Breaking Open the Word - 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – September 13th, 2020

We began our Scripture sharing this Sunday with the beautiful Second Reading from the letter to the Romans. St. Paul urges all Christians to remember that we who are baptized no longer “own” ourselves: “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Writing as he is to potential martyrs, the Apostle wants to instill in them – and in us! – what the saints have often called “holy indifference.”  That is, we can be at peace and even joyful in both good and bad circumstances, since we see in all of them the will of our Heavenly Father Whom we trust with all our hearts.

If these truths apply to all Christians, how much more do they apply to consecrated religious! Through our vows and our daily observances, we are made more keenly aware of how our lives are to be totally at the Lord’s disposal. In a sense, the disciplines of religious life help to strip away some of the “illusion” we all have of being totally in control of our lives. We have chosen to be poor, chaste, and obedient for this very reason! When we give the Lord free rein in our lives, He is able to do great work through us, little and humble as we may be. And, as Church documents over the last 50 years have repeatedly emphasized, consecrated persons are to serve as a model and an encouragement for the laity to fulfill more wholeheartedly their own vocation. By our total self-gift to God, we strive to inspire lay Christians to give themselves to Him fully in the ways He has called them to serve. One way we as Passionist Nuns are privileged to carry out this “apostolate of witness” is through our retreat house. We invite men and women of all walks of life to join us in prayer and solitude, to draw closer to the God Who was crucified for love of them.

One Sister pointed out that being “the Lord’s” means more than just belonging totally to Christ the Head – we also belong totally to the Body of Christ. Every action of ours has ramifications for the whole Church. In the Confiteor at Mass, we confess not only “to God,” but also “to you, my brothers and sisters,” since our sins affect all of our fellow Christians. The same holds true for good actions: St. Therese of Lisieux took this truth very much to heart in her “Little Way,” asserting that even the smallest task done with great love is a powerful channel of God’s grace in the world. As contemplative nuns (and this goes for all Christians as well!), one of the ways we live our life of intercession is striving to offer all of our daily tasks in this spirit. We could be winning the salvation of souls simply by peeling carrots out of love for God!

We also discussed today’s First Reading, with its powerful summons to mercy. A Sister highlighted the last line: “think of the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.” She connected this with Our Lord’s words at the Last Supper: “This cup is the new covenant in My Blood, which will be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” St. Paul of the Cross would point out that our sins and unforgiveness spring directly from our forgetfulness of this New Covenant of the Cross. It is only through union with Christ Crucified that we have the strength to forgive as He does – totally, unconditionally, and even before the one who has hurt us seeks pardon.

But how do we keep this radical call to forgive offenses from deteriorating into a “doormat” mentality, allowing people to hurt us over and over again? Only the Holy Spirit can help us consistently keep this delicate balance, but His guidance is available to all who ask! He teaches us that forgiveness does not mean denying that we have been hurt. Rather, it means choosing to release the one who has done us wrong from their debt to us. If necessary, we should take steps to prevent the same hurt from happening again, but Christ still calls us to love that person. We may still have painful memories and feelings towards him or her, but love is an act of the will. Furthermore, our pain itself can become a powerful means of intercession for that person, if offered to God in love and trust. The ultimate example of this is, of course, Jesus on the Cross. His love and mercy were so great that the very tortures inflicted on Him became the means of our redemption!