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. 

The Ambo: Where God Speaks

Today I would like to speak about the ambo. With modern technology it can seem a little strange why we would spend a bunch of money on an elaborate book stand such as what we have here at St. Dominic. It might make sense in the old days for sound to make it easier for people to hear and such, but now it doesn’t make much sense.

That is of course if we look at it from a practical perspective. From a theological perspective it makes all the sense in the world and it reminds us that the ambo holds a special place in a church. The word “ambo” means/signifies an elevated or raised area and this is key.

Because the Word of God always descends down upon us. Whenever God speaks it is always from above. Moses goes up to Mount Sinai and brings down the Ten Commandments. Jesus gives us the Beatitudes on a large hill on what is known as the Mount of Beatitudes, the apostles go to the Upper Room and receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and here at Mass the lector comes up the sanctuary to the ambo where the readings, the Word of God is proclaimed and descends on us. 

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says, “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel.”

I love to think of the readings as gentle rain falling on our souls. Nourishing us, refreshing us, preparing us to receive the Eucharist which becomes the life of Christ within us. So that we may embody what we have just heard and consumed.

That is why the ambo matches the altar, because it is at the ambo where Jesus speaks, it is at the altar where he reveals himself to us. We often hear someone before we see them. The readings prepare us to be able to recognize Jesus in the Eucharist. Without the readings, without hearing his voice, we will never see beyond the veil of bread before our eyes. We will never see that it really is Jesus before us.

I think that is why it can be so difficult to pay attention to the readings at Mass, because God will never shout or force his voice into our hearts. Like we hear from the prophet Elijah God is not in the earthquake but the whisper. We must intentionally strain our ears to hear him. We really have to work hard to pay attention.

And so the ambo is reminder to us that God still speaks to us today. His voice is not trapped in the past, but spoken to us in this very moment. We only need the ears and desire to hear him.