Thursday, 2nd Week of Ordinary Time (II)

January 22,2004

by Rev. Herbert Nichols

In today’s first reading we have a good example of how familiarity with the scriptures can blind us to the obvious. For instance we all know that David killed Goliath with a stone from his sling shot, RIGHT?

WRONG! The stone merely knocked Goliath unconscious, but did not kill him. To finish him off, David ran over, picked up the giant’s own sword and severed his head.

At one level, we might say the details are not important, its the reality of what happened that really matters. True. David defeated Goliath through humble faith and trust in God.

Familiarity may cause us to miss the real point: reducing not only our understanding but our expectations of God’s work. While God is certainly going to do His part and we can trust in that: God also expects us to do our part. He didn’t allow David to walk away from an intimidating situation.

No doubt we have intimidating giants -- left over boogey men to deal with -- perhaps a hot temper or a giant ego -- a guilt complex or painful memories -- giants which slowly yet powerfully suffocate the life out of us.

Draw upon your Holy Breath, the Holy Spirit of God and be not afraid to confront your giant, your Goliath. . The gospel tells us that Jesus looked around him and saw such hardness of heart like giants of resistance that he was angry.

There is a giant of difference between feeling angry and being consumed by anger, which is actually rage.

Frustration is what you feel when circumstances are beyond your control to change; so you pray the serenity prayer.

Anger is when you feel like screaming because you’re not in control and not in serenity.

Rage is when you are ready to slice everyone to ribbons and decapitate heads because things are not the way you want them. Road rage is a very good example.

Jesus was angry -- more than frustrated; but his anger was not directed toward the people, but rather, toward the condition, the situation at hand, which is brought about by the terrorism of sin -- personal sin -- the sin of each and every one of us, we are all responsible. But God is not angry with us.

Jesus knows well that our hearts are influenced by all the evil that is around us and were He to abandon us we would quickly be consumed in it. The only antidote, the only chance we have for survival, is the love of God that melts evil like ice.

But to be free we cannot hide from God like Adam and Eve. We must admit our guilt, no matter how small or great, although severity does make a difference whether we need to confess publicly or privately, in prayer alone or in sacrament.

Whether our guilt is small or large, whether we confess in prayer or in sacrament; if we have the confidence of a little child looking into the eyes of the parent, and maybe even letting out a squirt, so is God’s love like that of the infant’s parent holding him/her in the palm of the hand.

I can’t imagine a loving parent getting upset if they get a squirt while changing a diaper, and I can’t imagine God getting upset with us when we commit/confess a sin, no matter what, He is the loving Father.