11 March 2021
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
One of the trademarks of sin is division. Consider how, when the first sin occurred in Eden, Adam and Eve hid themselves from one another, and then from God. Adam blamed God and his wife for what occurred; Eve blamed the serpent, refusing to take responsibility for her actions. Cain murders his brother. What begins as one human family slowly unravels into a tangled mess of warring nations and tribes. Hence why the Church is such a contrary sign to the world: a nation among nations with tremendous diversity, yet there is not merely union, but communion. Thus Jesus warns against those who accuse Him of being in league with the Enemy, and challenges their thinking by pointing out the great flaw: if He is in league with Satan, why would He be driving out His own allies, so to speak? And if He drives demons out by some evil power, how do their own priests drive out demons? So Jesus gives the crowd somewhat of an ultimatum: “Whoever is not with me is against me…” For in the great battle between Heaven or Hell there is no neutrality; do we not say at Mass that we have sinned in thought and word, action and inaction? We must choose a side, and Jesus begs us to choose Him, not only for the sake of our souls but in grateful and loving response to the choice He has made. When He chose to come to Earth, to become Man, He chose the side of humanity—your side—and thus He can say, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you…” (John 15:16)