"...a hundred times more now in this present age...with persecutions..." (Mk 10:30)
but
a prayerful protest against abortion
was
organized in Malone yesterday morning.
Fr.
Scott and I were among the 30 or so people there,
standing
with signs on both sides of Main Street.
I
was encouraged by the number of people driving by
who
gave a friendly wave or honk, who gave us the thumbs up.
Near
the end, I noticed one fellow in a pickup truck
extend
a different finger in our direction—
and
then wave it rather vigorously specifically at me
when
he spotted my Roman collar.
I
think you all know what his “sign” meant.
But
do you know what my sign said?
It
said nothing about Planned Parenthood;
it
didn’t even say anything about abortion.
It
simply said, “Jesus Forgives & Heals.”
Who
knew that such a loving message
would
provoke such a strong and hateful reaction?
And
yet we shouldn’t be surprised, should we?
Jesus
has always provoked strong reactions.
When
confronted with Christ, you can’t remain neutral:
you’re
either for him or against.
As
in the story of the rich young man
from
this Sunday’s gospel reading:
you must either follow Jesus or turn and walk away.
There
are an awful lot of people in the world today
who
claim to be “non-religious.”
Truth
of the matter is, we all worship something—
everyone
has some ultimate goal,
some
“greater good” which they are pursuing
(although
it might not appear “great” or “good” to anyone else.)
Even
an atheist has his “god”—
generally, his comforts, his joys, or himself. (cf. P. Kreeft)
Reflecting
on the story of the rich young man,
Saint
John Paul II noted that he didn’t come to Jesus
so
much looking for a specific list of rules
as
he did for the meaning of his life.
His
question was one of direction.
The
young man has sensed—
as
does anyone who gives serious thought to life’s purpose—
that
there’s a real connection between his actions and his destiny:
between
a moral way of living and hope for eternal life.
The
goodness he sees in Jesus naturally attracts him,
but
that goodness also places obligations on him—
obligations
he’s sadly not ready to fulfill. (cf. Veritatis Splendor)
That’s
because Jesus is so much more than just a good teacher;
Jesus
is God’s eternal Wisdom,
God’s
living and effective Word come in human flesh,
with
the unique ability to cut right to the heart.
The
One who gave up heaven
for
the sake those of us stranded here in sin on earth
has
impeccable credibility
whenever
he asks us to give up mere earthly goods
for
the sake of heavenly treasure!
Oftentimes,
we’re all too ready to follow a false Jesus—
not
the Jesus of the gospels,
but
one who has been heavily edited to better fit our likes and lifestyles.
Such
a Jesus never demands very much, never asks us to change.
How
different that Jesus is from the real one!
The
real Jesus is constantly challenging us.
He’s never satisfied with us just “getting by,”
with us being “good enough.”
Jesus
knows we were made for so much more!
While
a lot of people on the road responded to our protest yesterday—
even
if it was only with a turn of the head to stare—
the
vast majority had no reaction whatsoever;
they
simply kept on driving right by.
How
many people—even some regular churchgoers—
keep
passing by Jesus in much the same way!
Does
the message of the Gospel regularly challenge you?
When
was the last time the teaching or example of Jesus
provoked
you to make a change?
Have
you settled for being just “good enough”?
Which
gets more of your time and attention:
material
gains or spiritual progress?
Where
does your life find its meaning?
What
gives it direction?
There
can be no standing still this side of the grave!
You
can’t remain neutral!
When
confronted with Jesus,
you
must either follow or turn and walk away.
I’m
not saying that his mission
is to irritate or aggravate us—
although
he clearly still has that effect
on some people.
No—as
the perfect sign
of God’s forgiveness and healing,
the
reaction Jesus came to provoke
is one of love.
The
late Fr. Pedro Arrupe—for
years,
the international head of the Jesuit order—
once
put this very beautifully while speaking with a group of nuns;
he
said:
Nothing
is more practical than finding God,
that
is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.
What
you are in love with, what seizes your imagination,
will
affect everything.
It
will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what
you will do with your evenings,
how
you will spend your weekends, what you read,
who
you know, what breaks your heart,
and
what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall
in love, stay in love and it will decide everything.
Let
Jesus give you meaning! Let Jesus
set your direction!
Let Jesus provoke in you that sort of joyful love!
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