What Did You Expect ? (2018-09-16, Sun-24)

16 September 2018    /  24^th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year B

•• Isaiah 50:4c-9a  •• Psalm 116 •• James 2:14-18 ••  •• + Mark 8:27-35

••       Title:   What did you  expect?

[__01__]     I’d like to speak in this homily, reflection on the Gospel about

[► UNDENIABILITY]

[► SUFFERING]

[► UNDENIABLE SUFFERING]

[__01.01__]    To  say that fact of the past or a prediction of the future is UNDENIABLE means that we have evidence or an indication.

            Last summer (2017), there was a total solar eclipse in which there was this so-called path of totality – or path of total darkness – in which you could witness the so-called ‘umbra’ or shall we say, the “umbrella” of the moon covering the sun, in the middle of the day, there was darkness.

            It was undeniable. To be honest, even if you could not witness the eclipse by turning upward to the sky – with the proper eyewear and glasses of course – we witnessed people  - on the ground driving to certain locations, causing congestion on certain highways, camping out in unusual locations … or leaving work early.

            Undeniably, something was happening in the sky.

[__01.02__]    In the days, months, years, decades after 9/11/2001, people would say there was undeniable evidence that the U.S. could be on the receiving end of a foreign terrorist attack on our own soil, something that had not happened since Pearl Harbor in 1941.

            There was undeniable evidence, but somehow everybody missed, overlooked the possibility of a terrorist attack – using planes – on U.S. soil.

[__03__]    In the Gospel, Jesus our Savior gives clear – undeniable – clues and cues to his disciples that he will have to suffer and die and be raised from the dead.

          This is the prediction – to the disciples – of a total and very long lasting darkness of a solar eclipse. Jesus is their sun and solar-star power. They do not want him extinguished.

          It is even more troubling to the disciples because Jesus will suffer at the hands of the Pharisees and scribes for whom these are clearly the adversary.

          Jesus. Good. Pharisees. Bad.

          Why would Jesus suffer at the hands of the Pharisees?

          So, Peter – and the others too –are denying this possibility.

[__03.01__]    [SUFFERING FOR GOOD.]    The disciples would logically accept – as would all of us / most of us – that we have to suffer for something this is good.

          The old adage: no pain, no gain.

          So, we suffer and sacrifice to produce reach good goal, academic, physical, personal.

          This is undeniable. Suffering is undeniable. Some suffering is good.

          In fact, if you and I were to live our lives in avoidance of all suffering and all sacrifice, our families and friends would soon starve. I have a huge appetite. I would eat everything.

[__03.02__]       [SUFFERING FOR EVIL]  However, our Lord is speaking about doing something else – suffering for something that is evil.

          Consider the tragic situation when someone around you is physically or mentally ill.

          Consider the lengths you might have to go to … if, say, you knew someone with fragile and misguided personal image and body image… let’s take the case of an eating disorder.

          Such a person would suffer. Such a person would also cause other people around him or her to suffer.

          There may be no end in sight.

          Consider the life we might have to lead if we were to live with someone with alcoholism or a drug addiction.    The person suffers; everyone around him or her suffers.

          It is a heavy cross and also a demonstration of true love when we can love someone who is actually causing us pain.

          It’s undeniable.

[__04__]    [► UNDENIABLE SUFFERING]   There is undeniable suffering in the church right now.

          It is undeniable suffering due to evil, due to the incorrigible and incomprehensible evil perpetrated by members of the clergy against young people and, in some cases, vulnerable adults in their care.

          It is relatively easier to suffer for something or some cause that is good.

It is much more difficult to suffer for the person who causes harm. We may not want to admit it ..or we would prefer only to look at it from a distance.

          As a Catholic priest, I am required to consider the undeniable and recall that damage cannot be fixed or repaired.

          And, we suffer because as St. Paul wrote – “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

          In family, we do not suffer simply to gain what is good but also to endure what is evil. Holiness does not insulate us from suffering – but holy practices such as prayer, such as being intentionally compassionate and charitable, such as fasting sacrifice – enable us to endure suffering.

          It is a paradox that a practice such as fasting or taking quiet time of prayer should calm us down rather than increase our anxiety. I can only testify that it works. It is effective.

          It is helps us also to deny – not the truth – but to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and follow him.

          It helps us to answer the question that Jesus asks all of us, given that he has given his life and risen from the dead and that he has the power to heal and forgive sins:  “who do you say that I am?”  (Mark 8:29)

[__fin__]