Monthly Archives: August 2023

The Toxicity of Anger even when Righteous

23 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.  Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.  (James 1:19-21)

We humans are not created to remain in anger and this includes even anger that is righteous.  All anger when it is held on to and nursed quickly becomes toxic and this toxicity deadens life whether that be the life of an individual, of a community and even the life of a people and nation.  Christians are not immune to the toxicity of anger and it is exactly because of the faith and hope we hold and profess as well as the ideals we cling to, that I believe Christians are even more susceptible to the toxicity of righteous anger than the non-religious person. 

We proclaim the coming Kingdom of God – a Kingdom where all tears will be wiped away and all injuries and injustices will be healed – yet we live in a world where there is grave injustice, violence and sin.  We see it and we can even be the victims of it ourselves.  Sometimes these injustices can be addressed and overcome on both the individual and societal levels in our world and history and these moments are to be celebrated and upheld (i.e. the end of slavery and segregation, the acknowledgment of the dignity and rights of women, the growing awareness of the rights and heritage of indigenous peoples, an abused woman gaining the strength to walk away from her abuser, a man caught in the mechanisms of addiction breaking free) but sometimes – for a variety of reasons – there cannot be full healing and restoration in this world.  Our belief in the resurrection and final judgment gives us the sure hope and belief that God – in God’s way not ours – will indeed wipe away all tears and answer all injustices but what do we do with the anger that remains in the meantime? 

This is the conundrum.  All anger, even when righteous, becomes toxic.

To me, there seems to be three options when we are confronted with injustices inflicted upon us that cannot be fully answered and remedied in this world.  The first option is to just lay down and die.  This happens, both literally and figuratively.  People do physically die from injustices endured.  Sadly, we see and read this in the news all the time.  But there is also figurative death that results from injustice endured.  People give up; quiet resignation sets in and people just subsist through life.  The hurt experienced overshadows everything and remains a constant shade in the background of the person’s life. 

The second option is to hold on to the injustice experienced, ruminate upon it and therefore nurse the anger within.  Here is where the wisdom and warning of James is worth heeding, …the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.  We are not created to remain in anger.  We are not made in the image of anger even when righteous but rather the image of God.  If we nurse anger then we make anger an idol – we forget God and we devalue ourselves.  All anger, when held on to, becomes toxic.  The righteousness of God is not found in anger.    

The third option is to – with God’s grace – stand up again, brush ourselves off, remember that we are a child of God and make the choice that – despite whatever may be thrown at us – we will live, walk and act always as a child of God.  This third option gets to the advice given by St. James, …put away all filth and excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.  Put away the filth of resentment and nursed anger and remember that the word we have been given, the word of salvation in Christ and our dignity as a child of God, goes deeper and is ever more enduring than any injustice inflicted.  No injustice can take away this truth.  If we focus on this truth and not the injustice and the anger that springs from it, we will move beyond the temptation to make an idol of our anger.  …humbly welcome the word …

All anger becomes toxic.  The good news is that we are not created to remain in anger.  We are created in the image and likeness of God and saved through the sacrifice of the Son.  This is the truth that endures and saves … humbly welcome it.     

Magic is an Illusion. Faith is real. Jesus and the Canaanite Woman.

19 Saturday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Image may be subject to copyright

In the time of Jesus, as there are now, there were faith-healers and people who claimed to have power over demons who could be hired and, for the right amount of money, would pretend to heal someone or cast out demons.  These people were charlatans, but people would pay the money in a desperate attempt to bring healing to a loved one.  These supposed “healers” took advantage of people in their suffering and what they offered was not real faith but rather magic – the illusion of healing that was not real.    

Our Lord knew of these faith-healers and how they operated.  He also saw how they took advantage of people.  The Canaanite woman also knew of these faith-healers and the promises they made.  It is possible that she had already paid faith-healers in attempts to bring healing to her daughter but all to no success. 

This context helps to explain this interaction of Jesus with the Canaanite woman. 

This woman, who has heard of the man Jesus and who initially sees him as just another faith-healer, calls out on behalf of her daughter and, more than likely, she is willing to pay the cost that Jesus will demand.  The disciples, as observant Jews could not abide faith-healers, they know that Jesus was not a faith-healer and they do not want to be associated with faith-healers so they ask Jesus to send the woman away because she, “keeps calling after us”. 

