A Cycle – 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 23

Mt. 6:21-27

Vatican II began at the direction of Pope John Paul XXIII in 1963 and a significant majority of today’s Catholic’s have grown up in the post Vatican II church.  When it concluded, many individuals were vocally opposed to the changes. While there were many others who loved the changes.  My own faith formation was in the pre-Vatican II church.  I only mention this because the differences between pre and post Vatican II were dramatic.  It was evident the changes paved the way for a deeper personal intimate relationship with Trinity.  These thoughts come to my mind because of Peter’s resistance when Jesus informs the disciples the Messiah must suffer and die. Impossible, the Messiah would restore the Kingdom experienced under David and Solomon.

Peter’s image of the Messiah was founded on the restoration of the Kingdom which the Son of Man would come to restore.  Peter knew and declared, just moments before that Jesus was, “…the Christ the Son of the Living God.” Jesus affirms his declaration by stating Peter could not come up with that description of who Jesus was without divine revelation.  Moments later, Peter shows us how easily we fall into an image of Christ that is comfortable for us.

Reflecting on where my faith was in the Pre-Vatican II church.  It can be described as a Hallmark Card version of Jesus.  Gentle, kind, inviting but also one that is not alive and distant.  It seemed to me faith was believing in God for sure but to please God was the goal. This promoted a faith that was in doing, following the law, decorum, and practices.  Interaction with God was possible for the most holy of people, “saints’ but sainthood meant sacrifices and possible martyrdom. 

As a child, I learned decorum was how I appeared to others.  I genuflected incorrectly because my posture was not honoring God. The funny thing was no one took the time to teach me how to genuflect.  However, they did take the time to tell me it was not honoring God.  The impact of not honoring God could only mean He was not pleased with me.  I slouched in the pew, I talked instead of being reverent before God, I did not reciter the prayers earnestly enough.  There were many other things that told to me by the nuns that reinforced the fact I was going to hell. 

Then beginning my life as a married man, with a child on the way, Vatican II happened, and the church opened the doors for an encounter with Christ that showed all He cares about is us knowing Him and His heart.  God was and is pleased with us because He sees what he created and judges our hearts not how we genuflect. 

 Jesus’s response to Peter’s image of the Messiah was seems like aa sharp rebuke. Sharp enough to cause Peter to wonder if his discipleship would be over and he would be sent back to Galilee.  But Jesus was teaching Peter a reality of how Satan works by distorting our image of Jessus.  Jesus was also teaching Peter and us about discipleship and how much it will cost each of us. 

We must deny ourselves, die to self and learn a new way of living.  But to get there we need something to help us make the transition from outwardly living our faith to an inward living of our faith.  If you read the scriptures, you will discover a gospel we heard weeks ago actually takes place six days after this rebuke of Peter. 

Jesus takes Peter, James and John up the mountain and is transfigured.  It is as if Jesus was preparing Peter for something which would make his first declaration more than an inspired moment.  It was as if His rebuke of Perer was preparing him for the one thing that would get his heart and faith in alignment with God. 

We have grown too comfortable with our own understanding of who Jeus is.  Who is Jesus to you? Is He that Hallmark Card version of Jesus and yet is present to us in the Eucharist. Do we come to receive Him and then leave here and leave Jesus behind in the tabernacle or do we allow Jesus to touch our hearts and guide our days and nights.

My brothers and sisters, the cross Jesus is telling us we must take upon ourselves is real. It is something we must embrace just as Jesus embraced His cross.  I am not talking about hardships because those are part of life. The hardship of taking up or crosses is more one of the inward surrendering of ourselves.  It comes as we realize how much we are missing because our image of who Jesus is does not allow us to let Him touch our hearts.  Jesus in one sense lives in our minds, our intellect and that is a safe place, but it keeps us from experiencing the reality of what Jesus did for us.   

What we need is our own mountain top experience with Jesus speaking to our hearts.  We need that prodigal son moment of revelation where we come to our senses and realize how much we are missing.  We settle for less and have become like the prodigal son only desiring to “be a slave in his fathers house.” We need to encounter the Father who is waiting and watching for us to come to our senses and go to Him.  We need to discover what God wants is a son or daughter not a slave.  We need that moment of surrender as we yield to the will of God and allow the Holy Spirit to instruct us in the ways of God and move our faith from our heads to our hearts.

Vatican II was a new wave of the Spirit sweeping over the church and now almost 60 years later we need that Spirit to open our eyes to see, our minds to understand, and our hearts to yearn for more. We need now more than ever an awakening of desire for more than we are experiencing.  We need to feel the rebuke of Jesus telling us what Calvary did to give us access to the Father. We need to understand what Pentecost did to open our hearts and minds to the transforming power of God within us changing us from sinners to saints. From doubters to believers and from silent worshipers to active disciples.