Way to the Heart

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart."

Matthew 11:28-29a

If we are to bear the name of another or claim to be a follower or student of someone then our actions should reflect the spirit of the one after whom we follow. In schools I always remind the students that where ever they go, especially if they are in their uniforms, they are ambassadors of our school. They represent our school whether they want to or not, whether they think they are or not. They are the face of our school. Similarly, the receptionist, whether he or she likes it or not, is the face of the company and is the first face people will see, and as such should watch how the speak and respond for he or she gives the people their first impression of the company/office. Pastors and parish office workers are the face of the parish and by extension the face of the Church. How often do we hear of people leaving the parish or stop going to Church all together because they had a bad experience with either the pastor or someone from the parish? AND, whether we like it or not, each one of us are ambassadors of the Church and of Christ. If we call ourselves Christians then we must conform our hearts to Christ. What is the way to Christ’s heart?

Humility is the way to the heart of Jesus. In the first reading today (Sunday) we hear the Prophet Zechariah speak about our King and Savior, how he rides on an ass or donkey, a sign of humility. We see this fulfilled in Jesus as He entered into Jerusalem, yes on a donkey, nonetheless, triumphantly. In His humility, Christ carried out the Father’s will for Him, and the result of that is the conversion of hearts and the gift of salvation. It was the humility of Jesus that enabled the people to see His great love and mercy for them. It was in His humility where the people encountered Him. The way to another’s heart must be paved with humility because if it is not, our hearts will have no room for anyone else but ourselves and our needs.

Brothers and sisters, if we are to truly bear the name of Christ in calling ourselves Christians then we must conform our hearts to Christ, allowing humility to take the place of pride. If we do not know how to do this, Jesus tells us to look to Him and to go to Him, for His “yoke is easy and burden, light.” When we do go to Him, He will give us rest, and this rest will reveal to us His meekness and humility of heart. We are the face of Christ, and only a heart that is conformed to the heart of Jesus can reveal such a face. May we rest today in the embrace of the Lord and ask Him to make our hearts to be like His.

Fear No One

We can see how the Prophet Jeremiah is a “type” of Christ. He is plotted against and denounced because he was doing God’s work. Jeremiah preached to the Southern Kingdom and encouraged them to change their ways lest they fall like the Northern Kingdom fell. But the people did not want to hear it. I guess no one really wants to be told that they are going down the wrong path and to change their ways, but these people wanted to kill Jeremiah.

Perhaps there have been times in our lives when we felt not liked or unwanted for standing up for what we believe in or remaining true to our beliefs. In times such as these, we might feel unjustified, frustrated, and even all alone. But we know that we are not alone. Jesus tells His disciples, “Fear no one.” Not because they are invincible but because God is in control. That was true then and it is true today: God is in control. Whether good or bad, happy or sorrowful, everything and every situation that God permits to happen has a deeper and greater purpose than what it appears to be on the surface. This is especially hard to see in the face of tragedy.

God does not permit tragedies to happen because He is cold-hearted or because He wants to punish us but because even when out of our own free will and free choice we make bad decisions or others make bad decisions, God can bring good out of whatever consequence that should come. This good may not always be apparent and we may never even see it, but good always comes, whether for us or others, in this life or the next.

Brothers and sisters, with God watching over us and being in control, we truly do not need to fear anyone or anything. God will see us through the storms of our lives. God will walk with us through the dark valleys that frighten us. God remains with us always. Fear not!

The “R” Word

During this past school year, I have emphasized one word in all of the classes I taught. This word describes the foundation of our faith, of who we are, and of that which we were created. To drill this into the minds of the young people I always ask them, “At the end of the day it all comes down to one word that begins with ‘R,’ what is it?” Relationship.

Relationship is at the heart of who we are. It is the most fundamental and foundational building block of life. It was within and out of a relationship that we were created. Thinking back to Trinity Sunday, we are created in the image and likeness of a God who is relational — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a community of love. As Christians we pray, but what is prayer? Prayer is not simply the recitation of memorized words or sentences. At its core, prayer is relationship. Any prayer life presupposes a relationship between the individual and God. It is because we trust in God that we bring to Him all that is on our hearts. This would not be possible outside the context of a relationship.

There are many elements that exist within a relationship; among them are love and trust. God called the Israelites a “people peculiarly His own.” Jesus taught the disciples to call God “Father.” Because we trust that God loves us, we turn to Him. Because God loves us, He sent His Son so that we might not perish in our weakness and brokenness. God sent Jesus into the world so that our weakness and brokenness might not be sources of shame or guilt but rather reminders of how much we are loved. Even in our sinfulness, Jesus comes to save us. That’s love.

May we take a closer look at our relationships today, especially at our relationship with God. How involved am I in this relationship? Do I nurture this relationship? God is always waiting for us to enter into this loving relationship. Once you do, life will never be the same, and you will want to tell everyone all about the “R” word!