Pastor's Message

The Scriptures this weekend have one message that comes across clearly. They bring into sharp focus the giving and receiving of witness to the truth of Who Jesus is for us.

 

Peter stands before the crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and challenges them: “Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.” From there, the First among the Twelve goes on to remind the people that they had Jesus crucified through collaboration with lawless people. He continues with his testimony and proclaims: “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.”

 

The second reading also pulls on this theme of witness, reminding readers that God has worked through salvation history to bring about the fulfilment of His promise in the fulness of time, saying of Jesus that “He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

 

Luke’s narrative of the disciples on the road to Emmaus brings us to an even more explicit sense of what it means to witness to the truth of Jesus, and the difficulties that we must face in having our world and our ways of being in the world challenged by the resurrection. This narrative is set on the day of the resurrection itself. It is striking to see the two disciples are so downcast as they journey from Jerusalem in the aftermath of the crucifixion. They are, naturally enough, despondent and even traumatized by all that has happened. They seem to be unable to understand it in any way other than failure, disappointment, and bitter defeat. Their hopes and their faith were dashed… Until they encountered a fellow traveler who ultimately they recognized as the Risen Christ. Then everything changed for them. They went from despair and tremendous sorrow to hearts burning with zeal and joy in the Lord.

 

Naturally, this then prompts for us a serious and sober reflection on the implications of our discipleship of the Lord. It’s not always easy to let go of what we think we know and step into a world where the unlikely (Resurrection) is actually reality. Our temptation is always to cling to what we think we know, to hold to our own ways of interpreting and understanding our world, and from our own place of “certitude” we strive to hold fast and be faithful. That was the strategy of the Pharisees, one might argue, and it prevented the possibility of seeing the truth of the difference wrought by God in the world through the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost.

 

I sometimes wonder about my own life and where my blind spots are when it comes to my faith. I read this Gospel narrative with a certain envy. I would love to have Jesus spend some time with me, explaining to me the things I don’t or won’t understand for myself.

 

I confess that this week has been a doozy, and I am still trying to make sense of a lot of different things for myself. The intersection of faith and public life is challenging enough, but the commentary these past days surrounding the importunate and irresponsible attack by the President of the United States on the current Pontiff stands out in a league of its own. The voice of the Pontiff is not about political opinion but about witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The disrespect shown by casting the teaching authority of the Pope as just another “opinion” reflects a disregard for the sacred office itself and an ignorance of the precise role of the Vicar of Christ. The prevarication and dishonesty of the comments were an embarrassment to me as a citizen and as a man of faith.

 

Bad enough that this happened, but then it was followed by the holder of the Vice Presidency suggesting that the Pontiff needs to brush up on his theology. The affrontery of a Catholic neophyte – no matter how well intentioned – pretending an understanding of theology such that he can be dismissive of the education, experience and wisdom of the Servant of the Servants of God is staggering. The magnitude of the irony of the Vice President suggesting that the Augustinian Pope needed to learn about the Just War theory precisely when Pope Leo was visiting the ancient see of Hippo, the very place where St. Augustine developed the foundational principles for the Just War theory, is beyond credulity.

 

I could very well appreciate the Lord Jesus spending some time explaining things to me. I’d be grateful for it. The need for witness endures. Pope Leo has embraced his role as witness to the Faith and the Gospel of Jesus. His credentials and track record as a man of deep faith and humble service among the poorest of the poor, as well as his service in leadership roles of the Universal Church, are extensive. That he is unafraid to stand up for the truth of the Gospel in a war-torn world is something of which I am proud. If we find ourselves challenged by his witness, that may be a wake-up call for us as to whose Gospel we actually follow. This much is as true today as it has been throughout history: It does not fall to kings or princes, to politicians or pundits, to influencers or commentators to silence the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

 

Easter Blessings,

Fr. David