4 July 2014 - freedom in dependence
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
We're all sick. We're all sinners in need of mercy. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23). We are all saved by grace as a gift, leaving nothing about which we can boast (cf. Eph. 2:8). The more we realize our need, what we're like on our own, apart from Christ, the more quickly we respond we he says, "Follow me."
Many of us can relate to the condemnation Matthew experiences on all sides. The Pharisees ask the disciples why Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors. They make Matthew out to be a blemish on the reputation of Jesus. Matthew's whole life before the invitation of Christ is marked by this isolation and rejection. Being a tax collector is known to reward the selfish. Tax collectors profit over and above the taxes they collect. This is more or less expected, but there is little to stop them from taking more and more and more. It is probably that at one time Matthew indulges such selfishness in himself. Since he becomes a tax collector at all we may assume that his heart is at one time marked by greed like those in the first reading.
“When will the new moon be over,” you ask,
“that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?”
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
But it seems that he is now hungry for the word of God. He is experiencing the hunger and thirst that comes from a lack of the word. His life apart from Christ is famine of hearing the word of the LORD. He is tired of being lonely. He is tired of thinking that he deserves the loneliness he feels. But though he might "wander from sea to sea and rove from north to the east" he is unable to find a way out on his own. He is stuck on his own. But Jesus does not leave him on his own.
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
We talk about coming to Jesus but Matthew doesn't come to Jesus. Jesus comes to Matthew. And with the simple words, "Follow me", he invites Matthew to make a break with all his past life. He is invited to step out of a life of being dead in sin (cf. Eph. 2:5). He is invited to come out from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (cf. Col. 1:12-13). The way of escape is open, and Matthew refuses to miss the opportunity. The invitation, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (cf. Mat. 3:2) does not feel like condemnation to Matthew. To him, the way to freedom is now open. In place of the famine of the word of God, Matthew is now able to follow the one who is that word incarnate.
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew begins to realize that those who seek Jesus "with all their heart" are the blessed who are empowered to "observe his decrees", who do not stray from his commands. In following Jesus, Matthew even begins to long for God's ordinances. He longs for his precepts but can now ask "in your justice give me life." What he couldn't do on his own he is now empowered to do by following Jesus. Following Jesus both increases the "yearning" for righteousness, and at the same time increases his the Spirit power inside him to truly walk in his ways.
We all need the divine physician to change our hearts from stony hearts to hearts of flesh. He does this by his Spirit in us (cf. Eze. 36:26). We all have areas of our lives where we still live according to the flesh, according to the old man, slaves to the powers of the age. We are all still tax collectors in one way or another. Jesus invites us, "Follow me". Let us respond to his invitation, knowing that when we try to follow he gives us the power to do so, to "walk by the Spirit". (cf. Gal. 5:16)
Friday, July 4, 2014
Thursday, July 3, 2014
3 July 2014 - seen and unseen
3 July 2014 - seen and unseen
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
The disciples mean well, of course. They want to share this life changing experience with Thomas even though he wasn't there. But their enthusiasm backfires.
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Thomas is a mix of zeal and doubt before the events of the Passion. He says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (cf. Joh. 11:16) There is faith in this statement, the desire to stay near Jesus, but also pessimism that it will all come to nothing. This is how St. Cyril of Alexandria interprets it, "The language of Thomas has indeed zeal, but it also has timidity; it was the outcome of devout feeling, but it was mixed with littleness of faith." And now the Passion seems to be the final insult. The hands and feet of Jesus are pierced. His side is opened. This is all too real for Thomas. Not only does all apparently end in failure but he can't even make himself follow Jesus to the cross. He can't die with him as he had said before. He had hoped that Jesus was to be the one who would restore Israel, just as did the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luk. 21:24). But now, in light of all this, how can that ever happen? Thomas now has to remain alive to face this apparently hopeless world.
This is the state of his heart when he is told of the resurrection. To a heart like this the enthusiasm of the others feels more like one more insult. It seems to ignore his obvious pain. He feels isolated from the others, like a stranger and a sojourner, rather than their fellow citizens. If there was to be a resurrection, he might think, why would he be the last to know? Was he loved less than the others? No! Listen to the tenderness with which Jesus reveals himself to Thomas:
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Jesus does not simply allow this situation where Thomas doubts and is the last to know. He uses it as a blessing to all future generations. Saint Gregory the Great tells us:
He delights to reveal himself. He doesn't always do it on our schedule as we would prefer. But it is more than worth it when he does come. Locked doors won't keep him out. Even our doubts won't keep him out if we truly want to know him. He is thinking of you and I when he says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” He allows Thomas to doubt because from his doubt we are more able to believe. What wondrous good can he bring even from our doubts? It is possible that even in our doubts he is preparing our hearts for mission. He is instilling in us the enthusiasm of the psalmist.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
After his encounter with the risen Christ Thomas, we can imagine Thomas reciting that psalm joyfully. It is said he goes as far as India spreading the Gospel. With him let us "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News."
