A total eclipse of the heart?

August 21, 2017

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Lectionary: 419

JGS2:11-19

PS 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43AB AND 44

MT 19:16-22

Today, in case you live under a rock, there was a solar eclipse over the United States.   Many people traveled great distances to be in the path of total darkness, taking a vacation and buying special equipment.   Some prepared for months ahead of time and even now are preparing for the next one to come.  My neighbor’s son was so excited by the eclipse that he wanted to come down and make sure I had a chance to see it.  They brought some of those special glasses and shared them with me as we stood and talked.  He talked about the zucchini, the peppers, the sun, and anything else that came to his mind.  The one thing I could tell is he was excited, and he wanted to share that excitement with me.  

In the Gospel today we see the rich young man coming up to Jesus to find out what to do to get to Heaven.   I imagine him being so excited to know Jesus was there.  Something was missing though.  He had everything money could buy, was living the life of a devout believer, and still knew in his heart there was something more he needed.  The irony of Jesus question back to him always floors me.  The incarnation of Goodness itself standing before the young man challenging, do you realize who I am?  Do you realize that you just asked the image of all that is good, how to be good?  We too were once excited about our faith.   That moment when we first began to believe ourselves, when we realized the beauty of our faith when God spoke to us in the inmost region of our hearts.

The Israelites often needed good men and women to bring them back on course.  Judges, Prophets, and even kings.   I think the readings today, and the events of this afternoon, remind us of an important thing.  We must be careful not to let life eclipse God in our lives.  Too often we let little things creep in and begin to block out the light and dim the excitement.  At first, it’s just a little here or there, but the moon is much smaller than the sun and yet it can block all of its light?  Like the child who visited me today and encouraged me to look at this beautiful astronomical phenomena, do I realize the gift that God has offered me as a child of God?  Do I run to others and tell them about Jesus with awe and wonder?  Or am I letting anything get in the way?  

The Sacraments and the Church are the glasses we need to be able to look in the right direction, to view a glimpse beyond the veil and into Heaven itself… that we can begin to get all that blocks the light out of the way and let the Son Himself shine through in the fullness of His glory.. Saint Pius the tenth reminds us of the need to constantly renew ourselves and our worship of God.   To bring about reverence and respect for the gifts that God has given us in the Eucharist.   He is a constant reminder of what it looks like to lead a Pius and Holy life, filled with study of Scripture, discipline, and obedience.  (Warning, now comes the pun): Are you ready to get out of the way, letting God shine through before you too have a total eclipse of the heart? The goal of the Christian should be to let God eclipse us so that when someone looks in our direction they do not even see the man that stands before them, but the image of God shining through in all its purity.