Feast of the Holy Family

It is politically incorrect to speak of anything regarding human relationships as being ordained by God. Nevertheless, I would hold that just as male and female are ordered towards one another: "... male and female he create them" (Gen 1: 27), so the family is also ordered by God. Parents are ordered towards children and children towards their parents. This is reflected in our Second Reading for today: "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart." (Col 3: 18-21) Thus, just as we can see that marriage speak of Christ and the Church: "This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church" (Eph 5: 32) so we can see that the family speaks of Church and in doing it refers back to God: "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God" (Eph 2: 19). The Second Vatican Council states: "The family is, so to speak, the domestic Church. In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children." (LG 11). Just as the Church fosters and forwards the mission of the Lord so too we find the Lord and therefore have an encounter with God in a family that is given harmony and order by God through faith.

 

Christmas Message 2019

As we celebrate Christmas 2019 it is with gratitude that we can reflect blessings received since last Christmas. This is the case, when we have suffered loss, hardship or illness in our own lives, because “Jesus” (Heb. “the one who saves”) is also “Emmanuel” (Heb. “God with us”). He shares our joys and hopes, our anguish and sorrows. By becoming one of us Jesus gave us the possibility of knowing a God who, led by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call “Abba! Father!” (Rm 8: 15) We are, also,  invited to share in the divine life and its mission of salvation: “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. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have love them even as you have love me.” (Jn 17: 21-23) 

This annual celebration builds on memories of previous years. We are mindful of the relationships that have formed us and this motivates us to be our best selves with others. We welcome the messenger of peace and ask that his gift of peace, offered to us after the resurrection, be in our hearts, our families and our world: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’.” (Is. 52: 7) If we cannot exult in our own deeds we can still rejoice in the Lord because our future is guaranteed in Christ Jesus: “For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.” (Is 9: 4)

The challenge for all Christians today is to go forth as “missionary disciples.” That is, to encounter Christ and to make him known. We do not seek to impose our beliefs on others. Rather, having had our lives transformed we wish others to share in the joy of knowing Jesus Christ: “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5: 14-15) The joy and love we experience in Christ opens us to dialogue with others so as to share this Good News. This gift holds out the promise of the wonderful liberation of God’s saving love to all. Our society struggles with loneliness, addiction and mental illness – surely, it remains in need of such love! 

The Christ child did not stay as an infant in the crib. Likewise, we should not remain as infants in faith content to be fed with milk and not solid food (cf. 1 Cor 3: 1-3). Christ is also for us Jesus of Nazareth who went about healing and doing good. None of us will experience the “perfect Christmas” but we can encounter the mercy and love of God that makes us whole: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5: 31-32) If we are yet to encounter and experience Christ in our own lives, in this way, let us open our hearts to him this Christmas so that we can say: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24: 32)

I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Fr Marcus Francis

4th Sunday of Advent

In our readings for today we are given a contrast. On one hand, there is the refusal of Ahaz to ask for a sign. On the other hand, Joseph is open to God's plan. Despite his misgivings, as a "righteous man" (Mtt 1: 19), Joseph is prepared to listen to God's plan and to act on it. How often are we torn between to messages of society and the dictates of our conscience or the message of the Gospel? It is of utmost importance that we bring before God in prayer this Christmas those things that worry us. Relationships, situations, addictions, worries all cause us pain which is amplified at this time of year due to the contrast between the example of the Holy Family and our own relationships. Like Joseph we need to be people not just of faith but also of action. Joseph is the patron on many religious orders as well as individuals because of his humility, righteousness and pragmatism. The example of Our Lady in holiness is supreme but let us not forget about Joseph, humble tradesman of Nazareth and foster father to our Lord.

3rd Sunday of Advent

The readings for today, Gaudete (Latin 2nd person plural imperative: "Rejoice!" ) Sunday, do not all speak of joy. John the Baptist, stuck in what was most likely a dark and dingy prison, is also in the dark when it comes to whether Jesus is the Messiah or not. Jesus, rather than answering the question directly, instructs the disciples of the Baptist to look at what he is doing. The healing of the sick and the proclamation of the Good News to the poor, just like the programmatic sermon in Luke's gospel, indicate that the Messianic age has been inaugurated in the person and activities of Jesus. How do we feel at present this Advent? Are we in the dark like the Baptizer? Are we in a prison of doubt, paranoia and negativity? Perhaps, we need to open our eyes to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and to give thanks for the prayers that have been answered throughout the year?

