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“Christianity Is Love” There is so much we could say about ‘love’ that it could take hours and weeks.
We could talk about the different kinds of love, the different expressions of love, meanings of love. But the kind of love Christ proclaims is at the heart of it self-less. Today’s gospel passage is unique in 2 ways: 1) Except for Nicodemus, it is the only time we witness a pharisee, a scribe, in public agreement and solidarity with Christ. 2) It is critical to the meaning of what Christianity is. The question the scribe asked was quite common among the rabbis of the time, considering ‘The Law’ was made up of approximately 613 commandments. Christ responds with two Laws: Deuteronomy 6.4 and Leviticus 19.18 which only referred to fellow-Israelites. But Christ refreshes, renews and combines the two Laws into one, particularly emphasizing that love of neighbour must embrace even your enemies. This ‘Great Law’ would become what identifies and defines Christianity today. We often think of these 2 laws of love strictly in terms of 2 experiences of personal satisfaction, humble as our offerings of love might be: 1) First, of myself loving God as I should, and savouring the inner joy which comes from that; 2) Second, again of myself, but now loving my neighbour, and the positive fruits and inner joy which come from loving my neighbour, including people I can connect with and relate to, as well as those I do not, to the extreme perhaps my ‘enemies’, again, a requirement of the great commandment of love as Christ teaches us. Let love grow! However, we may not consider enough the ongoing reverberating effects, the ripples of love which we can cause to vibrate throughout others because of the love, charity and affection we have shown towards them. In fact, this is almost the most important reason for loving God and others: friend, neighbour or even enemy. It is the sowing of love in each individual we encounter which brings forth the power of love in a world desperate for its healing and comforting effects. In Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserables, an early 17th C story which has resonated with audiences with acclaim both on stage and in cinema, reveals the consequence of loving our neighbour, someone we may not even know who could be destitute. The main character, Jean Valjean, has just been released from prison, serving 19 years for stealing bread for his family. An unkempt, angry, and bitter ex-convict, he looks desperately for shelter. But a kind bishop gives him food and lodging, using his finest silverware. Later, Valjean steals the silverware and runs into the night. After being stopped by police and questioned, Jean claims it is a gift. Surprisingly, the bishop is overjoyed to see Jean, and gives him the silver candlesticks as well. This remarkable act of love by the bishop transforms Jean himself into a man of love and kindness who will spend the rest of his life in love and service to others. Do we have the ability to love and serve others like this? Some may actually say, “No, I have to be honest! I’d be too afraid to do what the bishop did. After all, who can you trust today, either on your doorstep or on the world-wide-web?.” But loving others is our prerogative as Christians. We are not to judge, nor choose whom we want to love. That is our greatest enemy: hypocrisy! In an interview a clergyman was asked, “What’s it like to be Christian?” He said, “It’s a blessing, but it’s also hard work. Being a truly loving Christian is not for ‘sissies.” Jesuit priest, Flor McCarthy, wrote many of us might have problems with a certain person: neighbour, family member, community member. So, what can we do? Flor says: we should avoid any kind of retaliation, because it only makes things worse; we should keep communicating with the person, even if just smiling and greeting them; we should pray for them, to assist them, and keep fear and anger at bay. So, these 2 loves require 2 responses: 1) to know what true love is: true love of God, and true, unconditional love of others 2) and then to practice them both. A song says, ‘Love Is A Many Splendored Thing’. Indeed, love is, because love is God himself. As Christians, we must aspire to respond to Christ’s 2 important laws of love, especially since Christ tells us love is more important than sacrifice. Love is indeed ‘what makes the world go round’. Let us sow love in every aspect of our day and enjoy the harvest of inner, good feelings and feel the reverberating love which, we may not even know, is blessing, fortifying, and healing our communities. – Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario
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"Lost, But Now I see" Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968 (87)
