Storms, fires, politics, and warmongering make the news bad in the US these days. Yesterday the weather was dark and cloudy where I live, and so was my mood. Four of my friends were struggling with personal crises. Caring and empathy caused their burdens to weigh heavy on me, too. I hungered for light—with its hope, love, and joy. I did not see it in the events of the day. Thanks be to God, it could be found in a beautiful way in today’s readings. They talk about the difference discipleship makes when we are faced with bad news and dark skies.
The Calls of Peter, Monica, and Beatrice
Today’s Gospel tells the familiar story of the call of Simon Peter to discipleship. “Jesus said to Simon, ’Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”
That gives me pause. Leave everything and follow Jesus. This is long, long before Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ. He had just met him a few days before. He left the fishing he knew to become a fisher of men. Jesus told him not to be afraid—but Peter was facing a great unknown. How could he not fear? What would that call have been like?
To put it in perspective, I thought of my friend Monica, in her late 80s, who has just left her friends and family in Kentucky to live with a grand-daughter in another state, a move necessary to give Monica the care she needs now. I talked about it with Beatrice, who moved here from the South for exactly the same reason: her grandson was the one person who could and would care for her when she left a nursing home last year. Beatrice’s stories remind me every week when I visit her how hard that has been.
When You Leave All, It Helps to Live in Community
We also talked about leaving all in the little “Catholic Devotions” group which meets each Tuesday at a local assisted living facility. Four of the five members of this group left their homes of a lifetime to come to Frankfort because a child lives here. Yet all five of them are relatively content. Why? Well, they have the care of family AND they have what Paul speaks of in today’s first reading. In many ways they have been “delivered from the power of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of his beloved Son.” They are all in their 80s or 90s. Two are in wheelchairs. Two use walkers. The fifth gets along with a cane. None hear well. One had a stroke which makes it hard to understand him.
The list of ailments goes on….but they are disciples. Jesus and their faith is with them, and that makes a great difference. There was real joy in that group yesterday—even as we talked about hurricanes and fires, floods and threats to peace. They bantered and teased, even as they helped each other accomplish the difficult tasks of standing up or sitting down! They had a real rhythm as they said a rosary together. They were praying seriously in union with both God and each other. Community and faith made a difference.
Jesus Comes to Deliver Us from the Power of Darkness
Jesus comes to their house, to their lives, especially perhaps every Tuesday and Sunday, but also through each other, every day. Jesus sits with them, laughs with them, fills them, loves them. He comes in the Eucharist. He comes as the Church brings him through my ministry. He comes in the love they are growing to have for each other. He comes in their faith and discipleship.
They ask tough questions, “Why does the Bible say not to call anyone Father, but we call our priests father?” “What is purgatory like?” “Why don’t my children go to church?” “Does God send the hurricanes?” Yet even if they don’t know the answers, they rest in faith. They have been delivered.
Discipleship Outlined in Colossians
We talked about Tuesday’s readings from Thessalonians, but Paul, writing perhaps 10 years later to the Colossians, gives the same message today. This is the message of the kerygma—the saving power of God in Christ.
Paul outlines it:
- “Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and understanding [receive gifts of the Holy Spirit]
- “To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God” [Begin living by God’s standards and priorities]
- “Strengthened in every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience.” [remember “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”]
- “With joy giving thanks to the Father who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.” [Live from joy, even in the middle of hard times or troubles]
- [This is the key and clincher] “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. [Understand God’s love and his gift of Jesus who saved us from the power of sin and death means life is different. It transfers us to a new way of being.]
Our Discipleship
Pope Francis puts this message in today’s context in Joy of the Gospel, paragraph 265. I think of Peter’s adventure as he began to live in discipleship. I think of my discipleship journey. Of Monica’s and Beatrice’s and the Catholic Devotions group members. In essence, it is the same:
“Jesus’ whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily acts of generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery of his divine life.”
Yes–even if there are storm clouds, Jesus offers us a way to live within the context of God’s love. This is a gift of a different life, an eternal life–even here and now. When times are hard, it is important to remember this.
“Sometimes we lose our enthusiasm for mission because we forget that the Gospel responds to our deepest needs, since we were created for what the Gospel offers us: friendship with Jesus and love of our brothers and sisters. If we succeed in expressing adequately and with beauty the essential content of the Gospel, surely this message will speak to the deepest yearnings of people’s hearts…”
“We have a treasure of life and love which cannot deceive, and a message which cannot mislead or disappoint. It penetrates to the depths of our hearts, sustaining and ennobling us. It is a truth which is never out of date because it reaches that part of us which nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love.”
There is bad news and good news. As a Christian, let me live by the Good News. And, for the days when I am down, let me always live in community.
Prayer:
Lord, whether the dark clouds around me today be from weather, sharing the troubles of friends, my own crosses, or events in the world, help me live today in discipleship. Teach me, Lord. Help me learn of you. Help me learn of you from prayer and study like this, from my friends in community, and from even the bad news of darkness in the world. But always, Lord, be my Light. Deliver me from the power of darkness and transfer me into your Kingdom. Amen.
