JOHN
12:20 -33
IT'S
INTERESTING TO READ THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS. THERE ARE THOSE LIKE
AUGUSTINE, WHO WAS LIVING QUITE WELL, ALMOST LIKE A PAGAN – AND
THEN HE MADE A COMPLETE ABOUT FACE AND BECAME A CHRISTIAN. THERE ARE
THOSE LIKE PAUL, WHO WENT FROM PERSECUTING THE CHURCH TO BEING IT'S
FORMOST APOSTLE. AND THEN THERE ARE SAINTS LIKE THOMAS AQUINAS AND
PADRE PIO, SEEMINGLY SAINTS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD. THERE NEVER WAS A
TIME WHEN THEIR HOLINESS WAS IN DOUBT.
BUT
THE MOST INTERESTING SAINTS, I THINK, ARE THE ONES WHO WERE GOING
ALONG LIVING GOOD LIVES, EVEN BLAMELESS LIVES. AND THEN SOMETHING
HAPPENED. MOTHER THERESA WAS LIKE THAT. SHE WAS RELATIVELY HAPPY
BEING A NUN, BUT FELT IMPELLED TO SOMETHING MORE, AND LEFT HER ORDER
TO TAKE CARE OF THE POOREST OF THE POOR. SAINT THERESA OF AVILLA
WAS WELL ESTABLISHED AS A SISTER IN HER CARMELITE CONVENT, AND THEN
FELT GOD'S CALL TO REFORM THE CARMELITE MOVEMENT.
SO
WE HAVE SAINTS WHO MADE A DRAMATIC CONVERSION; SAINTS WHO SEEM NEVER
TO HAVE TO BE CONVERTED, AND THEN THE ONES WHO WERE ALREADY LIVING
THE GOSPEL, BUT WERE CALLED TO SOMETHING MORE RADICAL, SOMETHING
DEEPER.
I
THINK MOST OF US CAN IDENTIFY WITH THIS THIRD GROUP – NOT BECAUSE
WE'VE MADE THAT LEAP FROM PRETTY GOOD TO BEING A SAINT, BUT BECAUSE
WE KNOW WE ARE MAKING AN EFFORT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO
BETTER. I THINK REAL CHRISTIANS CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THE CALL TO GO
BEYOND WHERE THEY ARE, TO DO JUST A LITTLE MORE.
JESUS
IS TALKING TO US TODAY – THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY HIS FOLLOWERS. EVEN
THOUGH THE GOSPEL IS A LITTLE LONG AND TYPICAL OF SAINT JOHN, A
LITTLE HARD TO FOLLOW, JESUS TELLS US FOUR THINGS.
FIRST,
HE SAYS, “VERY TRULY, I TELL YOU, UNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT FALLS
INTO THE EARTH AND DIES, IT REMAINS JUST A SINGLE GRAIN; BUT IF IT
DIES, IT BEARS MUCH FRUIT". THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
OF LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE. A GRAIN OF WHEAT DOES NOT REALLY DIE
WHEN IT FALLS INTO THE EARTH; WHAT IS IN IT AS POTENTIAL BECOMES
ACTUAL. BUT THE WHEAT PLANT CAN ONLY GROW IF THE GRAIN GIVES ITSELF
UP. YOU AND I ALL HAVE WITHIN US A GREAT SAINT; WHAT IS KEEPING THAT
SAINT FROM DEVELOPING IS SIMPLY THE FACT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO
CHANGE, WE DON'T WANT TO INVEST THE TIME AND ENERGY, WE DON'T WANT TO
GIVE UP THE PLEASURES AND FAMILIARITIES IN OUR LIVES.
SECOND,
HE SAYS, “THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT THOSE WHO
HATE THEIR LIFE IN THIS WORLD WILL KEEP IT FOR ETERNAL LIFE.” IF I
HAVE TO HATE MY LIFE, I'M IN TROUBLE; I LIKE MY LIFE. THE OLDER I
GET, THE MORE GRATEFUL I AM FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME. JESUS
THOUGH, MEANS THAT I HAVE TO LEARN TO LOOK BEYOND THIS LIFE, TO
FIRMLY BELIEVE WITH MY WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT THIS LIFE IS JUST THE
FRONT PORCH OF ETERNAL LIFE. IF I AM CONVINCED OF THIS, IF I TRULY
TAKE JESUS AT HIS PROMISES, THEN SOME PART OF ME CAN'T WAIT TILL I
GET THERE. AND IF I HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE, THEN WHAT I TREASURE
ABOUT THIS LIFE COMES INTO PERSPECTIVE. YES, ENJOY LIFE, ENJOY THE
GOOD THINGS – BUT LET GO IF THEY ARE GETTING IN THE WAY.
THIRD,
HE SAYS, “WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME. WHERE I AM, THERE
WILL MY SERVANT BE ALSO.” IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO SERVE JESUS WE
HAVE TO GO WHERE HE IS. AND WE KNOW WHERE THAT IS. HE IS IN THE
EUCHARIST. HE IS IN SCRIPTURES. HE IS IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE
CHURCH. HE IS WHEREVER TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME. HE IS
WITH THE POOR, AND THE SICK, AND ORPHANS AND WIDOWS. IT ISN'T HARD
TO FIND OUT WHERE HE IS; HE TOLD US. IT IS HARD TO GO WHERE HE IS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ISN'T CONVENIENT, OR WHEN WE HAVE TOO MUCH ON OUR
PLATES. BUT YOU AND I HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES – ARE WE WHERE HE IS?
BECAUSE IF WE AREN'T WE CAN'T CALL OURSELVES SERVANTS, CAN WE?
AND
FINALLY HE SAYS SOMETHING TRULY MARVELOUS. “WHOEVER SERVES ME, THE
FATHER WILL HONOR.” WE ARE HERE IN THIS CHURCH HONORING THE FATHER
– THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN WE CELEBRATE MASS. THE MAIN WAY WE HONOR
HIM IS TO OFFER HIS SON TO HIM – SOMETHING MADE POSSIBLE BY THE
SON, WHO GAVE HIMSELF TO US ON THE CROSS, AND WHO GAVE OUR PRIESTS
THE GIFT OF TRANSFORMING BREAD AND WINE INTO THE REAL PRESENCE OF
JESUS, INTO HIS OWN BODY AND BLOOD. WE OFFER WHAT WE CAN OFFER –
COMMON FOOD AND DRINK – AND JESUS BECOMES SACRAMENTALLY PRESENT.
AND THIS IS THE GREATEST HONOR WE CAN GIVE THE FATHER, GREATER THAN
THAT OF THE ANGELS – BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WHAT WE OFFER.
AND
YOU AND ARE PROMISED THAT WE WILL BE HONORED BY THIS SAME FATHER IF
WE CAN COUNT OURSELVES AMONG THOSE WHO SERVE THE SON. SAINT PAUL
SAID THAT “EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR HAS EAR HEARD … WHAT GOD HAS
PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT
WILL BE SOMETHING WONDERFUL – TO HEAR THOSE WORDS, “WELL DONE,
GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, NOW ENTER YOUR MASTER'S JOY.”
IT
IS IN OUR HANDS TO BE GREAT SAINTS. JESUS TELLS US IN THESE FOUR
STATEMENTS HOW TO TELL WHO IS HIS SERVANT – AND OF COURSE, HOW TO
BE HIS SERVANT IF WE CHOOSE THAT. LET US LEAVE MASS TODAY WITH NEW
DETERMINATION IN OUR HEARTS TO GO FROM PRETTY GOOD TO SAINTHOOD.
