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| Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(July 27th, 2008)
[I Kings 3: 5-12;
Psalm 119 (118): 57, 72, 76, 77, 97, 127-130;
Romans 8: 28-30;
Matthew 13: 44-52 (Shorter reading:- 13 : 44-46)]
A young couple invited me for the baptism of their first child. The child was in fact a small girl they had got through adoption. Holding the girl in his hands the father proudly presented her to the invitees: “This is our precious treasure, the finest pearl of the East. After umpteen hassles, we were able to go and fetch her. She is God’s gift to us and she has changed our whole life!”
Or sometimes we watch an auction sale in progress on TV from our living room and note with amazement the priceless value of a painting, which some unknown people, after hiding their names, try to acquire for millions of dollars.
In the Palestine of Jesus’ time there were hidden treasures of another kind. Palestine was at the crossroads of different empires and regularly all sorts of armies crisscrossed its territory. Because of this, the people of old had acquired the habit of burying deep into the ground their precious belongings, especially the gold and the silver coins, in order to safeguard them from looters (See Matthew 25 : 25). One day a worker ploughing a field noticed that the tip of his plough hit something that produced a strange sound. He stooped down to have a look. To his great surprise, he discovered a treasure lying under his very feet. Hurriedly he hid the treasure once again under the earth and got back home. Then, to the stupefaction of his family members, he began to sell off his belongings one by one in order to buy that field.
Again in antiquity pearls were rare and the most beautiful of them were considered to be treasures of priceless value. The story goes that Cesar once offered a pearl worth six million sesterces to Cleopatra who herself had among her possessions a pearl necklace worth a hundred million sesterces. A pearl merchant who knew the worth of a rare pearl will do all in his power to buy it, even if it meant selling off his property. There are plenty of other pearls of fine quality, but only one worth selling everything.
The fact is that we are all after that treasure. This is because, principally we are all beings of desire. Is it not this desire that stimulates us and gives us the taste for life? The treasure we are waiting for is something that would be greater in value than all that we possess, that would give us wings, make the dearest of our dreams come true and propel us towards the infinity of the heavens. Our hunger for that treasure is never satiated and our thirst for the joy it will bring is never quenched. Saint Exupery has said, “I dislike this world with all my heart for it lets you die of thirst.” “No difficulty, no fear can be so big as to stifle out the hope that springs up eternally in the hearts of the youth”, said Pope John Paul II during the World Youth Day celebrations in Toronto in July 2002.
But the well-spring that can quench our thirst is to be looked for inside our own selves. Like a pearl diver, if we delve deep into our own heart, we will come across the spring that we are waiting for, and of which Jesus says, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty; the water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4: 14) “Why are you running about?”, asks the 17th century mystic, Angelus Silesius, “Do you not know that heaven is inside you ?” “The spring is within you, it is not going to come from outside for the Kingdom of God is in you”, says the Father of the Church, Origen. If we plunge towards the source, we will discover the fine pearl of great value within our own selves. That will be the cause of a very special joy. “In his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13 : 44).
The apostle Paul, who took the risk of giving up everything for the sake of the treasure that he had found, says in his letter to the Philippians: “I regard all these things (that is, the fact of being a Jew and a Pharisee) as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Philippians 3: 7-9).
And in today’s reading, from the letter to the Romans, Paul gives us the crescendo through which God leads his chosen ones to the joy of the Kingdom : those whom he foreknew he also predestined... those whom he predestined he also called... those whom he called he also justified... those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 8 : 29-30). Remember that in Hebrew, the word for glory is “kabod”, and the root meaning of this word is weight. The glory of a man is indeed the weight he has acquired because of his authenticity and genuineness. This gives him the value and the authority that radiate his inner splendour. It is to this experience that Saint Paul was led along the way to Damascus. This is the light that blinded him, he who was known till then as the persecutor of Christians. When he was cured of his blindness everything had become new. Paul was born again and from then on nothing could take away the joy that overflowed from his heart.
The treasure hidden deep within us is Christ in the heart of our history and through him God in the heart of our life. Let us thank God for this good that surpasses all the other goods. A flickering tiny flame succeeds in lifting off the heavy cloak of darkness. A little amount of faith is already the beginning of God’s kingdom giving us the hope for a new world.
Amen.
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.” (Matthew 13: 45) We live in a world of communications and every day our ears are bombarded with a myriad of messages. All this noise betrays the cry of humanity looking for the hidden treasure. May the Lord help us to find our way to the treasure we are waiting for, the finest pearl of great value. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful:
Introduction:
The Lord spoke to Solomon: “Ask what I should give you” (I Kings 3: 5). Today the Lord speaks us and tells us the same thing: “Ask what I should give you”. Let us turn to him. With confidence, let us present to him our greatest needs. Let us pray.
Conclusion:
God our Father, in your Son Jesus Christ we are given the true treasure that fulfils our deepest aspirations. Grant us the grace to risk our lives in the path of his gospel and finally reach you in order to live with you forever – Amen.
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| Sixteenth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Sixteenth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(July 20th, 2008)
[Wisdom 12 : 13, 16-19 ;
Psalm 86 (85) : 5-6, 9-10, 15-16 ;
Romans 8 : 26-27 ;
Matthew 13 : 24-43 (Shorter reading :- 13 : 24-30)]
Last week Jesus told us the parable of the sower: “A sower went out to sow” (Matthew 13 : 3). He finished his sowing and got back home, but that very night, while the servants were asleep, “an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.” (Matthew 13 : 25)
In fact the sower was God. The book of Genesis tells us that when God had finished his creation, “God saw all that he had made and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1 : 31). God had sowed only good seed, but there was a hostile power that managed to sneak into the universe and the result is that in the middle of God’s marvelous creation we find evil, suffering and failures of all sorts.
God only wanted a world where there will be good seed. As goes the saying, “God doesn’t make junk.” If there is weed, it does not come from him, it comes from Evil personified and its consequence, that is, man’s refusal of the plan of God and from the wrong use he makes of his liberty. Evil slithers in clandestinely, without man knowing it, through the fissures in his conscience. Today’s gospel tells us, “The enemy sneaked in while the laborers were asleep.” (Matthew 13 : 25 ; See Romans 7 : 15). Evil comes and disfigures the image of God in the heart of man and this deformation is called sin.
Man is made in the image of God and is capable of accomplishing great deeds. But from time to time he gives in to evil and hurts his fellow men. It is not that difficult to observe all that happening around us : the world is beautiful, the world develops, there are advances in science and culture, but at the same time men, women and children suffer, people are filled with hatred, countries are facing war and whole chunks of populations are menaced with famine.
In front of so much aberration, we too feel like putting to God the same question that the servants of today’s parable put to their Lord : “Master, did we not sow good seed in the field ? Where then did these weeds come from ?” And the master answers : “An enemy has done this.” (Matthew 13 : 27-28). The Lord’s adversary is the hostile force that holds sway over hearts and minds and that is the cause of the weeds in the field.
