Long life

Homily
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Kansas City Young Adults
Holy Spirit Parish
18 February 2010

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Moses and Jesus do not sound the same. But they are saying the same thing, although Jesus is promising more, of course. Moses says following the rules will lead to a longer and more prosperous life. Jesus tells us to allow ourselves to be killed. He tells us to lose our lives, and to forsake the life that Moses is promising, in order that we might save it. Moses and Jesus seem to be saying different things, but both of them are promising longer and more prosperous lives. Moses tells us to follow the commandments. Jesus gives us a new commandment, different from the 'thou shalt not's of Moses. It is the commandment to take up your cross, and follow Him.

Moses' commandments are the sure guide to the moral life, in which we try to do as much good as possible and avoid as much evil as possible. This is the surest path to life, and life in abundance in this world, to surround ourselves with goodness and to limit our exposure to evil. We all know this and have experienced it.

Yet Jesus reminds us that the natural goodness of this world does not completely satisfy man. The mystery of man is deeper than living the longest life with the greatest number of blessings. He reminds us that what is deepest within man is the vocation to love. To love is to always lessen oneself for the benefit of the beloved, and this vocation brings meaning and peace and a supernatural destiny to man that a long life and the blessings of this world cannot bring. So Jesus says to us plainly, that the blessing of a long life is only good if each moment of that life is spent fulfilling the vocation to love. What would it profit a man to gain the whole world, but to lose his soul, which can recognize Jesus' commandment of love? St. Paul would say that same thing, that even if I have faith to move mountains, and understand all the mysteries of the world, but have not love, I am nothing. Jesus reminds us that we can follow the commandments perfectly, and in so doing maximize our natural happiness in this world, but still not fulfill our ultimate vocation to love. So he tells us to offer back every blessing we receive from God in love. He tells us to take up our cross daily, and to follow His example of love.

The apparent contradiction between Moses and Jesus gives way to the revelation of a paradox that characterizes the life of a Christian. A Christian, while seeking to live perfectly in this world, and to be a good steward of the life he has received by doing good and avoiding evil, also is never conformed to this world, nor is he ultimately a part of this world, nor is he ever owned by the natural happiness this world provides, because of his transcendent vocation to love. to take up his cross, and to follow Jesus. The Christian while thanking God for every blessing that He has received, is the one who truly possesses life because he is willing to give it away as a gift, for the good of another, in hope and anticipation of the gifts of the world to come. +m