"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
A woman once consulted with me about her lover; he was continually asking for money and she had barely enough to live on. Since she had a speech impediment, was not Catholic, and our backgrounds were quite different, it took several minutes to realize her lover was a televangelist. She was convinced that a TV image loved her intensely and desperately needed her help.
Sadly, I don't think I dislodged her loyalty to that "thief and robber," who by way of the television, had climbed over the fence into her innocence. But I hope and believe she has found her reward with the Lord by now, and he has gone to his preordained destiny.
Not long after I was ordained the world was stunned by the death of over nine hundred Americans in a South American jungle clearing. Convinced that Jim Jones was their savior, they drank cyanide rather than return to life in America. Hearing the story, I thanked God that I am a Catholic priest; and that, should I ever go off the deep end, a duly appointed authority of the Church would remove me from office.
Scam artists, like the televangelist and Jim Jones, exploit our sinful failings. They play on their victims' greed, loneliness, boredom, and anxieties. They have nothing to offer to people who are content with what they have, and rely on God's promises to support them through uncertain times.
"There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God."
"What are we to do, my brothers?"Peter said to them,"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Our first response to the Good News is repentance for our sins. We turn away from the concupiscence which scammers exploit. We welcome the Lord to fill those empty places which are filled by consumer goods and false lovers.
Our first response to God's Word is penance for our sins; it is not to tell everyone how wonderful we feel about having gone to the church, Cursillo, or a twelve step meeting. Penance is not joining an exciting church; it's not listening to a marvelous preacher or hearing an extraordinary choir. It is not telling others how happy we are that we have found Jesus. It is certainly good to praise God in every circumstance, but that does not exempt us from discovering, recognizing, owning, admitting, and atoning for our sins. Nor does it give us a pass from making significant changes to our attitudes, habits, speech, and actions.
Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
When we set out on the Gospel Road to salvation we should understand it's an endless road and will cost more than we're prepared to pay. But we will be notified in our hearts and minds when it's time to pay more, and we'll know what it cost. And by God's grace we will be ready to pay it, although we can hardly imagine that now.
