Reflection for November 11, 2009

Wis 6:1-11
Ps 82:3-4, 6-7
Lk 17:11-19

Every Thursday morning, from 8 – 8:30, I meet with a group of men, all either faculty or staff, to discuss spirituality. I am easily the youngest by a decade and our oldest participant has more than 40 years on me. Even with such a depth and diversity of wisdom on manhood we find ourselves discussing a book about male initiation. Richard Rohr’s “Adam’s Return: The 5 Promises of Male Initiation.”

The ‘5 Promises’ are realizations which need to occur before adult maturity is possible. They’re a bit on the dark side, but I’d like to share them with you.

1. Life is hard
2. You are not that important
3. Your life is not about you
4. You are not in control
5. You are going to die

Harsh, I know, but the Psalm today addressed the very same issue: “Yet like all men you shall die and fall like any prince.”

Ok, so how do we respond to such negativity? I’ll suggest two ways:

1. Remember who you are.

As the Psalmist begins:
Defend the lowly and fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and needy.
Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

At our baptism we were anointed ‘priest, prophet, and king’. Take these roles seriously.

Be a priest – minister to those around you; celebrate joy, listen attentively, embrace warmly, care for those you encounter.

Be a prophet – identify and proclaim injustice in the world; tell people when they hurt you, ask for forgiveness when you hurt them.

Be a king – work to bring about government that defends the defenseless; whether it’s the unborn, the poor, those without health care, inmates on death row, or children without education. Be a man or woman for others.

So #1 is to remember who you are: Priest, Prophet and King

2. Remember Whose you are:

In today’s gospel 10 lepers are cleansed. 9 do what Jesus tells them; they follow the Jewish law and visit a priest. The 10th, not needing to follow Jewish law because he’s not a Jew, returns to Jesus overwhelmed with gratitude. Jesus responds, “Your faith has saved you.”

In other words: we are put right with society by following the law, but we are saved by responding in gratitude, by acknowledging that God is not ours, but that we are His.

So #2 is to remember Whose you are: you are God’s; and then to respond in gratitude.

Finally, humor me by letting me re-interpret the ‘5 promises’:

1. Life is hard – we are all lepers in someway
2. You are not that important – BUT you do reflect God’s goodness, just as the moon reflects the sun
3. Your life is not about you – so be men and women for others
4. You are not in control – unclench your fist and let God take the reigns
5. You are going to die – but death is the central piece of the Christian Mystery – life, death, resurrection – so celebrate life by always remembering who you are and Whose you are!