Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

An indoor plant

“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.

Most of the New Testament assumes that Jesus’ return, his “second coming” must occur very soon. This is an article of faith which the church still believes, despite the passage of centuries and the forecasts of scientists. It is a posture of readiness that gives our faith, hope and love energy.

We cannot put off until tomorrow the right decision or the right behavior. Perhaps there was a time for delay, but it is passed.

Nor are there grey areas between good and evil in an apocalyptic hour. Consequently those who do not do good do evil. Avoiding the opportunity to do good, they cannot slip back into a morally ambiguous place where it doesn’t matter. Rather, as in today’s gospel, they plot evil even on the Sabbath.

Perhaps because they are unwilling to choose although the time has passed for not choosing, they fight to retain their freedom of choice. But their fight is against the judge whose hour has come.

This alert awareness demands attention to the Holy Spirit. It is easy to assume I know what God wants. The dominant culture, including the “Christian culture” has very strong opinions about what we should do, and these expectations are often absurd:

      The woman who is continually berated by her husband thinks she should forgive him as often as she is abused. She suffers scruples, anxiety and guilt because she cannot do the impossible.

      The food addicted person attempts to lose a hundred pounds by going on a starvation diet.

      The Catholic teenager thinks he should never have a sexual thought, word or deed.

Wisdom and the Holy Spirit are far gentler than these cruel regimes. There comes a moment when the insulted wife knows she must act to save her life, and she knows what to do. The obese person seeks professional advice and sets more realistic goals. The teenager learns to recognize the spirituality of sexuality, which impels him toward satisfying relationships.

The apocalyptic spirit prevails in all of these stories as it urges the sufferer to act now. Don’t put off till tomorrow. Now is the acceptable hour. Now is the day of salvation. Sometimes all we can do is wait for the insight to come and the moment to arrive, and that waiting is also attention to Holy Spirit.