Last weekend was the Deacon Lenten Retreat at the Archbishop Brunett Retreat and Faith Formation Center in Federal Way. We were blessed to have Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg as our Lenten Retreat guide.
He told a story, one of his real life stories, about a check for $300.00.This story took place in Rome where he was studying to earn degrees in theology and biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Now this story was not so much about money as it was in hearing God.He was on his way in cashing his $300.00 check at the money exchange in Rome. As h
e came to the steps of the exchange he noticed a small table off to his left. Now at this table was a small but interesting sign that said: “Donations for the poor. He also noticed that this table was manned by the Sisters of Charity, the order that now St. mother Teresa had started. He said to himself, I can’t look into their eyes or I will be propelled to give the money from th
is check to the poor. Now he had made a deal to himself and God that he would keep track of the amount of money he spends on himself over the 40 days of Lent and would give that amount to the poor. He had also made plans for a trip and that was where he was going to use that $300.00. He entered
into the exchange and cashed his check and headed out the door all the way thinking “I must not make eye contact with the Sisters of Charity or it is all over. He exited the building and came down the stairs and only for a very brief moment he looked at one of the sisters eye to eye. He scurried away thinking he would not have to do
nate the money he had received for his trip. After some distance but still in view he stopped. He asked God, are you going to hold me to my deal, he thought to himself. Something inside propelled him to turn around and he went back, took the $300.00, and laid it on the donation table.
He went back to his empty dorm and didn’t know what to do. But he did feel good about what he did and knew that it was a prompting of the Spirit. He went to the mail room to see if he had received any mail. To his dismay there was one letter there waiting to be picked up. He took the letter opened it and noticed this note that said, “We thought you could use this”. And to his dismay, there was a check in the amount of $300.00. Just as a side note: The amount of money he spent on himself over lent came to almost $300.00.
The note and money was sent by the Knights of Columbus from Tulsa, Oklahoma and this was the first letter the Knights had sent him in five years. Now he knew. Now he realized that movement inside him to give to charity, was the movement of the Spirit as was his suspicions when he gave it.
The point of the story is that we miss out on encounters with God by not opening ourselves to him. We miss out on encounters with God when we do not love as Christ loves. We cannot evangelize if we do not love God like Jesus. We cannot love if we do not open ourselves to him. We can love when we take in our hearts and in our lived experiences that of Christ.
When we open ourselves to the love of God he speaks back to us. And when we open ourselves to His providence, His love in our lives, we gain a new perspective. We give ourselves our journey, our very lives, to the protection and guidance of the Father. That, my friends, is what we receive when we allow Him in, His love which is always offered to us.
I’d like to tell you a story: According to Jewish legend, when God was about to create man, He consulted the angels around his throne, “create him not” said the angel of justice; for he will commit all kinds of wickedness against his fellow man. He will be bad and cruel and dishonest and unrighteous.
The angel of truth said, “Create him not, for he will be false and deceitful for his brothers and sisters and even you.” Create him not”, said the angel of holiness, “he will follow that which is impure in your site and dishonor you to your face.”
Then stepped forward the angel of Mercy who said, “our heavenly Father, create him, for he sins and turns from the path of right and truth and holiness. I’ll take him tenderly by the hand and speak loving words to him and then lead him back to you”. And God indeed created man following the counsel of the Angel of Mercy.
This story clearly illustrates Christ’s words in today’s gospel and one of the quoted passages in the bible; “God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”. And so, God’s love is without condition.
So, what happens to us when we turn our lives over to God? We become more like Jesus. And to become more like Jesus we take with us as we leave this church the gospel message to all we come in contact with whether in the home or at the store. Like Jesus, we join with him in evangelizing the world. That is our call as Catholics. What does Catholic mean? Universal, for all people, and it does have an immense effect on us.
When we love as Christ loves, when we live as Christ lived, in his light, we enter into his life, his mission, to bring the gospel of love, forgiveness and hope to all people, through our words and how we live our lives. We turn over our lives to the one who created them, our Father in Heaven.
We see what happened to Israel in our first reading. God sent messengers to help them and what did the messengers get in return, mocking, and despising God’s warnings. That would never of happened if they had given over to God what was and is God’s- there very lives.
We hear in our second reading God bringing us to life with Christ. God so loved us that he gave his only begotten Son, to us for our very salvation, why? So that we could attain our inheritance, our life with our creator. God so loved us that he gave his only +Son to us to redeem us and to offer us eternal life.
The one ideal to realize is that God took the initiative in our salvation. God chose the approach of love, not of power. God acts not for his own sake but for our sake. God is the Father who is not happy until all his wandering children have come home.
In his book, “Free to be me, Fr. John Powell, SJ said: “I want to love you. That is all…if you chose to leave me, I’ll not stop you. I will leave you free, but I will always love you. There may be a time in your life when you will separate yourself from my love but never believe that you have lost my love, you can only refuse, but you can never lose my love.” For me, these words are reflections of God’s love.
It’s terrible to reject Jesus Christ, to reject God’s offer of love. But how sweet to walk in the light of his love. Our part in the process of redemption is to accept the gift in all humility, and try to respond in kind. We are able to love because God loved us first.
What you will hear at the end of mass is the final charge. The charge to carry on Christ’s mission to the world. Let it resonate in your heart. Make it your life, your purpose as did Christ for us.