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A
Serious Proposition
May
1/2, 2004
Fr.
George Smiga
John 10:27-30
A
young man was out with his date and snuggled up close to her.
“I love you,” he said. “I need you. I cannot live without
you.” The girl gently pushed him away and said, “Joe, let's
not go there. I'm not ready to get serious.” Joe responded,
“Who's serious?”
We
live in a world where games are always being played with words,
where people frequently say one thing and mean another. Whether
we consider Washington or Madison Avenue, whether we examine
our jobs or even our families, we do not take words at their
face value. Therefore, it is inevitable that this doubt about
sincerity would influence us when we hear the Word of God.
Each
week we gather here and hear the Word of God, which tells
us God loves us, God cares for us, God will never let us perish.
Today's Gospel is a perfect example. Jesus uses the image
of the shepherd and the sheep to emphasize the close, personal
relationship that binds us to him. Just as the sheep can recognize
the voice of the shepherd and follow him and trust themselves
to his care, Jesus says that we stand in a close, personal
relationship with him. He will give us life and protect us.
Jesus' words are clear. The question is, do we think that
he is serious? Or do we hear them as a kind of religious jargon
or a modified sales pitch that only partially applies to us?
To hear them in that way would be a fatal mistake because
the basis of all that we believe depends upon our acceptance
of that personal relationship with Christ.
What
it means to be a Christian or a Catholic is not simply that
we show up for church on the week-end or engage in a number
of pious devotions. It is not simply giving mental ascent
to a series of theological truths. It is not that we accept
John Paul II as our Pope or you accept me as your pastor.
It is not even primarily about living a good moral life, because
millions of people do exactly that without any religious conviction
whatever. What it comes down to, what is at the heart of our
religion is that we know that we are daughters and
sons of God. We believe that we have a personal
relationship with Christ. We trust that regardless of who
we are or the mistakes we have made, God will remain faithful
to us and protect us. We believe that Jesus knows the pitch
of our voice and knowing everything about us, still freely
chooses to love us and protect us.
Outside
of that relationship, faith is simply a matter of words and
religion a system of ideas. Words and ideas are not going
to save us. Only love can save us. This is why we must be
grounded in a relationship of love with Christ. We need the
strength that flows from that love because we live in world
where there are all kinds of threats. We face the threat of
terrorism, the threat of illness, the threat of rejection
or prejudice from others, the threat of addiction, of violence,
of injustice. How do we expect to cope with the fears that
these threats can destroy us? How do we expect to gain the
strength by which we can oppose the evil in our world and
work towards God's Kingdom? How do we expect to remain optimistic
and positive, believing that life is worth living?
Words
and ideas can only bring us so far. It is only when we ground
ourselves in God's personal love for us, that we can find
peace. It is only when we believe God as chosen us and can
recognize the very sound of our voice that we can live in
freedom.
Jesus'
words are clear. We belong to him. He knows our voice. He
will always care and protect us. We need then, to stand in
that personal relationship. We need to draw the strength that
comes from Christ's commitment to us. Jesus says, “I love
you.” We need to believe that He is serious!
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