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The scene in today’s
gospel opens as some visitors from Greece make a request of the apostle,
Philip: “Sir, we should like to see Jesus.” Somewhat reminiscent of a
scene from The Godfather, Philip responds: “So, you want to see
Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you sure
you understand what you’re asking for?”
Philip then
speaks with Andrew to discuss the matter. Then, after a bit of talk,
the two go to Jesus with the visitors’ request. But, rather than give
an answer to the request, Jesus lectures Philip and Andrew about his
vocation. Interestingly, the gospel never tells us whether Jesus did
honor the request.
“So, you want to
see Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you
sure you understand what you’re asking for?”
During Lent, we
seek to inquire more deeply in to the truth of who are and who we’ve
become as a consequence of the choices we’ve made. We engage in Lenten
sacrifices and penance to learn how dependent we’ve grown on all of the
wonderful things the world and life have to offer us, things like
desserts, candy, television, radio, IPods, the Internet, and Playstation
II. We also learn how we’ve turned away from the pathway of holiness
and heroic witness in our words and actions, for example, by losing our
temper, engaging in gossip, honoring neither the Sabbath nor our
parents, or by swearing, cursing, and the like. The purpose for
learning these things during the season of Lent is to overcome these
sinful behaviors and habits and to rise to new life in Christ on Easter
Sunday.
Yet, while the
self-knowledge we acquire through all of these penitential practices is
a very good thing, this self-knowledge isn’t going to help any of us to
see Jesus.
“So, you want to
see Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you
sure you understand what you’re asking for?”
In today’s first
reading, the prophet Jeremiah reminds us that “looking good”
is very different from “being good.” We look good when we
conform our words and actions to the old covenant, one of laws and
written on tablets of stone. But, we dupe ourselves if we believe that
by merely conforming to this covenant, seeing Jesus involves nothing
more than simply “looking good.” Instead, Jeremiah proposes that the
new covenant is concerned with “being good.” This covenant, the prophet
says, is written upon the heart of every human being.
What does it
require?
“Being good”
means consciously allowing the new covenant to transform our “deepest
spirit.” This is not the physical heart because, for the Jews, the
physical heart was believed to be that unique and unrepeatable spirit
which defined who one truly was and it set both the condition and
direction that one’s life must take, that is, by “being good.” “Being
good,” then, is how we express our unique and unrepeatable spirit not
only in our words, decisions, and actions but also—and more importantly
because this spirit is the animating “inner core” we express through our
bodies—as the new covenant transforms that unique and unrepeatable
spirit interiorly, that is, as it gives shape to and informs our
thoughts, motives, and emotions.
To see Jesus,
then, means to possess a clean heart, an inner spirit pure and free of
any guilt as well as cleansed of any stain of sin so that the person we
are on the outside—the person others see in our words, decisions, and
actions—perfectly mirrors who we are on the inside—a unique and
unrepeatable spirit whose thoughts, motives, and emotions are pure. To
see Jesus means being like Jesus, both god-like and human, not two
persons—spiritual schizophrenics—but one person, unconfused and without
division, not a body and a spirit, but an integral human being whose
spirit and body reveal the image of God alive and present in our world.
“So, you want to
see Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you
sure you understand what you’re asking for?”
Having a pure and
clean heart provides the secure foundation that makes it possible to
grasp the profound mystery that St. Paul calls a “stumbling block to
faith.” That mystery—a paradox of the Christian faith—asserts that, as
we embrace suffering, we will experience redemption from guilt as well
as freedom from sin. As Jesus expressed this paradox in today’s gospel,
“the grain of wheat must die if it is to bear fruit.
So, if I truly
want to see Jesus, does that mean I must embrace suffering in order to
be redeemed, that is, cleansed and purified in my deepest spirit?
The simple answer
is “Yes.”
That’s why it is
much easier, isn’t it, to “look good” by conforming to the external law
written on stone rather than to “be good” by embracing the internal law
written upon the heart by embracing suffering and allowing God to
transform one’s spirit?
