A Sermon Without Words

God gives one faith- trust in Him and in the words of His Son, Jesus Christ. He gives His grace to believe to us, and this grace of faith comes not from self but from God- a gift free, not quid pro quo, (You give me something and I will give you something.)

Accepting faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ, is a function of our human will- our desire to trust in His words. The faith of Peter revealed through the Holy Spirit speaks for all men of faith. “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn6:68-69) We believe because we know God created us because He loved us and He created us for love. Now we are a new creation-we think and act differently.

Thomas Merton speaks on this. “One cannot be justified by a faith that does not do the works of love, for love is the witness and evidence of a “new being” in Christ. But precisely this love is primarily the work of Christ in one, not simply something that originates in my own will and then is approved and rewarded by God. It is faith that opens my heart to Christ and His Spirit that He may work in me. No work of mere man can be called “love” in the Christian sense, unless it comes from Christ. The “good” (Pharisees) are solely tempted to believe in their own goodness and their own capacity to love, while one who realizes his own poverty and nothingness is much more ready to surrender himself entirely to the gift of love ”he knows” cannot come from anything in himself.”

When I was young I was a doer, maybe one that was convinced of my own rightness, goodness and what justice should be. Now I am old and unable to “force” or agitate others to do what I believe is right. The change began in a dream, as I believe God was speaking to me. The answer to a question was so unexpected, so not what I perceived the correct answer to be. The answer was “do it yourself; get your hands dirty. Words are good but your actions will motivate more than agitation.”

Now I look around and see others quietly doing good, not caring what others think, simply humbly doing good. A case in point:

Last night at Mass, a cold evening, with only 10 elderly parishioners in the congregation, a young man walks inside the church. Going to the front pew, he sits, taking off his ragged sneakers; his socks are black with dust, torn at the toes and ankle; his jersey sweater dark with sweat and stains, his hair and facial hair ragged and uneven. He does not follow the congregation responses, but raises his arms in prayerful praise, and kneels only for the consecration. A hobo seeking shelter for the night, somewhere warmer than the lake winds, drawn in by church lights, the Pharisees in all of us declare to ourselves. He cannot help but be noticed by all including the presiding priest; he is sitting next to where the priest will be giving communion. During the Our Father, the sign of peace, he is ignored. (This is my take on it.)

“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”

“Amen,” the man says, loud enough for me to hear.

What will happen next?

The priest, shy, unassuming in my eyes before, now becomes a giant shepherd. He goes to the man, arms maybe not open wide, but there is no rejection, no horror, no revulsion, but he goes to him, and I am reminded of Jesus going forth, pouring out His love for all men on the cross. The priest blesses him and gives him the Bread of Life. There are no questions, no sermon, not “are you one of us?” He is accepting, welcoming, one who knows deeply Jesus- knows He came for all, no matter their dress, no matter their social status. Faith and charity, belief and love shown, an apostle, a shepherd- the gospel of Jesus Christ come alive and we who believe, now too must go forth to love and serve the Lord by actions, not words.

“The one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.” (James1:25)