Companions: Anne Sullivan, Polly Thomson, Winnie Corbally “We’re poor little lambs who have lost their way … ” and “Three blind mice …”! Basically, the human condition spelled out in timeless nursery rhymes we have all heard or sung at some time in our childhood. Indeed, are we not all essentially ‘lost’, and in a sense ‘racing around’ day after day trying to avoid the ‘carver’s knife’ like the poor little blind mice? Humanity has been lost and blind since the beginning of time. We can find ourselves lost in the stress of over-scheduled lives, lost in the shopping mall, sometimes so distracted we lose sight of where we left our cars in the parking lot. The big problem is when we realize we may have lost our way in life: lost our sense of community, our sense of values and ethics, lost our trust in science, medicine, politics, our schools and financial institutions, and sadly, lost our trust in each other, and, very tragically, lost trust in our Creator, God. But this being lost in life is a result of blindness. Too often we are blind to the good things in life we do have, the many privileges others do not have – food on the table; work and the ability to work; reasonable health which is now monitored, assessed, and cared for like never before in the history of human kind; a safe place to raise our children; and every kind of thing we could ever need or want within our grasp. We have so much, but can be blind to much of it, because we get lost in our own inner darkness! Sadly, we can become so preoccupied with trying to find our way, we are blind to the love and support being offered to us from many around us: caring neighbours, our police force, medical professionals, church members, the teachers who care for our children, even the love and support from our own spouses and children themselves, and most especially and most importantly from God. Except for Bartimaeus himself, Helen Keller is perhaps the most famous blind and deaf person in history. Anne Sullivan, a teacher for the deaf and blind, helped Helen find her way through the darkness to become much more than an iconic celebrity. In fact, Helen was once listed as 1 of the 10 most dangerous women in America. Why? Because she was a huge advocate for the poor and suffering, civil rights, women’s right to vote, equal opportunities for education, work with equal wages, and a safe, clean environment for both black and white people. “It can’t be unreasonable to ask for the well-being of every human being, because we are all members of one body.” Mark Twain said, “There are two people we can learn from in this life: Napoleon, who sought to change the world by the power of physical force, but lost; and Helen Keller who sought to change the world by the power of the mind, and won.” Helen said her ‘hands’ were her eyes and ‘touch’ was her voice. Visiting the wounded from WWII who lost their sight and hearing, she called them comrades on the road of darkness and silence. “The variety of their hands is infinite: hands hardened by manual labour; slender hands [trembling] with thought; powerful, nervous hands; hands defaced by burns, torn by violence.” We can only imagine how the hands of Jesus must have felt to Bartimaeus as he clutched them in earnest praise and gratitude for restoring his sight, so he could find his way to salvation. Later, consoling the dying, Helen would say, “I believe when the eyes of [our] physical eyes open upon the world to come, [we] shall just simply be living in the country of [our] hearts, where God dwells.” Do you still feel lost? Exhausted, frustrated with the pandemic, tired of being dependant on others? Maybe disappointed at not being able to attend church? An old song sung by Gracie Fields called, “At The End Of The Day”, tells us: “When the new dawn begins to break, just “open your eyes”, let your heart awake, be ready to meet what the day may send, and ready to greet every one as a friend. Nobody knows what a power you have found, so do what you can for all others around; Carry them high when they seem to be low, as on your way you go. So, at the end of the day just kneel and say, ‘Thank you, Lord, for my work and play’. I’ve tried to be good, for I know that I should, that’s a prayer at the end of the day.” Keep strong. Be patient. Keep the faith. Before we realize it, we will be able to sing the words of a favourite hymn again with all the confidence of others lost and blind before us: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” – Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario “Alone With God” In the Jesuit priest, James Martin’s, book, “Jesus, A Pilgrimage”, he tells us about a discussion he had with his spiritual director about ‘loneliness’. His director asked him if he had ever considered Jesus in this way, referring in particular to