Quinquagesima Sunday 27 February 2022 How God works
Lent is a season of really coming to terms with our inner selves in terms of our relationship with God; of seeking to be cleansed and healed by Him, changed for the better and for good. Any progress is welcome.
To get to know God is quite a challenge and will take longer than one lifetime. We could contemplate Him forever; He is glorious and infinite, beyond our capacity, so we must never think we are going to get bored contemplating His goodness.
Eternal adoration awaits, but even in this life - surrounded by troubles - we can still discern, and distinguish from all around, the presence and activity of Almighty God.
We are very glad to be a part of that process. We have much to learn but we can still participate fully.
We learn that God operates very differently from how we would. My thoughts are not your thoughts, says the Lord. (Is 55,8-9)
The apostles in today’s Gospel show forth their humanity by offering advice and correction to Our Lord.
He tells them what He is going to do and they immediately tell Him He is on the wrong course. Can the clay tell the potter what to do? (Is 45,9) Can a mere mortal tell Almighty God the best way forward.
His way forward is certainly different. He will let evil men take Him and crucify Him.
Then He will rise on the third day.
The advice from the apostles was: You can't get Yourself killed. They did not address the resurrection but they probably would have found difficulties with that too.
Our Lord did both these things, against all advice and all expectations!
He will not always take our advice! He can see a lot further than we can.
In allowing Himself to be crucified He wanted to be the sacrifice for our sins, more effective than previous animals etc.
He is Priest as well as Victim, and as Priest He pleads for us incessantly. This sacrifice continues every moment as a fragrant offering, pleading for our forgiveness and conversion.
The Father will accept the ongoing sacrifice of the Son. This is the main reason we have the Mass, so that we can step into this eternal sacrifice and reconciliation.
All this shows the generosity of God. If He treated us like our sins deserved we would have been wiped out multiple times by now.
If He is saving us every second we are still rejecting Him every second. If He is still dying we are still killing him – we, as in the human race.
For ourselves, no, we are anxious to reverse the rejection and turn it into full acceptance and then adoration.
We are saying to God that there are people who do understand and appreciate what He is doing.
We have the Mass as our central prayer. The more people that come here, and the more attuned each one is to the process, the further the power of this ongoing sacrifice can reach.
There is a whole level of seriousness which much of humanity does not see.
People see it is urgent when war breaks out, when it is something visible to the senses, but not if it is something hidden below the surface.
God does not reveal everything all at once, but enough for us to work with.
We will not try to stop Him going up to Jerusalem, and all that follows. We need that to happen so that He can be our sacrifice. We are grateful for that at the same time as we are appalled at His suffering.
We want to perpetuate the sacrifice, but now as fully converted to union with Him.
Save us, O Lord!
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