Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
“Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” - This is the message that Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites provide to those who are saddened at Ezra’s reading from the book of the law of God.
This story from Nehemiah reminds me of the early years of high school when I began to understand faith as something that expanded beyond “rules” and is lived. The process of that discovery initially heightened my awareness of my own sinfulness and my own inability to follow these rules. As I came to understand faith as something that is lived, all I could do was focus on how remorseful I was at my inability to integrate these rules into my everyday living. At times this process seemed so difficult that I even resented the fact that I was Catholic, wishing that I could live outside these rules in an attempt to have more freedom (remind you, I was in high school).
As I progressed through high school and college I came to learn how the dynamic of boundaries, or rules, can provide a framework that helps me to live my life in a fruitful way. Having those boundaries helps me acknowledge my own faults and learn from those experiences so I can be a more faith-filled individual that lives a life of joy rather than remorse. These boundaries, or rules, provided a guideline of living that allowed me to find strength in faith. That said, I will quickly admit that I am still very flawed and also do not always succeed at rejoicing in the gift of the moral compass that is provided in Church teachings. However, these teachings still provide me with something that shapes my everyday living, gives me something to strive for, and allows me to grapple with how this faith fuels my relationship with God.
I can’t help but wonder if this crowd that Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites addressed had a saddened reaction because of their initial inability to see these rules as a gift, to see faith as something that provides direction, peace, and a need for community. Although, it could have been that very sense of remorse that allowed them to hear Nehemiah’s command to overcome their sadness and rejoice in the law of God. A corresponding spirit exists within today’s Gospel which depicts Jesus commissioning disciples to go out and be “laborers for the harvest,” staying with those they visit who receive them well and moving on from those places that do not embrace these disciples. The disciples are instructed to only stay where they are welcomed because those who don’t welcome them are not ready to accept their flaws, to embrace the gift of faith and God’s law, and to walk with others on that journey. Similarly, we can only walk with each other and welcome people on our journey if we are willing to receive our faith as a gift rather than a burden.
Are you able to celebrate God’s teachings or do they strike you as something that is saddening? Why might you have that reaction? What or who might help you move to a place of rejoicing in the gift of these teachings? How might you help someone else be receptive to that notion and share your faith journeys together?
- Mike Bennett