by Father James Rodriguez
Do you remember Sunday, Feb. 8? On that day, the low temperature here in New York City was 3 degrees, with a wind chill of -14!
We were still buried in snow from the blizzard a week before, and summer seemed impossibly far. Yet, here we are.
The seasonal swings in this part of the world can help us understand something of the spiritual life, namely, to paraphrase St. Ignatius, that joy and sadness are always around the corner from each other. He warns us against getting too high or too low, because we were not made for this world alone, with its ebbs and flows. Our goal is higher.
As we walk through Ordinary Time, the lectionary serves as a roadmap to this higher goal. Today’s reading from Wisdom offers a beautiful meditation on God’s mercy and justice as he walks this winding road with us. He is mighty yet lenient, powerful yet clement. He teaches those who would be taught and calls the mighty of this world to imitate him, not by strength but in kindness. The end of the reading cannot be overstated, as it anticipates what we often take for granted- the hope that is born out of repentance.
When we approach our just judge in humility, truly sorry for our sins, we find peace and healing. Often, people avoid confession because we have overvalued our feelings, and the fear of being judged harshly scares us away. When we push past this fear, facing our sinfulness honestly, we find a perfect Lord who is good and forgiving. Further, we find that we are stronger than we thought because we can call God our Father, and he lovingly calls us his children.
Like the Romans of old, we need to be reminded of the Spirit that gives us the right to relate to God so intimately. On the Cross, Jesus gives up his Spirit; on Easter, he breathes it out onto the Apostles; on Pentecost, he sends it from heaven as the spark for the Church’s missionary activity, going strong for nearly 2,000 years. The surgeon of our hearts dwells in us, though we often forget. In those moments — or at any moment really — ask him to come to you. Invoke the Holy Spirit often, because he loves to be sought. He plants good desires in our hearts, provides for their accomplishment, and shares in our joy at a job well done. This is the kind of God we have.
It is that same Spirit that flowed from Jesus to the Apostles in their conversation in today’s Gospel, as he explained to them the parables by which he described the kingdom of God. They were unsure of his meaning, so they asked. What a great lesson for us! We don’t have to know everything all the time. We have access in prayer and the inspiration received by the saints — people who had the same questions we do — to the only Knower of all things.
Further, He wants us to ask, to engage with him in this way so as to grow from the holy exchange.
May the author of our seasons and salvation, the spirit of the Savior, constantly remind us that we can walk by his light if only we ask. That is our great consolation!
Father James Rodriguez is the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Rockaway Beach.