April 16, 2010
The Second Half
Ten cents worth of proof
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
We answered a knock at the back door and found a friend who was out for her afternoon walk. “I have proof the recession is over,” she said. “Here, look at this.” We looked closely at the small object she held out. It was a dime. “I’ve been walking every day,” she said, “and I haven’t found so much as a penny in months. Times are getting better because people are starting to get careless with their money.” She had stopped by to bring us some books and to share her revelation.
In this Sunday’s first reading, the men of the Sanhedrin believe they know more about what is really happening than the humble fishermen who plainly try to tell them they have missed the presence of God’s glory among them. People haven’t changed much in 2,000 years. Whether we are fortunate enough to count ourselves among the wealthy or we are retirees living on a limited budget, all of us still look for signs that will give us an inside track on what is really happening.
This Sunday’s gospel of Jesus with his disciples on the shore of Lake Tiberias is one of our favorite scripture passages. Jesus appears to his disciples not in majesty and power, but in the simple actions of a fellow fisherman shouting from the shore to ask about their catch. In fact, to the casual observer, there is nothing extraordinary about Jesus’ meeting with his disciples. From cooking fish over an open fire to his request of Peter to “feed my sheep,” Jesus relates to his disciples much as he did before his death and resurrection.
We are often more like the Sanhedrin, refusing to see Christ in the humble than we are like his apostles who encountered Jesus on an ordinary fishing trip. Without Christ, the disciples’ efforts had proved fruitless. Combining their efforts with his direction, they recognized Christ in the abundance he provided. The signs we search for are right in front of us like stray coins on the pavement. A friend calls when we feel discouraged, we have money for food when we need it. We discover Christ in the warmth of a spring day, a stranger’s smile or a good car that continues to run. Recessions come and go, but the deeper security we long for can be found only in Christ.
How do we know when a new day has dawned? As far as the recession goes, a lot of people on Wall Street and in industry keep looking for signs and making predictions. Markets are carefully charted, the banking industry tracks the number of foreclosures, trade deficits are monitored and employment figures are anticipated month to month. All of these things are seen as signs for what is about to happen and all of it is far too complicated for us to understand. Meanwhile, all around us we have hundreds of signs of the presence of Christ. For anyone who has eyes to see, a sign may be as simple as finding a bit of loose change on the sidewalk. We prefer to keep our faith in Christ in whose company we find abundance. We continue to receive his true presence through the simplicity of bread and wine.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.