In These Times…The Fate of the New Humanity

The Alleluia verse for the 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time puts a finger on a nerve: we are to possess God's very glory. Period. Then comes reality right in our faces. All hell is going to break loose to destroy the innocence that has been won back for us. We are going to be under siege. That is the fate of the new humanity. Clear?

"Get 'em!" "Destroy him!" "She's lying...he's the best for the court!"

Children are going to figure in the Word these next weeks. Back in the days of the gospel, a child was of little or no account. A child had no rights until about age 12. So what Jesus is doing is really insulting the apostles in their conversation about prestige. He is saying, "Sorry, Boys, it's going to be different for us." Yes, he is about forming a new humanity. The least are going to be first for us.

This upstart Word-in-our-flesh is going to restore our innocence and trust us to protect it. So, get ready. Listen up...be watchful...when they come for you...to rob you of your innocence...yes, he will continue to restore it...but it will mean more agony from him in the person of his poor. They are the scapegoats for our conversion. Among them his passion continues in time. They are the price of our conversion.

Our fresh Charism/Mission Statement and new Focus Statement call us to be a very special presence. Dominicans are worded men and women. They don't just imitate the Word...they identify with it. That means it soaks into our consciousness and becomes a part of our very being, our self-awareness. So if we are to be “Rooted in God’s transformative Word,” what are we to be transformed from? What are we to be transformed to?

Thessalonians tells us "God has called us through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2Thess 2:14) There you have it. We are to have God’s very own glory, so it’s going to be very different for us too. It’s not business as usual in our families, communities, and workplaces. We are to shine.

Ever notice how our religious values sometimes rub the culture in the wrong way? Yes, we are different. We don’t condemn people before we get the facts. We don’t even condemn them once we do get the facts. We grieve for them…and pray for their healing. Innocence wins for us the wisdom from above because we shine with God’s glory. Now we can forget this, and then we just join the crowd. We get swept along like the debris from the flooding.

No. Instead, we need to daily claim our inheritance. Put your glory on as you dress. Smile at it as you brush your teeth and look in the mirror. Then watch out…the powers that be are out to rob you. When you need to, yell for the Shepherd, and hang on…to him and what he has won for us at the price of blood.