Mark’s gospel concerning the ‘cup’: when the followers of Jesus look around, they see hundreds of their peers they can share their experiences with; when the disciples look around, they see dozens whom they have much in common with; when the apostles look around, they see eleven other men, whom they know well, and can share their concerns, joys, hopes, griefs and anxieties. Jesus shared with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but parts of him were too difficult to understand. So, when Jesus looks around, there is only himself. Even his friend, Judas, betrays him. He relies on the Father, but is mainly alone, and lonely, especially at his Crucifixion. After much indecisiveness whether to follow Jesus, the disciples ultimately left him. Christ knows this will happen. They cannot understand what the sacrifice re the ‘cup’ means. So, when Jesus needed them most, they abandon him. Jesus would have also felt ashamed, a failure in his ministry, with no friends to support him. Loneliness is something which most of us feel at some point in our lives. Last week we looked at ‘fear’ and where that comes from, but ‘loneliness’ is a pain which can hurt more than fear or physical pain. Jesus knew all about the pain of loneliness. Still, we also see Christ’s need to be ‘alone’, to withdraw from everyone, especially to pray with his Father. We need this, too, to reflect on ourselves, and also to build relationship in silent prayer with God, our Father. Even the legendary film actress, Greta Garbo, is remembered for her famous line, “I want to be alone.” The desire ‘to be alone’ is normal. It is ‘loneliness’ which is the negative side of being alone. The academy award winner for best film and best actress in 2020 was a story about both loneliness and being alone: Nomadland with actress, Frances McDormand. It is a heartfelt study of people in our own time, many struggling with the loss of their jobs, facing an unstable economy which they feel has abandoned them. Some have been laid off or forced to retire. These are the ones who did not choose to be alone. These are the ones who are often lonely. But some have deliberately chosen to be on their own, living what they call the “Van Life”. It is not a vacation or break from life, but daily living on wheels. Christian Schaffer is a female photographer who fully embraced Van Life, going place to place in her Class B camper van. She experiences loneliness off and on, admitting she also needs people, but she is a true extrovert/introvert. So, Van Life has suited her life and work perfectly these past 3 yrs on an experiential journey. Nate Murphy says Van Life “can transform you, enable you to do amazing things, to explore who you are, even determine your potential” without the burden of rent. Does he get lonely? Yes. You still need a place of community to stay connected to. Some offer job ideas for the road to make Van Life doable. But they admit it can be a lonely experience, tougher than expected. Community comes and goes from place to place, so they often miss a more stable connection with others. Clearly, it gets harder as you age as the film, Nomadland, illustrates. Though we need time alone, we also need time together. Some are alone, not because they want to be, but because of circumstance: physical or mental health issues or inability to self-care. The pandemic has isolated many normally active, connected people. Health experts say it is another parallel pandemic: loneliness. Our Pastoral Council is looking at the possibility in our parish of a “Compassionate Care Ministry” with guidance from diocesan family services. The aim would be to help people know that Jesus is truly walking with them, together with the caring intervention of parish friends. An online presentation: Care, Healing and Resilience during Covid-19 is airing: Tue 19th Oct from 7-8:30pm. Our office will be happy to email the link, plus provide updates on this possible Compassionate Care Ministry. To be comfortably alone is healthy, even Christ-like. Loneliness is not. We need to be there for each other in our loneliness. As Henri Nouwen once asked, Are you willing to take the cup, commit to it, lift it high in Christian determination, and offer it to others in their loneliness? As Christians, let us seize this cup of compassion with joy: call each other, visit each other when safe to do so, pray for each other. – Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario “True Wealth” What are we willing to give up to follow Christ? Everything? Maybe the bulk of our money and goods? Or is it only the extras which we’ve been blessed with, the items we won’t even notice if we give them away? Or maybe we decide instead of giving up certain privileges, we’ll simply make sure other people enjoy the same ones we do. In other words, are