The Risen Christ Makes Himself Known In Times Of Tragedy
On the same Sunday that Deacon Tom Evans preached about the Boston Marathon bombings at St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon, the beautiful Gospel of the Good Shepherd was proclaimed. Deacon Tom very inspiringly connected the events of Boston with the Good Shepherd, which we may also apply to our personal and family lives.
Deacon Tom explained that, “In the Gospel proclaimed today, Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd invites us to respond to the gift of the Resurrection. Our faith in the Risen Christ invites us to hear Christ’s voice and to follow our Good Shepherd. What do we find when we follow him? Forgiveness, nourishment, comfort and rest, hope of eternal life in the midst of all the evil in the world, power to love even our enemies, a desire to share our blessings. We gather around Jesus each Sunday to hold on tightly to the Good Shepherd and even more when terror and tragedy strike home. We know our need for Him.
“Of course we will never be fully insulated from the world’s evil because we live in the earthly city. Violent people will always live among us seeking to harm us and lead us into despair. But the true citizens of the City of God, the members of the flock who know Jesus as their Shepherd, trust that God will always protect us in this world and will guide us through death to eternal life. We need never despair, no matter what the earthly city does to us, because we have faith in God, who never fails us. God is true to his promises for Jesus is God’s “yes” to the world and our “Amen” to God, as Saint Paul teaches.
“St. Paul beautifully describes his certainty that God will never fail us in Romans 8: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us….It is Christ who died, was raised, who sits at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us. What can separate us from the love of God? I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor height nor depth, nor any creature will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
“But we can ask where was the love of God, where was the City of God, in the midst of the Boston bombings?
“The signs of the City of God, the signs of God’s love were in fact everywhere during and after the tragedy. God’s love was found in the courage of those who immediately ran toward the explosions to help those injured. God’s love was perceptible in the caring and dedication of medical staffs in the Boston hospitals, who worked tirelessly for the injured. God’s love was visible in the courage of Boston’s public servants who stood up to the terrorists last Friday night. God’s love was tangible in the generous opening up of people’s home to those needing a place to stay near the hospitals where their loved ones were being cared for. God’s love was evident in the many prayers offered across the world, and the thousands of charitable donations made for the care of the injured. God’s presence was visible this past week when an injured victim who lost both legs attended a Boston Red Sox game carrying an American Flag and received a standing ovation – the ongoing support is so crucial at a time like this.
“And how many times did we hear public officials, news reporters, and everyday citizens of Boston mention God and the need for prayer in radio and TV interviews? The City of God often seems hidden until tragedy strikes. But when tragedy does strike, the Risen Christ always makes his presence known through the goodness, mercy, and courage of the citizens of the City of God.
“Evil cuts bloodily through every age in human history. The struggle of good with evil is given meaning only by the certainty of the compassion and protection of our Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd was needed in John’s time, was needed in Augustine’s time, and is needed now in our time. Let us in gratitude thank Jesus, who remains with us as our loving Good Shepherd in the midst of tragedy and suffering, and who will remain with us until the end of time, when there will finally be no more suffering and no more tears.”
Last weekend we celebrated the central core belief of the Christian faith – the Holy Trinity, that the very essence of God is that God in himself is a communion or family of love. The Trinity reveals itself in the world and in our lives when we reach out and make others feel welcomed, when we extend our love and help towards the needy, when we even invite our kids’ friends over for a meal or a slumber party, when we let go of prejudice for God is a welcoming God. The greatest sign of the Trinity’s presence at work is “communion” both within and outside the Church when people reach out and invite others into their lives and help others.
The Holy Trinity is not a mystery or a “puzzle” to be figured out, but a life to be entered into as we are drawn into the Trinity’s life. The life of the Trinity is to be lived out in our daily life through a life of hospitality, caring, love, service, unity, reconciliation. In so doing, we build up the City of God among us.
Our work is a humble work but we know that God will give the growth in God’s own time and bring to fulfillment the good work God has begun within and among us.