The field is overgrown with this unwanted grass and naturally the servants are anxious. They say to their Lord, “No worry, Sir, we will go at once and pull out all those weeds.” Amazingly the master’s answer is ‘No !’ : “Do not pull them out, wait till the harvest, for in gathering the weeds you risk uprooting the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest !” (Matthew 13 : 29 – 30).
Despite the evil, God remains unperturbed and sovereign, and that is the point of the parable. Despite the evil, God knows that in the end, good will triumph. Yes, perhaps there are a lot of weeds in the field but that is not reason enough to give in to pessimism or despair. The Kingdom of God grows in a world where light and darkness cross swords, but with God on our side we can remain optimistic about the future.
Like these servants, sometimes it happens that I too am impatient, nervous and agitated. I would like a perfect society and a spotless Church and all I come across are sinners and short-sighted or indifferent guys. Just wait and see : I am going for my hoe and my rake and clean up all this mess. If I have my way, the field will soon be a desert. I will classify as weeds all those whom I do not like, all those who, like me, are walking towards perfection with their heavy past and sorrowful hearts. So, just who am I to judge and segregate ?
If today’s parable asks us to be patient, it is because of the very nature of man. Man is called to reach beyond himself to be really man. Man is a self-seeking being. Man is always becoming. Man is like a promise. Man is caught between what he would like to be and what he really is. Man needs time to mature. This parable is a lesson in common sense. God loves all those who trudge along the path of perfection and that is precisely why they advance.
By telling us, “Wait till the harvest”, Jesus notifies us that our God is a patient God. He steps back like the sea recedes for the continents to emerge. He is confident that humanity will not end up asphyxiated by evil. And he too sets his hand to the plough by remaining always by man’s side even to the extent of sending his son. And the Son, in his turn, spent his life doing good and grappling with all forms of sufferings that confronted man, even if it meant giving his life for us.
The first reading from the book of Wisdom told us that God’s patience reveals God’s might. “Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us… you give repentance for sins.” (Wisdom 12 : 18-19) This is in fact a prayer of praise for the confidence that God has placed in us and it carries the same message as that of the parable of the weeds : our God is a God of patience and kindness and the source of our strength.
Unfortunately quite a few horrors have been committed in the course of history by dangerous people who pretended they were out to eliminate the weeds. It is not the weeds that we should be preoccupied with, but rather the proclamation of the Word to all creation. Yes, perhaps there is are a lot of weeds in the field, but that should not be a reason to give in to pessimism or despair. Otherwise no farming would ever be possible.
May our listening to the Good News today sow the seeds of trust and peace inside our hearts. (1)
Amen.
(1) It is possible that the weeds were meant to refer to the early heretics of the primitive Church (See Mark 9 : 38-40 ; Luke 9 : 49-50).
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today Jesus will speak of his kingdom in parables : “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field.” (Matthew 13 : 24) It is we, the field of the Lord. The seed is sown within our hearts. Let us become a fertile ground. Let us yield quality grain. Let us get rid of the weeds by acknowledging that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
In the second reading today, Saint Paul tells us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness ; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8 : 26). May the same Spirit now help us to implore God for one another. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
God our Father, may the light of your grace illuminate and transform our hearts into good soil for your Word to germinate, till the coming in glory of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – Amen.
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| Fifteenth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Fifteenth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(2008-07-13)
[Isaiah 55 : 10-11 ;
Psalm 65 (64) : 9-13 ;
Romans 8 : 18-23 ;
Matthew 13 : 1-23 (shorter form :- 13 : 1-9)]
Today begins a new phase in the proclamation of the Word : Jesus starts teaching in parables (1). He begins with that of the sower. The sower went out to sow. The seed that he sows, falls on different types of ground : there is the hard earth, there is the portion full of rocks, there is ground infested with thorns and thistles, and finally there is the good soil. The difference that we can note between the good and the bad soil is that the good soil is a soil in waiting. It has been ploughed and furrowed, and cleared of stones and stumps, and it waits for the seed and the rain in order to produce an abundant harvest.
The Word of God reaches the motivated man and man becomes productive. To be on the wait and never give up is a sign of youthfulness. The parable of the sower indicates to us that there are people who have stopped expecting anything whatsoever from life and have become unproductive. Just like soil, men also need preparation for life. It is preparation that will make of our hearts a fertile soil full of promise.
Another difference that we can notice between the good and the bad soil is that the good soil is a soil that has acquired depth. This depth allows the seed to take root and grow in a healthy way. A man with depth receives the word, understands it, lets it penetrate his heart and gives form to it in his life.
Such a man stays tuned in to God. The Word guides and directs his life and he yields results : a hundredfold, or sixty, or thirty.” (Matthew 13 : 23) One important implication here is that the amount we produce is secondary. What is essential is to invest in life and produce a result in accordance with our capacity.
In the second reading today Saint Paul tells us that the whole creation is groaning in labor pains to produce its fruit (Romans 8 : 22). Have a look at the earth just before the rainy season : it waits for the showers to come in order to cover itself with meadows ; look at a tiny grain that escapes from the hand of the sower : it also is impatient, it groans for life, it wants to become a plant and bend down under the weight of the ears full of wheat. The book of Genesis tells us that the whole creation was thus ordained : the earth had to put forth vegetation with plants yielding seeds ; the trees had to bear fruits with seeds ; the animals and the birds were to be fruitful and multiply ; and man and woman, created in the image of God, had themselves to be fruitful (Genesis 1 : 11,12,22,28).
In the responsorial psalm today we sing that to the glory of God :
“You visit the earth and water it.
You settle its ridges; You soften it with showers,
You bless its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow.
The valleys deck themselves with grain,
They shout and sing together for joy.” (Psalm 65 : 9-13) (See Psalm 104 : 10-15).
The prophet Isaiah will remind the earth of its duty to ultimately bring forth the Promised One : “That day Yahweh’s seedling will turn to beauty and glory, what the earth brings forth will turn to the pride and ornament of Israel’s survivors.” (Isaiah 4 : 2). “Rain down, you heavens, from above”, Isaiah continues, “and let the clouds pour down saving justice, let the earth open up and blossom with salvation, and let justice sprout up with it.” (Isaiah 45 : 8) Today in the first reading, addressing the exiled in Babylon who were discouraged and in a difficult situation, Isaiah gives this message of comfort : “Thus says the Lord : As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it spring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth ; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55 : 10-11).
By telling us today, “The sower went out to sow” (Matthew 13 : 3), Jesus indicates to us that he is the seed promised by the prophets. He will be buried into the ground in order to rise again. And ever since the resurrection, those who believe in him do not entomb their hopes or their dead like those who do not have faith. They put into the earth knowing that the seed thus buried will grow and produce a hundredfold. They know that death will lead to life.
We are told that on the paschal morning Jesus manifested himself with his wounds. In front of the restored beauty of Jesus, wounded in the hands and in the side, and restored by the resurrection, Thomas says, “My Lord and my God !” (John 20 : 28). This is what happens when the Word sowed like a grain encounters the good soil. Life springs back from barren earth.
The Christ risen from the tomb, first-born of a multitude, today makes us repeat again the words of Thomas : “My Lord and my God !”. He enables us to offer to God what earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God forever.
