Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
In this day and age, it is not difficult to become overwhelmed with the depressing events of our world. When you watch or read the news, the stories tell of violence, hatred, poverty, and greed. Although there are many evils of this world, we lose sight of the glory of God which is alive and vibrant in our world if we remain open to God’s revelation. As disciples of Christ, we are called to seek and recognize the many ways that Christ’s grace and glory is present in the world around us. When we name this glory and share it with others, we become lights in the darkness as we follow the Son.
In today’s gospel reading Jesus tells the disciples that He is going to “be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Immediately, the disciples were “overwhelmed with grief.” Certainly there would be an expectation of sorrow that Jesus was going to be killed, but the disciples completely miss the ending of the story- the resurrection. The disciples are so encumbered by the tragedy of the world, that they cannot recognize the glory that Jesus is trying to share with them. Jesus then goes on to question Peter about the temple tax, which Peter describes as a fee paid by foreigners to the kings of the earth. Jesus tells him to pay this tax, so we “may not offend” the powers of the culture. Jesus implies that they are in some way “foreigners.” It almost appears that Jesus is trying to help the apostles understand that although they live in this world, He calls His followers to live in ways that set them apart. Jesus is offering glimpses of how He is establishing His kingdom by allowing His glory to be made known.
In the reading from Ezekiel, the prophet gives a remarkable description of “the vision of the likeness of the glory of God.” Our responsorial psalm also reminds us that “Heaven and earth are filled with your glory!” So where is this glory that God is revealing to us today?
Because of technology, we know about violence and killing from around the globe in merely seconds. Because of the sensational nature of bad news, our news providers focus on sharing negative stories because it garners so much attention. This is not to discount the incredible suffering in our world, but we forget about the rest of the story- that Jesus rose from the dead, and the risen Christ is alive in our world even today.
The difficulty for many of us is where we find God’s glory in our world today. I know for me it is easy for me to see God’s grandeur in the beauty of nature- in the mountains, a sunrise, the flowers, the trees and all around me when I take time to notice. To take a walk in the woods is one of the most healing things that I can do to help re-orient me to God and His presence.
God’s glory can also be seen in the details of an ordinary day- a stranger offers assistance to a person in need, reconciliation occurs between people, people share their resources with others, and people show respect to those who are different or have different opinions. In each of these instances, the glory of God is made evident through people who live like Christ with love and mercy.
I believe that God is calling us to live in His glory today. Although the suffering of our world is evident, Christ calls us to overcome these evils through His resurrected presence. Through His grace He invites us to treat others -those from different political parties, those of different races, those of different religions, those of different ethnic groups- with compassion and respect. We are called to rise above the name calling, the judgment, the abuse, and the condemnation and live as disciples of Christ. If we live in this way, people will take notice and Christ’s glory will shine through us. We cannot live as the disciples “overwhelmed with grief” because we believe in the risen Christ. May God’s grace give us the eyes to see His glory around us, and may we live in that glory so all people may know He is God.
"Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your glory that Jesus shared with us through His life, death and resurrection. May Your Spirit allow us to live in your glory in our thoughts, words and deeds, so all people will know You and Your love. We pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen."
- Marylynn Herchline