SEPTEMBER 30/OCTOBER 1, 2017
4:30 PM (SAT), 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
Kin’tsugi – 金継ぎ (きんつぎ) – is the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramic ware with lacquer mixed with precious metals – like gold, silver, or platinum.
Legend has it that a 15th century Shogun sent a damaged Chinese tea bowl back to China for repairs. When it was returned, it was in worse shape than when it was sent … prompting Japanese artisans to look for more aesthetic methods for repairing broken pottery.
Allegedly, collectors became so enamored with the gold and silver seams along the cracks, that some took to smashing their valuable pottery … just so that it could be repaired using the Kin’tsugi method.
Philosophically, it treats brokenness and the subsequent mending as a valuable part of the history of an object, rather than something to hide or disguise. Embracing the imperfections and flaws as an artistic record of an article’s history … as well as avoiding waste … and accepting change.
Today is the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In the first reading, Ezekiel shines a spotlight on an all-too human issue: Blame.
In a preceding pericope, Ezekiel calls out the people for blaming their parents and their ancestors … and here, he throws a flag on their attempt to blame God.
The bottom line is: Blame yourself. That is, take responsibiilty.
All too often, we may find ourselves in circumstances where we are looking for a scapegoat. And yet, in the end, the responsibility is our own. By owning our brokenness and growing from our mistakes, we can shed the burden of sinful pride, and in a spirit of humility receive the gracious gift of God.
The parable Jesus tells in today’s Gospel reflects this. If we allow a bad decision to own us, we can never repent. In recognizing that we have made a wrong turn, we can experience a metanoia – that is, Greek for a “mind-change” – and return to the right path without hesitation.
St. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians presents us with the solution – which may seem “easy to say” and “hard to do.” We are called to put on the “mind of Christ” … here it is translated as “attitude” … but it can also mean “disposition,” “interest,” “concern,” or “affection.”
In other words, Paul is encouraging us to think and act … to live and love … like Jesus.
This requires, first of all, a metanoia – a change of mind.
More Jesus. Less me.
St. Paul spells it out:
thinking of others (over ourselves),
acting in service of others (and not just for ourselves),
sacrificing for others … so that by seeing Christ in one another,
we can become more like Jesus.
Which in the end takes the focus off our ourselves and in turn, gives glory to God – Who is “all good and deserving of all our love.”
And this, then, is the mind of Jesus … and this, then, is the remedy for the blame-game … born of sinful pride, and lacking in humility and virtue.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … let us pray for the graces we need to put on the “mind of Christ.” To take up our crosses, without reservation, and – indeed – to truly follow Him.
Then healed of our sins by God’s powerful graces poured out on us, may we own our past so as to embrace our future … through, with, and in Christ Jesus our Lord.
