The internet is nearly full of pictures of cats and kittens being adorable. One popular motif is the
feline predicament of a cat who has climbed too high or into too awkward a place, and can now no longer extract itself.
If we’re following Jesus, we can feel like such a cat. Last year almost all priests received brand new or at least greatly expanded responsibilities covering multiple parishes. Here at RocKenRo, we’re already in the process of consolidating our schools. We’ve taken some big steps following Jesus, and now we’re outside our “comfort zone,” into situations where we cannot fully control the challenges coming our way.
Most of us were baptized as infants, and it was our parents who spoke for us: We didn’t even have a say in the matter. At our confirmation, like the RocKenRo youth confirmed last week, we were young and only dimly aware of the obligations we assumed. As adults, many of us received the sacraments of marriage (or holy orders!), but how many of us fully understood just how difficult the vocation to family or ministry would be?
That’s one of the Lord’s purposes in his Transfiguration: “Hang in there.” We’re now in the second week of Lent, and if you’re doing it right, you’re starting to feel the pressure of your fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. You may feel like the cat, barely hanging on, waiting for help, and wondering how long you can last until it does.
But following Jesus on the way of the cross is worth the pain and deprivation. We may compound our hard feelings with doubt, fear, or resentment, but the Lord encourages us to persevere in our shared life and mission despite it all. At his Transfiguration, the Lord revealed his Divinity even through his human flesh. Our humanity is the same stuff, and so we can hope that one day, we who share Jesus’ humanity may also share his divine Life.
X March 17: Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! March 19: Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
—Fr. Dave