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

There is a huge contrast between the experience of God in the First Reading, from the Book of Genesis, and that of the Second, from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians. In the the former there is shame, dispossession and conflict while in the latter there is spiritual blessing, adoption as children and an inheritance into the life of grace. How can such a change be possible? 

The answer of course is the Incarnation. We need, however, to see how all of the readings for the day speak of God's plan. From the moment of the downfall of human nature the initiative of God to restore humanity began: "...he will strike your head and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3: 15) This prophecy foretells that the human race would be freed from sin by one of its own. The protoevangelium, therefore, prophesies a new Eve. Mary, born like the first Eve without sin was unlike her predecessor as she was obedient to what God asked of her and therefore untied the know of disobedience that held us captive: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." (Lk 1: 38) 

2nd Sunday of Advent

"Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'." (Mtt 3: 8-9) How often do we commit the sin of presumption? We find any reason to excuse ourselves or blithely continue in our sinful ways taking God's love and mercy for granted? Advent is a season of repentance. We have an opportunity to take stock of the state of our relationships and spiritual condition. The more we respond to this challenge the greater our appreciation and experience of the joy in the Incarnation will be. The spiritual exercises  we undertake assist in opening us up to God rather than in some way changing God's attitude towards us. If we take him for granted the loss is ours. St John the Baptist states: "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mtt 3: 11) The question is had I opened myself up to the Holy Spirit and let his power  heal, integrate and revive my life or have I let the coals of faith grow cold?

1st Sunday of Advent

The exhortation in the Gospel today is "keep awake!" (Mtt 13: 35 & 37) Despite Advent occurring at the start of the liturgical year, the emphasis of this Sunday is on the last things or the end times. Perhaps we should take the message on board. Rather than focusing on the seasonal celebrations and festivities, especially those influenced by consumerism, we should be alert to the changes in our families, parishes and societies which serve to undermine the Gospel message. Competing ideologies and heresies can creep into out midst or be absorbed into our bloodstream as we go about our daily business. I have found, on occasions, that I am brought up short when I read a book on doctrine or theology because I wake up to the fact that a heresy has become part of my intellectual furniture without my consciously knowing it. Being alert to our faith and he movement of grace prevents us from being complacent and can help us to discern how to serve God both in Advent and throughout Christmastide.

Solemnity of Christ the King

Christ, despite being born into a lowly family domiciled in Nazareth, is a king in two respects: first, as "... the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created" (Col 1: 15-16) and second, ruling from the throne of the cross from where he dispenses mercy by divine right: " 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise'." (Lk 23: 43) King, by virtue of his role in creation and his victory over sin and death, Christ reigns in a kingdom that has no end. The Book of Revelation puts it this way: "To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made a to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Rev. 1: 5-6) Thus, we are all called to participate in his kingdom and submit ourselves to his rule. He will not impose his will like the tyrants of this world rather he knocks on the doors of our hearts waiting or us to respond in faith: "Listen! I am standing at the door knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Rev. 3: 20-21) The question, however, remains as to how I have responded to the call of Christ? In what ways do I acknowledge his kingship? The first and best of these is to come to Mass to worship him and give thanks as he asked us to do: "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (1 Cor. 11: 24) The wonderful thing about this is that unlike the rulers of the world who demand tribute to enrich themselves it is through serving Christ that we receive super abundantly the riches of his grace, mercy and love.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The end of time has fascinated many people over the centuries. Some have even, with precision, named a day when the world will end and have acted on that to their detriment. The time of Jesus was no different. Jesus knew that many of his disciples were anticipating that the world would end in their own generation. After all, the greatest recent prophet, John the Baptist, baptized them to prepare a way for the coming of the Messiah who would judge all things with fire. Jesus, for his part, acknowledges that there will be many signs, wonders and dreadful portents. He even predicts betrayal within the church community that will come after his death and resurrection. He warns his followers not to put their trust in worldly possessions, no matter how spectacular they appear, including the Jewish Temple. Rather we are to let the Holy Spirit prompt us to give witness to the truth and our faith in him: "for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict." (Lk 21: 15) The question for us is whether we have the kind of faith that will let Jesus deploy us as his witnesses? Will we fall away on account of scandal, suffering and doubt? What we require is endurance. We know that if we trust is Jesus he will be faithful to his promises: "But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls." (Lk 21: 18-19)

