Audience of Angels

Hiding our good works from everyone but angels  

Luke 8:16-18  

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”   

          Have you ever done something really good when no one was watching? Or, do you always need an audience, and for people to pat you on the back? This is the basic difference between me and Fr. Pius: I need ample affirmation from others – why else would I post my homilies on Facebook and check how many “likes” I’ve gotten?? – but Fr. Pius doesn’t need that. Let me give you an example. Some days Fr. Pius does not have the morning Mass (like today). So, when no one sees, he walks into St. Anne Chapel and says Mass by himself; his only audience is the angels. I can’t tell you how inspiring that is to me. I’m not going to tell you how old Fr. Pius is but he should be sitting on a beach sipping a cold Piña Colada. Instead, he’s a full-time priest in a very active church. But notice: he doesn’t do such things to win people’s praise; he does these things because they are good, and because he is good.   

          In the gospel today, Jesus teaches that humble people (like Fr. Pius) will eventually be rewarded. Jesus says: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” You know, some people love to learn about other people’s “dirty little secrets,” all the bad things people do and hide, like Don Henley sang in his popular song, “Dirty Laundry.” But not all “little secrets” are dirty; some are unspeakably holy, and we’ll only come to know them in heaven.   

          Today, try to do something in secret, where your only audience will be the angels. For example, do something nice for your spouse, not to win their approval or praise or to make them feel guilty. Do it because it is a good thing to do and because you are a good person. Make a charitable donation anonymously, so that no one can give you credit for it, and so that the IRS cannot give you a tax deduction - who would do such a thing?? Do something special for someone without posting it on Facebook to see if it goes “viral.” In other words, do something today that only the angels can see, and for no other reward.   

          This is the gist of St. Mother Teresa’s famous prayer. It goes:   “People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”  

          In other words, do these things because they are good things, and because you are a good person.  

          Praised be Jesus Christ!