An Extreme Faith Makeover
(Jonah 4:1-11; Ps 86; Lk 11:1-4)
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“Extreme Makeover” TV shows that involve the transformation of a plain looking person into a stunning display of poise and beauty, or a run-down house into a work of art, all end with a “big reveal” of the finished product that impresses people.
One reason why the story of Jonah is so popular is that it involves two “extreme makeovers” of both Nineveh and Jonah. Nineveh was capital of the Assyrian Empire, one of the largest and most powerful cities of the time. According to some historians, the Ninevites were cruel and mean, gobbling up land and overthrowing kingdoms throughout the Fertile Crescent. They were ruthless in how they waged war and tortured their captives. In that respect, they were similar to the Aztecs in Mexico who waged war to capture prisoners for their human sacrifices to their sun god, and were feared by all the surrounding Indigenous tribes.
So, when God sent Jonah to the people of Nineveh, naturally, Jonah balked – how could he convert those hardened hearts? It seemed impossible, but God saw their potential. And Jonah was wrong – they underwent a conversion of biblical proportions, from the king who put on sackcloth and ashes, right down to the animals. God also went out of his way to soften Jonah’s heart and showed him how deep God’s mercy runs, so in the end Jonah is changed as well.
God believed in the people of Nineveh, as he does in us. God can do great things with us, an extreme makeover, if we let him. God has that in mind for us – God accepts us as we are but also believes in whom we can become.
In the Gospel, Jesus believes in the disciples – in whom they can become. He teaches them the Our Father, which is a prayer of faith and transformation – that God’s kingdom would be a reality here on earth, in us.
James Finley
Another word for this “extreme make-over” is “theosis” or “divinization” – becoming more and more holy and Christ-like. That is the real goal of our faith. According to spiritual writer James Finley, John of the Cross describes that process in these words: “The supernatural union exists when God’s will and the soul’s will are in conformity, so that nothing in the one is repugnant to the other. When the soul rids itself completely of what is repugnant and unconformed to the divine will, it rests transformed in God through love.”
St Dismas House future residence
Justin is an example of someone who has undergone an “extreme makeover.” A former convict, alcohol and drug addict, he turned his life around in prison with the help of Mary-Anne, the prison chaplain, and the bible. Now he has four years of sobriety under his belt, is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and founder/ CEO of St. Dismas House Society that is working to create a safe residence for former inmates coming out of incarceration or detox and on the way to treatment for their addictions.
Our newly minted vision statement here at the Star of the North Retreat Center, “Renewing our spirit; transforming the world,” is another way of expressing that reality of “theosis,” “divinization,” an extreme makeover.
The Eucharist itself is an extreme makeover – gifts of bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, and we who receive with sincere faith are in turn transformed into the Body of Christ, sent out to be bread for the world.
May our celebration open us up to the transforming power of God’s love, forgiveness and healing, help us to experience an extreme makeover, and like the apostles, spread that good news wherever we are.