(1) In the gospel of Matthew and also that of Mark, this parable of the sower and the other parables that follow it (The chapter 13 of Matthew gives us seven parables about the Kingdom) are recounted by Jesus after his long missionary tour through all the towns and villages of the country. During the tour he had to face the hostility of the Pharisees and the Scribes and the other religious leaders. In these parables Jesus analyses the different levels of success or failure that the preaching of the Word meets with. But as we can note, the final conclusion he draws from this experience is one of great hope and optimism with the parable ending on good soil. From this perspective it is Jesus who is the sower but he is also the seed given to us, as we are going to see further in the homily.
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today Jesus tells us the parable of the sower. “Behold, the sower went out to sow.” What type of soil do we offer to God ? In us all there are good soil and bad soil, qualities and defects. Let us now offer ourselves to His mercy. Let him heal us and transform us. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
We have received the Word of God speaking to us in the Scriptures. Let it now take root in us and produce fruit in the form of prayers for all mankind. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
God, our Father, untiringly you sow the Good News of salvation in the hearts of men. Open our eyes to the wonders of your action and let us bear fruit thirty, sixty or a hundredfold. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Word eternal, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. – Amen.
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| Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(2008-07-06)
[Zechariah 9 : 9-10 ;
Psalm 145 (144) : 1-2, 8-11, 13-14 ;
Romans 8 : 9, 11-13 ;
Matthew 11 : 25-30]
“It is not the flesh, but the Spirit, that holds sway over you,” (Romans 8 : 9).
During a Eucharistic celebration for the sick, there were many parents present along with their sick children, there were people in wheelchairs and there were also some who were quite aged. What impressed me most was the atmosphere of joy and good humour that prevailed in the congregation all through the ceremony. On seeing all these cheerful people, I was reminded of what Saint Paul tells us today : “We are not in the flesh, we are in the Spirit”. In the end, man is much more than his body. The body can be handicapped, old or deformed, that does not stop joy and peace from invading the heart. In our days when the beauty of the body is so much exalted, let us be thankful to Saint Paul for having reminded us of this truth.
It is in order to place us under the sway of the Spirit that Jesus tells us in the gospel today, “Come to me, all that you are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me ; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11 : 28-30). We already know that the crosses we carry make us advance towards the resurrection. But there are days when they become so heavy that they crush us down with all their weight. Christ himself was not spared of the heavy burdens of life. In the gospel today, after a series of disappointments and rejections from the Jewish towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida, it is a prayer of praise that rises from his heart : “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants ; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Matthew 11 : 25).
Why does Jesus say that God has made a preferential option for “infants” ? Those among us who consider themselves “small people” would be at ease with these words of Christ, but what about the others ? Is it wrong to be wise or intelligent or rich ? Indeed these words are not aimed at scientists or philosophers, but they point to an important truth. Among the friends of Jesus there were educated people, and he even took some among them as his own disciples. Matthew, Zacchaeus or Paul were not from the “small people”. But here Jesus rather refers to his own personal experience.
He is just back from a big missionary tour and has been able to see for himself that on the routes of Galilee, he was followed, listened to and awaited by the small and the poor for whom his message of Good News opened the paths to the future whereas the leaders of the society refused his teaching. They were prisoners of their thought patterns and their own self-importance. For them Jesus was but an agitator and a revolutionary, and so someone dangerous. Their intellectual pride hindered them from grasping what the simple people were able to understand with ease. Thus these words that Jesus addresses to his Father can even be perceived as a reaction to his exasperation for having to bump against the stubbornness of the leaders who are completely closed to the simple and beautiful precepts of his teaching. Jesus notes that in order to welcome the message of salvation, you finally need humility and simplicity of heart.
By letting himself be filled with a great compassion for the oppressed people of his time (Matthew 9 : 36), Jesus discovers that the face of the Father is turned towards the poor. The readings of the preceding Sundays showed us only that : we saw Jesus eat a meal with sinners, tell the parable of the lost sheep, speak of the sparrows of the air and promise divine compensation for a cup of water offered to the least of his disciples.
On the other hand, he was often in conflict with those who always argued with him, the experts of the law and the religious chiefs, because these tended to consider themselves as being very close to God and they looked down upon others. They imprisoned God inside their own interpretation of the laws, at the expense of the small people who suffered under the weight of the rules and regulations that were imposed on them. These highly placed dogmatic teachers were often mistaken in their belief that truth was to be found somewhere along the path to scholarship whereas it was to be found along that of another path, that of liberty and of faith (See Matthew 12 : 3-5 ; 12 : 11 ; Luke 13 : 15 ; 14 : 1-5). There was the rabbinical expression : “the sweet yoke of the law”, but with time, the yoke had become a heavy burden to carry (See Matthew 23 : 4).
And so Jesus says to the poor in heart : “Take upon yourselves the yoke that I am going to propose to you, and you will find rest. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11 : 28-30). Here Jesus uses an image borrowed from the daily life of the Palestinian farmer. The “yoke” that Jesus speaks of is a round wooden beam that is placed on the neck or the shoulder of the animals to attach them together. Today our youngsters do not know much about the yoke, since tractors have now replaced the oxen. The yoke may weigh a bit, but when the animals are coupled together, side by side, the yoking distributes the charge between the two, increases their strength and makes the work easier.
“Taking one’s yoke upon oneself” signifies getting connected to someone, walking at the same pace as his, and doing the same job that he does. Also, as any farmer will tell you, in a pair of oxen tied together, there is always one who is the leader and determines the rhythm of the work, and the other animal follows it. To carry the yoke of Christ means also that he bears part of our burden. Connected to Christ, we can place ourselves under his yoke and allow him to be the leader : we can accept the rhythm that he proposes, advance when he wants to advance, step back when he wants to step back, take the turns along with him and accede to divine life.
Jesus promises that if we carry the yoke along with him, our burdens will become light. How can a burden become light ? Do they weigh the same, the stones carried by a prisoner in a concentration camp, those carried by a worker who earns his salary by constructing a factory for others and those carried by the father of a family who builds a house for his own wife and children ? The stones are the same, but they do not have the same weight.
If we have heavy crosses to bear, let us go to Christ. Let us take his yoke upon us. Let us plough alongside him and trace the furrow along with him. Saint Augustine tells us : “Any other burden weighs you down, but Christ gives you wings. If you take away the wings of a bird, you do make it lighter, but the more you lighten it that way, the more it stays earthbound. The bird is there, sitting on the ground, whereas you only wanted to lighten its weight. Give back to the bird the burden of its wings and you will see how freely it flies !”
Amen.
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today we have gathered together to hear this call : “Come to me, you who are burdened, and I will give you rest”. By sharing in the same bread of life, at the table of the Lord, let us recover the strength to continue our mission. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
Together in prayer, let us now take our crosses to him who is humble and gentle in heart. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
Lord, we present to you our humble prayers. You know better than us what we need to live as Your chosen people. Come to fill us with your grace. You who live and reign as one God, now and forever. – Amen.
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| Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles - Year A |
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Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles.
