Daily Retreat 06/03/07
2007 Jun 3 SUN:THE HOLY TRINITY S
Prv 8:22-31/Ps 8:4-5. 6-7. 8-9 (2a)/Rom 5:1-5/Jn 16:12-15
From today's readings: "Thus says the wisdom of God.... O Lord, our God, how wonderful Your name in all the earth!... the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.... when He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.... "
Treasure and Truth of the Trinity
Two men, Chris and Jason, were lifelong friends. Jason was a lukewarm humanist and avowed atheist, whereas Chris was in many senses, a typical Catholic: he went to Church with his family almost every week, prayed at least occasionally, and was certainly a true believer in the triune God, even though he generally felt a certain reticence and awkwardness in expressing and discussing his faith.
In the spirit of friendship, Chris and Jason basically never talked religion - the unspoken fear was that an argument might drive them apart. In his late forties, however, Jason contracted pancreatic cancer, and it was soon evident that he didn't have much longer to live. He was heroically stoic about his fate, as atheists often are, but he still sincerely appreciated the nearly daily visits from his friend Chris, who did all he could think of to bring a little cheer and comfort to Jason in his last weeks.
Figuring that there was nothing to lose since his friend wouldn't be with him much longer, Chris finally mustered enough courage to broach the issue of faith and preparation for the life to come. With genuine love and an unexpected passion and fervor and clarity that he didn't know he had in himself, Chris poured out to Jason everything he could think of about God, who created Heaven and Earth, and all the universe, in love: creating man in His own divine image, making him little less than angels, crowning him with glory and honor, and endowing him with free will and the light of reason.
How could, Chris asked, all the joys and struggles and triumphs of earthly life be bitterly dismissed as absurd, as professed in the atheists' creed? Even human friendship establishes the reality of something more than the materialistic world. And there's so much more, for God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, Jesus, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish in sin, but would find in Him forgiveness and salvation for eternal life, and the fullness of peace with God. For the Father and Son poured love in human hearts, sending the Holy Spirit as the guide to fullness of revealed Truth, establishing the Church as the beloved family of all the sons and daughters of God regenerated in the live-giving waters of baptism.
To his surprise, Chris realized that Jason was listening intently to his words, hanging on to them, and even beginning to be filled with a greater wisp of hope and meaning than he had ever had before in his life. Gradually, tears were starting to form in Jason's eyes, which were suddenly shining with a new search for understanding, and his mouth was smiling and open in hunger for more as he momentarily shared this full vision of life and sought to find room in his heart for the God who is love.
Chris briefly thought of calling a priest, but then vaguely remembered that anyone, even he, could validly baptize another in danger of death, and so it surely seemed that the time was right for him to fetch some water to pour on his friend's forehead. Yes, now was the moment to baptize Jason in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, so that in that sacramental bath, God would wash away all the sins scarring Jason's soul, thus re-creating him as no longer just a noble creature, but as a cherished child of God, and Chris could embrace his departing lifelong friend as not just a friend, but as a beloved brother arriving for all eternity.
But suddenly, Jason's tears stopped, and his mouth tightened once again in stoic resolution. And he turned to Chris and said sadly, "No. I don't believe. I can't believe. I don't even think you really believe! For if your God and your faith meant so much to you, and would mean, as you suggest, such an eternal difference to me, why did you never before share this with me, if only for the sake of friendship? Perhaps it would have made a difference in my life, but it means nothing to me now, as I yield to death...." And with those words, Jason died.
The too tragic truth is seen, not just in the example provided by Jason and Chris, but even more clearly, closer to home! We are all true believers in the triune God, but, because of cultural expectations decreed by the dictatorship of relativism, because of our own ignorance, like Chris, you and I too often silently succumb to that same reticence and awkwardness in expressing, discussing, and sharing our faith. We come across so many like Jason among our acquaintances, friends, and even, more frequently now, in our own family: atheists, some of them, or New Age pagans, or those confused in cults and seduced by sects, but many more, merely lapsed, lukewarm, or languid in the Christian faith of their childhood. We pray for them, occasionally at least, and might even, when the time seems ripe, drop a little hint, a subtle invitation for them to just open their eyes a little to the creative love of God the Father, the redeeming passion of God the Son, and the sanctifying fervor of God the Holy Spirit.
But you know what? Occasional prayers and subtle hints are not enough on our part! The faith that means so much to us, and would make such an eternal difference to our atheistic acquaintances and lapsed, lukewarm, and languid loved ones - that faith, when it's bona fide "good faith", needs to be authentically lived and eagerly shared, expressed untiringly in love and prayer!
I'm not talking about haranguing or harping, hitting someone on the head with the blows of our beliefs - little good ever comes from such approaches. But there is power in prayer, and conversions are so often inspired by the conviction of uncompromising witness! Since June is fittingly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, join me then in presenting and praying particularly throughout this entire month wholeheartedly for the gift of Trinitarian faith: the full brilliant bloom of faith for the atheists and agnostics and antagonists; the resuscitated breath of faith for the lapsed, lukewarm, and languid; and the rekindled flame of unquenchable faith for ourselves and Christians everywhere!
For today, no less than long ago, almighty God speaks His living Word in divine love and eternal wisdom, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray unceasingly and to evangelize invincibly with self-sacrificing passion, and the Holy Spirit, given in baptism and ardently confirmed in tongues of fire, now, if only we don't stifle Him, speaks with sanctifying fervor what He hears, and declares to us and through us the truth of the Trinity, and the things that are coming!
