I have the humble privilege of serving as a spiritual mentor to a young man who would make a great priest. However, he fears saying “yes” to his vocation because his former Roman Catholic pastor threatens to excommunicate him if he chooses to be a Polish National Catholic priest.
In this Sunday’s gospel story, we learn about a house divided. Father against son, daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, you get the picture.
Not everyone will embrace the gospel. Not everyone believes in the same way. Not everyone will be included. Some will choose through their own violation. Not to embrace God. To reject His invitation.
Mary gives her yes. Herod gives his resounding no. Nicodemus, a religious leader, says yes. The other religious leaders make sure that Jesus is crucified and dies in the end.
This is the gospel. Some will reject it. Some will spin the gospel in a way that ridicules and excludes those who choose not to follow the traditions of the past. The path of love is not always easy to accept.
Look around your family, your faith community, your workplace. Some people are going to say yes and others will not.
What do you do when you say yes and the people around you don’t. It can be painful. What do you do? Four simple things.
Be kind, listen, love and invite. Be kind is not a sign of weaknes. It’s the fruit of the spirit. Kindness shows that you care deeply about the human beings around you. They also were made in the image of God like you. Be kind listen. Patience and gentleness are your friends. Where everybody talks or tweets, listening is a rare gift.
Giving someone your undivided attention demonstrates real love. Be kind, listen, love. Love God, love your neighbor. Love you enemies. Love God. Be kind, listen love and invite.
People who love even people who reject us. I told our young vocation that I love him and the invitation to serve God as a priest is filled with the “halo of hatred.” And by the way, I told him and all my Sonshine friends that I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have been hated, excluded, spat upon, blamed for everything, ridiculed, shamed and made expendable and worse told that they are excommunicated from the church. Remember, the invitation to follow Christ means to imitate the victim that sees Jesus as surrounded by the halo of hatred.
