Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a towering intellect who lived in 13th century Italy.
Any person studying for priesthood or religious life has read his works – perhaps some of you have, too.
It’s been said that Thomas wrote so much it would take a person 25 years of writing day and night in order to copy all of his works.
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But his academic success didn’t come without cost. Some of his closest peers – other monks living in the monastery with him – became terribly jealous.
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One day while having lunch, for example, a group of monks approached him and said, “Look! There’s a horse and chariot flying in the sky!”
Immediately, Thomas rushed to the window, looking up.
Seeing nothing there, he turned around and saw his brothers pointing and laughing at him, as if he were fooled.
Taking a deep breath, Thomas sighed and said, “I’d rather believe a horse could fly than believe my own brothers would lie to me.”
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Words are powerful. They’re meant to teach, to inspire, and to heal.
Not to hurt. Not to lie.
As Jesus says in the Gospel, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.”
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I wonder, then, what will our conversations sound like today?
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May they be filled with words of positivity, praise, and peace.
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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There’s a Chinese proverb that says, “Not one family can put a sign outside their home with the words: No Problems Here.”
Not one family, not even the Holy Family, is free from conflict.
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In the Gospel, for example, Jesus is preaching inside someone’s home, when all of a sudden Mary and some other family members appear wanting to speak with him.
They’re not there to ask Jesus if he’s coming home for dinner. They’re anxious and worried about his safety. They knew Jesus’ teachings could get him into trouble with the authorities, so they’ve come to protect him.
Mark’s Gospel adds a further detail, noting Jesus’ family members think, “He’s out of his mind!”
A jarring reminder that even those closest to Jesus struggle to accept who he is, both God and man.
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Not one family – not even the Holy Family – can say, “No problems here.”
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What problems am I facing at home? Or, what causes stress in my family?
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Maybe it’s finances; the stress from being quarantined; or learning and working from home. Or, like the Holy Family, maybe we struggle to accept one of our own.
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“A house divided amongst itself cannot stand,” Jesus says.
On the contrary, a house united must be built upon the solid foundation of faith, openness, love, and respect.
May the Lord expand our hearts this morning to embrace our families – and all the struggles we endure.
While we cannot say, “No problems here,” with grace we can say, “All are welcome.”
Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.
He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. All who heard him were astounded and said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?” But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
The Word of the Lord.
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“Where have all the men gone?” a young Michael Corleone asks his bodyguard as they stroll through a quaint town in Sicily.
His bodyguard turns and says, “Sono tutti morti per le vendette.”
“They’re all dead from vendettas.”
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The Godfather is one of the most popular films in history. People, it seems, have a dark, timeless curiosity with the mafia – how it works, who wins, who loses.
And who’s next.
If you double-cross Michael Corleone, you’re dead.
There can be something sinfully satisfying about watching your enemy get what he deserves.
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In our first reading, the Lord has delivered Saul, the man who becomes the Apostle Paul, into the hands of Ananias.
If Ananias were not a devoutly Christian man, then I’m sure he’d be quick to kill Saul for all the evil he’s done, just like Michael Corleone satisfying a vendetta.
Saul has persecuted, imprisoned, even killed Christians. But the Lord invites Ananias to lay his hands over Saul’s eyes, to end his suffering, and heal him.
Then, set him free.
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Anyone can imagine how hard that must’ve been– forgiving someone who’s hated you, persecuted your faith, and ripped families apart.
But Christ can do incredible things through us when we let him, which is why Ananias’ first word to Saul was, “brother.”
Through Christ, Saul and Ananias – bitter enemies – became brothers.
Where do I need Christ to work through me? Like Ananias, maybe I need the grace to forgive; or like Saul, I need the humility to be forgiven.
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While movies like The Godfather entertain our lower selves, today’s feast reminds us that Christ can do incredible things through us like turning bitter enemies into brothers, and sinners into Saints if we let him.
