Oct. 10, 2009: Thursday of 27th Week (B) Loss of Fear of God

One of the American priest who was on the retreat with me in Ars, France told me an interesting story. Both of us, before arriving in Ars, toured Paris and other places first. He and I were discussing about what reaction we had from folks in the streets of Paris as we walked around in our priest collar. He told me a rather dramatic reaction he received when he was riding a Paris subway. He was riding next to the automatic door, and as a Frenchman walked out that door, he spoke in clear English to the priest the following. "You @#$%@#$ priest!" Needless to say, the priest was shocked.

When Cardinal Schonborn of Vienna, Austria gave us a talk, he remarked how Catholic churches throughout the Western Europe, including France are empty on Sundays. The sense of God and the Christian identity are on decline. In our First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Malachi, the voice of those who have lost the sense of God speaks. He says, “It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress in awe of the LORD of hosts? Rather must we call the proud blessed; for indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity.” Those walking on the streets of Paris echoed these words. How about those of us who do have sense of awe and fear of God? God says in our First Reading, "And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him."

What is God trying to tell us today? Knowing my own past relationship with God, I know I had both moments of pride when I didn't have any sense or fear God and moments of humility when I was in awe of His majesty and mercy. We must acknowledge daily that our pride can eat our lunch. And pride is the foot-in-the-door for the spirits other than the Holy Spirit to tempt us to stop serving God; serve yourselves, these spirits say. And I'm not talking about Kasper the Friendly Ghost. Let's continue with the rest of the passage from our First Reading. God says,

Then you will again see the distinction

between the just and the wicked;

Between the one who serves God,

and the one who does not serve him.

For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,

when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,

And the day that is coming will set them on fire,

leaving them neither root nor branch,

says the LORD of hosts.

But for you who fear my name, there will arise

the sun of justice with its healing rays.

We pray for those who have not experienced the healing rays of God's mercy and love to stop being stubborn and prideful, and to crack open their hearts to God. Yesterday, a beautiful soul passed from this world around 2 in the afternoon. I had given her last rites a couple of days ago, and when I arrived I saw her lying on her bed with a smile and peace on her face. She was a humble soul who served her Lord all her life. When I was giving her last rites, I asked her to help this poor priest when she goes to Jesus. She said, "I certainly will."

Oh by the way, I forgot to mention a minor detail about that incident with the Frenchman who cursed that American priest. The priest was wearing plain clothes; he had a polo shirt and jeans and did not have any religious medals or crosses. So how did that Frenchman know that he was a priest--unless he was under the influence of spirits other than the Holy Spirit; and I'm not talking about Kasper the Friendly Ghost. Pride can eat our lunch.