By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
Finding the voice that defines my identity
June 09, 2024 – 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 3: 9-15 ; Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1; Mark 3: 20-35
When we travel in a flight, we are asked at the moment of take off and of landing to set our electronic devices to flight mode, or sleep mode. The reason is that the frequency of the radio waves that connects the pilot to the control room, can be disturbed if in case the frequency of the device intercepts that of the flight. This is called the communication interference! In our Spiritual life too, we could have this communication interference at times, an interception of unwanted frequencies that can disturb the clarity of communication. But the challenge is to find out which is the right frequency to tune in to.
Those of us who are of the old school, still lingering on with our experience of radios at home, could easily relate to this frequency problems. In fact, I remember as youngsters, we were used to, during our entertainment programmes, an imagination of two or more frequencies that interfere and overlap causing a mess of the information communicated, thus creating fun and laughter! Seriously, it could lead to some crucial problems, if we reason out in detail. But coming back to the message of the Word today, we are called to develop the competence to know the right frequency, tune in to it, and listen to the right voice that can define our identity.
The fact of our experience that is referred to here, is that we could hear many voices around us, each with its own frequency. It depends on us to tune in to the right frequency, to hear the right voice, because the voices that we listen to, and pay attention to, will define our very identity. There could be at least three broad categories of these voices, as presented in the Word today.
The Demonising Voices
There are these voices which are demonising. That is, they highlight the evil around us – either justifying it, or threatening us with its alleged omnipotence, or trying to push us to a sense of helplessness in the face of evil that pressurises us from all directions. These voices compel us to see only the dark side of the reality that surrounds us, and makes us go to the point of hopelessness. This is what Adam and Eve felt when God was calling out for them – it was God’s voice, but they did not hear God’s voice – they heard the voice of the evil one and that is why they were in fear. The voice that had deceived them already, was interfering with the voice that was coming through to them now.
The same voice was trying to overpower Jesus too – but he did not pay heed. He just turned them down. They said: Beelzebul is in him; he has the prince of devils; he is possessed! They were demonising him! These are exactly the demonising voices we hear in the world today: everything is gone to decay; nothing can return to normal; things can go only from bad to worse – these are demonising voices. Are we going to tune in to their frequency, listen to them and find our identity there? Jesus tells us – that is blasphemous. It is against the Truth; it is against the Spirit.
The Patronising Voices
More perilous are the voices which are patronising, because they seem all good, but they are deadly! They are “more” dangerous because they appear to be good, but they are venomous and invariably lead to death. Just as the voice of the tempter that deceived Eve, and eventually Adam too, as if it were trying to make them more than what they were. It was leading them to death… it was leading them to eternal damnation… thanks be to the voice of God, they are brought back to the state of hope, to look forward to the salvation promised. These are ‘patronising’ voices, because they look like they are doing us good, but in fact they make us misunderstand, misjudge, compromise, mix up and confuse truth with half-truths which are nothing less than falsity.
One reason Jesus could have reacted the way he did, to the relatives who had come to take him, could be because they were patronising – they were intending to care for him but they were truly giving in to the falsity that was spread about Jesus, that he was out of his mind. There will be voices around us to say – do not be too serious about your religious principles; do not exaggerate about your faithfulness to God; do not be scrupulous about faith, values and morals… aren’t these the voices we hear today in abundance in the society? These are dangerous, leading to relativism, hedonism and depravity! How many priests and religious, leaders and pastors today of the flock of God, are taken astray by these voices and what a damage they cause to the identity of the people of God!
The Empowering Voice
Jesus teaches us – there is one frequency, the only frequency to tune in to: that of God. Those who do the will of God, they are my brothers, my sisters, my mother, my people! St. Paul in the second reading affirms this. There is an interesting contrast in the first reading and the second, which can give us an insight. In the first reading we hear the blaming of Adam and Eve – however the summary is: that they believed in the evil one and they had to hide themselves! In the second reading St. Paul courageously quotes the scripture saying, “I believed in God and therefore I speak.” When we believe in the Lord, we can stand up and speak, we need not fear, we need not hide, we need not feel ashamed, we can lift up our heads and speak, because the grace of the Lord abounds even where, and especially where, sin wants to rule. This defines our identity! Jesus was so clear about his identity as the Son of God, that nothing of these judgements or condescensions ever affected him.
That is the right frequency for us – the voice of God, the will of God. While we ask the Lord to listen to our cry, to listen to our voices, we are today instructed by the Lord to listen to the empowering voice of God. This voice makes us overcome the weaknesses and the trials we could be faced with. It would make us understand the importance of understanding the difference between the visible and invisible, between our inner self and the exterior manifestations, between the demonising or partronising voices and the truly empowering voice of God. Let us seek the Spirit of the Lord, that we may be schooled in this technique of tuning in to the right frequency, and listening clearly to the voice of God and not to any other deceiving voice.
The right frequency is the empowering voice of God, and listening to it and doing what God wants alone would make us truly children of God, brothers and sisters of our Lord and Master, Jesus the Christ.
Fr Antony Christy , a Salesian Priest from 2005, holds a Masters in Philosophy and (specialisation in Religion) and also a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He has done doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.