Jesus knows that he is not a charlatan and he knows that this woman is looking to hire him and that she wants a magical healing for her daughter and so he says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Jesus has a mission from the Father and he is not for hire for magical healings. 

But then something happens.  The scripture says that the woman, “came to Jesus and did him homage”.  The word “homage” is important here.  “Homage” implies faith, it implies kneeling in wonder and need before the divine mystery.  The woman does not come to Jesus to offer what she will pay him as one would when bargaining with a faith-healer, rather she gives him not money but “homage”. 

What changed for the woman?  Was it her desperation for her daughter, was it an intuition in her soul that something was different about this man named Jesus, was it the movement of the Holy Spirit in the woman’s heart?  Something changed and Jesus sees it. 

Jesus then tests it to make certain.  “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  Now, in this new moment, the woman responds, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  The woman shows her faith.    

Satisfied and probably with an abundance of joy in his divine heart, Jesus answers, “O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish!”

Jesus is not a faith-healer for hire.  Jesus does not deal in the illusion of magic.  Jesus comes looking for faith in our hearts and it is in faith that our Lord meets us and brings the healing that only he can give. 

Magic is an illusion.  Faith is real and it is only in faith that Jesus encounters us. 

Two Images and One Truth: Tenderness

15 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

The statue of the Madonna and Child is from my home growing up.  It belonged to my parents and sat in our living room on a table that served, for all intents and purposes although we never named it, as our home altar.  On the table was found this statue, our family Bible, various little statues and holy cards and baptismal candles.  Every day growing up I would see this statue – usually just passing by on my way to whatever I was up to but the statue was always there and remains with me to this day.

I have always appreciated the tenderness expressed by the statue.  Mary cradles her infant son and holds him close to her breast.  Her head leans in towards him and his towards her.  There is a familiarity and an intimacy and she presents her child to the world.  Here is the Son of God born of a humble woman in a small part of vast empire.  He will save us from our sins, 

The holy card is from the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome.  The basilica is one of the oldest churches in Rome and the first to be dedicated to Mary.  The card depicts an image from the mosaic of the Dormition of Mary.  The dormition of Mary is the Eastern Church’s celebration of the great mystery of the Virgin Mary being taken body and soul into the fullness of the Kingdom of God.  In the West, we focus on the Assumption of Mary and our images depict that.  In the Eastern Church the focus is on the Dormition – or Mary’s falling asleep to then be taken up into the Kingdom – and their images depict this.  It is the same mystery we celebrate.  Immaculate Mary, mother of the Incarnate Word, is brought into the fullness of God’s Kingdom.  Where she has been brought, we have the hope to also follow.    

In the icon of the Dormition of Mary it is common to see Mary asleep in her passing surrounded by the twelve apostles and in the icon is also represented the risen Christ tenderly holding the soul of his mother.  The iconographic tradition is to depict the soul – an immaterial reality – as a person wrapped almost like a child in swaddling clothes.  The son holds the mother in anticipation of uniting soul and body in the glory of the resurrection. 

There is a tenderness here too.  The Son, in love, holds the mother again in an expression of familiarity and intimacy.  Mary is wrapped in white which is an expression of the glory of the resurrection where all sin, death and darkness is overcome!  Christ holds Mary out also as a sign of hope for all the world.  Mary is the first to be brought into the glory of Christ’s resurrection.  A hope that every Christian now carries through baptism. 

One truth of these images and of today’s Feast of the Assumption is the tenderness of God as well as the value of tenderness in the Christian life.  God welcomed the tender love of a humble woman and, in return, Christ tenderly welcomes his mother home. 

We often underrate the importance of tenderness in life, I believe.  But tenderness, as depicted, stands at the heart of the relation of Christ to his mother and, it seems, also at the heart of our Lord’s relationship to every believer.  We have a tender God, a tender Savior.  This is important because tenderness gives birth to hope and hope produces perseverance.  We all need tenderness on the journey of faith.  Tenderness keeps us moving forward toward the fullness of the Kingdom of God that awaits us and that also beckons us.

Two images – a statue and a holy card – showing the truth of tenderness and giving a hope that endures. 

Holy Mary, tender mother of our Savior, pray for us!       

