WHO YOU GONNA LOVE?

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Deacon John McMullen

From a personal point of view, if anyone wants to know the secret to our marriage, here’s what works for us.

Once a week we take time to go to a nice restaurant where we can be alone: a Candlelight dinner, soft music, and a slow drive home. (pause). I go on Tuesdays, MG goes on Thursdays.

Last year I asked MG, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"
She said, "Somewhere I haven’t been in a while."
I answered, "How about the kitchen?"
I wound up in the emergency room.

During our engagement Mary Grace and I got into a tiff on our way to Cincinnati about her driving skills. I was being helpful and she thought otherwise. We had gone about 100 miles and neither one of us had said a word. As we passed a farm I saw some pigs, and I asked her, "Are those relatives of yours?" "Yes," she replied. "I’m marrying into the family."]

Seriously, this weekend we are given plenty to reflect upon on how we live our lives; how we love; what we love; who we love, and who we are going to love.
For those of us old enough to remember Telly Salvales’ character in the old TV show KOJAK, you will recall that he used to say, “Who loves ya, baby?”
Well, today I ask all of you, “Who do you love?”

Our scripture readings this week make it clear there are really only two ways to live your life: a blessing of life to others or a woe-full curse of death unto oneself.

In two of the earliest Christian writings, called The Didache, the teachings of the Twelve Apostles, and The Epistle of Barnabas, both writers begin their texts much in the same way of today’s first reading and psalm.

The Didache begins: There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways.

The way of death consists of: greediness, arrogance; persecuting the good, hating truth… Those on this path lack meekness, patience, and kindness and pursue revenge;
Barnabas adds that: the way of death is crooked, and full of cursing; for it is the way of eternal death… and especially evil are those who do not attend to the needs of the widow and orphan, who do not care for the needy and do not pity the poor, who oppress the afflicted, who are only advocates of the rich, who are unjust, failing to come to the aid of the heavily-burdened and turn away those in want of necessities, and who are in every respect utterly sunk in sin. This is the way of Death.

Yet the way of Life leads to eternal life. The Didache reads: The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, and do not do to another what you would not want done to you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. Love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy.

If someone takes from you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed it was never yours in the first place. Give to everyone who asks you, and ask it not back; for the Father wills that all should be given of our blessings. Happy are they who give according to this commandment.

You shall bear no grudge. You shall not hate anyone…and do not murmur. Be patient, compassionate, gentle, and good. And in all prayer you shall acknowledge your sins, and you shall not come near to God in prayer or to the altar as long as you bear ill will in your conscience.

Barnabas reiterates this theme. You shall be simple in heart, and rich in spirit. You shall be meek and peaceable. Love your neighbor more than yourself.
Thou shall share in all things with your neighbor; you shall not call things your own; for if we all partake of the incorruptible, eternal things in common, then how much more should we share in earthly things which are corruptible!

Be always ready to stretch forth your hands to give. Do not hesitate to give, nor murmur when you give. "Give to every one that ask of you," and great shall be your reward. Do not be the cause of a rift among believers or be the cause of schism. This is the way of light.

Wow! Talk about a strange way to live Christianity! Or is it the way things ought to be? What does the Gospel teach us? Better yet, what does Jesus command? Today’s Beatitudes from Luke are often called the Sermon on the Plain….Plain and simple – the gospel is meant to lift the lowly and bring down the high and mighty arrogant.

* * * * *

One of my favorite Saints is Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. In his marvelous Spiritual Exercises –which he wrote while dwelling among the Benedictine Monastery at Montserrat - in the second week of meditations he asks the retreatant to ponder the two ways of the Kingdom and calls them the TWO STANDARDS.
The one is Christ, our Commander-in-chief and Lord; the other is Lucifer, the mortal enemy of our human nature.

Christ calls and wants all under His standard, his flag of allegiance; and Lucifer, on the contrary, wants us under his.

Ignatius has us imagine seeing the place; a great field of all that region of Jerusalem, where the supreme Commander-in-chief of the good is Christ our Lord; another field in the region of Babylon, where the chief of the enemy is Lucifer. (if we have ever been on a high mountain or even a great hillside one can see the valley below for miles in either direction . This is the idea.

On one side we can see the chief of the enemy army seated in that great field of Babylon, as in a great chair of fire and smoke, horrible and terrifying.

He then issues a summons to innumerable demons and scatters them, some to one city and others to another, and so through all the world, not omitting any places, states, or any person.

He tells them to cast out nets and chains; that they have first to tempt with a longing for riches - as he is accustomed to do in most cases -that humans may more easily come to vain honor of the world, and then to vast pride. So that the first step shall be that of riches and worldly goods; the second, that of honor and fame; the third, that of power and pride; and from these three steps he draws on to all the other vices.

Then we behold the supreme and true Captain, Who is Christ our Lord at the other end of the valley. Our Lord puts Himself in a great field of that region of Jerusalem, in lowly place, beautiful and attractive. He then chooses so many persons - Apostles, Disciples, teachers, care-givers, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children – and sends them through all the world spreading His sacred doctrine through all states and conditions of persons.

Christ our Lord then asks all of His servants and friends whom He sends on this expedition, to want to help all people.

By having them embrace spiritual poverty, disregard for worldly honor, and humility against pride. And from these three all the other virtues flow.

We are in that valley. The battle is raging – who standard will we choose?

* * * * * *

Finally, in the Book of Revelation, the Lord speaks to the Church Community at Ephesus: "I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.”

In other words, the church community of Ephesus knows the truth of God, they know the faith, they understand the doctrine, they have it clear in their minds, and they have suffered for being faithful to the gospel message and the truths of the faith, BUT – and this is an important conjunction - after praising them for their faith, he then says: “Yet I hold this against you: you have lost your first love!”
And who is the first love? Is it not Christ Jesus Himself?! And not only must we love truth in the mind, but we must love with the heart. We must love the truth with our minds, but love the Person of Christ with all of our heart, and serve Christ by serving one another with our hands.

We still read letters today written by St. Paul to the Ephesians, but sadly, the Church community at Ephesus faltered in its faith and did not hearken to the words of Christ or of Saint Paul, for there is no church at Ephesus today.

We are about to embark upon the Penitential Season of Lent, the desert of abandonment when we fast and pray. What will we learn to fast from? Whatever keeps us away from God and serving – and communicating with – our neighbor. TV, I-pod, cell phone, halo, guitar hero? Whatever it is –whatever we spend most of our time and money on can become our god.

Yet the greatest commandment is the same yesterday, today, and forever: Love God with all our mind, all our heart, all our soul, and with all our strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

* * * * *

May we, the Church of Nativity, aye, the Church of the Diocese of Evansville, and indeed all Catholics and Christians everywhere, never forget our first love.
And take the path of Light, Life, and Blessing!

[Who are you going to love?]

Who ya gonna love?