You are the Messiah
Saturday 4th week of Lent
A Jewish rabbi had built himself a small prayer hut in the woods next to a big Catholic monastery. The religious in that monastery were very downcast and sad because their community was dying out; no young people wanted to join them. One day when the rabbi came for his day of private prayer, the superior of the monastery went down to talk to him. They chatted and prayed out of the Bible together. Then the rabbi began to cry and told the superior, “Father, I have a secret I want you to tell your brothers. Once they hear it, they are not supposed to tell it to anyone else. Tomorrow morning you tell them this: The Messiah is one of you. That’s all.”
So the next morning the superior called his Brothers together and gave them the message which he had from the saintly rabbi. When they heard it, their sadness suddenly left them. They were now happy because one of them was the Messiah. But who? Because no one know, each had to treat the other very specially. Everybody began relating to each member of the community as a possible messiah. They treated each other with love and respect because no one wanted to hurt the messiah, either by words or by deeds. That changed their lives and community completely.
This may be an old story but its message remains as relevant as ever. he possibility of living in the presence of the Messiah would truly convert selfish people in the world into martyrs and people of charity. Yes, one of us is the Messiah. And because we could be living in the presence of a possible Messiah, then we must conduct our lives accordingly.
To live in the presence of a possible Messiah means to love even and because it hurts. It also means to live one’s life for others, to be one’s neighbor’s keeper; to be unselfish; to give way to others. It could be as simple as obeying traffic signs or being honest in one’s work. It could also mean being misunderstood or judged, even by those closest to you.
Furthermore, it also means to forgive those who hurt you, even your adversaries; to be vulnerable, even if you would appear to your friends as a fool. In all this, stand your ground for you are not alone. They treated the prophets in exactly the same way. Our Lord was even called a lunatic and possessed by demons. So, love still, for to love – Jesus’ style – is to be lunatic. Forgive still, for to forgive the way Jesus did is to be a fool.
