Hang in There--The Only Way to Go (Lk 13:31-35)

          There are basically two ways to approach life when things get rough.  We can either cut and run, or hang in there and be true to our purpose.  There is a story in Luke’s gospel that illustrates these two different approaches.  As the story goes, some Pharisees warned Jesus and wanted him to cut and run because Herod was out to kill him.  But, Jesus would have none of it.  Instead, Jesus turns this warning on its head to show Herod what he was about—healing and reaching out to those in need.  “Go and tell that fox,” Jesus says in reply, “Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings…” (Lk 13:32).

His compassionate love for those in need is what motivated Jesus to come in the first place.  Healing those who are wounded and broken is the will of his heavenly Father, and Jesus is driven to carry out his Father’s will, even at the cost of his own life.  He reveals this passionate aim when he says to his disciples: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work” (Jn 4:34).

Jesus’ passionate love for the Father’s will motivates his lament over the stubbornness of Jerusalem.  Jesus is keenly aware of Jerusalem’s need for conversion, and he cries because the only reason conversion will not come is due to the stubbornness of the Israelites.  This sadness of Jesus is borne out of love, not out of judgment. Jesus is profoundly troubled because, if Jerusalem does not convert, eventually Jerusalem will abandon God.

All of this serves to remind us of our own call to conversion and how we might respond.  At times, we too resist and ignore God’s call because we prefer our own interests rather than the will of God.  Too many reasons account for why our vision gets obscured in this way.  We are not alone in our struggle, however.  Jesus understands the reality and the difficulty we face. 

At two very critical moments in his life when things got rough, he too was tempted to pursue his own interests rather than the will of God. This temptation was more intense at the beginning of his mission during his sojourn in the desert, and again at the end of his mission during his agony in the garden. His unwavering response in both cases, however, provides the sure example for us to follow, especially his prayer in the garden:  Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—yet, not my will but yours be done (Lk 22:42).

This can be our prayer as well.  No matter how rough things get for us, Jesus guarantees the outcome.  He makes this clear to the scholar who asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus tells him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind—and your neighbor as yourself…do this and you will live” (Lk 18:26-28). The proof is in the pudding.  If God is for us, who can be against us?  Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God because God is never failing in his love for us.  Basking in the love of God is the only way to go, especially when life gets rough.

3rd Sun E B 2015 (Lk 24:35—48)

There are only three post-resurrection stories in Luke’s gospel. One is the story in today’s gospel about the appearance of Jesus to the disciples in the Upper Room.  Another story is about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb and finding it empty (Lk 24:1-10), while the third is about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus )Lk 24:13-35).  Luke then concludes his gospel with a brief description of the ascension.  That’s it—the end of Luke’s gospel.  Few though they are, these three stories are powerful tales that center on the theme of finding Jesus in unexpected places and in unexpected ways.     

In the story of Mary Magdalene and her companions, they go to the tomb with sadness and confusion.  What they expect to find is a tomb with the corpse of Jesus still inside.  What they find instead is an empty tomb and two messengers who wait on their arrival to deliver a surprising message.  The message is that Jesus is not among the dead.  Jesus is among the living, he has been raised, and is on his way to Galilee, as he had foretold while he was with them.

News about a dead man walking surely ought to have made the women more fearful and confused.  Instead, the very opposite happens—the unexpected.  They are no longer confused and afraid.  Indeed, they come away believing in the resurrection of Jesus.  And, their belief motivates them to hurry back and share their good news with the other disciples.  Mary and her companions fully expect the disciples to believe their report about the resurrection.

Much to their surprise and disappointment, however, the disciples do not believe their story.  In fact, the disciples are so incredulous that their immediate response is to run to the tomb to check it out for themselves.  Apparently, they do not expect to find an empty tomb, they do not expect to come away amazed, and they do not expect to discover that Mary and her companions had told them the truth.  But, this is exactly what happens.

