I went to the movie theater with some friends and watched The Chosen, the last two episodes of Season 3. The writers and actors in The Chosen series seem almost spirit-filled, as even the star players don’t seem to be “starring”. You are not struck by the actor or actress, but by their on-the-screen life. Only these aren’t avatars, but images of real people who lived in the time and life of Christ.
The last few episodes of The Chosen had shown the lead character, Peter, as having marital problems. While Peter was away following Jesus, which his wife had strongly urged him to do, she found out she was pregnant, and then had a miscarriage, losing the baby. And she felt alone in her grief. When her husband returned from his travels, she couldn’t enthusiastically support him, as she had done. And he was bewildered. Even when she eventually told Peter what had happened, he didn’t know how to react. And they both felt alone. The other apostles saw Peter’s strange behavior, and at one point he lashed out: “Jesus can see the sick and heal them, then why can’t he see what’s happened to my marriage and heal us?” And they had no good answer except “to trust”. But Peter hurt; he couldn’t trust.
At the end of the final episode, Jesus feeds the 4000, and then that night he walks on water. And seeing him approach in the storm, Peter says “If it’s really you, tell me to come to you.” And then Peter walks on the storm-tossed waters towards Jesus. Meanwhile, the scene switches to Peter’s wife, who was convinced by a close friend to pursue ritual cleansing, as required by Jewish law, to make her clean to enter the temple, to go to God with her sadness. And back at the stormy sea, Peter doubts and sinks into the waters, while at the same time the scene shows his wife also sinking into the water, to be cleansed. And they both rise, cleansed of doubts. Then Jesus walks Peter into the boat, where Peter buries his head in Jesus’s arms, who just holds him. And Peter cries and cries and cries. And he knows he can ALWAYS count on Jesus.
That’s what real love does. It trusts, even in the worst of times.
How often do we sink in the tears of our doubts, our sadness, our feelings which no one understands. Our feelings of being alone. It’s almost like a disease in our culture, which seems to encourage people to believe “if you don’t agree with me, you don’t love me. If you can’t help fix my problem, YOU are doing something wrong.” That’s what Peter had felt. It’s what his wife had felt --- in the scene from 2000 years ago. Our culture may seem to support such feelings, but they’re not new. But there was a new answer brought to the world then, and it’s still here.
We need to love God, and our neighbor, even if they don’t seem to understand. And in our trials, we need to trust; we are not alone. When we seem to be sinking, we just need to reach out our hand. And trust.
There will be very terrible events and times in our lives, perhaps even more than others’ if we are Christians. That’s when trust is most critical. We’re not alone.
And for our part, we need to reach out to others also, in their pain. Like He did. We’re not alone.
FAMILY: Forget About Me; I Love You
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And after writing the above words, “to reach out to others,” while in the adoration chapel, I read Day 7 of my Novena Prayers for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. And I read:
MEDITATION: Our Lord reproved the cruelty of the rich man, who refused even the crumbs of his table to poor Lazarus, while he himself was feasting sumptuously every day. Are they not imitating the wicked rich, who stand unmoved, seeing the sufferings of the “Poor Souls?” Those unfortunates, who appeal to our Compassion, are not strangers. Among them there are our parents, our benefactors, our friends. Not long ago, they were living among us in the same house. We bear their names, we inherited their lands; and we forgot them! We abandon them! They may say with Job: “My Kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me have forgotten me. They that dwell in my house, and my maid-servants, have counted me as a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes. (Job 19:15). To forget the dead is a crime. Solemn promises were made at the death-bed. A child has said to his father and to his mother dying: I will not forget you! But where is the sign of this remembrance? Does it pray for them? Perhaps a vague, shadowy remembrance of the departed comes to its mind, but where is the profit to the “Poor Souls?” Useless and vain compassion! Empty love! Where are the works, alms, and holy Masses to assist, to relieve, and to deliver the “Poor Souls?” Those who forget them will also be abandoned! “With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Mt 7:22)
PRACTICE: After the evening Angelus say Our Father and Hail Mary prayers as a daily tribute to the “Poor Souls”.
EXAMPLE: A poor servant-girl had the pious custom of having a Mass said every month for the Souls in Purgatory, and she prayed especially for the Soul that was nearest to Heaven. After a long, protracted illness, she was leaving the hospital and setting out in search of a position. On her way, she passed a church and remembering that her monthly Mass had not been said, she entered the sacristy, requesting the priest to say this Mass. When she left the church, a young man came up to her. He was tall and pale, and of a noble demeanor. “My good girl,” he said, “I think you are looking for a position.” “Yes,” said the girl, somewhat surprised. “Well,” said the young man, “if you go to Mrs. N. (here he named the street and number) I think you will find a good place.” And suddenly he disappeared among the crowd of passersby. The girl went, found the house, was introduced, and presented her petition. “But,” said the lady of the house, “who could have sent you here? Nobody knows that I need a servant.” Suddenly the girl, looking at the wall, noticed a portrait. “Look here, madam,” said she, pointing to the picture. “That is the exact likeness of the man who told me to come here.” “Ah!” said she. “That is the portrait of my son, who died two years ago. You shall henceforward remain with me, not as a servant girl, but as my daughter, and we will always pray together for the “Poor Souls” in Purgatory.”
We can “reach out to others” in many ways. And some are more in need of our aid than others. Don’t let them feel alone.
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