Alberic Jacovone OSB
|
Return to Articles and Reflections |
YEAR C
TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR - 26.8.07
Is 66,18-21; Heb 12,5-7;11-13; Lk 13,22-30
Luke’s
‘Divine Indifference’
In
today’s Gospel, Luke presents Jesus’ logic about who we are asked to be and
how we are to shape our lives, if we are to remain strong Christians.
He says: as you go on in life, make sure you read the ‘Signs of the
Time’ and recognise the times of ‘God’s Visitation’ for all.
In themselves, ‘Signs’ are of no importance, except that they can be
seen as a reminder, a warning and an invitation, to shape our life in such a way
that it stays upright before God, worthwhile in itself and caring for those who
cannot help themselves. Indeed
every tragedy can be read as a ‘Sign’: while disasters should not be linked
to people’s sins, nor should they be considered a punishment for wrong doing,
to us Christians, they are an invitation to accept Jesus’ logic and become -
as Jesus was - ‘people for others and wounded healers.
As
far as Luke is concerned, the miracles that Jesus performed were ‘Signs’ of
God’s visitation; and to make sure we understand, Luke stretches out all
details and circumstances of each occasion.
So miracles are carefully set to take place on purpose, on a Sabbath, in
a Synagogue, before the scrutinizing eyes of Torah-Teachers, Pharisees and
Rabbis. As these good people
confront Jesus, He points out that a “Sign” is not a show-off of God’s
power, but God’s invitation to all from east and west (including us readers
today!), to understand God’s loving designs for us all and to accept His
wonderful deal, which is offered to all cultures and times.
In
today’s Gospel, Luke has inserted a sort of “Divine Indifference”: a
‘believe-it-or-not, even a take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude.
Yes, no one is excluded from God’s offer of love and there is no room
for arrogant superiority. God wants
us all and fortunate are we if we can make it there.
Make
sure you are ‘Chosen and Choosing’!
Today
is Refugee and Migrant Sunday and our Gospel challenges our strongly
multicultural society, to consider those who are forced to flee their homeland,
and go through the “narrow gate” to save their life. (John’s Gospel talks
about a ‘Narrow Gate’). The
Hebrew Bible warns us - as it’s warned the Jews for centuries -: ‘never
forget that you too were foreigners and slaves in Egypt’.
Jesus himself, - together with Mary and Joseph were forced to flee as
refugees into Egypt to escape from King Herod, who was after the life of Baby
Jesus.
Today,
we are asked to offer prayers for migrants and refugees, and to avoid taking the
easy option out and withdraw our support and compassion.
After all, life itself is like travelling through time, always on the
move, in a world of transition; in this world, we have no lasting abode, and
must learn to travel light.
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus shatters the illusion that in God’s Church, there are
privileged and underprivileged members: where some are ‘chosen’ and exclude
others as religious ‘outsiders’. The
opposite is true: exactly because we claim to be disciples of Jesus, we are
expected to walk - as Jesus did - through the narrow ‘door’ and accept with
Him the way of the cross. If we do
not, we are the ones who will find ourselves among the ‘outsiders’.
The very conviction of being ‘chosen’ carries with it the inherent
responsibility of being ‘choosing people’, people who choose to live - as
Jesus did - for others, so other people may have life in abundance.
As a family of nations, the Church includes everyone and excludes no one. Our conviction of being ‘chosen and choosing’ is not an honour to flaunt with pride and thus exclude others. It’s our choice, duty and commitment that we live and die - as Jesus did -, for others, always remaining ‘wounded healers’, so others may have life in abundance. Luke says: squeeze in yourself, act now, you never know when time is up
______________________________________