RSVP
2020-08-30 _ 22nd Sunday
●
Jeremiah 20:7-9 ● Psalm 63 ● Romans
12:1-2 ● + Matthew 16:21-27 ●
Title:
RSVP
[_01_] The title of this
homily is: R.S.V.P. = “please respond”
Recently, I received an
invitation from a friend to an outdoor BBQ / picnic in September. He has never
invited me to a BBQ because there is usually a get together in December /
Christmas inside a restaurant.
The text read as
follows:
“You are invited to our first – and maybe annual – BBQ outdoors in
the backyard. Please RSVP by ….”
I was not in on
the planning of this outdoor BBQ, but it seemed to me that this September
outdoor event is going to replace the indoor gathering in December, that we may
not be able to have because restaurants are not open yet.
That’s just my “hypothetical” prediction about the meaning
of this RSVP.
[_02_] We read in 1st
Corinthians, N.T., that the reason for Jesus’ suffering and the Cross was a
reminder that we cannot predict the future.
What seemed to be a defeat for Jesus is actually a victory.
As St. Paul writes: “the
foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor 1:25)
So, there is strength in suffering – contrary to what Peter
the Apostle may have thought when he first heard about the Passion of our Lord
– there is strength in suffering.
[_03_] In the Gospel, this
Sunday, Peter the Apostle is being asked to RSVP. You and I are all being asked
to RSVP, to respond to a future and current reality of suffering.
This is the personal invitation from Jesus, our Savior:
“Take up your cross and follow me.”
So, there is strength in suffering. I’d like to touch on
this strength in 3 ways:
[_04_] SUFFERING as …
Conventional strength
Confidential strength
Communal strength
Suffering can be a “conventional” or widely accepted strength because
it’s supposed to make us “better”. But in this very conventional view suffering
is equated with military boot camp, NFL combine, or spring training.
The conventional view, then, is that suffering separates
the weak from the strong.
[_05_] Suffering is – by “convention” and popular
acceptance that there will be some difficulty in everyone’s life.
And, conventionally we can view certain forms of suffering
and pain as a gift for personal improvement, betterment.
I went for physical therapy once and the P.T. jokingly
said, “you know I am here to inflict pain on you with these exercises”
In fact, practitioners in both physical health and mental
health do not exist in order to cause us pain, though there may be discomfort
in the short term. And, thus suffering is conventional and commonplace.
[_06_] But, that’s not
the suffering Jesus has in store for us. We suffer so that we can join our
vulnerability to his.
But, at this point in the Gospel, Peter does not quite get
this. Peter would be OK with the suffering part as long it would lead to
victory in Jerusalem.
Peter has a conventional view of suffering as something
which is not beautiful and not consoling
The Christian view of the Cross, however, is that Jesus’
suffering and our suffering with him is beautiful and consoling.
[_07_] 2nd.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Suffering is something that touches each of us in different
ways at different times. The same tragic circumstance touches each of us
distinctly.
And, while we are called to share each other’s burdens and
help each other, we often cannot remove the root cause – “eradicate” – of
someone’s suffering.
[_08_] While I am aware
that I cannot know what everyone’s exact suffering is…this fact was emphasized
to me recently. I was with 2 of my
friends and while both of them knew me, they did not really know each other’s
history and biography.
One said to the other how wonderful it was that the other
one’s son would be attending a very fine high school. He thought it was a fine
high school because he went there! Then, he said, and you and your wife are
going to be so proud when he graduates from this very fine high school.
But, my friend had suffered the death of his wife several
years ago…she will not be there physically at such a graduation, having died
several years earlier.
I felt the need – based on “convention” to apologize for
the error, and the person how made the error never really knew.
I realized, however, that I was not going to fix this by
anything I said.
Suffering is confidential.
Take up your cross and follow me. Or, as Jesus also says of suffering:
“Come
to me all you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
[_09_] Suffering is not simply a conventional phase
of therapy.
And, while shared suffering can help us to bond, it is also
to a degree confidential.
The confessional and sacrament of penance reminds us that
there is a place for us to share our deepest sufferings, even out loud, yet
privately. That’s confidential strength.
[_10_] 3rd.
Suffering is communal.
Suffering can draw us together. I have noticed – perhaps
you have noticed – that those who have experienced suffering are also those
able talk with tenderness and sensitivity to others not because they have all
the answers but because they know what some of the questions are.
[_11_] The
conventional view is that suffering itself is going to make us better. We are
not made better by suffering. We endure suffering out of our own goodness and
also by God’s grace.
We might be hurt or even injured in our suffering.
Suffering may be due to an inherent evil.
But, the unconventional and Christian view is that
suffering need not destroy us. Sin and death will not destroy us.
It can bring us together.
Take up your cross and follow me.
That’s the invitation.
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