we only willing to sacrifice when it doesn’t hurt? Many of us, especially in a rich country like Canada, do not know the suffering and poverty of some of our neighbours, especially brothers and sisters who live far away from us, maybe across the ocean, out of sight and out of mind except for news and media reportage. And, frankly, we not want to know their suffering and poverty! We may feel compassion for them, but we still cling to our advantages, security and safety, perhaps offering assistance, but from a distance. The media reports Lebanon is having days-long, severe blackouts, with energy on only for a couple of hours, because they are short of fuel to run hydro plants. Of course, their sufferings go far beyond loss of energy and light: loss of facilities, services, food, medical care are all adding to their grim state of affairs. Economists say they have never seen such financial collapse in a country since the 1850s. We endure our hydro outages, secure that we have the resources and manpower to restore our services, but these people are trying to live in a darkness which goes far beyond the darkness of their streets and their homes. And they are not far away. They are our neighbours in every sense of the word. I have a close friend, a priest and religious leader in the Maronite faith, whose relatives are desperately coping with this debilitating collapse of their country. I cannot even imagine the sense of urgency he and his loved ones must feel. So, we cling to our possessions, and not particularly because of selfishness, but out of fear! Fear is what the rich man felt, fear for his welfare and security. Most would scoff at selling homes and giving every thing they own away. Even in death, we assign a Power of Attorney to ensure our estate is distributed only as we desire. We do so because many of us are afraid. We have been afraid of discomfort and suffering since we left the womb, crying for protection, food, safety and affection. When goods and services became available, we seized upon them to quiet these fears. But sadly, too often the cost to us is losing a sense of ourselves as a spiritual being, in essence sacrificing our souls to only the care of our physical conditions. Over time, we can go from this fearful desperation to protect our humanity, to a false sense that we are also in control of our lives, not God. A practical approach to life becomes our obsession. We say, “Why would I choose to live without materials and opportunities available to me? Isn’t this contrary to preservation of humanity? Where is the sense in this kind of sacrifice? I’m in control, and I’m taking charge.” But, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” In other words, how hard it will be for those who dwell only on the material world. Christ says this not with mockery, but with compassion and sadness, because he understands these motivations behind our walking away from him: fear and the need to control our physical dilemma before the care of our souls. But God also put a longing in our hearts, a longing for achievement, for living a life beyond the physical needs of body and mind. It is a desire for a goodness which our hearts know and yearn for, which no material thing can satisfy. Consider the sacrifices Olympian athletes like Andre de Gras and Kylie Masse have made to achieve excellence knowing all good things worth winning require this sacrifice. Eternal salvation certainly requires no less commitment and sacrifice to Christ. A life with Christ is Not about ‘accumulation’; it is about ‘accommodation’, opening up to God’s grace without fear of the physical challenges in life in lieu of the powerful, spiritual blessings which await us instead. Saint Raphaela Maria Porras says, “Keep a holy simplicity. Remain perfectly at peace, always certain that God makes it his business to make you successful.” At this time of Thanksgiving for all God has given us, do not be afraid! Let the child within you who came frightened into this complicated, challenging, material world, be at peace. Seek reasonable care for the body, but more importantly, seek care of your soul which our beloved Jesus, in his compassion for us, offers us in the sacrifice of his most holy body and blood. – Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario " True Relationships" Marriage is the greatest of all institutions in both sacred and secular law, basically since human kind began to walk on the earth. The lofty status and importance of marriage in all cultures – not just Catholic or Christian – is easily recognized as the ‘foundation’ of all societies in the world from lowly peasant to royalty. Even the humblest tribal nation on earth, functioning outside of so-called ‘civilized society’ practice rites and rituals to bring couples together in mutual commitment.
