What Have You To Do With Us?

September 4, 2007

Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:34

Piety

Give us the light, Jesus, so that we may become your children – children of Your Holy Light. Help us to live in the knowledge of your life and sacrifice, knowing not to sleep as the rest do. Send your Holy Spirit to help us stay alert and sober so that we may see in the face of the stranger, the demon or the immigrant the God-made person who we need to help today. In your name, help us to build people up in the same way that you lift up and save us from our sinful ways. Amen.

Study

What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

With all your talk of peace, have you come to have us lay down our swords and beat them into plowshares?

With all your talk of love, have you come to make us settle differences with our enemies?

With all your talk of reconciliation, have you come to make us patch things us with our brothers and sisters who have hurt us before worshipping before your altar?

Do you mean to destroy us and have us bow down so our enemies can overrun us with their means and methods?

Who are you, Jesus of Nazareth, that a man possessed by demons can recognize you and your authority while your friends and neighbors remain clueless? Why is it that the demons always sense your power and glory before your own relatives recognize you? Why, before you completed one miracle in Capernaum, did the Satan himself recognize you in the desert but your people did not know you in your native place?

The list of unlikely epiphanies is long…the Roman centurion with an ill child…Nicodemus the Pharisee and even Pontius Pilate standing over you as judge. They knew yet we are still troubled by the question.

What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Action

What have we to do with Jesus of Nazareth? How can we lift each other up?

The prayers of this community do indeed make their way to the Kingdom. Last week, many prayed and took part in public actions to save the life of Kenneth Foster who is on Texas’ Death Row. The Board of Paroles and Governor Rick Perry spared Mr. Foster from the death chamber.

Now, another suggested action item comes from Pete Garry. His recent letter tells of a man paralyzed in a car accident who needs help for medical costs not covered by insurance. I’ll let the words and actions in his letter touch your heart and, perhaps, spur you to action. Here is his letter and some information.

Dear friends,

The son-in-law of one of my coworkers had a tragic accident that resulted in almost complete paralysis, but for the past few years he has fought valiantly to regain his mobility and through incredible efforts by he, his wife and family, he has made incredible progress and continues to do so. However, his insurance has run out and the only way he can continue to get his therapy is through support from family and friends. On an annual basis they try and raise the funds they need to continue their battle. They need to raise a least $50,000 a year to meet anticipated expenses. Please consider making a donation of any amount to the Robert Wall Benefit Fund as it all collectively adds up, and mail it to my coworker Eileen Hare, 14658 Nina Court, Waterford, VA 20197.

Many thanks to any of you that can help.

Pete

For further information I am enclosing the text of a letter that those who are participating in a run/walk fundraiser are sending out.

Here is the fund-raising letter:

On September 8, 2007, many concerned and loving people will be participating in the 2^nd Annual Run for Robbie in Manassas, Virginia. Run for Robbie was created in order to financially support Robert Wall during his recovery from spinal cord injury. On August 20, 2005, Robert sustained paralysis from the shoulders down after diving into shallow water. His medical team concluded that his chances of ever walking again were slim and that he could only expect to regain limited use of his upper body. Robert was told to adapt to life in a wheelchair and to take 30+ pills each day. After losing 20 pounds and slipping into a depression, Robert decided to seek alternative treatment.

His quest led him to a program called Project Walk and he moved with his wife to California in September 2006 in order to attend the program. During the first month of treatment, Robert regained the ability to stand and he moved his left leg for the first time in over a year! Shortly after beginning the program, Robert took his first steps using a walker and now he is learning how to walk with arm crutches. Robert attends the program 5 days a week in addition to receiving weekly acupuncture and massage. Unfortunately, Robert’s insurance does not cover Project Walk’s modalities and he and his wife are responsible for paying $4000 a month for treatment, in addition to various other uncompensated medical expenses.

Robert’s friends and family have made a commitment to ensure that Project Walk’s world renowned treatment remains available to him and therefore our fundraising goal is $50,000. I am being asked to raise $2,000 in order to participate. Please help me achieve my goal, no donation is too small.

In order to make a donation directly to Robert (all funds go into a bank account and we cannot provide a tax deductible letter):

-Make check payable to: The Robert Wall Benefit Fund’ OR

-Visit www.supportthewall.net, click ‘support’ and donate through Paypal

In order to make a tax deductible donation*

-Make check payable to: “NTAF Mid-Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund”, in memo section write “In honor of Robert Wall” OR

-Visit www.transplantfund.org and click ‘find a patient website’, search for Robert Wall

*NTAF deducts 4% of each donation by check, 7% of each donation made by credit card and 10% of each corporate

matching gift for operating expenses. NTAF will send a letter of acknowledgment for all donations over $250 or upon request for those less than $250. NTAF will not disclose the amount of the donation to Robert.

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. This campaign is administered y the National Transplant Assistance Fund, a non-profit providing assistance to transplant and catastrophic injury patients. Information: 800- 642-8399. Financial statements are available from the State Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.

In order to make an in-kind donation for our silent auction (to be held at the benefit dinner)

-Send item to: Eileen Hare 14658 Nina Court, Waterford, VA 20197