Our Holiness Within Is for Our Discovery
Jesus arrived with his chosen people full of excitement and joy. Announcing to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the high priests, that he was their long-awaited messiah. Jesus received jeers instead of cheers. Jesus’ preaching made them feel uncomfortable. Instead of a welcome mat, the Pharisees and Sadducees looked for opportunities to trick Jesus to prove him an imposter.
One day they handed Jesus a coin displaying Caesar’s image asking Jesus a question about paying taxes. A frustrated Jesus, staring at the coin, must have thought: They still don’t get it do they? Caesar only has authority because my Father permitted it.
Yet, completely calm, Jesus brilliantly and confidently responded: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.” Jesus’ response showed humility and insight. They asked him no further questions.
They knew what belongs to Caesar because his image is on the coin, but no one asks Jesus what belongs to God. Knowing his father intimately, Jesus would have responded: “Because of God’s deep love for creation, my Father made everyone in his image and likeness including his Son.” God wanted creation to be a positive proof of his love.
Jesus’ lifetime on this earth and his resurrection, shows that our life in the created world is short while God enjoys creation forever. God hopes his creation will use earth’s beauty, its gifts, and its challenges to grow into the person God made everyone to be, i.e., “All that we are to become.”
The “all” is what Fr. Jim Martin calls, “the long process of discovering who we really are and are meant to be.” It is who we are when we stand before God “even the portions we wish were not there.” This is why we can’t become holy imitating someone else. As Mother Teresa was fond of admonishing: “Find your own Calcutta to become holy.”
Since all that makes us holy are gifts from God, we have to share them as we make our life’s journey. Jesus shares this story. A person thought highly of what he had accomplished on this earth. He had acquired an abundant surplus. He said to himself “Now as for you, you have many good things stored up for many years to rest, eat, drink and be merry.”
But God responded: “You fool the things you have stored away to whom will they belong?” God wants him and all creation to remember: No matter what we make or how much fame or popularity we acquire, “it all belongs to God and one day God will demand it from us.”
This is why Jesus wants us to trust in God’s generosity. No matter how big or small we think our role is. When we give it our all, it is a compliment to God for loving us in the first place. Even when we can’t see our accomplishments because they appear few, in God’s eyes they are always great. If we just bow before the lord, saying: “Thanks for your help.” With our simple gratitude, we have given back, and God is praised.
Great opportunities to praise God are infrequent, but turning small acts into great acts of praise happen every day. - Saint Francis de Sales
