Not Despairing Over Our Faults

Today’s Gospel relates a somewhat embarrassing truth about the Apostles James and John, the sons of Zebedee:

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

– Luke 9:51-56

These two brothers were also known as “Boanerges” – the “sons of thunder”. And, no, it’s not because they had gas. It seems they had a bit of an anger problem – their passion for our Lord led them to want to “zap” those who didn’t accept him.

But Jesus knew about their faults, and called them to be his followers anyway. That’s because he knew that he could transform their faults into strengths. Francis Fernandez, in his magnificent daily devotional, “In Conversation With God”, relates an anecdote about Saint John in later life. St Jerome wrote that the aged Apostle, when speaking with his fellow believers, used to repeat, again and again, “Little children, love one another”. His listeners, perhaps a bit miffed that someone who knew our Lord personally didn’t seem to have any fresh homiletical material, asked him, “Why do you keep on repeating the same thing all the time?” John replied, “Because if we only do this one thing, it will be enough”. John’s desire to call down fire from heaven was changed to a living flame of love.

Jesus’ teaching on love being the hallmark of  a Christian’s life – even for one’s enemies – eventually sunk into John’s ears, especially when he saw it in praxis at the foot of the cross, along with Mary. And when he was chosen by the Master to take care of his Mother, John no doubt was privy to even more lessons on what it means to love, from the person who knew Jesus best.

If Jesus could change this angry young man into “the Apostle of love” – his Gospel and New Testament letters are rife with this theme – imagine how Jesus can turn our weaknesses into strengths, if we stay close to him on the Way.

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Suffering and God

Have you ever received devastating news about a loved one? News that was so unbelievable at the time that it didn’t even register with you for a few moments, or even much longer?

The sudden death of a relative. The unexpected and grim diagnosis. When news like that hits us, our first reaction is often disbelief, a refusal to accept the truth. but after reality sets in, a second question follows: “Why?”

I suppose this is how the followers of Jesus felt after hearing his words recorded in today’s Gospel reading for Mass:

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

– Luke 9:43b-45

The disciples probably didn’t understand the words of the Master because, given Jesus’ great deeds of power – his control over nature, his exorcisms and healings – he seemed a superman who could never fall into the hands of any enemy.

Unless he did it on purpose.

One of the reasons why Jesus underwent the horrific sufferings of his passion (besides freeing us from our sins) was this: God foreknew from all eternity that people would doubt his intentions, goodness, and even his very existence because of the existence of suffering in this world. But after the passion of Christ, no one can say that God does not know what suffering is like, or that God could not understand one’s pain. For God himself suffered in Christ, and more than that, triumphed over it by his resurrection.

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Bearing Fruit for the Kingdom

In today’s Gospel reading for Mass, Jesus reminds us, “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45). When I was still on the journey home to the Catholic Church, but was still in Protestant ministry, I had an interesting encounter with a Catholic priest. At the time I was exploring Catholic doctrines, things I should have learned well while growing up Catholic, but didn’t. I was enthralled by what I was discovering, even becoming convinced of the truth of the Catholic position, but at the time I didn’t think it was necessary for me to revert. I thought I could remain in a Protestant context, and teach those who listened to my preaching about Catholicism, sharing its riches, without having to necessarily be visibly, corporately united to the Catholic Church. My conversation with this priest (whose name, sadly, I don’t recall) was one of the things that convinced me otherwise.

I had explained to the priest all of the things I just mentioned above, and he had patiently listened. In response he simply said, “You can’t give what you don’t have”.

I eventually realized he was right. I couldn’t share the wealth of the doctrines of Catholicsim, “the unsearchable riches of Christ”, as St Paul puts it, if I didn’t posess them myself. I had to try and live them, not just talk about them. And this is another reason why Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel matter so much.

If we hope to share our faith with others (and all of us are called to holiness and apostolate via our baptism), we can’t be operating out of our spiritual reserves. Our spiritual tanks must be full. We have to give out of our abundance, not our lack. The caregiver must be cared for as well. This is why we must allow Christ to minister to us, by spending time with him at Holy Mass and in personal prayer, allowing him to speak to us in our scriptural and spiritual reading, and letting him feed us with his very Body and Blood in the Eucharist. We must let him cleanse us regularly in the confessional, washing away the grime of life’s journey that can stick to our souls. Then, God can produce the produce of the Kingdom in our lives, luscious fruit that our companions on the journey can draw from, many of whom are spiritually starving.

And we can look to Mary, exemplar of the fruitful Christian life, to help us. No life bore more for Kingdom purposes, for “the fruit of her womb” (Luke 1:42) is none other than the King of that Kingdom, Christ himself.

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On the Nativity of Our Lady

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the birth of Mary of Nazareth. Saint Peter Damian captured the elation Christians should feel on this day: “Just as Solomon and the chosen people celebrated the dedication of the Temple with great and solemn sacrifice, so should we be filled with joy at the birth of Mary. Her womb was a most holy temple. There, God received his human nature and thus entered visibly into the world” (Sermon 45).

The Old Covenant temple was constructed of the finest materials, by the most superlative craftsmen in the world. No expense was spared. In like manner, God himself was the architect of the one whom he knew from all eternity would be the Mother of his Son, and he ensured that Jesus would have an Immaculate “house of gold”, as the Litany of Loretto calls Mary, in which to dwell. No person was ever closer to Christ. Since Mary knows him best, so let us fly to her patronage and intercession as we seek to worship the divine Messiah.

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