CHRISTIANITY: 

“A DANGEROUS 

LIBERATING MEMORY” 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Christianity: ‘A Dangerous Liberating Memory.”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading triggers the question: being the natural person or being the spiritual person?

The difference is whether we have the mind of Christ - whether we understand everything with the Spirit which is from God - of if we just go by human wisdom.

Today’s gospel could get us to see ourselves as the man with unclean demons and we scream out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”  Do we know Jesus is the Holy One of God - who has come not to harm us, not to destroy us, but drive our demons out of us - and heal us?

We have choices.

JOHANN METZ

I noticed a theological point by Johann B. Metz last night when working on this homily.  I hadn’t seen his name in years - but there he was  - and still alive - in Germany -  in his 90’s [1924-  ]

He was drafted into the German Army as a teenager in 1944 and was captured and ended up in Maryland and Virginia. After the war he went back to Germany and became a priest and a theologian.

MEMORY

One of his key thoughts is the impact of memory on a human being - especially suffering.

Obviously, he reflected on how much impact the memory of World War II had on people. He reflected deeply  about the suffering - the war - the murders at Auscwitz - the cruelty  of people on people can be.

Recently, the papers talk about the abuse of young people and then the  coverups and the silence and the secrecy of bishops, cardinals and popes about how young people were abused.

Johann Metz’s thought would urge us to reflect upon how much abuse damages the psyche, the memory, of people for life. Then that person could have cuts and scars on their soul.

For life….

His theology and his teaching and writings and sermons spoke out about the poor of the world - how their lack - their hunger - their suffering impacts them for life. We can ask any person: “Where does it hurt?”

He used the word “solidarity” - Solidarity with others - a word John Paul II used which he grabbed from Heidigger and Existenialist writers.

We’re all in this together.

He is still alive and I have read very little of his material - my loss.

From the little I read last night - he would be totally against walls - in Germany there was the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall - as well as around our worsld and around the world. He would want the richer nations and societies to take in the poor - all of them.

He would be for Solidarity - being in communion with the all of the world.

That’s the meaning of Catholic - KATA HOLOS - with the whole world - being in solidarity - that solid - with others - with all.

Let me tell you lots of Catholics fail here - including myself - over and over again. The world has been full of selfies long before digital phones.

EUCHARIST

Johnnan Metz saw the Eucharist - this Mass - this Meal - this Communion as central to life.  We all are welcome in this place.  We are all equal. This is our common table.

 I noticed that Metz would say the key words at the Mass are Remembrance - do this in Memory of Me - and the covenant to be with each other.

I noticed last night Metz saying that God is not apathetic - which is the complaint, the scream of so many - I’m suffering - I’ve had my Auschwitz's and my suffering and where is God? And God screams from the Cross: "I was born here. I am here. I came here. I suffered here - I was beaten and nailed and killed here - like what happens all over the world from the beginning of time. Just turn on the TV, just turn on the Cross, and I’m in your suffering."

CONCLUSION

Just as a horrible memory - for example,  abuse - can be with someone for the rest of their life, Metz would say the memory of Christ has to be just as deep, just as lasting, just as deep within us - all our life. It can’t be like a cloak - it has to be deep within.

St Alphonus - the founder of the Redemptorists - called all this the call of all of us to be a Living Memory - a Viva Memoria of Christ in our world.

Some people say they are abuse survivors. The hope for us Christians is that we see ourselves as Redemption survivors, Redemption thrivers. Hopefully we keep the dangerous liberating memory of Christ within us as we bring that memory into the world.