Ordinary 16
by Lanie LeBlanc OP

After reading the Scriptures for this 
Sunday, my heart felt first weighed down and then more peaceful. For me, my 
initial focus after reading the selection from Jeremiah was on all those in our 
time who have been "driven away" by someone in the Church, someone who was once 
entrusted with the task of shepherding. We all know of the generic newspaper 
reports of horrific abuse by pedophile priests. It will take a very long time 
for even one instance of that to fade from people's memory, but especially 
anyone who was even remotely connected to such a tragedy. Even if such events 
have not affected us personally, the chance of some instance of someone we know 
being alienated from the church because of some "church" person is pretty high. 
We, ourselves, may recognize that lump in our throats once again from who- 
knows-what kind of encounter. It happens. It happens because people are human 
and that includes "church" people. I'm OK with that.

Nonetheless, I re-read and I become 
righteously very angry. Although, thankfully, I have not been personally 
affected by any pedophile abuse, my family has been greatly affected by other 
"poor shepherding". I hope I am being kind in my choice of words; the Lord 
continues to heal our wounds slowly. Honestly, however, I must say that I am 
comforted by the wrath of God that I hear in the passage from Jeremiah. I would 
like to send these readings with an attached note to those who had the power to 
change our lives positively but who deliberately chose to do otherwise. My anger 
is still great because of the great concern I have for "the scattered" I love so 
dearly who have lost faith in the Church and in God.

Then I re-read again. It is only then that 
I can get beyond the words of "punish" and "evil deeds" to hear "care". The Lord 
cares. Scripture says that the Lord will gather the scattered "and none shall be 
missing". NONE shall be missing ! That includes my very own who really is God's 
very own.

So I wipe away my tears and read on. The 
Letter to the Ephesians reminds us how all this gathering transpires. It is 
through Jesus that those who were "far off" (for whatever reason) "become near 
by the blood of Christ". Although the selection is speaking about prior 
divisions between the Gentiles and the Jews, reconciliation through Jesus can 
account for obtaining peace in any dispute. We were all reconciled to God 
through Jesus. We are to be one in Christ. Only He can accomplish this seemingly 
impossible task in our much-divided world of today whether we look close to home 
or at the world at large. Only Jesus can deliver this peace.

The Gospel reading tells us how. Jesus did 
it by continuing to "teach them many things''. Even though He and the apostles 
were exhausted, over-worked, and in much need of some quiet and restful place, 
the teaching continued. The needs of the people screamed for it and Jesus 
responded.

It is only through continuing His teaching 
that peace can prevail over division and anger... and exhaustion, then and in 
our day. It is by trying to teach as Jesus did, including about '"the Lord our 
justice", that one becomes more peaceful and thus models the peacefulness that 
is so needed in our lives. Those who know me well know I live on a perpetual, 
virtual roller coaster, a not-so-peaceful place. They also know that teaching 
and preaching is an integral part of my life. I pray that as I teach about God's 
omnipresence, that I may learn to embrace virtual roller coasters far more than 
I do... and no, I don't like real roller coasters either !

(Comments to Lanie at lanieleblanc@mindspring.com.)