Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
“Do not weep…the root of David has triumphed…” In Christ we have so many reasons to rejoice. We are in communion with people from every tribe, tongue, people, nation, and age. We are connected around the world and across time to those whom we love, and who love us. Jesus has made us into a righteous kingdom of peace and love. Rejoice indeed! In the apocalyptic scene of the first reading, Heaven and Earth are both amazed at what God has accomplished in Christ. His love saves us, transforms us, and heals us. In a world broken by sinful greed and selfishness, Love changes us into a beloved family, a society of abundant peace and justice. It is happening now, in each of us and all around us. Rejoice! God is working in us to feed the poor, to welcome the stranger, to heal the sick, to forgive injuries, to visit those imprisoned in physical jails and the chains of addiction. God is setting this world right, and Love reigns, despite all appearances.
In the gospel Jesus gives the same message from the opposite side. Apart from God… apart from awareness of the visitation of Love’s presence… apart from a commitment to ‘what makes for peace,’ there is trouble ahead. Instead of rejoicing in God’s work, destruction is knocking. These two realities exist simultaneously. For Christians and non-Christians, life has difficult seasons. The question remains, who wins? If we attach ourselves in communion with Christ, the paschal mystery of death and new life, we will always find resurrection right around the corner. We will always rejoice in Christ’s abundant, shielding love. Our communion with Jesus’s saving work is what ‘makes for peace.’ The Holy Spirit’s ‘visitation’ in our life can ground us in the invincible-eternal reality of our destiny with God, IF we recognize it. But if we don’t pay attention, despair will settle in. The destructive evil around us will settle in our hearts, and we’ll be robbed of the gift of joy. Instead, we will weep.
“Do not weep.” The message of the elder is clear! Today and always, let’s pay attention and rejoin ourselves to the work of Christ’s transforming love in the world. Let us rejoice in God, and in so doing, be strong against all enemies. Amen.
-Chris Nieport