Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Peanuts Comic cartoon of years ago comes to mind as I reflect on the readings for this 26th Sunday of the Year. I’m reminded of Charlie Brown making an innocent, solemn wide-eyed, heart-felt pronouncement: “I love humanity!” which is immediately followed by a fire-breathing smoke-filled “It’s people I can’t stand!”
How well we can relate to Charlie Brown, especially on difficult days when Murphy’s Law, which can be translated, “whatever can go wrong will go wrong,” seems to reign supreme. Whenever we live in close association with one another, our mutual foibles and mutual weaknesses invariably attract much more attention than signs of strengths and unity. Our challenge comes in keeping a broad picture in mind which allows us to elevate and appreciate the goodness of those who contribute to the over-all common good, and defuse and reject the destructive foolishness of evil.
We can only do what we can do in our own world. That sounds simplistic, but what we do to live a life of humility and truthfulness and faithfulness to God’s law of love does radiate like ripples on a pond. Moses in today’s first reading reminded the surprised, and perhaps jealous people around him that God’s call and gift of prophetic wisdom was not restricted to a select few. The gift of prophecy was entrusted even to those who took a different approach.
While there is a wide spectrum of differences, Jesus makes it very clear in today’s Gospel that destructive evil, especially anything that destroys the natural innocence and goodness of children cannot be tolerated and will face the ultimate judgment of God.
Perhaps the bottom line for today’s Word of God is that although we recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of others, including ourselves, we must feel compelled by the universal call to grow in our spiritual life. The Lord Jesus has come to us and has taken on our human nature, warts and all, precisely to show us that infinite, unconditional, divine love is redemptive. No matter what we and others do to reject that divine love, we always have the option of allowing ourselves to be chosen once more. This is a process of realignment, a process of humility, a process of reconciliation, a process of rejoicing all over again. In a sense this is what it means to discover wonder once again as a child. Even Charlie Brown can find reasons to look around, be surprised, and find reasons for hope and gratitude.
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections