Thursday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 464

Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened attentively;

And a record book was written before him of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.

And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the day I take action.

And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.

At a recent gathering of friars (average age: 70+) a speaker reminded us that we grew up in a culture of "thick Catholicism." Many of our young people today, even the most devout, have known only a thin layering of religion. They are unfamiliar with the images of saints, scriptural allusions, and the priests and bishops who once frequented the air waves. If they know something of Christian culture, that appreciation may be a mile wide, but only an inch deep. 

Very  often, when I mention a Catholic saint to a Veteran or VA worker, they ask, "Where can I find that in the Bible?" One fellow wanted to know where to find Achilles in the Bible! 

Our first reading today recalls how the Lord watches over and listens to "those who fear the LORD," especially when they are immersed in a pagan world. 

"They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession!"

We should have no doubt about the Lord's watching over his beloved flock, but we must remind one another -- seniors and juniors alike -- that we are a people set apart. Our history did not begin in 1776 or 1492. Our origins date back to Abraham, Sarah and Melchizedek. Nor are there gaps between Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Although we are continually reforming, our history has not been interrupted by a reformation. Jesus did not reform the Jewish religion, he fulfilled it.  

We should remember that the Church wrote, edited, amassed, selected, and translated the books of the Bible. It didn't just appear from out of nowhere. It wasn't whispered in a cave nor was it found under a rock. We have customs that set us apart, especially the celebration of Sunday, the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, and daily prayers like the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Our community knows little of national boundaries. If we love our homelands we do not forget that our home is not of this world. We are always pilgrims and strangers, sojourners from a distant place. We don't expect the world around us to understand our customs or cherish our memories; but we hope they welcome our presence. For we have been sent as a blessing to the nations. 

We cheerfully pay our taxes, grateful for the freedoms we purchase with them. We support legitimate governments; and, where possible, participate readily in the processes of governing. We neither expect nor demand privileges for being Christian; they would conflict with our following the Lord who came to serve and not to be served. 

Like Jesus of Nazareth, we are grateful for the responsibilities and pleasures that come with being human, even as we accept its duties and distress. We take up our crosses daily and follow in his steps, and invite our neighbors to come join us in this wonderful way of life.