Mud, Sweat and Jeers

This past Sunday, the Gospel reading was the story of the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-41). This is a great story, and perhaps my favorite passage in all of the Bible.

Jesus encounters a man who was blind from birth. He heals the man using a generic mud made from dirt and spit. As far as I know, he had no prescription for this, nor is there any mention of him obtaining authorization from a Primary Care Provider, which is probably what got the both of them in trouble.

What ensues is an argument that involves virtually the whole town, and everything was called into question. Representatives from the large phariseutical companies wanted an investigation and an injunction against the use of mud and spit (probably obtained from Canada). The man born blind was subpoened several times, however all his testimony was thrown out after his parents refused to confirm or deny his existence. His mother repeatedly answered I have no recollection of that when asked about the details of his birth.. Arguments raged, protestors stood outside the temple and shouted we demand what we want, and young children carried signs that said please don't sacrifice our future. "And there was division among them..." is the way the gospel writer understates it.

At the end of the day, nothing was resolved. Jesus himself stayed out of the whole affair. I liked that about him. He never much got into arguing. As important as he thought his work was, he didn't get bogged down in arguing with anybody. Even in the end, when he was finally arrested, beaten and forced to stand trial, when asked if the charges against him were true, Jesus basically shrugged and said whatever.

There is no shortage of things to argue about in our day. In fact the arguments are getting so heated that I worry that the we're going to start shoving back and forth and the whole bar will be wrecked in the ensuing brawl.

When I read in the media some of the horrible and vile things said about the Church, I think about this gospel story. I can understand why the Pharisees were concerned -- they had their agendas to promote. And I know that there are stupid and criminal people in the Church who, like Judas, are willing to sell out the Church for their own ends. At the end of the day, nothing much will be resolved. There will still be those who oppose the Church, there will still be those who do not understand the Church. So be it.

Yet in the quiet away from the hubbub, almost unnoticed in fact, in the tabernacles of our Church, is Jesus present in the Eucharist. For the moment, don't worry about condoms, chauvinism, Dan Brown or Obamacare. The legitimacy of what we claim to be as a church resides there.

Everybody in agreement? Of course not! They weren't back then, have never been, aren't going to be now.As a catechist, I never tell people what they should believe, only what I believe, and I don't argue.

All I know is what I've seen.