What beautiful, peaceful and consoling words are in the first reading for mass today. These scripture passages from the book of Isaiah are filled with images of happiness, peace and contentment. Simple, joyful words written in love, for a people who loved God’s holy city of Jerusalem. These words are a celebration of life and a sense of how much God loves us. We are His children and He cares for us more lovingly than a mother does her own child. God spoke to His people in images they could understand that conveyed love, peace, security and abundance. They are healing words because God wants to heal His people, whom He loves. He still does.
It is not God’s will that people suffer at the hands of others, because the scriptures say, “his indignation is against his enemies.” These words describe how God loves us too. If He is on our side, then what do we need to fear? This deep and abiding peace is something that human beings throughout the world seek, yet it can only be found in God. Happiness follows the deep rest, peace and healing touch of God’s abiding care for us.
Suffering is a temporary thing in our lives and He does not want it to last forever. It is difficult to picture joy when you are in the midst of suffering like Jerusalem was when it was destroyed after Christ’s death. It is naive to think that suffering, depression or unhappiness is not a sign of a good Christian. These temporary experiences in life are not permanent states of our soul, by God’s design. He comes to our aid and heals our lives, in His own good time.
The deep peace and healing that God and his son both bring to us is described in the second reading from the book of Galatians today. Saint Paul says “From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.” Saint Paul underwent a great deal of suffering as Christ’s apostle, but he came out on the other side of suffering and recognized the crucified Christ had given him strength to do so. Perhaps he did what we all should remember to do, which is to realize the great suffering Christ went through on the cross for us when we suffer too. Saint Paul recognized the strength that comes from having endured his own cross, in his own victory over suffering.
So many people are unwilling to suffer in our world. The slightest bit of suffering and they run from the cross, never having been purified by it’s power. Christ did not rise from the dead without his own journey of suffering through the cross. Often, we think that we should be exempt from this suffering if Jesus really loves us, but that is not how it worked with God’s own son. There is a saying that is so true, “No cross, no crown” and Saint Paul explains this most profoundly in his words today. But, it was only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that he arrived the victor on the other side of the cross.
That is the same thing Jesus told the seventy disciples in today’s gospel reading too. They were not to rejoice at the authority and special powers he had given them, because it was not by their own merits they were able to perform miracles. The disciples should rejoice to know their names were written in heaven, and so it is with us. Our gifts, talents and abilities were not given to us because of our own merits, we were born with these abilities even if we did work to develop them. Jesus sent the seventy disciples out into the world to show the people that the kingdom of God was near. The presence of God and his son really was in their midst.
Christ acknowledged the wolves in the midst of the people he sent them into and we should expect no less. We live among people who do not honor God’s commandments. Politicians and businessmen who do not respect the sanctity of life, the inherent dignity of each human being and that the poor, sick, immigrant and marginalized should be cared for as people who are also our brothers and sisters in the human family.
Today, let us seek peace with all those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ and those we live among, even the wolves in our society. We do not have to unnecessarily expose ourselves to other people’s abuse, anger or rejection though. Let our peace be centered in Christ Jesus and strengthen by one another in our own life’s journey. Things will be settled in the end. The first reading today tells us that God is indignant against the enemies of His people and Jesus told his disciple to shake the dust off their feet if they encounter people who rejected or opposed them. He said that it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for people like this.
Wherever we encounter our fellow Catholics, other Christians who believe in Christ too and those who love our Father in heaven let us seek peace and unity with them. We need friendships and unity with all those who believe in Jesus Christ and his Father, to insulate us from the wolves of our own time.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today, where ever you may be!