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

When it comes to the confrontation between martyrs and their persecutors the ultimate questions about the meaning of life are all too real. The persecutor cannot imagine any life other than the present and is amazed that his or her victim can be so foolish. Yet, for the martyr, the only life worth having is that which is in Christ. Without it this earthly existence losing meaning therefore to deny Christ is to die, whereas, to hold firm to him, even in physical death, is life. The young man in the First Reading today states: "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being raised again by him." (2 Macc 9: 14) St Justin Martyr, at his trial put it this way: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement-seat of our Lord and Saviour." The challenge for us, in New Zealand, is that despite being free from such persecution we face the same challenge - do we value our present earthly life more than we value our life in Christ Jesus? How do we manifest our choice for Christ in our everyday life? If there was a persecution in progress and we were to be brought before a court and accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence for a guilty verdict?

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

The gospel for today about the tax collector Zacchaeus is one of the most frequently used for the celebration for First Reconciliation. Can you remember that occasion? Most people remember their First Communion but I suspect many do not recall their first sacramental experience of God's mercy. Just as First Communion is intended to be the first of many so it is with reconciliation which, as a sacrament of healing, is the principal way for us to reaffirm and have strengthened by grace, my baptismal covenant with God. The effects of sin and evil fragment, destroy and isolate individuals leading to terrible consequences for family and community life. We all need to be healed as individuals so as to actively and joyfully participate in the life of the whole. In the case of Zacchaeus the alienation from the crowd which follows Jesus is apparent. Despite this, or because of it, Jesus looking up at him says: "... hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house to day." (Lk 19: 5) Sitting in the pew today can I hear the call of Jesus to me? Each of us needs to encounter the Lord not just in the Mass but also to welcome him into our homes so as to dwell in my house throughout the coming week. Having Jesus as a companion in my everyday life through prayer, reflection and Scripture reading is a wonderful privilege and is available to each of us if we can overcome our pride and self-sufficiency. Then we too will hear the words: Today salvation has come to this house... For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." (Lk 19: 9-10)

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we hear of two individuals who go to the Temple. The first, who is a Pharisee, fulfills every command of the Law, however, he prays not to God but, in the literal translation of the Greek, prays to himself. The second, who comes from the despised group of the tax collectors, prays to God. True humility, which leads ultimately to exaltation, comes from knowing the truth about ourselves and this comes about through our knowledge of God: "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed , we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." (1 Jn 3: 2) The starting point for this, apart from the grace of God that prompts us to pray, is the recognition that as human beings we are all in the same condition in the presence of God: "For there is no distinction, since all have since and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom 3: 22-23) In this Extraordinary Month of Missions let us all acknowledge, in prayer, our need of God and with the resulting joy of knowing his love be able to share that joy with others.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's parable is about the need of disciples: "... to pray always and not to lose heart." (Lk 18: 1) Did you know that Part Four of The Catechism of the Catholic Church is about prayer? People often think that the catechism is about dry doctrinal matters but prayer is so important to the life of a Christian that it requires extensive and profound reflection by the whole Church. One definition of prayer that is given is: "Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man." (CCC2564) Just as we are called not to give up on our marriages, our vocations to the priesthood or to the religious life we are also called today to not give up on prayer. With God anything is possible and when we pray we open ourselves up to the power of God so save, reconcile and redeem. It is through prayer that Jesus was able to continue his mission in the face of opposition and ultimately to his Passion and Death. He even prayed on the Cross: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Lk 23: 34) Our prayer is at its most perfect when it is united with him in the prayer of the Mass. Let us make the most of the opportunity given us each Sunday by entering into the Eucharist with an open and trusting heart in the power of God to save. St Augustine wrote: "He (Jesus) prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to us as our God. Therefore, let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us." (CCC2616)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Notice the sequence of events in the Gospel for today: the leper encounters Jesus crying out to him and asks, with his Jewish companions, for healing; he is obedient to Jesus' instructions and finds himself healed; his response is to praise God with a loud voice, to prostrate himself at Jesus' feet and to thank him; Jesus accepts his gratitude and reveals to him that he is free to go on his way: "your faith has made you well." (Lk 17: 19) 

