JOHN3:13-17
LAST MONTH JOAN AND I
TOOK THREE GRANDSONS TO MONTANA. THEY RANGE FROM A LITTLE UNDER
ELEVEN TO A LITTLE OVER ELEVEN. IT'S A GOOD THING THAT GOD GIVES US
OLD PEOPLE CUNNING TO MAKE UP FOR THEIR GRADUAL LOSS OF STAMINA. OUR
GRANDSONS LEARNED THAT IF YOU WANTED SOMETHING THAT REQUIRED MONEY,
IT WAS BEST TO DO THE BIDDING OF YOUR GRANDPARENTS.
AROUND THE BEGINNING OF
THE 20TH CENTURY, A 31 YEAR OLD IRISH EMIGRANT CAME TO MONTANA IN
SEARCH OF GOLD. HE LABORED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, AND FINALLY
STRUCK IT RICH. HE SOLD HIS MINE TO A LARGE CORPORATION, WITH THE
CONDITION THAT HE RECEIVE 30% OF THE PROFITS MADE. AT THE AGE OF 50
HE PROPOSED TO A 20 YEAR OLD WOMAN, MARGARET CARTER, WHO, AFTER
EXAMINING HIS NET WORTH, ACCEPTED. TEN MONTHS AFTER THEIR LAVISH
WEDDING, SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A DAUGHTER, AND DIED OF COMPLICATIONS 12
DAYS LATER. CRUSE RAISED HIS DAUGHTER, WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM ON MANY
TRIPS, INCLUDING TRIPS TO EUROPE.
CRUSE DID MANY
INTERESTING THINGS WITH HIS MONEY, BUT WHEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
DECIDED TO SET UP A DIOCESE IN MONTANA, HE OFFERED TO BUILD THE
CATHEDRAL IF THEY LOCATED THE DIOCESAN SEAT IN THE CITY OF HELENA.
AFTER EXAMINING HIS NET WORTH, THEY ACCEPTED. IN WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN
AN AWESOME COINCIDENCE, WE TOOK OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO THE MAGNIFICENT
CATHEDRAL OF SAINT HELENA ON THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT HELENA.
EXPECTING A BRIEF 7:00 WEEKDAY MASS, THE BOYS WERE UNHAPPILY
SURPRISED TO FIND MUSIC AND THREE READINGS RATHER THAN THE USUAL TWO,
AND A PRIEST WHO GAVE A FAIRLY LONG SERMON. BUT THEY LEARNED ABOUT
SAINT HELENA.
ONE OF THE HUGE STAINED
GLASS WINDOWS IN THE CATHEDRAL SHOWS SAINT HELENA STANDING OVER A
DYING WOMAN. LEGEND HAS IT THAT SAINT HELENA, THE MOTHER OF THE
ROMAN EMPEROR CONSTANTINE, HAD GONE TO THE HOLY LAND IN SEARCH OF THE
TRUE CROSS. SHE DISCOVERED THREE CROSSES WHICH HAD BEEN BURIED, AND
WHEN THE DYING WOMAN TOUCHED ONE OF THEM SHE WAS INSTANTLY CURED,
PROVING THAT THE CROSS WAS THE TRUE CROSS. THE EASTERN CHURCHES
BEGAN TO CELEBRATE THAT DISCOVERY, AND THE WESTERN CHURCH ADDED THE
FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS TO THE CALENDAR IN ABOUT THE
SEVENTH CENTURY.
IN THE FIRST READING
MOSES PRAYS FOR THE RELIEF OF HIS PEOPLE FROM A PLAGUE OF SERPENTS.
GOD TELLS HIM TO MAKE A SERPENT OUT OF BRONZE AND MOUNT IT ON A POLE.
IF SOMEONE WHO WAS BITTEN LOOKED AT THE SERPENT, HE WOULD BE CURED.
WHY DID GOD MAKE THINGS SO COMPLICATED? WHY NOT JUST CURE THE PEOPLE
INSTEAD OF HAVING MOSES GO TO ALL THIS TROUBLE? IN THE GOSPEL
READING JESUS COMPARES HIMSELF TO THAT SERPENT. “SO MUST THE SON
OF MAN BE LIFTED UP, SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MIGHT NOT
PERISH BUT MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” IF YOU WERE BITTEN BY A
SERPENT AND WANTED TO BE CURED, YOU HAD TO LOOK AT THE SERPENT ON THE
POLE. YOU HAD A CHOICE. I'M PRETTY SURE NO ONE DECIDED OUT OF
STUBBORNNESS NOT TO LOOK AT THE SERPENT. JESUS ALSO GIVES A
CONDITION; HE MUST BE LIFTED UP SO THAT IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM, YOU
WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN
HIM, ALTHOUGH TO CHOOSE NOT TO IS EVEN MORE STUPID THAN ONE OF THOSE
SNAKE-BITTEN HEBREWS WHO CHOOSES NOT TO LOOK AT THE BRAZEN SERPENT.
