1st Lent - Where are we, where are we going?

How did we survive without our phones?  How did we ever get around without our map apps? I would still be lost in Rome if it were not for those apps.

Think about this...When we call an Uber or Lyft, what is the first question we are asked? “Where are you? Where do you want to be picked up at?”  A great question, “Where are we?” I know, we are at Our Lady of the Snows parish, 1138 Wright St. Reno Nevada 89509. 

But “Where are we?” In our hearts and in our minds? As individuals and as a community, a church

All of our lives are a journey. Conversion into the fullness of who we are as persons is a lifelong process. See, it’s not about being the “Best uber Catholic” But even deeper, about being a true human person.  During Lent we especially focus on that journey, and Lent is an opportunity to pause; to consider where we are and what seems to be the direction we are going in.  Maybe we have no sense of direction whatsoever? No clue where we are; just sort of feel aimless. Going here, or there, no where. 

Does the seemingly endless bad news of viruses, politics overwhelm us.  Have we been grumpy with our spouse, our parents, our kids, everyone?

Where are we? 

Unfulfilled and frustrated; reasonably comfortable? Maybe too comfortable?

Where are we?  Who are we?

Several times in the past weeks I have been able to speak to groups of teens; I have talked with them about something that I have often spoken to others one on one.  The very core of who we are, the very center of our beings, we are the Children of God; you, me, all of us, are a child of God.  There is nothing that can ever take this away from us. We can never ever lose this identity. We are a child of God.  

On top of this core identity, we begin to layer other aspects of our identity; family, gender, spouse or religious life; further out, there are less important parts of our identity: careers, hobbies, politics, sports…

As long as we remain centered on being a child of God, that it remains our core identity, we will journey well. Because from this core identity, out from it will flow grace, infusing all the other levels, so that the other aspects become means from which to show the world who we are: God’s children.

From our core of where we are, we find the direction of our lives.  Not that we won’t experience difficult times, but the difficult times will not have control over us.

This is Jesus Christ.  His core being, his core Identity was and is, the Son of God.  He held fast to that identity. He understood deeply what that meant and the power and control it gave to him.  From this core he healed, he forgave, he welcomed, and ultimately he gave of himself so that all may know that we too have this same potential; so that all will know that we are the Sons and Daughter of God the Father.

And here in this gospel is one of the difficult times. He is tempted. Physically weakened by fasting, there is pressure to conform to a different way being self. Tempted to power and status, to self-promotion.

He remains true to his core.  He knows where he is and who he is.  No need to prove it.

We get into trouble, we get lost when we place our identity onto those outer levels.

Think of a ball rolling along. When it is perfectly round, it rolls well. It remains round when everything remains centered.  When a bulge appears because an outer edge is distorted, the ball wobbles, it cannot go straight; it may not even be able to roll.  

When we base our identity on anything else that is not our core, then we too wobble around, or do not move forward.

How do we know?...again, think of the anger, divisions, discord in our lives. 

People are so angry at others from differing views, because we over identify ourselves with our politics, with our hobbies, with our race.

So many people are scared because what we thought makes us safe: conformity, uniformity, ...these have collapsed; So out of fear we attack, we fight, we grasp for a nostalgic view of history that never ever existed.

Too many place energy into status, and when lost, too many hurt themselves and others over it.

The wisdom of Christ, the root of our Gospel Message: we are God’s children, so very loved by the Father. All of us, no matter what politics we espouse, what religion we claim, what country we are born to...all of us are God’s beloved children.

This is not earned, nor won, nor purchased. It is God’s free gift to each of us.  The journey of conversion, the experience of salvation, is to walk each day with this faith, and to live it in all that we do.