Aug. 18, 2019: 20th Sunday C

Sometimes we think that priests and nuns are so saintly that they all get along with each other. When a religious sister who lived in a convent with four other sisters was asked why she goes to confession she replied, “If you lived with four other women, you would know why I have to go to confession.” Even within the Church, there have been disagreements and divisions about what the various popes have written and said. Think about things you and your co-workers disagree about at your workplace, between you and your spouse, between you and your family members. It’s amazing how despite the differences and divisions, we are still able to work and spend time together.

What is the glue that holds us together? For us Christians, the glue is the love of Christ. We may be familiar with the letter from St. Paul to the Romans: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution... No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life...nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing separates Christ’s love from us. So, are we growing closer or away from Christ’s love by our actions--where do we place our love, affection, time, and energy? Is Christ the center of our lives and are our decisions based on our love for Him? So how is that working out for you?

Our Lord said that when we love Him and give Him the first place in our lives, we will at times experience division within our own families and communities. He said he has come to set the world on fire, and the household will be divided when we heed his words, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Jesus’ words sound difficult.

Some of us think of religion as something separate from our daily lives. If they go to church, put money in the collection, say their prayers regularly, they think they meet the basic requirements. Some of us work at incorporating the gospel message in our daily actions. However, the cares and anxiety of the world distract us from being faithful to the message. Do you find yourself inspired to do the right thing, yet you fizzle out when fears of offending someone or the fear of being ostracised influences you to make a different decision?

To be filled totally with the fire of God’s love may make others around us feel uncomfortable because we are challenging them to stretch beyond their comfort zone to stand up for truth and justice. We may be tempted, out of fear, to choose to go along to get along, perhaps a situation we find ourselves far too often. To follow Jesus’ way may cost us, and we may even have to suffer temporarily. It may appear that our love for God causes division, but ultimately, God’s love brings everything together. We must remind ourselves that Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection is what united us back to God forever. The momentary suffering we experience is not in vain; it brings together, unifies, and ultimately brings peace.

At a public high school in Boca Raton, Florida, a young man noticed that some students were eating alone at lunchtime. As a Haitian immigrant, he painfully remembered how in First Grade, he often sat alone to eat lunch because he didn’t speak English well. So at his high school, he started a student club called “We Dine Together.” At first, he recruited a few friends to roam the school grounds during lunchtime to sit and talk with students who were eating alone. In a short time, the club ballooned to eighty students. One football player joined the club and was inspired by the impact the club had on the students. He even quit his football team to participate more fully each day. Through this initiative, the club members made friendships across boundaries and stereotypes, for example, the football players ate with techy students. Wouldn’t it be nice if we adults had a club like that to help us appreciate the gift of diversity that Gods placed on this earth?

We are familiar with the Prayer of St. Francis. Its words sound sweet, yet the prayer is radical, challenging each of us to stretch and go beyond our comfort zone to be instruments of God’s true peace. What can each of us do to bring hope in our own communities sadly divided by economic disparity and ethnic suspicions? What small step can each of us take to bring reconciliation between family members who no longer speak with each other over past wrongdoings or misunderstandings?

Are our hearts divided? Let us allow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who came into this world to bring peace into our divided hearts, to heal, teach, and forgive us.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”