When we were small in our family, we wanted to grow “up”. Every once-in-a-while special day, our mother would have each of us stand flat-footed, shoes-off, back-to-the-wall and she would draw a line level to the top of our heads on the doorpost in the kitchen. She would initial each line and let us see just how “up” we had grown. Obviously, the physical upness did not exactly measure other areas of personal growing up, that would come much later. Now at my most recent physical examination, I find I have grown “down”; I’m shrinking! I think rulers are getting outdated. Most of us have spent many days of time measuring our various forms of growth: physical, mental, financial, relational and perhaps, athletically. Ah, but then the spiritual asks for some indication of growth. Where is the ruler for that illusive aspect of our lives? We will never know how we are doing spiritually, and so we suspect thereby that we are not doing very well. We can wonder if God has a heavenly doorpost and keeps a pencil handy to check our progress or our shrinking. We prepare to celebrate a Eucharistic feast in honor of a King Who shrank in the sight of His people and diminished as He put His back to the throne of the Cross. We are encouraged to give up measuring ourselves and begin growing in confidence of His immeasurable compassion. REFLECTION Three weeks ago, here in the United States, we had free elections for various local and national offices. There was much pre-election name-calling, back-stabbing, exaggerations, accusations, and even some actual fact-sharing. The voting was free, the advertising was very costly. What we hear in today’s First Reading from the Second Book of Samuel is the anointing of David as king of both Judah and Israel. David, after his victory over the Philistines in the famous stone-throwing battle with Goliath had been made king of Judah. What we hear is the arrival of the elders from Jerusalem who wish David to become their king and as well, their military leader. At that time Jerusalem was occupied by the Jebucites, a hated foreign dominating power. David accepts their anointing as king and later in the chapter, drives out the foreigners and moves his capital from the town of Hebron to freed Jerusalem. If you think politics is dirty where you live, read the four chapters which precede our Reading today. The Gospel has a bit of dirty politics as well. Jesus, by the love of God, is the “Elect”. He had violated some traditions of purification and the prescriptions concerning the Sabbath, but mainly He had been provocative. That was His crime against the religious leaders. They sought conformity and Jesus lived and preached interiority. Externals were rather insignificant if there were little interior relationship with the God of the Law. His being unusual, new, revolutionary, got Him in deep trouble the consequence of which we read and hear today. David, as king, raised a siege against Jerusalem and conquered the city. Jesus, as the Christ and the King is the object of a violent siege of jeering and mocking men and eventually is conquered and yet, the Conqueror. The “Good Thief” is the first to receive the Royal decree of entrance into the new Kingdom, the guilty is now forgiven. Royalty is gentle service. The King loses power to gain dominion. The last act becomes the new prologue to the narrative of His kingly play. During His life and especially here on His Cross, Jesus is an “experience” for others to witness. The Elders and soldiers and the “bad Thief” experienced Him in one way. Others, throughout His life saw, listened, touched and were touched by Him, and each asking themselves about these experiences, made a decision or had their attitudes changed, one way or other. Some were filled with awe and wonder. Some were frightened and moved away. Some, even in His home town, tried to do away with Him. It is exactly what He came to do as Savior. Good or Bad Thief, who would allow Jesus to welcome them and who would reject His offering of life? Those of us who desire to follow Him in our lives have answered the big question about reception or rejection. In doing so we, being of His Kingship, are meant to be, sent to be, yes, persons who are “experiences”. We are of the provocative King and of His ways. We make choices which may provoke questions or wonderings in the minds of others. We are “unusual” in how we relate with others, with injustices, with pains, losses, tragedies. We are not vanilla, we are “Salt of the Earth” and “Pepper” in the Soup”. Jesus as King did catch the attention of all who encountered Him. He was the Servant of God Who served God’s people even to His death. Our entering His Kingdom follows His ways of catching people’s attention so as to ask themselves about the “Why” of our ways. He was an “experience”. We all are ordained by our being baptized into His Kingdom, to be an “experience” of Grace by just showing up. “The Lord will reign for ever and will give His people the gift of peace.” Ps. 29, 10-11 |