Readings: I Kgs 19:9a,11-16; Ps 27; Mt 5:27-32
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A few days ago, as I read
today’s readings, I found myself recalling many of the conversations I’ve had with
atheists and agnostics over the years. In almost every one of those
conversations I could detect a subtle, but very real, hope that God does exist. As one
young self-declared agnostic said to me, "It would certainly make life more
understandable, knowing there’s a God behind all this. As it is now, for me,
life is pretty meaningless.”
Yes, without God, life becomes meaningless, just a physical, chemical accident. And yet that hint of hope has always been there. It’s really the same desire expressed in today’s psalm, a Psalm of David, sung 3,000 years ago:
I long to see your face, O Lord.
We all seek God, to see
Him, to as know Him, and it’s true even for those who don’t believe in Him. As
my mom use to say, “Hope can lead us to faith; otherwise, we’re just consumed
by fear.”
Perhaps St. Augustine,
who took a rather odd, winding path to the Catholic Church, put it best: “…our hearts are
restless until they rest in you.”
Yes, we’re all on a pilgrimage, brothers and
sisters, even those who aren’t fully aware of it. We can wander aimlessly,
achieving little, or we can open our hearts to the Spirit and let Him lead us.
A few weeks ago, in one of our Bible Study
sessions, a participant, concerned about a tragic event described in Genesis,
asked me: “Why would God do that? Why would He let that happen?” Well, we
discussed the event hoping to achieve some understanding of God’s purpose. But
in truth, what I wanted to answer him with: “How do I know? I’m not God!”
That’s really not a bad answer. So often, we
simply underestimate our all-powerful, all-knowing God, whose ways are so far above
us. As the Archangel Gabriel said to our Blessed Mother: “nothing will be impossible for God” [Lk 1:37]. I suppose the question for us is do we
believe that? Or are we like Peter when Jesus rebuked him:
“You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” [Mt 16:23].
Just consider Elijah in today’s reading. Hunted by enemies who sought his death, in particular a rather evil queen Jezebel, Elijah seemed to have had enough, enough of everything, enough even of life. He actually hoped to die. But fed by angels, he obeyed God and made his way to Horeb, God’s holy mountain. There, God asked him:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The prophet, zealous and faithful, told the
Lord what He already knew “I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”
He was afraid and alone. So, God put on a remarkable display of His power. Then,
when the noise and violence had ceased, Elijah encountered the God of Creation
– as one translation put it – in a “sound of sheer silence.”
God passes by like a soft breeze and the man
covers his face because God has not yet become man. Only then will we see Him
in the flesh, face to face. And only then will we adore Him as well in the gift
of His Eucharistic Presence. And that’s what the world needs today. With senses
inundated by the noise of this world, how can people recognize Him as He passes
by? How can they see His face or hear the sheer silence of His holy Word?
Elijah Hides His Face
Elijah, whose faith was beyond question, was often left in the dark by God. Yet the Spirit was always there, leading and aiding the prophet as he tried to accomplish all these missions he’s been given. God expects obedience, and in a sense says: “Just do what I say, and I’ll handle everything else.” For Elijah, God’s immediate purpose becomes clear over time. But His ultimate purpose looks ahead 1,000 years, pointing to something new and wonderful: humanity’s redemption by Jesus Christ.How about us? Are you and I prophets? Are we
courageous enough to evangelize, to be God’s messengers, to speak His Word to
the world? Yes, we’re called to do just
that. But like Elijah and Jesus we face a culture, a culture of death, that
screams its lies at us.
In our Gospel passage
Jesus gets the attention of the crowd with His vivid images of plucking out
eyes and cutting off hands. He’s not encouraging bodily mutilation, but He is he’s
telling them: this is serious stuff; pay attention.
Then stressing the sixth
commandment, Jesus really addresses the dignity of every person, the respect
people should have for each other. We cannot simply use others for personal
pleasure or to satisfy appetites. For Jesus is really addressing the nature of
love, which is not just an emotional feeling, or a physical attraction. As
anyone who’s been married a while realizes, true love demands a continual decision.
In contrast to today’s
cult of self-absorbed pleasure seeking, the Gospel sets high standards. Not
only does love demand faithfulness but it also calls us to be chaste in both
thoughts and actions. Interesting too is that Jesus puts men and women on a
morally equal level, which later causes some dismay among His disciples.
Today we often encounter the painful breakdown
of marital relationships. While each case must be treated with pastoral
sensitivity, we cannot neglect the fundamental values Jesus stresses here.
I suppose it’s all encompassed in Jesus’ first words of His public ministry:
"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" [Mk 1:15].
Yes, indeed, we must change our hearts and minds, and
accept the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ in our lives.
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