Mother Teresa once said, “The only thing that should make us weep is the fact that we aren’t saints!” But do we weep over this?
I ask this because it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking: “Hey, maybe I’m not a saint, but I am a pretty decent person, all things considered.” And I would imagine that most of us ARE pretty decent people. Which is a good thing!
However, Jesus hasn’t called us to decency. Instead, Jesus calls us to sainthood. And if we’re to take his call to sainthood seriously, we need to take our sinfulness seriously.
I think this is what today’s gospel is calling us to do. If you recall, Jesus was angry with the people of certain cities. He had done “mighty deeds” in their midst, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. They didn’t repent; they didn’t try to change.
For us, Jesus has done more than “mighty deeds.” Jesus died for us- because he takes our sins seriously. In gratitude, so should we. We need to repent; we need to try and change. Because every time we sin, it’s as if Jesus is nailed to the cross, all over again.
Pope John Paul II put it well. “When we forget we are sinners,” he said, “we forget our need for Christ. And when we forget our need for Christ, we have lost everything.”
Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/071211.shtml
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