Monday, July 01, 2013
Letting the dead bury the dead
In case you missed the point yesterday, Jesus (through the liturgy) will make it again today. "Let the dead bury their dead."
Harsh words, of the sort we don't expect from the Sacred Heart! But today I heard something else in Jesus' voice. It's not a harsh tone: it's insistent, almost pleading: "Follow me and let the dead bury their dead." He'll say it again, to Peter, after the Resurrection: "You, follow me."
St Paul gives the example of what it means to "let the dead bury their dead," when he writes to the Philippians about his own life: "Forgetting what is behind and straining towards the goal, I press on to take hold of the prize, for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
Yesterday's responsorial psalm gives us the words for
this: "I keep the Lord ever before me."
I will follow him.
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As you may have seen on international news, Calgary and parts of Southern Alberta remain in a state of emergency following disastrous flooding 11 days ago. Calgary's entire downtown core was shut down due to flooding. Many people have lost their homes which will have to be bulldozed, many more awaiting remediation before returning home and are presently housed in evacuation sites. Chaos, destruction of property, a number of lives lost.
Still, we've seen heroic efforts on the part of our mayor and EMS, volunteers cleaning up, strangers and businesses bring food to the volunteers. While some people are still in a state of shock, and some now coming out of shock and facing the reality of their new normal, we are seeing a determination to move forward, to place what has happened in the past. "Let the dead bury their dead" and "Where your treasure is so will your heart be also." Faith and an appreciation for what is most important in life is opening the way for those affected.
We live near the riverbank and had just two feet before the water crested. We were on emergency standby to evacuate but were spared. Yes, we are more thankful than anyone (except those who have lived through such an event) can imagine, but through it all we knew the most important thing we had was what we had no need to pack in our bags, the gift of faith. We keep our eyes on Jesus leading the way, knowing our journey on earth is one step at a time, not a guided tour. - Jean
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