A busy bishop once wrote of a time in his ministry when he gave greater priority to work than to prayer. He would often speak to others about the importance of prayer, but he didn’t practice what he preached. It wasn’t until fellow priests challenged him about this that he made “quality time” for prayer a daily priority.
Today’s gospel speaks of the importance of prayer. The apostles had been trying very hard to cast out a demon- but they had failed. When they asked why, Jesus said, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” The apostles had seemingly placed prayer on the back burner because they had been so preoccupied with their “work.” Ironically, their work suffered as a result.
We fall into the same trap, whenever we become so focused on getting the job done that prayer becomes an afterthought. When this happens, we might take a cue from Mother Teresa. As we all know, she could move mountains. But only because she was a woman of constant prayer.
“Because I cannot depend on my own strength,” she confessed, “I rely on him twenty-four hours a day. My secret is simple: I pray.”
Violence in the former Yugoslavia, fueled by ancient animosities between ethnic Serbs and Croats, claimed thousands of victims during the late 1990’s. As it typical in war, many of those killed were innocent civilians. Given this tragedy and heartbreak, it was understandable when residents of one Serb village greeted NATO peacekeepers with cheers, flowers, and cries of “God bless you!” Sadly, those same people who invoked God’s blessing had, just days before, looted the homes of their Croat neighbors out of spite and retaliation.
For those of us who follow him, Jesus shows us a better way of treating those who have harmed us. He rejected the “eye for an eye” approach that people took in his day, and still do in ours. He knew that an eye for an eye mentality ultimately leaves everyone blind.
Instead, Jesus invites us to “turn the other cheek.” As Christians, evil from others shouldn’t call forth evil from us. We’re called to love when confronted with hate. We’re to insert love in those places where love seems to be absent. When our face is slapped, we’re to present the face of Jesus. Jesus’ face was slapped too. We should expect nothing less ourselves- even if we’ve been doing the right thing. “No good deed goes unpunished,” we often say. If we extend a hand in kindness, there are those who will drive a nail through it.
Sometimes, when we turn the other cheek, we might turn the other’s heart! Soft words can turn away wrath, as Scripture reminds us. As Christians, that should always be our intention and prayer. That’s not the way things always turn out, however. We can always hope that the other person will change. But at the end of the day, the only person we can really change is ourselves. We love for the sake of loving- because it’s the right thing to do- not to achieve a particular outcome. We love simply too add love to a world that can always use, and always needs, more.
Jesus’ words, however, might raise some troubling concerns in our minds. Wouldn’t following his teaching be like having a “kick me hard” sign taped to our back, inviting bullies to place a swift foot on our backsides? Doesn’t turning the other cheek invite cruel people to be crueler to us, and give those who’ve hurt us a license to hurt us even more? Won’t we become nothing more than a doormat? Why not just put a big “bull’s eye” on our chests? And what about other people? It’s one thing if it’s our cheek that’s slapped. But what if it’s a child’s cheek? Or a dear loved one’s? Would it be okay to rush and protect them? What would Jesus want us to do then?
These are essential questions to ask, and the way we answer them has important implications for how we apply Jesus’ teaching. Consider victims of domestic violence, which is sadly so widespread today. Some victims of such abuse, especially those who are married, can convince themselves that it’s their Christian duty to take it. After all, they need to turn the other check! Aren’t they suffering like Jesus himself suffered? The violence they’re subjected to, they come to believe, is their personal cross to carry.
Jesus doesn’t want his words twisted to keep a person in such bondage. Our good and loving Lord doesn’t want to perpetuate such hurt. Jesus wouldn’t condone a victim’s seeking retaliation or revenge, of course. His teaching on that is very clear. But would Jesus prevent someone from running away for help, or defending themselves? Not at all. There were times in his own life when Jesus escaped violence. People had tried to stone him or throw him off a cliff, but he managed to get away.
Yes, Jesus did endure horrible suffering. He carried a cross and insists that we who follow him carry one too. But as Jesus demonstrated in his own life, there’s a distinction to be made between what we might call “necessary suffering” and “unnecessary suffering.” Suffering is necessary when it’s required to fulfill God’s will for our lives; it springs from the loving choices we make to help others or ourselves become the people God created us to be. Unnecessary suffering, on the other hand, simply makes us victims of another’s illness or sin.
