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November 20, 2018 | The Valley Catholic
SPIRITUALITY
By Father Brendan McGuire
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, San Jose, and Vicar General for
Special Projects, Diocese of San Jose. Email him at [email protected].
Passport of Spiritual Life: Gratitude and Mercy
If we want to travel outside the country, we need a passport. As American
citizens, we have free access to most of the world but there are parts of the world
where we still need a visitor’s visa. With any passport comes the powerful freedom
to travel the world.
In the spiritual world, we have a passport, too. That passport is rooted in two
critical components: gratitude and mercy. That is what gives us the passport to
freedom: gratitude and mercy. If we are not grateful, then we are not really free.
And we cannot be free if we dwell on the petty things of the past. Without being
grateful, we cannot be merciful. Gratitude and mercy go together because they are
rooted in the freedom that God first gave to us. Gratitude is first; we are called to
find a place in our heart to always be grateful for what God has given us.
If things are going well, then is not too difficult to do; but it still requires dis-
cipline from us; to stop and reflect upon our lives and be grateful to God for the
goodness that is in our lives. That is important.
It becomes a little bit more challenging when things aren’t going so well, when
we have lost a job, or a friend, or your spouse. Or someone in our family is sick
or dying. Or the multitude of other anxieties of life that can come our way. It is a
lot more challenging to be grateful to God in the midst of sorrow, challenges or
anxieties.
This is where today’s Gospel applies. Christ says when all these calamities
and different things are happening, he uses apocalyptic language to try to get
our attention, when all these things happen he says, stand erect, stand tall and be
attentive. Be ready. To “stand erect” means to be fully human and to thank God
for what he has given us.
When things are not going so well, the challenge still stands; to find gratitude
not for what you lack but for what you have. To focus not on those things that have
been lost, but to focus on what is found in your life; not the things that we would
like to have, but the things that we actually do have; not to focus on the people who
have left our life but on the people who are still with us and make it very fruitful.
When we gather in that space of gratitude, then we are moved to mercy. Mercy
is that profound sense to forgive somebody without merit. It is what God first
gives to us. He gives us mercy no matter what. No matter what, God grants us
his mercy. We abide in his mercy at all times.
As we begin the new liturgical year on this first Sunday of Advent may we
personally be grateful to God for what he has given us. And then out of that
gratitude to pass that onto others by being merciful to them; by forgiving all the
debts and grudges and unforgiveness of the past.
Sunday Homilies
I Am A Sinner
“Who are you? Where have you come from? What have you done? And what
are your accomplishments?” These are a set of questions that most resumes will
answer; if they are not answered in the resume, then the interview process will get
to them very quickly.
Today’s Gospel dialogue between Pilate and Jesus is not exactly a job interview
but Pilate does ask these questions. He says, “Who are you and where have you
come from? What have you done? What is it that you have done that you are here
before me?”
Pilate asks Jesus, not because he is interested in what he can do for Pilate; he is
more interested and more afraid of what Jesus can do against him. Pilate is afraid of
who Jesus might be, that his kingdom might be of this world and then Pilate would
have to defend himself. Pilate thinks on one level but Jesus answers on another
level. Typical of John’s Gospel, there are two layers of conversation going on: one
in which we seem to be drawn into and another one much deeper in which Jesus
is always talking about. What would we answer if we were asked those questions?
“Who are you? Who is Pope Francis?” This was asked of the Pope some time
ago by a journalists. His response has always caught me off guard. “I am a sinner.”
The reason why that answer somewhat perturbed me is because I am ashamed
to say I would never have thought of saying that. I don’t think it would have come
to my mind and I am a little embarrassed to say that.
I suspect the reason why Pope Francis was able to speak in that way is because
I think he thinks with great humility. He recognizes first and foremost that he is
indeed a sinner that he needs God for completion.
Our fundamental call as Christians, is to first start with the common place of
our humanity. We are all sinners. Every one of us is a sinner, myself included. We
stand before Christ as one who is our Lord and Savior, Our King, as we celebrate
this Feast Day of Christ the King. But not a kingdom of this world that ushers in
power like that of Pilate but rather a kingdom of love and forgiveness.
What the Pope went on to say afterwards was critical. “I am a sinner saved
by God’s love.” That is our starting place, God’s love. When we come to our own
personal prayer, we can honestly say to God in our personal prayer: “Lord, I am a
sinner. Thank you for your love and mercy.”
We cannot stop there. This humility must turn into service and kindness. We
need to become be part of his kingdom, which is a kingdom of love and forgiveness;
a kingdom of peace and justice; a kingdom that seeks to reconcile; a kingdom that
seeks first to serve. As we come to the table today as sinners, we come to accept
God’s grace, God’s love.
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