Connection and Transformation (Presentation of Mary)

 

Faith and gratitude are at the heart of the feast of the Presentation of Mary.  This ancient feast commemorates Mary’s presentation in the Temple by her parents, Anne and Joachim.  As legend has it, Anne and Joachim were a childless couple who longed for a child.  Their faith in God inspired their prayer for the gift of a child (see Protoevangelium of James).  Soon after, Anne became pregnant with Mary, and after her birth, brought Mary to the Temple for consecration to God as an expression of gratitude.  Although scripture does not record this event, there is ample evidence in the Old Testament that shows such consecration to God was common place (e.g. 1 Sam 2:22; Ex 8:38; 13:2; 13:13; Lk 2:22-24). 

The presentation of Mary reveals two aspects of faith that we often overlook: connection and transformation.  This event shows that faith connects us to each other and transforms our lives.  We are all children of God and members of the same divine family.  We therefore share a divine purpose of loving service to each other in imitation of Christ.  For this reason, our connection through faith allows us to do more together than we can do alone.  There is a touching story in Luke that illustrates this kind of faith in poignant detail. 

The story is about a paralyzed man who wants to be healed, but is unable on his own to present himself to Jesus for that purpose.  Coming to his aid is a group of friends from his faith community, who carry him to the roof and lower him down in front of Jesus.  Neither the paralytic nor his friends ask anything of Jesus.  Rather, with unspoken hope and trust, they simply take bold action in faith for their neighbor. They force their way through the crowd, up to the roof, and down into the presence of Jesus.  Right away, Jesus acknowledges their combined show of faith and immediately heals the man in a complete sense—first from his sins and then from his paralysis (Lk 5:17-26).

Obviously, the paralytic had his own faith in the healing power of Jesus.  Otherwise, he would not have sought his help.  The man could not act alone, however.  He needed others to help him realize the full expression of his faith.  Those from his faith community who provided the needed assistance shared the same faith in Jesus.  Otherwise, they would not have brought him to Jesus for healing.

This combined effort demonstrates that faith is more than a solo, private experience of God.  This is true because “Christ is not simply the one in whom we believe...Christ is the one with whom we are united precisely in order to believe” (Lumen Fidei, 18, 22).  By this definition, faith does not function in isolation.  Faith by its nature is meant to be lived in and through a community of believers.  Faith connects us to each other.

For this reason, faith is not a passive experience born of rational analysis and mere assent of mind and heart.  Rather, faith finds expression in words and deeds based on the love of Christ.  Faith transforms us.  Because Christ lives in complete and constant union with the Father, Christ is the supreme manifestation of God’s love, and the one who makes God known to us (cf. Jn 1:18).  As a result, when we live in union with Jesus, our faith allows us to see things as Christ sees them, with the eyes of love (1 Jn 4:7-9; LF 18).

Faith working through love inspires and motivates us to imitate the deeds of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus declares that those who believe in him will do the works that he does and even greater ones (Jn 14:12).  This is the transformative difference that faith can make in our lives.  When we open our hearts to the faith and love offered by Jesus, we become his love in action. Faith and love working together then enlarge and expand our lives in ways that we could never achieve on our own (LF21).

St. Paul describes what happens when faith connects and transforms us when he says "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20).  In this same spirit and in honor of our Holy Mother’s presentation, we pray that our faith will always keep us connected to each other and transform our hearts into willing acts of love (Eph 3:17).

 

Love and Wisdom are the Tools (Mal 3:19-20a; 2 Thes 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19)

 

The readings for today show us that love and wisdom are the sure tools for dealing with the fear that comes with uncertainty.  Such fear often intensifies when the uncertainty stems from an impending bad outcome brought about by our own hand.  In other words, fear of uncertainty increases when any accounting would show that we are responsible for the doom and gloom we are about to experience, especially when it’s too late to change the outcome.

Malachi relies on exactly this scenario in the first reading to predict the fate of the proud and the evildoers.  He predicts an inescapable day of reckoning for them that will result in their total obliteration, leaving them with neither root nor branch for their posterity.  Oddly enough, there is an offer of hope in Malachi’s prediction.  That hope comes with the exception he provides for those who follow the right path based on fear of the Lord. 

Those who follow the path of respect and honor for God are the wise ones whose path is made clear by God (Prov 3:6).  They know which way to go because they seek what God wants above all else (Mt 6:33).  Their wisdom allows for a better outcome as determined by the healing rays of justice.  Those who fear the Lord and live by His Word will be spared the inevitable doom and gloom that Malachi predicts for those who follow a different path.

Jesus offers this same hope when he predicts the total destruction of the temple.  Despite its beauty and the many offerings made there, Jesus predicts an impending and inevitable end to its existence.  No stone will be left unturned.  Someone asks for a sign to know when this is about to happen, and Jesus responds with a list of signs, rather than just one.  He understands our need for signs.  Signs are useful because they always point to something beyond.  Good signs always point to the truth.

There are many such signs in the New Testament.  These signs always point to the wisdom that those who believe in Jesus and follow his way will have a new life in him.  Jesus is therefore the cause of our hope and the source of our wisdom.  In this sense, the kind of wisdom revealed in the New Testament is different from worldly wisdom.  The New Testament speaks about spiritual wisdom. 

