Sunday, August 16, 2009

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B

JOHN 6:51-58
RECENTLY I MET A FRIEND AT A PARTY. WE HAD A MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCE WHOM WE BOTH LOVED AND RESPECTED. MY FRIEND REMARKED THAT THIS PERSON WAS THE BEST CHRISTIAN HE HAD EVER MET. THE PERSON WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS VERY GENEROUS WITH HER TIME AND MONEY. SHE HAD AN ACTIVE AND FERVENT PRAYER LIFE. SHE LIVED SIMPLY, AND ALTHOUGH SHE COULD AFFORD MUCH BETTER THINGS, SHE DROVE AN OLD CAR AND LIVED IN A SMALL HOUSE AND SELDOM BOUGHT NEW CLOTHES. IN HER OCCUPATION SHE GAVE 110%. SHE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN PEOPLE WOULD PRAISE HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHICH WERE MANY; SHE HAD TRUE HUMILITY.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A CHRISTIAN TO YOU? IF IT DOES, MAYBE WE ARE MISSING THE POINT. BECAUSE YOU COULD DESCRIBE A BUDDHIST, AN HINDU, A MUSLIM, A JEW – EVEN AN ATHEIST – IF YOU SUBSTITUTE MEDITATION FOR PRAYER – WITH THE SAME STATEMENTS. THERE IS A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REALLY GOOD PERSON AND A CHRISTIAN.
OF COURSE WE HOPE CHRISTIANS ARE REALLY GOOD PERSONS. BUT FOR A CHRISTIAN, THE LIFE HE OR SHE LEADS IS A CONSEQUENCE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN, NOT A PREREQUISITE. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, YOU CAN FIND REALLY GOOD PEOPLE IN EVERY RELIGION, AND EVEN AMONG THE NON-RELIGIOUS.
BEING A CHRISTIAN IS DIFFERENT. BEING A CHRISTIAN HAS TO DO WITH EATING AND DRINKING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
WE CATHOLICS, ALONG WITH THE ORTHODOX AND A FEW OTHER BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY, BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE CONSUME THE BREAD AND WINE WHICH ARE CONSECRATED BY THE PRIEST IN HOLY MASS WE EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD. WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING OVER THE PAST FEW SUNDAYS, TO JESUS AS HE INSISTS THAT THE BREAD THAT HE GIVES IS HIS BODY, AND THE WINE THAT HE OFFERS US IS HIS BLOOD, AND UNLESS WE EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, WE WILL NOT HAVE LIFE WITHIN, WE WILL NEVER SEE THE FATHER, WHOM ONLY THE SON CAN SEE. AND NEXT WEEK WE WILL HEAR HIS FOLLOWERS SAYING, SORROWFULLY, “THIS IS A HARD SAYING; WHO CAN BELIEVE IT?” AND THEY WILL WALK AWAY.
IT ISN'T HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE BREAD AND WINE BECOME THE BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR SAVIOUR. IF I BELIEVE HE IS GOD, WHY NOT? GOD CAN DO ANYTHING. BUT PERHAPS IT IS MUCH HARDER FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHY – WHY DOES HE INSIST WE EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, THE FLESH THAT IS FOOD INDEED, THE BLOOD THAT IS DRINK INDEED?
IT IS TRUE THAT JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD, SUFFERED AND DIED, FOR YOU AND I. BUT JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD PRIMARILY TO ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THE KINGDOM IN WHICH GOD WOULD RULE FOR ALL ETERNITY. IN A PERFECT KINGDOM, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE PERFECT SUBJECTS; AND THE ONLY PERFECT SUBJECT OF THE FATHER IS THE SON. SO THROUGH THE MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST, JESUS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU AND I TO BECOME TRUE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE FATHER. WHEN WE EAT AND DRINK HIS FLESH AND BLOOD, WE BECOME PART OF HIM, WE LITERALLY BECOME PART OF HIS BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, AND DIVINITY; WE HAVE HIS LIFE WITHIN US, WE BECOME EMPOWERED TO SEE THE FATHER, WE BECOME MINISTERS OF THE KINGDOM. AND YES, WHEN WE EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, WE BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS, IF WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN; AND IN DOING SO, WE ARE SEEN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD AS “GOOD PERSONS”.
BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. A GOOD PERSON ALWAYS TRIES TO DO WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION; A GOOD PERSON DEVELOPS A REFINED CONSCIENCE, BY READING, BY FORMING GOOD HABITS, BY THINKING ABOUT THINGS; AND THEN THROUGH HIS WILL POWER LIVES IN THAT WAY. BUT A SUBJECT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN FIRST OF ALL LISTENS – LISTENS TO THE VOICE OF GOD WITHIN, WAITS FOR THE BREATH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND SOMETIMES THIS RESULTS IN ACTIONS WHICH MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE CHOSEN BY A GOOD PERSON. THERE ARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES FROM THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS. ONE OF MY FAVORITES HAS TO DO WITH MARGARET OF SCOTLAND. FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, SHE DESIRED TO BE A CLOISTERED SISTER, AND DEVOTE HER LIFE TO PRAYER AND SACRIFICE. SHE FOUND HERSELF AND HER COMPANIONS BEING HELD BY THE KING OF SCOTLAND, WHO KEPT FINDING EXCUSES AS TO WHY THEY COULD NOT CONTINUE ON THEIR JOURNEY. FINALLY HER CONFESSOR TOLD HER THAT THE KING WAS IN LOVE WITH HER, AND PERHAPS SHE WAS CALLED TO MARRY HIM. AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF PRAYER AND SOUL SEARCHING, SHE CONSENTED, AND BECAME A GREAT SAINT LIVING AS A WIFE, A MOTHER, AND A QUEEN. AND JESUS LIVED STRONGLY IN ST. THERESE OF LISEAUX; SHE DESCRIBES A TIME WHEN SHE WAS SITTING WITH ANOTHER SISTER, AND THE MOTHER SUPERIOR INVITED ONE OF THEM TO GO TO TOWN TO HELP WITH THE SHOPPING. THERESE' FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO LET THE OTHER SISTER VOLUNTEER; THIS WOULD BE A GOOD DECISION, IN KEEPING WITH HUMILITY. BUT INSTEAD, SHE JUMPED UP AND CRIED OUT, “LET ME GO!” AND THE MOTHER SUPERIOR REPRIMANDED HER FOR UNSEEMLY BEHAVIOR, AND INVITED THE OTHER SISTER TO GO. THERESE CHOSE AN ACTION WHICH ACCOMPLISHED HER FIRST PURPOSE, BUT ALSO LEFT NO POSSIBILITY THAT SHE MIGHT BE ADMIRED FOR WHAT SHE DID.
JESUS GAVE US HIS REAL BODY AND BLOOD FOR OUR FOOD AND DRINK. THIS SACRAMENT IS TO CHANGE US INTO JESUS SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. A REAL CHRISTIAN FEEDS ON THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS; AND COOPERATES WITH HIS GRACE; AND GRADUALLY BECOMES JESUS. AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS SO THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE BROUGHT ABOUT ON THIS EARTH. JUST AS JESUS LIVED EVERY MOMENT TO CARRY OUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER, THAT IS OUR CHARGE AS WELL, MADE POSSIBLE BY BEING TRANSFORMED INTO JESUS THROUGH THIS SACRAMENT.
THANK GOD THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF NICE PERSONS ON THE EARTH; BUT PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR THERE TO BE CHRISTIANS; PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE WAY TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO JESUS THROUGH FEEDING ON HIS BODY AND BLOOD; AND IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING JESUS, THEY INCREASINGLY SEEK TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.