XXV Sunday in Ordinary Time
The readings this weekend are all about what we do with our time. You know, none of us knows for sure how much time we will have in this life. By the time I was out of High School, I had survived the deaths of three boys in our school—Dicky Trundel, three years ahead of me, died in a car wreck, tragically the driver was his best friend; Billy Stites, one year ahead of me, had drown in a reservoir, and Marvin Smith, two years behind me, had died of a brain aneurism. In my nearly 34 years of priesthood, I’ve buried young husbands, young mothers, children, babies, teenagers, and college students, along with people who’ve had the good fortune to live to 80 or 90 years of age. The point, though, is that not one of us has the slightest inkling as to when our time will be up.
That is why Jesus’ teacher, Rabbi Hillel, used to say, “Repent one day before your death.” And, of course, his disciples would ask, “How do we know when we’re going to die, so how can we know when to repent?” And Hillel would get a twinkle in his eye, smile and say, “Ah, well you should ask! So…if it could be tomorrow, shouldn’t I repent today? And why take a chance?”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus, in the tradition of Hillel, his old teacher, says: “Repent an hour before your death! A minute before! A second before!” That is the point of all these folk crawling out of bed at different times and wandering to the place where day laborers were hired. They all came at different times…some early, some late…but they all eventually got there! And all were acceptable. And all were given the wage the Master gives. It’s a metaphor for Heaven. I get so aggravated when I hear people talk about how this doesn’t fit our understanding of economic justice…blah, blah, blah. Well, it doesn’t! But, it’s not talking about economics. It’s talking about your eternal soul.
We’ve spent some time today baptizing these children. This is a ritual that claims them for God, and places them safely within the Divine Family…but each one will, at some point in his or her life, have to choose to move along the inner path. Each will have to move toward A Greater Love, A Higher Understanding. Each will have to seek out God, as they understand God. The Gospel assures us that whenever they do it, it will be enough, but why wait?
Why DO we wait? I think we put off religious striving simply because we misunderstand it. We have the idea that it takes the joy out of life, when in fact, it’s all about putting joy into life! If your religious practice isn’t bringing some joy, some light, some strength into your life, you’re not doing it right! In reality, a vibrant spiritual life is measured NOT by one’s somberness, but by one’s smiles, one’s understanding and compassion for others, the depth of one’s loves and friendships. So WHY would someone wait? It would be like a starving man standing at a buffet table, saying I don’t want to enter that line, I’m afraid of indigestion! BUT, we human beings are thick headed, and that’s often what we do. We don’t “get in the line,” out of fear of something. BUT, the reading today tells us that it’s never too late! He’s still out there hiring just before quitting time!
So, on this day of baptisms, as we celebrate the initiation onto the spiritual path of these delightful children, let us resolve to renew our own commitment to the path. Let’s commit ourselves to forgiving someone this week, to enjoying an hour of music for the good of our soul, or to say “I miss you” to someone we haven’t seen in an age. Let’s commit ourselves to doing the soul work that binds up the universe in the arms of God’s love, and may our lives be, indeed, benedictions of goodness in our world. And may God bless you all. +
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment