Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

FR MICHAEL BIBLICAL IMAGERY

(Fr Michael Boakye Yeboah: Vice Rector of St Gregory Seminary, Kumasi-Ghana)

THE PLAN

            One question that is frequently asked by Sunday School teachers to their Sunday School children is: ‘What do you want to do, when you grow up?’ I remember my Sunday school days, when this famous question was posed, I recall the answer of one of the kids, he said: ‘I want to be a ‘Roman Father’ (that is Catholic Priest). This kid like most of us had what we wanted to be in future in mind but the steps towards that end was very alien to us.

            Almost all the followers of Jesus looked forward for the arrival and reign of the kingdom Jesus preached about, but almost all of them lacked the requisite planning/preparation towards that objective. A wise man once said, ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ Jesus having preached to his followers about his kingdom and reign, wanted to show the disciples the way to its realization.

Matthew Chapter 16 is key in Jesus’ preparation for his departure discourse. Jesus dedicated time to prepare his disciples for the mission ahead. This gospel passage highlights the importance of planning in life.

            Planning can be defined as working out in broad outline the things that need to be done and the methods for doing them to accomplish the purpose set for the enterprise. In a nutshell, planning is the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve a desired goal.

            Since creation God has chosen some people to execute his plans for the world. After creation God set Adam as a steward over all that he had created. After Adam other people have been chosen to help execute the plan of God. One central element about the plan of God is that his “chosen agent” cannot alter God’s plans by choosing his/her own path. For example, Jesus asked if the cup can pass him by but he immediately recognized that he cannot alter his Father’s plans so he returned in line and said, “Lord let your will be done.”

            In today’s Gospel, Jesus conclusively presents his plan for the salvation of humankind and the criteria for discipleship. Peter found this plan of Jesus very hard to accept and wanted to talk him out of it. One’s opinion no matter how strong, cannot change the plans of God. Jesus makes this point clear when he said: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

            It follows that the cross is part and parcel of the Christian religion. There is nothing like Christianity without a cross. If it were possible to be a Christian without carrying the cross, Jesus would most certainly have shown us how. Rather he himself carried his own cross all the way to Calvary, he drank the cup of suffering to the dregs, and invited his followers to take up their own crosses and follow him on that same road. That road led to his resurrection and glorification. The same road will lead to our own resurrection and glorification with Jesus. Any other road will not lead us there. This is the beautiful plan God has set up for all Christians.

            The plan of self-denial should not be viewed in the negative. Ordinarily we use the word self-denial in a restricted sense. We use it to mean giving up something. For instance, a week of self-denial may be a week when we do without certain pleasures and luxuries in order to contribute to some good cause. But that is only a very small part of what Jesus meant by self-denial. To deny oneself means in every moment of life to say no to self and yes to God. To deny oneself means finally, once and for all to dethrone self and to enthrone God. To deny oneself means to obliterate self as the dominant principle of life, and to make God the ruling principle. The life of constant self-denial is the life of constant assent to God.

            Because this plan of God appears challenging and frightening to many Christians and ordinarily they would like to avoid it, God at times forcefully draws some people to his plans. An example of this, is what Jeremiah testifies in the first reading. In some biblical editions, the word “seduce” is employed by Jeremiah to depict how God chose him to execute his plans. It was graphically clear to Jeremiah that the call to be a prophet of God will bring pain and suffering so left to him he would have opted out. But God tells the prophet Jeremiah that his vocation was part of God’s eternal plan even before he was born. To assure Jeremiah, God made this declaration: “For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11). These words should remind us that each person has a place in God’s plan and that each of us should carefully listen to God’s voice in prayer in order to discover our special calling.

            There are some of us who have not yet fallen in line with the plans God set for us. One’s plans in life no matter how nice or worthwhile, if it does not match up with the original plans God set for him/her before God sent the person to this world, one may never find peace. There are some people who are very successful in life and can be credited with almost every material gain in life but yet they may lack internal peace. In some cases what the person may be lacking is discernment – the ability to know exactly what God wants from him/her. With this we have countless examples from some of the saints who have gone before us. St Augustine once said: ‘we are made for God and we belong to God and our lives will be restless until they rest in God.’

            It is in this light that I would like to recommend spiritual direction for you. At times some lay faithful think that spiritual direction is meant for only seminarians and religious. No! we all need to have spiritual directors. Even the extremely gifted seer St Teresa of Avila was advised to have a spiritual director. The need for a spiritual director is crucial in our times. Some Christians really need some spiritual guidance. I strongly believe that there are some of you who have the vocation to lay religious life but something may be holding you back. Please speak to a spiritual director. Do not be afraid, for God will surely take care of you.

            Remember, “to follow Jesus Christ” suggests we must render to Jesus Christ a perfect obedience. The Christian life is a constant following of the plans of God; meaning a constant obedience in thought and word and action to Jesus Christ. Let us learn from the example of the Blessed Virgin who had to abandon her own plans at a tender age to follow the plans God set for her though she lacked the initial precise understanding of her call. You may not understand everything about your call but put your trust in Jesus.