BUT DO WE ALL BELIEVE IN
HIM? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE
INTELLECTUALLY ACCEPT THAT JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR, KIND OF LIKE
BELIEVING THAT TWO AND TWO ARE FOUR, OR WATER IS WET. ISN'T THERE
MORE TO IT THAN THAT?
THE WRITERS OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE IN
JESUS. FIRST, IT MEANT THAT YOU HAD TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU NEEDED A
SAVIOR. I THINK THAT'S DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, WHO ARE FAITHFUL CHURCH GOERS, WHO
TRY TO LIVE GOOD LIVES. BUT THE FACT REMAINS, NO ONE, EVEN THE
BLESSED MOTHER, CAN DO WITHOUT A SAVIOR. HUMAN BEINGS ARE FALLEN AND
CAN'T GET UP BY THEMSELVES. MARY WAS SAVED BEFORE SHE WAS CONCEIVED,
BUT STILL NEEDED TO BE SAVED. SECOND, IT MEANS THAT WE TRUST IN THE
ASSURANCE WE HAVE FROM SCRIPTURE AND THE CHURCH THAT GOD CHOOSES TO
SEND HIS SON TO OFFER US SALVATION THROUGH HIS SUFFERING, DEATH AND
RESURRECTION. IN SOME MYSTERIOUS WAY, AND IT IS MYSTERIOUS, THIS
PROCESS CONQUERS DEATH AND BEGINS THE PROCESS OF RESTORING OUR HUMAN
NATURE TO WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE. IF WE DON'T ACCEPT HIS HELP AND
WORK TOWARDS BECOMING WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE, WE ARE NOT “BELIEVING
IN HIM”. IN OTHER WORDS, TO BELIEVE IN HIM IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT I
NEED IMPROVEMENT, I NEED REPENTANCE, I NEED TO TURN MY BACK ON MY
SINS AND GET RID OF MY FAULTS – ALL WITH GOD'S HELP, OF COURSE, BUT
I AM SUPPOSED TO INITIATE THIS. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO – YOU DON'T
HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SERPENT, EVEN IF YOU ARE DYING OF SNAKE BITE.
JESUS HIMSELF MADE THIS
CLEAR. HE SAID THAT WE CAN'T BE DISCIPLES UNLESS WE TAKE UP OUR
CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM. HE SAID “MY FATHER IS GLORIFIED IN THIS,
THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT AND BECOME MY DISCIPLES.” HE SAID “BY
THIS EVERYONE WILL KNOW YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR
ONE ANOTHER.” HE SAID “SO THEREFORE, ANY ONE OF YOU WHO DOES NOT
RENOUNCE ALL THAT HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.”
BELIEVING IN JESUS IS NOT
AN ACT OF THE MIND. IT IS AN ACT OF THE HEART, IT IS THE DECISION TO
BECOME A DISCIPLE, TO BEAR FRUIT, TO LET GO OF THE WORLD, TO ACCEPT
THE CROSS; AND THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO SET GOALS FOR OURSELVES AND
WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS. JESUS TOLD US TO PRAY ALWAYS. ARE WE
DOING THAT? IF NOT, HOW DO WE GET THERE? JESUS TOLD US TO FORGIVE
“SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN”. ARE WE THERE YET? JESUS TOLD US TO WASH
EACH OTHER'S FEET. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. ARE WE DOING MORE
OF IT THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR?
THE CROSS REMINDS US THAT
WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE SOLDIERS WHO CRUCIFIED HIM, THE PEOPLE
WHO CRIED OUT FOR HIS CRUCIFIXION, OR THE PEOPLE WHO STOOD BY
SILENTLY WHILE THIS, THE GREATEST INJUSTICE OF ALL TIME, WAS CARRIED
OUT. THE CROSS REMINDS US THAT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE SENT HIS
SON TO BECOME ONE OF US AND DIE FOR US, SO THAT WE COULD LIVE FOREVER
WITH GOD. AND THE CROSS REMINDS US THAT GOD CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH. AS
LONG AS WE HAVE THE GIFT OF FREE WILL, WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO BECOME
DISCIPLES, WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, WE CAN
CHOOSE NOT TO LOOK UPON THE BRONZE SERPENT.
AND JESUS ANTICIPATED
THAT SOME OF US WOULD CHOOSE THIS. NOT EVERYONE, HE TELLS US, WHO
CRIES “LORD, LORD”, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
