Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Responsorial Psalm uses a phrase from the first reading as its refrain: “Proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes again.” Sometimes as I reflect on my faith I wonder why death and suffering are such major focuses of our discipleship. We are called to not only believe in Jesus and His death and resurrection, but we are called to follow Him by our “dying” every day to be transformed or “resurrected.” Although it seems difficult to understand ( and very challenging to live), Jesus shows us how the only way we can become who God calls us to be is to recognize that dying is an essential part to our salvation. It is our faith in Jesus and His death that allows us to proclaim this great mystery of transformation and hope.
In the first reading St. Paul is trying to instruct the people of Corinth regarding the celebration of the Eucharist. He describes how there are divisions between those who have and those who do not have enough, and he reprimands the community for allowing this to cause harm. He refers to Jesus and the Last Supper, and how Jesus gives His Body and Blood for all. Every time the Eucharist is celebrated, the death of Jesus is proclaimed until He comes again. Because of Jesus’ death, St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that each person should set aside (die) to his or her own needs (wait for one another) to build the Church of God.
In the gospel Jesus praises the faith of the centurion. Although this man was not Jewish, he was able to believe that through just speaking the word, Jesus could heal his servant. The centurion, although a person of honor and power, approaches Jesus with great humility. He confesses that he does not want Jesus even to come into his home, since he is not “worthy to have you enter under my roof.” In a sense, the centurion dies to his own sense of authority, and he believes in the ultimate authority of Jesus (and God.)
As I reflect on my life, I realize that the times that were the most difficult- deaths of close family members and friends and caring for a child with cancer- were times that were very painful, but provided me with the greatest opportunity to turn to God in faith. The deaths and suffering that I experienced reminded me that I am not in control, and yet I have a God who is- and this God loves me beyond measure. I have often commented that my son’s cancer was transformative for him, for me, and for our family, and this difficult time helped me grow to become a better disciple.
As I look to our church, I see so much suffering and division. The child abuse crisis has been a source of great sadness and anger for me and many others in our church. How could an institution that is founded on the principles of Christ allow such atrocities to occur? Although there is nothing that can undo the immense pain and suffering that many individuals have endured, my source of hope comes from the phrase: “proclaim the death of the Lord.” I hope and pray that as a people of God, we can transform this great wound and allow it to bring new life to our church. Jesus has illustrated that God can and will take suffering and death and bring new life. If we have faith in Christ and His death and resurrection, then we can turn to Him and ask for His Spirit. I pray that this grace can bring healing and comfort for those who have been deeply wounded, provide courage for those who will lead us forward to future times where each person can be held accountable for his/ her actions, and give our Church the wisdom to recognize that our faith is built on the Love of God- not power, prestige, wealth, or pride. Like the centurion in the gospel, our church needs to humbly accept that only God has the power to heal and bring wholeness.
In many ways, the abuse crisis and the divisions that have arisen in today’s church provide the opportunity for “dying”, so the Church can be who God calls us to be- people of God loving and serving others through and in Christ. In the many articles that I have read about the crisis and how we as a people should be respond, one phrase especially hit home- “Lead, not leave!” May the people of God lead the church by proclaiming the death of the Lord. May each of us pray, “Behold I come… To do your will, O my God, is my delight…And may those who love your salvation say ever, ‘The LORD be glorified.’” (Ps 40)
Loving Father, you sent Jesus to show Your great love for us. Through His death and resurrection He shows us how to trust in You even in our sufferings and death. May Your Spirit give us the grace we need, so we have the courage, wisdom, love and mercy to transform the pain in this world. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline