UNDERSTANDING

UNDERSTANDING

Here we are within the four walls of this church with the intent of praising God, praying for our healing and for that of the world that needs so much of it. But sadly, while we are gathered to pray and help the world, there are certain places where certain people come together to plan how to hurt and kill other people. We want to understand; they want to undermine.

            Let us focus on Jesus with his disciples in the Upper Room. While certain people were plotting against his life, Jesus was pouring his life out for them, first at the Supper Table, then on the Cross, and now daily on our altars in the Eucharistic sacrifice.

But it began much earlier, namely, at the Marriage Feast at Cana, where Jesus worked his first sign of the foreshadowing of the Eucharist. “They have no wine,” his mother informed him; and in reply he seemed to rebuff his own sweet mother with the words, “Woman, what is that to you and me. My hour has not yet come.” Jesus, the transcendent Lord of all creation, had to draw her attention to the truth that he alone has the power to make an intervention in the workings of nature, and that in the doing of a miracle man cannot be an equal partner with God. But he also noticed that Mary was reaching out to the supernatural. The Son of God saw the serene transparency of his human mother and drew her into partnership with him. That is why we Catholics address Mary as Mother of our salvation and the Mediatrix of all graces, Mother of health and healing.

So Mary instructed the servants, “Do as he tells you.” Jesus, the good son, felt very keenly that it meant a lot to her, and he understood and worked the first sign of his ministry, thereby inaugurating his Father’s Kingdom. It was as if he made sure that when he did it his Heavenly Father and human mother would be witnesses. God as Father and humanity as Mary meeting in Jesus over a bowl of wine, with music, singing and dancing. And this is precisely how the Book of Revelation describes our eternal home – heaven. Heaven is the eternal marriage feast of the Lamb, a place of unending happiness.

So to go back to the Marriage Feast of Cana, where Mary spoke to the servants and Jesus understood. Jesus then understood his role as servant. He had just revealed his Godhead and now he reveals his servanthood. The prophet Isaiah described him as “Servant of Yahweh”. “Ehbed Yahweh” in Hebrew. No sooner did Jesus rebuff his mother than he became his mother’s servant, doing her bidding in a most spectacular way. St. Paul tells his Christians in Ephesus: “Be servants of each other, deferring (submitting) to one another in Christ.” Husbands, wives and children submit to one another in Jesus. Someone has described marriage a community of mutual forgiveness; you may say of mutual understanding. Understanding can sweeten our relationships, so that we can look to the future with confidence.

I am not saying that we must condone evil; that the bad things that people do are actually good. No, justice demands that the evil that people do must be corrected, that the destructive effects of their actions must be made good. What I’m saying is that there must be a change of heart. But I am also saying that justice must be tempered with mercy, correction must be sweetened with consideration. That is what we mean by understanding. And yet again, understanding a problem does not imply closing our eyes to the evil in it; but dealing with it in a way that not only corrects but also converts. As God says through the prophets, “I will take out of their breasts the heart of stone and give them instead a heart of flesh. And that is what the Good News of Our Lord Jesus is all about. Gospel, not Law. The Law says: “Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.”

The Gospel says, “Blessed are you, Blessed are you.”

The Old Testament warns us: “Eat of the fruit and you shall die.” That is true.

But the News Testament says: “Eat my Flesh and you will live.” That is more true.

One day Jesus entered a town called Nain when he saw a funeral of a young lad. He noticed the widowed mother and understood, and gave him back to his mother, no questions asked.