I invite you, also, to reflect on your own life and conversion story: you realized, as many do, your need of God's love and healing; you opened your heart to the Lord crying out for his grace; obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit you began to pray; then or shortly afterwards you realized with joy that God had healed you and transformed your life; you then returned to the sacraments in praise and thanksgiving; and so, here you are today at Eucharist joining your own thanksgiving to that of Christ on the Cross through the sacred meal-sacrifice-communion of the Mass. In doing so, you realize a deeper and ongoing healing as your faith leads you on to a richer and mission oriented relationship with God while, sadly, others who have received God's grace and healing continue their lives oblivious to the grace they have received. 

In this Extraordinary Months of Missions let us be mindful of the obligation to share our joy in Christ with others as well as supporting financially and in prayer missionaries around the world.   

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Second Reading today is fascinating. St Paul is in prison and contemplating his impending execution: "As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time for my departure has come." (2 Tim 4: 6) Yet, it is not Paul who is getting scared, rather, it is Timothy who is struggling with his mission: "... for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power  and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God." (2 Tim 1: 7-8) Around the world Catholics are suffering for their faith along with many other Christians. Yet, here we are, in a land of peace and plenty, feeling shy, timid and disconsolate as we contemplate our place in New Zealand society. In this Extraordinary Month of Missions, called for by Pope Francis, we need to rely on the power of God to be missionary disciples in our own families and communities. Encouraged by the example of St Paul and the missionary zeal of Venerable Suzanne Aubert, whose Celebration Day it is today, let us search for ways to witness to our Catholic faith and bring others to encounter Jesus Christ, who is our wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (cf. 1 Cor 1: 30). We can only do this if we appreciate the great patrimony of faith for what it is: "... we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us." (2 Cor 4: 7) This means we need to hold on to the reliable teaching of the Church and be docile to the Holy Spirit who will direct us in prayer and action: "Hold to the sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us." (2 Tim 1: 13-14)

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The key to this week's Gospel, for me, is that: "Jesus told this parable to those among the Pharisees who loved money." (Lk 16: 19) Originally, the Pharisees were a sect of lay people who were knowledgeable about the law and zealous for its observance. Gradually they formed a party which sort to exert influence at a political level. In many ways they would have seen themselves as being on the side of the ordinary people. The idea of "a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day" (Lk 16: 19) is more redolent of the Sadducees who were of the party of the High Priest and were collaborators with the occupying Roman authorities. Jesus, in his parable, reveals the hypocrisy and self-serving nature of some of the Pharisees who are, in reality, no better than their political and religious opponents. The Pharisees' sense entitlement derived from their descent from Abraham will not protect them from the judgement of God for their corruption. Their facade of religiosity will be ripped away. The Pharisees, who say they are the true believers in Moses and the prophets as well as believing in the resurrection, find that their assertions of belief are hollow as the rich man admits when he asks for someone to return from the dead to warn his brothers. The love of money has blinded the Pharisees to the true meaning of the Scriptures which point to the Messiahship of Jesus and ultimately to his resurrection "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Lk 16: 31) This message was also valid for the early Christians and for us today. If we are greedy for money and indifferent to the sufferings of others our religion is false and our judgement is sure.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The question I have of today's Gospel is that, when Jesus says: "If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?" (Lk 16: 11), what is meant by dishonest wealth? We have just heard the parable of the dishonest steward. Is it possible that the distinction is being made between wealth brought about through cunning and deceit as opposed to that derived from hard work? In comparison, true riches, even if  they are "honest," pale in comparison to the gifts of life in the Spirit, salvation, forgiveness of sins, etc. Maybe the distinction lies not so much in the material benefits but the attitude and mindset of the individual? The message, perhaps, we can take from the parable is: you cannot fool God. The world may be misled into thinking that a person is a fine individual but God sees into our hearts and knows that if we are greedy for money, regardless of how respectable we appear to the world, we cannot please God: "You cannot serve God and wealth." (Lk 16: 13) Let us be attentive to our attitude towards money so that we are not drawn into worship of a false god who cannot save and in whose service we find ruin. Greed, like other moral disorders needs to be purged from our hearts: "Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry)." (Col. 3: 5-6)  

