SUNDAY GOSPEL LECTIO DIVINA

A voice still cries out in the desert. It is the voice of those who have renounced this world, those who refuse to be influenced by the news and trends of our society. It’s the voice of those who put the quest for God before everything else, and as a result offer straight advice that many others are afraid to share. But the more society tries to silence them, the more people seek them out, just like they sought out John the Baptist, because they hunger for truth. If we listen for the truth, we will find the John the Baptists of our time. 

I can see in my own life the foreshadowing of the way it’s going to end. There have been times when I had to let go of a loved one, a habit, a favorite possession, or something else. These occasions reminded me that everything is ephemeral. While it always hurts, it also always resonates with truth because I know it can be no other way, since everything in this world is just passing us by. So it is wise to learn from these occasions, when I lose something, or when something I love ends, or when something I cherish is taken from me. It is in these occasions when God is teaching me to prepare for the very end of everything. And hopefully I was listening enough so it doesn’t hit too hard. Everything in this world was designed to fade away, so we can learn to disconnect ourselves from it all and fix our eyes on heaven. 

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival

In keeping the faith, there is a great deal of waiting involved. We hold vigils to prove our faithfulness as we wait for the Lord to act, for the Lord to return. I’m sorry, but I can’t help but ponder, what if we are wrong? What if Jesus isn’t coming back, and what if a life of faith ends up being all in vain? Blaise Pascal, a philosopher and mathematician during the Enlightenment, and a Christian, asked the same question. His conclusion is known as Pascal’s Wager, which states:

“ Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is.”

Fans of sports teams could wait an entire lifetime for their team to win a championship and never see it happen. Was their hope all in vain? I would say no, of course not. As we wait, we learn what it means to be faithful, hopeful, and patient. We learn how to live with integrity. At the end of our lives, being vigilant in waiting for the Lord will make us into virtuous people because of the very nature of vigilance. God is vigilant in waiting for us to turn to him. By being vigilant as we wait for him, as we wait for anything good, we exhibit one of his qualities.

It is difficult to live for a place we know little about. What is heaven like? We know in heaven we will be in God’s presence. But what is His presence like? Many people have shared a wide range of experiences where they claimed they were touched by God, or heard His voice. How do we know when God is touching us, speaking to us, giving us glimpses of heaven? We know by having a pure heart, free of sin and selfish desires. When we quiet all of the false promises we tell ourselves, we then can more clearly hear and see the beauty of the one true promise which is eternal life with Christ in heaven.

“For this purpose have I come.”  Jesus just finished healing people from illnesses and demonic possession, and he says his purpose for coming to earth is to preach? Really? Preaching is more important than healing people? That’s why He came? To preach? One can infer that the Father told him in prayer that, despite his desire to heal people all day, his purpose is to tell them about heaven and eternal life, because that is what is going to help prevent the effects of sin in future generations. And indeed the gospel has mitigated the effects of sin. Jesus’ gospel message is what led people to care for the sick and establish hospitals, and compose the rite of exorcism for driving out demons. Also, the ascetic life of monks who follow Christ’s example and teaching is among the most healthy lifestyles one can adopt. In saying, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach,” Jesus is telling his disciples he has to offer people the cure (the gospel) and not just treatment (healing the sick and demon-possessed). He could have lived on earth to this present day healing people, but he came so that the Word of Life which he planted in his followers may take root, so that when he left we could receive the Holy Spirit, and know the power we have in Him as sons and daughters of God.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus asserts his authority which is given to him by his father in heaven. He says to his disciples, “As the father sends me, so I send you.” Whenever we say “In the name of the Father …” and make the Sign of the Cross, we are also invoking that authority. It’s no small matter, and that’s why using the Lord’s name in vain is a sin. The power that comes with God’s name is not to be used lightly. Even when we are simply praying grace before meals, it’s important to truly center ourselves and bring to mind the power of the one we are thanking. Christ said to his apostles, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). Do we acknowledge the power of such authority when we call upon his name and spread the gospel ourselves?