October 2, 2010
Memorial of the Guardian Angels
I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:2-6
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” Matthew 18:3-5
Piety
Father, today as we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels, let us pray that those angels will protect everyone who is made in your image and likeness especially those individuals who are subjected to the harsh and negative judgments and the mean and callous actions of others. Brother Jesus, give the patience and endurance of Job to those who are subjected to the evils in this world so that there will not be another Tyler Clementi story that will shock us with the extent of the hatred that still lies in the hearts of some people. Holy Spirit, give your gift of understanding to those around these vulnerable victims so they know that they can provide a personal touch when these lonely individuals need someone to reach out to in this world. Everyone is love-able. As the button says, “God don’t make junk.” Amen.
Study
The person hearing Jesus utter the words of today’s Gospel might be tempted to take a literal interpretation. But then we might fall into the same trap of imposing human limits on Christ’s words that cornered Nicodemus.
Remember how Nicodemus reacted when Jesus told him to be born again of the Spirit? The Pharisee asked how you can be stuffed back into your mother’s womb: Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?" John 3:3-4
Just as Nicodemus missed the message the first time, perhaps we have to encounter Jesus repeatedly in order for his words to become understandable in our life experience. After all, when Jesus dies on the cross, it was Nicodemus who was there with Joseph of Aramethea to give the body a proper burial, not any of the remaining disciples.
Jesus is now telling his disciples to turn into children. How can anyone who is old become young again?
Job had that privilege of understanding – a true gift of the Holy Spirit. He knew from faith that the Lord could accomplish anything even if poor Job did not or could not understand it.
Only through an authentic encounter, face-to-face with the holy gazing of God looking upon him, did Job realize how blessed he was. After all of his tribulations and trials and boils and banishment, he was blessed with more children, more money and more farm animals than ever.
Action
Job was not afraid to accept his humbled state and place his life before God. Jesus asks us to do the same. But we can not do this if we are still pursuing the golden apple, driving the $100,000 car, and mortgaging the $1 million house. We can not do this is we are still hating our neighbor, bullying those we do not know and berating those with whom we do not agree.
Faith is all about change. To be Job-like will require us to change the direction in which we seek happiness. Jesus holds up the example of little children who are loving, trusting and accepting of everyone around them despite being powerless, penniless, and vulnerable. We must be more like them than like the adults who we have grown up to become.
A very disturbing story has emerged from the state where I spent the bulk of my youth. According to media reports, Tyler Clementi was a Rutgers University student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after a video showing him in an intimate encounter was surreptitiously posted on the Internet without his consent.
Back in my old CCD classes, I learned that everyone was created in the image and likeness of God. All of us are sinners in the line of Adam. Maybe our sins are different from those of Tyler Clementi, but we have sins of our own doing. No matter how bad our sins are, everyone is loved by God. And God asks us to love each other.
Is there someone around you who is lonely and needs your outreach? Make sure that they know they can turn to you for assistance.
Is there someone around you who expresses hatred of others in their words or deeds? Make sure they know that such sentiments are not a part of a mature faith. Make sure they understnd that unless they turn away from such bigotry, then they will not be able to be like these children whom Jesus so loves.
