Showing Up

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer an opportunity to consider both the ecstasy and the "cross" of discipleship. The psalmist praises the intimacy of his experience of the Divine Presence as he is confident of being upheld and comforted in the depths of the night. Peter, in the Gospel of Matthew, responds to Jesus revelation that the journey to Jerusalem will involve great suffering and death with the proclamation that "This must never happen to you!" The error in Peter's outburst is sharply countered by Jesus. Larry Gillick SJ reflects that the "cross" which we choose to embrace as disciples often is tied to "showing up" for the life which our relationship with God indicates to us. The reading from the Book of Jeremiah is about showing up to present the message of God while at the same time being aware of the ridicule and persecution that this choice will bring. Paul addresses the Romans and us about understanding that our presentation of our very human imperfect self is the necessary step in the transformation of our direction to that which is in accord with our discernment of the will of God. The delight of the Creator in the 'creature', "as is", is the foundation for transformation of the weak, imperfect and fragile to that which is not "conformed to this world".