Low Sunday
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. While it has waned a bit, there was a bit of a hubbub in years past about participation trophies. I think it’s good to promote participation in competitions, to encourage people to reap the benefits of such competitions. But in any competition there is a winner and a loser. I myself have been a loser many a time (some may still think I am!). When taken to its logical conclusion, few really want to eliminate winners, though. Imagine the Michigan fight song in a woke context without winners: “Hail to the Participants, valiant!” doesn’t quite do it.
St. John talks about victory on this Divine Mercy Sunday, also called Low Sunday (contrasting it with last week’s High Sunday), also called Dominica in Albis or White Sunday due to the baptized wearing their white robes. When it comes to salvation and God, there is a victor. God is victorious. And we, St. John says, can participate in that victory. We can overcome the world.
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| Icon from the place of the Resurrection |
But while we do talk about the victory of Christ over Satan and all that is fallen in such ways (one Orthodox chant I remember for Easter says something to the effect of: Christ has risen from the dead, trampling death underfoot), Christ is not a demeaning victor to those who opposed Him. In fact, His victory seeks to gather His opponents onto His team, at least those who still have a choice (i.e., us).
Christ on the cross does not say: “Crush them, Father! Make them pay!” He says, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” To the Apostles, almost none of whom stood by Christ in His Passion, Christ doesn’t say: “You were not with me, so you are against me; depart from me, evildoers, into the pits of Hell!” He says, “Peace be with you.” And even when Thomas fails to believe when Christ appeared the first time, saying that he would only believe if he had physical proof, Christ loving rebukes Thomas, but starts by repeating his Easter greeting: “Peace be with you.”
Christ does destroy sin; utterly wastes it away. But with sinners, He is patient, He is merciful. Which is good news for us. Because we are all sinners. We all, even though baptized, switch sides when it seems convenient, to play for the enemy because it feels better and is easier. When we choose to sin, we become traitors, Benedict Arnolds of our own day.
And so the victory of Christ until the end of time will not look like a military, March Madness, or Super Bowl victory. It is not kill or be killed. It is not lose and go home. Christ constantly seeks to have His victory take deeper and deeper root in us, even if we stumble and fall. St. Peter shows us that even if we deny Christ, we can still return to Him, and even be called to great responsibility as the fruit of great repentance and great love.
So if we are looking for stupendous buildings as a sign of victory; or vast quantities of people becoming Catholic; or political power and clout, we may not see that victory, yet. Christ is still victorious, and yet churches may close; many may abandon the faith; we may be politically oppressed and powerless to change laws and policies. But Christ has still one. And as long as we continue in faith in Christ, both in our personal trust and in holding fast to the truths of what Christ has taught through His Mystical Body the Church (this means both Scripture and the unchanging truths of the faith), then we will be victorious, and share in the spoils of the one true Victor: eternal life with Christ in heaven.
But one day, Christ’s victory will take hold over all creation as He returns in glory. On that day, of which no one knows the day nor the hour, all evil will be defeated; all those opposed to God will be sent to Hell to receive eternal punishment and damnation. At the end of time, no matter how much power or prestige a person had; no matter what office a person held, any person who opposed the reign of the true king and set up his or her own reign will receive the fruit of a just judgment.
Because when it comes to eternal salvation, it is not enough that we simply participated in life. Our decisions now have eternal consequences in what happens after our death. Our choices for or against God confirm if we want to remain with God, thus being prepared for heaven, or if we reject God, thus being prepared for Hell. Keep those white baptismal garments clean. Wash them clean in the Blood of the Lamb when you have sinned by going to confession. Stay on God’s winning team, and receive the prize for those who are victorious in Christ: eternal happiness in heaven, where he lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
