16th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

20th July, 2008      16th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

 

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we are very much aware of our membership to the universal church…. particularly this week… where the Pope has been visiting Australia……… and people from all over the world have come to celebrate their unity in Christ… and their membership of the church…../    our thoughts and prayers are with the pilgrims, not only our local pilgrims….. but the japanese pilgrims we enjhoyed hosting last week……..

 

The psalm could very well have been written for today….it is so fitting… 

 

both the first reading and the gospel tell us something very important….  “God is all-powerful, but is gentle and always wants to give us time for change, for transformation, and for repentance.”    (abbot’s homily, Monastery of Christ in the desert).

 

The gospel this weekend, uses, among other images the image of the Reign of God being like ‘the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’  Surely our parish’s mission is very fittingly described as that. the life of this parish… the life of our schools, seek to implement the good news of Jesus in an “holistic”   way…  in a way that is not segmented…. //  It diffuses right through every aspect of life ………it is part of every aspect.. and not merely something that has been badly tacked on to the end of an otherwise “non-Christian set-up”… but rather… it is worked in and becomes an integral part of what we do and how we do it… like yeast is mixed seamlessly into flour…..  it becomes part of it, but also raises it up into a new and more beautiful creation….   All of us are like that too in our daily lives…… //   and the energy, inspiration and encouragement we have witnessed in world youth day….  the public interest in the message of the gospel……   these are glimpses of the kingdom at work….    working into and amongst the everyday events and values of the commonwealth……… we are all, as Christians, to be leaven (yeast) in the dough…//. ‘So much’ part of society and work as to be integral… and bringing the life and joy of our Christian faith effortlessly and not necessarily ‘obviously’ into all we do and say…    being part of God’s transformation of all things in God’s image…. 

 

Finally, Jesus tackles the age old question… why are there bad things in the world….  Why does God allow seemingly bad people to do bad things….     Why does God allow destructive to thrive along side of constructive……..    I suppose we can all be glad that God doesn’t dispose of anyone or anything that is imperfect…  or “hit with a bolt of lightning” anyone who has ever sinned or made a mistake or who was weak and not living up to the Gospel message perfectly… thank goodness God is patient.. I am sure we have all benefited from that most comforting of Divine qualities…  

 

God has unconditional love for us…. God made us, and God sees the enormous potential and possibilities that lie within our lives…..   he sees us as we are… and still loves us……    giving us time and grace…in order that we might foster the virtues and positive attributes of ourselves … and allow God to transform and heal those areas that are in need of forgiveness, transformation and conversion….. 

 

God appears to err on the side of human freedom so that we may be fully free to respond with love to all that God wants for us……..  (this is both an enormous gift and a powerful challenge and responsibility).

 

One thing is certain….  without denying the reality of suffering, injustice and downright evil within the world…..   nevertheless… we are invited not to be thrown by all this, and to focus more than ever in doing good, in being people of love, justice and compassion…..   let us not allow the hurts and sins of the world around us from deepening our constant calling to do good, to love more deeply and to travel the less travelled path of other-worldly love and compassion…..    when the weeds around us might otherwise prompt us to respond with negativity and bitterness….   where sin and hurt abounds.. let us ensure that the grace and love of Christ all the more abounds….    in all we do and say…