Strange Lights Over Riverside

The homily of Father Max - XVI Sunday Ordinary Time

"wise and merciful Father, give us a meek and humble heart, to hear the word of your Son, who still resounds in the Church, gathered in his name, and to welcome and serve guest in the person of our brothers. "

" I am happy in my sufferings for you and do complete what is, is lacking in the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for His body which is the Church. "

"Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be removed."

Dt 30.10-14; Ps 18/19, Col 1:15-20, Lk 10:25-37

The episode, one of the most famous story in the Gospel, takes place at Magdala, a village where Jesus was at home, because three of his friends lived there, three siblings, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In the Gospel of John speaks of them in several occasions. Mary of Magdala - hence the name Mary Magdalene - was the first witness of the risen Christ. His relationship with the teacher was very deep, nourished by, more, from the contemplation become proverbial. Mary is indeed the paradigm of a vocation to the contemplative life, Martha, however, embodies the choice of working life. The history of spirituality is often the opposite, although the letter of the gospel does not allude to any substantial conflict.

Far from being thus two lifestyles are incompatible, the positions of the two women are the two faces of the Christian faith, listening to the word and action that flows from that listening. È vero, Gesù loda la scelta di Maria e in un certo senso biasima il comportamento di Marta. Non tanto per esaltare a priori la contemplazione sull’azione; quanto perché in quel momento, nella casa c’era Lui; e quando c’è Lui, merita tutta l’attenzione! Raccontano che Caterina da Siena trovasse Dio anche tra le pentole della cucina, come a dire che la famosa laica domenicana aveva la capacità, rara, di rimanere in contatto con il Signore in qualunque situazione, e qualunque cosa facesse.

Ma noi siamo così bravi? siamo cioè in grado di rimanere realmente alla presenza (di Dio) mentre lavoriamo, mentre studiamo, o guidiamo, oppure sbrighiamo housework? ... A bit 'of honesty, come on! They accuse us of not being able to stay focused when we pray at home or at Mass, and we expect to fulfill the duties of friendship with God, spare a thought while we do more? Here's a good argument for the examination of conscience!

Today's readings enrich the discussion last Sunday: the issue, very delicate, and if you work for God and the church, at the service of the Gospel, automatically ensures the union with God I must confess that it is not my case. Also set aside time to ponder the mystery of God can be deceptive ... often, the object of reflection is not God, but I am, we are. I do not intend to devalue the work (psychological) of introspection, not at all! But you need to find the truth about (our prayers) at the cost of denying certain beliefs, never called into question, and confess that we can not pray as we ought.

Returning to the relationship between contemplation and action, it is important to reaffirm the complementarity of the two attitudes. The mere contemplation is not enough - provided we can achieve it, pace of Eastern spirituality ... that suits us -. Indeed, contemplation becomes a sterile exercise if not action-oriented, ie the service della carità.
Anche in questo la Trinità è per noi un emblema. Potremmo immaginare l’eterno colloquio d’amore delle tre Persone come contemplazione vicendevole; l’Incarnazione rappresenta invece la decisione di manifestare questo amore eterno al mondo con un’azione efficace: l’annuncio del Vangelo, accompagnato dal sacrificio di sé è il paradigma che Cristo ci ha rivelato, chiedendo a noi di fare lo stesso.

È ciò che dichiara Paolo in quelle parole un po’ sibilline che abbiamo ascoltato: in verità la recente traduzione CEI ne ha chiarito il significato: “ Sono lieto nelle sofferenze che sopporto per voi e do compimento a ciò that the sufferings of Christ, is missing in my flesh. . The previous version - " complete in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ " - the creeping suspicion that something was missing to the sorrows of Christ, the apostle, martyr, could add his suffering (the passion of Jesus) to make the Salvation ...

the passion of Christ has it all!

Instead, in our life is missing something (the cross of Christ)! in the sense that no choice Christian, contemplative, or active it is, how radical and generous, can perfectly imitate the example Jesus, however this must not discourage us! In contrast, the margin left between our fidelity to the will of the Father and Christ, is the potential, the possibility of further closer to the person of the Man of Nazareth, to imitate his example, as St. Peter exhorts us, in his First Letter (2:21).
Ultimately, we can establish the following proportion:

contemplation faith = action: charity

is always inadequate and approximate transform the words of the Gospel in arithmetic formulas. However beneficial. If faith is the relationship between man and God , contemplation is nothing but the attitude of man towards his God, moreover, how could it be a creature before his Creator, if not in a contemplative attitude. But God provides for his passionate creature more perfect, in the person of the crucified Son, but also in the person of every believer, believer or not.

therefore establish the link between faith and contemplation, the relationship between action and love needs no explanation. "Caritas Christi urget nos", the love of Christ impels us, "writes St. Paul (2 Cor 5:14), where the specification" of Christ "is to be understood both in subjective sense - Christ impels us with his love - that in an objective sense - love of Christ impels us -, (makes us) to give ourselves to God and neighbor, until the total consumption of life in a truly Eucharistic sacrifice, in a total due and therefore perfect. As everything is perfect with respect to the party.

" No matter what may be the powers of God,
the first aspect of God that the Lord is never absolute,
Almighty.
Instead of the one God who makes the level of human
and simply. "
Jacques Ellul