[What does it mean to be the People of God in the Age of Fulfillment? What difference does it make? What difference should it make? Watch the video here. The text is below. ]
Much to the consternation of stage hands and techies everywhere in show business, the “Mic Drop” enjoys widespread popularity. For those of you who are not up to speed, the Oxford English Dictionary defines the mic drop as, (n.) an instance of deliberately dropping or tossing aside one’s microphone at the end of a performance or speech one considers to have been particularly impressive. They go on to say that it is “used to emphasize that a discussion is at an end after a definitive or particularly impressive point has been made, as in: ‘Nuff said. Mic drop!’”
At the RCIA this week, this is exactly how one of the catechumens described what was going on in the synagogue in Nazareth when Jesus said, “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
I think he was on to something, especially when we remember that Jesus just did not pick this particular passage from Isaiah at random. It is one of the passages that heralded the coming of the Messiah and what it would look like. If you stop to think about it, the things described in the passage were exactly the kinds of things that Jesus has been doing before he stopped in at Nazareth and the kinds of things he would continue to do right up to his passion, death and resurrection. He is pointing out to them that the time of fulfillment is at hand.
Indeed, the Church is very clear that just like all Old Testament sacrifices, all Old Testament prophecies were perfected and brought to fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.
(So, if you run across a preacher who is saying that O.T. prophecies are coming true in the present day, please charitably remind him of this reality.)
It is a heady thing to live in the time of fulfillment, but that is exactly what we are doing. Christ fulfilled the prophecies and ushered in the new age of grace. The present age will last until he comes in glory with salvation for his people.
So, how do we live as the People of God in the age of fulfillment?
How are our lives different than those around us? Here’s a quick little quiz to help us out.
1. How do you organize you time?
- Is prayer your first priority of the day, or is it just something that you fit in when you can on the side?
- Do you get your ten minutes of prayer a day? If not, why not?
- If you are not getting at least ten minutes a day of quiet private prayer with God, your life is out of control and you need to make adjustments. No excuses.
- Does all those in the home gather for prayer at a certain time of the day for prayer.
And I don’t mean grace before meals.
Some folks might say, “Oh but Fr. Leo, life is busy with work and school and hockey and dance and whatnot.
If you find yourself thinking this way, then the Evil One is already dominating your lives.
What I have described to you is the MINIMUM.
Remember, if I am the Evil One, I am going to fill your life with so many GOOD things, that you will not have time for your relationship with Christ.
To whom do you give your time? Your life?
To Christ? Or to all these other…things
2. How deliberately do you share your talents?
What ministries are you involved in here at the parish?
What organizations do you volunteer for in the community?
You don’t have to do everything, but you should do something.
In the parish, I always advise folks to commit to one liturgical ministry and one ministry of service to the parish.
In addition to volunteer for one organization in the community. Somewhere that needs your gifts.
3. Finally, how deliberate are you with your stewardship of treasure?
On what kinds of things are you spending your money?
How deliberate are you about distinguishing between needs and wants?
How deliberate are you about giving a planned, proportionate amount to your income to the parish, to the Archdiocese? To other worthy causes both in the Church and in the larger community?
Let me tell you how I came to be deliberate about my stewardship of Treasure to the Lord.
A couple years after I was ordained, the Archdiocese made a commitment to implement the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral letter on Stewardship.
It is a powerful document, which is far more about how to be a Christian than anything else.
Shortly thereafter at a meeting of the priests, Fr. Moore, the Vicar General introduced the new priests’ remuneration package.
As he was talking about the amount of the monthly stipend, he added, “And of course, this is based on the assumption that all priests are tithing to their parish.”
And there was a little twitter of laughter.
And in that moment something inside of me snapped.
I said to myself, “This is so wrong. How dare we ask our people do to something we are not willing to do ourselves?”
So like St. Peter, I went over the rail and into the deep. That night in prayer I committed to the Lord that I would give the first 10% of my stipend to the parish, and any Mass stipends or other gifts would be tithed for other charities and the special collections.
I should have done the math first.
In those days, the priests stipend was $440/month. Between my car payment, my student loan payment, one other monthly expense and the tithe, I started every month $49.73 in the whole.
But, I had made a private vow to the Lord.
So there could be no excuses. I had to live it out and trust that he would take care of me.
I think it was in that moment that I made the transition from consumer of religious goods and services to disciple of Jesus Christ. I had to trust him with my finances…
That was hard.
But you know, I never missed a payment,
I found that I became incredibly grateful for all the little blessings in life.
I learned the difference between a want and a need.
And surprisingly, I found that I had much more money at the end of each month than I really needed.
I realized then that Jesus meant what he said,
And also that you cannot outdo the generosity of God.
I’ve never looked back since.
Now, you may or may not be able to make such a leap all at once, but you can take a step.
My advice is to work yourself up to it.
Sit down. Look at your household finances, pray hard, and decide.
Maybe you start by committing 1% to the Church and 1% to other charities this year. Then next year, do the same assessment and work yourself up to 2% and 2%. And then the same thing the next year and so on and so on.
For many of us, this is the most uncomfortable part of our life as a disciple, but for me, I found it was the most necessary. For me, I found that if I do not trust Christ with every part of my life, including my finances, then I am not loving him with all my heart and all my strength and all my soul.
I like what Bishop Gerber had to say about discerning one’s commitment of treasure. He said:
- “After prayerful thought about the size of our gift;
- When we do not find ourselves making excuses for its size;
- When we know in our hearts it is sacrificial;
- When we are completely honest with God and with ourselves;
- Then we know our gift is the correct amount.”
In the end, it’s all about gratitude. As the Psalmist says, “How shall I make a return to the Lord, for all the good he has done for me…(Psalm 116).
In short, when we understand what we have been given
When we understand what we have been FORgiven
Then the only response that is possible.
And the only one that is necessary is gratitude.
Then the only question becomes what tangible expression will my gratitude take?
On what and with whom do you spend your time?
On what and with whom do you share your talent?
On what and with whom do you spend your treasure?
To put it more glibly,
Show me your calendar
Show me your bank statement
And I’ll tell you what your priorities are.
Much of what I have just said is already known and lived by many of you. You’ve already made the time and the effort to be in this church or watch online.
But it is good once in awhile to sit back and take inventory. To look at one’s life and make an honest self-evaluation how we spend our time, talent and treasure.
To put the “discipline” in “disciple”
To be deliberate in how we express our gratitude to Almighty God as people of the new covenant,
Proclaiming the joy of the gospel
In all that we say
But more importantly, in all that we do.
So that those around us may come to know their Savior.