(The following is a homily written for my "Advanced homiletics" class, here at St. Meinrad Seminary. )
Let
me take you on a journey.
Close
your eyes and envision a large stone dungeon, filled with the smell of burnt
hair and grease.
A
row of eight pairs of shackles is attached to one of the walls, and all of them
are empty except for one pair, which holds a middle-aged woman.
On
the opposite wall is a table, with various knives, blades, and, oddly, a
platter with a roasted pig on it, apple in the mouth and all.
In
the center of the room lies a young man.
He has been tortured beyond imagination, all while the woman, his
mother, has had to watch.
On
the verge of death, he remembers the words of the Psalmist: “I call upon you, for you will answer
me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word” (Ps. 17:6)
He
hears his mother whisper: “Do not be
afraid,”
and
at that moment, they both have the certainty that only hope can give;
the
certainty that God is there with them.
This
story is given to us partially in the first reading; Chapter 7 of II Macc.
It
is one of the most heart-wrenching stories I have ever read.
It
tells us of a family that literally gave up everything to follow God’s Law: their comfort, their bodies, their lives.
But
what is even more heart-wrenching to me is that this story is not a lone event
in history;
it can be seen
happening this very day.
In
Syria, for example, kidnappings, arsons and riots have led to a death toll that
is unimaginable,
and
the cause can be traced in large part to religious intolerance.[1]
Closer
to home, we find that, in 2008, there were nearly 10,000 reported victims of
hate crimes in the US,
2000
of which were victims of religious persecution.[2]
I wonder if, by now,
you are as thoroughly disturbed as I am.
It
is natural to be afraid of this feeling;
We
avoid being disturbed because it is not comfortable.
It
goes against the idea that we are “exceptional,” that we are “better” than what
history has told us about ourselves.
Yet,
when our lives are disturbed, we are forced to look for refuge in something – anything – that will help us.
When
physical or emotion crises rise, or when we feel isolated or besieged by
attacks to our very soul, the kings of sinfulness and selfishness demand from
us a choice.
A choice for the
ultimate good, or self-preservation.
I
think the first reading today gives us a way to know which choice to make.
It
reminds us that, in the end, it is vain to hold on to what this world can
offer, because even that can, and will, be taken from us.
It
shows us that we are called to give of ourselves, so that other’s may know
God’s ability to sustain us.
It
shows us that we are asked to have faith in God’s power to overcome death, even when death is staring us in the face.
The
family in this reading gave up their lives so that the community of God’s
People might persevere in union with God.
They
knew, with unwaivering hope, that by “disdaining” the pleasures and comforts of
this world, they would regain them again in the world to come,
They
knew that they would be preserving the true freedom of God for His Children
(See II Mc 7:6).
That
they would be holding fast to the certainty that God heard their cries for
redemption,
And
that He had answered them by giving them a certainty that there is more.
That there is sharing
in God’s eternal Life.
When our
lives are in union with God’s Will, He shows us that we do not have to be
afraid of the hardships that life may throw at us,
because He hears our cry.
When those
physical or emotional crises arise, we can rest assured of God’s Grace,
preparing us and sustaining us.
When feelings
of isolation or fear present themselves, we can trust in God’s Presence.
When we are
faced with personal challenges of the soul, God consoles us with the Promise He
made to those who seek Him in good faith.
Could it be
that our task then,
today and every day,
is to allow
God to teach us how to place His Will for us in the place of our own
wills?
This is
something He wants to do for us; He wants to liberate us from sin and raise us
to glory.
Let’s try to
recognize this and hold fast to the hope that God gives us “through his grace, encourag[ing our] hearts and strengthen[ing]
them” (II Thess. 2:16) to say yes.
Do not be
afraid; God has heard our voiceless cries for redemption, and He
has answered us.
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