Paul's Reflections 30th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

26th  October, 2008      30th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

 

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(Welcome to Fr Gerard Mulholland who is celebrating our 8am Sunday mass this morning. Fr Gerard, known to so many in the parish, is a local, who now words as a Divine Word Missionary Priest in Papua New Guinea).

 

“There are many examples of how, even after the busiest of days, Jesus would go up into the hills, to a lonely place, and spend the night in prayer to His heavenly Father.  So, it is fair to say, Jesus whole life was to worship and praise the Father.  There are also many examples of how Jesus spent himself in complete service of others. His whole life was an act of service and love to his neighbour… all in need around him…..  

 

These two complete realities are not in contradiction, but really two sides of the same coin….

 

in fact the great saint John Chrysostom once said:  “I cannot believe in the salvation of those people who do not work for the salvation of their neighbours.” 

 

Another great monk was once heard to say to his brothers….  (when they focused too much on rules and not the heart of the gospel message….) he says to them in exasperation….   “ My friends, you have torn the gospel of Christ in two….//.  there are two great commandments, not one. Love God, by how you love the neighbour as you would love and care for yourself.

 

Splitting up these two commands seriously distorts the gospel……  there are those who would emphasise worship of God to the point where doing anything practical for those in practical need becomes optional…. this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ……///  the other extreme is not right either…. there are people who are so caught up in social justice and practical action that they lose sight of the fact that this flows out of our relationship to God and that we are all God’s children… and that it is not only our human actions… but God’s will that is important….  so they neglect prayer, worship and a sense of faith in God who is the author and sustainer of us all……..   as essential as practical care for those in need is, it would lose its focus if we were to ever disconnect it to worship and prayer….. (it would become something merely humanistic….  At worst… it would reflect a sense that humans are their own saviours and can do all things themselves without reference to God…..) Jesus shows us that both are possible and that both are necessary…..   Again… I must say, that is why I always feel that the catholic group of lay people known as St Vincent de Paul society…  is a wonderful expression of both these aspects… they focus on practical action….   helping those in need, hungry, seeking shelter, clothing, and also visit those in need….  and also, integral to this, they meet and pray and reflect on Christ’s gospel…  this is absolutely vital – connection to the person of christ makes sense of and empowers their care for their neighbour….    there are many other groups and individuals who model this,..//

 

In Jesus great commandment – which is truly a “masterpiece of summing up thousands of biblical rules and regulations and observances into a few amazing words………the very heart of its meaning……”.   Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength… and love your neighbour as yourself……..It becomes clear that every other person is truly our neighbour and especially when the person is in need.  We must be loving neighbours to all people who come into our lives.  No one can be excluded from being our neighbour.

 

Love of neighbour is at the heart of serving God /and being faithful to what God is asking of us.//  Love of neighbour is not simply an optional part of our Christianity.

 

Saint Paul, in the first reading says it very well…..   We must take Christ as our model……… We must imitate Christ.  In that imitation of Christ, we can find a whole way of living:  gentleness yet strength in our dealings with others, understanding and acceptance of others with a clear vision of what is right and what is wrong.

 

Jesus did not just accept everything as good.  He clearly pointed out what was not good. However, Jesus managed to do this without ever putting down the person who had done wrong. Whilst still loving the other. That is a difficult model to imitate.  This is another example of the cross of Jesus, the suffering that comes from living and speaking what is right and true whilst always striving to treat all others with love, reverence and compassion. “

 

 

(References:

 

·          Abbot’s Homily, The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily for October 22 2008.

·          Flor McCarthy. Sundays and Holy Day Liturgies. Year A.

·          Gutierrez, Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year.

 

 

 

 

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