December 23, 2012
The Land of Suppose...
by Paul Rooney
Luke 1:39-45
St. Elizabeth makes a powerful statement at the end of today's gospel passage. She tells the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is pregnant with Jesus, blessed is she who BELIEVED that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. We hear an echo of the words of Elizabeth towards the end of St. John's gospel, when Jesus tells the Apostle Thomas, Blessed are those who have not seen and have BELIEVED (Jn 20:29).
Faith is such a precious gift! We must never, ever dare to take it for granted! It needs to be nurtured with a solid daily prayer life, and with frequent participation in the sacramental life of the Church. I suspect that everyone here knows someone who has strayed from the teachings and sacramental life of the very Church that Jesus, the Son of God, established. Just about everyone here may know someone who claims to be an agnostic, or an atheist. How does that make you feel, when you think about that person? The word that comes to my mind is sadness, because I immediately want to intercede for the salvation of that poor soul. Our young people in particular are highly susceptible to the pagan culture surrounding usthat's usually called peer pressureand they need our constant prayer support.
- There is a famous French philosopher named Blaise Pascal, who was born about the time the English ship Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. He is famous for a lot of things, but is probably remembered most for his argument about faith an argument about whether or not God even exists. It became known as Pascal's wager.
The American Catholic author, Peter Kreeft [krayft] takes us into the Land of Suppose to help explain Pascal's argument about God's existence, which is really about gambling:
First, Suppose someone terribly precious to you lay dying, and the doctor offered to try a new "miracle drug" that he could not guarantee, but that seemed to have a 50-50 chance of saving your beloved friend's life. Would it be reasonable to try it, even if it cost a little money? And suppose it were freewouldn't it be utterly reasonable to try it and unreasonable not to?
OR-
Suppose you hear reports that your house is on fire, and your children are inside. You do not know whether the reports are true or false. What is the reasonable thing to doto ignore them, or to take the time to run home or at least phone home just in case the reports are true?
OR-
Suppose a winning lottery ticket is worth a million dollars, and there are only two tickets left. You know that one of them is definitely the winning ticket, while the other is worth nothing, and you are allowed to buy only one of the two tickets, at random. Would it be a good investment to spend one dollar on the good chance of winning a million?
So here we are, deep into the Advent season, with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary only two days away. You have the word of Holy Scripture that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. You have the witness of the Apostles to the words and deeds of Jesus' public life. What do you really believe? Have you ever even thought about how deeply you believe these teachings of our Church?
Why are you here? Do you desire to be here, or are you here just because it is an obligation? Here's another Suppose for you: Suppose it was Not an obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays: would you choose to be here today? Are you willing to gamble about eternal life, and risk losing it?
When we approach the altar today to receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus, remember that it was the initial Yes of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her Faith, that enables us to receive her Son today. As we come in procession to receive Jesus, ask Him for the gift of humility like Mary's that believes; for an increase in Faith to believe that He is Really Present in the consecrated bread and wine, just as He said He is. Also, ask for the gift of Perseverance in living that Faith. Such a prayer is in accord with the will of God, and will definitely be answered.
(Comments to Paul at deaconpaul@cox.net)