4th Sunday of Lent - Be the Mystic

If we go online we can find those optical illusions: is it a rabbit or a duck? Is it a vase of two faces There is the one we have here in the church: is it a bunch of splotches, or can the face of Jesus be seen?  These are kind of fun because they tell us that the mind controls what we see.

A favorite poet of mine is Billy Collins. He writes, at least in his collection called “The Art of Drowning”, of simple things but in a much deeper way. His poem on 'Osso Bucco" is one of my favorites.  Poets and artists see life in a different way, and their art translates their vision so that we can see differently too.

Remember the Catholic definition of a Sacrament...a visible sign of an invisible reality.  Catholic by our very nature are to see very differently. Our faith tells us that what we see represents, or signifies something even greater.

This is the mystic!  A mystic doesn’t necessarily have supernatural visión, or is a seer; but is one who sees beyond the literal, into a deeper meaning.

Our salvation is to become mystics; to see God walking in the garden with us.  Our Salvation is to see the Kingdom of Heaven breaking forth into this world.  Our Salvation is to work to bring forth that kingdom.

Children are natural mystics. Their imagination has not been curtailed by life. They see so much in a different way. A long long time ago, as a geologist, our company went out with a bunch of school kids on a fossil hunt. One kid saw dinosaur bones in every rock! Trust me, there were no dinosaurs present, but that is what his mind and heart saw.  What about our imaginations as adults? What about our sight?

Things are rough now. People are scared. People are stressed. We know this, and it is perfectly understandable.  However, I do think we are challenged as Catholics to see differently. Not ignoring the pain, nor the suffering, nor the fear; but also seeing the breaking forth of the kingdom.

I see people making efforts to reach out to others.  I see people being creative with their kids in the homes.  I see people being kinder to those in need; offering to help those who can’t get out; offering to get groceries and whatever.  I see some people making sacrifices of luxuries so that others can simply get by.

Amazing!

Jesus sees a human person in need.  He sees an opportunity to heal and to help others see in a different way, including his own disciples.

They, and others see a sinful man. They see conspiracy.  They see suspicious behaviors.

Jesus sees the beloved child of God and acts on that sight.  We Catholics will say we see the real person of Christ in the Bread and Wine.

The real challenge for us is to see the real person of Christ in others, and in this world, in ourselves.  And to bring that vision forward.