Church of the Holy Angels
A man of Italian descent always had a dream of visiting the
city of Rome
and meeting the Holy Father. So he saved
up his money and put together a trip to the holy city, believing it would be
the trip of a lifetime. The day before
he left he went to his barber for a haircut and told the barber about his
plans. "Rome," the barber said. "It's over-rated. I've been there. How are you getting there?" "I'm flying Alitalia." "That's a mistake," the barber
said. "That airline is awful,
they're always late. And the food! You can't even eat the food. Trust me you won't eat a thing." "Where do you plant to stay when you get
there?" "Well," the man
said, "I have reservations at the Hotel Michelangelo. It's supposed to be very good." The barber said, "It's a dump. I've stayed there. It's overpriced and the rooms are small. When you need something, you can't find
anyone. What do you plan on doing when
you get to Rome?" "My heart's desire is to visit the
pope." "Forget it," said
the barber. The pope is busy. He only has time for wealthy and important
people. Not people like you and me. Trust me, you won't even get close to
him."
A
few weeks later the man returned to the barber.
The barber greeted him and said, "I'll bet you took my advise and
didn't go Rome,
did you?" "Oh yes, I
did," said the man. I flew
Alitalia. And not only did we arrive 30
minutes early but they bumped me to first class and I ate like a king. I stayed at the Hotel Michelangelo and they
were nice enough to send a car to the airport to pick me up. The room was huge and I had a wonderful view
of the Vatican.
But, best of all, I had a private audience with the pope in his apartments." "No," said the barber. I'm amazed.
I can't believe it. Well, what
did you do when you saw the pope? Did he
say anything to you? "Oh yes,"
said the man. "I was brought into
his apartments and I knelt down to kiss his ring. He looked at me and said, "My son, where
did you get that lousy haircut?"
Negativity
breeds negativity. And it's so easy for
us to become negative. And it's even
easier to become negative about the people and the things closest to us. That's what's happening in today's Gospel. Jesus comes to visit his hometown. For months he's been traveling around Galilee with huge crowds singing his praises. But when he comes to his hometown, to the
people who know him the best, all he receives is criticism about his person and
his mission. This lack of belief so
unsettles him that he can do no work of power there. The negativity of the people created a
negative environment which was an obstacle to God's grace.
In
this election year, the negativity is right on our televisions or on the
radio. Instead of promoting what they're
hoping to do, politicians focus on what the other hasn't done. Positive turns to negative smear campaigns
and deter us from the important issues and become an obstacle to working
together. Lots of people complain about
the Church – it's too strict, Mass is boring, the leadership is out of
touch. And we disengage rather than
engage failing to involve ourselves in making a difference for the better. Maybe you think that mom and dad can't do
anything right – their rules are lame, they don't like my friends, they won't
buy me what I want. We complain,
"my life is boring." And we
can't find anything good about our parents or our home.
From
the perspective of faith, the negative is unhealthy because it paralyzes us. It encourages us to throw in the towel, to
give up. Criticism zaps us of our energy
and prevents us from being all that God wants us to be. It's why Jesus needed to move on to the next
town or village to be most effective and not be overwhelmed by the negative
energy of Nazareth.
How
do we become more positive? How do we
become more hopeful?
Jane
Brody wrote a recent column in the New York Times about the power of positive
thinking. She gave these reflections
which I've interpreted from a spiritual perspective:
·
FACE YOUR FEARS.
Step out of your comfort zone to help eliminate fear, anxiety and
negative thoughts that can stand in the way of success. Too many people today fill up the void and
their fear with compensatory behavior: drugs, sex, food, alcohol, unhealthy
relationships.
·
RE-EVALUATE EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE. When I was 13 years old I was diagnosed with
scoliosis. I wore a Milwaukee back brace for 2 years – 23 hours a
day! I hated it and wondered why. Years later I came to be grateful for that
time of my life. I grew in understanding
of what it means to be the outsider or to have a disability. What was disguised as a curse, was actually a
blessing when it was re-evaluated.
·
PRAYING.
Prayer is an amazing thing. It
helps us step back from our lives and see how things are fitting together.
·
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FEELINGS. Too many people today let their feelings
dictate their actions. Feelings are like
the Engine Light on your car. If it
comes on and you choose to ignore it, cover it up or hit it with a hammer, the
car isn't going to run. The light tells
you, open the hood, look underneath and diagnose the problem. Feelings call us to do the same.
·
LAUGH.
Laughter is great medicine. Leon
Bloy once said, "Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. Joy is too often missing in our world. Christians are called to be a living sign of
that joy.
·
BE FULLY ENGAGED. Have
you ever had a pity party and the only one invited was yourself? When we feel sorry for ourselves we become
isolated, withdrawn, separated from others.
When I feel down I try to call a friend I've not spoken to in a while or
visit the nursing home or hospital or pray for someone going through a rough
spell. Engagement in the lives of others
dissipates my own concerns and worries.
May
we put aside the negativity that frustrated Jesus of Nazareth. May we become a people of thankfulness and
joy. Thankful for this place. Thankful for our lives and our freedom. And then use that thankfulness to correct and
improve our country, our church, our families and our world.
