Proper9A/3Pentecost, Sullivan Park
Care Center, July 6, 2014, by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP.
Just a couple of days ago, as a
nation we celebrated again our independence from the King of England. Yesterday on PBS, I watched a representation
of a debate that happened within the colony of Virginia. And so the bantering continues to this
day. When and how do we defend
ourselves? How do we live independently
with our own resources and not so dependent on other countries? How do we keep intact a nation that is truly
a melting pot from becoming divided to the point that it breaks out in another
kind of civil unrest and possibly war?
The nation is still fighting over a variety of opinions as to what
constitutes killing as an outright sin, versus a just war, killing human life as
in where does life begin and what forms of birth control are acceptable
morally? Should companies who employ
workers who do not share their religious beliefs have to follow their dictates? Should an employee always follow conscience
or the practice of the place where they find themselves? Should we follow John the Baptist or Jesus or
reject both out of hand?
John the
Baptist is representative of a lot of rules, primarily that one must live a
simple life, wear simple clothing, fast and repent. Most of us would reject a diet of locusts and
honey. Here is this quirky guy out in
the middle of nowhere preaching loudly, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at
hand!” Yet despite the rejection of
many, he had many followers. Jesus, on
the other hand, seems to be doing just the opposite and says that the kingdom
of God is here, in your midst, “Eat drink, and be merry!” The church has been confused ever since. The confession of sins is included in every
service except that of Easter. During the
50 days of the Easter celebration, there is no confession of sins! So which is it? Should we follow the strictness of John the
Baptist or follow Jesus who eats and drinks?
I think one of the strong points of this text is that it doesn’t really
matter which we do, because there will always be someone who thinks we are
doing it wrong and feels the need to be critical of our words and our
behavior.
Two days ago, I learned that we are
hiring another nursing assistant to work the day shift on our floor. The conversation among the staff was
concerning the fact that the person hired was a black female. We mused about how many complaints we would
hear among the residents due to the color of her skin. We knew all too well the prejudicial views of
some residents. But yesterday was my
experience of an opposite view. I went
specifically to visit someone who had been an active member of the cathedral in
Fr. Hay’s stead. She mentioned to me an
aid she greatly enjoys who is from the Ukraine and speaks with a heavy
accent. I mentioned to her that she and
I were still good friends. Learning to
love takes a special person. It takes a
person who is sure and positive about one’s own identity as a person, in this
case, who knows her value in God’s sight.
Vera the aid also speaks about her faith to me. They are both faith inspirations. It’s never too late to change. My brother-in-law shocked me when he told me
a week ago on Sunday afternoon that it is better to respond to people with
love. I was flabbergasted and speechless.
I never thought I’d see that day.
He actually admitted that he was wrong.
As the second lesson today points
out, we continue to struggle with what we know to be the right thing to do and
still do what we know is not right. We
are frequently in agony in this life because even when we do have a real sense
of what it right, we chose to do what isn’t.
Paul truly understood the human condition. As a pastor whose pulpit I once preached in
used to say to me, “It don’t matter.”
Yes, he purposely used bad English.
Many of the things we stress over in life really don’t matter. The more we object and want things a certain
way, the more we suffer and cause our own grief. Misery many times is a result of our own
inability to let go of past arguments, disagreements, and grievances. We can cling so tightly to what happened
yesterday, last week, or even forty years ago that we forget that we are called
to love just as God loves us. Jesus
tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and
I will give you rest.” Rest is the
answer to our troubles in this life. The
only law you are called to keep is the law of love.
As Pope Leo I has written, “Let every
Christian scrutinize himself, and search severely into his inmost heart: let
him see that no discord cling there, no wrong desire be harbored. Let the light of truth dispel the shades of
deception; let the swellings of pride subside; let wrath yield to reason; let
he darts of ill-treatment be shattered, and the chidings of the tongue be
bridled; let thoughts of revenge fall through, and injuries be given over to
oblivion. In fine, let “every plant which the heavenly Father hath not planted
be removed by the roots.” For then only
are the seeds of virtue will nourished in us, when every foreign germ is
uprooted from the field of wheat.”
Despite all struggle in our corporate
and individual lives, Jesus offers us rest.
For all those who are burdened physically, burdened by trying to keep
the law of love, those who are emotionally fatigued and discouraged, ready to
give up and lose heart: take heart. Take
heart; because Jesus will give you rest.
In that rest, we are in a right relationship with God. It is like the rest of God who created the
world and on the seventh day rested. We
can look forward to that ultimate rest when all things and all people will be
restored to God, the source of transformation, all comfort, and all peace. It is God who will end all oppression and
death, who will end all war and strife.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. Learning is much more than an
intellectual assent to what Jesus is saying to us. We are not merely pupils in a classroom, but
apprentices. We are Jesus’ disciples to
learn how to be disciples from Jesus. We are not just to think about what Jesus
says, but to also do what Jesus does. We
are not to just listen to Jesus’ words, but watch what Jesus does. The yoke is not one that Jesus imposes but
one he wears. We are the yoke mate of
Jesus, working beside him. We must allow
him to help us with our loads. Keeping the law of Jesus’ love is easier when we
remember that Jesus is beside us, knows us inside and out. Jesus will always be there helping us with our
struggles. We never walk alone.
Circle us, Lord. Keep darkness out, keep
light within. Keep fear without, keep
peace within. Keep hatred out, keep love within. Amen.
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