SATURDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul
Zec 2: 5-9, 14-15 Jer 31: 10-13 Lk 9: 43-45
NO SHORTCUTS TO GLORY
The Babylonian exile of 586 was a total collapse of the edifice of Israelite cultic mindset. The very God who in the first place gave to his chosen people, holy land, holy city, holy temple, holy kings, holy liturgy, holy priests dispatches all these into exile as they refused to follow the moral injunctions of the law. They were trying to purchase God’s favour by quantities of holocausts and sacrifices without a change of life. Institutions that stand as an obstruction between God and humans will be done away with. But God’s actions are always salvific, formative and not destructive or vindictive.
Prophet Zachariah in his vision of angels, messengers from God sees the irrelevancy of nostalgic rebuilding of the fallen walls of Jerusalem. He assures them that from the side of God, the Sinai covenant has not been abrogated. When God is with us who can be against us. Prophet invites the dejected returnees from exile to return to God and trust him alone; as no walls of stone can defend them; In vain do the builders labour. God is the ‘wall of fire’ which no enemy can pull down. Our Spiritual growth is always preceded by moral purification. Without inner freedom, no full restoration of communion with God.
Jesus himself makes this clear in the Gospel today, by shocking the apostles, who rode on the wings of popularity of Jesus’ miracels. He makes it clear that he has to undergo very inhuman repulsive sufferings. It is not a mere statement but a message that has to sink into their mind visualizing the happy life. Jesus makes it very clear that purification and healing is the road map for complete happiness; no short cuts. Every disciple has to embrace this liberative and formative purification to be able to enter into the inner joy of belonging to God’s kingdom; to Gods’ eternal covenantal communion. Such redefinition of our life makes us look beyond our narrow self, seeking interests and love. It will impel us to get out of our secure fortresses for making the less fortunate lives of poor more secure as St. Vincent de Paul did and found fulfillment.
Response: The Lord will keep us, as a shepherd keeps his flock.
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