Hidden Things

Our modern tendency when we hear something described as “hidden” is to immediately think it must be bad. If we say it is “secret”, it must be bad. “The Secret Archive” at the Vatican must contain horrible things. So think some. We fear the hidden. We fear the unknown. We fear the mysterious. 

In a world before safes, people also hid their most precious things, their valuables. We still hide our valuables. 

In yesterday’s gospel we hear reference to the treasure hidden in the field, because that’s what you did. If you had something of great value that you did not want stolen you took it out and buried it in a place known only to you. In the early Church, the Liturgy of the Eucharist was not open to the public. Only those who were baptized were allowed in. It was truly “the mystery of faith.”  

Yes, it caused horrible speculation among the pagans about what the Christians were doing, eating flesh and drinking blood. But it also underscore the precious quality of the sacrament. 

Today’s gospel ends with Jesus proclaiming “  I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.” And yet, there remains a hidden quality. He speaks not in straightforward declarations but in parables. 

He can do no other because God remains mystery. The fullness of God remains hidden. We can only know of God what God has chosen to reveal and chooses to reveal. We know only the tiniest fraction of who God is. 

And yet, as people of faith, we are called to entrust our lives completely to, and to love with all our being, this mysterious God. 

Perhaps we need to rethink how we feel about words like “hidden” and “mysterious”. As St. John tells us, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 Jn 4:18).  When we embrace the mystery, embrace the hidden; our souls are opened to the reality that no human words can express, the God who has always been present. 

A Call to Conversion

Monday through Friday of this week we read the Book of the Prophet Hosea, a story of fidelity and infidelity. 

The kingdoms are still divide, the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. The Kingdom of Israel has wandered away to the worship of other gods. And So in chapter one God calls Hosea to marry and love “a harlot, Gomer.” He marries her and He loves her.

As we settle into our new life in a world with COVID, our activities are more limited. This means our excuses for not spending real time with God in prayer are also limited. 

It would be easy to launch into a critique of the world around us and rant about our country. More difficult is look inside.

Rather than compare our current culture to Israel or Gomer, our time would be better spent asking ourselves. 

How am I unfaithful?

How have I turned away from the demands of my faith?

There is no such thing as “a Christian nation.” A country  does not have a soul; a  country cannot be baptized.  When we speak of a “Holy Nation”we are speaking not of a human country, but of the Church. The Church always and everywhere has existed as a “people set apart” inside of human nations. 

We change the culture not by ranting but by setting an example, by demonstrating to those around us the attractiveness of the Christian life. It is the witness of the members of the Church being faithful that calls others to conversion.  We have tried imposing the faith on others. It always fails. Only by showing others the love of Christ will the message be heard and embraced.