14 December 2017

Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Few indeed are the times the Lord addresses us in more surprising terms than in the words of today’s first reading, “Fear not, I will help you. Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the Lord” (Is 41:14) One might well marvel at these words of the Lord to His Chosen People. After all, does Christianity not pride itself on emphasizing the goodness of Creation described by Genesis? Is not all that God makes good? All Creation is very good indeed! And yet, to the Chosen People in exile, submitted to a foreign power, it seemed as if they could not be lower. That they were as powerless as a blind, wandering worm, or what is perhaps the only lesser state by comparison: that of a maggot, an insect in its first stages of development, dependent even upon other insects for the  basics of life in order to survive and grow. The Lord does not tip toe around Israel’s feelings of self pity, but rather makes use of a a bit of immersion therapy, and then says, even if you should be as lowly as you feel, like a powerless insect, even then My grace will make of you something capable of threshing the very mountains, powerful enough to turn the hills into chaff. (Is 41:15)

At times we may feel quite lowly, and yet, the Lord chooses us to be citizens of His Kingdom. Even if we are the least in that Kingdom, we are expected to exercise our citizenship as fervently as John the Baptist. “…among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” ( Mt 11:11) Indeed, solely by virtue of our earthly birth, none of us, not even John the Baptist, is capable of fulfilling the great plans which God has for us. But by virtue of that adoption into His royal family, by the power of the grace which the Lord comes to give, we are capable of far more than we would even imagine on our own.  Do you know any who are especially preoccupied with their weaknesses, failures, struggles right now? Perhaps this is the time given by the Lord to decide how you can make known to them the coming of Him who gives even the smallest insect the power to thresh the mountains.