Greetings, Gratia Vobis readers. This month we are filling in for Tom Nash with today’s reflection.
After reading today’s Gospel from John, I reflected on how we listen and how we respond to what we hear. The high priests and the Pharisees are incredulous over the failure of the guards to bring them Jesus. “Why did you not bring him?” (Jn. 7:45) These were powerful people questioning the guards’ actions; surely the guards must have felt the Pharisees’ anger over their failure to produce Jesus. Such anger from those in power could mean imprisonment, even death. But the guards replied that “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
The chief priests and Pharisees want it made clear to all that if THEY refuse to respond to Jesus and his message, then NO ONE should listen to Jesus.
Is our contemporary world so different now? When those in America who wield power question our Christian beliefs, we will not be imprisoned or put to death, but we may be silenced—or what we refer to as being “canceled”. The clamor of popular culture and social media seek to drown out other voices and have us only hear what the powerful consider correct.
But as Catholic Christians we do not belong to this world; we are in it but should not be part of it when powerful voices tell us to be silent in the face of abortion, euthanasia, death penalty, and the upholding of traditional marriage.
Earlier in John’s gospel, we read that Nicodemus, a Pharisee, met with Jesus at night. Nicodemus was earnestly trying to understand Jesus’ teaching on eternal life but he right away acknowledged that Christ came from God. Now, in daylight, with the other Pharisees and high priests, Nicodemus defended Christ’s right to speak,” Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” (Jn7:51). How do we find the courage, like Nicodemus, to defend Christ among those who do not believe?
We may think we are alone in living our Catholic beliefs, but our local church community is a rich source of support. When I have joined others in our parish discussing pro-life issues, or end of life issues I find myself better able to defend my beliefs. Reading publications such as Magnificat can enrich our understanding of Scripture and the saints. Search online and you can be overwhelmed by the incredible resources for our faith such as Word on Fire’s podcasts and this wonderful website, Gratis Vobis.
What we need to remember is that as we defend our beliefs to others, we must do so with agape love –that is, the term referring to unconditional love, “the highest form of love, charity” and “the love of God for man and of man for God”. Jesus did not use His divinity to force others to recognize Him; rather, He used His humanity to teach others to love God and to love their neighbor.
Baptism marked us as belonging to Christ. We need to let others know that we belong to Christ through our words and our actions. And at times it may take the courage of a Nicodemus to speak up to share the words of Jesus Christ when powerful voices try to drown us out. For we know that indeed, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.
[Readings: Jn 7:40-53; Jer 11:18-20]
