Saint Matthias
Jesus said “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” What does this kind of love look like? Jesus loved as he was loved by being faithful until death, foolishly hanging on a cross until his assigned work was finished. And this is not in any way conditional, for he said, “forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
There is great tension between the commandment to love, and the hard work involved in love's practice. We are to live in the midst of the process like St Matthias, called not because he was right but simply because he was faithful. Chosen by lot to stand in the gap left by Judas the betrayer of Jesus, Matthias in his faithfulness was not merely a space filler. He may have been chosen to stand in place for Judas because Judas at the moment could not stand for himself. Standing for those who have gone their own way, who cannot or will not stand for themselves is a direct participation in the passion of Jesus, who did not save himself but hung there for all of us who cannot save ourselves. Hope, not certainty, is the essential discipline, and it is what this feast calls us into.
Jesus said, “I have said these things to you that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” This joy comes into its fullness not by existential certainty, not by exaction of human justice and the closure it seems to effect, not by efficient problem-solving, but only by holy risk. This is the risk of trust, the risk of waiting, the risk of submission to the crucified one whose cross in faith we must also take up.
Recent Issues
September 2024
May 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
July 2023
May 2023
January 2023
December 2022
October 2022
September 2022
July 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015