MEMBERS of the DIVINE HOUSEHOLD

“What has been seen cannot be unseen, what has been learned cannot be unknown. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it. You can grow from it. You can be made stronger. You can use that strength to change your life, to change your future.” ~ C.A. Woolf

Ezekiel sets up two hypothetical cases: the first case focuses on what will happen if a wicked person repents. Their repentance will bring about three positive outcomes: remission of the death penalty (the lot of the wicked), complete forgiveness by God, and the gift of God’s compassion. The God of mercy, takes great joy in the repentance of those who have erred. The second case focuses on what will happen if a virtuous person does abominations. The virtuous deeds will not serve as a justification for transgressions. The God of justice will deal with those who have erred. “What has been learned cannot be unknown.”

This makes sense, right? Wicked + lived repentance = life & Virtue + lived evil = death. Yet, this simple equation has caused division in Israel and seen as “unfair” by the chosen people. Jesus, in the Gospel for today, attempts to get at the root of division—namely, anger can cause future harm. Anger is an appropriate response to unjust situations. It becomes inappropriate when expressed violently (physically or verbally; publicly or privately; externally or internally). This passage, equates anger to the abomination of murder.

The link to worship, highlights the connection between human and divine reconciliation. “…if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall your brother [or sister] has anything against you, … go first and be reconciled with your brother [or sister], and then come and offer your gift.” The gift of your reconciled self. You we must be “free” to offer ourselves. If we are harboring things against our brother or sister or clinging to past wounds, we are not “free” to give ourselves completely, our pure gift of self to God. The good news is that God hears the cry from the depths of our hearts. Confess, be reconciled, and let it go! God is inviting us to be open to His grace, a grace that transforms our lives, to become members of the divine household.

Even better news, is this fact, if we leave God’s household, backsliding in moments of human weakness and frailty, we can always come home. This opportunity to come home is the grace, compassion, mercy, and steadfast love that cannot be pulled away from God and His love is meant for everyone, even hardened sinners.

The season of Lent encourages us to examine our lives, are there ways we cause or allow division in the divine household? All our worship and righteousness cannot overcome the offenses and divisions we commit against others. This is not to scare us into being good boys and girls but to inspire us to become who God made us to be: reconciled members of the divine household.

TIME OF PREPARATION

[1]The history of Alcoholics Anonymous clearly indicates, it was working with others who were still suffering that kept Bill W. and Dr. Bob sober. The same principle is true for all members of 12 step groups: "to keep it you have to give it away."

The last of the 12 Steps is to carry the message to others and to put the principles of the program into practice in every area of your life. For those in recovery programs, practicing Step 12 is simply "how it works," as the founders of the fellowship discovered for themselves in those early days.

What is Step 12? In Alcoholics Anonymous the twelfth step reads "try to carry the message to alcoholics" and in Al-Anon it says "try to carry the message to others." But the principle is the same. In order to work all 12 of the steps, you must try to help others. Carrying the message to others by sharing experience, strength, and hope reinforces the spiritual principle of the 12 steps in the person being 12th-stepped as well as the one doing the sharing. Step 12 also calls for members to put the spiritual growth they have found to work—not only within the fellowship but it all aspects of their lives. It requires practicing these principles in all your affairs.[2]

Noah is best known for his construction of the ark that would serve to carry the remnant of creation, carved out by God after he vowed to destroy “the wickedness of human beings.” (Gn 6:5) Peter uses the image of the ark to discuss God’s patience as he waited for Noah to complete the ark’s construction that alludes to God’s patience in waiting for sinners to turn to the cleansing waters of Baptism.

The forty days spent by Noah riding on the waters of the flood, like the forty days Moses would spend on the mountain with God, like Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, like our 40 days leading to the glory of the Easter glory, represents the time of preparation necessary to receive fully the promise of a new creation.

After Jesus’ Baptism, “the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mk 1:12) In some way, this sojourn into the wilderness resembles the journey people make when they are trying to turn their lives around and make a fresh start. Some are quite dramatic as the person who suffers from alcoholism or any other addiction going into a treatment center. They leave their homes, their families, their work, and their friends, submitting themselves to a routine of solitude, discipline, and self-examination, where they face themselves and their past. To emerge, from this time of testing, with a resolve to make a new beginning[3] a new life.

