To test Jesus, the Pharisees pose this question,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife.” But Jesus goes back to the
beginning and reveals the mystery of communion: “It is not good for the man to
be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.” A communion of persons is
possible only because of mutual help. We are not sufficient unto ourselves. We are
dependent on others.
We are limited creatures, but God gives
us helpers to help us bear our limitations and accept them. We see this clearly
in married life but also in the common life of monks. Going one’s own way by
refusing any dependence on others, is a recipe for disaster. Our Lord embraced
his dependence – first, his dependence on Our Lady and Saint Joseph; then, on
the companionship of his disciples, and above all, on his intimacy with his heavenly
Father. We must do the same. Marriage is fruitful physically in the blessing of
children but also fruitful spiritually in a partnership of life to the end. And
the spiritual fruitfulness of monks is drawn out of the crucible of common life.
And so we recall a story from the
Special Olympics. A group of youngsters with Down syndrome were lined up for
the fifty-yard dash. Off they went, but half way down the track one of the
children tripped and fell to the ground. After a few more yards, the others
stopped, turned around, and went back to their fallen companion. They lifted
him up, and locking arms, they all walked the rest of the way, crossing the finish
line together with big grins on their faces. That is the communion of persons
we will see in heaven – a communion of little children who realize their
dependence, recognize the grace of God, and bear fruit in abundance. In the
Eucharist we receive the greatest Helper of all, “bone of our bone and flesh of
our flesh,” thanks to his mother Mary.
Photograph by Brother Brian. Excerpts from Father Vincent's Sunday Homily.
