Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

 Lectionary: 240

Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.

Today, I complete my service to the Catholic Veterans in the Louisville VA Medical Center. I celebrated the last Mass yesterday; I'll hand in my keys and pass card, collect my belongings, say farewell to many friends among the staff, anoint and bring Eucharist to some patients, and drive home in late afternoon. Today I begin a new life as elder priest and friar, "retired," in a manner of speaking. 

I do not expect to pastor another church, I do not expect a position of great responsibility among the friars. I certainly admire those men, older than me, who carry those burdens, but I believe the Lord is calling me, as he called the Judge Eli, to step down. 

Today I hear the Lord's oft-repeated command, "Listen to my voice." We heard on Mount Tabor, "This is my beloved son. Listen to him." We learned the shema from our Jewish ancestors, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone." 

Each day of our lives, whether we're preparing for work or leisure, should begin with the eager silence which wants to hear God's voice. It says with the boy Samuel, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." 

Often, in the morning recitation of familiar prayers we hear a word, phrase, or an entire sentences which breaks through the routine. In that moment, our responsive spirit says, Amen. It might be the plea, "thy kingdom come:" or, "pray for us sinners." It might be, "God, come to my assistance." Or, "I will be your God and you shall be my people." 

We remember who we are, the people of God sent to live among the nations as a blessed presence, as prophetic voice, and as ambassadors of peace. 

In today's gospel, we hear a familiar passage which seems to belong to the United States, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and house will fall against house." America's rising star in 1858, Abraham Lincoln, invoked that metaphor as the nation debated the question of slavery. Though not a churchgoer, he knew the scriptures and his neighbors well enough to suggest the United States is one nation and one imperiled house. The states would not take the plural verb, are; rather, we should use the singular, is. 

Two centuries later disparate forces still challenge our unity. Is it time yet that the issues which nearly dismembered the nation in the mid-19th century would finally pull us apart? Does freedom still insist that we stand together? Can we find agreement on issues of equality, abortion, and guns? 

Agreeing to disagree doesn't seem to work anymore. 

The Catholic Church, as an international presence spanning centuries, testifies to the strength and beauty of unity. We have been assailed by nationalism, scandals, and heresies and remain united. Catholic bishops, priests, and lay folk remain in union with the Roman pontiff even as denominations and sects appear and disappear.   

As I begin retirement I leave the secular world of the VA, with its preference for amorphous spirituality over solid religion. I want to withdraw into the substantial bosom of the Church. I hope to offer from that secure place of sacraments and liturgy spiritual direction and pastoral guidance to God seekers. I am told many people are hungry for solid food, as opposed to the pap they find in the History Channel and social media. Rather than attending to passive patients who might want a chaplain's visit, I hope seekers will look for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to be there for them.