Month: August 2019

Dear Friends in Christ,

20th sunday of the year 2019

It is an amazing reality of the Christian faith that Jesus of Nazareth whom we worship and adore as God made man, lived, breathed, and moved in an age without television, radio, the Internet or even the motor car. He was born into an ancient world without the printing press or means of communication which can reach, in an instant, millions of people. And yet, his words, the most holy, sacred and loving ever spoken, resound through history, speaking to every person, person to person, heart to heart, one to one.

His sweet words speak of those who are blessed; they speak of kindness, mercy, turning the other cheek and forgiving from the heart. His bitter words speak of judgement, punishment, millstones, hell and division. The things is that with Jesus, as much as one might want to pick and mix, select this teaching over that one, or prefer his sweet to his bitter words, we cannot: we have to study and pray on all of Jesus’ words.

Today we encounter an especially bitter teaching. It’s hard, isn’t it; to think that the Prince of Peace, whose first words after he had risen were ‘Peace be with you’, says also ‘Do you think I came to bring Peace to earth? No, I tell you, but division’. The trust is the name of Jesus divides as much as it unites. There are many in our world who despise the name of Jesus. Indeed, his name is used by many as a word of cursing. Try mentioning Jesus’ name in polite company. Sometimes even in Church circles, to mention the name of Jesus creates a hostile reaction. Why is this? It is because Jesus is God. His is the name above all other names and before him all things, in heaven and on earth, will bow down. Jesus did come to bring peace on earth but this peace was secures through the bloody suffering of his cross. First came division, hatred and violence, and then came the peace that only Jesus the Prince of Peace, can pour out, the peace of Christ in our hearts.

Dear Friends in Christ, 

19th Sunday of the year, 2019, C

Astonishingly, today in the gospel Jesus compares himself to a thief who unpredictably burgles a house. In this and other ways, Jesus teaches graphically that he will return, and that his return will always be a surprise. Yet his return must not catch us unawares: ‘Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning.’

Our lives of faith can become flat and lack any sense of excitement or urgency. What can inspire us? We need an element of tension to move us from apathy to zeal. God gives us the spur we need – the return of the Lord. He will come back – and when we least expect it! To create that sense of tension we must reject all unbelief that would convince us that whilst the Lord may be coming back, it will certainly not be in our lifetime. Such an assumption sets itself against Jesus’ own words. It is also foolish, for his return could occur as soon as tomorrow or it may delay until sometime after our death.

People are often afraid of dealing with their fears. The Late Pope John Paul II said: ‘Christians are exhorted to prepare for the Great Jubilee of the beginning of the Third Millennium by renewing their hope in the definitive coming of the Kingdom of God, preparing for it daily in their hearts, in the Christian community to which they belong, in their particular social context, and in world history itself.’ The surest way to prepare our hearts for the second coming is to ask the Holy Spirit to give us a hunger, thirst and longing for it.

Dear Friends in Christ, 

Eighteenth Sunday of the year 2019, C

The man in the crowd asking Jesus to settle a family dispute wants him to act like a rabbi. Jesus however, is instantly aware that his request stems from greed and envy. He chooses to expose the motives of the man’s heart rather than settle his grievance. The Lord teaches that the purpose and meaning of life is making oneself ‘rich towards God.’

Greed and envy focus a person on self. Those who pursue wealth seek security and safety. They use their riches to shield themselves from life’s vicissitudes and to find comfort and confidence in material things. In the pursuit of wealth they lose sight of the real meaning of life because they are seduced by the illusion that with their fortune they can control their lives. Yet one day everyone will die – possessions cannot protect against that day.

Furthermore the pursuit of affluence and pleasure eliminates both God and neighbour from sight since the focus is exclusively on obtaining possessions in order to feel secure: ‘I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ Finally wealth creates the desire for greater wealth, making the circle of illusion complete.

Being rich in the sight of God brings into sharp focus the purpose of life and allows us to live according to truth. The real meaning of life is that we depend on God for everything; God is the source of all good, and we are created for a relationship with him. Our security is to be found in God alone; we can live with confidence that is directing our lives, and will provide for all our needs.