"When we accept the Kingdom of God into our hearts, we accept self-denial. We no longer do things according to our will; we give ourselves completely over to the will of God."

The Old Man's Son

An elderly man lay dying in a hospital. He had suffered a heart attack and was heavily sedated for the excruciating pain. A nurse came in escorting a tired, anxious young man. “Your son is here,” she whispered to the old man. She had to repeat herself several times before he opened his eyes to look at the young man standing outside the oxygen tent.

The old man reached out his hand and the young man took it and held on tight. The nurse brought the young man a chair and for the entire night the young man sat holding the old man's hand, offering words of hope and encouragement. The dying man said nothing, he just held on to his son.

As morning came the old man passed away and the young man gently placed his now lifeless hand on the bed and went to notify the nurse. The nurse began to offer words of sympathy but the the young man stopped her.

“Who was that man?” he asked.

“I thought he was your father,” replied the nurse.

“No,” answered the young man, “I had never seen him before last night.”

“I don't understand,” said the nurse, “why didn't you say something?”

“Because I saw that he needed his son, and his son wasn't there. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me.”

Earthly Wisdom

As Christ prepares His disciples for His passion and death, His followers still do not quite grasp the reality of Jesus’ teachings. They are still thinking like men, motivated by their ambitions of position and power. They have not yet risen above earthly wisdom to the true wisdom that comes from God.

The apostles still expect an earthly kingdom, but the real nature of Christ’s kingdom is spiritual, not political or military. The victory of Christ is a victory over the hearts of His people. That is how we can say that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was a triumph.

We live in an age of personal validation. We have taken relativism to an extreme. Our contemporary society has validated everyone's personal opinion. Entire businesses are shut down, livelihoods are lost, and the character and reputation of people are being “cancelled” often over the complaint of just one person.

The age of Covid has only made the situation worse. Before the pandemic we would greet each other with a simple “good morning” or “hello” as we passed in the street. But nowadays we are just as likely to avoid eye contact and say nothing as we pass each other. The masks we wear, out of an over abundance of caution, are another layer that isolates us from our brothers and sisters.

Add to that the electronic devices that increasingly demand our attention and we are quickly becoming a society of self-absorbed, self-centered individuals. We have come to the point where simple acts of kindness and humanity, acts of beauty, make headline news.

How To Be Miserable

“Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use "I" as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others.” “How To Be Miserable”author unknown.

Are we losing our sense of compassion for the other person?

The teaching of the Church on Social Justice fills volumes. Hundreds of pages have been written delving into all the nuances and proper treatment of the poor and marginalized. It is really a teaching about how we are to treat each other, with dignity and respect. Yet all of this information and explanation can be summed up simply as “take care of the person first.”

To be a Christian means to follow Christ and the example He has set for us. We do this not only socially but also vocationally in the way we use our gifts. Regardless of the nature of our gifts we can always find ways to use them to help others.

We may from time to time have to choose between what we would like to do, and what we know in our hearts that we must do. To choose what we must do over what we would like to do is a sacrifice. Our true nature is to sacrifice for the “other.”

When we accept the Kingdom of God into our hearts, we accept self-denial. We no longer do things according to our will; we give ourselves completely over to the will of God. This is the true battle Christ fought and died for. It is a battle between God’s eternal wisdom and the selfishness of our fallen human nature. The battlefield is the human heart and the prize is our immortal soul. Jesus endured the pain of that struggle and triumphed over it, winning our redemption.

To take part in that victory we must abandon our sense of self and commit fully to God. We must give up our selfish motivations and desires, and recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from above. Then we will see that all our gifts and abilities and accomplishments are given to us to be used in His service and for His greater glory.

Pax Vobiscum
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com

Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary visions of sacred art. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org 

Purchase fine art prints of Deacon Lawrence’s work here.