Year A
(2008-06-29)
[Acts 12 : 1-11 ;
Psalm 34 (33) : 1-8 ;
II Timothy 4 : 6-8, 17-18 ;
Matthew 16 : 13-19]
Today is the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. These two men complemented each other and laid a solid foundation for the newborn Church. They watched over it as it faced the turbulent times of the first century, slowly got organized and became missionary in outlook. Peter and the eleven who accompanied Jesus in his lifetime are known as the twelve columns of the Church, but the Christian tradition has always associated Paul with them, because of the singular contribution that he made for the spread of the Good News across the Roman Empire.
Peter was a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee, a man accustomed to the hardships of daily existence. It is his brother Andrew who had first introduced him to Christ (John 1 : 40-42). Later as Peter was at work in his boat, Jesus called him, and the gospel notes that immediately leaving his net, Peter followed Jesus, along with his brother Andrew (Matthew 4 : 20).
After living with Christ for some time, Peter will come to the following conclusion : “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16 : 16). A man of conviction, Peter will become the rock on which Jesus will build his Church : “You are Petros (Peter) and on this Petra (Rock) I will build my Church” (Matthew 16 : 18). Jesus gives him the keys of the Kingdom. Thus Peter receives the mandate to administer the boundaries of a new realm, the result of a new covenant, from where humanity will be able to enter into contact with God. His viewpoint becomes a determining factor to verify and see what is, or is not, in conformity with faith in Christ. That is today’s gospel.
Peter will also be one of the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. Filled with Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he will be the first to address the crowds and confess publicly that Jesus the crucified is the Messiah, living for ever. “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do ?’” (Acts 2 : 37). “Those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added” (Acts 2 : 41).
Then onwards, Peter administers the new Church from Jerusalem. He coordinates the functioning of the Jewish Christian communities. He organizes the election of Matthias in order to replace Judas Iscariot and complete the circle of the Twelve. He institutes the ministry of diaconate. Sometimes he leaves Jerusalem to visit the nascent communities of Judea, Samaria and Galilee.
Soon we discern the work of the Spirit in him : he takes the initiative to baptize a pagan by name Cornelius (Acts 10) and defends Paul and Barnabas during the First Council of Jerusalem. He explains his stance by a vision he had received from the Lord wherein he is told : “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” (Acts 10 : 15).
Then we see Peter leaving his homeland Palestine to settle in Rome, the city of light, from where the Greco-Roman civilisation radiates into the whole world. According to tradition, on the way to Rome he evangelized the coastal regions of the Black Sea, on the northern part of what is Turkey today. He exhorted those who were baptized to become “rocks” in their turn : “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2 : 5).
He was martyred during one of the persecutions of Nero. He was crucified at Saint Peter’s Square, in 64 A.D. From the third century onwards historical records show that the Bishops of Rome were considered to be the successors of Peter.
As for Paul, his life path was completely different from that of Peter. Paul was born in a rich family of Pharisees, in the city of Tarsus, in Cilicia, in Turkey (Acts 22 : 3). His early education is completed by higher studies at the Rabbinical School of Jerusalem, where his master is the famous Rabbi Gamaliel, a fact of which Paul is very proud. He also obtains Roman citizenship which will facilitate his travels across the Mediterranean world.
This Jewish believer, well instructed in the Jewish religion, becomes a zealous persecutor of the Christians whom he believes are calling into question the sacred faith of his fathers. In the course of a raid against them on the way to Damascus, he has a mystical experience that dazzles him in the core of his inner being. He is completely won over by Christ and he acknowledges in Jesus crucified, the Lord, the Saviour of the world, the Messiah promised to his fathers.
First begins for him his own “hidden life” as a Christian, three years of seclusion and silent study in Damascus, in Syria. He comes out of it strengthened in his new faith. He returns to Jerusalem, and on the recommendation of Barnabas, is accepted into the Christian community. Very soon he earns the respect and the confidence of the community of Jerusalem which sends him abroad on mission. In his letter to the Romans, he greets the faithful with these words : “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1 : 1). The “call” of which he speaks here refers to his divine vocation and his election by Christ, later approved by the official Church.
If Peter is the chief of the apostles in charge of organizing the Church, Paul is the untiring missionary who has pushed the frontiers of Christianity into the Diaspora Jewry and beyond into the pagan world of the Roman Empire. He is proud to call himself “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11 : 13). In the book of the Acts, his friend and man of confidence, Luke, gives us a detailed account of the travels of Paul. He shows him crisscrossing the Mediterranean world, bringing the knowledge of the mystery of Christ with unparalleled passion. These travels of Paul lasted for twelve years from 45 to 57 A.D. They are grouped together into three great missionary journeys, each one lasting three to four years, and each one comprising of numerous expeditions.
The gist of the message of Paul was the veracity of the salvation wrought in Christ. He advises his new Christian communities to live in faith, hope and charity. He himself is ready to risk everything for his attachment to Christ, despite the difficulties and persecutions to which he is exposed. In one of his letters he resumes the trials he has had to undergo : “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked, besides other things.” (II Corinthians 11 : 24-27).
Today’s second reading shows Paul at the end of his life, satisfied with the work accomplished, and assured by the Lord that he will receive the reward promised to faithful servants. He writes : “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day” (II Timothy 4 : 6-8).
At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul is arrested in Jerusalem. But he makes use of his Roman citizenship to appeal to the Emperor. He is therefore sent to Rome where he makes many conversions. He finally gives his life as a martyr, beheaded near the imperial city, in the year 67 A.D. Pope Benedict XVI has dedicated a special jubilee year to the Apostle Paul from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009, on the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of his birth, which historians place between 7 and 10 A.D.
Peter and Paul are the two pillars of the Church, held together today in the same solemnity in their honour. Both of them used their intelligence and their strength to lead others to the fullness of the knowledge of God. And both of them died martyrs in the same imperial city, thus conferring to the Church of Rome its prestige as the centre of the fellowship of all the Christian Communities.
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul : two great pillars of the Church; two great symbols of our faith. The faith we all aspire to. The faith in which we all falter. Let us ask forgiveness of God.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
Let us draw strength from the faith, hope and charity that inspired the apostles Peter and Paul and entrust to the Lord all the needs of our world, of the universal Church and of all creation. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
Lord, give us the assurance and the audacity of Saints Peter and Paul so that all through this week we may be able to witness to our faith. May we not hesitate to spend our time and energy for the understanding of the mystery of Christ and its proclamation as the Good News to all creation. You who live and reign, now and forever. – Amen.
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| Twelfth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Twelfth Sunday Ordinary
Year – A
(2008-06-22)
[Jeremiah 20 : 7, 10-13 ;
Psalm 69 (68) : 7-9, 13, 16, 32, 33, 35, 36 ;
Romans 5 : 12-15;
Matthew 10 : 26-33]
“The man who sees terror everywhere !” This is the nickname given to Jeremiah in the first reading today. Jeremiah exercised his ministry just before the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar came and took away into exile all the able bodied men and women of the country (Jeremiah 1 : 3) (1). Jeremiah foresaw very well the danger that was about to befall Jerusalem, and exhorted his people to be faithful to the Covenant and to the God of their Fathers, but he was totally misunderstood by his people and his message was belittled by them.
