The Lord is light, salvation — it must remain so for us in order to live an optimal Christian life

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings, Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

+ If a friend were to tell you that you should keep your engine in “optimal,” they say, condition and you did not know what or how you would do that, you might ask: “What would ‘optimal’ look like?”

In other words, sometimes we need a detailed description to understand how you would go about making that happen.

Today, in the letter to the Hebrews, a very simple statement is made: “Let brotherly love continue.”

And then, as if someone were to say: “What would that look like?”

The letter goes on detailing what and how one would go about living in a brotherly way.

It is quite a list: “Do not neglect hospitality”; “Be mindful of prisoners”; “Honor your marriage and your marriage bed”; “Avoid immorality and adultery”; “Do not love money and be content with what you have”; “Trust in God”; “Do not be afraid”; “Remember your leaders who lead you to faith.”

There is no such thing as a complete list. Surprises, growth, new ideas, alternate possibilities, creativity, and change are among many possibilities that can alter or affect our lives and call forth from us new and even optimal responses.

In fact, we ought to ask ourselves that question often: “What would ‘optimal’ look like, in this situation?”

In striking contrast to the optimal, the Gospel shares a striking story of some of the lowest behavior — perhaps, among some of the most inhuman and the most unbrotherly and unsisterly behavior.

When King Herod began to hear of the spreading fame of Jesus, he began to hear from others that perhaps Jesus was actually Elijah or one of the prophets.

But Herod thought instead that perhaps John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, had come back from the dead, that he had been raised up.

And then, in rather gruesome detail, the story of the beheading of John is told.

And if there is anything “optimal” in this story, it is optimal unbrotherliness and unsisterliness to the max.

Not only is it an awful story of hatred and murder, it is plotted and carried out by those who should have protected life rather than to destroy life.

And worst of all, the destruction of life was not only done out of hatred, it was also done for entertainment.

One does not even have to imagine the cruelty and ugliness perpetrated by this mother who tells her daughter to ask for the “head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

Who and what kind of a person would ask for such a thing — and at a dinner party?!

And who and what kind of person would be so proud and arrogant — and having the authority to do whatever they so desired — that they could not say no to such a request, but rather would buckle under such a request and grant it?

And, once again, at a dinner party! Yikes!

And so, we especially delight today by repeating several times in our responsorial psalm response: “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

That is so, and it must be so, and it also must remain so.

It cannot be any other way for us, should we so desire to live the optimal life of a Christian.

So the letter says — and so also we must echo in word and actions — “Let brotherly love continue.”

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Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.