Homily June 11, 2017

As preached by Brother Marc
Holy Wisdom Church



In the gospels, the Lord urges us to trust in him and trust in God. He says, “Not a sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing. Are you not worth more than many sparrows?”

Theologians try to analyze the nature of God and prove God exists, and philosophers argue whether God is alive and relevant. We know these agendas are poor substitutes for seeking the presence of God.

So who is God? The anaphora of the liturgy says God is indescribable. Those who say they experience a certain closeness to God find they are unable to understand or define God. They can only “be there” in mute wonderment. It is too much to take in. It may shake the foundation of their beliefs.

We need the a mysterious hidden wisdom to make sense of Jesus' teaching on God’s love, on loving our enemies. We need deeper insight on the Beatitudes: “Blest are you when they insult you on my account."

One day Mother Teresa went to a bakery to ask for some bread to give to orphan children. The baker was outraged at people begging bread from him and spat in her face. Mother Teresa calmly took out her handkerchief, wiped the spit from her face and said to the baker, "Okay, that was for me. Now what about the bread for the orphans?" A dead silence followed and the baker filled her a basket of bread.

This moment was a flash of light and a dash of salt for the orphans, for the baker and for humanity as well. It did not spring from a feel-good mentality. It was the carrying of her cross and the following of Christ.

The German theologian Karl Rahner wrote: "Have we ever done something without expecting a bit of gratitude or appreciation in return? Have we ever acted unaware how decent and unselfish we were at that moment? …If we did, we can be sure the spirit was inspiring us. We encountered Eternity. We found out the spirit is more than simply one ingredient in a passing world.

Rahner wrote, “This explains the remarkable lives of the saints… They know there is a grace that can brighten the dull cycle of daily tasks well done. It can bring us a step nearer to God, and we may scarcely notice. We really do touch the realm of divinity." (Karl Rahner SJ 1904-1984 in Belief Today, 40-41).

“Blest are the gentle, the earth will be theirs...Blest the peacemakers, they will be called the children of God." When our burdens are weighing us down and like the saints we do something loving and unselfish, there is a strength in us that is more than ourselves...

The beatitudes are not another set of commandments and obligations. They do not make us saints, but they can point out the path of holiness and happiness. The saints and the beatitudes are signs of God's presence and incarnate love. The beatitudes help us recognize Jesus’ spirit here and now, in our weakness and vulnerability. “Blest are you who mourn...Blest are you when they insult you on my account…"

At times we might feel untouched by love or beauty, and separated both from the natural world and our intuition. Something blocks us from being the persons we are meant to be, except for moments we can probably count on the fingers of one hand.

Suddenly the curtains of inner noise, distraction, skepticism, and fog open up. We are caught up by someone else’s great energy, good mind or perfect beauty. A song, an ancient chant, or a poem, painting, icon, or yes even an indescribable sunset might stagger us with its intensity. Or we may be whelping a litter of puppies, witnessing the miracle of birth. For a brief moment, we perceive what is perfectly real, good and bad alike, in full color and stereo. We might feel the touch of happiness. The experience is a flash of light and a dash of salt for us. It's more than a feel-good mentality. We are sure God's indescribable Spirit is present. We know we are not alone in a passing world: we have encountered Eternity.