King Jehoiakim, for example, asked that the scroll written by Jeremiah be brought to the palace and read in front of the court. As it was being read, the king took out his pocket-knife and carved off the scroll bit by bit and threw it into the fire. Jeremiah and his disciple Baruch, informed of what was happening in the palace, were obliged to flee and go into hiding (Jeremiah 36). King Jehoiakim and his court thought that Jeremiah was completely mistaken, because he was inspiring fear at a moment when the people needed rather to be reassured.
Jeremiah dramatized his words through symbolical gestures. He bought a jug from a potter and broke it in public in order to announce the destruction that was going to come upon Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19 : 1-11). He then bought a loincloth, hid it near the river Euphrates, and then after a few days dug it out, only to find it completely damaged (Jeremiah 13 : 1-11). He also went about the streets of the city with a yoke on his neck to symbolize the enslavement that was to come (Jeremiah 27 : 2 ; 28 : 10-13). But the people remained indifferent to his message. Some chose to laugh at him while others sought to make him perish (Jeremiah 38 : 4). Jeremiah was greatly saddened that his people rejected his prophecy and continued to ignore the Covenant. He even happened to regret that he was ever born at all (Jeremiah 20 : 14, 18).
To express his dismay Jeremiah uses a literary genre called “confessions”, that is, “the secrets of someone who has been wronged” to speak of his heartbreak (2). Today’s first reading is from one of those “confessions”, and shows that despite his inner suffering, Jeremiah had placed a great confidence in his God. After having faithfully proclaimed God’s Word because of which he will be attached with chains (Jeremiah 20 : 1 ; 40 : 1), and notwithstanding the reproaches and the criticism that were heaped on him, Jeremiah reasserts his deep conviction : “The Lord is with me” (Jeremiah 20 : 11). And the fact that after all his God is the Lord of the whole world, gives him hope and alleviates his suffering. Jeremiah concludes : “It is to you, Lord of the universe, that I have entrusted my cause” (Jeremiah 20 : 12).
Jeremiah knows deep within his heart that God understands his inner revolt. At the moment of his vocation he had heard : “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1 : 19 ; 15 : 20). Jeremiah knows that whatever happens, the love of God will finally triumph over all the sufferings, those of the nation as well as his own. Thus Jeremiah has not only made symbolical gestures that inspire fear, he also has done acts that give hope. While the powerful army of Nebuchadnezzar was encircling the city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah went out and bought a field with his own money to show clearly to the people that everything was not lost and that the Lord will always remain faithful by the side of his people (Jeremiah 32 : 25, 43). Today’s reading ends in a shout of victory : “Sing to the Lord ! Praise the Lord ! For he has delivered the life of the poor !” (Jeremiah 20 : 13).
The gospel of today is the same call to confidence : “Do not fear men”, says the Christ, “Not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father. Even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matthew 10 : 29-30). These formulas, which are in fact traditional Semitic wisdom sayings, are used by Jesus to give confidence and courage to his people. We too need them today because worries and concerns are never lacking in our lives. We can draw courage from the fact that God knows us more than we know ourselves. We can place our hopes in Him. We are told even the hairs of our head have been counted.
By speaking thus, Jesus is not denying the fact that our lives often have a tragic dimension embedded in them. What Jesus wants to drive home is the fact that, despite the tragedy in the world, the powers of death can never have the last word over us. It is God who is the master of our lives. We should beware of fear, because it is not with fear that we can face the future. “Do not be afraid”, says Jesus three times in today’s gospel (Matthew 10 : 26, 28, 31).
Sometimes situations could arise where the disciple should have the courage to proclaim the Word, and risk ridicule, prison or even death. Jesus faced such situations. But he was not afraid. Though he knew he faced the danger of death, he had the courage to spell out his convictions. Like Jeremiah, he also knew that his fate was in the hands of the Father (John 13 : 3), and as he was leaving the world, he entrusted his disciples to the care of the Father, for he knew that the Father will watch over them as the most precious of his belongings (John 17 : 11-12).
The end of today’s gospel passage, that seems to stem from the apocalyptic literature, invites us to become daring witnesses of Christ till the end of the world : “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven ; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10 : 32-33).
There was a time when proclaiming the name of Jesus meant risking one’s life. Both in Palestine and in Rome of the first century Christians were subjected to persecution, and “those who kill the body” (Matthew 10 : 28) thought that they were accomplishing great deeds by tormenting those who became Christians. When Matthew was writing his gospel, the persecutions against the Church had already begun. The proclamation of the kerygma attracted some and repelled others. But the disciple of Christ could not remain silent. He had to proclaim the wonders accomplished by God in Christ and give his life if need be. That is why Peter was able to stand up in the Sanhedrin and declare : “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5 : 29).
Let us note, however, that these words should not be interpreted as a means of indoctrination or proselytism and they do not at all mean that the ancient traditions of the great religions or of the peoples across the globe must disappear and give way to a certain way of life. These words of the gospel have been carefully conserved because the first disciples believed they cannot selfishly keep for themselves the love of God that they had experienced in the person of Christ. In order to understand this truth better, let us have a look at Christ himself. Jesus helped all those who were victims of evil, whatever be their race or religion. He brought them healing and joy. His love was not exclusively destined for a certain group of people nor was it propaganda for any group. His love simply radiated all around him and all those that came into its radius earned salvation. The gospels do not ask us to witness to anything else. What risk do we run in loving like Christ ? We have nothing to lose. Even our hairs have all been counted.
Amen.
(1) Jeremiah got his prophetic vocation during the thirteenth year of the reign of king Josiah of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1 : 2), that is, in the year 627 B.C. And he exercised his ministry till the deportation of the population of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1 : 3), that is, till the year 587 B.C. This means that Jeremiah prophesied during a total of forty years, first during the reign of king Josiah, and then during the reigns of his two sons, kings Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. It is during the reign of Zedekiah that the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and took the people into exile.
Jeremiah was for a treaty of peace with the Babylonians whose empire was expanding rapidly and it was obvious that history was taking a new turn in their favour (Jeremiah 27 : 4-6). For Jeremiah the mission of Israel was not earthly but was rather spiritual. But the kings of Israel re-read the promises of Yahweh in terms of military conquest and prepared their nation for an all out war with the Babylonians. Naturally they held the prophet Jeremiah to be their enemy.
(2) There are five passages where Jeremiah expresses his inner turmoil through his “confessions” : Jeremiah 11 : 8 – 12 : 6 ; 15 : 10-21 ; 17 : 12-18 ; 18 : 18-23 ; 20 : 7-18.
Suggestion for Introduction to the Mass :
In today’s gospel Jesus tells us : “Do not be afraid”. But we give in to fear because of our lack of faith. Let us ask pardon of the Lord. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
Let us now ask the Lord to free us from the fears that cripple us. If the world seems menacing or violent, let us remember that the Lord has won over the world. With confidence, let us pray.
