As I sat down last night to compose what was to be a short blog post for today there were several things that were on my mind. Certainly I was feeling appreciative to have another day off this weekend, and I considered that too often I take days off for granted.
Many years ago, before I was married, and before I was a deacon and a teacher, the kinds of jobs I had typically involved physical labor of one kind or another. It seems that having an extra day to rest had more value then, though don't get me wrong I still value it greatly. It's just now that it has a different character--this day off gives more of an opportunity to reflect.
Also as I was thinking about today's post I was considering the readings from Sunday. Perhaps it's the sign of having heard a successful homily when the readings have the power to impress something on us that we can carry through the week. Undoubtedly I heard a good homily, but the readings by themselves also have the power to do this all on their own when we listen and when we learn to allow what we hear become part of who we are.
As I listened to the priest talk about the importance of hearing the call--and not just for vocations to the priesthood or religious life alone, though that is an important part of it--I thought about the person that Americans and others throughout the world celebrate today. That is, I thought about Martin Luther King Jr. and the call he heard to address the great injustices of his world. It's something that we as Catholics should relate to well because our social justice teachings demand that we too stand up for the causes of justice and take the side of those who are least powerful in this world. Surely Martin Luther King Jr. heard such a call, and he acted with determination in its regard.
It becomes more and more apparent with each passing day that the times we live in demand strong action on our part. Many of the things that Martin Luther King Jr. struggled against still make their presence felt in our world. In addition we live in times that demand both action and prayer if humanity is to survive, and ironically it is humanity that poses the greatest threat to its own existence.
Hearing the call of the Lord, and answering "Here I am," means that we must put all of our intellect and resources together to effectively address the complex issues we face. I believe wholeheartedly that the Christian faith still possesses the ability to continue to be a force that shapes the world. Our faith can still satisfy the souls of the spiritually hungry as well as those who hunger physically. We still possess the ability to show the love of God to the world. By no means is our respect for the sacred nature of God's creation and the human person ineffectual, rather it is a necessity.
Indeed we stand on the brink of a new era, which on the eve of President Obama's inauguration we may see more clearly than at other times. While the Obama presidency symbolizes the fulfillment, at least in part, of King's dream that humanity would stand together without regard to race, this new era is yet to be an era of great challenge, not only in terms of how we regard others but to what lengths we are willing to go to in order to preserve humanity and our world. Indeed the times demand a spirit of cooperation, but for us as Christians they demand that our evangelization must express and precipitate the sheer power of the God who is love to reach into the world and to transform it utterly into something new and full of goodness.
As I take the day off from my work as a teacher I reflect on the call--no simple matter really--and how I might answer it better. In reflecting on how in my own life I can say "Here I am Lord," I am reflecting also on how I can join with you to bring about a kingdom of peace where we will no longer destroy the handiwork of God.
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