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God says to Moses: "... they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped and sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!' " (Ex 32: 8) Why did the people do such a thing after having witnesses such great signs of God's power? I think they needed something tangible and familiar. Something they could relate to rather than walking through the desert by faith  in a God they could not see. This danger remains for us today. We are tempted to make a golden calf of  "values" rather than following Christ Jesus and living for him alone. Values can be identified, measured and taught. They yield practical results and for the most part can be agreed upon by people regardless of faith. Yet, without God, they are like someone having a map without having a destination. Without the pledge of the resurrection our values are meaningless as they turn us in on ourselves and we make an idol of our own righteousness. In the Gospel for today the younger son, Having gone off on his own, finds himself in a pigsty and says:" 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here am I dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father...'. " (Lk 15: 17-18) The elder brother, too, despite staying at home and not sinning as his brother did, is bereft. Without our relationship with the Father we are indeed lost regardless of our values! "So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are away from the body we are at home in the body we away from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." (2 Cor. 5: 6-9) 

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

"This fellow began to build and was not able to finish." (Lk 14: 33) What if that fellow happens to be me? What is the project of my life and, furthermore, what counts as success? So often in life the completion of any one project simply initiates another. Not only that, the futility of temporal things is all too apparent: "... for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain  the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Rom 8: 20-21) It is those things that we cannot see that are of the greatest value and they depend not on our own efforts but on the grace of God. Let us, therefore, not set our happiness on those things that pass for success in the eyes of the world: "... for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God." (Lk 16: 15) Our faith, hope and love need to be oriented to those things which find their fulfillment in the Kingdom of heaven: "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what cannot be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal." (2 Cor 4: 16-18)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the time of Christ banquets and feasts were frequently public events. That is why we hear of onlookers coming to hear the conversation between the guests. Not only that left over food would be given to the poor. The danger of public humiliation should you be asked to take a lower place would be real. Since we no longer live according to the same customs of the first century AD what is the message of the Gospel for us today? I think the key phrase is: "in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid." (Lk 14: 12). Such an attitude speaks of social climbing and ambition for status that shuts out God. To invite "the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind" (Lk 14: 13) is to anticipate the messianic banquet when such people will be restored. In the Gospel of Matthew it states that after the cleansing of the temple: "The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them." (Mtt 21: 14) The repayment for a host who invites people who cannot repay is to occur at the "resurrection of the righteous." (Lk 14 14) In what way do my personal actions reflect my Christian hope? In what way does my conduct reflect my faith in God's promises? to whom do I offer friendship and hospitality and from what motives?

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

The proclamation of the Good News demands a response. The question is: is Jesus truly who he said he was? Is so, what is your reaction? Are you going to change your life like so many of the figures in the Gospel who follow Jesus on "the Way" or are you going to carry on with your life as if nothing has happened. Simply knowing about Jesus is insufficient: "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But the Lord will say, 'I do not know where you come from; go away from me you evildoers!' " (Lk 13: 26-27) The journey of salvation is not an easy one, A sense of entitlement cuts no ice with the living God. Nominal religion that bears no fruit for the Kingdom and attributes magical qualities for the sacraments to make up for our deficiencies is futile. The danger is that we will find ourselves exclude from the glory which we professed with our lips but failed to witness to in our deeds. Others who we have disregarded or snubbed will enter the Kingdom ahead of us and eat at God's heavenly banquet: "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God." (Lk 13: 28-29)

Feast of the Assumption of the BVM

In the Second Reading for today St Paul states: "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died." (1 Cor 15: 20) For many people in contemporary society distinctions of this sort are noxious. The demand is for equal pay, marriage equality and equality in other areas of life. That Christ and his Mother should have priority in the resurrection, when we are glorified in body and soul, seems to be unfair. Yet, St Paul clearly states: "But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." (1 Cor 15: 23) Our Lady, above all others, belonged to Christ as the first and greatest of his disciples. It is fitting, therefore, that she should share first in the fullness of the life that God offers us in the resurrection. We need to be mindful that the complete experience of what God wants for us is still yet to be revealed. We still need to overcome the obstacles of our own encounter with the cross since: "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor 15: 26) We are not left alone, however, because the sacraments give us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet to which we are called and will enjoy in the presence of Our Lady and all the saints. 

