FM's Message | Sunday, September 11th, 2022

This weekend, we remember one of the more tragic days in recent history. The attack on the United States and the towers in New York were particularly shocking. Like many, I have stories of friends who lost family or were connected to the events of that day. A childhood friend of mine was in the tower that day and being below where the plane hit allowed him to get out safely. Another friend was conducting business with a client and was disconnected and never heard from the person again. And I know there were thousands of other more poignant stories.  Ultimately, the effect was to cause more war and suffering and, in the end, I am only sure that once again violence has begotten violence and no one has really won. The desire and vision of the bombers is so antithetical to the vision of the Gospel this week that I am wondering if God is showing us something as we solemnly pay tribute to those who lost their lives and the heroes of that day and the days following.

Luke is the master parable teller. We can see the whole Gospel in the first two sentences. The sins of the flesh and the sins of the heart all coming to Jesus. And so how to address this challenge? It begins with the Baptism of Jesus. In each scene in the Gospels, the basic message is that this is God’s son and we would do well to listen to him as he proclaims the good news and presents his vision.

The vision of Jesus in this week’s Gospel is to seek and save the most vulnerable and the lost. It starts with possessions and ends with the sons of the wealthy man who represents God. Yes, there are two sons and it gives us an opportunity to see the wideness of God’s mercy. The first son has given in to the sins of the flesh, the second to the sins of the heart. Both need redemption and both are invited to God’s banquet but need to leave a few things outside. For the first, it is the self-loathing that comes from knowing how he has debased himself, robbed the father, and still is beloved. The second must let go of judging his brother and his father (God) for being forgiving with a depth and wideness he cannot understand. In the Jesuit tradition, I sometimes try to imagine myself as one of the brothers and sometimes as one of the onlookers. Both points of view will allow for plenty of reflection. It is always the vision of Jesus to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, so there is room for growth in all of us. The vision of Jesus is one in which the mercy of God is shown so greatly and generously by Him to us and us to one another that the whole world changes. In the Gospel of Luke as Jesus is dying, a thief beside him reviles him, but the other implores his mercy. I think we can see that there are parallels everywhere in this Gospel and always the message is the same. Even in the last few minutes of his life, Jesus was seeking the lost. The vision was the same until the end and continues now.

What good news!
Peace,
Father Murray

Building News: The side doors and lintels are done now. They received a thorough scraping and then two coats of stain and a coat of polyurethane. The stain is darker than we thought, but it will lighten over time with the sun and other elements. The green borders around the doors have also been done in what is known as evergreen. Thanks again to a generous donor for underwriting the cost.