theROCK

The Authentic Jesus

Today’s Gospel is about the people who know Jesus the most, the people he grew up around, rejecting Him. He didn’t fit the image they had of Him from His youth, so they couldn’t accept Him as He really is—the Son of God, here to preach and teach them about God. They were offended by what he had to say.

I find this such an interesting Gospel for the weekend of the 4th of July. Is the above not true of our current political climate? Everyone is offended by Jesus, or at least the authentic Jesus found in the Scriptures. We all have these little false Jesus’ we’ve created in our minds that fit our political ideologies. And we get really offended and astonished when presented with Gospel passages or Church teachings where Jesus contradicts the idea we have of Him in our mind. Both sides of the political spectrum agree with some of Jesus’ 
teachings and reject others.

Which is actually very fitting because Jesus says himself, in the Gospels, that he did not come to fit into the existing paradigm, but to upend it, to be above it all, to flip it on its head and restore His own order—God’s order.

So today, on this 4th of July weekend, as we celebrate our amazing country with an eye to the upcoming presidential elections, let us all take a moment to reflect on which Jesus we are worshipping – the Republican Jesus, the Democratic Jesus, or the authentic Jesus of the Scriptures. And let us once again commit to daily reading of the Gospels so we might come to know more closely who Jesus authentically is from the source itself. Only then can we truly make this country as great as we desire it to be.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States of America, pray for us.

Daily Inner Renewal

It has been said that Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. For those of us who live in Wisconsin, that could either be true, or simply wishful thinking. Many of us spend a greater part of the colder months considering what we might plan to do in summer; a vacation with the kids, a summer DIY home project, or simply the resolve to enjoy the warmer months in a simple way. We all seem to want to pack as much activity into the warmer months as possible—getting out there and enjoying life.

As we get older, many develop difficulty doing many of the things they loved when younger. The sad truth is that we age! Doctors and health professionals tell us that our bodies peak in our 20s and 30s, and those of us older than that can attest to the validity of their opinion.

Fortunately, as St. Paul tells us, that although this happens, our inner self is renewing. Although our physical self may be challenged, we must never allow our spiritual self to become weakened. How do we help with that daily renewal of which St. Paul speaks? We do so through a intentional connection with God.  Through prayer. Through the Sacraments. Through Sacred Scripture. He is present in all these things—there for us—assisting us in renewing our inner self, our spirits, day by day.

So, just as we may work out physically, we need to exercise spiritually. And though our bodies may be diminished over time, our spirit, which makes us who we are, which indeed is the dwelling place of God, is renewed unto the end of the age. 

Missing Trains

While I have not read many of his works, the author G. K. Chesterton is one of my favorites. Not only because his writings have led some to call him the “Apostle of Common Sense,” but also because he lived in the present moment. There is no better example of this than a recurring incident in his life: 

Whenever Chesterton had to step out of the house, he used public train transportation. While he waited for his train, he would often become intrigued by a nearby bookstand and casually begin reading. Inevitably, Chesterton would become so engrossed in the book that not only would he miss his train, he would begin walking. To where? Who knows, he sure didn’t! This occurred so often that the owner of the bookstand had a running account with Chesterton, as the author would walk away having not paid for the very book in his hands.

While some could interpret his actions as irresponsible and rude to those for whom he had appointments, I admire and even desire Chesterton’s ability to live in the present moment. We live such scheduled lives, even if nothing is on the calendar. From the moment we wake up, we run from appointment to appointment and stress over the thought of missing any of these “trains.”

When I finally have a chance to catch my breath, I wonder if this is what life is all about. I doubt it, for it is often when I miss the “train” that the beauty of life reveals itself. The times when I am hurrying to the church for business only to be stopped by school kids chanting my name to play sharks and minnows. When I am rushing to that meeting and a couple asks me to bless them on their wedding anniversary numbering twice my age.

These moments that make me miss the “train” are often the moments I remember most, They remind me what life is all about, not going to one appointment after another, but the stories found along the way. The story of children whose highlight of the day is their priest playing with them at recess, the story of a couple and their many years of faithfulness to each other, the story of a good book that makes us forget where we are and need to be, all of which reminds us that sometimes it's ok if we miss a few trains along the way.