In the story about the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, they too are like the women who went to the tomb.  These two disciples also begin their journey in sadness and confusion.  Jesus was not what they had expected him to be in life, the great warrior who would restore Israel to its rightful place among nations.  Rather, Jesus has been dealt a cruel blow by the leaders of his religion, while the enemy of Israel remains firmly in place.  The Emmaus travelers are confused over this outcome, and the earlier report of the women that Jesus is alive only adds to their confusion.  They do not believe that report because they did not expect Jesus to rise to life on the third day as he had foretold.

And here they are, explaining all this to a complete stranger who joins them on their walk uninvited, and whom they expect to have already heard the news about Jesus.  They had been pouring out their hearts, trying to teach the stranger about Jesus.  What they did not expect was to have been taught so much by the stranger.  Much less did they expect the stranger to be Jesus himself.  They discover his identity at the breaking of bread during a meal they thought of as very ordinary.  When they least expect it, they discover that all along they had been talking with the risen Jesus himself. Quite surprisingly, at the point of revealing his identity to the two travelers, Jesus vanishes.  Perhaps Jesus wants to make it clear that we can no longer expect to find him in ordinary ways.  From now on, we encounter Jesus in and through the unexpected person, place or circumstance.

This revelation during the breaking of bread inspires the two disciples to return to the others who are gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem.  What happens there is the third post-resurrection story found in Luke.  While the disciples gathered in the Upper Room are talking with one another about these things, Jesus unexpectedly appears to them.  Their reaction to his appearance is not what we would expect. Their conversation would suggest that they would be overjoyed at this sudden appearance of Jesus. Instead, the disciples become anxious and terrified.  They think they see a ghost.

To allay their fears and prove that he is no ghost, Jesus eats some fish in front of them and invites them to touch his flesh and bone.  This is an unexpected turn of events.  Surely the risen Jesus has no need of food and no need to prove he is back in the flesh.  And yet, proof is precisely what he offers the disciples.  Jesus is sensitive to their need for assurance and does not hesitate to provide it.

The main characters in these stories remind us of ourselves.  They expected Jesus to be one place and to appear in a certain way, while he shows up in some other place and in an unexpected way.  Like the women who go to the tomb, at times we too begin in sadness and confusion.  We don’t understand certain things.  We go some place expecting to find Jesus there, and encounter only his messengers.  Sometimes, we are like the two traveling to Emmaus. Jesus often travels with us, but we are not aware of his presence because he comes to us in disguise. We see only the stranger; the friend; the healer; the victim; the vulnerable; the teacher; the pastor; the bread and wine—but we do not see Jesus.  We do not see Jesus in others or in ourselves because we do not expect to see Jesus.  At other times, we are like the disciples in the Upper Room.  We are confident in our faith until something out of the ordinary happens.  Then, we become afraid and doubtful.  We may even try to hide from Jesus.

But, Jesus is the unexpected seeker.  Jesus does not wait for us to find him.  He comes looking for us.  He comes to us in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.  He comes to us on his terms—not ours.  Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us.  He came to show us the Father and to show us the way to the Father.  He did this in unexpected places, in unexpected ways and with unexpected people.

 These post-resurrection stories reveal this simple message.  God loves us; God is with us.  And after a while, we may actually EXPECT God to be with us. 

4th Sun Lent Year A Readings 2015 (2nd Scrutiny; Jn 9:1-41)

Today, we celebrate the second of three Scrutinies that the Elect will go through on their journey to become full members of the Catholic faith community.  The Scrutinies are more than special liturgical rites for those preparing to be baptized at Easter.  This is a designated period in their journey that allows for a more intense soul-searching and careful consideration of their decision.  They need our prayers and encouragement, for their decision ultimately leads to a different way of life.  Their choice makes me wonder whether I would have done the same.  Had I not been born and raised Catholic, were I not a cradle Catholic as they say, I wonder if I would choose to become Catholic?  I’m not sure of the answer.  