Yet, believe it
or not, there are many people who have embraced this paradox and lived
it out each day. They are called “saints.” As a consequence of
living this paradox rather than trying to run away from it, they saw
Jesus alive and present in their lives and they also became like Jesus,
both god-like and human, not two persons—spiritual schizophrenics—but
one person, unconfused and without division, not a body and a spirit,
but an integral human being whose spirit and body reveal the image of
God alive and present in our world.
·
There’s St. Maxmillian Kolbe. He saw Jesus in the face of a Jewish
father at Dachau and willingly gave his life in return for the
father’s. St. Maxmillian Kolbe wanted the man’s son would grow up with
his father.
·
There’s Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. She saw Jesus in the poor,
destitute, sick, and orphaned in India. Blessed Teresa gave her life in
service of the person of Jesus dwelling in those people.
·
There’s Monica who believed so much in the Sacrament of Marriage that,
despite her husband’s infidelity and cruelty, Monica embraced here
suffering firm in the belief that the power of her love would ultimately
triumph over Patrick’s evil.
·
There’s Pope John Paul II who, as Bishop of Rome, moved the hearts and
minds of so many women and men throughout the world. In his
writings and speeches, he oftentimes stated what people didn’t want to
hear. Yet, he didn’t shirk from confronting and doing battle with
the evils he saw threatening people, especially those of secularism,
materialism, and consumerism. He challenged people to seek the
culture of life and to avoid the culture of death. And, Pope John
Paul II taught through his heroic witness that suffering and pain are as
much a part of life as is death. He embraced all three just as
Jesus did.
·
Then,
there’s Estelle who had chronic arthritis and Larry who had advanced
terminal prostate cancer. Both Estelle and Larry embraced their
suffering and, in so far as I know, neither ever complained. Instead,
both independently told me how their suffering provided opportunities to
offer up their pain for those in need of God’s love, grace, and healing.
These heroic witness of these unique and unrepeatable spirits revealed
the covenant God has written upon the human heart as they sought not to
“look good” but to “be good.” Like Jesus, suffering taught them
obedience which, in turn, perfected them in their deepest spirit so that
their lives gave witness to the power of God’s love, grace, and
healing. If they did not believe in God and the covenant he placed in
their hearts, their words, decisions, and actions would make absolutely
no sense and don’t, by the way, to people who do not believe in God.
They’re “saints”
and so far beyond the place where many of us live each day.
In contrast to the saints, most of us are torn between the desire to “be
good” and the temptation to “look good.” We experience the new covenant
stirring within our spirit and we think about allowing it to transform
our deepest thoughts, motives, and emotions. But, we then realize this
transformation will require accepting suffering and perhaps even
enduring pain. So, we think about how we might “look good” instead.
It’s in this crucible where many of Jesus disciples—and that’s both you
and me!—find themselves.
·
There’s Al and Mary who were blessed with their first bambino. With the
time for maternity leave ending, Mary was confronted with having to take
the bambino to day care for the first time very early on Monday
morning. Mary was torn in her deepest spirit. She wanted her job, the
income, and desperately wanted to have a career. But, driving to
the day care center she now realizes that she will be forsaking one
third of every working day when Mary can’t see her bambino grow. There
will be all of those changes and wondrous moments of growth and
discovery that she will never experience with the bambino. “Why
can’t I have it all and be good?” Mary wonders.
·
There’s Joe and his ex-wife, Donna. Their son, Michael, who is in the
eighth grade, has recently been labeled by a psychologist as
“ADA”—suffering from attention deficit disorder. Michael’s grades have
dropped precipitously. He’s on the computer virtually every moment that
he’s home. And, now Michael has begun to abuse his mother verbally.
Interestingly, the symptoms of ADA disappear after two or three days
when Michael spends the weekend with his father and step-mother. The
symptoms reappear almost as soon as Michael returns to his mother’s
house. Joe has begged Donna to let Michael spend the weeks with him
during the school year. But, that would require amending the parental
visitation rights of the divorce decree. In her deepest spirit, Donna
knows what is best for Michael—yes, sons do need to be raised by their
fathers—but will Donna put aside what she wants—she is so fearful of
being alone at home that she wants Michael there—for her son’s welfare?
