It's finally August and with August comes some change! Some of the change isn't very dramatic, for example this upcoming Sunday, August 4th those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours switch from Volume III to Volume IV as the Church enters the 18th week of Ordinary (or what some would joking call "Bordinary") Time. However, on the flip side of that same coin, Sunday August 4th brings huge, massive, unbelievable change. Not only for myself but for the many people who officially begin their one year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (in particular about 70 of us in the Detroit Office). That's a mere three days away! Something that has admittedly been very hard to grasp and in some cases come to terms with every time I say goodbye to someone.
On a mere whim, I decided to listen to another sermon by Fr. Robert Barron. In particular, sermon #656 for...yep you guessed it, the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The sermon that Father Barron gives is oddly appropriate when considering the content coincides well with Sunday being the first day of living the JVC lifestyle and values. Like last time I won't do a play by play of his sermon, but it's a good one and it focuses on what Fr. Barron refers to as the Great Yes and the Great No.
Some context would be helpful. His sermon addresses the age old debate within Catholicism of the world and the status of its goodness and the balance one must find in enjoying said goodness. In brief the world is good as it is created by God; however, the world itself is not God. Thus you have the basis of the Great Yes and the Great No which forms the paradox of Catholic spirituality and morality. A healthy Catholic spirituality and healthy Catholic morality say Yes! to the good in the world which participates in the goodness of God as Fr. Barron clearly states. However, this Yes! needs to be balanced with a No! for the world despite all its goodness is not God who is the ultimate good. Thus too much Yes! can lead to idolatry of the world and its replacing God as the source of ultimate fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness (which the world is inherently incapable of doing). Thus No! prevents this slip. However, too much No! isn't good either as it pushes away the goodness of God's creation which is meant to be enjoyed (in a healthy manner of course). So a healthy practice of Catholic spirituality and morality is found in the tension of the paradox formed these two principles. For more explanation on that I encourage listening to the sermon which has been hyperlinked above.
So what's the big deal? Well I can't help but think about JVC attempting to create and establish this healthy Catholic spiritual and moral atmosphere through its core values which in turn direct volunteers into a certain lifestyle which are best described by the values themselves: Community, Spirituality, Simplicity, and Social Justice. All of these, if done properly, are located in the paradox of the Great Yes and the Great No. In particular simplicity I think is one that demonstrates this with the greatest ease. A simple lifestyle says Yes! to the world and a certain level property, possessions, convenience, comfort, etc. However, at the same time it says No! in such a manner that these good things of the world do not replace God. More specifically, it prevents overabundance of material good. Essentially, the core value of simplicity attempts to live out the message of the Gospel reading for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary time which is *SPOILER* Luke 12: 13-21 (Parable of the Rich Man). That material goods are good but they cannot replace God in any way hence as volunteers we say No! to the overabundance and obsessive focus on material things. Additionally it ties into the other core values as well (since they are all sort of interwoven, kind of like St. Augustine's theology is all interwoven; in order to understand one [time] you need to understand some of the others [original sin, nature of the soul, etc]). In particular simplicity allows the focus to remain on community in the sense of the JV community and the greater community the JV's are immersed in. It also encourages the development and cultivation of that healthy Catholic spirituality which complements morality; I think helps point the individual to understanding what is truly "just" (not without the occasional struggle of course) allowing them to serve the community in their placement to the best of their ability. Of course this is just my understanding in relation to Fr. Barron's sermon.
So I think this upcoming Sunday is a very important one when all things are considered. A day of important change for a lot of people. Considering all of this, prayers for Jessica, Michael and I are especially appreciated this weekend and in particular on Sunday as we begin our journey together with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps at orientation in Indiana before heading out to SoDak! As always thanks for reading and God bless!
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