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
The disciples mean well, of course. They want to share this life changing experience with Thomas even though he wasn't there. But their enthusiasm backfires.
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Thomas is a mix of zeal and doubt before the events of the Passion. He says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (cf. Joh. 11:16) There is faith in this statement, the desire to stay near Jesus, but also pessimism that it will all come to nothing. This is how St. Cyril of Alexandria interprets it, "The language of Thomas has indeed zeal, but it also has timidity; it was the outcome of devout feeling, but it was mixed with littleness of faith." And now the Passion seems to be the final insult. The hands and feet of Jesus are pierced. His side is opened. This is all too real for Thomas. Not only does all apparently end in failure but he can't even make himself follow Jesus to the cross. He can't die with him as he had said before. He had hoped that Jesus was to be the one who would restore Israel, just as did the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luk. 21:24). But now, in light of all this, how can that ever happen? Thomas now has to remain alive to face this apparently hopeless world.
This is the state of his heart when he is told of the resurrection. To a heart like this the enthusiasm of the others feels more like one more insult. It seems to ignore his obvious pain. He feels isolated from the others, like a stranger and a sojourner, rather than their fellow citizens. If there was to be a resurrection, he might think, why would he be the last to know? Was he loved less than the others? No! Listen to the tenderness with which Jesus reveals himself to Thomas:
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Jesus does not simply allow this situation where Thomas doubts and is the last to know. He uses it as a blessing to all future generations. Saint Gregory the Great tells us:
The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened. So the disciple who doubted, then felt Christ’s wounds, becomes a witness to the reality of the resurrection.The disciples by themselves are unable to give this experience. They must welcome Jesus into their midst to reveal himself to Thomas. As it was with Peter, flesh and blood cannot reveal this. Thomas does need to come to the other disciples. This is the place where Jesus wants to reveal himself. He wants to build a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, not of just one, but of many living stones. He is building a whole structure, a sacred temple, but he himself must always be the capstone which holds it all together. He himself is the only firm foundation. Only in his presence can we say, “My Lord and my God!” And without that confession everything falls apart.
He delights to reveal himself. He doesn't always do it on our schedule as we would prefer. But it is more than worth it when he does come. Locked doors won't keep him out. Even our doubts won't keep him out if we truly want to know him. He is thinking of you and I when he says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” He allows Thomas to doubt because from his doubt we are more able to believe. What wondrous good can he bring even from our doubts? It is possible that even in our doubts he is preparing our hearts for mission. He is instilling in us the enthusiasm of the psalmist.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
After his encounter with the risen Christ Thomas, we can imagine Thomas reciting that psalm joyfully. It is said he goes as far as India spreading the Gospel. With him let us "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News."
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
2 July 2014 - self, upgraded
2 July 2014 - self, upgraded
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
Jesus insists on integrity. He demands continuity between what we profess and what we do. He wants us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (cf. Jam. 1:22). He has strong words condemning Pharisees and Scribes. He says they "preach but they do not practice" (cf. Mat. 23:3) going so far as to call them whitewashed tombs (cf. Mat. 23:27). He doesn't just value what we do but why we do it. It isn't about how we appear in the eyes of others or even really our appearance to ourselves (cf. 1 Cor. 4:4). We are called to take steps to ensure that our motives are not subverted. We are called to pray in our inner rooms, hidden from the world. We are called to give alms, not letting our right hand know what the left is doing. He has no place for empty show, matters of appearance that have nothing to do with holiness.
Insofar as our piety stems from our desire for self-image it stems from pride. It ignores that we are sinners in need of God's mercy, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23). Self-image ignores our utter dependence on God. Without God we can do nothing good. As Paul as all too aware, "For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want" (cf. Rom 7:20).
We must therefore be wary of an attitude that acts piously because it somehow helps God. We do not feed the most high with our sacrifices. Even when we feed the poor or spread the gospel it is not that we are needed. We are privileged to be allowed to share in his work, to be his partners (cf. 2 Cor. 6:1). We earn nothing thereby and should consider ourselves unprofitable servants (cf. Luk. 17:10).
“If I were hungry, I should not tell you,
for mine are the world and its fullness.
Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls,
or is the blood of goats my drink?”
When we pray, it isn't because he doesn't know what is going on down here. We pray because it is for our good that we be involved and made agents of his grace. He values the relationships that this fosters. He could have created a world in which all individuals were created directly by himself. Instead, he delights to share the task with mothers and fathers. He could havepreached the gospel to the whole world himself. Instead he delights to share it through his family at large, the Church.