It is thoroughly consistent with our faith to protect or defend ourselves and others. When we see danger approaching, it’s okay to run, find help, put up our shields, or even draw our swords. Our Lord’s instruction to “turn the other cheek” shouldn’t turn us into a punching bag. The Church’s teaching tradition envisions circumstances in which we, or our country, may need to use force in self-defense. It’s always a tragedy and a last resort. But sometimes it needs to be done.
To the world, to take an eye for an eye makes sense. In the face of evil, and when experiencing great pain, it can seem like the only fair or just thing to do. That’s why the bad guys usually get blown up in the movies. And we often cheer when they do! But would Jesus cheer? I don’t think so. Sure, we can always rejoice when violence is brought to an end; my English mother often tells of dancing in the fountains of London’s Trafalgar Square when the Nazi surrender was announced. At the same time, love doesn’t rejoice in another’s demise or pain- regardless of how unloving that person may have been. To celebrate victory is one thing; to celebrate vengeance is another.
When the Serbian townsfolk cried “God bless you!” as peacekeepers rolled into town, that was as it should be! But had Jesus been there, he would have insisted they extend that same blessing to their enemies, instead of holding curses in their hearts. Jesus invites us to do the same. We have received God’s blessing. And we’re to share that blessing with all. Even those who would never bless us.
Should we suffer a tragedy or heartbreak, or experience the loss of a loved one, our faith can be deeply shaken. We might wonder why God would allow such a thing to happen, or if he really cares. We might even doubt that he exists at all.
Jesus knows that any of us can be tempted to think this way. Even his disciples weren’t immune. After his death, they were devastated, scared and confused. They hadn’t really understood Jesus’ words about resurrection. The crucifixion, they assumed, was the end of the story.
Our Lord anticipated this. That’s one reason why he allowed Peter, James, and John to witness his transfiguration. He wanted to give them something to hold on to, when all else seemed lost. Should they fall into the pit of despair, Jesus wanted them to recall that mountaintop. Their darkness, he hoped, might be broken by his light.
That’s Jesus’ hope for us too. He invites us to recall the times he’s broken into our lives, whenever we feel that our lives have been broken. It’s always better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Yet when we can’t even light a candle, we can still cherish our glimpses of the Light.
For many of us- and I include myself- the first thing we do in the morning is reach for the snooze bar on the alarm clock! However, I know of some who make it a practice to immediately rise from bed, kneel on the floor, and pray the word “Serviam,” Latin for “I will serve.”
This single word, “Serviam,” reminds those who pray it that our Christian vocation- our purpose in life- is to serve God, serve the Church, and serve our fellow human beings. Our Lord stressed this very point in today’s gospel: If we wish to follow him we must deny ourselves; we are to lose our lives for his sake and that of the gospel. To put it another way, Christianity is more about what we can do for Jesus, than it is about what Jesus can do for us. The Christian life is one not of selfishness, but surrender; not of self-fulfillment, but of self-sacrifice; not of self-service, but of service to the Lord.
So perhaps the prayer in our heart today might be “Serviam,” as we, in the words of the Mass dismissal, “Go forth to love and serve the Lord.”
Most of us are probably comfortable with the idea of God performing miracles. It’s what we expect God to be able to do! The concept of a suffering God, however, is a bit harder to us to swallow. It confounds our expectations, leaving us confused, maybe even angry.
This explains why Peter rebuked Jesus when he spoke of his coming suffering and death. And that’s why Jesus insisted to Peter that his thinking was wrong.
Exactly why God chose to suffer with us in Jesus will always be something of a mystery, this side of heaven. However, we do have a few clues. God is love- Jesus revealed that to us. And all of us suffer- it’s part of the human condition. And in a suffering world it would be hard to conceive of God as love, if he himself were removed from the suffering. If he were, we might think of God as uncaring, or indifferent.
But love is never indifferent. On the contrary, love is always concerned; love is always involved. So maybe it was inevitable, then, that God wold suffer with us in Jesus, in order to express his love for us. As St. Leo the Great wrote, “There was no other reason for the Son of God to be born, than that he might die on a cross.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, we often say. And neither, as a matter of fact, are the saints of God.
We see this hinted at in today’s gospel. Jesus touched a blind man to restore his sight, but his first attempt was only partly successful. The man could see, but his vision was blurry; people looked like “walking trees.” It was only after Jesus touched him a second time that his sight was fully restored.
