a new era of salvation history. Jesus is not saying the poor are happy because of their condition in life. Poverty was seen as an evil; wealth as a blessing. Jesus is telling the poor that they are happy because they receive God's special care for them, just as an Oriental king specially provides for his people.
Matthew emphasizes God's justice as it is a major theme of his Gospel, hence the concentration on one's persevering through terrible persecutions. The poor are the needy ones in Israel who prefer divine service to financial advantage and yet he adds "in spirit" to move the emphasis from social-economic to a personal-moral, voluntary poverty with highlights of humility and detachment from wealth. Wealth carries with it an inherent risk of neglecting God and others who are needy. The meek show a form of charity; some mourn to see evil reign on earth; the merciful pardon one's neighbors; the pure of heart stand close to justice; and peacemakers are no longer only mighty monarchs, but can be anyone. Hence, the Beatitudes become a program of life for the believer. God will stand by those who strive for these lofty virtues.
Jesus is not asking the people to change their status in life, only their attitudes. These actions will influence their hope-filled future and will make them able to notice God's steadfast presence in their life today - a presence that reaches everyone, especially the neediest in society. Following the way of Jesus is sure to bring us happiness today because we are in right relations with others and with God. We can see ourselves as blessed because our saving God stands by us. This changes our attitudes and we learn to see others as God does. Everyone wants to be happy. We are to realize it is within our grasp today - and always. It really is.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
First Reading: Hebrews tells of our ancestor's sacrifices in the face of adversity. God approved their good efforts as they lived according to God's promise. When you offer worship, you approach Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and of his angels and spirits. You also approach Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, whose sacrifice was far greater than that of Abel. Because of the Christ event, we are to let fraternal love continue while we are mindful of those whose lives are vulnerable. The Lord will never forsake them. Through Jesus, we are to continually offer God a sacrifice of praise. God is pleased with our good actions towards one another.
Gospel: Jesus enters the 10 Gentile cities of the Decapolis where he meets a strong man possessed by demons named Legion. After exorcising them from him, Jesus sends the spirits into the swine who are impelled to jump into the sea and drown. Jesus crosses back into Galilee where he is met by a synagogue official whose daughter is near death. Jesus heals her from afar. He also heals the woman suffering from hemorrhages for 12 years. He then calls the Twelve together and sends them forth with instructions for preaching and healing. Herod wonders about Jesus, but at a banquet he foolishly grants his daughter a wish, which she misuses as she asks for the head of John the Baptist. Jesus withdraws with his disciples to a quiet place so they can rest and tell their stories of preaching. The crowds arrive and Jesus' heart is moved with pity for them.
Saints of the Week
Monday: John Bosco, priest, (1815-1888) grew up in Turin, Piedmont in the northwest corner of Italy. As a priest, he surveyed the fate of children in prison and formed a religious order to help them build better lives for themselves. He educated working class boys in the evenings and in factories or fields or wherever he could reach them. He was noted for his charity in finding the goodness in these boys.
Wednesday: The Presentation of the Lord is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. Often called the Purification of Mary, it remembers her fulfillment of Mosaic law that demands new mothers to present themselves to the priest who will adjudge their cleanness. She and Joseph brought the child to the Temple with an offering so as to be cleansed by prayers. During this time, Mary and Joseph met the elders, Simeon and Anna, who represented the passing of the old covenant of God.
Thursday: Blaise, bisop and martyr (c.316) was from Armenia was died under the persecution of Licinius. He received fame for curing a boy who nearly choked to death by a fishbone that was lodged in his throat. He has been invoked for many throat afflictions. The rite for blessing throats is done on this day in commemoration of his legendary miracle.
Ansgar, bishop (801-865) was a French bishop who became a monk to preach to pagans. He preached in Denmark and Sweden and met great success and became archbishop of Hamburg. He is known as the Apostle of the North.
Friday: John de Brito, priest, martyr, and Carlos Spinola, Rudolph Acquaviva, and companions, martyrs of the missions, are celebrated for giving their lives for the build up of the faith in foreign missions. John de Brito was a Portuguese who ministered in India; Spinola, an Italian, went to Japan, and Acquaviva, from Naples, was killed with companions near Goa, India.
