29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Today Jesus continues to train his Apostles and at the same time, thanks to St Mark who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he continues to train us. To my mind there are two extremes which Catholic can fall into at this time. The first is an inferiority complex which makes them afraid to identify publicly as Catholic. Believing the propaganda of the mainstream media, scandalized by the sex abuse crisis and drawn in by the slogan "I am spiritual but not religious" they withdraw into their shell. Second, there can be a sort of intellectual and cultural arrogance and superiority. Such Catholics are inclined to mock the hapless situation of non-Catholic Christians who struggle with contemporary moral and social issues. Smugly they revel in the richness of the papal magisterium as well as the artistic and cultural Catholic heritage as they look down on the banal emptiness of atheistic society. This begs the question - what is the Catholic Church for? It is a prolongation of the Incarnation as it mediates sacramental grace to a fallen world and continues the mission of the Master. Thus, the Church is called to serve after the model of its Founder: "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10: 45) At Vatican II the Church fathers taught: "The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ." (Gaudium et spes, 1)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Jesus asks the rich young man in today's gospel to: "... sell what you own and give the money to the poor" (Mk 10: 21). This, on its face, is difficult enough especially for someone who is rich. Jesus goes on to say, in the same verse: "... then come, follow me." As missionary disciples we must be mindful that it is not enough to spend our resources for others and do any number of works of charity. We must follow Christ. This means that we not only dedicate our material goods to the mission and the good of others, but we also conform ourselves to Christ which means taking up our cross each day and following him. This renunciation of self comes about not through duty or fear but through love: "For the love of Christ urges us on." (2 Cor 5: 14) It is through love that we find the relationship with God for which the rich young man longed. St Paul is uncompromising: "If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13: 3) Making Jesus Christ our priority places all of our possessions and concerns in perspective. This calls for a transformation in our understanding of why and for whom we are living. This stands in glaring contrast to the self-obsession of the world: "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2: 19-21)