19th September, 2010 Twenty - fifth Sunday of the Year - C
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When I hear the readings from this weekend’s Mass, I think of a wonderful quote from the former head of the Jesuit Order, Pedro Arrupe… who writes..
“Nothing is more practical than finding God.
That is,//…. than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way.//
What you are in love with,…….. what seizes your imagination..// will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings,
what you will do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read,
who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love,
stay in love,
and it will decide everything.”
Jesus is inviting us to fall in love with God and his Kingdom.. and the values of the Kingdom and the people God loves and defends……
That, I believe, is actually the heart of the mysterious gospel passage today…
And the first reading has wonderful practical implications. There is enormous criticism being levelled at anyone who goes through the motions of being a faithful follower of God, who performs the rituals and actions prescribed by the law, but miss the whole point and spirit of the law…. Ripping off the poor… trampling on the downtrodden… ignoring the plight of the widow and the orphan…. This is the true heart of the gospel of Jesus…. To have concern for all people, expecially those most in need… on the margins….
Jesus, particularly in the focus of Luke’s Gospel… is being addressed to the rich and influential people who want to be followers of Jesus….. Jesus is addressing the way things are done in business and society so that people can makes friends and influence people…. They have great big dinner parties… they do eachother favours… give favourable discounts to those they wish to have in their moral debt…. This gives them more prestige, power and influence….
Jesus points out that the poor. The needy and the sinner are very dear to God’s heart. God wants them to be invluded and brought back out of the cold…. But of course, these people have no way of influencing others… so they are left out of society with no way back in…. they can’t others to dinner, because they haven’t got much, and they may be refused by the rich who see nothing to be gained financially or socially from accepting such an unlikely invitation… the sinner has no way of ever shaking off their past… and the stranger does not fit anywhere….
So, Jesus is offering a new vision, that builds on earthly thinking, but then turns it on its head….
Jesus is saying to his listeners…. IF you want to get in the good books of the one who really counts… God in hEaven…and God’s Kingdom values… which are the only true and lasting treasures… then you need to curry favour with those who are dear to the heart of the master… so…. Help the poor… forgive the sinner…. Help the widow and orphan and stranger… practice justice… include those who have nothing to give back…. BECAUSE… God has a special concern for them…. These people will be the first to enter the Kingdom of heaven… and if you have helped those dear to God… THEY MIGHT let you in to the banquet feast…
So.. isn’t it ironic…. The people whose values go no further than this life and its material advantages… understand better about investing in what will reap true rewards… then why do not the disciples of Christ.. invest their time, energy and resources into what is much more valuable and lasting than mere position, prestige and wealth and influence in this life alone.. which is passing…
“The real challenge today is to look at my own personal spiritual life. I need to be honest with myself. Do I really seek God and accept the difficulties that it brings into my life? Or do I look for ways to appear good to others without really being (holistically) good? The more serious I become about seeking God, the more seriously I can live out what God is asking of me.
……Following Jesus Christ is ultimate so very simple: live as He lived with all the energies of our life. One challenge for most of us is that we are not consistent in our living the Christian life. Often we live as Christians as long as it is comfortable for us. When the going gets rough, then too often we dodge out of doing what is right and just and do that which will get us out of the situation, rather than that which is right and just.”
Jesus is inviting us to fall in love with the Kingdom and all its lasting values… and love with a passion the people whom God has concern for….. and this will be what we put all our time, energy and ingenuity into in our daily lives…
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REFERENCES:
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· FR. PAUL W. KELLY
· MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT. ABBOT’S HOMILY. (italicised quote near the end)
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