Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Let’s face it, Catholics are odd. We bless nearly anything with holy water. We often retain the bodily remains of our human heroes- the hand of Saint Teresa of Avila or the head of Saint Catherine of Siena to name a few. Even the sign by which we identify ourselves is unmistakably odd- the image of a man subjected to an ancient Roman form of execution. That’s pretty odd! Our oddness only seems to intensify during the current season of Lent. We put ashes on our forehead, we willingly participate in acts of self-denial, and we eat fish- lots and lots of fish. Now, obviously my examples are a bit tongue-in-cheek, as there are good reasons and tremendous beauty behind these practices. But my point remains the same: Catholics are odd.
As you reflect on today’s first reading, I invite you to return to the following line from verse 18 of the 26th chapter of Deuteronomy: “you are to be a people peculiarly his own.” As disciples, we have been set apart. We’re peculiar. We’re different. We’re odd! But we’re not odd for the sake of being odd. As this line identifies, we’re odd because we belong to God. We are “peculiarly his own” and, as disciples, this becomes our defining characteristic.
The oddness of our discipleship is further characterized in today’s Gospel from Matthew, in which we are given the command from Christ to “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” This command is presented as a lifestyle that distinguishes a follower of Jesus from the pagans. Once again, the message is clear: we’re odd! And our oddness cannot be limited only to our belonging to God and relationship with Him, but must also be manifested in our relationships with others, even our enemies.
Finally, today’s Gospel ends with an odd statement: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Although there is much to be said regarding this powerful, challenging line, the basic message is that we are to be like God the Father. As a point of reflection, consider the following loose interpretation of that same line: “Be odd, just as your heavenly Father is odd.” What do I mean by that? Simply this: God is odd! And not just because He’s three Persons (that was a joke). As Catholics, we’re peculiar because we are the recipients of a peculiar love- a love that does not make sense, that is not reasonable or comprehendible- a love we do not deserve and is thus a matter of grace. This love is odd because it is without measure- a love He thought fitting to prove to us, in that while we were still sinners He died for us (Rom. 5:8). God is odd and we are called to be like Him.
To be Catholic is to be counter-cultural, radical, set apart and holy. We are odd. And what a tragedy it would be for us to diminish our oddness or to limit it only to eating fish on Fridays when, in reality, we have been called to so much more. Today, may we recognize our odd identity in Christ and, as the psalmist proclaims, may we seek the Lord with all our hearts! Amen.
Ryan J. Mahle