Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

 This solemnity marks the conclusion of the academic year in the Northern Hemisphere. In St Peter's Square we see the statues of the two saints - Paul holding his sword and Peter bearing the keys. The danger in an adversarial culture like ours is that people will attempt to set the two great saints against each other. The theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar is a remedy for this inclination. He speaks of the different aspects or principles of the Church which can also be referred to as universal concretes. these are historical individuals who come to represent the life of the Church and give us an insight into the great mystery. Paul, in this analysis, is the missionary aspect of the Church. Peter represents the juridical and canonical aspect of the Church. Our Lady is the holiness of the Church while St John the Evangelist is the contemplative aspect. As a result, we do not pit Peter and Paul against each other as if we are looking at both sides of the tragic split of the Reformation. Rather, both men have their charism and their strengths. Both are necessary to the life of the Church and speak to us of their great faith which endured to the end in their glorious martyrdoms. Paul writes: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on the last day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Tim 4: 7-8)

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Last week's gospel was about Jesus' instructions to his disciples. This week the reading continues with the attitude required of any disciple. This mission takes 100% commitment even ahead of family and one's own life: "... whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Mtt 10: 38) To this end the present challenge from Pope Francis for each of us to be missionary disciples calls for us to make evangelization the priority in our parishes and in our personal lives. Sharing the joy of the Gospel must be uppermost in our minds  ahead of sport, leisure, career or other forms of activity. Such an attitude will transform the Church away from a cultural institution to a revitalized mission of Christ to the world. The second half of today's gospel turns to those who are the objects of the mission. We must be aware that the Holy Spirit is already at work on these people to prepare them to receive the Gospel. This gives us confidence to work with the Holy Spirit and to be guided by him as we go about our mission in the world. We are there not to condemn the world but to bring Christ to it so that it can be claimed back for the God by whom it was made: "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph 6: 12-13)

The Nativity of St John the Baptist

 There are many holy people in the New Testament yet it is only the Lord, Our Lady and St John the Baptist who have a liturgical marking of their birthdays. St Joseph misses out! There has to be a theological point to this with regard to John. I think it is important because St Luke saw it as important am recorded it in his Gospel. Subsequently, he includes the ministry of John the Baptist in the Acts of the Apostles as key to understanding the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments. In other words John the Baptist is key to developing a theological hermeneutic of continuity between the Old and the New Testaments. This can be contrasted with the hermeneutic of rupture as shown in the teaching of the heretic Marcion. We can understand how  important this is when we consider the abuses and errors that have been made by those who maintain a hermeneutic of rupture between pre and post Vatican II Church rather than the hermeneutic of continuity suggested by Pope Benedict XVI.. Talking to Jews and God-fearers (Gentiles) in Antioch in Pisidia St Paul after speaking of David and John the Baptist says: "You descendants of Abraham's family, and others who fear God, to us the message of salvation has been sent." (Acts: 13: 26)

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Last Sunday we heard about the call of the Apostles. Today we have part of the discourse, which follows the call, where Jesus trains his followers. It is clear that the mission will not be easy: "See I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves... Brother will betray brother to death...So have no fear of them... whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me...". The good news is that we, like the early disciples, do not act alone. They have the power of God. Furthermore, we do not proclaim ourselves. Saint Paul wrote: "When I came to you brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and proclamation were not with the 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: 1-5) Our witness, as missionary disciples comes from our own experience of the grace of God which knows no limits. So, we can also say with St Paul: "For if many died through one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many." (Rm 5: 15)

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Today's gospel speaks of Jesus summoning the twelve disciples, who we will also later refer to as the Apostles, and: "... (he) gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness." (Mtt 10: 1) There is a danger in the Church today that we identify this sending out to proclaim the Good News solely with what used to be called the apostolate of the hierarchy. Many Catholics are very shy about witnessing to their faith or sharing it explicitly with others. It is true that the ordained have a special obligation to witness to the Gospel as well as providing the sacraments to the faithful. Nevertheless, in the first reading we also hear that the collective of the Israelites  "... shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."(Ex `9: 6) Pope Francis reminds us: "In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love." (Evangelii Gaudium, 120) This is indeed the challenge for us today in New Zealand as the traditional ways of handing on faith struggle. I warmly exhort all parishioners to be alert to how they can live out their faith as missionary disciples and to do whatever they can to personally witness to God's love for each one of us.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 As a Solemnity of the Lord in Ordinary Time this feast speaks of an aspect of the Lord which has emerged from tradition over time. It is not directly attested to in holy Scripture. Like the dogmas of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption such doctrine helps to correct error and edifies us by pointing out the implications of the scriptural data, especially when it comes to confounding heretics. Today's feast repudiates the harsh, puritanical and pessimistic heresy of Jansenism. By looking at the gospels from the three year cycle we can deduce that the heart of our Lord and Saviour burns with love for us. His love for us is not predicated on moral perfection rather it arises from the very nature of God himself. Jesus says, of himself, in Year A: "... for I am gentle and humble in heart," (Mtt 11: 29) while in Year B we hear of how the Lord's heart was pierced on the cross: "... and at once blood and water came out." (Jn 19: 34) In Year C the image is the Good Shepherd who  upon finding the lost sheep: ""... calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me,  for I have found my sheep that was lost.' " (Lk 15: 6) Thus, especially for us who are of Irish descent, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, along with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is an opportunity to ensure that all traces of Jansenism are purged from our faith. In doing so we will experience more fully the joy of the Gospel and be empowered to share it with others.

Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

 When we pray the Nicene Creed, during the Mass, we say: "I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." When we do this we testify to our faith that the Catholic Church mediates the God whom we have just professed our faith in. The theological principle of "ex opere operato" teaches that the work of the sacraments is done by Jesus Christ and that the moral worthiness of the ministers of the Church does not invalidate the sacrament. Saint Augustine was the Church Father who developed this idea. Sadly, scandal which is caused by the deficiencies and failures of clergy does impede the effectiveness of the sacraments because it damages the believers' faith. Thus, when meditating on the mystery of the Lord's Body and Precious Blood present in the sacramental species under the form of bread and wine we are compelled to believe what it teaches. The elements, once the Institution Narrative in the Eucharistic Prayer has been prayed over them, are no longer bread and wine. They are something else. Therefore, immediately, the priest genuflects in adoration and the members of the congregation also make a profound bow. This is further indicated when the minister of Holy Communion says to the communicant: "The Body of Christ" and "The Blood of Christ." He, or she, does not say: "This represents the Body of Christ" or "This is a symbol of the Blood of Christ." The process that refers to this mystery is called traditionally: "transubstantiation." If we believe in the Church then we make an act of faith that the Eucharistic transformation, under both kinds, is real, objective and enduring. The tabernacle, after Mass has been finished, continues to house the Lord is sacramental form which means that we genuflect of bow towards it when we enter the church to pay the Lord a visit. Let us be mindful of this presence when we enter our church and may it suitably influence how we are in His presence so that we edify the Lord and our fellow believers by what we do or say.