22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's gospel, taken togerther with the previous week shows how we can struggle as Christians to focus on Christ. Peter is inspired one minute: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven" (Mtt 16: 17) and the next, a mere six verses later, he is trapped by worldy considerations: " 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.' " (Mtt 16: 23) This tells us of the need we have to maintain vigilance against worldly temptations especially those that seek to deny the humanity of Christ or rebel at the thought of the Cross. Jesus teaches Peter and us the hard lesson "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mtt 16: 24) In what ways can I say that in the past week have I denied myself? Have I accepted the cross in my life? Have a been a stumbling block to Christ through my judgementalism, narrowness of vision and reluctance to carry the cross of compassion and reconciliation?

Thought for the Day August 28 - September 3

Thought for the Day

August 28 – September 2

Day One

In this series of reflections, in the context of an impending general election I will look at how Christians can engage with politics. Sadly, in past centuries, religion has been mis-used on occasion to fight wars or to distort political processes. Nevertheless, faith and religion remain as influences on voters and I maintain can be a force for good in helping believers to make constructive and rational choices consistent with both Christian teaching and the welfare of the wider community.  Freedom of religion, as a right, means individuals can articulate their beliefs in the public space. This is broader  than freedom of conscience which allows for a subjective, interior capacity to make choices. The way to do this I propose is to look at a series of unities that bring people together and help to overcome divisions that lead to conflict.

Day Two

The first of the unities we belong to is that of the human family. In the 1960s this was sometime referred to as the “family of Man.” We have a common origin and Christians believe that we also have a shared destiny since God: “... desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2: 4) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 speaks of inalienable rights proper to every human being. They cannot be legislated for or bestowed by any government neither can they be taken away. The Church has had a part over the centuries in articulating these rights and has an ongoing obligation to ensure that they are safeguarded. It is through an awareness of our fundamental unity as human beings that we can have empathy, compassion and concern for each other that helps overcome prejudice, misunderstandings and fear.

Day Three

Another unity is that of Christians in Jesus Christ, which impels them to take his teaching to the world: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn 17: 21) The Church does not compete with civil powers rather it looks to imbue society with holiness: “To sum up all in one word - what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible.” (Letter to Diognetus)

Day Four

The relationship of  the Church to civil society is best described as a cooperation which admits of various degrees. The two parties have different goals: in the case of the Church it is the salvation of souls while the state exists for the welfare of the citizens. Sometimes, they are clearly distinct, as when the Church gathers people for prayer or the state legislates for the road rules. Yet, other times they work closely together in education, social welfare and the promotion of public values: “Catholics should try to cooperate with all men and women of good will to promote whatever is true, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable (cf. Phil. 4:8). They should hold discussions with them, excel them in prudence and courtesy, and initiate research on social and public practices which should be improved in line with the spirit of the Gospel.” (Decree on the Laity, 10)

Day Five

The last unity I will speak of is that among Catholics. As a world wide communion Catholics are united under the Pope and the College of Bishops. The hierarchy looks to inform the consciences of Catholics so that they exercise their rights according to the teachings of the Church.  Recently, the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand published  a  2017 Election Statement. They wrote: “Faith shapes our world view. Faith guides our political choices. Faith demands that we take our duty to vote very seriously. Your vote is not just a vote for you. Your vote is a vote for New Zealand. This means that we expect of our politicians and our political parties a vision for the home we call Aotearoa. Indeed, in scripture we read ‘where there is no vision the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18). This is not a directive as to one’s vote but an exhortation to think.

Day Six

Some of the areas mentioned by the Catholic Bishops in their statement on the coming election include: pro-life policies, bicultural New Zealand, cultural diversity, caring for our planet, fair tax structure, mental health and affordable housing. None of these areas are monopolised by any political party. It is up to Catholic voters to use their reason and conscience, informed by Church values and teaching, to freely vote. I think this is the case for most Christians, too. Quite possibly this will mean different outcomes for different voters. Nevertheless, each will be informed by a faith response to how the unities mentioned in these reflections can be safeguarded. Faith and religion can be shown as motivators and guarantors of civilised political debate. They are a catalyst for the kind of  cooperation that unites all citizens to work together for a better and fairer society marked by justice, peace and goodwill.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Writing in 1959, Pope St John XXII wrote:I"As it is said of the short dialogue between the angel and Mary in the sacred silence of Nazareth, that sums up the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption of the world, thus the Tu es Christus filius Dei vivi [You are Christ Son of the living God] of Peter and the reply of Jesus, Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo [You are Peter and on this rock I will build] established the structure of the Catholic Church. In fact, by means of the divine Motherhood of Mary, the Word of God was made man and redemption and salvation occurred. With the act of faith in Christ, Son of the living God, the response of Tu es Petrus [You are Peter] of Jesus and with it the institution of the Church. Thus the salvation of the world is achieved." From this we can see that the dialogue between Jesus and Peter at Ceasarea Phillipi was not just a private conversation. It is constitutive of the Church. To this end it is impossible to imagine the Church without the Petrine office just as we cannot imagine the Incarnation without the cooperation of Our Lady.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Gospel today I feel compelled to admire the persistence and temerity of the Canaanite woman. She knows that she is an outsider yet she will not let anything stop her from getting to Jesus to put forward her request. Often we see people in the Gospel coming forward to Jesus to ask him for a favour however, on this occasion, the woman like Bartimaeus is so desperate that she is shouting. Like him she is disregarded as an inconvenience and others, who are closer to the Lord, discourage her. Also, like him, she has an incomplete sense of who he is calling him; "Lord, Son of David." (Mtt 15: 22) The Lord himself, initially, does not seem interested. Yet, the woman comes forward and kneels at his feet. Her rejoinder to his quip about throwing the children's food to the "puppies" earns even his admiration. All this goes to show that when we want something and have faith we will not give up easily. Did not Jesus tell us the parable of the importunate widow? (Lk 18: 1-8) We need to imitate the humility and persistence of the Canaanite woman so as to break though our own internal barriers of faith to a new level of trust in God and his care for us even when it seems, on occasion, that he doesn't seem to care?

Feast of the Assumption

One of the dangers I perceive in honouring the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without remembering her role as exemplar of the Church, is that we separate her off from the rest of humanity. She is not a goddess. She has priority in our affections and our esteem however, like our own mothers, her humanity remains only it has been glorified in the resurrection in a way that we pray, in due course, all of us will be. Vatican II tells us: " In the interim just as the Mother of Jesus, glorified in body and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected is the world to come, so too does she shine forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come, as a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of God during its sojourn on earth." (Lumen Gentium, 68) It is clear from today's Second Reading that the resurrection of the dead will not happen all at once. St Paul tells us: "For since death came through ahuman being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be mnade alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." (1 Cor 15: 22-23) Our Lady gives us hope that we can join Christ in his glory if we imitate her in her holiness, docility to God's will and faitfhfulness to her Son. Her intercession assists us in our prayers and inspires us to greater devotion. She does indeed proceed us but this was so that she might light the way to those who follow.