14^th Sunday A (3 July 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

I will refresh you

Refreshments are always welcome especially after one has been working hard. Sometimes you need to splash water on your face to freshen up. Even on a PC there is a function called “refresh”. But how great to have a friend who can refresh us – this is Jesus. In the gospel today (Mt 11, 25-30) Jesus says “Come to me all you who labour and are burdened and I will refresh you.” Only a God-man can say that and mean it. These days we have celebrated as Church the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (last Friday) and yesterday the Immaculate heart of Mary. When we enter into the Sacred heart of Jesus what do we find? A lot of love of course! A lot of love for you and for me.

This week I was quite busy preparing for a conference I will give with some elements of Pope John Paul II’s ‘Theology of the Body’ in it. I was also preparing a homily, writing letters and so on. I am sure we all experience those moments of being quite busy. In one moment of prayer I went to the chapel and prayed with those words of Jesus “Come to me all you who labour and are burdened and I will refresh you.” It worked! What Jesus tells us is true. Afterwards I experienced new energy to continue. In the Word of God it says “Cast all your worries on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5,7). Imagine that. We have a God who cares for us, who is concerned for us. My God cares for me. And he cares for you too!

The sacred heart of Jesus is really on fire for each one of us and for humanity. In one moment of the life of Jesus he exclaimed “I have come to set the earth on fire and how I wish it was already blazing!” (Lk 12, 49). How is our heart for Jesus? On fire too? In front of God we can be a little afraid at times – what will he tell me to do, what will he command me. Would you be surprised if instead of a command, instead of telling you what to do he asked you a question. We would be rather unsettled! Sometimes we prefer a God or a religion that just tells us what to do and what not to do. But what if God were to ask you the same question he asked those first followers “What are you looking for?” What would you answer? Could you answer? Even Jesus once asked “What do you want me to do for you?” Sometimes in studies we need exactly what we want – to pass the exam, pass 2^nd year, then graduate, get a job here...or in the work place, many companies will have a vision-mission statement with goals, strategies and targets. But when it comes to the spiritual life often we can be rather lacklustre, living without intentionality and somehow drifting along. But if we need challenges in the arenas of studies and work/career, also in our spiritual lives.

Let us ask for the grace to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. If it not merely to enjoy our lives knowing we are loved by Jesus. True love desires a response. “If you love me, feed my sheep,” said Jesus to Peter. The lover loves the beloved but the beloved on experiencing this love will naturally one to love the lover in return. A step of maturity is not only to feel loved but to respond to that love. Like the 3 questions of St Ignatius “What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What should I do for Christ?” It reminds me of the wedding feast of Cana. Mary told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Recently I gave a talk to a group of Doctors on conscience. I thought maybe it could be published. I sent it to a respected journal and they gave me some corrections. A friend suggested not to give up but to modify it and send it somewhere else. I followed the good counsel and sent it to a very prestigious journal of bioethics (the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly in the USA). To my surprise and great joy they accepted it for publication later in the year. Feeling on a roll I decided to send in another talk I gave to healthcare workers which contained my testimony of how I worked before as a doctor and later became a missionary priest. Lo and behold they accepted it too. Wow, I was very happy. It reminds me of three inter-related Spanish words: fidelidad, fecundidad and felicidad. The three dad’s! Worked out what they mean? Fidelity, fecundity (fruitfulness) and happiness. When we are faithful to what the Spirit asks us it can bear a lot of fruit. In this case for the doctors who will read those two articles. And with fidelity and fruitfulness comes joy, happiness and felicidad!

What can you do to show your love for Jesus? Come on, take the risk while we still have time! One day when we are in heaven we will be sad at all those missed opportunities. As St Alphonsus Liguori commented “If the Saints in heaven could cry there is only one thing they would be sad about. That they did not use their time more productively on earth.” Thanks St Alphonsus for reminding us that life is short, time is precious and that Jesus values all our efforts to make him more known and loved.

Let us enjoy this day, a day when Jesus reassures us not to worry if our endeavours for the Kingdom will be challenging and may even tire us. “Come to me if you get tired running the race and fighting the good fight and I will surely refresh you because you are doing my work!” And may Mother Mary help us to be more faithful to what our Lord is asking us. Amen.