Sunday March 11, 2007

Third Sunday of Lent

March 11, 2007



“But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you reform.”

Luke 13:3

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Image, image, image. The culture bows down before image. But it is the wrong image. It is exclusive, conditional and very terminal. Unless you are rich, beautiful, famous, etc., you do not belong. It is all so much about image and if you do not have the image you are out of luck. This kind of bowing down is a lie; such a sham that is hollow and empty. And if we go with the culture flow, look where we go. Do you see all the despair? Most of us are not rich, beautiful, famous, etc. and so we cannot even be considered by culture to be esteemed and loved. Even if we have the money, fame and beauty, there is nothing esteeming us that will last.



At each mass the outer-most garment I wear is a chasuble. On one of my many beautiful chasubles is a hand coming in to shape a pot of clay. The hand is the hand of God and the clay represents you and me. God is the Potter and we are the clay. We are to let God work his perfect and exquisite craftsmanship on us. The core work of any believer is to let the Potter work on us. God is not to be formed into us; we are to be formed into God.



Think about the Potter (God) trying to form the clay (you and me) into that perfect pot. As I imagine the perfect pot I see a big wrecking ball coming toward it. That wrecking ball is sin. It is coming toward that perfect pot of clay to shatter it. Sin shatters the pot of clay made by God. This shattering of our image by sin is something we are constantly dealing with. It is in our shattered lives that God bids us, “Reform.” Be formed again in God, by God.



One of the quotes we have put on our church sign is, “God allows u-turns.” Yes, praise God we can u-turn to him now. Praise God we can u-turn to him in scripture, prayer and church every day. Praise God that we can turn to him anytime, anywhere because we know that Jesus is open 24/7 like 7-11. But how often do we turn to God?



In many ways we have been shattered by the wrecking ball of sin. We want the pieces of our lives to be put back together. The longing is to be whole. Culture cannot and will not ever begin to be able to do the job. We look to the exclusive, conditional and terminal to put us back together. Only the Potter can. Let the Potter bow down to the ground and pick up your pieces. Gently and exquisitely he forms you into the perfection of his love.



Reform. Be formed again by the Potter. U-turn to God.



Live the confronted life!

+Fr. John