What happenned here? Did Jesus need a “do over” in order to get it right? Not at all. Instead, this story is meant to remind us that it takes time to become the saints Jesus wants us to be. To see the way Jesus wanted him to see, Jesus had to touch the blind man twice. For us to see the way Jesus wants us to see, he’ll need to touch us many, many more times than that.
When it comes to sainthood, you and I are works in progress. If we ever think the work is complete, we’d better think twice! There’s always much more to be done. We need patience with ourselves; we need patience with others, too.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. 3,000 years later, it’s still under construction! And “pardon our dust,” so are we. But that’s okay: Our Lord was a carpenter. He knows how to finish the job.
In these early weeks of “ordinary” time we are increasingly introduced to Jesus and to the beginnings of his public ministry. In Matthew’s Gospel today we hear described how Jesus began his public ministry in the wake of the arrest of John the Baptist. And Matthew tells us three things regarding this ministry of Jesus: it’s Context, its Content, and it’s call. Let’s look at each in turn.
1. CONTEXT of Jesus Ministry– The text says, When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.
The relocation of Jesus northward from Judea up to Galilee tells us some important truths. First, it tells us of the hostility of the southern regions to the message of John the Baptist and Jesus. The area in and around Judea which included, principally, Jerusalem was controlled by a sort of religious ruling class (the Sadducees especially, and to a lesser extent the Pharisees). Since they were in strong but often controverted leadership in these areas, they were far less open to ideas which in any way threatened their leadership or questioned the rituals related to the Temple. As we know, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but he did come to fulfill it and this was threatening to those tied to the current status quo, most of whom did not distinguish fulfillment from abolition, and saw only threat. Further, the Herodian dynasty was also threatening especially in the south and had arrested John the Baptist.
Jesus thus, moves north to more fertile territory to begin his public ministry. The Jewish people in Galilee were less hostile. In fact the people of Jerusalem often looked down upon them for their more simple, agrarian ways and “rural accent.” But here was more fertile ground for Jesus to begin.
Now there is an important lesson for us in this. While we must carefully preserve Christian orthodoxy and only accept a development of doctrine that is organic and faithful to the received Apostolic Tradition, it is also true that we can sometimes stifle the Holy Spirit who will speak to us through unexpected people and in unexpected ways. The Pharisee leaders simply rejected the notion that any prophet could come from Galilee. Whne Nicodemus encouraged them to give jesus a hearing they scoffed: Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee (Jn 7:52). It is possible for us to insist upon things where freedom is permitted the Christian. There are various degrees of expression permitted in the liturgy and there are often different schools of theological thought which the Church sanctions. Balance is required of us. There may be preferences that we have for Thomistic formulations, Carmelite spirituality, charismatic worship or traditional Latin Mass worship. Such things are legitimate matters for on-going discussion, but we can too easily be threatened by what the Church currently deems to be legitimate diversity. Discovering a the range and limits of diversity is an on-going matter for the Church but we ought not permit the field of our own soul to be hostile to Jesus and his ministry, which may come to us more diverse ways that we, of our self, prefer.
How tragic it was for Judea that Jesus thought he had to move on to more fertile territory, and what a blessing it was for Galilee that he moved there. The fact is that unfounded stubbornness can be hinder the Word of God in us. Jesus moved on to a more accepting context wherein his ministry could bear the greatest fruit. St. Gregory the Great has this to say about the context for preaching and necessary fertility of the field:
For frequently the preacher’s tongue is bound fast on account of his own wickedness. as the psalmist says: But God asks the sinner: Why do you recite my commandments? (PS 50:16) On the other hand it sometimes happens that because of the people’s sins the word of preaching is withdrawn from those who preside over the assembly as the Lord tells Ezekiel: I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. (Ez 3:26) He clearly means this: the word of preaching will be taken away for they are unworthy to hear the exhortation of truth. It is not easy to know for whose sinfulness the preacher’s word is withheld, but it is indisputable that the shepherd’s silence while often injurious to himself will always harm his flock. – (St. Gregory the Great Hom. 17,3, 14)
For Galilee there was this boon: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined (Is 9:2) But for others, Jesus had only this to say, Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matt 21:43)
2. The CONTENT of his MINISTRY – The text says,From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
We have discussed before the careful balance of Jesus’ preaching. He is willing to challenge and so say, Repent! But he also declares the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Accepting the ministry of Jesus requires that we avoid both presumption and despair.