Conclusion :
Lord, give us courage. May we not flee away from our duty to change the world into a land of righteousness and peace. May we always remember that with you we can win over the obstacles that are on our path and work for the coming of the Kingdom. You who live and reign, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. – Amen.
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| Eleventh Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Eleventh Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(2008-06-15)
[Exodus 19 : 1-6 ;
Psalm 100 (99) : 1-5 ;
Romans 5 : 6-11 ;
Matthew 9 : 36 – 10 : 8]
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9 : 36). Today’s gospel tells us that after having travelled the length and breadth of his country (Matthew 9 : 35), Jesus makes a first observation : his people have no worthwhile leaders to guide them, and no one to show them the direction to take. He is filled with compassion for his people.
And Jesus raises his eyes. He makes a second observation : he sees a huge field ready for harvest. He says : “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9 : 37-38). And already his prayers are answered, for, in this growing crowd of disciples, he perceives a few who could become his special partners. Among them he calls twelve (1).
Till now Jesus only had throngs of followers. Now with the call of the twelve he takes a step forward by deciding to give a structure to his project of the Kingdom of God on earth. Like the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve hours of the day or the twelve signs of the zodiac, they will become twelve points of reference and will be called the twelve columns of the church (2).
And Jesus tells his apostles: “You are the harvesters. Go to these people who are harassed and helpless. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, let the good triumph over the evil, and let life triumph over death. You have received freely; give freely.”
Is it not good to hear these words today, for sometimes we too feel harassed and helpless. When we lose interest in life, and we do not find a meaning in anything we do, we need somebody like Jesus to bring us healing and give us a new purpose in life. When we are overwhelmed by cares and concerns, when we feel powerless in front of the challenges we face or when we meet with failures, it is good to know that there is someone by our side : Jesus himself, who has come from God and who can watch over us. Even in this 21st century, we still need Jesus and we need apostles who can act in his name.
The last part of today’s gospel presents a problem: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10 : 5) Why does Jesus restrict the mission of the twelve by asking them to go only to the people of Israel and keep away from the Samaritans and the Gentiles ? Had he not himself gone and evangelized the Samaritans after meeting the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar (John 4 : 39-42) ? Had he not spoken so well of the Good Samaritan in his parable (Luke 10 : 30-37) ? As for the other Gentiles, he had already healed the servant of the Roman centurion (Matthew 8 : 5-13) and will soon heal the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15 : 21-28). He will even express wonder at their extraordinary faith : “Truly I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith !” (Matthew 8 : 10). He will be filled with hope and enthusiasm when the Greeks will go to meet him just before the Passion (John 12 : 23), and after the resurrection it is the universal mission that he will entrust to his disciples : “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28 : 19). And we will note that, after the stoning of Stephen, when Philip will go to proclaim the Good News to the Samaritans (Acts 8 : 5), that news was very well received by the Church in Jerusalem. If so, then going to the lost sheep of Israel was simply a pedagogical phase of initiation in a particular context. Thus for example, only among the Jews could the disciples find food they could eat as Jews, that is, ‘kosher’ food, and only among the Jews could they find a synagogue to pray.
However, the fact remains that Israel was, and is always, the symbol of God’s promises and the point of reference in every proclamation of the gospel. “In the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful ? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God ? By no means !”, says Saint Paul (Romans 3 : 2-4). And Paul himself during his missionary travels across different foreign countries will always begin by addressing first to the Diaspora Jews in the towns that he visited (Acts 13 : 5,14 ; 14 : 1 ; 17 : 2,10 ; 28 : 17 etc.)
At the end of this mass, we are going to be sent forth like the apostles. “Go ! Bring the peace of Christ ! You are sent forth !” Thus ends every Eucharistic celebration launching us on the same mission as that of Christ. We carry with us the grace of the mass in order to bless, heal, forgive, cast out demons and raise to life. We are to prove by our way of living that we are men and women for whom life has a meaning and a direction. May we become conscious of the lofty task entrusted to us by the Messiah of God.
Amen.
(1) The list of the twelve apostles can be seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (Matthew 10 : 2-4 ; Mark 3 : 16-19 ; Luke 6 : 14-16 ; Acts 1 : 13-14).
In all these lists Peter is named first. Eleven of the names are common to all the lists but the one Matthew calls Thaddeus is called Judas, son of James, by Luke.
It is a sort of an explosive group in which we find Matthew the publican who cooperated with the Romans by collecting taxes for them, as we find Simon the zealot who belonged to an armed group opposed to the presence of Romans in Israel.
Among the twelve, there was a traitor : Judas Iscariot. After Jesus’ resurrection, he was replaced (Acts 1 : 15-26). During a gathering of about 120 disciples, the choice narrowed to two candidates : Matthias and Barsabbas. There was voting and Matthias was elected.
This shows that Christ’s companions numbered more than twelve (See Mark 14 : 13-16 ; Luke 22 : 9-13) and the gospels also speak of female disciples who followed Jesus everywhere (Mark 15 : 41 ; Luke 8 : 3). But this specific group of twelve had a symbolic function. They were closer to Christ and will become the pillars on which the church will be built.
Note that among the Essenes of Qumran too there was a council of twelve with three of them forming the inner circle.
(2) Saint Mark in his gospel will tell us that it is a group of witnesses that Jesus chose “to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons” (Mark 3 : 14-15). He sent them out as he himself had been sent by the Father (John 20 : 21). Essentially their mission was to be that of bringing God’s compassion into the world. Their principal competence will be their capacity to participate in Christ’s own concern for his people. This competence they will get by being with him and learning from him. Today they become witnesses of his life and teachings, but later on it will be required of them that they also become witnesses of his death and resurrection (Acts 1 : 21-22) (See Acts 1 : 8 ; 2 : 32 ; 3 : 15 ; 5 : 32 ; 8 : 25 ; 10 : 39-42 etc.)
From now on, the faith of the twelve will always be looked upon as the foundation on which the Church was built. Even the enterprising apostle Saint Paul who had not known Christ during his life time, made it a point to go to Jerusalem and verify with the apostles the authenticity of his teaching (Galatians 2 : 9 ; See also Galatians 2 : 11-21 ; Acts 15 : 22-35). And the Church’s profession of faith will be called : “The Apostles’ Creed”.
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today the Lord chooses his twelve apostles. He sends them out to heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead to life. We all participate in the same mission. Let us now acknowledge our unworthiness for such a great calling. Let us ask pardon for our sins.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
The first reading gave us the assurance that the Lord will bear us on eagle’s wings and bring us to himself. And so with confidence let us present to him our demands. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
Make of us a holy nation; a people set apart to sing your praises; a people happy to believe and to serve; a people ready to celebrate your faithfulness; now and forever. – Amen.
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| Tenth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Tenth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(2008-06-08)
[Hosea 6 : 3-6 ;
Psalm 50 (49) : 1, 8, 12-15, 23 ;
Romans 4 : 18-25 ;
Matthew 9 : 9-13]
The tax office is closed today. That of Matthew. He was working for the Roman customs. He was a man of discretion and efficiency. A man so discreet that we know practically nothing about what happened during his encounter with Jesus at the tax booth (Matthew 9 : 9b).
