Tuesday of the 29th Week in Course 2020
Plague Year
Separated, alienated, strangers. Those are the words that begin St. Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians and to us today. He continued, “having no hope and without God in the world.” Paul’s statement sounds very much like a diagnoses of the peoples of the U.S. in this plague-election year. The separation and alienation seem symbolized by what seems to be unending riots in the city of Portland. But the foundational separation has nothing to do with Democrat-Republican politics. That can be a result, but the fundamental separation is separation from Christ, the Messiah not just of the Jews but of every human, past, present or to come. That’s because Christ is the God-man, born of a Jewish virgin and immolated on a Roman torture device, but raised by the infinite power of God from the dead. He is the only path to redemption; He is the only Savior. By becoming united with Christ in Baptism, and growing in Christ through the sacraments and a godly life, we experience the fullness of human life. We day by day find the big voids in our life to be filled with the very life of God Himself.
Moreover, as we are drawn to Jesus Christ in His Church, we find ourselves being drawn toward each other in community. “Through Him we both–Jew and Gentile alike--have access in one Spirit to the Father.” You can’t be drawn to Christ, while your lifelong enemy is also being drawn to Christ, without being moved closer to each other. I remember some time ago being at Mass and noticing somebody I didn’t like also being at Mass. Afterwards we chatted and got to know each other. You can’t take communion right after somebody else and think anything but good about him.
Imagine a community in which everyone is drawn to Christ as the center of his life. Whatever race another person may be, it would be unthinkable in that kind of community to call him or her a racist. It would be simply awful to plan some kind of harm or revenge. There would be a natural–or should I say supernatural–reason to come to an accommodation over whatever difficulties you might face with each other. With Jesus Christ as the cornerstone, in union with the prophets and apostles that are the cornerstone of the Church, we grow into a holy temple in the Lord. That, actually, is part of our history. That kind of process, centered around the sisters and brothers in Benedictine communities, restored civilization to Europe in the wake of the barbarian invasions of the first millennium. That kind of process gave us medieval Catholic culture, and the beauty, goodness and truth of that age. It was ruined by human greed and lust in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, capped by the Protestant revolt, but was restored in many areas with the Catholic Reformation. It is possible to do this again. You may ask how.
We have to act as if Jesus Christ were returning very soon, requiring at that time an accounting of our stewardship. Yes, that means doing good and avoiding evil as individuals, but it even more, in this repaganized age, means evangelizing in the culture. It means drawing others to Christ and His Church every day. I think the way we used to think we were doing it had some effect. We would act each day in ways we thought Christ would act. Others would see us and be attracted to the kind of people we are, and ask about the reason for our faith and hope.
But this is a boorish age, this 21st century. Hidden behind masks–both virtual and physical–people forget that actions and words have consequences. There seems to be more meanness in our society today than there used to be. So we have to be what I call “overt Catholics.” When we see someone in trouble, we should help, but also help them if they are unchurched to discover the beauty and goodness and truth. Just invite them to Mass, or to a bible study, or give them an attractive Catholic devotional pamphlet or booklet.
Keep your loins girt. That means always be ready to share the Gospel. I try to respond to “have a nice day” words with “peace in your heart today.” That sometimes causes a further conversation. If you are on Facebook, every post should be kind and helpful. People have enough trouble in their lives, enough meanness. Be overtly loving every single day, but especially when you are having trouble yourself. In this way you will be like a servant waiting expectantly for your boss. And when you do end this life, you’ll find Jesus waiting on you forever, and you’ll really love it.