To those who make light of sin and their condition as a sinner, Jesus says repent. It is wrong to presume that we do not need an on-going healing power from the Lord to overcome our sin. And perhaps our greatest sin is our blindness to our sin. Most human beings do not seem to comprehend how serious their condition is. The word translated here as “Repent!” is μετανοεῖτε (metanoeite) which means more literally to come to a new mind, or a new way of thinking. In our sin soaked world where sin is so pervasive as to almost be unnoticed, Jesus says, “Come to a new mind. Understand your condition and need for mercy and grace. Come to understand that without the rescue that only God can give, you are lost.” And hence we are told to reject presumption.
But we are also told to reject despair, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, the grace and mercy of God are now available to rescue us from this present evil age and from our carnal condition. Through Christ we are granted admittance to the Kingdom and the Spirit of God can overcome our carnal, sin nature and bring us true holiness.
The proper mean between presumption and despair is the theological virtue of Hope. By hope we confidently expect God’s help in attaining eternal life. By proper metanoia (repentance) we know that we need that help, and by hope confidently reach for it.
In our own proclamation of the kingdom we also need the proper balance exhibited by Jesus. Consider how, with children, that if all they hear is criticism they become discouraged (despair). But if all they hear is praise and are never corrected: they become spoiled and prideful and presume everything should be just as they want it. For the Church too, a balance is necessary. Too many expect the Church only to affirm and “be positive.” But this leads to a more selfish and incorrigible world and to a presumption that nothing matters (as we can plainly see). Thus the Church must announce the call to repentance. But the Church must also offer hope and mercy to sinners. She must offer grace though the Sacraments and by her preaching which, with God’s power, makes the Kingdom of God to be “at hand.”
3. The CALL of his Ministry The text says, As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus, in building his kingdom, summons men to follow him. He will train them to be the leaders of his Church as Apostles. The Kingdom of God is not only about calling disciples but also about developing leaders to provide order and authority in the Church. Even the most “democratic” of organizations requires authority and leadership. Without these there is anarchy and a battle of wills. Hence the Lord calls not only disciples, in the early stages of his public ministry, he also grooms leaders. Consider three things about the Lord’s call here.
A. His ARTICULATENESS: He says to these apostles, Come Follow me! Notice that his announcement is unambiguous. Good leaders like the Lord are clear to make known what they ask, indeed, what is demanded. He is clear to set the course and point the way. And HE is that way.
B. His APPEAL – Jesus must have had a personal appeal and exuded an authority that was strong and reassuring. His appeal to them was personal: come follow ME. He did not merely say come and “learn my doctrine,” or “accept my vision.” He said, follow ME. So too, as we hand on the faith to our children and to others, we cannot simply say, here is a Catechism follow it. We must also take the next step and say follow the Lord with me. We cannot simply say what a book says, correct though that book is. Ultimately we must be able to say, I am a personal witness to the fact that God is real and that the truth he has given to the Church is authentic and is changing my life. Our appeal must include the personal testimony that what we proclaim is real and is changing our life: COme and go with me to my Father’s house.
C. His APPROACH – Note that the Lord builds on what they know: fishing. He starts with the familiar to draw them to the less familiar. In a way he is saying that the gifts they are currently using are just the gifts they can use as leaders in God’s Kingdom. Fishermen are:
Patient – Fishermen often wait long hours for the fish to bite. So too as Apostles and Bishops there must be a patience, a capacity to wait long periods before there is a catch for the Lord.
Perceptive – Fishermen learn to know the fish and their behavior and what attracts them. So too Apostles and clergy must learn of their people and what will attract them to Christ.
Persevering – Fishermen must often go out for many days with little catch. Only through perseverance is there real gain in fishing. So too with the Work of the clergy who may go long stretches with little to show. The gospel may go “out of season” even for decades in certain cultures (like our own). The good leader will persevere, will stay at the task.
3. The COMPREHENSIVENESS of his Ministry – The text says, He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Therefore note that all of Galilee was his mission field and he covered it comprehensively. He also cured of every disease and illness. And thus the Church is catholic and must also address every part of the world and provide a comprehensive vision for life. We may not have the power to simplistically cure every ailment and problem, but we can provide the vision of the Paschal mystery that sheds light and brings spiritual healing to every affliction. If we are suffering and dying, so to did Jesus but only to rise and be glorified on account of his fidelity and obedience. So too for the Church and for the Christian, the grace and the comprehensive answer to every affliction is that we are always carrying about in our bodies the dying of Christ so that the rising of Christ may also be manifest in us (2 Cor 4:10). We seek to bring healing to everyone we can, and where physical remedies are not possible, the truth of the Gospel reassures that every Friday, faithfully endured, brings forth, by God’s grace an Easter Sunday.
