If you were anticipating a “feel good” gospel this morning, this one likely disappointed you with its harsh opening lines.
None of us would be here, however, if we didn’t really love Jesus and believe that he is the way, the truth and the life. We were not obliged to leave the comfort of our homes to attend Mass this morning or tune in on FB, but we chose to because deep down we know that Jesus offers us the path to the happiness we seek.
Next Saturday, we will celebrate Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, brave men signed the Declaration of Independence. Its opening lines spoke volumes to countless peoples ever since. “We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Happiness doesn’t come cheap nor does love. But if we are to experience them, Jesus provides us with the blueprint for doing so. He isn’t telling us to not love our family. He wants us to love them just as he loves us. If we wish to be his disciple, however, Jesus must come first in our lives. We must be committed to following him so that even our loved ones cannot stop us from heeding his wisdom. This isn’t an either/or situation; it is both/and. The more we love Jesus, the more we will love other people.
Jesus then commands us, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” He isn’t saying, ”If you follow me, I will make you suffer.” Everyone, regardless of the faith they follow, lives with a certain measure of suffering. There is no such thing as a pain free life. We can be certain that God doesn’t enjoy our suffering. Dying on the cross, Jesus truly suffered for us.
Suffering is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. When we join our suffering to the suffering Jesus endured, in some way our suffering becomes redeeming for us as well. There is a big difference between taking up our cross in faith or just dragging it.
We are born into the world self-centered and self-absorbed, concerned only about ourselves. Our lifelong struggle is to move away from being self-centered and self-seeking. Jesus shows us how. He is the model of who we can be. His whole orientation is the opposite of self-centeredness.
Jesus cautions us, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In other words, the more we seek our own happiness, the less happy we are. The more we are focused inwardly on ourselves, the more miserable we become. Jesus advises us, that the more we become concerned with the happiness of others, the more we experience joy and fulfillment. At first glance that makes little sense but our own experience bears this out.
Our most unhappy times happen when we we were concerned only about ourselves, and we made our needs the center of our attention. Our happiest times are those when we forget ourselves in love and service to others.
Some people have taken on values inherited from parents and peers that run contrary to the blueprint for happiness that Jesus has spelled out for us. The most glaring example that comes to mind is racism. Recently, our bishops wrote, “Racism occurs because a person ignores the fundamental truth that, because all humans share a common origin, they are all brothers and sisters, all equally made in the image of God. When this truth is ignored, the consequence is prejudice and fear of the other, and—all too often—hatred.”
Until we find a way to remove hatred, nothing will change.
Speaking prophetically, Archbishop Etienne last month wrote, “As Catholics, we cannot stand by and not respond to incidents of racism and inhuman treatment of our black brothers and sisters, or anyone else. The fact that we are created in the image of God teaches us that each person is a living expression of God who must be respected and preserved and never dishonored.” Racism may not be your personal issue but have you another prejudice that prevents you from seeing God in others?
Hospitality is one of the great virtues of the Bible. The virtue of hospitality is far more than being a good host at a dinner party. Hospitality means encountering the presence of God in others, even in those whom we least expect. The ancient Jews believed that each person should be welcomed as though one were welcoming God himself. Do we welcome those who are different from us? Not always. Yet Jesus is challenging us to do so, which is why welcoming the stranger is listed as a corporal work of mercy. Simply put, hospitality means keeping the doors of our hearts open.
This gospel passage is full of profound truths that hold the key to our happiness. Jesus has given us the key and now it is up to you and me to use this key and find the happiness we have long pursued.