Jesus is leaving the city of Capernaum, where he has healed the mother-in-law of Peter, the servant of the Roman centurion and many other sick people (Matthew 8 : 5-16). Capernaum is a city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Il was a transit point for the caravans coming from the East and also the point of entry into the territories of Herod. We can imagine the city bustling with activity with the coming and going of caravans, the markets full of people, the customs office collecting the taxes and the Roman garrison trying to maintain law and order.
The Jews who collected tax for the Romans were surnamed “the publicans”. From the political point of view they were supposed to be traitors to their country because they were working for the occupying forces. From the civil point of view they were accused of stealing from the people because of the Roman method of taxation : the publicans collected whatever they could, then paid a fixed sum to the Romans at regular intervals and kept the rest for themselves as salary. A few of them, from time to time, gave in to the temptation of arbitrary taxation of goods and people (1).
From the religious point of view they were looked upon as impure because of their mingling with foreigners. Thereafter it was an easy slide from the notion of ritual impurity to the notion of moral sinfulness, and the words “publican” and “sinner” ended up becoming almost synonymous. Often in the gospels the publicans are associated with sinners and prostitutes (Matthew 9 : 10-11 ; 21 : 31 ; Mark 2 : 15 ; Luke 7 : 34 ; 15 : 1). Since such people could not feel at ease to attend public services in the synagogues, the word “publican” also meant “non-practising Jew” (See Matthew 18 : 17).
Today Jesus makes a triumphal entry into the life of one of them : Matthew (2). He tells him : “Follow me !”, and Matthew gets up and follows him (Matthew 9 : 9). By inviting a Jewish outcast to be his disciple, Jesus provokes the Pharisees and the Scribes. On the other hand, if the goal of Jesus was to attract big crowds around him he would not have associated himself with such a public sinner.
Matthew was right in being discreet, for in this encounter the main character is Jesus, and not he, Matthew. If the tax booth risks remaining closed till a replacement is found, for Matthew it is a new life that begins under the direction of a new master. The fiscal rules of the Roman emperor will now give place to the law of love of the divine emperor. It is the end of quite a world and the beginning of another.
Matthew celebrates his vocation by offering a farewell dinner in his house (Luke 5 : 29). Did Matthew already know Jesus, for him to leave everything and follow Jesus at once ? Jesus had already established himself in Matthew’s hometown (Matthew 4 : 31). Matthew must have heard of this young rabbi who brought in a completely new dimension to religion : he welcomed sinners and forgave them ; he said that the kingdom of God was at hand ; he even proclaimed that the publicans and the sinners will enter into that kingdom before the Pharisees and the scribes (Matthew 21 : 31).
And this is how later on Matthew will see the arrival of Jesus in his town :
“Land of Zebulon, land of Naphtali,
On the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And for those who sat in the region of shadow and death light has dawned.”
(Matthew 4 : 13-16 ; See Luc 1 : 79).
The way that Jesus looked at him and the manner in which he treated him made Matthew understand that there was neither any reproach nor any rebuff on the part of Jesus, but only love and compassion. Yes, Matthew began to dream : O ! If only he could leave this job of a publican and start life anew ! If only he could become an agent of change in the society ! And then, one day, the dream came true. He saw Jesus at his doorpost offering him discipleship. Matthew got up, shut the door and simply left.
Matthew celebrates his new vocation by offering a farewell dinner to his fellow customs officers. Jesus dares to take place in the midst of sinners in Matthew’s house (Matthew 9 : 10). In the Jewish world of that time you did not sit at table with anybody and everybody. The Pharisees accuse Jesus for his non-conformist behaviour. Jesus’ presence at the table of sinners is a Good News for all of us. However, by joining the sinners Jesus does not deny the existence of evil or of the diseases that corrode men’s hearts. He is rather like a doctor in front of his patients : “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matthew 9 : 12).
The look of compassion transforms and makes one reach beyond oneself to ever new heights. Years later, having become apostle and evangelist, Matthew will give echo to the extraordinary words that he had heard in the course of the banquet that he gave to his co-workers the day he resigned from his post : “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9 : 13 ; 12 : 7 ; See Hosea 6 : 6 – today’s first reading). He will present the one, whose call transformed his life, as the strange tax collector whose joy was in the forgiveness of debts, even if it meant paying the price himself in the place of his debtors ! And what a price !!
Amen.
(1) Ancient historical records are full of complaints made to the Roman governors by wronged merchants.
(2) “Matthew” means “God’s gift” in Hebrew. Mark and Luke call him “Levi” (Mark 2 : 13-17 ; Luke 5 : 27-32).
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today the Lord will call Matthew from his tax office. Then he will sit at table with sinners in Matthew’s house. We who are sinners, we have dared to approach the table of the Lord. May his mercy transform us and may his forgiveness make of us new beings. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
Encouraged by our faith, and filled with confidence, let us now present to the Lord all our needs. Let us wish the fulfilment of his project of love for humankind. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
Lord, may your compassion cleanse us as we walk towards the table of the bread. Let none of us be deprived of your love that forgives and transfigures. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. – Amen.
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| Ninth Sunday Ordinary - Year A |
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Ninth Sunday Ordinary
Year A
(2008-06-01)
[Deuterononmy 10 : 12-13 ; 11 : 18, 26-28, 32 ;
Psalm 31 (30) : 1-3, 16, 24 ;
Romans 1 : 16-17 ; 3 : 20-26, 28 ;
Matthew 7 : 21-27]
In the first reading today, Moses gives the following instruction to the people of Israel : “You shall put these words of mine into your heart and soul, you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and fix them as an emblem on your forehead.” (Deuteronomy 11 : 18).
Even today, pious Jews, when they go to the synagogue, attach on their wrists and to their foreheads small leather bags called phylacteries, containing the verses of the “Shema Israel” (“Hear, O Israel !”). They remind us of the scapulars worn by the tertiaries belonging to the third orders of different congregations. Others place these verses in small cylindrical containers called “mezuzahs”, and fix them to their doorposts. For them these are exterior signs of the inner acceptation of the Torah deep in their hearts.
Moses specifies that these instructions are given to them on the part of the Lord their God (Deuteronomy 11 : 22, 26, 28, 29). What is understood here is the personal relationship that exists between God of Israel and his people. God has been present all along their history ever since he called Abraham. Now he has freed them from bondage in Egypt and brought them up to Sinai. He has been “Emmanuel” in their midst.
Moses tells them that the acceptation of the Lord’s precepts is a question of personal choice. His speech is patterned on the treaties that were concluded between the emperors and their vassals in ancient Middle East. The signing took place in a sanctuary with the presiding deity as the guarantor of the treaty. The climax of the ceremony was a ritual meal with both parties sharing the same table. Blessings were promised to those who will respect and keep the terms of the treaty, and curses on those who will not keep them. Moses points out to the Israelites that curses will befall them especially if they started to follow other gods whom they have not even known personally in the course of their history (Deuteronomy 11 : 28).
