26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Num 11:25-29
Jas 5:1-6
Mk 9:38-43,45,47,48
cut it off….cut it off…
The words spoken by Jesus in the gospel today don’t really fit the Jesus2024 that the mainstream media portrays at all. As Dr. Peter Kreeft points out, here we find the most kind, loving, generous, compassionate, forgiving, merciful man who ever lived speaking harsh words of division, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Words for ‘other people’, not us good church-going Catholics; people who need to take today’s gospel to heart and repent. They (individuals as well as groups, political parties, governments, countries) need to stop leading people astray. THEY need to change their ways, lest they find themselves in Gehenna where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
I just returned from a seven day, once-in-a-lifetime Paris trip with my 29-year-old daughter. It was my first time in Paris, her third. We spent six days drinking red wine, feasting on delicious foods, scrumptious desserts, mid-day pastry and ice cream treats and walking, and walking, and walking between buses and the metro visiting church after church, after church. We didn’t even make it to the Louvre because I couldn’t imagine that anything in that museum would be better than what we were seeing in the churches.
Knowing that France has removed itself further and further from Catholicism (and God in general) and has truly ‘fallen’ since the centuries of being ‘Eldest Daughter of the Church’, coupled with the recent Paris Olympics opening ceremony, I wasn’t anticipating ‘feeling’ Jesus in Paris or even Paris churches. Notre Dame is still closed and scheduled to reopen in December, so I just saw the outside sitting on bleachers erected for that purpose. And yet, in every basilica, church and chapel we entered, I felt embraced by the Holy Spirit and all the Angels and Saints. St. Francis Xavier (the silver statues of Queen Mary holding Jesus and Joseph holding Jesus are captivating), St. Clotilde (originally the church was a Carmelite monastery, the enormity and intricate splendour is breathtaking), St. Roch (born with a birthmark of a red cross on his chest), St. Severin (the church is purposely dark to encourage internalization, peace), St. Augustin (massive, stands like a tall protector of Paris), St. Catherine of Laboure (her incorrupt body is encased in glass in the Chapel of Our Lady of Graces of the Miraculous Medal), St. Joan of Arc (‘I am not afraid, I was born to do this’), St. Pierre de Montmartre (built in 1134, it is the second oldest church in Paris where St. Francis of Loyola often prayed and took his vows that led to the founding of the Society of Jesus), Sacre Coeur — at the height of Montmartre — with a view of lower Paris that captivated my senses and sparked my imagination of all the lives over the centuries within my vision; all whom God knew intimately and loved mercifully and completely.
We were able to celebrate Sunday Mass at Sacre Coeur Basilica and returned Monday for the 10pm daily mass. Neither of us speak French, but we were truly ‘home’. Monday we arrived just after 9pm so that we could participate in Adoration at Sacre Coeur, which has been perpetual since 1885. What a joy and honour that enveloped me, body and soul that night.
Yes, the France that I judged as falling so far from God, the France that I judged as severely needing to repent, taught me a bold lesson.
I fell in love with France on such a spiritual level when, before entering a Parisian church, I didn’t expect to find much spirituality. I certainly didn’t think it would invigorate my faith other than my awe at what the hands of man had built. How had I forgotten that the hands of man can only build beauty at the inspiration of God Almighty? How could I have forgotten that God is as present at all times in all places?
I was able to go to confession at the Church of St. Augustin and, in speaking with the priest, I shared that I saw an active faith in some of the churches in Paris that I didn’t expect to see; that gave me joy and hope. He asked me to pray for France, saying “faith is here, but it is fragile, please pray for us”. And now, it is my honour to pray for the people of France to take back their rightful position as ‘Eldest Daughter of the Church’.
So, what is the bold lesson that the Holy Spirit taught me in the churches and amongst the people of Paris? The lesson that the words in scripture are meant FOR ME. That Jesus is always speaking to me personally in His word. That I am the one who needs to cut it off, cut it off, pluck it out. I need to cut off the thoughts of judging others. I need to cut off the arrogance and righteous in my thinking. I need to pluck out anything and everything in my mind and heart that isn’t enveloped in love, mercy, humility…
I am grateful for the reminder that every word Christ spoke is for me personally. These words are to remind me and instruct me for my eternal good; words to remind me that keeping my eyes on Jesus, my mind in His words, my steps on His path and my prayers glorifying God is a daily necessity. Daily seeking to imitate my Lord in thought, word and deed. Not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less (C.S. Lewis) so that my faith will grow strong, imitating the faith of so many of the great Saints that France has given us — as the priest at St. Augustin shared that the faith in France is fragile, as is mine.
St. Joan of Arc, pray for us. St. Catherine Laboure, pray for us. St. Genevieve, pray for us. St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us. St. Francis de Sales, pray for us. St. Denis, pray for us. St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us….
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gina Ulicny)
Prayer: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us.
Thanksgiving: Lord God Almighty, thank you for the Saints of France. Thank you for giving us their example to help us in our daily walk. May we be like them in seeking You, in finding You and in falling more in love with You every day.
OXYGEN 
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