Not realizing that he is the source of all things insulates us from the true intimacy to which we are called. We can't help but look down on some and be jealous with others when we believe that we stand on our own strength.
The Son of God is the only one who can drive these demons from our hearts. The demons themselves look around us and see a wide world into which they think they can run. Pride looks within us and thinks it can move from one habit and vice to the next with impunity. The demons imagine that the herd of swine around us and inside us is allied territory into which they can escape. They think that such places are off limits to Jesus. But they are not safe in the swine. Jesus allows no shelter for demons. He drives them back into the very chaos from which they come.
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
Once we realize that nowhere is safe from the healing hand of Jesus we might be tempted, insofar as our pride is invested in our old self-image, to be afraid.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
This is why we need to take off the old man and put on Christ (cf. Eph. 4:22-24). We need to get invested in the new identity we have through baptism.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (cf. Rom. 6:4).
He truly wants to show us his saving power. He wants us to let that power free until we "let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream." He really wants us to live, to have life abundantly (cf. Joh. 10:10). He wants to be with us, to be Emmanuel for each of us individually. So let us cast off the works of darkness which keep him at a distance. He doesn't want our bulls and goats, he wants our hearts. And our hearts will be ever restless until they rest in the one for whom they are created.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
Jesus insists on integrity. He demands continuity between what we profess and what we do. He wants us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (cf. Jam. 1:22). He has strong words condemning Pharisees and Scribes. He says they "preach but they do not practice" (cf. Mat. 23:3) going so far as to call them whitewashed tombs (cf. Mat. 23:27). He doesn't just value what we do but why we do it. It isn't about how we appear in the eyes of others or even really our appearance to ourselves (cf. 1 Cor. 4:4). We are called to take steps to ensure that our motives are not subverted. We are called to pray in our inner rooms, hidden from the world. We are called to give alms, not letting our right hand know what the left is doing. He has no place for empty show, matters of appearance that have nothing to do with holiness.
Insofar as our piety stems from our desire for self-image it stems from pride. It ignores that we are sinners in need of God's mercy, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23). Self-image ignores our utter dependence on God. Without God we can do nothing good. As Paul as all too aware, "For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want" (cf. Rom 7:20).
We must therefore be wary of an attitude that acts piously because it somehow helps God. We do not feed the most high with our sacrifices. Even when we feed the poor or spread the gospel it is not that we are needed. We are privileged to be allowed to share in his work, to be his partners (cf. 2 Cor. 6:1). We earn nothing thereby and should consider ourselves unprofitable servants (cf. Luk. 17:10).
“If I were hungry, I should not tell you,
for mine are the world and its fullness.
Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls,
or is the blood of goats my drink?”
When we pray, it isn't because he doesn't know what is going on down here. We pray because it is for our good that we be involved and made agents of his grace. He values the relationships that this fosters. He could have created a world in which all individuals were created directly by himself. Instead, he delights to share the task with mothers and fathers. He could havepreached the gospel to the whole world himself. Instead he delights to share it through his family at large, the Church.
Not realizing that he is the source of all things insulates us from the true intimacy to which we are called. We can't help but look down on some and be jealous with others when we believe that we stand on our own strength.
The Son of God is the only one who can drive these demons from our hearts. The demons themselves look around us and see a wide world into which they think they can run. Pride looks within us and thinks it can move from one habit and vice to the next with impunity. The demons imagine that the herd of swine around us and inside us is allied territory into which they can escape. They think that such places are off limits to Jesus. But they are not safe in the swine. Jesus allows no shelter for demons. He drives them back into the very chaos from which they come.
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
Once we realize that nowhere is safe from the healing hand of Jesus we might be tempted, insofar as our pride is invested in our old self-image, to be afraid.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
This is why we need to take off the old man and put on Christ (cf. Eph. 4:22-24). We need to get invested in the new identity we have through baptism.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (cf. Rom. 6:4).
He truly wants to show us his saving power. He wants us to let that power free until we "let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream." He really wants us to live, to have life abundantly (cf. Joh. 10:10). He wants to be with us, to be Emmanuel for each of us individually. So let us cast off the works of darkness which keep him at a distance. He doesn't want our bulls and goats, he wants our hearts. And our hearts will be ever restless until they rest in the one for whom they are created.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
1 July 2014 - seaworthy
1 July 2014 - seaworthy
I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the LORD.
One reason the LORD allows us to experience upheaval is so that we return to him. When these desolations come we realize how completely we depend on him. Or at least, that is his desire. He wants us to return to him. Insulated by prosperity we start to act in a self-directed, independent way, without reference to God.