Spiritual wisdom is not something we acquire by our own work alone.  Spiritual wisdom is not simply the product of our study, learning, and experience.  Spiritual wisdom in essence is a generous and loving gift from the Holy Spirit (1Cor.12:8; Eph.1:17).  When we pray for this gift, the Holy Spirit honors our request and enables us to know the right thing to do in particular circumstances; to do what God wants, to take the right path.  The wisdom of the Holy Spirit is thus our sure guide to a life filled with hope for a good outcome.

All of us receive the essence of this wisdom from the first moment of our existence.  This gift of wisdom is none other than the light of Christ.  Because all things are made through Christ, and without him nothing is made, Christ is the life and the light of everyone, the true light that enlightens every person coming into this world (Jn 1:3-4, 9; Kasper, p. 529).  In this sense, spiritual wisdom is not a state of mind, but the light of Christ that stands ready at every moment to show us what direction to take.  We simply have to want to see with His light.

For that reason, the light that we receive from the beginning to find our way through the darkness is a seed.  As with any seed, it must be protected and nourished to blossom into a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  For the Christian, the first and most fundamental way of protecting and nurturing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is through baptism. The liturgical rite of Baptism inaugurates our life in Christ and formally incorporates us into the body of Christ, our faith community.

Baptism is not only a sacrament of rebirth and initiation into the body of Christ, however.  Baptism is also a call to live as a disciple of Christ.  Through baptism, we receive a mission to be witnesses to Christ (Matt. 28:19; Kasper, p.530).  We are baptized to be Christ to others, to be a sacrament of love, both for ourselves and for others.  Indeed, the baptized are called to proclaim the mighty acts of God, both in attitude and in conduct (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).

What enables us to live out our call to discipleship is the wisdom of God, the light of Christ that we receive from the Holy Spirit.  The wisdom of the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must be solicitous in protecting our baptismal call (2 Peter 1:10-11).  This is why St. Paul urges us many times to put on the heart and mind of Christ and live in the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14).  Only in this way will our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh.  Only with the heart and mind of Christ can we love others as He loves us (1 Jn4:9-11).

St. Paul describes the life of one who lives in the Spirit in terms of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).  These are the fruits of living in the Spirit.  Fruit is an interesting metaphor that Paul uses to describe the results of this way of life.  Fruit is something that we take in, we eat it, and we are nourished by it, though we may not know how.  Paul uses this metaphor to show that the Holy Spirit works in the same way. 

As we are willing to open our hearts and accept the grace of the Holy Spirit, especially through sacrament, prayer and good works, we receive the light of Christ.  We take in the light of Christ, the wisdom of God, as an interior guide and teacher that transforms our lives and way of thinking.  How the Holy Spirit does this is not clear, but the results are evident in our attitude and conduct.  Through the Holy Spirit, God gives us a spirit of power and love and self-control that eradicates all fear (2 Tim 1:7).

We know we have cooperated with the wisdom of God and live in the Spirit of Christ when we are peacemakers, when we are patient, when we are kind, loving, and understanding.  The wisdom of God shows us that we can become peacemakers by seeking peace; we become patient by resisting impatience; we become understanding when we seek to understand; we become loving the more we love. 

Living in the Spirit is thus more than showing a respectful tolerance of each other.  The Holy Spirit motivates us to take an active regard for the welfare of others, especially those in need.  As Paul puts it in the second reading for today, we are to earn our keep—mind our own business—and do the work of God (2 Thes 3:12).  When we live this way, we live by the love and wisdom of God.  In that case, we have nothing to fear in the outcome.

 

One or the Other, but Not Both (Lk 16:1-8)

 

The parables are timeless stories that continue to help us in our troubled times even today.  The parable about the dishonest steward is an example.  This clever steward saves his own skin through manipulation and exploitation of his master’s wealth.  Rather than express outrage over being swindled, however, the master praises the steward’s unscrupulous behavior.  More surprising is the lesson that Jesus claims the parable offers. 

Rather than warn against imitating the behavior of the dishonest steward, as we might expect, Jesus encourages the children of the light to be equally clever.  He claims that doing so proves they are trustworthy with true wealth!  All of which leads to his final point that we cannot serve both God and mammon.  One or the other, but not both (Lk 16:13).

In those days and in our own, mammon includes more than money.  Mammon includes many things of this world—material wealth of all kinds, also status, control, and a myriad of things that give us a sense of security.  If we take our eyes off Jesus, however, we risk turning any of those things into a god.  For that reason, Jesus says to the children of the light, be clever with the things of this world.  Be on guard not only with money, but all those things that do not last.  Jesus wants us to focus on things with lasting value.  For, where our treasure is, there also is our heart, our destiny (Lk 12:34).    

The question is, how are we to use the things of this world in a spiritually wise manner?  Which master do we serve?  This is a question each of us must answer.  Jesus shows us through his own life and mission that our calling is to serve the God of love, mercy, and justice by caring for those who are in need (Lk 6:36; Is 58:7-10). 

There is a passage in the first letter of Timothy that makes this point in a more persuasive manner.  Timothy says in his letter: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  For Timothy, this is how we prepare ourselves to take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Tim 6:17-19).  Timothy encourages us to grow rich with good deeds, if for no other reason, than as a show of gratitude for all that God has done for each of us. 

Timothy’s advice reminds us that Jesus called the people of his day—as much as he calls us—to follow the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 2:4-6).  Doing so is a matter of living in a vibrant, dynamic, trusting relationship with God.  The stories that Jesus tells always point to the God of Love as the only master to serve.  And, because Jesus loves us, he allows each of us to choose for ourselves, hoping that we will choose wisely.