We need only think of the many different, yet basic ‘civil and political’ structures which have evolved out of the marriage bond: beginning with families, then various tribes, clans and communities; finally countries, and ultimately nations. Marriage helps organize us into responsible, capable beings, able to manage and navigate our environment safely and comprehensively. But Jesus chastises the Pharisees for their adherence to this kind of logical, human-based approach to relationship via ‘The Law of the Prophets’ which contrasts sharply, even coldly, with God’s true intent for relationships. In Genesis, humanity is born from God’s creative hand, his initial intent to beget one flesh from another – as Adam begets Eve – thus establishing ‘two’ bodies. Yet, Jesus also re-affirms God’s ultimate desire for them to come back together again as ‘one’ flesh, but in a ‘symbolic and mystical way.’ With this, Jesus refreshes, not changes, the Law of the Prophets into the Law of Love from which all true relationships come. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that the contentions and disputes concerning the ‘dissolution’ of a marriage through divorce and/or annulment are just as hot topics today as they were in Mose’s and Christ’s time. But it might help calm the issue a little, if we look at some of the recent findings theologians, historians, even archaeologists are uncovering. In their research of scripture, writing styles of the time, cultural norms and historical practices, plus the ‘motives’ of the biblical writers themselves, these academics found even the writers of the gospels, trying to be faithful to Christ’s teaching, still invoked their own interpretation or ‘spin’ on this challenging issue, while, in general, stating it and quickly moving through it beyond the controversy it created in their own time. Mark, known for his adventurous, climactic style, summarizes the matter as quickly as possible, far more concerned with getting to the salvation message of Jesus. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” The End! No more discussion. He quickly moves on. Matthew 19.3-12 takes Mark’s original gospel, quoting it much word for word, but removing any mention of the woman’s incentive to remarry, formatting his gospel to appeal to the Jewish perspective of marriage in which women did not have any say in the matter – unlike the Romans where women, ironically, were normally the first to file for divorce before their husbands. Matthew even prefers to highlight Christ’s new perspective that monogamy is God’s true will for us. Celibacy “on account of the kingdom” was a praiseworthy state to be in, though not for everyone. Luke 16.17-19, using his medical professional instincts, takes a doctor’s approach: ‘It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped. Thus, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery”. Then he also quickly shifts from this matter, a sensitive one for his gentile audience as well, to refocus on the Lord’s message of love and salvation. John’s gospel? Except for the Wedding at Cana, with its sole purpose to show Christ’s power and divinity, John does not even mention the matter of divorce. This has not made it easy for the Church to ratify with 100% accuracy the moral repercussions of ending a marriage, perhaps due to a life and death matter? Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., in his ‘Sacrina Pagina’ commentary, tells us what is important is the truth of what Christ truly wanted to teach us about relationship: “authentic, ‘true’ relationship with God and each other: “The issues of marriage and divorce [and celibacy] … remain just as controversial today [as they were thousands of years ago]. [But] often the debated aspects distract attention from the larger, basic intent of Jesus’ teachings. [i.e.] That the ideal of marriage as a lifelong commitment in which two people become one remains a magnificient (if not [understandably] difficult and elusive) ideal, a striking challenge in Christ’s time [just] as it is to the values of modern Western societies.” From the 1960s when we heard Tammy Wynette singing D-I-V-O-R-C-E to our more modern sensibility and knowledge of the multi-faceted mind and relational needs of human beings, we need to assess all our life situations with the Law of Love, the Law of the Heart – certainly not only with the Law of Logic. Marriage is a blessed, divine vehicle for the growth and maturity of each spouse both as individuals and as a couple on their life journeys. But the marital issues a couple may face can go from challenging to dangerous to deadly. We have shelters for women and children for a reason. Blessed are the psychologists, social workers and pastoral care givers who are helping these distraught couples cope, and if necessary, to ensure their safety and well-being when separation may be necessary. In his beloved book, ‘The Prophet’, Kahlil Gibran reminds us to, ‘stand together, yet not too near, as the pillars of the temple stand apart; let there be spaces in your togetherness, as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music; give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping, for only the hand of [God] can contain your hearts,” (paraphrased from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran). – Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario |
Father's Blog
Rev. Fr. Christopher Tracey
St. Joseph Parish Pastor Archives
January 2022
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