Presentation of the Lord

The figures of Simeon and Anna call to mind for me the many elderly parishioners over the decades who have witnessed to the faith especially in their attendance at daily Mass. Their presence gives great support to priests in their ministry and their prayers, petitions and personal example links us to the many people who have gone on ahead of us in the journey of faith. At the Sunday Mass, as grandparents and great grandparents or aunts and uncles, they are a core of fidelity and loving concern especially for those who have a weak sense of faith or cannot pray for themselves for whatever reason. Often, it is through their good offices that children and grandchildren are brought to the sacraments or supported in the Catholic schools. In this way Anna and Simeon are patron saints of the weekday Mass goer and all those for whom often prayer is the greatest tool in bringing about healing, tradition and unity in family and community life.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Looking at the Second Reading today it strikes me as significant that St Paul, with a great range of issues in mind, including the nature of the Lord's Supper and the Resurrection, elected to deal with division in the church as his first issue to be addressed. Division, schism and apostasy are toxic to ecclesial life. People do not like to worship in a divided community and will sooner walk away that put up with all of the conflict. Often the only ones left are those who, pushed by pride, fight on in an ever more bitter civil war in which no one is the winner. That is why we should all be mindful of how each of us uses actions and words both inside and outside the liturgy or church building. Is it to foster unity and communion or is it to bring scandal, disunity and conflict. We must never forget that the Church, as much as it is the People of God, is also the mystical Body of Christ. Just as cancer destroys a biological body internal conflict ruins churches. I encourage all parishioners to be mindful of their obligation to treat Church authorities with respect especially Pope Francis. 

P.S. This is my last contribution to the Sunday bulletin in Whanganui. I am grateful for the privilege of being able to use this forum to share matters of faith and Scripture. Feedback has always been appreciated. I will continue to write when I am in Hastings and those reflections will be posted, as they are now, on my blog: My Weekly Blurb - Scripture for Today at marcusfrancis.blogspot.com

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings today are helpful to each one of us as we look to discern God's call. Both Samuel and St Peter live in a context of faith. For the former it is the temple at Shiloh and the latter it is the community gathered around John the Baptist. Both of them have others to advise or prompt them, in one case it is Eli and the other it is the two disciples who tell St Andrew of Jesus who, in turn, informs his brother. Both men are responsive to the call and curious to know God's will for each of them. The result is that both are brought into relationship with God so that they receive a mission: for Samuel it is to be a prophet of the Lord and for St Peter to be Cephas - the Rock - Peter who would lead the Apostles and be the first of them to acknowledge Jesus: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Mtt 16: 16) The questions we can ask ourselves : who has influenced us in faith?; how we have responded to that prompting?; what mission do we have in bringing Christ to others?

Baptism of the Lord

For the Church Fathers the feasts of Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord and the wedding feast of Cana are all linked. Those of us who pray the Office of Readings would have noticed that in the last few days. Why is it that such a connection should be made? I think that all of these feast involve a revelation of who Jesus is and the nature of his mission. At the Epiphany he is revealed to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, while at the wedding feast of Cana we see the first of the "signs" which reveals Jesus divinity and his mission from the Father. At the Baptism we hear: "This is my son the beloved, with whom I am well pleased." (Mtt 3: 17) Jesus' Messiahship and relationship to God are thereby revealed to all who were present at the Baptism. Jesus, anointed with the oil of gladness, is shown forth as the presence of God and the one who will bring liberation to a new people, born of water and the Spirit. For us the need to discern our own relationship with God and part in the mission of Christ is essential if we are to accomplish the task that each of us is given in our own baptism. 

Feast of the Epiphany

Sometimes I like to think of the account of the shepherds in Luke to be that of the revelation of the Christ to the Jews and the feast of today to be the Christmas of the Gentiles. In the former members of the People of Israel, albeit lowly and marginalized, receive the message of an angel. They immediately go to verify the truth of the message by going to see the Holy Family. The wise men see no angel but use science and natural reason to come to the Jews and arrive at the necessary information about the coming of Christ through the Torah. This takes them much longer - about two years. Nevertheless, the two groups have something in common - the encounter has a profound effect on them. In the case of the shepherds they return to their homes "glorifying ad praising God" (Lk 2: 20) and the wise men are "overwhelmed with joy." (Mtt 2: 10) I can ask myself the question:  "How have I come to know Christ"? Also, regardless of how what effect has this encounter with Christ had on me?