Daily word, 29 Jul 16

St. Martha, Memorial (29 Jul 2016) Jer 26. 1-9; Ps 69; Jn 11. 19-27

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Loyola House, Guelph, Ontario

8-day Retreats: Brother Son, Sister Soil (Ecology); Directed; Private 
Our Resolve

The responsorial psalm conjured desperate circumstances. Desperate circumstances prompt a demanding plea for help. The Psalmist often pleaded desperately. Martha did as well. Her Mediterranean indirect way may prevent us from hearing what Jesus heard. Jesus heard this in Martha’s voice: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know God will grant whatever you ask. Get on with your asking! Get on with it!”

In our ways we made our pleas these days. We received various graces—our shares in God’s life given us now. We came needing quiet. Some also needed nearness to sun, soil, plants and trees. Others came to the quiet to be more aware or newly aware of our triune God alive in us and for us. This place welcomed all of us to lay our pleas before our triune God.

We leave enlightened by God as we have needed and desired God’s living light. We may be aware of ourselves in new ways. We may leave with a holy awareness that our earth-home is desperate—the widely broadcast and printed phrase, “earth’s tipping point,” comes to mind; Pope Francis has expressed it more sharply: earth is at its “breaking point.”¹ We may leave with a new or renewed sense of self, of purpose, of our missions to the world and being accompanied by our triune God.

We more readily notice God present in our spiritual consolations. Our spiritual desolations and their darknesses cannot keep out God-for-us. They cannot blind us to God present for us unless we let them. Bathed in spiritual con-solations or shrouded awhile in spiritual desolations our directors have helped us appreciate and savor wealth of life the Trinity lavishes on us.

Wealth of life the Trinity lavishes on us:

• How will we spend it?
• How will we put it to use for the sake of others and of creation?

God shares God’s life with us to heal and empower us to share it everywhere we find ourselves: busy or resting; weeping or laughing; quiet or conversing; considering; acting; dreaming and more awake. Our answers to how we will spend the wealth the Trinity lavishes on us are each one’s resolve.

Enacting our resolves lets us embody graces given and received. Whichever one’s style of retreat—on one’s own in silence; traditional directed; or letting the earth move us more in sync with God’s heart and desires—we return home differently and equipped to affect it differently. Each is true because our risen Messiah Jesus has met us and entrusted to us his message of abundant life²—even life from death! We are more effective messengers when our believing overflows with awesome wonder at how Messiah Jesus has met us and continues coming into the world through us.

As you return and at home let St. Martha model uncomplicated faith and trust in Messiah Jesus. She showed that living uncomplicated faith and trust in Messiah Jesus is for grownups—for us! Fashion your faith on hers. Uncomplicated faith and trust in Messiah Jesus free us to embody his life-giving good news and share with our world his good news it so desperately needs.

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1. Laudato Si’ 61.
2. John 10.10.