31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

The episode from today's gospel is one of the few occasions that we see Jesus and someone from the Jewish establishment having a mutual and civil conversation. Jesus sets us an example in his willingness to dialogue Both parties to the exchange find common ground and Jesus relies to the scribe saying: "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mk 12: 34) As believers we need to follow the advice: "Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Pt 3: 15-16) It is interesting to see though that: "After that no one dared to ask Jesus any question." (Mk 12: 34) It appears that the onlookers wanted not to learn or discuss religious matters but wanted to have a verbal brawl. Jesus by acting in such an open and reasonable manner was clearly not going to provide them with more sport. As a man from Galilee and the reputed son of a carpenter he should have been easy to defeat but they could not better him in debate. No wonder they got angry!

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The healing of Bartimaeus, I think, can be relate to the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (Mk 8: 22-26). In the latter the man is brought by friends to Jesus and has his sight gradually restored. After this he is told to go home and not to even enter the village. Bartimaeus, by contrast, cries out on his own initiative and refuses to be ignored. He comes to Jesus and after requesting to be able to "see again" is immediately cured and follows Jesus "on the way." "On the way" is a marker for discipleship but it is also the way of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the Passion which follow on from the story. Between the two episodes there is a block of teaching about what it means to be a disciple. The metaphor of vision can be applied to all those in the Markan community who have an inadequate understanding of what discipleship means. Like the man at Bethsaida, many are brought by others to the faith and only gradually receive an understanding of it. The attitude of Bartimaeus, who throws of his cloak and humbly asks to be able to see, contrasted with the inadequacy of the Apostles as they squabble about status, is to be emulated. Catholics today can sometimes be dazzled by the glorious artistic and liturgical heritage of the past when the Church seemed to be so much more impressive. The way of suffering and the Cross, St Mark would tell us, is the mark of true discipleship.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I think that we are so accustomed to the idea of Christ bringing about our salvation through the Cross that we forget, to a worldly way of thinking, how weird it is. The First Reading shows us how the prophecy of Isaiah of the Suffering Servant meant that this idea already existed in the Jewish religion yet St Paul found that the idea of the Messiah dying on the Cross was preposterous to the Jews: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles..." (1 Cor 1: 22-23). Even in his own ministry, he had to explain to his flock how despite all his failures and imprisonments the power of Christ was still at work in him and in those who conformed to Christ. This was even the case when his prayers were not answered: "Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor 12: 8-10) When we look at the Gospel for today can we recognize in ourselves the desire to lord it over others? Are we striving to compete for recognition or influence in our parishes and communities or are we genuinely looking to be of service by making available to others our gifts and charisms? The temptation to rule over others is always there as it was in the temptations in the desert at the start of Jesus' earthly ministry: "Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, 'All these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me'." (Mtt 4: 8-9) That is not what we, as clergy and faithful laity, should aspire to: "But it is not so among you; whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not o be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10: 42-45) 

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The story of the rich, young man is one of my favorites from the Gospel according to Mark. The young man, who has probably inherited his wealth, thinks that he can likewise inherit eternal life. How does one inherit something? Usually, it is because you are family. When the young man asks "what must I do" he is effectively asking to be adopted. Jesus responds with a list of commandments and the young man, who kept these from his youth, still feels dissatisfied. What must it have been like for someone to have Jesus look and them and love them! However, then comes the challenge: "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Mk 10: 21) In order to aspire to true sonship the rich young man will need to become one of the poor ones, the anawim, whose only hope is in God and his fatherly, providential care. In other words he must imitate Jesus himself who trusts implicitly and absolutely in the love of the Father: "... who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on the cross." (Phil 2: 6-8) Such is the way of children as we heard in the gospel from last Sunday: "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." (Mk 10: 15) The rich young man: "was shocked and went away grieving." (Mk 10: 28) To grieve is to have lost something or to have someone we love die. The rich young man has the illusions of his own righteousness shattered. He is also confronted with his attachment to earthly possessions that prevents him from experiencing true intimacy with God. The challenge for each one of us is to know whether we control our possessions or do they "possess" us. Let us not be afraid to ask the question and to experience Jesus' loving gaze as he transforms us by his love and enables us, by his grace, to use what we have for others and thus become true children of our heavenly Father. 

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel reading features Jesus' teaching on marriage which was difficult for the disciples then and remains even harder for the New Zealand society of today. Jesus rebuffs the Pharisees and: "Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter." (Mk 10: 10) Clearly, the uncompromising attitude of Jesus towards marriage has never been popular. In addition, Jesus told them and therefore us, that: "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female'." (Mk 10: 6) The reason why the teaching is difficult is because it focuses not on human weakness and fallibility but on God's will. His desire was that human beings be true, united and committed existed from the beginning. We can see from the evidence of our own family and friends, let alone wider society, that this is hard to do. What is the answer? Do we simply forget about God and do away with marriage and the laws pertaining to it? St Paul would surely answer: "What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would have not known sin." (Rm 7: 7) We need to recognize that: "... the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good" (Rm 7: 12) because our heavenly Father, also, is holy, just and good. The law on marriage and other matters calls us to holiness and helps us to recognize our faults: "but sin is not reckoned when there is no law." (Rm 5: 13) We need, however, not to stop at that. In the Gospel reading we continue on to hear about Jesus welcoming the children. This gives us our answer. We cannot abide by the law alone. We need to have trust and hope in Christ Jesus so that we may be healed and forgiven. In doing so we will be able to advance in holiness and see that the law is indeed good as the Father willed it from the beginning. Again, with St Paul, we can say: "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!". (Rm 7: 21-25)

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The sequence of sayings we are given today seems a little like those we encounter in the Sermon on the Mount. On this occasion they are prompted by a query from the disciples of John the Baptist so the teaching is indicative of what distinguishes disciples who follow The Way from the followers of John. Each of these tilt against negativity: "Do not stop him," "If any of you put a stumbling block" and "If your hand causes you to stumble." The focus is on the attitude of the disciple and not the worthiness or righteousness of the other who is to be received with graciousness and gratitude. John preached a judgement of fire; Jesus preaches a vindication of grace. It is incumbent on Jesus' disciples to get be an obstacle to the working out of grace which is the inbreaking of God's Kingdom through Jesus' person and preaching. This gives me pause for thought. In what ways have I been an obstacle to grace in my life? What can I do to better cooperate with grace in the moments of the everyday and my personal relationships? In order to do this we need to have a strong commitment to be disciples of the Lord who are positive and committed to acting in accordance with his purposes and not our own. Often this requires turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and forgiving others who sin against us from the heart. None of this is easier which is why we must be constantly attentive to the Word and pruned by it for: "... it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched." (Mk 9: 47-48)

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we hear of the disciples arguing among one another about "who was the greatest." (Mk 9: 34) We could also insert in there a number of other options such as who was the "most Catholic," the "most pious" or the "most liturgically correct." There are all sorts of ways in which Catholic can strive to compete with one another or vaunt themselves over others. It is interested that when challenged by Jesus the disciples are silent. This silence indicates that they are already aware or realize, in Christ's presence, that their behaviour is unworthy of disciples of the Lord. Whether it is in the parish or on the internet how many people are mindful, when they write or say something in the particular forum, that what they have to do or say is worthy of their vocation as Christians? Such challenges existed in the Church from the beginning as the early Christians had to learn not to project their interior conflicts onto one another: "Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?" (Jm 4: 1) The advice for them remains valid for us: "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love." (Eph 4: 14-16) The key to this growth in discipleship is to be found in our willingness to serve  for: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." (Mk 9: 35)