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
So let us prepare to meet him now before it is too late. Let us enter his house because of his abundant mercy and come back into his presence. Let us worship at his holy temple, in fear of him. Let us continue until he is first in our hearts, until all our decisions reference him, until he is the LORD of our hearts, and then evermore.
But even when the LORD is in our boat the storms still come.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
How can he sleep, that is, not act, when circumstances make us cry, "We are perishing!"
But even amidst the circumstances, he says to us “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Apparently, having Jesus in our boats, even when he seems to be sleeping, should be more important to us than whatever violent storms we see around us. Even when our boat seems as though it is being swamped by waves, even when we seem to be sinking, when we seem to be doomed, it should mean more to us that Jesus is with us, even asleep, than anything else we see.
The thing is, if our eyes are on Jesus, we don't even need the boat. The boat represents everything we think we need to stay afloat. But we see that Peter is able to step out from the boat and walk above the waves as long as he keeps his gaze on Christ (cf. Mat. 14:29). When he looks at the strong wind of circumstance he sinks.
And so when we doubt the viability of our craft to face the winds and waves of circumstance let us not fear. Jesus is with us. It is enough to keep our eyes on him, even if he seems asleep. If we do, we will not sink. When we let him sleep, when we consciously embrace his apparent inaction, we grow in relationship with him. We can now recognize his presence even when he isn't giving us presents. Imagine if we thought our parents were only near us on Christmas and our birthdays. Yet we treat God this way. When Jesus sleeps we should imitate Therese and let him sleep:
To just to have Jesus near her is now the source of great joy. In due time he will arise, for some people and some circumstances it will not be until what Therese calls "the great final retreat of eternity." But when he does, he will show that these circumstances which seem so dire never truly hold sway. He is always in control.
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
We can begin to share in the great calm now if we realize that which makes his disciples exclaim, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
He is the same one of whom the psalmist says:
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples (cf. Psa. 65:8).
and
You rule the raging sea;
you still its swelling waves (cf. Psa 89:10).
and
He hushed the storm to silence,
the waves of the sea were stilled (cf. Psa. 107:29)
He is God, and asleep or not, he is always in control and always good.
I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the LORD.
One reason the LORD allows us to experience upheaval is so that we return to him. When these desolations come we realize how completely we depend on him. Or at least, that is his desire. He wants us to return to him. Insulated by prosperity we start to act in a self-directed, independent way, without reference to God.
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
So let us prepare to meet him now before it is too late. Let us enter his house because of his abundant mercy and come back into his presence. Let us worship at his holy temple, in fear of him. Let us continue until he is first in our hearts, until all our decisions reference him, until he is the LORD of our hearts, and then evermore.
But even when the LORD is in our boat the storms still come.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
How can he sleep, that is, not act, when circumstances make us cry, "We are perishing!"
But even amidst the circumstances, he says to us “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Apparently, having Jesus in our boats, even when he seems to be sleeping, should be more important to us than whatever violent storms we see around us. Even when our boat seems as though it is being swamped by waves, even when we seem to be sinking, when we seem to be doomed, it should mean more to us that Jesus is with us, even asleep, than anything else we see.
The thing is, if our eyes are on Jesus, we don't even need the boat. The boat represents everything we think we need to stay afloat. But we see that Peter is able to step out from the boat and walk above the waves as long as he keeps his gaze on Christ (cf. Mat. 14:29). When he looks at the strong wind of circumstance he sinks.
And so when we doubt the viability of our craft to face the winds and waves of circumstance let us not fear. Jesus is with us. It is enough to keep our eyes on him, even if he seems asleep. If we do, we will not sink. When we let him sleep, when we consciously embrace his apparent inaction, we grow in relationship with him. We can now recognize his presence even when he isn't giving us presents. Imagine if we thought our parents were only near us on Christmas and our birthdays. Yet we treat God this way. When Jesus sleeps we should imitate Therese and let him sleep:
I suffered complete spiritual dryness, almost as if I were quite forsaken. As usual, Jesus slept in my little boat. I know that other souls rarely let him sleep peacefully, and he is so wearied by the advances he is always making that he hastens to take advantage of the rest I offer him.In some ways Jesus seems far from her, but just listen to the intimacy of that relationship.
To just to have Jesus near her is now the source of great joy. In due time he will arise, for some people and some circumstances it will not be until what Therese calls "the great final retreat of eternity." But when he does, he will show that these circumstances which seem so dire never truly hold sway. He is always in control.
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
We can begin to share in the great calm now if we realize that which makes his disciples exclaim, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
He is the same one of whom the psalmist says:
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples (cf. Psa. 65:8).
and
You rule the raging sea;
you still its swelling waves (cf. Psa 89:10).
and
He hushed the storm to silence,
the waves of the sea were stilled (cf. Psa. 107:29)
He is God, and asleep or not, he is always in control and always good.
