June 21, 2020 - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"The Trust of Martha"

Audio Clip

It took one callous act to redirect much of the world's attention from a global pandemic. The sight and the sounds of George Floyd's horrific death were that distressing. The episode is burned into my memory and I've prayed over it many times. In the days which have followed, we've witnessed the anger and emotion of many in our community who seek needed reform, and we've also witnessed the unfortunate leveraging of this tragedy for destructive purposes. As my daughter and I watched events unfold on television, I told her that there is much more to consider than one man's terrible death, and that as she and her friends considered these events in the days ahead, she should follow a few helpful guidelines --- be slow to speak, quick to investigate, be strong in conviction and gentle in correction. These were the guiding principles in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and they will serve us well today.

A few weeks ago, I attended an outdoor mass and during the celebrant's concluding prayers, he referred to George's death as a "deliberate" killing. If it's possible, my viewpoint may be more distressing than that. In this instance, it appeared to me that the actions and inactions of the police officers involved were those of individuals who did not recognize the humanity of the person they had arrested --- their behavior was cold-hearted and uncaring --- it appeared to me that for them, George was unworthy of love and justice.

In Paul's Letter to the Romans, we hear of the "gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ" who was crucified on His cross to restore the dignity of mankind --- to pay the price for the sins of transgressors, of you and me, of George Floyd and of the police officers charged with his death. For any of us to judge another person unworthy of the dignity of Christ's sacrifice, is to place himself as judge over God. For God's mercy is infinitely greater than the sins of the world --- even sins like this.

What is needed today, is for us to beg for God's healing grace to fill our souls. To beg that George will be lovingly accepted into Jesus' eternal kingdom; to beg that his family and friends may be given the strength and peace to forgive; to beg that the officers involved may be remorseful and seek forgiveness from God and those close to George, and to beg that our community will not try to solve our problems on our own, but rather turn to the love and wisdom of God for His guiding hand.

To help us persevere in the hope of God's eternal providence, let's consider a scene from the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ --- the raising of Lazarus (John 11: 1-44). You may remember that following her brother's passing, Martha said to a late-arriving Jesus, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to You." So, Jesus, filled with sorrow for Lazarus and his family and friends, rewarded their trust in Him and raised Lazarus from the dead. I believe that Lazarus is a "stand-in" for all of us during our trials and sorrows, and his resurrection from the dead displays the power of Jesus to come to the aid of His children during our difficulties --- times like today.

Here's a little more to strengthen us --- the Venerable Louis of Grenada shared this, "Like a child who fears no danger in his father's protecting arms, we must cast ourselves into the arms of our Heavenly Father . . . (for) He has promised to help and comfort all who humbly and confidently invoke His sacred name (and) . . . above all, consider the merits and sufferings of Christ which are our principal title to God's grace and mercy." Through His passion and death on the cross, Jesus has purchased the eternal right for Him to come to our aid, if only we ask Him.

Unwavering faith is what we need. This is not the time for us to watch tv and point our fingers and shake our heads at those on opposing sides of issues. This is the time to display the trust of Martha, deep in our souls, and to speak with Jesus in prayer and in the Sacraments, and to place our lives and the lives of all people within our community in the hands of God and to beg for His healing grace and mercy.

Let us pray --- Lord Jesus, send your healing grace upon us, especially those who are most directly affected by the injustices of our society. Draw us closer to you, Lord, so we may trust not in the designs of man, but only in your Divine plans for love and peace. And may your Holy Spirit instill in us an urgent desire to make our world a better place, with a loving heart for those who are in sorrow and feeling pain, and a helping hand for those who need help in carrying the concerns of their lives.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.