When Will We Learn?

There is a reason the saying, “hindsight is twenty-twenty” is so popular. It is true. Looking in the rearview mirror is always a reminder that we should have known better. As Bugs Bunny’s used to say, “I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.” We do know better.

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” Then said the Jews, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’? ” He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” As he spoke thus, many believed in him.

John 8.21-30

Today’s Gospel reading, selected for the Saturday after the Feast of Holy Cross, is our rearview mirror. Over and over God has warned us what would happen if we didn’t change our ways. “Even what I have told you from the beginning.” From Genesis until now, God has warned us.

STILL, we don’t learn. If reading the Holy Scriptures isn’t enough to help us learn our lesson, maybe the lives of the Saints would help. Today is the commemoration of the Prophet Jonah. His story is another example of what happens when we don’t learn from God’s warning.

If the Holy Scriptures and the Saints aren’t enough, maybe our own lives would help us learn. Apart from our spiritual life, our coaches, our teachers, our leaders at work, all try to help us succeed. When we finally succeed, we realize they were right the whole time.

There’s something about our spiritual life that makes us ignore what would otherwise make total sense. Those who have ‘done it before’ know what they’re talking about. The Church knows what it’s talking about. God knows what He’s talking about. When will we learn?

As we close out the commemoration of the Holy Cross, rather than going back to ‘life as normal’ let’s go forward in Christ. Learn from Jonah. Learn from Church. Stop ignoring God’s warnings and start living holy lives.

Holy lives aren’t perfect lives. Holy lives are lives dedicated to following God’s way instead of the world’s way. The wisdom of the Cross taught us to turn the world upside down. Start by making a renewed commitment to be in Church for Divine Liturgy ON TIME EVERY Sunday.

The way of the world places Church ‘down the list’ of important things to do. A great place to start is by ‘saying no’ to anything that takes us away from Church on Sunday. Baby showers, bridal showers, fishing trips, family brunches, business paperwork, all take us away from Church.

Christ gave us His Church to save us. When will we learn the world will never save us?