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

When we gather for Mass on Sunday we do not do so as an isolated group of people. We are in communion with the Universal Church. Around the globe thousands of congregations from the jungle to the desert to the Arctic to remote islands are offering up the sacrifice of the Mass. Not only that: "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." (Heb 12: 1) Throughout the liturgical year we can see the feasts of the saints and martyrs who are emblematic of the entire Church which has handed on the Catholic faith we rejoice in today. Those witnesses cheer us on so that might, in our turn, hand on the faith intact and join them ultimately in glory. We are heartened in our daily struggles when we are mindful of the destination that God has in store for us and the whole human race: "Established in the present era of time, the Church was made manifest by the outpouring of the Spirit. At the end of time she will achieve her glorious fulfillment. Then, as may be read in the holy Fathers, all just men from the time of Adam, 'from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect,' will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church." (Lumen gentium, 2) This destiny does not separate us from the world rather it involves us intimately with its own struggles: "The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those of the poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the followers of Christ." (Gaudium et spes, 1)

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not be afraid little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom'." (Lk 12: 32) It is true, we often feel like a "little flock" even though the world wide Catholic population is often listed as being over one billion people. We are, also, often afflicted by fear as we see our society changing in ways we do not understand and seem to threaten our beliefs. We feel threatened by wolves who prey on the defenseless. Just as for the first disciples, so for us now, it is comforting to hear that the Father protects us and cares for us so graciously. The Kingdom does not have to be earned by our efforts or conquered using our blood and suffering. No, it is a gift he is pleased to give to us his flock. As we attend Mass this day may our hearts be consoled by this promise and filled with gratitude that we are the heirs, joined with Christ, to so great a mystery.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Eccl. 1: 2) Contemporary culture tends to think of vanity as excessive self regard. A culture obsessed with appearances can be tempted to think that things are what they appear to be and ignore the deeper truth. In the context we are given today "vanity" means more than that. It has a sense of "futility" or "in vain." St Paul writes: "... for creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope..." (Rom 8: 20) It is not just my good looks that are destined to fade! The tangible and material are destined to pass away. Christians, therefore, live contrary to their faith if they are fixated on money, social status and possessions: "... because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal." (2 Cor 4: 18) We need to be convinced, in this materialistic age more than ever, that our work for the Kingdom is what constitutes true and everlasting value: "Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain." (1 Cor 15: 58)

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The conclusion of the Gospel passage today is one which has been on my mind as I look to embark on a parish strategy of evangelization. I have heard many testimonies recently from people about their experience of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Lk 11: 13) The key phrase to my mind is not what God is for we know from the Lord's Prayer that he is our Father. What is most striking is that we need to ask him! God does not force the Holy Spirit upon us. We need to make space in our lives and our prayer for the Holy Spirit and explicitly, trustingly and humbly ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is that God will respond and so many people can testify to that. I challenge all parishioners to open their heart and indeed the whole of the being to the Holy Spirit and to make an act of faith in the same Spirit that descended upon the disciples at Pentecost. 

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The story of Mary and Martha, I propose, should not be over spiritualized. Martha welcomes Jesus into her house (Lk 10: 38) but is then: "distracted by her many tasks." (Lk 10: 40) Instead of listening to Jesus and being responsive to his needs she acts out her compulsion to "get things done." Even worse, she wants the Lord to rebuke her sister for not following her example: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." (Lk 10: 40) Jesus does not tell Martha not to do her work but he does identify Mary's desire to be an attentive disciple as being the better part for she: "... sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying." (Lk (10: 39) How many of us, as lifelong Catholics would long to sit at the Lord's feet in person and listen to him! That is what you would think. Yet, how many of us Catholics find ourselves so overwhelmed with taking children to sport, visiting ageing parents, cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking Sunday lunch, etc that we fail to attend to the Lord's Word at Mass or, even worse, do not get to Mass at all. Sunday Mass is the source and summit of the liturgy and the foundation of our life of faith. It is the pledge of divine help in the present and of a share in God's life in the future. It is, indeed, the better part.