Monday, June 30, 2014
30 June 2014 - follow-through
30 June 2014 - follow-through
We say to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go" and believe ourselves to be disciples. But the trouble is that if we really want to do that which we propose, if we want to live as disciples, there are consequences. We first propose the idea of ourselves as disciples partly out of self-image. We want to be bold and daring, to following Jesus anywhere. But as the consequences become apart, as the rubber hits the road, we think twice. At best we embrace discipleship in a more complete way. We might leave his company like the rich man who went away sad because he had many possessions (cf. Mat. 19:22). A worst case is that we keep this idea of ourselves as followers and hold on to this as our imagined identity but never allow the ramifications to really enter our minds.
This is one reason not everyone who says to Jesus, "Lord, Lord!" will be saved. We have a capacity to delude ourselves. This is why it is such a problem to be lukewarm, why Jesus spits the lukewarm from his mouth (cf. Rev. 3:16). It is a state of profound insulation from our need to change, our need for repentance.
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
If Jesus sees us running in the company of thieves and adulterers, if our actions and our words belie our supposed commitments to Jesus he reveals these things to us. His goal is not to make us hate ourselves. It isn't even to reveal our own imperfection and weakness. But he does want to cast light on the false self-image that we have. He wants us to build a self-image which is sustainable. It needs to be built on him so that it can face challenges which are for man impossible and yet survive, not by insisting on itself in spite of moral failures, but by achieving moral victories through God's grace.
All the victories of our past are from God. It is he who delivered us from the desert of our sinful pasts. It was God who destroyed the Amorites before us, destroyed the power of vice in our hearts to allow us freedom in the land those vices once ruled.
We must remember in whom we find our strength. If we do not remember we risk becoming like Israel in the first reading. We risk the dissipation that inevitably followings putting ourselves first. We misuse the resources of others for our own ends, their "garments taken in pledge" and "the wine of those who have been fined" we consume. Eventually we find that we will "sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals." If this reminds us of Judas and makes us nervous it should. If we do not remember we begin treating the things of God casually, without due reverence. We become like the Israelities who recline by any altar, drinking in the house of their god, but celebrating themselves, ignoring the God of Israel.
He wants to teach us to put him first so that he can show us the way of salvation. To see it we must learn to have his praise as our highest priority.
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
If we look when the LORD draws our attention to our falsely spiritual self-image and let him bring it into the light we can learn how to offer this false self-image to him in sacrifice. At one and the same time we give him praise, acknowledging our complete dependence on him. It is therefore the completely different from self-hatred. When we do this our false self-image will give way and we will become people who truly respond when Jesus says, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
We say to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go" and believe ourselves to be disciples. But the trouble is that if we really want to do that which we propose, if we want to live as disciples, there are consequences. We first propose the idea of ourselves as disciples partly out of self-image. We want to be bold and daring, to following Jesus anywhere. But as the consequences become apart, as the rubber hits the road, we think twice. At best we embrace discipleship in a more complete way. We might leave his company like the rich man who went away sad because he had many possessions (cf. Mat. 19:22). A worst case is that we keep this idea of ourselves as followers and hold on to this as our imagined identity but never allow the ramifications to really enter our minds.
This is one reason not everyone who says to Jesus, "Lord, Lord!" will be saved. We have a capacity to delude ourselves. This is why it is such a problem to be lukewarm, why Jesus spits the lukewarm from his mouth (cf. Rev. 3:16). It is a state of profound insulation from our need to change, our need for repentance.
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
If Jesus sees us running in the company of thieves and adulterers, if our actions and our words belie our supposed commitments to Jesus he reveals these things to us. His goal is not to make us hate ourselves. It isn't even to reveal our own imperfection and weakness. But he does want to cast light on the false self-image that we have. He wants us to build a self-image which is sustainable. It needs to be built on him so that it can face challenges which are for man impossible and yet survive, not by insisting on itself in spite of moral failures, but by achieving moral victories through God's grace.
All the victories of our past are from God. It is he who delivered us from the desert of our sinful pasts. It was God who destroyed the Amorites before us, destroyed the power of vice in our hearts to allow us freedom in the land those vices once ruled.
We must remember in whom we find our strength. If we do not remember we risk becoming like Israel in the first reading. We risk the dissipation that inevitably followings putting ourselves first. We misuse the resources of others for our own ends, their "garments taken in pledge" and "the wine of those who have been fined" we consume. Eventually we find that we will "sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals." If this reminds us of Judas and makes us nervous it should. If we do not remember we begin treating the things of God casually, without due reverence. We become like the Israelities who recline by any altar, drinking in the house of their god, but celebrating themselves, ignoring the God of Israel.
He wants to teach us to put him first so that he can show us the way of salvation. To see it we must learn to have his praise as our highest priority.
