Back in the depression era, jobs were scarce. Whenever an opening was announced, dozens of applicants would apply. On one occasion, they were crowded into a noisy waiting room, eager to be interviewed for the position of telegraph operator. The drone of their conversation competed against the steady background noise of dots and dashes. The door opened and another applicant entered the room. He stood there quietly and listened attentively. He then walked to a door marked ‘private,’ and knocked. The personnel director opened the door and announced to the others in the waiting room, “You may go now, this applicant has the job.”
Furious and frustrated, the others demanded an explanation. The director replied, “Listen!” When the room became quiet, all heard the dots and dashes, repeating over and over the same message, “If you hear this, come in; the job is yours.”
The story sums up the message of today’s readings. Like dots and dashes in that story, God is constantly relaying a message of love to us, but are we listening?
When we are tuned to what God has to say, our lives are transformed. Being responsive to God at times requires that we be counter-cultural to the world around us. When someone stands out from the crowd because of a certain uniqueness or eccentricity, we say that person is marching to the beat of a different drummer. When someone stands out because he or she is listening to the whispers of God, that person is said to be a committed believer. Each of the readings today offers us examples of committed believers.
In the passage from Revelation, John shares his vision of angels, living creatures and elders, too numerous to count, praising God, “To the one who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” To which the living creatures acclaimed, “Amen.”
That ancient Hebrew word means, “I believe! So be it!” This is why we say “Amen” when we receive communion. In effect, they are saying that Jesus is the one who is to be honored. Do we say the same? Is Jesus the focus of our lives? Do we live our faith with zealous conviction as did Peter and the other disciples? John lent his voice to the great crescendo of praise, inviting us to do the same.
When the high priest demanded that Peter and the others listen to him and obey his orders, Peter boldly defended his stance, saying, “We must obey God rather than men.” He is so right. God’s call to love has remained unchanged. Imbedded in that message is God’s blueprint on how to live the life of a committed believer. But living that life in modern day America can be so challenging. See for yourself when you stand up for what you believe in as Catholics.
In the gospel, the risen Lord offers advice to a boat full of tired disciples. When they listen to his instructions, their efforts are rewarded with a great catch of fish. When they listened to Jesus, they found themselves marching to the beat of a different drummer, not that of Jewish or Roman authorities.
Two thousand years later, the divine drummer continues to tap out his message of salvation that can best be summed up in the question posed to Peter three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
As with Peter, it is easy for us to reply, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” But then how readily do we respond to his command, “Feed my sheep?” In other words, Jesus wants proof that we love him, proof that is demonstrated when we put our words into action, sharing what we have with others.
In our individual lives, in our parish and in our archdiocese, we work of Christ in countless ways, directly as volunteers or indirectly by financially supporting the church in its many ministries.
Perhaps you are uneasy contributing directly to panhandlers you encounter at intersections and onramps, so you feel guilty when you pass them by but there are other ways you can respond to Jesus’ command, “Feed my sheep.”
One significant way is through the annual Catholic Appeal. In addition to partially funding the operations at the chancery, your contribution supports programs including the Missions Office, Catholic Community Services, our retired priests and sisters along with our seminarians, to name but a few, that figuratively speaking would allow you to honestly say, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. I am tending your flock; I am feeding your lambs.” If you are not doing so already, could you consider a gift of a dollar a day to support the many ministries and services of the Catholic Church in Western Washington?
Next week, you will be receiving a letter from Archbishop Brunett, outlining the many programs supported by your gifts to the Annual Catholic Appeal. The money raised will provide more than half of the necessary funding for 63 different programs and services, which directly and indirectly benefit the parish and you. This year, our parish was honored for its active participation in last year’s appeal; we exceeded our goal by 193%. Again, thank you to the 200 families who contributed $53,673 last year. Imagine what could be done if every family in the parish participated in this year’s appeal. With your help, our future will be full of hope.