I think we all have points in our lives that we can look back on and recognize that it was these times that had a significant impact on the direction our lives would take. They can be positive ones or negative experiences. But each decision, each circumstance, played a role in determining who we would become. And there are certainly different categories of experiences that we have influenced various aspects of our development. There may be athletic experiences or social ones. Scholastic or professional highlights. And, of course, spiritual ones. It is true that all our experiences should be wrapped in the mantle of our spiritual lives. And we may understand this as adults who may be more mature in our faith journey. But when younger, this realization was likely not something we may have comprehended at the time. I know I, for one, saw my spiritual path as distinct from all the other paths that my life was on. God was merely one of many aspects that competed for my attention. So here are a few of what I would call mileposts or guideposts that I can recall playing a major role in shaping who have become at this point in my life.
Grammar school. In Jersey City, NJ if you wanted a good education, your parents sent you to Catholic Grammar or Grade School. It was just a fact. As a result, religion played a major role in influencing how I saw the world. I was schooled in the faith and my lessons by dedicated but scary creatures called nuns. I served as an altar boy. And it left a positive imprint.
I attended Catholic High School as well. And one of my strongest memories was when one of the Marist Brothers asked us what we were going to do next year after graduation. I told him about my plans to attend Southern Illinois University but I had a very strong sense that he was disappointed that I had not considered seminary. Stayed with me ever since.
College connected me with a group called The Navigators which was an evangelical group on campus. They led me to a more personal relationship with Our Lord but also caused me to re-explore my Catholic faith. Never again leaving what I consider to be home.
Marriage to Elise, a Reform Jew, caused me to look critically at Christianity and begin to have to defend Catholicism. And become stronger in the process.
Cursillo. A weekend exploring our relationship with God and with ourselves resulting in a renewed centering of life’s focus squarely on Christ.
So, why all this personal nostalgia into religious history? Follow Me? Jesus’ words to each of his disciples. Highlighted in today’s Gospel by the call of Levi (Matthew) from his tax collecting booth to walking alongside Jesus and His disciples. I need to first give another deference to The Chosen. I know many of you must be getting tired of several of us here at ACM, especially myself, referencing The Chosen over and over. And rightly so. I heard a criticism recently that The Chosen is not biblical. It is a made up Hollywood story, loosely based on the Gospels. And I think there is some truth to that. But it does not mean that the stories have no value.
In Judaism there is a concept called Midrash. This is a story telling technique where the author takes a biblical event then crafts a storyline that weaves in amongst the details. For example, the story of Abraham walking with Isaac to the mountain where Abraham intends to sacrifice him to God. What did they talk about? I mean there had to be some back and forth exchange between the two in addition to Isaac asking where they will get the lamb from. Imagining how that discussion might go is a Midrash.
And I see The Chosen as a Midrash and as a reflection on the biblical events written into the script. From a purely biblical perspective, it appears that Matthew went from this evil tax collector to suddenly leaving everything and following after Jesus. In The Chosen, however, we see Matthew in obvious distress over his elected path in life and the effect it has had in his relationships with his family. He has also witnessed, and been intrigued by, Jesus as He begins His ministry. By the time Jesus calls Matthew his heart has become softened and prepared for the summons.
So the stories of my mileposts, my guideposts, I believe illustrate for all of us that God works in our lives. Sometimes with glaring circumstances such as the birth of children, marriage, visits to shrines, retreat weekends. But also through subtleties that we sometimes don’t perceive in the moment. A conversation. A reading. A media experience. Each step preparing us for the next.
Even in times of weakness, we can learn. There have certainly been many times in my life where my behavior, my weakness to the allure of sin, has separated me from the love of God. But Jesus’ saving power brought me back. Allowing me to reflect back on my mistakes and hopefully learn to not fall into the same traps.
Our lives in following Christ, I believe, are usually not lightening bolt moments where the heavens open and we become instantly transfixed on the truth. Rather they are moments of Revelation leading us along the path of ultimate reward. All of the disciples strayed from Christ’s mission for them. Even AFTER The Call each received. Even after they responded to Jesus’ request to Follow Him. AFTER saying Yes to the Call. But each persisted in the journey, ultimately receiving The Spirit after Christ’s resurrection.
We too must continue moving forward. Step by Step. Inch by Inch (Yes, I know. Abbott and Costello. The Niagara Falls sketch). At times moving closer to God’s mission for us. And, at times, moving away. Always being ready for the call to Follow Him into our heavenly home.