Jesus, in taking on all of our humanity, didn’t travel straight from baptism to the glory of the transfiguration or his ascension into heaven. He went to the wilderness, because it’s a place that haunts our fragile humanity, no matter where we are, and it demands redemption. Jesus’ redemption of humanity begins with the incarnation, but we see it advance in his obedience, unlike Adam and Eve, to the will of God and in his steadfastness to resist temptation. The model Jesus presents to us is one grounded in the reality of human life. Life can be hard, life can be unfair, and life can knock you to the ground. A promise to relax in the car, on the way to work, can deteriorate into cursing against the first driver cutting us off, or a promise not to drink, all the hard work accomplished in rehab, can fall apart in one visit to the bar, resulting in a sense of frustration and ineptitude. The evil one is crouching nearby, to tempt us in our struggles, our losses, and our sufferings.

The Church was built for this ongoing battle. When evil threatens to overcome us and drive us into the wilderness alone. Recall how Jesus emerges from the wilderness, proclaiming “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) Repentance is a sign of why the Church was built: for salvation. It is Christ, through his battle with evil in the wilderness, his suffering and death, his resurrection; who has gained salvation for us[4] and all who will submit themselves to a routine of solitude, discipline, and self-examination.

In this time of preparation, we are encouraged to fearlessly grasp our baptismal mission, including repentance when we stumble in our personal life. For you, who are seeking Baptism, whom we are sending to our beloved Bishop who will welcome your decision to join this family of faith. Baptism “is not a removal of dirt from the body, but an appeal to God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1Pt 3:21) This life of faith is something we all must continually work at, seeking the guidance of the Spirit of Life, to be working Step 12 in such a way to safeguard our own spiritual awareness as we carry the message to others by sharing: our own faith experience, the strength drawn from this faith, and the hope of salvation.

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[1] New American Bible Revised.  Genesis 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15

[2] Verywellmind.com. “A Study of Step 12 of the 12-Step Program”, by Buddy T. Medically reviewed by John C. Umhau, MD on January 14, 2021

[3] Sundays with Jesus. “This is the Time of Fulfillment” by James DiGiacomo, SJ. © 2008.

[4] The Word on the Street. “In the Wilderness”, by John W. Martens © 2017.

GIVING UP “SOMETHING”

Lent is a special time of reflection and faith, practiced in prayer and by the act of giving up something. That “something” depends on the person observing Lent, with the main guidelines being that it has to be something that’s challenging to give up during this period. (In other words, giving up the “honey do” list, guys, wouldn’t fit the bill.) In all, the act of giving up something for Lent is to practice self-discipline (fasting) mindful of the sacrifices Jesus made for our salvation.[1]

Today Isaiah gets to the heart of the matter of fasting, one of the three pillars of a holy life—not only during Lent. On Ash Wednesday we heard Jesus tell us what fasting should look like, “…when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” (Mk 6:18) We did something interesting on Ash Wednesday, we reinstituted the ancient practice of sprinkling the ashes on the crown of the head. Some had issue not receiving the ash cross on their forehead, as it was their way to publicly display their faith. So many Christians just have to have those public symbols of their professed faith and yet their actions cause the onlooker to question. As Isaiah calls out God’s people in our reading today, “Lo, [in our] fasting [we] carry out [our] own pursuits…” living as we would always as work, in school, at play. In other words, the symbols and the visible fasting are saying one thing and our behaviors saying another, which makes the symbols and fasting worthless, for the self and the ability to draw others to the light and Truth of God’s love and mercy.

If we are to counted as a faithful Christian there has to be a congruent behavior that links the symbols and fasting. When we truly live our faith, we hear from the Prophet Isaiah, what fasting should be. “This, is the fasting that I wish: Releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own."

This is the why of fasting, as Jesus and Isaiah talk about it, fasting is about conversion. It is about deepening our relationship with God and turning away from self and sensual attachments. It’s about redirecting our focus toward God and His people,[2] especially those most in need for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Last year, Judy and I gave up one night of dining out. I kept a running tab of what we would have spent and donated it to a local charity. Our Lenten fast developed into a lasting relationship with the receiving organization and their clients that we’ve maintained to date. One more quick example of an internal fast: in my prayers this morning it came to me that I should ask for the grace of a greater patience. If I do the internal work, the Spirit will reveal in me when I am losing patience, and if I further accept the grace the visible sign for others is a more calm and joyful me.

The ashes have been washed off, the chocolate, coffee, or other things will resume, the question is, did our giving up “something” (fasting) draw us to a closer, more intimate relationship with God and His people?

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[1] www.countryliving.com. “Here’s What to Give up for Lent (And When to Start” by Brie Dyas, February 17, 2021.

[2] Weekday HomilyHelps. Homily Suggestion by Leota Roesch.