Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time B
to
play at the graveside service for a homeless man.
Without
family or friends,
the
deceased was to be buried
in
a pauper’s field in the backcountry.
The
bagpiper wasn’t familiar with the area,
but
refused to stop for directions,
and
so finally arrived a whole hour late.
There
was no hearse, no clergy, no funeral director,
just
the men with shovels,
apparently
taking a break from their solemn duty.
Feeling
bad enough already,
the
bagpiper went immediately over to the hole, looked in,
and
saw the vault lid already in place.
No
knowing what else to do, he started to play—
and
played like never before,
pouring
out his heart and soul for this homeless man.
As the
notes of “Amazing Grace”
floated
out over the field and into the woods,
the
workers gathered around, and tears began to form
in
more than few of these strong men’s eyes.
When
the song was over,
the
bagpiper—himself moved, and so not saying a word—
packed
up his pipes and headed for his car.
But
as he opened the car door,
he
heard one of the workmen saying,
“In
all my 20 years of puttin’ in septic tanks,
I
ain’t seen nothin’ like it before…”
We repeat
the words of the angel
and
address the Virgin Mary as “full of grace.”
This
Sunday, we hear the Lord say to Saint Paul,
“My
grace is enough for you.”
It
comes up all the time…
…but what is
grace?
The
roots of our English word “grace”
denote
goodwill, taking joy or delight in something or somebody,
bestowing
a generous, undeserved kindness.
From
the beginning, Christians have defined grace
as
God’s free gift—given not because of our merits,
but
because of God’s favor toward us.
Grace
is not a “thing”—it’s more a “who” than a “what.”
Grace
is God’s presence, friendship with God,
a share
in God’s own life within us.
Grace
is God’s gift of himself,
drawing
us into the inner life of the Trinity,
that
we might be capable of living a new life—now and forever.
Grace
makes us children of God.
Grace is God’s help, God’s goodness—
a spiritual shot in the arm.Grace strengthens us to know, will, and do everything
that
leads to goodness and to God and to heaven.
Grace
is especially extended to us in the sacraments,
and
manifest in particular gifts and powers granted by God,
but
is available to us always and everywhere.
As
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church,
dramatically
said shortly before dying: “Everything is grace!”
Now,
I know that grace can sound mighty theoretical,
but
it’s actually the most practical thing under the sun.
What
do you need when facing the tough stuff of life—
whether
everyday struggles or extraordinary trials?
What
do you need when trying to do the right thing,
despite
your temptations and tendencies to do otherwise?
What
do you need when it’s hard to believe,
hard
to trust God completely?
The
world would tell us that what we need is guts.
But
if guts were enough,
that
would mean we were able to save or sustain ourselves.
Experience
tells us again and again: guts aren’t
enough.
No,
what we need is God’s grace.
Grace
is required to be truly Christian,
to
be authentically Catholic—disciples not just in name, but in fact—
in
a world that’s increasingly hostile to the Gospel message,
even
here in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”
How
could we expect it to be otherwise when even Jesus
has
a rather rough time with the hometown crowd?
This
Sunday, we’re told that the sabbath assembly—
filled
with his old friends and neighbors—
is
“astonished,” “amazed,” at this teaching;
like the man with the shovel, they say,
"We ain't seen nothin' like it before..."
like the man with the shovel, they say,
"We ain't seen nothin' like it before..."
Of course, there
are several ways to be amazed.
They
could be overwhelmed with joy:
“I didn’t
realize God cared so much!”
They
could find it all too good to be true:
“God
could never love me like that.”
Or they
could be—and they were—scandalized:
“Just
who does he think he is?
There’s
no way I’m putting my faith in anyone
who’d
tell me to do this, to stop doing that!”
There
are many who still find it astonishing that the Church teaches
not what’s currently popular or “politically correct,”
not what’s currently popular or “politically correct,”
but
with the sacred authority entrusted to her by Christ.
Through
his Church,
Christ
himself is still prophetically speaking
the truth about life and death, about heaven and hell,
the truth about life and death, about heaven and hell,
the
truth about Communion and confession,
about care for the poor and the environment,
about sex, marriage, and family.
about sex, marriage, and family.
Yes,
Christ is still speaking…
and not a few people are still taking offence at him.
and not a few people are still taking offence at him.
People
are still astonished
because
Christ’s teaching is still amazing—in every way!
Prophets
today, just as prophets of old,
are
called by God to declare,
not, "Here's what I think,"
but, “Thus says the Lord!”
not, "Here's what I think,"
but, “Thus says the Lord!”
knowing
that some will heed,
but many will resist and rebel.
but many will resist and rebel.
When
your Catholic faith requires you
to stand up and speak up,
to stand up and speak up,
to
break from the crowd and go against the grain,
guts
are required—for sure.
But
they are not sufficient; only grace is enough.
How truly amazing!
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