CATHOLIC

In an article written by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I., entitled, “Honoring an Abundant and Prodigal God,” he writes, “There’s a disturbing trend within our churches today. Simply put, we are seeing the embrace of our churches become less-and-less inclusive. More and more, our churches are demanding a purity and exclusivity not demanded by Jesus in Gospels.

What does it mean to be inclusive? We can begin with the word “Catholic”: The opposite of being “Catholic” is not being “Protestant.” The opposite of being “Catholic” is being narrow, exclusive, and overly selective in our embrace. The opposite of “Catholic” is to define our faith-family too narrowly.”

“Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,” (Acts 9:1) goes to the high priest seeking a letter giving him permission to bring those practicing the Way back to Jerusalem in chains. Saul is respected as a staunch defender of the Jewish faith and the Law. So, he’s on a mission to silence those who would vary from its proper practice, to follow, what appears to be, a deviant practice drawing good Jews away from the God of their fathers. Let us not forget, Gentiles, Samaritans and other such groups weren’t included in the Jewish faith-family at this time either.

Paul’s Damascus encounter with Jesus has clearly opened his perspective. it changed him from persecutor to promoter of the Way. His epiphany was marked by encounter, darkness, an intervention by a Christian disciple, and his decision to be baptized: all elements common in the discernment of would-be converts and catechumens.

Today’s Gospel reading further develops Jesus’ insistence that he is the real Bread come down from heaven. John is underscoring the contrast between bread (lower case “b”) and Bread (capital “B”). The crowd wants bread to feed the body; Jesus offers himself as Bread to feed the soul. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood imply that one accepts Jesus as the nourishment of their life. Bread, flesh and blood: these equal Jesus, these equal life, for “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.” (Jn 6:56) which comes with the charge to be like Jesus.

“Catholic” means wide, universal. It means incarnating the embrace of an abundant and prodigal God whose sun (or “Son”) shines on all indiscriminately, the bad as well as the good. God’s heart is wide, abundant, prodigal, and universally embracing, a heart that takes care to pray for those “other sheep who are not of this fold.” (Jn 10:16)

To be “Catholic” is to imitate that.

FULLY ALIVE!

“The glory of God is the person fully alive.” ~ St. Ireneus of Antioch

As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection. It can be likened to a watershed of human history, because through the Resurrection humans are gifted with a new dimension of life through the sending of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, reminds us of this dimension in his farewell discourse at the last Supper, assuring his disciples it was better for them that he goes, for unless he departs, the Holy Spirit would not come, and only through the presence of the Holy Spirit are we humans “fully alive.”

Even amidst his persecution, Stephen was “fully alive.”  Filled with the Spirit, Stephen is blunt, straightforward, and outspoken in his indictment of the religious leaders. “Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?” Then looking up to heaven tells them that “the Son of Man (whom they put to death) is standing at the right hand of God.” 

Luke tells us, almost as an aside, that during the stoning, the witnesses put their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul, who looked on with approval. We can surmise it must have been this experience which sowed the seeds of Paul’s future Christian faith. As he saw Stephen dying with such dignity and grace, he must have been deeply moved and disturbed. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith.”

What we celebrate during the Easter Season is the rebirth of human nature through the sending of the Holy Spirit. Paul, after his conversion, refers to this new life as a “new creation”. So, during this season, we would do well to attend to the signs of this new life in us. The signs of this new presence are scattered throughout the New Testament and the world around us.

John gives us the first sign in today’s gospel: belief in Jesus: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” The “I AM” strongly identifies Jesus with God and is the first of seven “I AM…” statements that appear in John’s gospel which speak of Jesus’ identity, fully alive.

“The glory of God is the person fully alive!” As we participate in sharing the bread of life, we can become fully alive when we soak ourselves in the life of Jesus, we penetrate deeply into “the Word” in scripture, and assimilate His Way into our own lives. Those who are fully alive are in close relationship with Jesus – here and now.

Are you a person fully alive?

TURN AROUND AND FACE THE SON

[1]Benjamin Franklin told the story of a man, who in buying an ax from a local blacksmith, desired to have the whole of its surface polished as bright as the edge. The smithy consented to grind the ax bright for him if he would turn the wheel of the sharpening stone. The buyer, agreeing, turned the stone while the smith pressed the broad face of the ax hard and heavily upon the stone. This made turning the stone very fatiguing and the buyer stopped, every now and then, to check on how the work progressed. Finally, exhausted, the buyer said, “I’ll take the ax without further grinding.”

"No," exclaimed the blacksmith, "turn more, turn more; we’ll have it bright by-and-by; as it is only speckled."

"Yes," replied the worn buyer, "But, I think I like the speckled ax best."

All the buyer needs to do is keep turning, a little longer, to achieve his initial desire. Jesus reminds the frightened and confused apostles with every visit how it “is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead, [so] that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” (Lk 24-48)

In the first reading, Peter is not shy about speaking this truth.  He doesn’t water it down with careful words, telling the people explicitly, “The author of life you put to death” by denying Jesus and choosing a murderer to be released. Yet, “I know … you acted out of ignorance.” So, here’s the way back to God. “Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19) However, only those who own their part in the killing will dare to turn their faces to God in repentance.

Rev. Gerry O’Mahoney, SJ used to illustrate the idea of repentance in this way. Imagine you are walking down a road with the sun on your face. The sun symbolizes God and our desire to be close to God.  Sooner or later, we get distracted and turn a little. This happens again, and again, until we reach a point where we discover we are looking at our shadow on the ground in front of us. Which means we are now headed in the opposite direction of the sun. The point, all we need to do to reorient ourselves, to repent (return to the right path), is to turn around and once again face the sun.

It’s embarrassingly simple. All we need to do is turn around. Not accepting a speckled ax, but owning our part, and turning around to face the Son. This is the good news infusing all the readings today. The sun is always shining. God is always present.[2]

In our lives, we have choices each day. John says, “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.” (1 Jn 2:1) Not to sin would be the best path, but sooner or later, in our human weaknesses we will be distracted and turn away.

Benjamin Franklin reflecting further on the buyers’ willingness to accept a speckled ax says, this may be the case with many people; who having found the difficulty of obtaining the good or the challenge of breaking habits in other points of vice and virtue, have given up the struggle, refusing to continue turning, and concluding a speckled ax is best.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in our journey of faith is to own our part of our own brokenness.  Instead, we often point to other people or situations as the cause. It is profoundly difficult to own our part, because we find ourselves so hard to love when we face into the deep complexity of ourselves.

Whenever we struggle with sin— that so often are the same old speckles—we can turn back, we must turn back and live the commandments![3] Otherwise, those claiming to know Jesus and not keeping His commandments, John bluntly calls, “a liar, and the truth is not in them”. (1 Jn 2:4)

It’s because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, “if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. He is expiation for our sins, and not only our sins but those of the whole world.” (1 Jn 2:1-2) Everyone has access, all it takes is to turn around and face the Son. This is how the world will “be sure that we are in Him,” the risen Lord. By our obedience and desire to live and witness to Christ’s victory through our daily choices. By the witness of our love, mercy, and compassion toward all God’s children, and should we get distracted, stray, backslide, fall, or just get turned around, we confidently turn around and face the Son

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[1] New American Bible Revised.  Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

[2] A Stranger and You Welcomed Me Edited by Deacon Jim Knipper. Story by Deacon Greg Kendra © by contributors.

[3] The Word on the Street, by John W. Martins © 2017.