22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The contrast between last week's gospel and this week is stark. Last week Peter was the "rock" and this week he is the "stumbling block." Last week he was inspired by "my Father in heaven" while today he is "Satan." This hard lesson tells us that as missionary disciples we cannot deny the cross. The temptation is to use human logic and operate on human motivations. St Paul points out: "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) Denial of the cross is one of the five temptations for Jesus to be found in the gospels. Three were in the desert and one in the Garden of Olives at the Passion, with this one coming from his closest friend who acts as the Tempter. The lesson for Peter is that to follow Christ one must be prepared to sacrifice everything including one's life: "If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Mtt 18: 24-25) The destiny of the Messiah is the salvation of the world not his own health and comfort. Jesus has bigger fish to fry than self preservation or worldly power: "For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?" (Mtt 16: 26) The priority for missionary disciples is not the judgement of the world rather it is the verdict of their Master: "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done." (Mtt 16: 27) Let us hope that Church leaders, as well as ourselves. are attentive to this gospel as they must cope with the challenges of the present age.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Today we hear the famous words: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." (Mtt 16: 18) I think it is helpful to note how active this commission is. The task of the church is not to be passive so as to defend herself against the powers of evil and sin but rather to take the offensive. The promise is that the gates of Hell will not hold out against the mission of the Church. There is a heresy called pietism where believers wait in a passive manner for God to act rather than taking any initiative. To be sure, we need prevenient grace, that precedes any act of our own, however, we are obligated to cooperate with grace. God will not force us against our will! Jesus put his own earthly ministry in positive terms: "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered." (Mtt 12: 29-30) Let us take heart in this and seek to take initiatives as missionary disciples. Let us also be mindful of the words which follow the previous words of Christ: "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Mtt 12: 31)

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 It is interesting to compare this version of Jesus' encounter with the Canaanite woman with that in the gospel of Mark. Only in Matthew do the disciples beg Jesus to send the woman away: "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." (Mtt: 15: 23) The woman is clearly desperate and although she is not a Jew she is determined to gain access to Jesus. The disciples do not engage with her but see her as a nuisance. Jesus' answer also seems dismissive: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Mtt 15: 24) He, furthermore, asserts the priority of the Jewish people much like what we heard from St Paul in the reading from the Letter to the Romans last week: "... to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs..." (Rm 9: 4-5) Yet, the woman persists and Jesus, after testing her again by stressing his ministry to the Jews, answers her: "Woman, great is your faith! let it be done for you as you wish." (Mtt 15: 28) In the community of Matthew, composed as it was of Jewish and Gentile believers, the message is clear. The Jewish culture and religion has priority and Jesus was clearly primarily concerned with them in his earthly ministry. Nevertheless, it is through their great desire to know Jesus, their persistence and their faith, that the Gentiles are able to become Christians. This begs the question about the Catholic Church today. How many cradle Catholics are dismissive of people of different backgrounds or ways of life, even wishing that they will go away? Yet, it is through their desire, persistence and faith that they will come to know Christ and be his disciples. Thereby, receiving from the Lord what they request, just as the Canaanite woman did all those centuries ago.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Peter holds a special place in the Gospel of Matthew. This episode of Peter looking to come to Jesus across the water, in chapter 14, is only found in this gospel as if the commissioning of Peter in chapter 16. Both incidents shine a spotlight on Peter's faith. In the incident related today Peter, impetuous as ever, looks to test the extent of Jesus' authority: "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water" (Mtt 14: 28). In the end it is Peter who is tested and his faith is found wanting. Peter cries out: "Lord, save me!" (Mtt 14: 30)The key message, it seems to me, is the absolute necessity of faith, which is defined in the Letter to the Hebrews as: "... the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb 11: 1) If we rely only on the material things of this world, or scientific data or experiments about them, we will surely sink. Even more so if we rely solely on our own reason or understanding of reality to live our lives. We look not for an earthly utopia where all troubles will magically disappear. Rather, we look forward to the fulfillment of what Christ promised us: "...we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home." (2 Pt 3: 13) Sunday Mass is like the boat that carries us through the storms of life. Let us not be carried away such that we think we can "go it alone." St Paul teaches us: "So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are  at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." (2 Cor 5: 6-9)

Feast of the Transfiguration

 The feast of the Transfiguration can be seen as one of the great mysteries of the incarnation. This is attested to by it being one of the mysteries inserted as the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary. Pondering this mystery, therefore, helps us to avoid temptations to dualism and Gnosticism. Jesus, fully human, is revealed to his closest Associates as bearing of divine dignity. The sacraments, likewise, appear ordinary with bread, wine and oil, let alone the ordinariness of the priest and the congregation, yet mediate the glory of God. Since grace builds on nature we can understand that the sacraments elevate and amplify our understanding of God in Christ Jesus.  Let us not fall into the trap of thinking that Jesus was simply some wise, itinerant preacher who was deluded enough to think he was God's Son. or, that he was God pretending to be a human being. The truth, revealed definitively in the resurrection, is that he is who who said he was and who the voice from heaven proclaimed him to be: " 'This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased." Furthermore, let us not forget the advice that comes next: "...listen to him!'" (Mtt 17: 5)