Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Two questions strike me after reflecting on today’s readings. First, what are the ‘empty, seductive philosophies’ of our day? Second, why do we seek Jesus?
First, I think one powerfully seductive philosophy today is the belief that if we do all the right things and work hard, we can guarantee a secure and happy life for ourselves and leave the world a better place. It’s just a matter of diligent work and the right balance of work, play, virtue, relationships, psychology, and ‘hacks.’ And what is wrong with that list? Nothing may be immediately apparent. But there is a problem with it: it doesn’t involve God. Believing we can make our lives good without God’s help is hubris. We cannot anticipate and work around every problem. We do not know the real solutions to the problems we already have. Far too often, the solution for my problem makes a bigger problem for someone else. Certainly, there is a place for making wise decisions in our daily lives, but our capacity to make the wrong decisions is great. The over-arching pattern in our lives is therefore not trying to get it right on our own. Instead, the pattern of our lives needs to be the pattern of the cross. At every Eucharist, we offer ourselves to God, and Jesus transforms us into his Body. This is the Christian pattern. This is how our life and our world gets better. This is how we overcome all the evil in our hearts, in our lives, in our nation, in our world. We take what we are, recognizing that it is good, but stained with sin and therefore insufficient, and we lift it up to Jesus and watch the miracle unfold.
The second is a question for you and I to answer on our own. We read in the gospel that people came to listen to Jesus. People came to be healed by Jesus. People came to be freed from ‘unclean spirits.’ They wanted something. Why do you come to church? Why do you stay involved? Why do you keep living the Christian life? I know we get out what we put in, and we’re here to be generous and not just take, but the basic human truth remains that people have a motivation for spending their time and energy the way they do. What is yours? Think about it. Go to our Lord and ask for what you need. When our true needs are met, we are empowered to serve the Lord, the poor, and God’s Church more fully. Lord, may our lives be conformed to the holy pattern of the paschal mystery.
- Chris Nieport