While they were all amazed at his every deed,Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you."
The Gospel of Saint Luke often describes the amazement (15x) and astonishment (5x) Jesus aroused in his disciples, his parents, the crowds and his enemies.
I suppose people like to be amazed nowadays. It's rather entertaining; and offers temporary respite from the humdrum of our routine lives. But, beyond entertainment, I'd venture to say we don't have much use for it. We don't expect it to change our lives, and would frankly prefer that it not.
If we want to change our lives we'll move out of town, go back to school, get a new job or start a new relationship with someone.
But what does a religious person does with it?
First, we cultivate our ability to be amazed. We don't just look for amazement as entertainment; as in: Look at the Grand Canyon; isn't that amazing? There are billions and billions of stars; isn't that amazing? Google can answer your crossword puzzle question in 2.1 seconds; isn't that amazing?
Rather, we cultivate the ability to be amazed by noticing the simpler things in life: breathing, eating, walking, seeing, touching and so forth.
We cultivate amazement by reading the words of scripture; something like, "Jesus passed by the sea of Galilee." (Mark 1:16)
Then we remember that the expression "passing by" recalls God's passing by Moses on Mount Sinai and Elijah on Mount Horeb. When Mark and Matthew say "Jesus passed by..." they're recalling the recognizable action of God. Look again! There is God passing by the Sea of Galilee. That's why the fishermen dropped their nets and abandoned their father and followed the Lord. That's why the crowds followed Jesus up the mountain, bringing their sick, lame, blind and possessed loved one with them.
Amazement is the way God speaks to us! So now let's go to Church and hear the Eucharistic Prayer, "This is my body.... This is my blood." Amazement transports us into mystery and a life changing place. We cannot go back to our lives and work and families the same people. We have been profoundly changed by "what we have seen and heard." (I John 1)
The secular mindset deflates amazement into an amusing, carnival experience; and doesn't even remember the original meaning of carnival: that it gave everyone a healthy dose of reality by temporarily humbling the proud (kings and bishops) and lifting up the lowly (serfs and peasants).
You might recall that Sherlock Holmes had no use for "useless" information, like the size of the Solar System or the number of planets. Dr. Watson was surprised that his hero knew nothing of such wonders. But Mr. Holmes was the great secular thinker who used only methodical rationality to solve his "mysteries." Mysteries for Holmes were problems to be solved; not portals into God's world. He could not see "the world in a grain of sand" nor Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
The amazement of Jesus' disciples prepared them to hear something horrifying, mysterious and beautiful: "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.