“The Church cannot withdraw from the task of proclaiming Christ and his Gospel.” (Pope Benedict XVI).
When the Blessed Virgin and her holy spouse Saint Joseph, Foster Father of Christ, presented Christ at the temple in Jerusalem after He was born, the prophet Simeon told them that He would be a
“sign of contradiction” and that the “hearts of many would be revealed.” (Luke 2:35). And I have been reflecting on that revelation today…
After all, there is no debate that Christ had many followers and many friends in the good times – and even in the bad times there were some very few who remained with Him. And there is also no debate that Christ had some people who hated Him with a deep and violent hatred that seemed to go beyond the scope of anything that He was saying or doing. After all, one would have to question why people would have thought it worthwhile to execute a Man who could heal the sick and cast out demons. And upon reflection – apart from the obvious reason to simple jealousy – it was most likely fear… People were afraid of what Christ had the power to do. And they were afraid of the way that He could have changed things… In fact, the way that He DID change things, by inviting others to think in a different way…
And their fear manifested itself in violence and “wrath” – even before Christ’s Passion and Death on the Cross…
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and He went to the synagogue, as His custom was, on the sabbath day. And He stood up to read; and there was given to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah... And He began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’... When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them He went away.” (Luke 4:16-30).
And in the face of that violence – that “wrath” – Christ did not panic or flail helplessly. He reacted with perfect calmness… “passing through the midst of them He went away”… And I have been reflecting on that calmness. Because there are times when others overreact to the words I say or the things I do. And when that happens, I pray for the calmness to pass through the midst of them too…
Pope Benedict XVI, may God rest his soul, said, “The truth that sets us free cannot be kept to ourselves; it calls for testimony, it begs to be heard. In our own time, the price to be paid for fidelity to the Gospel is no longer being hanged, drawn and quartered but it often involves being dismissed out of hand, ridiculed or parodied. And yet, the Church cannot withdraw from the task of proclaiming Christ and his Gospel.”
And I am thinking about that today, because if the Church cannot withdraw from the truth, then neither can I… Even when the hearts of others are truly revealed in all their beauty or their petty malice…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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