Friends
Peace be with you.
In the northern part of Israel, there is a place called Mount Arbel. It is located close to one of Jesus’ often visited towns called Capernaum, which is also the hometown of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Along with Capernaum, there were two other towns closeby named Chorazin and Bethsaida. They are in ruins, though you can still see the archaeological remains from Mt. Arbel. Archaeologists have explored Mt. Arbel and have found caves that were expanded to be dwellings for Jews from about 700 BC onward. They found an ancient synagogue. They know that battles were fought on and for Mt. Arbel. It is believed that the Zealot movement used Mt. Arbel as a training ground for new recruits. The Zealot movement was a violent Jewish movement seeking to overthrow the Roman government. They would have gone to local villages, such as Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, to recruit people and, in turn, these three villages would have also been filled with members of the Zealot movement who would have moved there to be close to Mt. Arbel.
This explanation helped to make sense of Matthew Chapter 11. Jesus begins his address today by saying “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” What things were revealed to the childlike but hidden from the wise and the learned? Immediately prior to that passage, it says that Jesus reproached the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done. The towns Jesus listed, of course, were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. And what is it that unites these three towns? On the one hand, they are the places where Jesus has done the majority of his miracles. On the other hand, they’re towns that seek to solve their problems through a violent overthrow of the government. They’re people who have been waiting for the messiah to appear for so long that they’ve given up. They’ve developed a plan of their own and they’re going to implement that plan even if the real messiah shows up because they believe their plan is better. That’s why Jesus invites, not the powerful ones or the ones with the perfect plans to be part of his movement, but those who are labor and are burdened who are seeking rest. These are the little ones who have intimacy between Father and Son. They deeply desire a relationship with God and are, therefore, invited into the mystery of the trinity through the relationship of the Father and son, a relationship of love built on humility and peace.
Two weeks from today, the Archdiocese of Dubuque is going to go through the largest change it has had since the time Bishop Matthias Loras arrived in Dubuque with four other priests ready to minister to all the faithful living in Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and parts West. It will not be perfect. Mistakes will be made I guarantee. Some will be mistakes on the part of priests and church staff and we ask for your help in lovingly and patiently identifying those so we can learn. Some will be mistakes we either can’t anticipate or had to put off to focus on things more pressing and we ask for your patience with those. But sometimes it will be a mistake on your part. Chances are, at some point in the future, you will arrive at St. Patrick’s at 9:59 for the 10:00 Sunday Mass and only then realize that Mass started at 9:30. Part of the message I hear from Jesus today is that we all need to have a sense of humility as we grow into this new Journey in Faith. There will be challenges and hurt feelings but God is calling us to tackle this in unity in his Holy Spirit.
This weekend also marks the 250th anniversary of our country. We are a country founded on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These three principles, when honored, are some of the most important things that make this country one of the greatest on earth. However, we are also a country, in many ways, founded on violence. There have been more years of our existence when we have been involved in wars than years where we were at peace. We removed native peoples from their lands, subjugated African-Americans as slaves, and forbid women the right to vote. Even in our advanced state of existence, we find the scourge of abortion and euthanasia diminishing the right to life so fundamental to our being.
Today, Mt. Arbel is a favorite vacation spot for Israelis and tourists. It has rock climbing areas and hiking and biking trails. To think that this place that was where people trained for war has now become a playground gives us hope. Let us pray for our country, our leaders, and ourselves, that God turn the violent mountain of our hearts into the playground of the Holy Spirit inviting us into a relationship with the Father and the Son built on humility and peace.
