Sometimes those close to us are the ones that appreciate us less. Persecution is most painful when it’s from the one who ought to embrace us. Because we are afraid that when people get to know more about us they may begin to less appreciate and love us, we are sometimes afraid of familiarity. That’s why they say familiarity breeds contempt. But we are not alone in this situation.
Our Lord Jesus experienced the same in Luke 4:16—30. His own people who ought to embrace him more than others tried to throw him off the cliff. They could not accept him because they thought they knew him very well. “This is Joseph’s son, surely.”
And we sometimes are like these people: we get familiar with Jesus and persecute him. We get used to Mass and the Eucharist; we cram the prayers; we know a lot about the scripture and doctrine; we get familiar with the priests and Religious, etc. We thus treat all these with mechanism and contempt. We scorn and laugh at anyone who tries to bring life out of them. Thus, we persecute the one we ought to love….
Should we then not get used to Christ and things that relate to him because we may treat them with contempt. No! Familiarity breeds contempt when there is no love! Love makes all things new. We must back our knowledge of Christ and his Church with love. And continue to renew this love. For love not renewed grows arid. And aridity can lead to scorn and persecution.
Therefore, our love for Jesus in the Eucharist must be constantly renewed, especially through confession. We must constantly ask ourselves why we do the things we do in the name of Christ so as to get rid of all selfishness that may creep in. If not, we may try to throw off from the cliff of our lives the one who loves us so dearly and offers himself for us. We persecute the one who has come to us with the message of life and abundance of blessings. Our love, both for God and each other, must undergo constant renewal.
Our help is in the name of the Lord—who made heaven and earth.
Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R (01—09—08 Archangels’ Parish Satellite Town, Lagos)
Familiarity indeed brings contempt, and that accounts to the reason why some people sometimes try to keep away from their friends to cause some kind of appreciation or what we call in love world, "missing him or her". Sometimes, this strategy works, other times it marks the end of the relationship. In human relationship, it makes sense; but in divine relationship, in our relationship with God, it does not make any sense. How can we grow tired or weary of Goodness? Those who get tired of God have in the first place disconnected themselves from Him. What leads to weariness or indifference to God is man's failure to remain connected to Him. I agree intoto with you when you suggest that we should renew our relationship with God daily. There is need for daily renewal of our relationship with the One who alone is Good. When people forget why they are here on earth, when we forget the reason for our existence, we can as well say goodbye to God who is the definer of that reason and purpose. It pains me so much that material things have become the very reason for many people's existence. Good things are good; they are there to enhance life on earth, to enhance our relationship with God and with one another. They are not the essence of life. God is the essence, the reason and the purpose for our existence. A young white boy recently told me he is not ready to give up sex, hard drugs and execcesive drinking because he is catching fun, and not hurting anyone. When i told him he is hurting himself and the relationship he has with God, he replied, "No, i am not". I refused to give him absolution because he told me point-blank that he is not yet ready to give up those things especially sex. He left the confessional feeling cheeeful! What a world!
ReplyDeleteFr. Marcel Divine