14th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]
14TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A]
Come to me, all you who labor, who are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. That’s Jesus speaking in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter eleven. He not only issues the invitation; he also provides the means through which we can indeed “come to him.” He does this when he institutes the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Reflect for a moment on the Eucharistic ritual. Jesus makes himself present within the humble form of a Communion Wafer. He is evidently partial to the humble approach. Note the prophecy being delivered in Zechariah: the Savior is depicted riding upon the back of a mule, a beast of burden (Zech. 9:9). That’s how he enters Jerusalem when we mark the occasion of Palm Sunday (see Matt. 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12). He subsequently follows the path of humility, all over again, by becoming the Bread of Life for us within the context of the Mass.
For our part, we respond by processing forward so that we can receive his sacramental presence. Does this ritual action bring a benefit? It depends. On what? It depends largely upon the quality of our disposition. Are you giving yourself over to him? Your posture and your movements would indicate “yes.” But what’s going on deep down inside of you? In order to give something, you have to be in possession of it. Are you in possession of yourself? Or is it the case that you have already given yourself over—to your impulses, your desires, your appetites?
St. Paul warns us about “the flesh” (see Rom. 8:1-13). It’s a short-hand way of saying that we are to the point of being enslaved by our desires, our impulses, our appetites. In such a state, the best you can do is “simulate.” By processing forward, it appears that you are giving yourself over to the Lord. But in reality, you’re giving without having full possession. Ownership has been signed over to “the flesh.” Matthew Kelly compares it to writing a check when you have nothing in the account. All of the funds have been transferred, from your account into an account that belongs to somebody [or something] else.
It’s not a sin to have impulses, to have desires, to have appetites. However, if you give in to them frequently enough, they begin to take over. They own you. They govern you. And that means you have developed into your own worst enemy. You are of the flesh, when instead you could be “of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:9). You’re like the kids who never get to complete their tour of the chocolate factory. They disqualify themselves because they don’t know how to control their impulses. Charlie Bucket, meanwhile, manages not to be overcome by any of his impulses. He gets to complete the tour—and he will get so much more!! The reference here is to a novel written in 1964, by Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Five children are awarded the opportunity to visit Willy Wonka’s factory. Charlie is the only one who will go on to experience a positive outcome.
By extension, if you want a positive outcome from the Mass, it will help if you can demonstrate something more than just a simulation. Learn to rely upon the influence of the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul would recommend. Regain possession of yourself. Then do yourself a profound favor: see about giving yourself over to the Lord. Make it clear that you’re ALL THROUGH with being your own worst enemy.
