There is a well-known line from The Rule of St. Benedict
which underscores a question Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister once raised:
the key question for a Christian isn’t, “is there life after death, but is
there life before death? Are we living
the fullness of life before we die, or are we just going through the motions of
life for the sake of living?”[1] Jesus
said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who
will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power” (Mk
9:1) When the kingdom of God is at hand, there is salvation. God’s love and compassion are the kingdom’s bedrock
that we need to share boundlessly.
Maybe it was because St. Peter Damian was orphaned and
treated shabbily by one of his brothers, that he was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a
poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to
their needs.[2] When someone cares, faith in God and in
humanity is restored. Reason to live has meaning, and everything has sense and
worthiness.
St. Peter was a reformer.
Pope Stephen X recognized Peter’s gifts and asked him to represent the
Church in settling disputes and help stop practices that were preventing the
Church from doing Christ’s work in the world. Peter skills as a peacemaker and reformer he
was called to advise seven popes, working with priests, bishops, kings, and
emperors—all to serve Jesus.[3]
In today’s reading James is simply responding as a good
pastor, who saw members of his church failing to live out what they claimed to
believe. For James love was a verb
needing to be expressed in action, just as faith is a verb that needs to be
expressed in action. Jesus makes a
similar point saying, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take
up his cross, and follow me.” (Mk 8:34) If we say we are his followers, his
disciples, then we have to follow his example—by our actions.[4]
Being & living faith in action often is seen as
counter-cultural to the world. The
Eucharistic participation is the model that Jesus invites us to live. Just like Him, when we live our faith fully,
we will be challenged, ridiculed, and in some ways crucified. This is what Jesus means by taking up our
cross, for “whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save
it.” (Mk 8:35)
May the Eucharist in which we participate today encourage us
to actively live our faith, to be a reason that people “will not taste death”
because they will see the kingdom of God as we follow Jesus faithfully.
[1] Sisters
of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St. Benedict. ”Is
there life before death? On living fully.” By Judith Valente
[4] Weekday
HomilyHelps. Homily Suggestion by Luisa Bayate, OSC
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