Peter’s Prayer: a reflection on Mt. 14:22-33

13 Sunday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

“Peter walking on the Water” by Lester Yokum. Image may be subject to copyright.

My friends, there is a simple truth found in today’s gospel that is worthy of our reflection. 

We are told that the disciples are in the boat in the middle of the night and are being tossed about by the waves of the sea.  The disciples are caught in fear and dread.  Our Lord comes towards them walking on the water.  Jesus calls to them and tells them to not be afraid and in response Peter cries, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

“Command me.” 

Peter does not say, “Lord, calm the sea.”.  Peter does not say, “Lord, take away this storm.”  Nor does Peter remain in the little safety of the boat, waiting for the Lord to arrive.  Peter says, “command me to come to you on the water.”  Peter (in his cry to the Lord, in his prayer) is asking for the grace to look beyond the crashing waves, to move beyond the limits of his own fear and to have the faith to walk towards Jesus on the water. 

This is the truth – there will be storms in life, there will be struggles and pain and doubt.  We will know fear and uncertainty.  The waves of life can be strong, high and crushing and it might even seem like everything is going to be lost.  The temptation in such moments is to pray to God to take away the storm, to calm the waters and to right whatever is the wrong that we are facing.  But is that the right prayer? 

The prayer that Peter made was not to take away the storm but to have the faith to walk through the storm, the faith to keep his eyes on Jesus even in the midst of the storm.  The gospel gives no indication that the sea calmed while Peter walked on the water.  The waves still crashed but Peter did walk on the water and when his faith faltered, Jesus was there to lift him up and save him. 

My friends, the right prayer may not always be “Lord, take this storm away.  Take away this struggle. Take away my fear.”  The right prayer may be, “Lord, give me the faith to walk through this storm trusting that you walk with me and that you are with me to protect me.” 

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”    

Union Square and World Youth Day: A tale of two crowds

06 Sunday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

This week the world has given us the tale of two crowds for our consideration. 

The first crowd was a group of a few thousand people brought together at Union Square in Manhattan on Friday afternoon by the internet streamer and influencer Kai Cetan.  The people came for a hyped giveaway hoping for free PlayStations, computers and other devices.  The crowd quickly turned unruly – climbing on vehicles, hurling chairs and throwing punches.  The police were called in and only after a number of hours were they able to disperse the crowd and bring calm back to the area.  Kai Cetan is now charged with inciting a riot. 

The second gathering is going on right now in Lisbon, Portugal.  Over four hundred thousand young people representing every nation in the world except one (Maldives) are gathering these days for World Youth Day.  These young adults are gathering with Pope Francis, cardinals, bishops, priests and religious from around the world.  Rather than unrest and rioting; this gathering is marked by prayer, song, service to others and worship. 

The two crowds are certainly set apart by their actions but also by what brings them together and their focus. 

A craving for material things and the need to be near the pseudo-celebrity of a social media influencer brought the first crowd together.  My hunch is that people saw the crowd gathered while realizing the limited number of items to be given away with the result being that the energy of the excitement of getting something for free quickly turning into a riot.  Hence the charge of “inciting a riot”.  In this crowd, people saw one another solely as competition for something they wanted.   

The focus of World Youth Day is not for a “thing” nor for the hollow fame of an influencer, the focus of the gathering of four hundred thousand in Lisbon is on the Lord of Life and an authentic encounter with Him.  In this gathering, the participants recognize one another not as competitors for things but as brothers and sisters in the great family of God – a family which crosses all borders, nationalities, languages and social divisions.  The participants at World Youth Day are gathered in Christ. 

Today’s Feast of the Transfiguration focuses our eyes on Christ.  Jesus is revealed as the long-awaited Messiah as prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14) and witnessed to by the presence of Moses and Elijah gathered with Jesus on the mountain (Mt. 17:1-9).  The voice of the Father is heard by Peter, James and John and the same truth is proclaimed to us today, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 

Listen to Jesus.  Stay focused on Jesus throughout the journey of life.  Do not seek after things that do not last and that fail to satisfy.  Such things only end in ruin and hurt.  Stay focused on the Lord of Life and, by so doing, receive life in abundance. 

The world has put before us the tale of two crowds this week.  In one is found only self-centeredness and rioting.  In the other is found true community, life, hope and joy. Choose wisely.     

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”