Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Wednesday of the fourteenth week of the year

The Lord looks on those who revere him,
    on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
    to keep them alive in famine.
                                      Psalm 32 [33]

.         .       .

The first reading from today is about the famine in Egypt, the first episode in the story of Joseph's reunion with his brothers in Egypt. It is one of my childhood favorites, the story of Joseph and his many-colored coat, his fall and rise again in Egypt, and his restoration to his family. It made a great musical.

But it's more complicated than that, isn't it? Joseph must have been a really annoying kid. He told his older brothers that he would rule over them, and his father singled him out. Now that I have a 9-year-old son who has his challenging days, I can imagine how aggravated his brothers must have been. Not, of course, that they can be excused for getting rid of him. Turns out, though, that it wasn't such a bad thing after all: God chose 'to keep them alive in famine' through the very wrong act they committed.

Now, I should have seen that before. It is a picture of redemption bigger than the one I had five minutes ago. Really. Although I am a big fan of Romans 8:28 ('God works all things together for the good...'), I tend not to include intentional sins in that 'everything' that God causes to work for the good of 'those who hope in his love.' So, as I look back over my life and cringe as I remember things I shouldn't have done, I don't need to worry so much about the 'what if I hadn't...?' and the 'what if, instead, I had...?' No. Certainly things would have turned out differently. And I might have been spared some grief, as surely Joseph's brothers might have if they had borne with their brother's vexing attitude. But the purposes of God would not be served any less. I cannot thwart the saving purposes of God.

Does that mean I shouldn't worry about whether I am acting in accordance with God's will? Of course not--as St Paul says. But I can act in faith, knowing that even if I have read wrongly, God will still 'keep [me] alive in famine': the thing is to 'hope in his love'. He's God. That's all he asks of us.

Deo gratias.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

St Thomas the Apostle

You are a part of the building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations...
                                                                                                       Ephesians 2: 19

. . .

Once again, I find I have been completely outdone by Pope Francis. His daily homilies are a source of encouragement, and challenge me to practice my faith more consistently. He said:

"We find Jesus’ wounds in carrying out works of mercy, giving to our body – the body – the soul too, but – I stress - the body of your wounded brother, because he is hungry, because he is thirsty, because he is naked because it is humiliated, because he is a slave, because he's in jail because he is in the hospital. Those are the wounds of Jesus today. And Jesus asks us to take a leap of faith, towards Him, but through these His wounds. 'Oh, great! Let's set up a foundation to help everyone and do so many good things to help '. That's important, but if we remain on this level, we will only be philanthropic. We need to touch the wounds of Jesus, we must caress the wounds of Jesus, we need to bind the wounds of Jesus with tenderness, we have to kiss the wounds of Jesus, and this literally. Just think of what happened to St. Francis, when he embraced the leper? The same thing that happened to Thomas: his life changed. " 

I like to stay at arms length: give to cafod, support the Missionaries of Charity, that sort of thing. But the neighbor in need deserves my attention equally. Attention to the poor is attention to Jesus...how often I forget that!

I am grateful for the words of Pope Francis, and for the example set for us by the saints. 

St Thomas, pray for us.


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

St Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, martyrs

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands in a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the Lord.
                                                             Psalm 26[25]: 11-12


And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. and behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves; but he himself was asleep. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' And he said to them, 'Why are you timid, you men of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
                                                              Matthew 8: 23-26

.        .       .

Maybe this is one of those days when the readings just happen to fall on the same day, without an inherent connection (as is usually the case for Sundays). The first reading was from Genesis, about the fate of Lot's wife, and of Sodom and Gomorrah. Don't look back! Then the psalmist speaks confidently of stability and security before God--or does he? I am fascinated by the prayer for mercy in the midst of assurance. It is as if to say that all that we do is not what redeems us: God's grace is what redeems us. Integrity and right worship might contribute to our hope that God will redeem us by his grace; our practice, however faithful, is not sufficient.

And grace--there he is, God's grace come to dwell among us, asleep in the boat while the storm rages. That's a confidence beyond that of the psalmist, I think. I love this passage, I confess. It is short, but to the point: here is the one who calms the storm. My storms tend to be of a different kind, but just as dark and sometimes just as violent. Yet here he is, if I can just remember he's on board, ready to calm the storm, ready to redeem, and to bring me to a level place.

Deo gratias.