Prv 8:22-31/Ps 8:4-5. 6-7. 8-9 (2a)/Rom 5:1-5/Jn 16:12-15
From today's readings: "Thus says the wisdom of God.... O Lord, our God, how wonderful Your name in all the earth!... the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.... when He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.... "
Treasure and Truth of the Trinity
Two men, Chris and Jason, were lifelong friends. Jason was a lukewarm humanist and avowed atheist, whereas Chris was in many senses, a typical Catholic: he went to Church with his family almost every week, prayed at least occasionally, and was certainly a true believer in the triune God, even though he generally felt a certain reticence and awkwardness in expressing and discussing his faith.
In the spirit of friendship, Chris and Jason basically never talked religion - the unspoken fear was that an argument might drive them apart. In his late forties, however, Jason contracted pancreatic cancer, and it was soon evident that he didn't have much longer to live. He was heroically stoic about his fate, as atheists often are, but he still sincerely appreciated the nearly daily visits from his friend Chris, who did all he could think of to bring a little cheer and comfort to Jason in his last weeks.
Figuring that there was nothing to lose since his friend wouldn't be with him much longer, Chris finally mustered enough courage to broach the issue of faith and preparation for the life to come. With genuine love and an unexpected passion and fervor and clarity that he didn't know he had in himself, Chris poured out to Jason everything he could think of about God, who created Heaven and Earth, and all the universe, in love: creating man in His own divine image, making him little less than angels, crowning him with glory and honor, and endowing him with free will and the light of reason.
How could, Chris asked, all the joys and struggles and triumphs of earthly life be bitterly dismissed as absurd, as professed in the atheists' creed? Even human friendship establishes the reality of something more than the materialistic world. And there's so much more, for God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, Jesus, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish in sin, but would find in Him forgiveness and salvation for eternal life, and the fullness of peace with God. For the Father and Son poured love in human hearts, sending the Holy Spirit as the guide to fullness of revealed Truth, establishing the Church as the beloved family of all the sons and daughters of God regenerated in the live-giving waters of baptism.
To his surprise, Chris realized that Jason was listening intently to his words, hanging on to them, and even beginning to be filled with a greater wisp of hope and meaning than he had ever had before in his life. Gradually, tears were starting to form in Jason's eyes, which were suddenly shining with a new search for understanding, and his mouth was smiling and open in hunger for more as he momentarily shared this full vision of life and sought to find room in his heart for the God who is love.
Chris briefly thought of calling a priest, but then vaguely remembered that anyone, even he, could validly baptize another in danger of death, and so it surely seemed that the time was right for him to fetch some water to pour on his friend's forehead. Yes, now was the moment to baptize Jason in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, so that in that sacramental bath, God would wash away all the sins scarring Jason's soul, thus re-creating him as no longer just a noble creature, but as a cherished child of God, and Chris could embrace his departing lifelong friend as not just a friend, but as a beloved brother arriving for all eternity.
But suddenly, Jason's tears stopped, and his mouth tightened once again in stoic resolution. And he turned to Chris and said sadly, "No. I don't believe. I can't believe. I don't even think you really believe! For if your God and your faith meant so much to you, and would mean, as you suggest, such an eternal difference to me, why did you never before share this with me, if only for the sake of friendship? Perhaps it would have made a difference in my life, but it means nothing to me now, as I yield to death...." And with those words, Jason died.
The too tragic truth is seen, not just in the example provided by Jason and Chris, but even more clearly, closer to home! We are all true believers in the triune God, but, because of cultural expectations decreed by the dictatorship of relativism, because of our own ignorance, like Chris, you and I too often silently succumb to that same reticence and awkwardness in expressing, discussing, and sharing our faith. We come across so many like Jason among our acquaintances, friends, and even, more frequently now, in our own family: atheists, some of them, or New Age pagans, or those confused in cults and seduced by sects, but many more, merely lapsed, lukewarm, or languid in the Christian faith of their childhood. We pray for them, occasionally at least, and might even, when the time seems ripe, drop a little hint, a subtle invitation for them to just open their eyes a little to the creative love of God the Father, the redeeming passion of God the Son, and the sanctifying fervor of God the Holy Spirit.
But you know what? Occasional prayers and subtle hints are not enough on our part! The faith that means so much to us, and would make such an eternal difference to our atheistic acquaintances and lapsed, lukewarm, and languid loved ones - that faith, when it's bona fide "good faith", needs to be authentically lived and eagerly shared, expressed untiringly in love and prayer!
I'm not talking about haranguing or harping, hitting someone on the head with the blows of our beliefs - little good ever comes from such approaches. But there is power in prayer, and conversions are so often inspired by the conviction of uncompromising witness! Since June is fittingly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, join me then in presenting and praying particularly throughout this entire month wholeheartedly for the gift of Trinitarian faith: the full brilliant bloom of faith for the atheists and agnostics and antagonists; the resuscitated breath of faith for the lapsed, lukewarm, and languid; and the rekindled flame of unquenchable faith for ourselves and Christians everywhere!
For today, no less than long ago, almighty God speaks His living Word in divine love and eternal wisdom, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray unceasingly and to evangelize invincibly with self-sacrificing passion, and the Holy Spirit, given in baptism and ardently confirmed in tongues of fire, now, if only we don't stifle Him, speaks with sanctifying fervor what He hears, and declares to us and through us the truth of the Trinity, and the things that are coming!
posted by FrPitstick | 6/02/2007
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