THE DISTURBING PRESENCE

September 23, 2010
Thursday. 25th Week in Ordinary Time
LUKE 9:7-9

Disturbing presence:

Jesus’ presence is not always comforting, consoling, owe-inspiring and justifying. His presence in most occasions could be disturbing. Such was the experience of Herod, the Tetrarch. Herod was perplexed, confused and disturbed in His conscience when he heard of the story of Jesus. He was disturbed because his immoral ways of life and relationships were exposed and challenged by John the Baptist. John disturbed his conscience, yet Herod did not repent. He liked listening to John but had no courage to face the real face of his own being and to take steps to correct himself. His weakness was revealed when he had to behead John at the desire of his illegal wife Herodias. Now, in Jesus the voice of John came to haunt Herod. He believes that Jesus cannot be anyone but John returned to life. He was disturbed for panic and fear struck him. He is now faced with a double dilemma: This Jesus has shaken the comfort of his castle of immoral life. The return of John has put Herod powerless, for the ultimate weapon of punishment—death—has no effect on the Prophet. Since he can no longer silence John, He has to live in the constant echo of truth that comes straight to his heart from the prophet. He had two options: either repent, leave behind the sinful life and follow the path of reconciliation and love, or ignore the voice of the prophet, give a deaf ear to Him even as pretending to befriend him for the lurking fear of his being. He chose to be complacent, but only to be disturbed for his life forever.

Wishful Thinking:

It takes courage and decisiveness to be converted. A feeble heart and confused mind cannot embark on the path of conversion. Herod is a perfect example of the tragedy of wishful thinking. The call to conversion came to him through John and Jesus. He delighted in listening to them. He longed to see Jesus. Yet, he did not take any step to fulfill this longing of his heart. Imagine, what would have been the course of history, if Herod did listen to his conscience and embarked on the path of conversion, took a step towards the Lord to see Him and decided take the challenge Jesus gave Him! Had that happened, Herod would have been venerated as a great saint throughout the world today, a model to be emulated. But what has become of him is the opposite of the ideal. His heart’s longing for Jesus remained a wishful thinking.

Grace and Repentance:

It was Divine grace that came to Herod in the call of John for repentance. It was again that very same grace in its highest form that came to Him in the person of Jesus. The disturbance in his conscience was vicarious; an act of the Holy Spirit, impelling him to act on it so that he may receive the forgiving and merciful grace from the heart of Jesus. Had he dared taking one step towards God, God would have taken a thousand steps carrying him into His abode of peace and reconciliation.

How about me? How often do I feel the “disturbing presence” of the Lord? What direction do I take when the Lord gives me the grace of His disturbance in my heart? How do I respond to the impelling longing I have “to see Jesus”? Does the desire for constant conversion and transformation remain a “wishful thinking”, or do I take a daring step to encounter the true person I am with the person of Jesus?