17th Sunday after Pentecost 19 Sep 2021 God's ways
How to love God? Loving someone who is so far superior to us must be expressed in submission, obedience, gratitude and the like.
We never forget our inferior position but express gratitude that God makes the whole thing possible.
We are tempted to rebel, just as the fallen angels did. They had sufficient beauty to distract them from the One who had all perfection, and so they lost their place
This has happened to a great many humans as well, even though they lack the beauty of the angels.
The temptation is Pride. Why should I worship and obey God, one asks? Because He is so much greater, one replies.
We cannot tell God what to do, nor complain of His treatment to us.
Instead we wait for Him to tell us what to do, and then do whatever that is in a cheerful spirit.
We express gratitude that we are here in the first place. God first created us, then saved us, now promises us a reward - none of which He had to do, nor do we deserve.
We build up certain possessions and positions - like a marriage, a home, a car, a good job etc and then if one of these things is taken from us – do we rant and rave, or like Job wait patiently for an answer (and a restoring of those things, or equivalent).
This life is a constant battle between the right and wrong desires; we are pulled and pushed in all directions.
God wants us to understand how He sees us. We are not slaves, but children (Ga 4,7), or friends (Jn 15,15).
We can enjoy this status without detracting from each other. There was a man who said: It is not enough that I succeed; others must fail!
We do not have to be so mean-spirited. There is enough for everyone when we speak of God's bounty.
Certainly God is not like that man. He wants to share His glory with as many as possible. He wants all to be saved (1 Tim 2,4). We have not chosen Him; He has chosen us (Jn 15,16).
Thus the second command comes about that we must love one another. We must learn to handle with care the other person because God has called that person friend.
We are more than servants in God's sight, but as far as our response goes, we are to be like servants who do their duty first and only later expect to be rewarded (Lk 17,10).
In the writings of the saints we are ‘miserable worms’ – albeit worms called to become eagles, in due process; but never forgetting what we would be without God's grace and mercy.
Many would object that too much humility is demeaning, and a mark of weakness.
Christ was not being weak staying on the Cross for three hours. Our Lady was not weak to be at the foot of the Cross for that long. It is not weak to forgive enemies; to submerge one’s pride, to overcome the usual reactions of anger, hatred, revenge etc.
It may appear to be weakness but over time it reverses ingrained and false attitudes.
In short, we never forget what God has done for us, or if we do, all else collapses.
We have never got this right so far in human history. Revenge and related elements always win out as the normal response. We are still coming to terms with Our Lord’s plans and methods.
His teaching remains largely untried, at least beyond a certain level of commitment.
May He take us further than we have ever been before!
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