Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I don’t know if you noticed but we have magic doors in our church. I think they exist in a lot of churches. When someone walks in, they appear very happy. They have no judgments against anyone. They are not fighting with their spouse. They had no lustful or murderous thoughts. They look very content. The doors are also magical when they leave. Within fifty feet of the doors there’s a there’s a fight with the kids or dirty look is given or one sibling despises the other. It is remarkable how things have changed. We are all good actors, Greek actors who centuries ago would carry a mask for each part of the play. And these actors were called hypocrites. That is where the word comes from.
The other point of the gospel is that we many times are blind and even worse we think we see. What is it that we don’t see? Often, our own sins. You know very well the sins of the other one and perhaps you thought about them all week long. You can identify them, anticipate them, explain them but our own sins we are blinded. So, what should we do?
I would say put on the garment, the dress, the suit of humility. That means to say to the Lord: help me, I’m weak, I can’t love this other person, I can’t break this attachment to money, to affections, I’m constantly judging, and I’m difficult to get along with. Please help me.
Perhaps the other thing we are blind to is the things we don’t like in our life. The things we are not able to understand and see the love of God in them. We look for God to change them and we don’t see that he’s loving us precisely in those difficulties. Those difficulties many times are the biggest blessings he has given us.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he gives us a great illumination. He says death has been swallowed up in victory, by whom? It is Christ. What is the experience that you have today of death? For me I’m very anxious about the other priest leaving and that I can get easily overwhelmed with my bad character. And for you what is your experience of death today? Could be your marriage or a sickness or a problem with the kids or that you’re getting old. We all have something that worries us or kills us. But Christ has overcome death; he is victorious over death.
Jesus Christ enters death as a man. His heart stops beating there’s no more blood in his body; he descends to hell for three days. The Son of God is dead. He enters hell and this bomb is exploded. He has conquered death. He destroys death and is the only one who is not blind. He is the one we need to follow. How many times have you tried to break with that sin and have failed? Because we don’t have the power; it’s only with Christ who gives us help to live, to reconcile, to receive eternal life. When you are patient or able to ask for forgiveness, it is only because Christ is in you. Otherwise, you cannot.
It’s like Peter when the boat is sinking in the storm on the lake, and they think it’s a ghost who’s walking on the water. Peter says, no, it’s the Lord. And he continues: Lord, if it is you command me to go to you. Jesus says, Come! Peter gets out of the boat looking at Christ and walks on the waters. But when he sees the waves and the wind and himself, he begins to sink. The same happens to us. Allow Christ to lead you. If we look to Christ and not at the difficulties, we can walk above the storms of life. Allow Christ to be your guide and you will see how he brings you peace.
The Lord will be on this altar in a few minutes, the same Jesus who rose from the dead. The same Lord that was crucified for us. Call out to him and he will help you.