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
If we look when the LORD draws our attention to our falsely spiritual self-image and let him bring it into the light we can learn how to offer this false self-image to him in sacrifice. At one and the same time we give him praise, acknowledging our complete dependence on him. It is therefore the completely different from self-hatred. When we do this our false self-image will give way and we will become people who truly respond when Jesus says, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
Sunday, June 29, 2014
29 June 2014 - missin mission
29 June 2014 - missin mission
The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
We see the way in which the LORD's angel rescues those who fear him as Peter is freed from his prison cell. His cell is dark, he is secured with double chains, and guarded by four guards. It would be normal to feel alone. But he is not alone. On a human level, "prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf." It is good to know that the prayer of the Church is such a powerful engine for good in the world. And the Church prays for us as well. She prays for the whole world, especially for those who struggle and suffer, those in chains for whom Jesus wishes freedom, for whom he comes to bring peace (cf. Joh. 14:27).
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
The angel of the LORD encamps around Peter because he knows to fear the LORD and to take refuge in him. Flesh and blood did not teach him this. He takes refuge in the LORD precisely out of response to the Father's revelation. He himself can be a rock because of the truth of who Jesus is. That is why he doesn't insist that his freedom lead to a life of ease. He is freed, not to live a life of comfort and pleasure, but for mission. He is freed to continue declaring, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus still has plans for Peter with which he will not let King Herod interfere. He delivers him so miraculously that Peter doesn't even believe it at first. He thinks he is seeing a vision. Sometimes the goodness of the LORD is difficult to believe. We fear that if we open our eyes all the blessings will prove to be a dream. But the power of his deliverance is real.
“Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
The world tells us that deliverance is an illusion. It says that our nice experiences have no lasting transformative value. But if we know who Jesus is we won't fall for the lies of the world. He is not John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He is the one Peter tells us he is. And because he is he has the power to set us permanently and irrevocably free.
We can't accept this absolute centrality of Jesus through the strength of flesh and blood. We need the heavenly Father to reveal it to us. He does so through Peter. Let us come to Peter and hear him proclaim it. We see the LORD making him a firm foundation for us. He makes him the rock on which the Church is built. Since we are meant to be living stones, since we are meant to be built on rock, let us plant ourselves on the foundations which Peter declares to us. Even today Jesus speaks and the Father reveals. Peter, in a sense, still declares the same things through Saint John Paul the Great, through Benedict XVI, and now through Francis. And when we hear him, we hear Jesus (cf. Luk. 16:10).
The great Church rises from this rock in spite of people like King Herod because of the promise of Jesus that "the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." Jesus ensures the mission of his Church. But again, this doesn't always mean comfort. Jesus himself only establishes the Church through his cross. It is no wonder, then, that he makes it grow with the blood of his martyrs, starting with Stephen. Even though Peter is the rock, even though the LORD gives him freedom at one time, he also uses Peter's imprisonment and martyrdom. In this case, it is part of the plan.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” (cf. Joh 21:18-19).
The point is the mission. When we are delivered we are delivered for mission. When we are not delivered it can be for mission as well. That is why even after Paul is freed from his chains and prison cell much like Peter is he remains in the cell. Because he does so salvation is able to reach the prison guard and his family.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. (cf. Act. 16:28-33).
Sometimes we are frustrated. We cry for deliverance and the prison doors are not opened. We need to realize that the LORD's priority is mission. When we make this the first priority of our hearts we will be able to leave the prisons we should leave and remain in those where the LORD will use us. Ultimately, deliverance always comes, but not always from external circumstances.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
He delivers us from our fears. We can stay in the cell if he wants us there. We can ever pour out our very lives if it brings him glory. The most import thing is for the whole world to hear the proclamation of Peter. The world needs to know that he is "the Christ, the Son of the living God."
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
This is how Paul reconciles all of the profound deliverance he experiences with his imminent martyrdom. He no longer cares for the worlds ideas of freedom. Jesus teaches the real truth which sets us free. Paul now realizes that he will only behold this truth in fullness in his heavenly kingdom. He begins to say, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (cf. Phi. 1:23).
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
God is all about the mission not because he doesn't care about our needs, but because he knows what we need better than we do ourselves. Let us hear Peter tell us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Let us hear Paul tell us, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” They have the mission first in their hearts. May their prayers make our hearts more like their own, more like the heart of Christ.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
We see the way in which the LORD's angel rescues those who fear him as Peter is freed from his prison cell. His cell is dark, he is secured with double chains, and guarded by four guards. It would be normal to feel alone. But he is not alone. On a human level, "prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf." It is good to know that the prayer of the Church is such a powerful engine for good in the world. And the Church prays for us as well. She prays for the whole world, especially for those who struggle and suffer, those in chains for whom Jesus wishes freedom, for whom he comes to bring peace (cf. Joh. 14:27).
