Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071222.cfm
When my grandniece, Claire, was 6 years old, she was having a meltdown over something or other. I was a witness! As she was ranting and raving to her mother, Melody, who is my niece, Melody calmly looked at her and said: “Claire, it’s time for time out. Come back to me in 10 minutes.” Claire was not happy with that response, and she reluctantly went off. Sure enough, 10 minutes later a much more contrite Claire returned and asked: “Mommy, may I come out of time out?” Without skipping a beat, Melody looked at her and said: “Can you come out of time out joyfully?” Claire said she could, and off she went with a whole new lease on life.
After reading both our readings today, I felt like I needed a map to figure out which cities were contrite and which cities were not. Isaiah was chiding the infidelity of the people once again, and their failure to follow the true God who cares for them. And in our gospel, Jesus is obviously so frustrated at those people for their indifference to him, despite the fact that they saw him heal others, cast out demons, feed the hungry, and tell wonderful stories of God’s love for them. They were disinterested in him, ignored him, and rebuffed him. Can you imagine how hurt Jesus must have been? He came to them with mercy and forgiveness, and they rejected him. Jesus, patient and kind, wanted them to listen with faith and repent with a spirit of joy. In a sense, these people needed a ‘time out’ to think and ponder their actions, much like little Claire did, and then repent and begin again with a clean heart and a joyful spirit.
When we were on our pilgrimage to France recently, our group recited the Novena to the Sacred Heart each day leading up to that feast. Perhaps as individuals and as a parish, it would be well to really look again at that novena which our own patroness, St. Margaret Mary, promoted. The opening prayer asks: “That the burning love of Jesus’ Sacred Heart may inspire us, guide us, and motivate us to deepen our love and care for others and all of creation.” The 31 statements that follow name many of the qualities of Jesus’ heart: furnace of charity, patient and rich in mercy, our peace and reconciliation, etc. These are not only what Jesus wants us to know about him, which the people of his time rejected, but Jesus offers us His Heart as an example and a way to live our own lives. And when we have our failings and personal spiritual meltdowns, his mercy is there in abundance which we can choose to accept, like Claire did, joyfully.