Later the rabbinical literature will develop very much this theme of attachment to the Law and say that those who follow the precepts of the Lord are like those who lay their foundation on the rock, whereas those that do not follow his precepts are like those who build on sand. But is not the Lord himself the true rock on whom we can build ? The Old Testament calls the Lord, the rock and the fortress. That is the responsorial psalm today : “Lord, be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. You are indeed my rock and my fortress.” (Psalm 31 : 2-3 ; See Psalm 18 : 2 ; 62 : 7).
Today Jesus picks up this line of thought and applies it to himself (Matthew 7 : 21, 24, 26). He says that a life founded on him will be safe from all the dangers. The storm may blow, the rain may fall, the floods may batter, but the one whose life is founded in Christ will not falter (Matthew 7 : 25). On the other hand, the one who does not act on his sayings will be like a foolish man who has built his house on sand ; if the rains come, the sand underneath the house will cave in and great will be the fall of that house (Matthew 7 : 26-27). Matthew says that on hearing Jesus, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority and not like their scribes (Matthew 7 : 28-29).
On continuing along the same line, Jesus tells his listeners that it is not enough to say, “Lord, Lord !”, but that they should strive to do the will of the Father. The prophets had said the same thing : “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”, had complained Isaiah (Isaiah 29 : 13). “Amend your ways and your doings... Do not trust in these deceptive words : “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”, had warned Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7 : 4-8).
Jesus says that on the day of the judgement, many will tell him, “Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name ?” (1) But he will declare to them, “I never knew you ; go away from me, you evildoers (2).” (Matthew 7 : 22-23 ; See the last judgement – Matthew 25 : 31-46 ; and St. Paul’s ode to love – I Corinthians 13 : 1-3, 10). Thus all along this passage Jesus has been working on a seam from the authentic Biblical tradition that demanded that there be a concordance between the words and the acts of men.
Those who work to found their lives on the Lord acquire solidity and stability. They do not lose courage when they are faced with storms in their lives. Their faith in Christ gives them security, a great equanimity and confidence for the future. They remain unshakeable and render witness to their Lord.
Amen.
(1) In the olden times miracles were commonplace. Any healing was considered to be a miracle and it was accepted that those belonging to other religions too could perform miracles. It is not the miracles that distinguished the early Christians from the others, but the miracles served as starting points to attract the attention of the people.
(2) “Evildoers” is literally, “those who are far from the Torah” (“anomia” in Greek = unlawful or away from the law) (Matthew 7 : 23. The same vocabulary is used also in Matthew 1 : 21).
Suggestion for Introduction to the mass :
Today’s gospel tells us that it is not enough to say, “Lord, Lord !”, but that we should do the will of the Father. There is a certain resistance within ourselves to put into practice the Lord’s precepts. Saint Paul will complain : “I do not do what I want, and I do what I do not want”. Let ask of the Lord the help of his grace. Let us acknowledge that we are sinners.
Suggestions for the Prayers of the Faithful :
Introduction :
We have renewed our faith in the Lord. We want our lives to bear witness to him in front of all those whose paths cross ours in our day to day lives. Let us now pray for them all and ask the Lord to have mercy on us. Let us pray.
Conclusion :
Lord our God, you are the rock on which we can build. Help us to found our lives on Christ, the eternal Word who lives in your presence. Give us signs of your care for us. We ask this through the same Christ, our Lord. – Amen.
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| Feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul |
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June 29 2008
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16:13-20
“Keep it under lock and key.” That is what we say when we want to guard something carefully. And we do this with a lot of things. We lock our houses when we are gone. We lock our cars when we go into Church or into the store. We lock our computers, bicycles, garages, and offices. And in the process of doing so much locking, we accumulate a lot of keys for those locks, car keys, house keys, garage keys, office keys, and many more. We carry them in our pockets and never, ever want to lose them, and with good reason. Our lives really are under lock and key.
While we necessarily are locking things up in our lives, each one of our readings today shows that God is doing the opposite. He is unlocking things. And, after he unlocks things, He unlocks people—both their physical selves and their hearts. That’s right, God unlocks us, and then, even more, he gives us the key.
St. Peter is the one who first gets unlocked today in our Scriptures. He had been thrown in jail by King Herod. One of his companions, James, had already been put to death and Peter was awaiting his own trial the next day. Just imagine his predicament for a moment. He had given his life to follow Jesus, and now King Herod was going to put him to death for it. He was chained up, locked in a jail cell, and waiting to die. But it was not the plan of God that St. Peter be locked in Herod’s prison, unable to preach the gospel. God sent a messenger, an angel, to unlock the chains and open the prison cell. And Peter didn’t even realize what was going on until after he was outside. That’s the heart of the story. God set Peter free, even when Peter didn’t realize it. Because while it was happening, Peter didn’t have the foggiest idea what God was doing. He thought he was dreaming.
Now we might think, “Well of course God set Peter free; he was an important apostle and the first pope. But God isn’t going to free me from what traps me in life.” Now let’s keep in mind that this is the same Peter who had really messed up before. Remember when Jesus was being tried by the temple authorities and Peter was outside in the courtyard. A young woman asked him three times if he was with that guy Jesus. And three times he said that he didn’t know him; he denied that he had any association with that man Jesus. If Peter did anything in that moment he locked Christ out of his life—at least on the outside! And after all of that, God still sets Peter free. And not only does he set him free from physical prison, he gives him the power to set others free.
That is the core of the Gospel we hear today. Peter finally understands who Jesus really is. Even though he has messed up before, he says to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus doesn’t look at him and say, “You’ve messed up one too many times Peter.” No, not at all. Jesus looks at Peter and tells him that He is going build his Church through him. And even more than that, Jesus gives Peter the “keys to the Kingdom of heaven” such that “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” And there you have it…Jesus gives Peter the power to unlock anything on this earth…and it will be unlocked forever in heaven. The very reason that the Church was founded was for unlocking people; for setting people free. And we are here today because God unlocks our lives, too.
So what are we waiting for? Our lives are full of things that are locked…and not just our cars, houses, and our offices. No, we lock our hearts, like Peter did so long ago, because its pretty easy to do. Maybe someone has hurt us and we have locked a grudge deep inside. Maybe we are suffering in mind or in body and we have locked out any hope in God’s love. And maybe we have even locked out of our hearts the very desire to be free.
But these locks are not God’s plan for us. Because no what we have done and no matter how many times we have closed and locked our hearts, Jesus has given to Peter, and to us, freedom. And what we unlock, God will make sure that it is unlocked in heaven for all of time. So here today, at this Mass, let us open hearts and let God insert the key and unlock them forever. And when we receive together the Holy Eucharist, let it be a sign of our freedom from fear, freedom from failure when we have sinned, and freedom to live our lives with joy and hope in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then, instead of locking things inside ourselves, we will open ourselves up and radiate the light of Christ to the world.
We will all carry our keys in our pockets, but each time today and this week that you unlock the door to your car or your house or your office, try to remember that it is God who has unlocked your heart. God loves us far too much to keep us under lock and key. Take the time to give thanks and to smile, because this day God has set you free.
By the seminarian Mr. Kevin Grove, CSC
It is the first homily he had preached in front of a congregation at a mass.
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