Our modern world today gets in backwards…It not about “adding on” its all about “stripping away”.....One layer at a time

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus walked among the people….This is the sign of a true leader…Jesus did not lead from the back - He lead from the front - He rolled up his sleeves - He was one of us!…He did not look down on anyone!……………St Mark tells us today…….”When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things”……..What made people drawn to Christ?….My guess is, it was his transparency…..There was no duplicity in Jesus Christ…I would imagine looking at him was like looking into a clear stream…We all yearn to be like that…Something deep down, whether we realize it or not wants transparency of heart and soul…But we are afraid - Don’t be afraid!….Jesus showed the world another way…It is by emptying ourself that we gain that “transparency of the soul”……When we empty ourselves - God fills us with his very life

“He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage”

Protestants use a phrase…”I was born again”….While there is some truth to that phrase…Each and everyday we must be converted to Jesus Christ….The goal of life is to be in union with our Lord…In Catholic circles his is called the Unitive Way….Its the third and highest level one can arrive at in their interior life…Monsignor Charles Pope explains……”This is the way of those who have their minds detached from temporal things, such that they enjoy great peace, and are not agitated by various desires, nor are they moved to any great extent by sinful passion. Having been largely purged of these things, they have their minds fixed chiefly on God. It is called “unitive” since, at this stage, there is a “union” with God by love and the actual experience and exercise of that love”…..Whether we realize it or not…We all yearn for this state of life…..This is why great crowds were drawn to Jesus almost unknowingly….But like with all things, the pursuit of this state of being is a process….As our life moves forward, God has a way of “prying open of hand” and with each finger “freeded from our fist” we take one step closer to the unitive way.......Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone came from a wealthy family in the Umbria Region of Italy. He lived a privileged lifestyle. In the church of San Damiano, Giovanni heard the voice of God telling him, “Rebuild my church.” Giovanni shortly there after began to travel through the land preaching to the people…..When Giovanni visited Pope Innocent III, he was first turned away, people thought Giovanni was crazy! But when Pope Innocent III had a dream of Giovanni holding up one side of St. John Lateran Basilica, he called him back and gave him permission to preach. In the dream of the Pope, the man holding up the other side of the church was St. Dominic, who was a contemporary of Giovanni and would go on to found the Dominican Order……This is a true story and Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone is the story of St Francis of Assisi….St Francis too had what I described above as “transparency of the soul”…..St Francis’s impact was immense and immediate; within 10 years there were 5,000 Franciscans across Europe..And in 2023, the Franciscan order celebrated its 800 year anniversary…..How did Francis do it?…..He emptied himself…And when we empty ourself we are filled with the very life of the living God

“Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come”

St Mark today tells us that people were drawn to Christ…They were drawn to him because he was one of us….Jesus is not “some distant person”…He is not some academic that speaks a language regular people do not understand…Jesus spoke clearly and in understandable terms…..Far too many people read the gospel and the stories of the saints as if they are reading Greek mythology…Jesus was a real man, historic records tell us so….St Francis and St Dominic were real men….History tells us so….What do these three men have in common?…..Well, there are many things…But today we are reflecting upon “transparency of the soul”…..A soul that is transparent sees people as they truly are - As children of God - And people know this when they experience such a person….....This is why great crowds were drawn to these men…..And as a result, these men shook the foundations of the world - And the world to this day is still shaking because of them!…..Our modern world today gets in backwards…It not about “adding on” its all about “stripping away"...... One layer at a time