Look and see at this truth

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) noted —

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

And like all sayings, it may sound a little simplistic, but pretty much, it gets it right. Tomorrow’s plans can be snuffed out in a minute today. Accumulated wealth can be lost overnight, or because one’s life comes to an end. A dream can become a nightmare.

The point is not that one should not plan or work to acquire what is needed to live; the point is, that is not an end in itself.

We plan and we work, and we seek and we build, and we do what is necessary for today. Living in the present is what it is about. Of course, plans and efforts should be made to build the future, but all should be done with the humility and reasonability that nothing is guaranteed and most of all, that to have our gaze set on God, who has provided all and even inspired our dreams and plans, is the key.

Actually, this letter of James is attempting to sober up those who have become inebriated with seeking more and more and more and more without seeing the purpose, or appreciating that living goodness is what it is all about.

Mr. Thoreau would certainly agree with James. And James says it bluntly —

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow [or even tonight] we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit’ —
you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.”

And this is not meant to be scary language, but simple truth; it is recommended that we both look at and see this truth. And the best part of it all is the call to live today deeply and with great appreciation to God, and with the humble recognition that it is all gift. But the best gift of all will come with the final call to live it all with God. That is, as the psalm today reminds us —

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!”

That is, to them and us who see the kingdom of God in everything — in every moment, always, and with humility and hope — will see and live it forever, said the Lord!

Mr. Henry David’s saying can be heard in the brief Gospel scene presented here today. And this is a case of looking at and listening to someone doing good things and not seeing or hearing, because the ears and eyes have been blocked and blurred by jealousy and exclusivity.

Let’s face it. We Catholics, for many, many years, talked about being the “one true faith,” and looked down on others; others also looked down on us. And that’s just what went on between Christians — not even touching on how we looked at non-Christians.

But Jesus saw, as usual and, really, as always, the deeper truth. And as usual, he puts it so simply and beautifully —

“There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Now wouldn’t it be nice — or better, Christian — if we saw it and lived it like that?

It reminded me of a conversation I once had with a Muslim man who commented to me that his Catholic wife and he had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. I was surprised, and bluntly asked him, “How could that be — a Catholic and a Muslim? How did you deal with the differences in your faiths? And his answer really was quite like Jesus’ answer. He simply told me that they respected each other and each other’s faith. They didn’t try to change each other, but encouraged each other to live their own faith fully, deeply, humbly, honestly, and joyfully.

And they proved what Mr. Thoreau had said so succinctly — it wasn’t what they looked at, but much more importantly, what they saw!