What leads a person to make that sort of decision is an interesting question. When pressed for an explanation, some say that they have found a spiritual home in the Catholic Church, many for the first time in their lives.  Others say their spouse or their children inspired them to become Catholic.  Still others claim that the teachings of the Church on issues close to their hearts are so compelling that their choice was an easy one.  However one explains it, I suspect that such a choice ultimately boils down to a matter of conscience.  In one way or another, the choice just has to feel right in your gut of guts, and that is perhaps the only good reason to become Catholic. 

   

What this conversion means, however, can be stated in different ways.  The more recent converts, for example, are usually very enthusiastic in the practice of their newfound faith.  Their zeal stems from a deep appreciation for what Catholicism has to offer.  The veteran Catholic, on the other hand, often takes a more low key approach to practice.  This can lead to the perception that veteran Catholics do not fully appreciate what they have in the faith.  This approach has another meaning, however.  Many veteran Catholics have learned to walk in faith without much flourish or fanfare.  For them, this is part of what it means to be Catholic.  Thus, a low key approach to practice does not necessarily reflect a lack of appreciation for what Catholicism has to offer.  

There is also more than one way to explain what “convert” means in a Catholic sense.  Although it is true that a convert is one who comes to Catholicism from another faith tradition or background, this is not the full story.  A true convert is one who has made the Catholic way of believing his or her own.  This is a necessary step for those who become Catholic as much as it is for those who have been Catholic all of their lives.  Making the faith one’s own, so to speak, is ordinarily the culmination of a spiritual process that often takes place after one reaches adulthood.  In this sense, it is more accurate to say that, sooner or later, we are all converts to Catholicism. 

Indeed, the gospel for today calls attention to the kind of faith conversion that all of us must go through. The idea in this gospel story is to turn from darkness to light by believing in Jesus.  The healing of the man born blind is a symbol for this turn, or conversion in faith. The process is highlighted in the arguments that follow the healing.  

 

In these arguments, the central focus is on what happened and who made it happen.  The arguments themselves are carried out primarily by three groups of people who cannot see.  First are the disciples. They have been with Jesus for a long time, and yet they cling to the assumption that sickness and disability are punishment for sin.  Jesus explains to them that these are not punishment at all, but something that a true follower of his will seek to alleviate.  Jesus makes this point when he says to the disciples, “We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.”  In other words, alleviating the suffering of others goes to the heart and soul of what it means to be a true convert in faith.    

Second among those who cannot see is the blind man himself.  Jesus touched the blind man in his physical weakness in a way that eventually moved him to a spiritual awakening.  This progression is revealed in what the man says of Jesus when asked about his cure.  At first, the man only identifies Jesus by name as the one who cured his blindness.  Pressed for more details by the Pharisees, the man digs deeper and describes Jesus as a prophet, as one sent by God.  Lastly, the man experiences complete conversion when he later encounters Jesus for a second time and confesses his belief in Jesus.  The authenticity of his conversion is revealed when the man worships Jesus.  This progressive awakening in faith is often the path that we too travel in our own spiritual journey.  And like the man born blind, we can be sure that Jesus will meet us where we are with his healing touch. 
     

Our hope and prayer is to avoid the predicament of yet a third group among those who cannot see, namely, the Pharisees. They claimed to know God’s Word and God’s Law, but failed to live its spirit.  Jesus condemns their blindness as the worst sort because they refuse to see him as the light of the world.  In fact, they find every reason not to believe in Jesus.  They try to explain away the miracle of the healing rather than accept what their eyes were telling them. 

Spiritual enlightenment is one of the primary goals we focus on during Lent.  This is true for the Elect as well as for those of us who are already Catholic.  We all need to be enlightened and to grow in faith.  We still need conversion, and conversion is what the Scrutinies are all about.  Conversion means leaving behind one way of life and taking up another.  And, the way that we seek is the way of the Lord.  This conversion is a spiritual rebirth and gift of faith from Jesus, the Light of the World. During Lent, we prepare to receive this light in order to celebrate our gift of faith once again at Easter.