Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Downtown Louisville
from the Ky State
Fair-is Wheel

Lectionary: 120

For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.

Our readings today recall the struggle of the spiritual life. Medieval monks called it spiritual warfare and Muslims call it jihad.

The contest is essentially that of obedience: “Will I do what I want to do or will I obey the Holy Spirit?” In his Second Admonition to the friars, Saint Francis wrote:

Adam... might eat of every tree of paradise; and so long as he did not offend against obedience he did not sin….

When people set out on the road to holiness they suppose they should give up all kinds of pleasures. They will live on bread and water, sleep on boards, wear hair shirts and pray for hours at a time. But the saints often warn their disciples about the temptation to harsh disciplines.

If they win this contest against the body – as some anorexics do – they might discover their personal wills have become too rigid for obedience. Often they fail to see how inflexible they have become. Admired by some for their ferocious discipline, they cannot abide human frailties.

It is good to practice self-discipline. We should eat healthy, sleep enough, exercise often, and practice small “mortifications.” Since January, for instance, I have avoided using the elevator, preferring to climb the eight flights to our chaplain offices. I often get there ahead of my colleagues, though they had more fun chatting with others along the way.

These little sacrifices are a way to practice the presence of God. “I pass up these donuts for the love of God.” or “I’ll say a rosary while driving across town instead of listening to the radio.”

A more rigorous discipline, Saint James tells us, is control of the tongue. Silence is the best response to many situations. It can be a way of not participating in or consenting to a wrong; an absence that is very present. The Book of Wisdom attest the power of silence:

To us (the good man) is the censure of our thoughts;

merely to see him is a hardship for us...

Remember Saint Thomas Moore’s refusal to endorse King Henry’s divorce and remarriage. All England was upset about his refusal to speak.

 

Clearly, the Lord has sent us to be his sacred presence in our world and that presence will sometimes be troublesome. But we must not fall to the temptation of imposing ourselves upon others. I often assure the Veterans at the VA hospital that I prefer listening to speaking. In a hospital the chaplain should be hospitable. 

Being God’s presence we will sometimes speak, often remain silent, and always obey God’s Spirit.