Recently on a silent retreat we were encouraged to meditate on thankfulness as we sat on this beautiful outlook, overlooking the great Mississippi river. The previous afternoon during our one hour of fellowship I was telling my friends about the frog I had been meditating on the morning before. They told me about humming birds, eagles, deer, rabbits, and butterflies. How wonderful the diversity of life in this place! As I sat there watching the golden rays of the sun crest the morning sky, a butterfly passed by. A red tailed hawk flew overhead and a rabbit scampered on the trail below. The breeze was picking up and I was in awe of the beauty of the moment. Then I thought, this moment would be perfect if a deer would just walk out of the forest right now.
How frustrating that must be for our Heavenly Father. To be in a relationship with a stiff necked people who are never happy with what He offers them. Here I was meditating on being thankful for the moment and even in that moment had notes for God on how to make it better, instead of just being content and happy with the beauty and grace I was already receiving. There are times when I am just in an ill mood. My wife tells me when I am in that mood she can do nothing right, nothing seems to calm me down. How horrible that must be for her! To not be the cause of my angst and yet be the one to receive the annoyances and ire. God gets even worse from us.
In the Gospel for today Jesus has brought to the people the glorious and wonderous news that God is offering forgiveness to all people! Eternal life! He offers it with a simple message, love God and your neighbor. It's not a new message, but the same message God gave to Moses in the desert. Simply live what you already know to be true and you can live forever in Heaven with God! "You know what would make this message even better Jesus? If you were to do a miracle here for us to prove it." It was their deer. Instead of realizing the beauty of what was right before them, God himself incarnated in the person of Christ, they wanted more.
He comes to us every day in the Sacraments offering that same salvation and He challenges us to live the message we already know to be true in our hearts. As Moses said last week in the readings, It is not in some far off land or in the skies that someone must go and get it for us, it's right here in our hearts and on our lips. Love. Saint Camillus De Lellis, our Saint for the today, reminds us how to live that out. By greeting Christ in His most distressing of disguises. That whatever we do to the least of these, the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan, the angry young man with a gun, the police officer shot in the line of duty, the family left behind... whatever we do for these, we do for Christ. Are you ready to encounter Christ? In the face of the sick and dying? The old and the young? The refugee? The Muslim? The Jew? The Atheist? We need to stop asking God to give us a sign to push us out into the world to do good, and just do good. He's already given you a sign that goes beyond anything else you could ask for... He rose from the dead that you too might have eternal life. Now go spread the good news!
His servant and yours,
Brian "He must increase, I must decrease."
Many years ago a dear friend of mine and his wife lost a child. It was a heart wrenching experience. I tried to be there for him, tried to comfort and be a true friend. I did not know what to say. I did not know how to handle it. I had never been through that experience and while I did try to understand and emphasize, I truly could not know what he was going through. I remember him asking me if I wanted to hold her. She was like a porcelain doll. Her features etched and fine, premature but there was no doubt in my mind that she was beautiful. I still to this day remember holding that child and sobbing inside. Years later, after having lost a child of our own to miscarriage I understand even more. I know that the heart mourns the life it has not had a chance to live. My heart still aches to this day, and while I am comforted to know that I have a young Saint in Heaven who is praying for me and watching over me, I still long to see him. I still find myself in tears sometimes, mourning the loss when some scene comes on the TV or I see a child playing.
In the first reading today we see that same grief. Written over 500 years before the birth of Christ, we as Christians see a clear prediction to the Passion of our Lord. "They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn." The mourning that day will be as great as one of the 'worst days' in Jewish history, the day when one of the greatest kings of their time had fallen in battle. I was just watching the movie Risen (2016) again last night. I am struck by the scene at the foot of the cross where the guard says "surely this man was innocent." His acting was amazing in my mind. You could see the confusion, the terror, the understanding. The responsible Psalm captures his emotions in a simple way: "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord, my God." As God Himself hung before him on the cross, with water and blood pouring from His side to form the Church that would fulfill that longing by bringing us face to face with our God in the Sacraments, his mind reeled with confusion as that longing and restlessness was confronted with divinity.
St. Augustine said it well when he said "Our hearts are restless, until they rest in thee O Lord."
In the Gospel we see Jesus asking His disciples the simple question that should resound in all of our hearts, just as it resounded at the foot of the cross: "Who do you say that I am?" St. Paul talks in the reading from Galatians about being clothed in Christ. How can we claim to be clothed in Him if we do not know Him? And how can we claim to know Him if we do not have a relationship with Him? If I told you I love my wife and family and know them well, and you asked well how is your wife... and I responded "I dunno, I haven't talked to her lately." You'd say this man is crazy! He doesn't know his wife? How can he claim to love her if he doesn't even speak to her? Doesn't spend time with her? Doesn't know what makes her tick? Doesn't at least listen and care enough to be present to her? And so it is with Jesus, we have to get to know Him. We have to spend time with Him. We have to learn to do the things He loves, learn to avoid the things that He dislikes, and above all learn to spend time with Him.
