Today’s Gospel reading has this line in it:
Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Mat 19:14
The Kingdom of Heaven is our final destiny and true heritage, may this be the holy grail that we constantly strive for all our lives.
The Silence of the Lambs
I could not help but be reminded of the true-life story packaged into a haunting and powerful movie, The Sound of Freedom which I watched last month. It is spellbinding, the story of FBI agent Tim Ballard who devotes his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers. Actor Jim Caviezel, who portrays Ballard, delivers a special message as the credits roll past on the screen, an impressive list of family after generous family, angel investors that provided the funding so that the movie could be produced by tiny Angel Studios. It had languished on the shelves of Hollywood for 5 years, which should tell us something. Caviezel tells his shell-shocked audience that we are not to shy away in fear but rather to live in hope and to do whatever we can to come to the aid of these littlest ones, even if it’s to be the storyteller and spread the word about what he aptly calls “21st century slavery”.
The movie quotes the Bible:
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Mat 18:6 and Jim playing Tim has this unforgettable line: God’s children are not for sale.
Go see the movie if you have not or watch it on your streaming device. When faced with dastardly and diabolical sins like abortion and child sex trafficking, we must do whatever we can to stem and turn the tide. Above all, this includes prayer to God almighty who is perfect mercy and perfect justice, and while he extends forgiveness to the repentant, his justice will not be denied in the end.
Our Heritage
Our first reading comes from Joshua and features this exchange:
“Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
Then the people promised Joshua,
“We will serve the LORD, our God, and obey his voice.”
And then, Joshua dismissed the children of Israel to their own heritage.
What is our heritage and, importantly, what will we bequeath to our children? It is easy to give in to despair. Truly, God appears to have been pushed aside and man has stepped in to be the ultimate authority on anything and everything, it seems like. However, as a fellow parishioner of mine said, I believe there is more good than bad in the world. Amen, Robert!
And now I cannot help but think of another spectacle that just concluded in Portugal: World Youth Day! My daughter just returned from a magnificent encounter with youth from around the globe and I was struck by her tales of joyful enthusiasm, faithful devotion, and unbelievable charity in the midst of lengthy lines, long waits, and opportunities where it would have been easy to lose patience and grumble not a little. The theme: Mary got up and went in haste. Why? Because Mary of Nazareth is the great figure of the Christian journey, teaching us always to say yes to God. These are the words of the vicar of Christ to the young missionaries:
Where does Jesus send us? There are no borders, no limits, he sends us everywhere. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some.
The Sound of Freedom
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, it’s easy to be a Debbie Downer. It is easy to wring our hands in despair and say what’s the use? But that would not be the Christian way. For we are a people of faith, hope, and love, and in the end, with the grace of God, these three will triumph over evil and the devil that appears to be having his day. But eternity beckons, and in the end, the sound of freedom will ring out, loud and clear, as the Son of Man comes to sift the good from the bad. Until then, we are like wheat among the weeds, and both will be allowed to thrive until the sands of time run out.
So come, now is the opportune time, let us ruthlessly stamp out the evil in our hearts and strenuously set about building the Kingdom of God within and without.
