6 Sep 2015
23rd Sunday in Ordinary
Time, Year B
Whenever there’s a major
catastrophe, people run to God for help. There’s just
something in us that kicks in and says: “Go to God.” Maybe it’s the prophetic word Isaiah speaks “to
those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God . . .
he comes to save you.” Or maybe it’s the
sense that we have to turn to something bigger than we when our troubles are
bigger than we are. Or maybe it’s simply
faith at work.
Back on September 11, 2001, I was working at a parish in
Oshkosh. And I just remember that the
church was packed. And for several days
after, people kept coming and coming to pray.
Or you might think of the assassination of President Kennedy in
1963. Again, we see the images of
churches packed with people; people seeking God, seeking refuge, seeking
understanding and each other.
The same happens when we’re struck with more individual
troubles. Maybe someone is diagnosed with cancer, or struck with some
life-threatening disease or injury.
Maybe a loved one is rushed to the emergency room. Or maybe old age simply, and finally, says:
“It’s time to move on from this life.”
And in those times, prayer becomes very important. Faith becomes very important. Whenever there are troubles—especially the
kind that shake our sense of security—people people run to God for help.
And what does that tell
us, except that we do know where to
go for help. We do
know whom we can trust and be safe with. Nobody has to tell us that. When we hear all the stories in Scripture of
the poor and the oppressed, they knew exactly who was there to help them. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Old Testament or
the New Testament, the people of God—sinners though they are—ultimately turned
to God himself.
You know, when we have a toothache, we don’t get all confused
and call the plumber. When we break a bone
or have a fever, we don’t call the vet.
We go to the doctor; we go to the dentist. Nobody has to tell us who to go to. In just the same way, when we’re really
troubled in our soul—when we’re really shaken up and disturbed—we do know where to go for help. We do
know who we can trust and be safe with.
Sometimes, though, we
have to be reminded that we need God’s
help. If there’s one theme that runs through the
whole of Scripture it’s the idea that God is constantly reaching out to his
people saying, “Hey, remember me?” The
First Commandment of the Law God gives is, “I
am God. Remember that.” And then he sent out all the prophets to say,
“Hey, people of God, return to your God.”
And then we have the Son of God himself, and the Apostles and the whole
life and Tradition of the Church which remind us, “Hey, come back to God; you need God’s help.”
We forget. We forget
that we need God. But we’re reminded of
that right off the bat here at Mass. We
make the Sign of the Cross, and the first thing we do is “acknowledge our sins.” “Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our
sins,” let us acknowledge the reality
that each of us needs God’s help in some way or another. And so, of course, we say, “Lord, have
mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” “Lord, we need your help. Christ, we depend on you. Lord, you are our refuge and healing.” It’s the first thing we do in every Mass
because we know we have to be reminded
that we need God’s help.
[And that’s one of the very practical reasons why we come to
Mass. This is the only place we’re going
to be reminded that we need God’s help.
Outside these walls, outside this community of faith, people aren’t
going to say we need God. Instead, they’re
going to say: “You need to be popular.
You need to be better looking.
You need to have different friends.”
Or, “You need to have more money, or influence,” or whatever. Only here at Mass are we reminded that we
need God.]
But the fact that we
need God’s help is really a reason to be glad.
When we admit that we need God, then
God can help us. Then we can actually sing the psalm we sang today: “Praise the
Lord, my soul!” He “sets captives free .
. . gives sight to the blind . . . raises up those who are bowed down,” and so
on. It’s interesting that, during Mass,
right after we say, “Lord, have mercy,” we sing the Gloria. The Gloria is the song of a happy people; a
people who know they need God, and
for whom God is there to help in
times of trouble.
You know, God is so much bigger than we are. God is like one of those over-sized umbrellas
that we pull out when it’s raining. “Shelter
me, O God. Hide me in the shadow of your
wings.” Or God is like a friend who
sticks up for us when we’re knocked down.
And what else could we feel about that except thankfulness and gladness. When we realize the rain is coming down on
us, but that God is there to protect us and bring us healing, what else can we
say besides, “Thanks be to God."
Thanks be to God, and glory to him who heals us and makes us
glad.
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