Saturday: Agatha, martyr, (d.251) was a martyr in the Decian persecution. When she was forced into a brothel to give up her faith, she was tortured and killed. Agatha's intercession is attributed for the stilling of Mount Etna's eruption the year after her burial. The faithful began to invoke her protection against fire. She is mentioned in the first Eucharistic prayer.
This Week in Jesuit History
• Jan 30, 1633. At Avignon, Fr. John Pujol, a famous master of novices, died. He ordered one of them to water a dry stick, which miraculously sprouted.
• Jan 31, 1774. Fr. General Laurence Ricci, a prisoner in Castel S Angelo, claimed his liberty, since his innocence had been fully vindicated. He received from the Papal Congregation the reply that they would think about it. Pope Clement XIV was said at this time to be mentally afflicted.
• Feb 1, 1549. The first Jesuit missionaries to go to Brazil set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, under Fr. Emmanuel de Nobrega.
• Feb 2, 1528. Ignatius arrived in Paris to begin his program of studies at the University of Paris.
• Feb 3, 1571. In Florida, the martyrdom of Fr. Louis Quiros and two novices, shot with arrows by an apostate Indian.
• Feb 4, 1617. An imperial edict banished all missionaries from China.
• Feb 5, 1833. The first provincial of Maryland, Fr. William McSherry, was appointed.
Groundhog Day
Spring is seven weeks from February 2nd, Groundhog Day. If the groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and sees his shadow, it will return to its burrow and wait out the winter. If the day is cloudy and he does not return, an early spring and moderate weather is predicted. Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous of the groundhogs where crowds of over 40,000 have been known to gather on February 2nd to find out if spring will come early.
The tradition arises from German folklore that was brought to the United States. This poem was proclaimed on Candlemas, which is also the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
Candlemas is 40 days after Christmas. The priest will bless candles that will be used throughout the liturgical year during Mass on this day.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Prayer: Thomas Aquinas
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp your Words correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express your Words with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp your Words correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express your Words with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Prayer: Teilhard de Chardin
Someday,
after-mastering
the winds,
the waves,
the tides and gravity,
we shall harness...
the energies of love.
And then,
for the second time
in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire.
after-mastering
the winds,
the waves,
the tides and gravity,
we shall harness...
the energies of love.
And then,
for the second time
in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Prayer: Elizabeth Johnson – Consider Jesus p. 115
When human beings whom God loves suffer, God is present with them, compassionately loving them through the suffering, desiring life for them, and acting to bring it about when human forces have played themselves out.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Homily: The Conversion of Paul
The story of Saul’s call to discipleship is an enviable one. Many of us wish for that brilliant 'flash of lightning' event that gives us an unmistakably clear picture of the way the Lord is calling us to deeper love and intimacy. It doesn’t work that way for us. Our call typically comes from invitations that encourage our freedom rather than from an earth-shaking event like Saul's.
We meet Saul as an infamous persecutor of the People of the Way, as Christians were called. His road to Damascus experience makes him a believer and gives him a mission as the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul did not just go on his merry way to start his ministry. We seldom think about the trauma Paul experienced during the transition. He is a zealous man who believes in the supremacy of the Torah, as any devout Jew believes. He works tirelessly to bring about conditions to fulfill the Law, and he is intent on wiping out any impediments to that goal – and to Saul, the People of the Way are upsetting the hopes of the Jews. To be a faithful servant who hastens God’s plan for salvation, Saul seeks to correct the conditions to bring about the Day of the Lord. His mind is bewildered and boggled to realize that this man, Jesus, whose mission apparently failed, now replaces the Law as his symbol of worship.
