The Gospel according to Matthew (11:20-24)
Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel is definitely a hard one to hear. Why is that? We don’t like to think of the other side of judgment. It’s a natural human inclination, not to want to think about consequences, punishment, or pain. I suppose it is easy to wonder why God would allow such things. I mean, after all, doesn’t He love us?
It’s hard to correlate that side of judgment with what our faith tells us about our loving Creator, who does all He can to draw us to Himself, and who calls us back – endlessly – no matter how many times we stray. Does the specter of judgment mean that God *isn’t* a loving and merciful Father? No, it doesn’t. It really shows the shortcomings of human free will. Now, I don’t think we willingly choose to do things that may harm ourselves. At least, not often, I hope. But, we do choose to do things that take us away from God, that are hurtful to others who love us, and ultimately hurtful to ourselves. We can choose to do those things.
Why would we choose them? Maybe it’s because we don’t recognize the longer-term effect of such a choice we make. Maybe it’s because we are not thinking clearly, because we are hurt, or angry, or sad. Those kinds of emotions never lead to decisions that are ultimately good. But, God gives us the ability to choose them, anyway.
May our prayer today be that we ask God to have wisdom to choose the good, because the decision to do so is truly ours. In the moment, such a decision may be very difficult to make, because there may be some short-term pain we have to contend with. But, God is there with us through that pain to help us to see that it leads us closer to Him, and that’s where we really want to be.
Today, we remember St Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Saint in the Catholic Church. She chose her faith above everything else, even though she was ostracized from her tribe. She was the only one of her family to survive smallpox, though her face was scarred from it. She was known for her piety and acts of charity. She is the patron saint of Native Americans, the environment, and orphans. We offer a special prayer for all who belong to a parish named in her honor, including one here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in the city of Santa Clarita. Linda and I also have a special place for St Kateri, as our granddaughter bears her name as a middle name.
St Kateri, pray for us.
Action for the Day:
Let us pray for all who are suffering in any way today, whether by their own chosen actions or not, that God will be with them and lead them through the suffering to a time of peace and safety. If any of our dear DEACON5 subscribers or readers are in such a situation, please know that you are in my prayers today. And, today, in a special way, please continue to offer up our beloved brother Deacon Ray Emnace to the Lord, that He may know God’s complete peace and joy and freedom from all pain, according to God’s holy will.
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