·
There’s Don and Marge. Don is an entrepreneur who made it big and
retired at age 52 with a ton of money. They’re building a big house and
are looking forward to a long retirement filled with lots of trips and
fun since their two children will be grown and out of the house soon.
However, their daughter, Stephanie, became pregnant while away at
college. Suddenly confronted with the possibility of being
grandparents, Don and Marge told Stephanie that they’d be willing to
forsake their retirement plans and to raise her child. They’d also be
willing to pay every expense until the child grows up and becomes an
independent adult. But, Don tells Stephanie, if she elects to have an
abortion, he will help her procure the abortion and will pay for it.
So, what is Stephanie to do? Stephanie thinks abortion is wrong, but
the competing idea of being an unwed mother, not graduating from
college, and not having a career is frightening. “What would this mean
for my future and career” is the question ruminating in Stephanie’s
deepest spirit. And, if Stephanie decides to have an abortion, what is
Marge to do? She if frightened, too, asking herself: “How will this
affect my marriage—and our much-dreamed about retirement—since I am
staunchly anti-abortion?”
God has written the new covenant upon the heart of each of these
people. The power of evil has conspired to place each of these people
in a crucible that will test each of them in such a way that they will
have to answer the question whether they will “be good” by being
obedient and through suffering, be made perfect. Or, will they “look
good” by choosing to conform their words, decisions, and actions to
their personal whims, preferences, and desires?
“So, you want to
see Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you
sure you understand what you’re asking for?”
Our scripture
readings today prove themselves to be extremely troubling to any of us
who would rather run away from suffering, who would flinch when pain
comes our way, and who would fail to see its redemptive power in our
lives. Seeing Jesus begin his way to the Cross, as we will next Sunday,
points us in the direction of a profound and deeply troubling mystery of
the Christian faith, namely, the paradox of redemptive suffering. This
paradox proved to be a stumbling block not only to Jesus’ family,
friends, and disciples, but to the entire Jewish nation as well.
As the mediator
of the new covenant, Jesus didn’t seek to “look good.” No, Jesus
endeavored to “be good” by allowing his spirit to be transformed by the
new covenant placed into his heart. As the letter to the Hebrews
stated, “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered;
and when perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all
who obey Him.” Jesus expects nothing more of his disciples than
that which he gave of himself.
This led Jesus’
family, friends, and even his enemies to question Jesus’ motives.
Thinking him “too much,” at best, or a “religious kook,” at worst, they
left Jesus by running away and hiding when the authorities confronted
him. They deserted Jesus when he was condemned. And, they sold Jesus
out when it meant they might have to suffer, too.
But, whereas
suffering and pain convinced Jesus’ disciples to adopt a cynical and
self-protective attitude, to be full of hate, to rebel, or to seek
revenge, suffering and pain taught Jesus how it is through suffering
that he would conform himself even more fully to the new covenant placed
in his heart. This is how Jesus sealed the new covenant with his blood
and by his blood, Scripture attests, we have been healed.
Yes, this paradox
is mind-boggling because the only obedience our culture teaches us is
worthwhile is to be obedient to myself by “doing my own thing.”
Furthermore, our culture teaches us that suffering must be avoided at
all cost.
But, to those who
allow the new covenant that God has placed into their heart to transform
their deepest spirit, this paradox teaches how suffering purifies the
human spirit so that we can learn obedience to the new covenant and
become that unique and unrepeatable spirit in all of human history. It
is only through obedience that we will be capable of acting as love
dictates by “being good”—and witnessing to that through heroic
virtue—rather than by “looking good”—and always seeking to please the
crowd by being a clone rather than a unique and unrepeatable spirit.
“So, you want to
see Jesus? Have a seat. I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Are you
sure you understand what you’re asking for?”
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HOMILY
