Our Collect for Mass, also known as the Opening Prayer, often frames the orientation for our Liturgy. This week we hear: "O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that gives it honor." Our Holy Father, Francis, recently released his first encyclical letter which is entitled "The Light of Faith" which speaks of faith being a light of truth that comes from the darkness. In the first chapter of this letter he speaks concerning idols and how they lead us down different paths which make us lost with all the twists and turns that we take along the way. With each idol that we choose to follow we go astray because we have removed ourselves from the correct path which always leads us towards Christ. With Christ always comes the hope that we can find that path towards the light that it extends into our lives.
Moses cried out to the people: "If only you would heed the voice of The Lord." This cry is brought into all of our lives when we begin to go astray and end up following down paths which lead us towards idols. The idol of money, sex, possessions, pride, selfishness, among others are paths that we put in priority over the path that leads towards Christ and we must ask ourselves why we are content with allowing ourselves to be beat down and left half-dead. This victim that we encounter inside of today's Gospel passage represents each of us. When he set out towards Jericho he picked a path that was dangerous and filled with many temptations. He allowed the fallen angels, in the form of robbers, to harass him along the way until his innocence was removed and he was left half dead in sin. We to join with this man in our pursuit for idols because they always leave us walking along a dangerous path where we are constantly harassed by fallen angels. Harassed that we may be beat down and left half-dead in our sin.
Fallen angels never desire us to be left well, but always follow after us with lies and temptations in order that we will follow after idols instead of Christ. With the original sin of Adam came many passing opportunities for conversion, but each of these opportunities had to pass by because they were leading towards the perfect offering upon the cross that would be offered by Christ once and for all. The priest had to pass by this traveler because he represents the Law that would be fulfilled with Christ. The Levite had to pass by this man because he represents the prophets who were pointing towards the coming of the Messiah. Finally the traveler encountered the fulfillment of the priest and the Levite with the coming of the Samaritan traveler. They had to pass by in order to make room for this Samaritan traveler who could actually bring life to this man who was left half-dead in sin. Through Christ's sacrifice upon the cross the words of Deuteronomy rings true: "It is something very near to you."
The correct path and the healing from sin is indeed very near to each of us because "Christ destroyed sin by His cross and fulfilled the law, and thus He took away the causes of discord." Christ came to "reconcile all things for him" in order that we can be reconciled and all things will be at peace for us. Despite each of our experiences with Christ we know that we continue to find ourselves down dangerous paths, but we must remember that we have not been left alone. This feeling of being alone is a lie that comes to us from the devil and his fallen angels because we must remember that the Samaritan traveler lifted this man up from his sin and brought him to an inn where he would be brought back to health. Christ took all of our sins to the cross and continually invites us to not lose hope, but instead to seek out the reality of conversion. To find conversion is to be prepared for the hour when Christ will come again. At the conclusion of our Gospel the Samaritan traveler promised the innkeeper that he would return.
As we prepare for Christ's return may we not react to this Gospel with the pride of the scholar. He brought his desire to test Christ with what it would take to inherit eternal life. The response that he received came tough to his ears and he was unable to admit that he needed to lower himself in service to his neighbor in order to truly love God. May each of us not follow in his footsteps by testing Christ with our hope for eternal life. May we instead enter fully into the inn that is the Church growing in our love of God through the sacraments. Allowing ourselves to be healed through confession and nourished through the Holy Eucharist. May these sacraments also challenge us to model Christ by our lives in our service to our neighbors. If we profess that we love God we must also profess that we love our neighbor. May we constantly open ourselves to this reality by looking for ways to not give service to ourselves, but to lower ourselves out of love for our neighbor.
If we allow ourselves to remain protected by the inn, that is the Church, we can all inherit eternal life. Within this inn we will be challenged to love God each day and to lower ourselves in humility to all those whom we encounter. We will be kept safe here from the many paths that chase endlessly after idols because through the Church we will always be called towards the light of Christ. When Christ returns to this earth may He find us within the inn of the Church serving faithfully and constantly reorienting ourselves towards His profound reconciliation.
No comments:
Post a Comment