Saul cannot comprehend Jesus through his cognition. His head gets in the way. His duty, strict adherence to his belief in the laws, his cultural conditioning does not allow his heart to be moved. Somehow it has to be moved aside. We have parallels in our church today when bishops teach the faithful ones to obediently fulfill church teaching by rigid adherence through its documents, it's teaching of idealized Platonic and classical ideals, rather than through one's own heart that is taught from one's lived experiences of faith. Faith in God comes about only when it becomes personal.
This is what happens to Saul. With Saul, it gets personal. Jesus cries out to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" No human runs to his or her catechism, or General Instruction on the Roman Missal, or puts on a cassock or biretta, to answer this question. Our heart and emotions engage. We deal with our human response as we contemplate the pain our Risen Lord is feeling. How many times have we uttered a cry like this, "why are you picking on me?," "why don't you leave me alone," or "don't you realize you are hurting me?" This is real pain. Christ feels vulnerable. Christ feels real pain. Saul causes it. We also cause it. The Lord's words erupt after experiencing prolonged abuse, and he seeks relief. Saul can only ask, "Who are you that I am hurting?" Yes, this is personal. He no longer wants to hurt Christ Jesus anymore. His heart becomes aware; now his mind has to comprehend the consequences of his actions. The heart informs the head. The heart leads the head.
Saul goes off to Damascus and becomes Paul. We pay little regard for the wrestling that Paul goes through to piece his life together. His world is shattered - completely splattered - and he no longer has a compass to orient his life. His entire worldview has to be rebuilt. Without a doubt, Christ does not leave him, and without a doubt, Paul relies upon the graciousness of his one-time enemies. We cannot contemplate Paul's call without looking at Ananias who becomes a critical player and his metanoia is more along the lines of our own call.
Ananias offers Paul hospitality. He feeds him, nurses him, spends time with him, and lays hands upon him. He respectfully relates his own story to Paul and patiently gets him back on his feet. He cares for him in his trauma and soothes his soul-searched wounds. He does not proselytize, but gives him freedom and space and time to be healed. Ananias has fears and doubts for sure. Against the fragile community's wishes, he takes in his most-feared adversary who now professes 'Jesus is Lord.' Surely he doubts Paul's integrity, but he hangs on. He just remains with him rather than trying to do something for him. His patient pacing and persevering pays off.
Ananias was called to greater love and trust in Christ which makes him risk his life and the life of the fledgling, persecuted community. He wasn't called to a specific vocation, or to a new position, or to a new identity. He was called to a new way of being. Ananias' call was to be a person who extended mercy and hospitality, compassionate care, and a tender invitation for Paul to rebuild his life around the Lord in his Damascus home. It was not a call to a "what" but to a "how." It was a shift from head to heart. The early church needed the example of Ananias, and we need this example in our church today. "How are we going to be?" is more important than "what or who are we going to be?"
We come here to focus upon our friendship with Christ. As we consider our own call, perhaps it is helpful for us to remember the people who invited us along the way to see Jesus more clearly. We cherish them and uphold them and we want what they have. They are like Ananias to us and they befriend us when we find ourselves in a bad way. And in a loving way, they hold up for us a giant STOP sign to indicate that we may need to take a breath and get our life on track with the Lord once again. They help us look deeply into the eyes of Christ so we may once again be in right relations with him.
Only Christ can help us remove the impediments to seeing him more clearly. We can't do it. We can't will it to happen. Only his mercy will take away that which keeps us from getting closer. He helps us see that we try to control him, that we see him as we would like not as he really is, that we look at the narcissistic part of ourselves that keeps us looking at our navel instead of looking at him. In many ways, he is trying to knock us off our high horse with a blinding light so we can stop to pay attention to him, just as he did with Saul. He is crying out, "John, John, why are you neglecting me? I want you to come closer to me. Why don't you let go? Think of what you will gain rather than what you will lose. I can't reach you if you hold onto yourself. Please, John, let go. I want you to be with me." When we stop and learn to see him with our heart, we feel his pain, we feel his vulnerabilities. We feel with him as he feels. Everything changes. Everything looks different when we allow his heart to touch our own.
