Do you recall the old proverb “Familiarity breeds contempt.”?
Many of us have grown up surrounded by the customary symbols of the Christian faith—two or three churches in most of our localities, crosses in our homes, prayers before meals, Sunday Mass, a rosary in times of need. These are great blessings, yet they also carry a hidden danger. When faith becomes too familiar, we risk reducing it to background noise. We can come to know about Jesus without truly knowing Him.
In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus uses a story to alert us to this reality. He says “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ Luke 13:25-27.
The same can happen to us. We may know the stories, the prayers, the customs—but Jesus desires more than that. He desires friendship with us, heart speaking to heart. He calls us not only to recite His words but to let those words shape our lives. He calls us not only to admire Him but to follow Him.
Another pitfall that Jesus alerts us to this Sunday is the tendency for us to presume that our status in life will guarantee us salvation. We may sometimes think that by being well respected and high up the social ladder will entitle us to a place in heaven, while the migrant worker next door, who has little and is often overlooked, but clings faithfully to Christ in prayer and obedience, is less likely to make it. Jesus’ words remind us that the world's measure is not God's measure.
As we gather for mass this coming Sunday at 1100am, let us pray for one another, that we may never let the blessings of our Christian culture become a substitute for a living encounter with Jesus. May our worship this Sunday not be routine, but a renewed opening of our hearts to the One who knows us by name and loves us beyond measure.
Let our closeness to His humanity not blind us of His divinity.
Hope to see you on Sunday.
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