*****
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells his audience to do everything that the scribes and Pharisees say but he also warns them against following their example.
Why this inconsistency? Why this disconnect? Why the incongruity between what they preached and how they acted? Why the bold words, but the few deeds?
Perhaps, as we hear in the book of the prophet Malachi, they failed to “lay it to heart”. It, of course, being God’s law of love - the law that challenges us to give glory to God by promoting justice and peace in our relationships with one another.
Malachi observed: “Have we not all the one Father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with each other?” To use the words of St. Francis de Sales, why do we relate to one another with “two hearts”: one that is easy on ourselves and a second heart that is hard on and harsh toward others?
This duality of hearts is the danger when we allow our knowledge of God to reside only in our heads and not in our hearts. To the extent that our faith remains intellectual or theoretical, it cannot address or embrace the hungers, the hopes, the fears or the dreams of others. To the extent that we do not take to heart God’s love for us, our hearts will remain unmoved when confronted by the needs or the plights of others.
Herein lies the heart of Jesus’ criticism of the scribes and Pharisees: “They bind up heavy loads, hard to carry, to lay on others’ shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger to budge them.” Having failed to take the Law of Moses – and the Law of Jesus – to heart, they prefer to place heavy burdens on the shoulders – and the hearts – of others.
To keep faith with one another requires that we first allow God’s creative, redeeming and inspiring love to penetrate our own hearts. We must take to heart our own need for ongoing conversion, reconciliation and transformation. We must take to heart the fact that God’s love for us does not end with us. No, God’s love must be shared with others.
“Have we not all the one Father? Has not the one God created us?” Then we must keep the faith with one another. We must promote the health, happiness and holiness of one another. We must pursue peace and justice for one another. We must promise reconciliation and collaboration with one another. In short, our actions must surpass – or, at least, keep pace with – our words.
Put another way, when we take to heart the heart of Jesus there can be no partiality: we either love our neighbor as we love ourselves…or we don’t.
*****
“The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable…”
At the risk of being politically incorrect, God is not an “Indian giver.” (For the record, “Indian-giver” has nothing to do with the Indians reneging on a promise. It has to do with a government that gave all kinds of things to Native Americans only to rescind them later.) Unlike human institutions, when God gives gifts, they are non-refundable. They cannot be returned. They cannot be traded in. They must be used.
In today’s Gospel, we hear that one of the best ways to make use of your God-given gifts is to share them with folks from whom you can expect to receive no return. In other words, what better way to say “thank you” to God than by sharing your gifts with no hope of being repaid?
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales observed:
“To give away what we have is to impoverish ourselves in proportion as we give, and the more we give the poorer we become. It is true that God will repay us not only in the next world but even in this one. Nothing makes us so prosperous in this world as to give alms. Oh, how holy and how rich is the poverty brought on by giving alms!” (IDL, Part Three, Chapter 15, p. 165)
What return can we make to God for all the gifts that God has given us? In the Salesian tradition, we show our gratitude by “paying it forward”, that is, we share what we have – and who we are – with others who have less without making them feel any less.
*****
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them.”
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales observed:
“When he created things, God commanded plants to bring forth their fruits, each one according to its kind. In like manner he commands Christians – the living plants of his Church – to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each according to one’s position and vocation. Devotion must be exercised in different ways by the gentleman, the laborer, the servant, the prince, the widow, the young girl and the married woman. Not only is this true, but the practice of devotion must also be adapted to the strength, the activities and the duties of each particular person.” (IDL, Part One, Chapter 3, p. 143)
All of us are called to be saints. No two of us are called to be saints in exactly the same way. As living plants of the Church, how will each of us in our own way bring forth the fruits of devotion - today?
*****
“Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “renounce” as “to give up, refuse, or resign, usually by formal declaration.”
In real terms, how do we “renounce’ our possessions in our day? Do we stop paying our bills? Do we live under a highway overpass? Do we walk away from all of our fiduciary responsibilities? Do we declare bankruptcy? Do we go on public assistance? And if we should do those things in a way that impacted only us, how advisable would it be to take such courses of actions when others depend upon us for their welfare as well?