Christ wants to give himself to us because that is all he can do. He knows how much we need forgiveness and healing in a world that is systemically broken. He knows the extent that each of us is hurt and battered, and he wants us to actualize his dream for us. He wants our hearts to be so alive each day that it nearly explodes with his presence, just because he desires us so much.
Watch him over these next few days. Just be with him now - not working hard, not praying hard. He wants us to be with him now, to see him fully, so we can also see the great act of love he does for us. The cross looms on the horizon and while it is horrific to gaze upon, we can't escape it. We cannot separate him from his Cross. He wants us to know just how far he will go to give himself over for us. We need him to do this for us. You can't save yourself. In the meantime, give whatever you can to him. Give him your heart. Give him all your worries and fears. Give him anything you can. And if you still can't do that, let him take it from you. Let him do what he came to us to do. His heart will be consoled.
We meet Saul as an infamous persecutor of the People of the Way, as Christians were called. His road to Damascus experience makes him a believer and gives him a mission as the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul did not just go on his merry way to start his ministry. We seldom think about the trauma Paul experienced during the transition. He is a zealous man who believes in the supremacy of the Torah, as any devout Jew believes. He works tirelessly to bring about conditions to fulfill the Law, and he is intent on wiping out any impediments to that goal – and to Saul, the People of the Way are upsetting the hopes of the Jews. To be a faithful servant who hastens God’s plan for salvation, Saul seeks to correct the conditions to bring about the Day of the Lord. His mind is bewildered and boggled to realize that this man, Jesus, whose mission apparently failed, now replaces the Law as his symbol of worship.
Saul cannot comprehend Jesus through his cognition. His head gets in the way. His duty, strict adherence to his belief in the laws, his cultural conditioning does not allow his heart to be moved. Somehow it has to be moved aside. We have parallels in our church today when bishops teach the faithful ones to obediently fulfill church teaching by rigid adherence through its documents, it's teaching of idealized Platonic and classical ideals, rather than through one's own heart that is taught from one's lived experiences of faith. Faith in God comes about only when it becomes personal.
This is what happens to Saul. With Saul, it gets personal. Jesus cries out to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" No human runs to his or her catechism, or General Instruction on the Roman Missal, or puts on a cassock or biretta, to answer this question. Our heart and emotions engage. We deal with our human response as we contemplate the pain our Risen Lord is feeling. How many times have we uttered a cry like this, "why are you picking on me?," "why don't you leave me alone," or "don't you realize you are hurting me?" This is real pain. Christ feels vulnerable. Christ feels real pain. Saul causes it. We also cause it. The Lord's words erupt after experiencing prolonged abuse, and he seeks relief. Saul can only ask, "Who are you that I am hurting?" Yes, this is personal. He no longer wants to hurt Christ Jesus anymore. His heart becomes aware; now his mind has to comprehend the consequences of his actions. The heart informs the head. The heart leads the head.
Saul goes off to Damascus and becomes Paul. We pay little regard for the wrestling that Paul goes through to piece his life together. His world is shattered - completely splattered - and he no longer has a compass to orient his life. His entire worldview has to be rebuilt. Without a doubt, Christ does not leave him, and without a doubt, Paul relies upon the graciousness of his one-time enemies. We cannot contemplate Paul's call without looking at Ananias who becomes a critical player and his metanoia is more along the lines of our own call.
Ananias offers Paul hospitality. He feeds him, nurses him, spends time with him, and lays hands upon him. He respectfully relates his own story to Paul and patiently gets him back on his feet. He cares for him in his trauma and soothes his soul-searched wounds. He does not proselytize, but gives him freedom and space and time to be healed. Ananias has fears and doubts for sure. Against the fragile community's wishes, he takes in his most-feared adversary who now professes 'Jesus is Lord.' Surely he doubts Paul's integrity, but he hangs on. He just remains with him rather than trying to do something for him. His patient pacing and persevering pays off.
