St. Vincent de Paul National Conference
September 6, 2003
READINGS: #128 in the Lectionary
Dear Friends in Christ,
It is always a beautiful and consoling thing to read about our Lord curing an unfortunate, as in today's Gospel. Those of us who were born with our faculties intact, and who have kept them throughout life, can hardly know the burden of one who has been without hearing, or unable to communicate clearly by speech. But this poor man in the Gospel was beset in both ways – cut off from all the varied and subtle nuances of communication which we take, too often, for granted.
If there is a lesson to be learned on the surface, it is this – that we should take nothing for granted, and certainly not those blessed senses, that God has made a part of natural creation for man – taste, touch, hearing, smelling, sight, and the more complicated facility for speech. How often do we thank Him for these gifts? And yet at Baptism they are among the first things for which, on our behalf, the Church thanks God for, since by them we are able to offer Him the glory He deserves.
But there is a deeper lesson given by Christ in today's Gospel, and it is this: that we are all deaf and dumb, blind, cut off and wandering, if we rely on ourselves to have a true and meaningful life. For original sin, the sin committed by our first parents, has taken away the truest and deepest freedom that belonged to them before the Fall – the freedom from sin. Left to ourselves, we are creatures who too easily submit to spiritual laziness, to self-centeredness, to pride and contempt. We become, in our souls, deaf to wisdom, and turned completely inwards, in a conversation that is directed nowhere but into the abyss of death – the abyss of meaninglessness, that comes as the product of sin, the wages of a life cut off from God.
But Christ does come along – did come along – and He leads us where He led the deaf and dumb man – as the Gospel says: “He took him off by himself, away from the crowd.” Whether disposed by the will of our parents through Baptism as infants, or whether led by our intellects or our emotions into hearing range of God's call as adults, He does call, He does take us aside, and once He has us alone, He puts His hands into our hearts, our minds, our souls, and says, “Be opened.”
We can still refuse – we can still run back into the darkness – but we can also choose to submit to the goodness of God – to be opened – to find our ears and our tongue – to see clearly His will before us, and to follow His will, praising it every step of the way. And as we walk, and forget ourselves, the fire of God takes hold of us, and leads us into evermore generous good works.
Those who take up the work of caring for the poor, of rescuing the distressed, have found this fire of God, and know the plentiful wealth to be had by good works. For the Apostle teaches us that we find wealth, not with the rich, but with the poor, saying:
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
It is a paradox, but one that captivates, that takes a hold of us, and makes our commitment to service grow stronger day by day. It is also a gift, for we must never forget, God is the One who speaks those words to us, “Be opened.” Whatever release, whatever profit our souls find in the swift channel of His grace that is opened up, it comes by His will, by His mercy, and not from anything we have done or could possibly do on our own.
Dear friends, let us strive to keep this channel of grace open, and by our example, teach others to come into charity's sweet service as well. We do this best by coming as often as possible to the feet of our Lord – in His power to work miracles for us, yes. But more effectively, in the power of His love – His love on the Cross, suffering that we might be made open – suffering, that we might learn to truly love, as God is love, and as we long to be.
May this Sacrament, and the Divine Love that we gain in this Sacrament, charge up and inflame our ministry, making ever more bountiful and broad, the works of mercy and charity we do for Jesus' sake, and for the sake of those He loved most – the poor.
And may the servants of the St. Vincent de Paul Societies throughout the world, hear with open ears, the message of God, and speak with clear tongues, what His prophet declared to all who are in need, and frightened in heart:
Be strong, fear not! Here is your God…he comes to save you.
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