31st Sun. OT-C ‘16
“Come Down From That Tree!”
St. Bernadette
Our Wisdom reading today reminds me of my favorite Garrison Keeler story about God. There was a woman who was praying to God. She said, “God, you are pretty big aren’t you?” “Yes I am” God replied. “I hear that a billion years is like a mere minute to you because you are so big.” “Yes, that’s true” God replied. “I suppose,” the woman went on to say, “that you are so big that a billion dollars is like a mere penny.” “Yes” God replied, “I suppose that’s true.” “Well then,” prayed the woman, “can you give me one of your pennies?” “Sure,” God answered, “Just give me a minute.”
God is Big! Just look at the “Big Bang” theory for the creation of the world… (we all have stardust in us) Who’s behind it all? God!
If this was all there was to the story then we would feel pretty insignificant. But like Zacchaeus in the tree, God notices us! More than this, as amazing as this is, God calls to us! God says, “Move from just observing from a safe distance and come stand with me.”
Fr. Rolheiser, commenting on Zacchaeus, notes that the Zacchaeus that stands at Jesus’ side is “taller” than the Zacchaeus who had to climb the tree to see. The “taller” Zacchaeus then gave back what the “smaller” Zacchaeus withheld.
Fr. Rolheiser goes on to note that each of us has both a tall and a small version of ourselves within us; each vying for dominance at any given time. He writes,
“Inside each of us there’s a soul, heart, and mind that’s petty, that’s been hurt, that wants vengeance, that wants to protect itself, that’s frightened of what’s different, that’s prone to gossip, that’s racist, that perennially feels cheated. Seen in a certain light, all of us are as small as the pre-converted Zacchaeus. But there’s also a tall, big-hearted person inside of each of us, someone who wants to warmly embrace the whole world, beyond personal hurt, selfishness, race, creed, and politics.”
Christ wants to love the tall person within us into existence!
St. John of the Cross taught that the best way to heal our wounds and selfishness is not to hit it head on, but rather to grow-out what he calls “our deepest centre,” our “tall self,” and this is done by building upon our blessings. When I used to try to give up diet Pepsi I found it very difficult. Then I began to drink a ton of water in addition to my diet Pepsi and discovered that all the water I drank made it easier to drink less diet Pepsi. I believe this is sort of what St. John of the Cross is saying about growing out our deepest centre. Accentuate the positive within you and there will be less and less room for the negative.
To those of us who wish to become the taller version of ourselves, Fr. Rolheiser would ask, “What are you good at? What have you been blessed with? Where, in your life and work, does God’s goodness and beauty most shine through? If you can grow more and more towards that goodness, it will fan into an ever-larger flame, which eventually will become a fire that cauterizes your faults. When you walk tall there will be less and less room for what’s small and petty to manifest itself.”
We are all invited to walk tall with the Lord who wants to love our goodness into existence.
So rather than just observe from a tree, climb down and do that good thing the Holy Spirit has been nudging you to do.
Rather than just observe from a tree, climb down and put your best self forward in service to others.
Rather than just observe from a tree, climb down and allow our tall, big-hearted, forgiving selves to overcome our small, petty, fearful selves.
Next Tuesday is a holy day of obligation as we gather at 7pm to offer our All Saints Mass. Next Wednesday evening at 7pm we will be offering a special memorial Mass for All Souls and for all of our beloved dead who have gone before us in the past year. I will be remembering in a special way my deceased brother, Jerry, throughout this week. I keep a laminated card Jerry had in his wallet from the time he was a teenager. On it is a quote he copied from American Novelist, John Steinbeck (1902-1968). It reads, “It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.”
Zacchaeus come down (each of you come down); God expects greatness from you!
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