30 August 2020
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
The phrase from today’s Gospel “get behind me Satan,” provides us with the biblical basis for the famous meditation envisioned by Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises, the meditation on the Two Standards. Although Ignatius never was trained as a foot soldier, his sense of dedication and desire to fight for what was good was in the Basque water of his native country. In the meditation of the Two Standards, Ignatius asks the retreatant to envision two banners and their representative values and the forces that will advance these values. Of course, the image created by Ignatius is all high drama and action figures, filled with bravura and rousing clamor. A good retreat director would help a retreatant realize that the banner of good sometimes is not so obvious, it can look a bit soiled and tattered against the glitz of a well-produced banner of the trained publicist. And this is the message Jesus gives us today. Stay clear of short-term glitz and ease, it is nothing but a sugary doughnut meant to please but provide no nourishment. Now, it would be hypocritical of me to rail against the sugar doughnut since those who know me are familiar that I do, on occasion, pander to that lesser good especially on a Saturday morning with friends. This being admitted, we all know that lesser goods are wrapped in the best of intentions and so, it is the discerning eye, the eye ever turned to the greater good, that gets the doughnut and perhaps much, much more.