When the bombs go off, you can bet it’s either a holy day, a religious feast or – in the case of secular targets – a highly popular location. This is how it works, you see … how it has always worked. Just read the headlines.
Or today’s Scripture.
In today’s first reading, Tobit, who lived some 700 years before Christ, experiences this truth during the Feast of Weeks when his desire to share a solemn meal with a poor man is shattered with the news of violence and death.
This scenario should ring as truth to anyone alive and paying attention today.
Bad things happen to good people every day, but really bad things can happen to large numbers of people whenever they gather to express their faith in a solemn way.
Why else do we go on high alert during the high Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays? And – again, in the secular world – similar alerts are issued whenever major events take place, such as the Olympics, World Cup Soccer, Super Bowl, and on and on …
Those who seek to harm us are not simply trying to reduce our population. They want to hurt us in a particularly painful way, as if to punish us for expressing our faith in our Lord … or, our faith in our community.
Tobit was preparing for his own expression of faith when his son returned with the news that shattered his day:
“‘Father, one of our people has been murdered! His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!’ I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched; and I carried the dead man from the street and put him in one of the rooms, so that I might bury him after sunset.
“Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow. I was reminded of the oracle pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel: ‘All your festivals shall be turned into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.’
“And I wept.”
As we all weep whenever a Church service is interrupted by a bomb, or a peaceful gathering of worshipers (insert faith here) becomes the scene of a suicide attack.
We weep because it’s not just the tragedy of killing, but the tragedy of timing. When an event that is supposed to be filled with joy and spirituality, is suddenly struck with terror and sorrow.
It’s almost enough to knock us off our tracks, eh? Maybe we shouldn’t be so vigorous and public about our faith. Perhaps we should keep it all quiet, so we can stay out of harm’s way.
And then along comes St. Boniface, whose day we celebrate today. Born in England in 673, he became famous for preaching the Gospel and restoring the Church in Germany … up until the day the pagans caught up to him in 754 and killed him.
Listen to what he wrote in a letter, which is used in today’s Office of Readings …
“In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.”
Tobit acted accordingly in our reading …
“Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him. The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another: ‘He is still not afraid! Once before he was hunted down for execution because of this very thing; yet now that he has scarcely escaped, here he is again burying the dead!’ “
Yes … once again, Tobit was doing what was right, not what was expected, nor considered the more safe and sensible thing to do – something that usually involves turning away from God.
We face the same challenges today.
This world of terrorism and violent attacks carried out on the holiest of days is nothing new!
And neither is our response.
We stand firm.
We keep the faith.
We muster all the strength we have – and we rely heavily on the graces of God and the prayers of others – to continue to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
St. Boniface wrote in this letter: “… the truth can be assaulted but never defeated or falsified.”
Read that again.
“The truth can be assaulted … but … never defeated or falsified.”
By Tobit’s actions in our first reading, he was showing us that despite the tragedy that had taken place, he was determined to continue doing what God desired.
His holy day had been shattered, but he picked up the pieces and moved on.
And we see this happen all the time … in our holy lands, our major cities, our major events.
St. Boniface tells us … “Let us stand fast in what is right … let us wait upon God’s strengthening aid … let us trust in Him who has placed this burden upon us. What we ourselves cannot bear, let us bear with the help of Christ.
“Let us continue the fight on the day of the Lord.
“Let us be neither dogs that do not bark, nor silent onlookers, nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. Instead, let us be careful shepherds watching of Christ’s flock.
“Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to the powerful and to the humble, to rich and poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season.”
And we close with today’s prayer,
Lord … your martyr Boniface spread the faith by his teaching and witnessed to it with his blood. By the help of his prayers, keep us loyal to our faith and give us courage to profess it in our lives.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever …
(And we say) … AMEN!