Here then are three crucial insights to the beginning of Jesus public ministry. They remain for the Church and for all of us who would follow in Jesus’ footsteps important insights for us to acknowledge and imitate.
Now journey with me back to 1971, a year of funny hair to be sure, but here is the old Classic “Come and God With Me to My Father’s House”
It’s late January in Washington DC. A little snow, and surely a chill. But this time every year is also marked by the warmth of tens of thousands who come to DC for the March for Life. I have marched just about every year, except when I was sick or away from the city. My favorite year was 1985. There was record cold that year. The day before had featured the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. However, the temperature for that inauguration morning was -4 Degrees Fahrenheit. Thus the swearing in moved inside the Capitol. The next day was just as cold and the snow was knee high, but the Pro-life March went off any way. We walked through the bitter cold and snow in testimony to life. The numbers were down but our spirits were high (and our pace was swift!).
Most years have escaped such bitter conditions but its nice to know that many of us march anyway even in the worst weather.
But I must say, I have longed for us to take a fresh look at the march. I have wondered if we could not perhaps do something to freshen it’s impact. We barely make the news anymore here in DC. and it’s always the same: the media says we have 30-70,000 and the March for life committee estimates over 100,000. Likewise the media always gives equal billing to the dozen or so counter-demonstrators that show up.
Another, more frustrating aspect is that every year the political speeches get longer and longer and the march starts later and later. What once began 1pm now often slips to as late as 2:30pm. 90% of the marchers can’t even hear the speeches anyway. I realize there is a political dimension to the march but frustrations do rise as we stand for a long period often in poor conditions.
I am not sure exactly what to do on a yearly basis to move the march back into the headlines but I do have a dream that we would pick a year, say two or three years into the future, and really pull all the stops to give Washington a March they’d never forget. Here are the aspects of my dream:
There are 78 million Catholics in this country according to recent Pew and Gallup Polls. If only 10% of them agreed to come to DC, that would be 7 million people filling the mall, the reflecting pool, the tidal basin area and even across the river to the Pentagon. Now I know that only 25% of Catholics really practice their faith in any meaningful way by coming to Church. But that’s still 19.5 million and if only 10% of them came we’d still have almost 2 million people here.
Now how to get that many to come? Well, what if we invited the Pope to lead us? In thirty-eight years of marching have we ever invited the Pope to personally summon us and promise to stand with us?
Bring the Pope ! If our numbers did swell past 2 million I doubt we could actually march, but I can see the Pope on the steps of the US Capitol standing at the head of two to three million people lamenting the legality of infanticide (aka abortion) and warning our nation that God’s justice cannot forever wait. Then I see him turn toward the Capitol, staff in hand and millions behind him. (Think of Moses before the Red Sea, staff in hand). And I hear the Pope in prophetic tones calling legislators to conversion, and insisting that the life must be respected. Insisting that it is shameful that the richest and most powerful land in this world cannot find the political courage and the moral fiber to end abortion, that the best it can offer women who face challenges in accepting life is a trip to the abortionist. Shame! Shame! Shame!
The speech would have to be very carefully developed because in my dream this speech would need to rank right up there with Dr. Martin Luther King’s Speech in 1963. That was a speech full of hope to be sure but also a speech that indicated no compromise with injustice and insisted that America live up to its vision and do what was right. Not in some distant future, but today.
Turnout goals – In the years and months leading up to the rally every Bishop would have goals to meet in terms of catechesis and turnout. Likewise every pastor. Dioceses closer to DC would have higher turnout goals, but every diocese would have to meet turnout goals and be publicly accountable.
With this sort of turnout and the presence of the Pope we’d give Washington a March they’d never forget.
I realize that our present Pope (may he live forever) is up in years and that in three to five years he may be in no shape for such an arduous event. But the way these things go, the planning takes time. The point here is, let’s dream big! Let’s break all records! One for the books. Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24). Even if it takes years to plan, lets do it.
Do you have dream? Do you have ideas about the Pro-life March? How can we turn up the volume and wake the sleeping nation?
