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[__01__] Every August, on an annual basis, I receive a renewal notice for AAA – “triple A” – the automobile club for their roadside assistance program. It’s an insurance policy that is good to have in case you need a tow truck or your battery jump started or some other malfunction.
I pay the bill eagerly, believing and
putting my “faith” in AAA to rescue and save me from difficulty. There
something corrupt / broken in this, in that I think it leaves me a bit too
passive. What is my role in my own mobility? How am I called to cooperate in
this process?
I make this analogy – an imperfect
analogy – to our understanding of God’s help/rescue in the 911 of our prayers.
We are called to become saints – All Saitns Day is not just about the past
history of sainthood but also the future hope of sainthood for you, for me.
It
happens only with our cooperation.
We are called to cooperate with God’s
grace. In terms of 1st Corinithians 12 and the Body of Christ
reality, each one us is part of the God’s bodily presence in the world.
[__02__] A
few years ago, on a lovely summer day, I found myself with a flat tire, having
accidentally driven over something sharp and metallic. Suddenly, I was not
going anywhere.
Fortunately, the weather was nice
outside and I did not have to be anywhere. I was actually on vacation when this
happened.
I immediately sought out assistance,
including calling AAA by whom I was asked this question: “do you have a
working, functioning spare tire?”
I admitted that I did have such a
tire, ready to go, and was feeling that maybe I should do something with that
spare tire and jack.
A few moments later, I happened to
receive a phone call from a friend. I told him of my predicament and that I
really did not know how to un-tighten, to loosen or unscrew the lug nuts,
having had trouble with this before.
I was ready to put all my faith in AAA
and do nothing on my own.
He
told me to put the wrench on, then stand on it with my full body weight and the
lug nuts would loosen. This good advice
enabled me to un-tighten the lug nuts, change the tire and drive away.
I cancelled AAA. I still have faith in
them.
But, I would not have been able to
cooperate in this way were it not for 2 conversations, the 1st was
an examination of myself – “do I not have a resource here, a spare tire …what
can I do?” and the 2nd with my friend …. “use your body weight…”
[__03__] I cite this example to testify that we
become saintly, holy …not in the vacuum of outer space of heavenly prayers to
God …but rather by praying in the here and now and also listening to those
around us.
[__04__] To be saintly, to be holy also is not
meant to be a path toward suffering and drudgery with severe prayer, fasting
and almsgiving, but rather to happiness.
What is happiness on God’s terms?
We have just read the Gospel of
Matthew, chapter 5, the first section of the Sermon on the Mount and the
Beatitudes.
The Beatitudes are given to remind us
of “blessedness” and “happiness”. The
word “beatitude” is a Latin translation or rendering of the word for being
“blessed”. From this we also have the word “beatified” which is a an official
step on the way to canonization.
Pope Paul VI – for example – was
beatified by the Church. Thus, he is Blessed Pope Paul VI, not yet canonized.
But, we do not have to wait until we
do to be “blessed” … to experience God’s blessing.
One particularly challenging verse in
this list – is Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
When we hear the word “meek” or
meekness, we may equate it with the word it rhymes with “weak”. Do you think that “meek” with an M equals
“weak” with a W ?
A
biblical perspective of the Catholic virtue of gentleness – a synonym for
meekness - recognizes its accompanying wisdom and strength of character. For
Paul, it meant stripping away the old self in order to take on new life in
Christ (Colossians 3:9-11). Choosing to embrace humility, to put aside
arrogance, and to be kind and open to others are not the actions of the weak
and gutless. Each choice requires strength, courage, and endurance. Thus, the
gentle-hearted inherit the earth not only as a reward for their loving nature,
but also because they are the ones best suited for tending the landscape of the
human heart. (https://www.sadlier.com/religion/blog/catholic-virtues-series-meek-and-humble-of
heart#:~:text=What%20Does%20Meekness%20Mean%20In,3%3A9%2D11).
[__05__] Love has a positive cycle. Love has a virtuous cycle. We don't want to be in a vicious cycle, we want to be in a virtuous cycle, and the Christian, according to C.S. Lewis in his book – Mere Christianity ....
And we are often thrown in with find
ourselves among people maybe we don't like or people who don't like us, or
don't treat us the way we want to be treated. So how are we to love them?
Should we love such a person whom we find to be disreputable or unfair or
dishonest or unfriendly? Jesus says, “If you love only those who love
you, what credit is that to you? Do not the pagans do the same.” (Matthew
5:46-47)
We are called in our journey towards holiness, to show love, charity, not just to those we already like. But to find ways to be charitable to those who we are not in a good state of affection with. Jesus says, Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you doing this, we will expand our circle, and possibly by God's love, we will love those who we thought were impossible to love. There are people who find me impossible to love. I'm grateful that they find it somehow possible to love me. What steps can we take, we follow the golden rule, treat others as we would want to be treated. Recently I learned that the translation of a translation of a verse in the Bible that could be better translated. That verse in the Bible comes from the Book of Leviticus it says Love your neighbor as yourself. But as one rabbi pointed out, it would be better translated as not just love your neighbor as yourself, but love your neighbor, because he is as you are, or she is as you are. In other words, we're called to love those that love others, not to show that we can be better than them, but to show that we are really not any better than anybody else. We are as they are, I am as you are. Love is a way for us. in a spiritual sense, and in a small step, also to be healthy, to choose holiness to begin our path to sainthood, to All Saints Day, a day that we hope we will all be remembered on for all eternity. [__end_]
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