Let The Lord Enter

 The men’s Bible study group this morning just happened to reach the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, in our weekly discussions.  That chapter is one of the key foundations of my Catholic faith, but I didn’t bring that point up to the Protestant men.  I’m sure they knew, but our discussions avoid most doctrinal focus.  We meet not to convert one another, but to let God teach us and change our hearts, as He wills.

“Whoever sees the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.”

The Jews were asking for another miracle, but the Bible Study guys agreed, this morning, that even if that had happened, it likely would not have changed the Jews’ minds or hearts, not to the totally new message Jesus was bringing.  They just could not bring themselves to accept what He was saying.  His message did not have human proofs, it was about accepting that He was God, and accepting God’s message preached through Jesus.  That acceptance is not brought about based on human senses, like the sight Him or of His miracles, but by spiritual acceptance of God’s graces.  God loves us all, but each has to choose to accept the graces of that love, not look for proofs of it.  The Gospel of John talks about believing IN HIM, not the things they see Him do.  Believing in Him is believing He is God, and believing in the things He says, even if they don’t understand them.  “You have the words of eternal life,” as Peter said, even though He didn’t fully understand Jesus’ message either.  He trusted.

At mass later this morning, the morning Responsorial Psalm was “Let the Lord enter; He is the King of Glory.”  Those words are saying we must choose to let Him enter into our hearts.  When Mary said “yes” to the archangel Gabriel, she was agreeing to let the Lord enter, “and she was conceived of the Holy Spirit.”  And her whole life changed.

That is what Jesus was calling the Jews to do, accept His message, and totally change their lives, but they could not let God’s graces into their hearts and accept Jesus’ message because they lacked humility.  Humility is key to accepting God and all that He says.  “We can’t see it; we can’t prove it” is what our human minds think, but it’s not a matter of interpretation with our human minds or senses.  In our very being, we are called to accept His Being.  He is I AM; He is God.

When we were baptized, we began our growth in humility.  In Baptism, it is not the water we see which is cleaning us; it is only a sign, even as Jesus’ miracles were.  Baptism and the words we said then was the start of our acceptance of God.  Made in His image, we started to become as He is in His Being.

Later at mass this morning, we prayed prayers of petition.  Our response to each petition was: “Come, Lord Jesus.”

We need to let Him in.

Mary said “Yes, come Lord Jesus,” and He came into her physical and spiritual being.  And nine months later, at Christmas, Jesus entered our physical world.  Will we celebrate His coming by saying: “Come Lord Jesus, enter into my heart?” Or will we be focused on all the things we see and hear around us?  

Fire!

 

The recent Eucharistic Congress has lit a fire in most attendees.  They want to evangelize, spread the belief in the truth that God is here, present in the Eucharist. They are like fires looking for kindling.  A local parish will begin study and discussions of the Wild Goose videos on The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  They are extremely well-done explanations of Christ’s life which will create a kindling of hearts, and more people will, I’m sure, want to pray and live out their faith, to witness.  But at my men’s group meeting this morning, we were discussing a book on the Eucharist, and the table leader spoke of how he believes what the Church teaches, but he never really “felt” any presence of Jesus in that host.  And he looked around the table for assurance from the other men.  He had no consolations, so he has a weak faith.

Thoughts immediately poured into my heart, and I spoke.  Love, forgiveness and faith are things we WILL TO do.  No senses trigger them, nor result from them.  That person we commit to love, we may not “like”, and that thing we have faith in we may never have seen “proof” of, we love and have faith anyway.  That is how Jesus taught us to live --- as He did.  St. Teresa of Calcutta willed to love the smelly people she cared for and to do many other difficult things, and she had no consolations from God for over 30 years, but she continued to do as He taught.  Her life was no parties, no happy meals of great food and music --- but she did have one thing:  joy.  Her committed actions made her become what they represented, another Christ, as she continued to grow in love, and forgiveness, and in faith.  And with her growth came a joy which others say she “just radiated.”  THAT was not something she willed; It was a gift.

I enjoyed the Gloria Purvis speech at the Eucharistic Congress on Saturday.  She spoke of a focus on unity, as children of God, which is a form of loving our neighbor --- all of them, but she never spoke the word love, nor witness, which is how we best evangelize.  “Hey, look at them!  See how they love one another!” is how the Romans identified Christians for persecution, even as their witness of faith triggered others to become Christian.

I think the rosary study groups at the local parish will deepen the faith --- and commitment to love --- in many lukewarm Catholics, which is good.  But a broader, more noticeable witness is needed, like that of the apostles who fell on their faces in awe of God at the Transfiguration of Jesus.  As my men’s group gave witness, many Catholics are far from in awe of the Real Presence they commit to believe.  A real question to be pondered is how we can witness in such a way that others will say “Hey.  Look at them! …”

They need to look at us and yell: Fire!