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
The angel of the LORD encamps around Peter because he knows to fear the LORD and to take refuge in him. Flesh and blood did not teach him this. He takes refuge in the LORD precisely out of response to the Father's revelation. He himself can be a rock because of the truth of who Jesus is. That is why he doesn't insist that his freedom lead to a life of ease. He is freed, not to live a life of comfort and pleasure, but for mission. He is freed to continue declaring, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus still has plans for Peter with which he will not let King Herod interfere. He delivers him so miraculously that Peter doesn't even believe it at first. He thinks he is seeing a vision. Sometimes the goodness of the LORD is difficult to believe. We fear that if we open our eyes all the blessings will prove to be a dream. But the power of his deliverance is real.
“Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
The world tells us that deliverance is an illusion. It says that our nice experiences have no lasting transformative value. But if we know who Jesus is we won't fall for the lies of the world. He is not John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He is the one Peter tells us he is. And because he is he has the power to set us permanently and irrevocably free.
We can't accept this absolute centrality of Jesus through the strength of flesh and blood. We need the heavenly Father to reveal it to us. He does so through Peter. Let us come to Peter and hear him proclaim it. We see the LORD making him a firm foundation for us. He makes him the rock on which the Church is built. Since we are meant to be living stones, since we are meant to be built on rock, let us plant ourselves on the foundations which Peter declares to us. Even today Jesus speaks and the Father reveals. Peter, in a sense, still declares the same things through Saint John Paul the Great, through Benedict XVI, and now through Francis. And when we hear him, we hear Jesus (cf. Luk. 16:10).
The great Church rises from this rock in spite of people like King Herod because of the promise of Jesus that "the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." Jesus ensures the mission of his Church. But again, this doesn't always mean comfort. Jesus himself only establishes the Church through his cross. It is no wonder, then, that he makes it grow with the blood of his martyrs, starting with Stephen. Even though Peter is the rock, even though the LORD gives him freedom at one time, he also uses Peter's imprisonment and martyrdom. In this case, it is part of the plan.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” (cf. Joh 21:18-19).
The point is the mission. When we are delivered we are delivered for mission. When we are not delivered it can be for mission as well. That is why even after Paul is freed from his chains and prison cell much like Peter is he remains in the cell. Because he does so salvation is able to reach the prison guard and his family.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. (cf. Act. 16:28-33).
Sometimes we are frustrated. We cry for deliverance and the prison doors are not opened. We need to realize that the LORD's priority is mission. When we make this the first priority of our hearts we will be able to leave the prisons we should leave and remain in those where the LORD will use us. Ultimately, deliverance always comes, but not always from external circumstances.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
He delivers us from our fears. We can stay in the cell if he wants us there. We can ever pour out our very lives if it brings him glory. The most import thing is for the whole world to hear the proclamation of Peter. The world needs to know that he is "the Christ, the Son of the living God."
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
This is how Paul reconciles all of the profound deliverance he experiences with his imminent martyrdom. He no longer cares for the worlds ideas of freedom. Jesus teaches the real truth which sets us free. Paul now realizes that he will only behold this truth in fullness in his heavenly kingdom. He begins to say, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (cf. Phi. 1:23).
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
God is all about the mission not because he doesn't care about our needs, but because he knows what we need better than we do ourselves. Let us hear Peter tell us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Let us hear Paul tell us, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” They have the mission first in their hearts. May their prayers make our hearts more like their own, more like the heart of Christ.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
28 June 2014 - openhearted surgery
28 June 2014 - openhearted surgery
Following Jesus doesn't mean we always understand him.
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
Sometimes we too cannot find Jesus where we expect to find him. We encounter him in new and unexpected places. Sometimes we are "astonished" to find him in these places. Pope Francis is a good example of this. He brings the presence of Jesus to unexpected places in unexpected ways. Hopefully we aren't like his critics, but instead like Mary. She isn't exactly happy with Jesus wandering off to the temple to teach these teachers. It causes her and Joseph "great anxiety" to find him here rather than where they expect him to be. They expect Jesus to be with the people that they know. But Jesus is never one for honoring our expectations. He goes where he is needed rather than where we expect him to go. And the temple needs him. It needs truth that only he has to free it from error.
Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;
toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;
they have set up their tokens of victory.
They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.
With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.
Yet Mary's heart remains open to Jesus in spite of her expectations. Her heart is wide open to her child. Shepherds tell her that her child will be the long awaited Messiah and her heart remains open. She keeps these things in her heart. She finds that his mission to his "Father's house" will take precedence over his family life. And still she keeps these things in her heart. Already we see a heart open both to the joys and sorrows of Jesus. We see a heart that can exult in the Messiah, that can magnify the LORD and rejoice in God. But we also see a heart which is torn from her child for "three days", a prophetic preparation for the cross. And even this "great anxiety" is not something she will surrender. If it from Jesus she will keep it in her heart. Her trust in God tells her that of which Jesus assures his disciples, "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."
