Breaking Open the Word - 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C - July 31st, 2022
This Sunday’s readings all focused on an important – and sometimes uncomfortable! – truth: the necessity of detachment from the things of this earth. One Sister opened our sharing by highlighting how the readings all connect in this regard. The First Reading and the Gospel both present what we must avoid – the “negative” side, if you will. The Second Reading, in a complimentary way, describes the “positive” side; that is, what we must do to avoid becoming attached to and dependent on earthly wealth and security. And what is this solution? To “seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” In other words, we can only be detached from this world to the degree that we are attached to Christ!
Sr. Marie Michael (+ 2019) — a dedicated gardener who strove to keep the weeds out of her flower beds and her soul alike!
Continuing with the Second Reading, another Sister pointed out that faithful Christians can be tempted to complacency when reading the list of “big sins” presented by St. Paul. We can say to ourselves, “Look at me, I’m avoiding idolatry, greed, impurity, wrath … I must be doing pretty well!” But this attitude doesn’t stand up to the next part of St. Paul’s exhortation, where he tells us that we “are being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of the Creator.” Perhaps we are not struggling with mortal sin, but how closely do we resemble God? Our standard for holiness is not “everybody else,” but the Lord Himself: “Be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” This is not meant to drive us to discouragement, of course, but rather to call us to ever deeper levels of conversion. The spiritual life is like tending a garden, where our first task is to remove the big “weeds.” But as any good gardener will tell you, that is not enough! Those small “weeds” may appear insignificant now, but they can grow rapidly if not pulled out while they are still small. What are some areas in your life where you might be overlooking some of these little “weeds”?
Ven. Maria Magdalena, CP: “Apostle of Love”
Moving on to the Gospel, several Sisters were drawn to the final line: “So it will be with those who store up treasure for themselves, but are not rich in what matters to God.” This, of course, begs the question: what is it that “matters to God,” that makes us “rich” in His sight? The answer is love, since God Himself IS Love. St. John of the Cross famously insisted that, at the end of our life, we will be judged by our love alone. When our hearts are too taken up with the selfish pursuit of wealth and power (even in their subtle forms!), they are not free to expand in love of God and neighbor. Without this motivating power and energy of love, our most spectacular deeds are worthless (cf 1 Cor 13). Conversely, love can ennoble and elevate all sorts of deeds, and even bring good out of our mistakes and sins! One Sister related this truth to the great diversity of charisms, spiritualities, and ways of life that have been lived by the Saints across the years. The Church honors rigorous ascetics like St. Anthony of the Desert, but also simple “little souls” like St. Therese of Lisieux. Sanctity is not limited to one or the other; it is determined not by a particular lifestyle but by the love with which that lifestyle is lived. Ven. Maria Magdalena Marcucci, CP (known as the “Apostle of Love”), suggests in one of her books that we make our daily examination of conscience with an eye to growing in this fervent charity. Instead of asking, “which Commandments did I break or keep?” we should ask, “Where did I accept or reject opportunities to love more generously?” In this way, we can grow in holiness much more effectively by accustoming ourselves to see and respond to God’s invitations to love throughout the day.
Finally, one Sister summarized the theme of this week’s readings in words taken from Carmelite spirituality: “God alone.” We should certainly give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy in this world, but we find our ultimate joy and fulfillment in God alone, not in any created thing. In this life, we do not always see this reality clearly, but as we respond to His grace, we can grow in this awareness day by day. And finally, in Heaven, we will realize how He fulfills our every need and desire to overflowing!