5th Sunday of Easter
April 24, 2016
The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore once lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His action confirmed his identity.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Love is the Christian identity.
Now if we are to love one another as Christ loves us we must first reflect on how Jesus loves us.
You may remember a few years ago we used Fr. Gaitley’s book 33 Days to Morning Glory which is a book to prepare to consecrate yourself totally to Jesus through Mary. Well, Fr. Gaitley has a new book out called 33 Days to Everlasting Love. It is 33 days of reflections to prepare to make a consecration to Divine Mercy. This is a great book for the Year of Mercy.
There are beautiful meditations in here about God’s love. One thing that struck me is that we often fall into this mindset: I have to do something to earn or deserve God’s love. As children we want to have the approval of our fathers and mothers. We want to feel loved and accepted. And sometimes we can transfer this also onto God. I have to measure up. I have to present myself in the best light in order to gain God’s love. In a sense, we can easily identify with the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son: I’ve worked for you all these years – now I deserve your love and the rewards that it promises.
Fr. Gaitley reminds us though that God loves us not because we are so good, but because he’s so good. He “loves us not because we deserve it but because we desperately need it.” God loves you right now for who you are – not for who you might become.
Fr. Gaitley goes onto say, “The Good News (is) that God’s love is like water, which always goes to the lowest place.” Fr. Gaitley goes on, “It’s the Good News that God’s ways are not our ways, that God isn’t attracted to our gifts, virtues, and talents, but rather to our weakness, brokenness and sin.”
Indeed God’s ways are not our ways. I used to think Christianity was kind of a program of self-perfection. I need to work to make myself perfect and then I will be pleasing to God. But Fr. Gaitley says God isn’t attracted to our gifts, virtues and talents but rather by our weakness, brokenness and sin. Isn’t this the parable of the publican? Remember the Pharisee comes into the temple and recounts all of his gifts and virtues: Lord I fast, I pray, I follow the law, but the publican came in and simply said, “Be merciful to me a sinner.” And it was the publican that went home justified that day.
What does this mean? What God wants most is our humility – to recognize that apart from him we can do nothing. That the gifts and talents that I have are ultimately a grace and a gift. Yes, God does want us to use our gifts and talents. He does want us to strive for virtue but to recognize as St. Paul says: it is not I who live but Christ who lives in me. That’s how we accomplish good! The Lord does want our efforts as weak as they are but a humble recognition that I can only do all things through him who strengthens me – not on my own.
Now what does it look like to follow Christ’s new command to love. I would propose this story from St. Francis: One day, St. Francis was riding his horse near Assisi, when he met a leper. Francis dismounted from his horse gave the leper a coin and kissed the leper. God’s love is like water. It flows to the lowest place.
One of our parishioners, Phyllis Germaine died recently and her son said, you want to know what mom was like? Years ago in a visit to the hospital Phyllis came upon a man who had survived the Korean War but all of his limbs were blown off. He had no arms, no legs and he was in bed weeping. Without thinking Phyllis went immediately to his bed and embraced him and told him Jesus loved him. He stopped crying. God’s love is like water. It flows to the lowest place.
Sometimes, we get so easily pre-occupied with ourselves that our pride and self-concern become an obstacle to true love. If I touch that leper will I get leprosy? Could I bring myself to console a wounded man with no limbs? Isn’t this what Pope Francis is showing us? Have you seen the pictures of him kissing the leper? We are so often attracted to the talented, the beautiful, the virtuous, but are we willing to love as Jesus loves? Jesus loves the sinner, the weak, the broken, the marginalized, the ugly, the people that on a human level repulse us – the beggar, the homeless, the person who smells, even our enemies and those who wrong us.
Love one another as I have loved you. Jesus gave up everything for you and me. He died on the cross to save us. He loves each one of us as we are right now and he wants us in turn to love our neighbor. This is our Christian identity. They will know we are Christians by our love.