Because her heart is so open to the whole Jesus she is able to stand with him at the cross. She is able to rejoice in his resurrection. She does not cling to him when he ascends to the Father. She is able to be entirely present and open to the decent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The thing about this Immaculate Heart is that she didn't create it herself. Her heart is Immaculate because she is the Immaculate Conception. She is created as "full of grace" because God gives her this grace from the moment of her birth. This Immaculate Heart is the only heart which can say, "May it be done unto me according to thy word." It does not exist for it's own sake, nor is grace poured out on her for her alone. This heart is molded by God as, not just one of many, but the single conduit of his blessings to the world. And it is not merely the physical Jesus we receive through this conduit. The LORD Jesus embraces all of the commandments. He does not step through her as though through a door. He chooses this family life with the most intentional choice.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
Her heart is open to him. He is obedient to her. Because of this, he is able to do what he wants to do through her. She is able to be a font of grace and intercession for us because she is open to the desires of his heart. And because her heart is Immaculate Jesus does not need to hedge on his obedience to her. The attendees at a certain wedding in Cana can testify that this is a good thing.
Her heart is open wide enough to embrace us as well, her other children (cf. Joh. 19:26), those who call on the name of Jesus (cf. Rev. 12:17). Her heart is large enough for all of our concerns, from the small to the great.
Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.
She does not shut out the cross and she does not shut out our pain. She is able to embrace it with a hope and trust which envelopes it and brings it out into the power of the resurrection. She is even able to help shape our hearts to be open like hers.
Following Jesus doesn't mean we always understand him.
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
Sometimes we too cannot find Jesus where we expect to find him. We encounter him in new and unexpected places. Sometimes we are "astonished" to find him in these places. Pope Francis is a good example of this. He brings the presence of Jesus to unexpected places in unexpected ways. Hopefully we aren't like his critics, but instead like Mary. She isn't exactly happy with Jesus wandering off to the temple to teach these teachers. It causes her and Joseph "great anxiety" to find him here rather than where they expect him to be. They expect Jesus to be with the people that they know. But Jesus is never one for honoring our expectations. He goes where he is needed rather than where we expect him to go. And the temple needs him. It needs truth that only he has to free it from error.
Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;
toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;
they have set up their tokens of victory.
They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.
With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.
Yet Mary's heart remains open to Jesus in spite of her expectations. Her heart is wide open to her child. Shepherds tell her that her child will be the long awaited Messiah and her heart remains open. She keeps these things in her heart. She finds that his mission to his "Father's house" will take precedence over his family life. And still she keeps these things in her heart. Already we see a heart open both to the joys and sorrows of Jesus. We see a heart that can exult in the Messiah, that can magnify the LORD and rejoice in God. But we also see a heart which is torn from her child for "three days", a prophetic preparation for the cross. And even this "great anxiety" is not something she will surrender. If it from Jesus she will keep it in her heart. Her trust in God tells her that of which Jesus assures his disciples, "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."
Because her heart is so open to the whole Jesus she is able to stand with him at the cross. She is able to rejoice in his resurrection. She does not cling to him when he ascends to the Father. She is able to be entirely present and open to the decent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The thing about this Immaculate Heart is that she didn't create it herself. Her heart is Immaculate because she is the Immaculate Conception. She is created as "full of grace" because God gives her this grace from the moment of her birth. This Immaculate Heart is the only heart which can say, "May it be done unto me according to thy word." It does not exist for it's own sake, nor is grace poured out on her for her alone. This heart is molded by God as, not just one of many, but the single conduit of his blessings to the world. And it is not merely the physical Jesus we receive through this conduit. The LORD Jesus embraces all of the commandments. He does not step through her as though through a door. He chooses this family life with the most intentional choice.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
Her heart is open to him. He is obedient to her. Because of this, he is able to do what he wants to do through her. She is able to be a font of grace and intercession for us because she is open to the desires of his heart. And because her heart is Immaculate Jesus does not need to hedge on his obedience to her. The attendees at a certain wedding in Cana can testify that this is a good thing.
Her heart is open wide enough to embrace us as well, her other children (cf. Joh. 19:26), those who call on the name of Jesus (cf. Rev. 12:17). Her heart is large enough for all of our concerns, from the small to the great.
Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.
She does not shut out the cross and she does not shut out our pain. She is able to embrace it with a hope and trust which envelopes it and brings it out into the power of the resurrection. She is even able to help shape our hearts to be open like hers.
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