Being Trained by God

Maryland is all abuzz this weekend because the Preakness Stakes is this Saturday. Horseracing is a large part of the sporting tradition of Baltimore and the surrounding region. The Preakness represents a pivotal moment in a horse’s pursuit of the “triple crown” as the second race in that series. In that spirit, I want to use am equine example in the homily this weekend.

Horse trainers used to speak of “breaking” a horse as an initial part of the training process.  This means bringing a horse into submission and under the control of a rider. Sometimes – often – it is a tough process on the horse, involving whips and harsh speech. It is effective, but to an untrained person it seems at times cruel. Today, they don’t use that term – “breaking” a horse.  Now, trainers speak of “starting” a horse: getting him or her ready for their role of carrying and working with a human rider.

Starting a horse relies more on establishing a relationship, a sense of trust between the horse and rider. In a sense, it is like a friendship. It involves getting the horse accustomed to a rider’s voice, then their touch, and eventually to the acceptance of the saddle and the rider upon it. It takes time, of course, but the result is that the horse and rider are now a team – partners in the joy of riding.

This is like the early disciples like St. Paul and his associates as they travelled throughout the Mediterranean and established communities of faith.  From our perspective two thousand years away, it may sometimes seem that Paul was always moving; however, we miss the fact that he invested a considerable amount of time in each of the church communities that he founded. Even after that, he would return to them either in person or via a letter to encourage, teach, and strengthen their faith.

We hear today that he reminds the Church that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” St. John talks about the “old order passing away”in order to see an end to pain and sadness that the Church currently experiences. This process of hardship might seem like the “breaking” of a horse in order to get us ready to enter the gift of the kingdom. However, this is not the case because the Church doesn’t leave us alone on that journey. We are accompanied in the process of growing in faith and discovering God’s plan for our lives.

We need to be willing to be “started” like horses are started. This means opening ourselves to hearing Christ’s voice, becoming accustomed to His presence and touch in our life, and accepting His call to discipleship – a life that He has lived and now shares with is. We are not called to be slaves of Christ, but friends. And the mark of that relationship is the love that Jesus speaks about today.

We open ourselves to the voice of Jesus first by simply praying. That might seem obvious, but prayer is really the only way to begin to attune ourselves to an ongoing and conversation and relationship with the Lord. It is in that conversation that we learn that Jesus speaks to us in various ways and sometimes at unexpected times. To truly receive Him whenever He comes to us, we need to let go of preconceived notions of how God can act and how we can encounter Him. The idea of training a horse is that the horse listens to the rider and not vice-versa. So too with us and God.  When we pray we enter a space where our will becomes secondary and we long to hear the voice of God for us.

We continue with our process of “starting” by becoming accustomed to the presence of Christ in our regular lives. We learn to expect to encounter Him and to welcome that encounter. As in any friendship, the presence of our Friend means that we are in a place of security, peace, and love. That is what being in the community of the Church should be. When we come together to celebrate the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, we are in the presence of friends – and particularly, Jesus. The more we do that, the more we discover that we belong here and we become more and more companions of the Lord. The Voice from the throne tells John today, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.” Not only do we belong here, but God desires to be here with us!

Finally, we accept the call to discipleship – to follow where Jesus leads us. So much energy these days is spent on “self-discovery” and “becoming who we are.” That process is a necessary one for us all; however, too often it is marked by ego, selfishness, and ideological influences. This is not freedom, even if we might think it is. Rather, it is the slavery of image that has gripped so many in our culture. Jesus did not free us for this. True freedom is not the ability to do whatever I want. Instead, from a Christian point of view – the point of view of a disciple – freedom is the ability to do what God wants, to do what is good and right.

This is the discernment that we all need. Is there a litmus test for it? Yes. Jesus gives it to us today. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” That love is not just “being nice.” Rather, it is the selfless love that Christ has for us – a love that loses itself in doing God’s will.

If we allow ourselves to be “trained” by God, we will experience the fullness of life. In giving ourselves away we will discover who we really are. We will be free to do what God made us to do in this world. And that is the crown of victory that awaits us all.