There was a time in the history of the Franciscans where we were a raucous, contentious, squabbling bunch – each group claimed to know St. Francis’ real intention about the way to follow Christ. The minister general of the day, St. Bonaventure, gathered the friars together- and like Moses, gave a sermon that was not too mysterious or too arcane. In a way, he simply told them that to truly follow the intention of St. Francis they had to choose. Choose what each friar would become as a result of their choices and, just as important, consider what the world becomes because of their choices. They were becoming a religious order noted for internal infighting.  And because of it, the world was becoming darker because of their example of following Christ.

Sister Ilia Delia, a preeminent Bonaventure scholar, puts it this way when she said “by imitating Christ one becomes an expressed likeness of Christ through a transformation in Grace.”  In other words, to make the personal choice to be like Jesus, we will receive the grace needed to become what we choose.  It is as St. Paul says in Galatians: “Christ is living in me.” It goes like this: to continually choose to try and imitate Christ, one becomes more like Christ. To become more like Christ, is to be more and more graced.  To be more and more graced, is to reach a tipping point where you become a source of Christ’s grace for the world.  What does that imply?  It is not too mysterious.

The old Baltimore Catechism asked “what is a sacrament?”  Simple answer: An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.  But doesn’t that sound like a description of the person who continually chooses to try and imitate Jesus.  In other words, the human person becomes a sacrament of God.  …and in that moment you become a sacrament of God for the world. You feed the world with the light, love, and grace of Christ.  And the world has a much better chance, through that grace, to become the kingdom of God.  Individual becoming, community becoming and the world becoming – something – and all tied up in your choice.

Kinda’ straight forward.  It is as Moses told the people of God three millennia ago:

“For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ The commandment of the Lord is very near to us, already in our hearts and in our mouths.” 

We only have to carry it out.  Not too mysterious, pretty clear… and yet … .it seems to be less clear at any particular moment. In today’s Gospel in the story of the Good Samaritan we see folks make choices. And in each choice we can ask “what did they choose to be in that instance” and “as a consequence what did the world begin to become?” I will give one example from the Gospel: The priest who passed by, likely a hopeful and holy person, probably thought – “oh man…. If I help this person I will ritually defile myself and for the next seven days I will be unable to serve the people of God by my Temple duties.”  What did he choose?  What was he becoming?  What is the world becoming?

It is in the small, everyday things of life that we find the testing grounds of our choices:

(1) Your little brother or sister wants to play with you when you have one of your friends over. 

(2) The notice for jury duty comes. “Oh my gosh… this couldn’t come at a worse time.” 

(3) You promised the kids that this weekend was family time, when you remembered you promised your brother-in-law you would go with him to the Commander’s game on Sunday. 

(4) You are with friends when the gossip starts. 

(5) Your spouse has upset you and you are so mad you are just beside yourself..  

(6) Your teenager came home Saturday night, way later than promised and looking a little glassy eyed.  

(7) A high-school student runs into their friend from back in the day in 6^th grade.  But they haven’t talked much lately and the friend has gotten kinda’ weird. Other kids talk about them. 

What will you choose from this randomness that life throws upon us? 

In that less–than-clear, what-is-my-next-step-moment What will you choose? What will you become?  What will the world become because of your choice? There are some out there thinking, “Oh Father, why do you think this is difficult? Just do what Jesus would do.”   Let’s see Jesus never had a teenager,  never got called for jury duty, and as heretical as it might sound probably does not care about football.

My point is this… it can all be really mysterious and distant in those moments that are random and catch us by surprise. The Word of God is indeed written on our hearts, but do we take the time away from the random moment – take the time after we have already made a choice – and reflect on whether we made the faithful choice. 

This is what I know.  We are called to become a sacrament of God – an outward sign of the grace of God in the world. The choices we make and the simple things, like the first 7-10 words you say,  reveal or hide the grace of God in the world.  It’s God’s plan… it’s your choice.  Your choices can be random.  Or your choices can become moments of prayer, reflection, and reconciliation.  Become the sacrament.  Amen.