That means two things in my mind: A Sacramental life, and living out Matthew 25. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me. Today we listened as Father Moses from the Missionaries of Saint Paul speak about doing just that. He talked about celebrating Mass in make shift shelters, performing things normally done by nurses and doctors because a life was at stake, feeding the poor, comforting the sick, giving clean water to the thirsty. He spoke of times when he smelt the flesh of those burnt by Boko Haram and had to minister to those burnt, maimed and harmed by them. It wasn't till his last story that I began to cry though I was close the entire time. When he spoke of a woman who walked up to him and said, "Father I loved your story. I do not have money to give you, but can I give you a hug?" That alone was enough to make me emotional but his response was amazing: He said it was such a powerful gift because he carries his ministry in his heart, so when she hugs him, she hugs all those in need, all those he has served.. the women, children, the poor, the destitute, the refugee, the indigent, all those Christ speaks of in Matthew 25.
Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ - Mathew 25: 34-40
That's what it means to be a disciple of Christ, to truly be clothed in Him. It means carrying Him in your heart and all those He cares about. It means being so immersed in your love and service for others that when they see you, they see through you to the Christ you have been in a relationship with you. Christ in the Sacraments gives us the strength to go out and share grace with Christ in the stranger. Are you holding Him in your heart in such a powerful way? Are you ready to be so united with Christ that you allow Him to not only take you into the Tabernacle with Him in the Eucharist, but to make you into a living tabernacle that goes out into the world to share Him with others? Jesus has the poor, the meek, the mourning, the hungry, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted with Him, they are with Him always.. are you with them? Not all of us are called to be missionaries, but all of us are called to be disciples, to serve where we are.. to bloom where we are planted. Are you blooming? Will He find you when He comes with fruit? Or will He find you not dressed for the wedding?
I'm very excited this morning as we begin our pro-life VBS program. I wanted to get my assignment and blog entry done first thing and get my prayers in early. I am glad I did. The first reading for today reminds me that in all things, it is God who is the source of our provision. The rain, the weather, all of creation responds to His Word. What kind of VBS teacher would I be if I did not rely on that simple truth? It requires though that we be obedient. Elijah has just made a statement that it will not rain or even dew without his approval, all by the power of the Lord. He has to do his part though. Elijah has to journey into the area of the Wadi Cherith and remain there. There the Lord will provide for him by having food brought to him morning and evening. The Wadi is a stream that has deep hidden areas that provide a place for the persecuted to hide. Even in God's provisional plan not only has he taken care of his need for food and drink, but provided him a place to remain with physical protection.
Jesus in the Gospel for today continues that theme of obedience and providence. Mathew is writing to a predominately Jewish audience and theologically is portraying Jesus as the New Moses, the greater Prophet, who ascends the mountain and gives us the Law. The disciples go up with Him and he proceeds to give them one of the most important speeches in the history of mankind, the beatitudes. Some try to claim that Jesus did away with obedience, that we no longer have to do anything but profess and believe. It's not either or, but both and. Jesus didn't make things easier morally, he made them even more difficult. He did not 'do away' with morality but required it to be internalized, to become a part of who we are. They are in fact the road-map to obedience.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven.
When we examine and delve into these eight simple, yet very complex statements, we find that they describe the incarnation of God himself, Christ. His life lived them out perfectly. Who is more poor in spirit than He who condescended from omnipotence to become a mortal man for the sake of us? Who mourns more than the God who loves us so greatly that He would die in our steed to prevent us ever being separated from His side? Who is meeker than the Paschal Lamb whose blood was offered as a propitiation for our sins? Who can dare thirst for righteousness or is more merciful than He who is justice and mercy itself? Again who can claim to be more clean of heart than the spotless, unblemished sacrifice of God's only begotten Son? Then who can claim to be more of a peacemaker than He who tore down the wall that separated Gentile and Jew and restored mankind to the state of grace for which we were created?
Yes, the beatitudes describe Christ the man, but more powerfully Christ on the Cross. They call us to a radical notion of detachment. To be free of all the vices and desires of this life. Power, wealth, pleasure, and honor. All of which Jesus gave up on the cross. Who is more powerless than to be nailed to a tree by your hands and feet, to die a slow and horrendous death in the stead of another? Who has less wealth than the one whose very clothing is being gambled for and given away as you hang naked moments from death? Who has less pleasure than to experience the pain and agony of thirst and crucifixion in the hot desert air? Who lacks honor man than He who was King of the Universe to be mocked, spit on, and executed in the death which is reserved for the worst of the worst Criminals.
1717 The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
The beatitudes indeed call us to a radical detachment from this world. They also call us though, to a radical attachment to God himself. This attachment comes in the form of obedience. It starts by emulating Christ. By being more like Christ, we become more like God. In living a life of detachment from this world with a radical attachment to God, we rely on Him just as Elijah did at the Wadi. We count on him for our sustenance, for our protection, for our comforts and joys. We cling to Him in times of sorrow. We seek not our own, but His! We need not wealth to be happy and joyful, but rather can become generous and loving with whatever we are blessed with. Yes, these beatitudes are the key to living a life of peace and joy. The key to understanding them lies in the Eucharist, in the person of Christ, in the Sacraments. Are you ready to get radical? I don't know if I am ready for it, but Lord I am willing! Let's make that our prayer today.
