Jesus asks of you and me –to be real and intimate and truthfully open to His love—not submission in a sense of worshipping some king on a throne—He shows us His vulnerability the throne of His cross. Instead of a vengeful warrior king to overcome all ills we are given the cross as a throne for God who came, suffered and died for us. That is the paradox; real hope that comes to us in the kingdom of Jesus—is contrary to human-made kingdoms. It is a kingdom of vulnerability, acceptance, unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness—surrender—to divine made human goodness; such goodness is in every one of us.
The Roman soldiers and others at Calvary couldn’t understand that Jesus was offering a kingdom where brute force was futile and would never work and to show all the power of self-sacrificing love. He would not save himself by force. That would have been totally ineffective in terms of his purpose. He came to save others to show the ultimate sacrifice of love—to show what God truly looks like—the heart of God.
By his sacrifice, Jesus got a grip on the world that nothing can break—the grip is love not violence and dominance-–teaching us that in the most important matters of life, force is futile. And gave us his life to prove it. Jesus knew that violence and force could never create a peace that lasts it will only happen if we submit to seeing one another as he sees us, as a part of the one family of God. Fear of what is different, ignorance of a people from different races, cultures; sexual orientation can cause us to react stupidly and sometimes very violently.
We know how we are supposed to live with one another as Jesus wants us to. If we did how much less rage, anger and violence would there be in our families, communities, and world. The peace of Christ would reign in us, truly. We would not fear what is different than us.
Pope Francis recently addressed persons that are refugees and stated: “You have a special place in the heart of the Church, and you help her to enlarge her heart and to manifest her motherhood towards the entire human family. Do not lose your faith and hope. Let us think of the Holy Family during the flight in Egypt: Just as the maternal heart of the Blessed Virgin and the kind heart of St. Joseph kept alive the confidence that God would never abandon them, so in you may the same hope in the Lord never be wanting. I entrust you to their protection.” (Pope Francis speaking on World Refugee Day
Our Pope also stated: “A prayer that does not lead you to practical action for your brother — the poor, the sick, those in need of help, a brother in difficulty — is a sterile and incomplete prayer.” Hope comes through our helping hands of Christ.
In a sense, our intimacy with God is based on the suffering of Jesus! For who of us have not gone to God through the cross of Jesus. Who of us have not gone to God in our weakness seeing the suffering of Christ related to ours!Force and violence could not do what he wanted done.
Parents look at their children with eyes of hope, seeing potential and love and goodness, I believe that is how God. Jesus Christ looks at each one of us—with hope and eyes of love and seeing our great potential for goodness. Please look for that goodness in one another if you want real peace. For when we let His kingdom come–to conquer our false realities-our fears/insecurities, there is peace, hope, trust, as we feel His love for us. It is a love that holds no difference between races, cultures, genders, creeds, ordained or laity—when it comes to the human potential of goodness in the eyes of God who hopes in us. That is the meaning of the throne of the cross. Jesus chose us to die for us out of love for us—in His suffering He intimately chooses us.
He has chosen us to be here in this church during the our celebration of 150 years striving to blend the many cultures that has been an important part of making our parish church and school what it is today—a beacon of hope. Although we face all the social challenges present throughout our nation and world, the cultural diversity of St. Helena Catholic Parish reflects the many faces and races of God. Here people find a faith family home of welcome to workshop, seek comfort and celebrate seeing one another as he sees us. WE are all a part of the one family of God. Our parish faith beacon of hope continues to serve new Catholic families from differing cultures and races—that came to this parish and prayed together. The faith formation also included the founding of a school for our parish –54 years ago. We should be proud of our parish witness of Christ’s welcome, as we strive to live the sacrificial love of Christ.
May we continue to be the welcoming love of God for all people and look for their goodness, similarities, not differences. Then we have the right to the peace of Christ.