LUKE 17:5-10
WHEN I WAS PRACTICING
MEDICINE, I MORE THAN ONCE TOOK CARE OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY BELIEVED IN
MIRACLES. I REMEMBER ONE COUPLE VERY WELL. HE HAD CANCER, AND FROM
THE STANDPOINT OF WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT HIS SITUATION, HE WAS INCURABLE
AND WOULD PROBABLY PASS AWAY IN A FEW MONTHS. HIS WIFE KEPT TELLING
HIM TO HAVE FAITH, AND THEY PRAYED FOR A MIRACLE. THEY WENT ON A
PILGRIMAGE TO A SHRINE KNOWN FOR MIRACLES, AND CAME BACK GLOWING WITH
OPTIMISM BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT GOD HAD CURED HIM. UNFORTUNATELY,
THE DISEASE RAN ITS COURSE AND HE DIED, ABOUT WHEN WE EXPECTED HIM
TO, A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS DIAGNOSIS. I MET HIS WIFE SEVERAL WEEKS
LATER AND IN THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION, SHE BECAME TEARFUL AND
SAD, AND SAID TO ME, “I GUESS WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH.”
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE
APOSTLES HAD IN MIND – THEY HAD BEEN WATCHING JESUS DO WONDROUS
THINGS, AND THEY THEMSELVES HAD EVERY NOW AND THEN DONE SOMETHING
MIRACULOUS. AND IT WAS ONLY NATURAL FOR THEM TO SAY, “INCREASE OUR
FAITH”. BECAUSE IF WE ONLY HAD MORE FAITH, WE COULD CURE THE SICK,
GIVE SIGHT TO THE BLIND, MAYBE EVEN RAISE THE DEAD. AND IF YOU WERE
LAYING IN A HOSPITAL BED FACING A MAJOR SURGICAL PROCEDURE, WOULDN'T
IT BE GREAT TO HAVE ENOUGH FAITH SO THAT YOUR BODY WOULD GET BETTER
ON IT'S OWN? THERE SEEM TO BE A LOT OF ADVANTAGES TO HAVING FAITH,
AND THE MORE THE BETTER.
AND JESUS SEEMS TO SUPPORT THIS IDEA – IF YOU HAD THE FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED,
YOU WOULD SAY TO THIS MULBERRY TREE, “BE UPROOTED AND PLANTED IN
THE SEA,” AND IT WOULD OBEY YOU. AND THEN JESUS SEEMS TO
COMPLETELY CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
BUT I'M BOTHERED BY THAT
STATEMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN CANONIZED SAINTS WHO NEVER WORKED A
MIRACLE DURING THEIR LIVES – AND I'M SURE THEY HAD TIMES THEY
WISHED TO DO SO. AND THEY HAD LOTS OF FAITH. AND THE MARTYRS –
THEY HAD ENOUGH FAITH TO ACCEPT DEATH, BUT THERE DON'T SEEM TO BE ANY
EXAMPLES OF THE MARTYRDOM BEING CALLED OFF, EVEN THOUGH I'M SURE THEY
PRAYED, AS JESUS DID, THAT MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRINK OF THIS
CUP. SO I THINK THAT WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE MULBERRY TREE, HE WAS
BEING A LITTLE SARCASTIC. HE WAS SAYING “IF YOU HAD EVEN A LITTLE
OF THE KIND OF FAITH YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT, YOU WOULD PROBABLY DO
SOMETHING STUPID OR POINTLESS WITH IT.” AND IF JESUS IS MAKING
THAT KIND OF STATEMENT, THEN THE LITTLE STORY THAT FOLLOWS MAKES A
LOT MORE SENSE. BECAUSE HE GOES ON TO TELL THEM SOMETHING ABOUT REAL
FAITH.
WHEN YOU AND I WERE
LITTLE CHILDREN WE WERE TAUGHT, ALMOST FROM THE TIME WE COULD
UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE, THAT IF WE LEARNED TO GO WITHOUT DIAPERS, WE
WOULD BE REWARDED. IF WE COULD EAT WITH A SPOON INSTEAD OF OUR
FINGERS, WE WOULD BE GIVEN APPROVAL. AND AS WE HIT THE MILESTONES WE
WERE SUPPOSED TO HIT, OUR LOVING PARENTS WOULD MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT
IT, AND PRAISE US AND REWARD US. AND BY THE TIME WE HAVE BECOME
ADULTS, THERE IS STILL A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN US – WE SHOULD BE
REWARDED FOR OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS; IF WE DO OUR JOB REALLY WELL, WE
SHOULD GET NOT ONLY OUR PAY, BUT A BONUS. WE GRADUALLY LEARN THAT
THE WORLD DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, BUT THE LITTLE CHILD IN US CONTINUES
TO BELIEVE THAT IT DOES. AND SO, WHEN IT COMES TO GOD, OUR FATHER,
THE LITTLE CHILD COMES OUT AGAIN; IF WE DO SOMETHING FOR GOD,
SHOULDN'T WE BE REWARDED? IF WE SAY CERTAIN PRAYERS, IF WE HELP OUT
IN THE FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM OR THE FOOD FOR THE SOULS PROGRAM, OR
THE SOUP KITCHEN, ISN'T GOD GOING TO BLESS US?