Perhaps the first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus is to acknowledge that all of our possessions are ultimately gifts. This truth can help us to “renounce” the temptation to view our possessions as exclusively for our use and enjoyment. All gifts – material or otherwise – are meant to be shared with others.
Second, perhaps we need to renounce the temptation to allow our possessions – however good they may be – to possess us. All gifts – material or otherwise – are not meant to serve us but to serve others.
Finally, the process of “renouncing” our feeling of somehow being entitled to the exclusive use of God’s gifts and/or “renouncing” the temptation of allowing our possessions to possess us doesn’t happen in an instant or in the twinkling of an eye.
For most people that process requires a lifetime.
*****
“You are God’s building...”
To construct a building is one thing, but to maintain it is another. Prudent builders/owners not only allot resources for the actual construction of whatever it is they build, but they will also earmark resources for the ongoing upkeep of the building.
In a letter to Madame de Chantal (February 11, 1607), Francis de Sales observed:
“It is not necessary to be always and at every moment attentive to all the virtues in order to practice them; that would twist and encumber your thoughts and feelings too much. Humility and charity are the master beams - all the others are attached to them. We need only hold on to these two: one is at the very bottom and the other at the very top. The preservation of the whole building depends on two things: its foundation and its roof. We do not encounter much difficulty in practicing other virtues if we keep our heart bound to the practice of these two...” (LSD, pp. 148-149)
God – the Master Builder – has constructed each of us in his image and likeness. Today, celebrate the building-of-God that you are! Maintain the gift of your divinely-built edifice with the spiritual foundation and roof most readily available for your good - humility and charity!
*****
“I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness…”
Am I good or am I evil? Your answer to this question is no mere theoretical or abstract discussion. In the Salesian tradition, at least, the question – and its answer – makes all the difference between life and death. If you believe that you are good, odds are that you will think, feel, believe and behave in ways that lead to life. By the same token, if you believe that you are evil, well – not surprisingly – you will in all likelihood think, feel, believe and behave in a ways that lead to death.
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales observed:
"Consider that a certain number of years ago you were not yet in the world and that your present being was truly nothing. The world had already existed for a long time, but of us there was as yet nothing. God has subsequently drawn you out of nothingness to make you what you are and God has done so solely out of his own goodness. Consider the nature God has given to you. It is the highest in this visible world. It is capable of eternal life and of being perfectly united to his Divine majesty.” (IDL, Part One, Chapter 9, p. 53)
During the 1970’s it was quite popular to say, “God doesn’t make junk.” While not exactly high theology, it does get to the heart of the Salesian understanding of human nature. To use the words of St. Paul, we humans – all of us – are “full of goodness.” As members of the Salesian family, we know that being good and having good are not the same things as doing good. We all fail to live up to our God-given goodness. We all fail to put our goodness into action. We all fall short when it comes to recognizing and sharing our goodness.
In other words, as good as we may be, we sometimes do bad things.
Remind yourself throughout this day that God has made you a good person; after all, you are made in God’s very own image and likeness. In like manner remind yourself throughout the day to ask for the grace you need to build up that goodness and to share that goodness with others.
Paul was convinced that you are good. Are you?
*****
“The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones…
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales observed:
“Put your hand to strong things by training yourself in prayer and meditation, receiving the sacraments, bringing souls to love God, infusing good inspirations into their hearts, and in fine, by performing big, important works according to your vocation. But never forget your distaff or spindle. In other words, practice those little, humble virtues which grow like flowers at the foot of the cross: helping the poor, visiting the sick and taking care of your family with all the duties and responsibilities that accompany such things.”
“Great opportunities to serve God rarely present themselves, whereas little ones are frequent. Whoever will be ‘faithful in little things’ will be placed ‘over many’, says the savior.(IDL, Part Three, Chapter 35, pp. 214-215)
With what little, ordinary things will God entrust us today? How faithful will we be?