Ananias was called to greater love and trust in Christ which makes him risk his life and the life of the fledgling, persecuted community. He wasn't called to a specific vocation, or to a new position, or to a new identity. He was called to a new way of being. Ananias' call was to be a person who extended mercy and hospitality, compassionate care, and a tender invitation for Paul to rebuild his life around the Lord in his Damascus home. It was not a call to a "what" but to a "how." It was a shift from head to heart. The early church needed the example of Ananias, and we need this example in our church today. "How are we going to be?" is more important than "what or who are we going to be?"
We come here to focus upon our friendship with Christ. As we consider our own call, perhaps it is helpful for us to remember the people who invited us along the way to see Jesus more clearly. We cherish them and uphold them and we want what they have. They are like Ananias to us and they befriend us when we find ourselves in a bad way. And in a loving way, they hold up for us a giant STOP sign to indicate that we may need to take a breath and get our life on track with the Lord once again. They help us look deeply into the eyes of Christ so we may once again be in right relations with him.
Only Christ can help us remove the impediments to seeing him more clearly. We can't do it. We can't will it to happen. Only his mercy will take away that which keeps us from getting closer. He helps us see that we try to control him, that we see him as we would like not as he really is, that we look at the narcissistic part of ourselves that keeps us looking at our navel instead of looking at him. In many ways, he is trying to knock us off our high horse with a blinding light so we can stop to pay attention to him, just as he did with Saul. He is crying out, "John, John, why are you neglecting me? I want you to come closer to me. Why don't you let go? Think of what you will gain rather than what you will lose. I can't reach you if you hold onto yourself. Please, John, let go. I want you to be with me." When we stop and learn to see him with our heart, we feel his pain, we feel his vulnerabilities. We feel with him as he feels. Everything changes. Everything looks different when we allow his heart to touch our own.
Christ wants to give himself to us because that is all he can do. He knows how much we need forgiveness and healing in a world that is systemically broken. He knows the extent that each of us is hurt and battered, and he wants us to actualize his dream for us. He wants our hearts to be so alive each day that it nearly explodes with his presence, just because he desires us so much.
Watch him over these next few days. Just be with him now - not working hard, not praying hard. He wants us to be with him now, to see him fully, so we can also see the great act of love he does for us. The cross looms on the horizon and while it is horrific to gaze upon, we can't escape it. We cannot separate him from his Cross. He wants us to know just how far he will go to give himself over for us. We need him to do this for us. You can't save yourself. In the meantime, give whatever you can to him. Give him your heart. Give him all your worries and fears. Give him anything you can. And if you still can't do that, let him take it from you. Let him do what he came to us to do. His heart will be consoled.
Song: God of Australia
This song can be sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda. It was composed by Jesuit Father Joseph Sobb in 1988.Since today is Australia Day, it is a good day to remember the people of the Down Under country
God of Australia
God of Australia, you have loved this ancient land,
God of all peoples and God of the earth.
In the dreaming we find you, Lord of life and holiness,
Spirit among us creating new birth:
Chorus:
Praise God Australia!, Praise God, Australia!
Desert and seacoast and mountains give praise!
In the city, the workplace, bush and farm and home be praise!
Blest be the God who gives life to us all!
Chorus:
God of Australia, you have known us all by name,
God in our present and God of our past.
You have called us to walk with
justice and integrity, vision of hope for the first and the last.
Chorus:
God of Australa, you have loved us all our days,
God of the inland and God of the sea.
Guide us all in your mercy, as we hold your gifts in trust,
building a nation united and free.
God of Australia
God of Australia, you have loved this ancient land,
God of all peoples and God of the earth.
In the dreaming we find you, Lord of life and holiness,
Spirit among us creating new birth:
Chorus:
Praise God Australia!, Praise God, Australia!
Desert and seacoast and mountains give praise!
In the city, the workplace, bush and farm and home be praise!
Blest be the God who gives life to us all!
Chorus:
God of Australia, you have known us all by name,
God in our present and God of our past.
You have called us to walk with
justice and integrity, vision of hope for the first and the last.
Chorus:
God of Australa, you have loved us all our days,
God of the inland and God of the sea.
Guide us all in your mercy, as we hold your gifts in trust,
building a nation united and free.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)