JESUS IS SAYING, IT
DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. GOD DOES NOT WAIT ON HIS CREATURES, GOD IS
NOT A VENDING MACHINE IN THE SKY. YOU AND I, IF WE TRULY WANT TO
FULFILL OUR HUMAN NATURE, IF WE WANT TO BE COMPLETE AND JOYFUL
PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE SERVANTS, WE ARE SLAVES OF
THE FATHER, AND DOING WHAT HE WANTS IS WHAT WE SHOULD WANT. WE DO
GOD'S WILL BECAUSE HE IS GOD AND WE AREN'T, NOT BECAUSE WE EXPECT A
REWARD.
FAITH IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN DIAL UP OR DOWN. IT DOES NOT PRECEDE ACTION. ACTION,
THE DOING OF GOD'S WILL, LEADS TO FAITH. AND FAITH IS NOT A MYSTICAL
FEELING OR A FEELING OF DEEP UNION WITH GOD. IF YOU HAVE THAT, IT'S
GREAT, BUT IT'S NOT FAITH. MOTHER THERESA OF CALCUTTA, ACCORDING TO
PRIVATE LETTERS SHE WROTE TO HER CONFESSOR, SPENT A HUGE PART OF HER
LIFE FEELING NOTHING, FEELING AS THOUGH GOD HAD ABANDONED HER – OR
MAYBE THAT GOD DIDN'T EXIST AT ALL. BUT DESPITE ALL THAT, SHE
CONTINUED TO KEEP ON DOING WHAT SHE UNDERSTOOD GOD TO WANT WITH HER
LIFE – NOT JUST WORKING FOR THE POOR AND DYING, BUT PRAYING,
PRAYING IN FRONT OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT FOR AN HOUR EACH DAY,
ATTENDING DAILY MASS, SAYING THE ROSARY AND THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS.
SHE HAD FAITH, BUT DID NOT HAVE A FEELING. AND FAITH IS NOT AN
INTELLECTUAL THING EITHER. QUITE A FEW CANONIZED SAINTS COULDN'T
EXPLAIN THINGS LIKE THE TRINITY OR HOW JESUS COULD BE BOTH GOD AND
MAN. DOING GOD'S WILL BECAUSE IT IS GOD'S WILL IS FAITH; AND THE
SERVANTS IN JESUS' STORY DID THE MASTER'S WILL NOT BECAUSE THEY
EXPECTED A REWARD, BUT BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE FOR.
IF WE DO ALL THAT WE ARE
EXPECTED TO DO, WE SHOULDN'T EXPECT A REWARD. BUT WE BEGIN TO BE
WORTHWHILE SERVANTS WHEN WE GO BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM. BUT IF WE
AREN'T EXPECTING A REWARD, WHY SHOULD WE GO BEYOND WHAT IS EXPECTED
OF US? T.S. ELIOT, THE POET, SAID THAT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE
WRONG REASON WAS THE LAST TEMPTATION. IF WE GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM
BECAUSE WE FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE; IF WE GO BEYOND THE
MINIMUM BECAUSE IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD; IF WE GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD DO – ALL THESE ARE THE WRONG
REASONS FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. THE ONLY REASON THAT MAKES US
HOLY, THAT MAKES US WILLING TO GIVE OURSELVES UP FOR EACH OTHER, THAT
MAKES US GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE TO SERVE THE NEEDY AND VISIT THE
SICK AND LONELY AND ALL THOSE THINGS WE KNOW JESUS WOULD LIKE US TO
DO, BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM, IS GRATITUDE. AND IF YOU AND I CAN'T
THINK OF SOMETHING FOR WHICH WE ARE GRATEFUL TO GOD, WE'VE DEFINITELY
GOT LAZY MINDS.
I MET A LADY WITH
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RECENTLY AND HAD A LONG CHAT WITH HER. THERE ARE
HOLES IN HER MEMORY, WORDS SHE CAN'T FIND, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES
THAT SHE'S FORGOTTEN – BUT ALL THROUGH OUR CONVERSATION, AND
PROBABLY THE REASON I STAYED WITH HER FOR A WHILE, SHE KEPT RETURNING
TO THE IDEA THAT SHE HAD HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE, AND THAT SHE WAS SO
GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR THAT.
I THINK JESUS IS CALLING
US TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT HOW WE RELATE TO GOD OUR FATHER. ARE WE
DOING WHAT HE WANTS US TO DO BECAUSE HE IS GOD AND WE ARE CREATURES?
ARE WE DOING MORE THAN THE BARE MINIMUM NOT BECAUSE WE EXPECT A
REWARD, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HIM THAT TO DO NOTHING IS
ALMOST AN INSULT? WILL THE LAST MEMORY IN OUR MINDS BE TO BE
GRATEFUL FOR ALL GOD HAS GIVEN US, TOTALLY UNDESERVED? I HOPE IT
WILL BE YOURS AND MINE.
