5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

How often have you heard people criticise Catholics for declining to defend their faith or being unable to speak about it to others? They choose to defer to their priests. Yet, it is important that we are always personally ready to witness to our faith: "Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Pet 3: 16) That I do not have a doctorate in theology or Scripture should not be an obstacle. St Paul, speaking to the Corinthians, was aware of the doctrine of the Church and well schooled in the disciplines of Scripture, Philosophy and Rhetoric of his time. Nevertheless, he did not rely on this rather: "My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God." (1 Cor 2: 4-5) Have I encountered the power of God? If so I can testify to that even though I am not an expert in any academic discipline. The Holy Spirit can witness through me: "When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulters, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say." (Lk 12: 11-12)

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today with the Beatitudes we have what I propose can be regarded as the Third Law. We have the First Law, located in the first four books of the Bible followed by the Second Law, Deuteronomy, in the fifth (Gk: Deutero=Second, Nomos=Law). In the Gospel of Matthew, just as in Deuteronomy, blessings and curses come with either the keeping or violating of the covenant and its laws. The seven blessings of the Beatitudes (Mtt 5: 1-12), that introduce the Sermon on the Mount, have their corresponding curses, that preceed the eschatological (end times) discourse on the Mount of Olives. These woes are announced on the Pharisees (Mtt 23: 13- 36) however can they be announced on us?!. The message of the Gospel is stark - there is the way of life and the way of death. How do I live my life? Despite the many greys the situation is black and white? Am I one of those who is blessed or am I condemned by the woes? 

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

What would St Paul think of what many people say in the media today? I think, in particular, of individual Catholics writing blogs, opinion pieces and commenting on articles in online magazines. It seems to me that he would have the same words to say as he did to the Corinthians all those centuries ago except it would be: "For it has been reported to me ... that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, 'I belong to Pope Francis,' or 'I belong to Cardinal Burke,' or 'I belong to Cardinal Kaspar,' or 'I belong to Christ'. " Has Christ been divided?" (1 Cor. 1: 11-13) As Catholics we need to be ever on guard against divisions. These can be distinguished from a legitimate diversity by the way in which they undermine Communion. Anyone who claims to more "Catholic"  than someone else or sits in judgment on other Catholics, as a self-appointed judge, is damaging to the Communion. We have the Scripture, Tradition and Papal Magisterium to give us certainty in our Catholic faith. Let us not be drawn to grieve the Holy Spirit by petty quarrels. 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

In the Gospel reading John the Baptist has a very clear idea of the purpose of his ministry: "I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he (Jesus) might be revealed to Israel." (Jn 1: 31) This idea of revealing Jesus continues the theme of revelation encountered in the feasts of the the Epiphany and of the Baptism of the Lord. It seems that God's purpose and presence is not always clear to us. We are bogged down in our own concerns. The use of natural reason and Scripture (Epiphany), the sacraments (Baptism) and prophets (John the Baptist) are all ways in which our eyes can be opened to recognise Jesus for who he is. Our hearts need to be, with the help of prayer Scripture and good works, purified of selfishness and greed: "Blessed are the pure in hear for they will see God." (Mtt 5: 1) Let us pray in 2017 that we are not like those in the parable of the sower of whom it is said: "As for what is sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing." (Mtt 13: 22) We need to be like those who have the seed sown on good soil: "this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." (Mtt 13: 23)

Baptism of the Lord

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the liturgical year. In 2017, for those who have the Feast of the Epiphany transferred to a Sunday, we celebrate the feast on a Monday. That should not, however, distract us from the importance of this event in the life of Jesus. In fact, every event in the life of Jesus, including those not narrated in the Gospels, is important to us. This is because through the Incarnation Jesus brings sanctification to all he touches and does. A broken and fallen world is restored as the Son goes about the work the Father sent him to by the action of the Holy Spirit. This includes the water in which he was baptized. St Gregory Nazianzen puts it this way: "John baptizes, Jesus comes to him; perhaps to sanctify the Baptist himself, but certainly to bury the whole of the old Adam in the water; and before this and for the sake of this, to sanctify Jordan. As he is Spirit and flesh, so he consecrates us by Spirit and water." (Second Office of Readings for The Baptism of the Lord) Thus, the baptism by which we are incorporated into Christ and the Church finds its origin in Christ and not in the ritual actions of John the Baptist which, functioning like Advent, prepared the way for the coming of Christ.