The impossible can become possible

As we did the last time I penned a homily (about two weeks ago now), the readings used for this Sunday's gatherings of the faithful are taken from Year A, since we are celebrating the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults.

Unbelievable things can become believable

The scripture readings we have just listened to are filled with prophecies and happenings that rightfully would have surprised their hearers.  They would still surprise us today.  The prophet Ezekiel speaks about the opening of graves and the restoration of life to the dead, images which would have instilled fear in the hearers of his day.  In a time when the Israelites were in exile, the prophet dared to voice the possibility that God would somehow restore them to their homeland – a dream which would have seemed all but impossible, but a prophecy which would have filled them with hope.

The early Christians in the city of Rome would have had an equally difficult time believing the words that Paul spoke to them.  You are not in the flesh, he told them, you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Today, as in the days of the early Christians, we might still shake our heads at the utterance of such words, yet as we come to experience the truth of the gospel for ourselves, we find that Paul's words are pregnant with promise.

The Gospel we have just heard recounts yet other incredulous realities: a friend of Jesus who had died and been buried, a friend who he raised from the dead in the sight of others, and strangers, or perhaps acquaintances of Martha and Mary who witnessed the whole thing.  No one had ever restored life to the dead, or called for a tomb to be re-opened once it had been sealed.  No one had ever called for burial cloths to be removed from a body once it had been prepared for burial, yet those who witnessed these happenings knew that something great and wonderful was happening in their very midst.

Today's scripture passages are filled with stories of unbelievable things which became believable realities, all because of the faith of the people: faith in the person of Jesus who himself rose from the dead.  Faith begins with testimony, the stories that are told of other people's experience.  These stories inspire hearers to want to open themselves to the possibility that the things Jesus spoke about might actually be true.  Throughout the history of Christianity, hearers of the good news have begun by hearing the story, and eventually grown in their desire for gospel truth, which we test and question, and eventually come to believe for ourselves.

Earlier this week, the Cardinal electors entered the Conclave in Rome and after only one day, and five ballots, elected an Argentinian Pope.  Since his arrival on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday evening, Pope Francis has won the hearts of millions.  Instead of speaking a prepared speech that first night, he took the time to speak openly with the crowds in Saint Peter’s Square and with all others who were witnessing that moment by means of television, radio or other forms of modern media.  Unlike any of his predecessors, he began by praying for his immediate predecessor and then asked the people of Rome to pray for him.  In fact, he paused right there and then, bowed toward them (a gesture that spoke powerfully of his humility) and the crowd went absolutely silent while we all prayed.

Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, comes to Rome from the See of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  His words are simple but direct.  They betray the heart of one who has heard the good news of the gospel, and one who has come to believe it.  His is a heart that has truly been formed by his experience of standing close by the poor and the disenfranchised.  Only a heart which has been formed though up-close exposure to the ravages of poverty can speak with such conviction about the necessity for all Catholics to retain a special place in our hearts for the poor of our world. (At the beginning of this Mass, we heard testimonies from some of the people of our world who have witnessed devastating poverty, but who have also found hope, thanks to the gospel.  This is the work that all of us disciples must do so that we can preach the good news not only with our voices, but more importantly through our actions and beliefs).

During the Mass which His Holiness celebrated with his brother Cardinal electors on Thursday, he spoke of the need for all disciples of Jesus to walk in the Lord’s presence, to build the Church with the living stones of our faith, and to base our faith on our confession of Jesus Christ as Lord.

The people of Ezekiel’s time may have found it difficult to believe that there was indeed a living God who could open the graves of the dead.  The disciples of Jesus may have found it difficult to believe that he could raise the dead and restore them to life.  The early Christians may have found it difficult to believe that the Spirit of God lived in them.  People of our times might also find it difficult to believe such things.  Many in our time find it increasingly difficult to believe that the Church has credibility. We ourselves might find it difficult to believe such surprising truths, but the grace of God is at work, and because of this, we can all come to believe ... and if we believe, then all of us can be people of faith.  All of us can allow our hearts to be formed by up-close encounters with the love of Christ, and with the hearts of those who suffer the poverty of our time. The words we speak must therefore bear the seasoning of this conviction, and if they do, they will speak eloquently to the hearts of our time.