Catholic Reflections 570 : Homily Twenty - sixth Sunday of the Year C 25th September, 2016

Homily Twenty - sixth Sunday of the Year C  25th September, 2016



The Parable in this weekend’s Gospel is often called The Story of Lazarus and “Divés”.
These are supposedly the names of the poor man, who certainly is Lazarus, and the rich man, who I think is deliberately not given a name. .

The word “Dives” is a Latin word that is a description, not a name, and it translates as “Rich”.

 In many Biblical stories the importance of the person is often shown by the fact that they are given a “name”.

It is an error, then when commentators attempt to give a name to the rich man when it is clearly not the intention. The important person in this story is Lazarus. The whole point of the story is to turn on its head the usual expectation of status and importance. Even in torment, the rich man still doesn’t “get it.”

He ignorantly requests that God would command Lazarus to cross over to Hades to serve him. However, his request is rightly denied. Lazarus is poor no longer!

As St. Basil said in one of his homilies on this parable, “Tell us the reason why you have received your possessions. Is it so that God may be unjust, God who unequally distributes those goods necessary to life? Why are you rich and another poor? To the hungry belongs the bread that you keep; to the naked, the cloak you keep tucked away… You commit as many injustices as there are people to whom you could give.”

One of the great failings of the rich man in this parable is that he is ignorant and apathetic to the poverty and need of people around him; people who turn out to be his brother, his sister… and thus, co-heirs to the Kingdom of which he will never actually become an heir….  

Consequently, this parable is inviting us to change our ways of seeing things. The gospel tells us in countless ways that the last will be first. Jesus calls upon us to truly build up a world based upon true gospel values….. and made up of many people like Lazarus, who are despised now by those who, according to the parable, do not deserve to have a name.

The parable leaves no room for doubt. To the unnamed rich man's attempt to allege the ignorance of his peers as the reason for the indifference to the plight of poor Lazarus, "Father Abraham" categorically answers that they have the word of God to listen to. The words and teachings of the Scriptures are more than enough to guide us in how we should live…….   (for those who are truly open to its powerful challenges). In spite of the clarity of the gospel message, today we admit that we too can also look for subterfuges or ask for miracles in order to avoid the gospel demands; that are really plain enough without any further embellishment….

Those who ignore the poor are rejected by the Lord. Saint Paul gives us the reason for such a behaviour: "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Greed leads us to place our trust in money, when this trust and all true power comes only from God. This is why Paul calls it idolatry. And the poor are victims of this distorted worship.  This conduct — and its consequences — separates people by a great chasm which is unable to be crossed over to the Kingdom…..

But all is not lost… this parable continues on from the earlier parables….   Although we are told that the rich man faced a great chasm between himself in Hades, whilst Abraham and Lazarus are in Paradise….   Jesus has already given his attentive listeners a hint… and a key…   There is actually a way that the rich man can be saved…..   But he is so ignorant he cannot even comprehend it; and may never access this reprieve…   He must act just as the foolish younger son did in the parable of the prodigal son….   He must say to his heavenly Father….  “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against earth…  I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired servant….    “…..   because we KNOW, from Jesus’ own lips what the father’s response will be to those who realise their error…  awake from their apathy…  repent… and turn back…….    
 
Finally…   there is a true story told:
One day a person received an appeal from a reputable foreign mission, asking for an aid donation. The person wrote a little cheque out to support the mission appeal and felt good about it. Then they went out to the local shopping centre and promptly spent twice as much on inconsequential things. In the midst of all this, something about this struck the person deeply,  and they were overcome with a sense of shame. This person quickly returned home and wrote five more cheques,  “to catch a few more lazaruses, at the door”….or even further afield…….
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

A BOOK OF GRACE-FILLED DAYS. BY ALICE CAMILLE. (2010)


SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.

Fr. John Fuellenbach, SVD, Sabbatical Lectures 2007. Rome. (notes of PWK)

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Twenty - sixth Sunday of the Year C

The Lord be with you.
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Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you call your people to turn away from sin: Lord, have mercy//You teach us wisdom, and write your truth in our inmost heart: Christ, have mercy//You forgive sins through the ministry of reconciliation: Lord, have mercy//
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Memorial Acclamation

1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.

2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.
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Preparation of the Gifts
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
       Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.
       Blessed be God for ever.
Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
     May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

own preface p.69

Various Needs and Occasions 2.  p.69

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Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

Catholic Reflections 555 : Homily Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C. 26th June, 2016

Homily Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C.  26th June, 2016

First reading. 1 Kings 19:16,19-21

Responsorial Psalm. Psalm 15:1-2,5,7-11.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Second reading. Galatians 5:1,13-18

Gospel. Luke 9:51-62



The Gospel this weekend shows various people coming up to Jesus and giving reasons why they cannot follow him immediately, but also how they intend to follow him as soon as possible.

I think the key to this Gospel is the first words of the passage: "As the time grew near for Our Lord to be taken up to heaven." In other words, there was no time left. There was an absolute urgency and immediacy to Our Lord's last days. There was no time but the present and there was not time for hesitations, excuses or delays. It was now or never. So, irrespective of whether the excuses given by people were good or whether they were weak, nothing must be allowed to stop the mission of Christ from being accomplished. So, one needs to get their priorities right. Our Lord' Gospel has an urgency that demands first priority. And we must not let many reasons frustrate that plan. There may very well always be good reasons to put off until tomorrow (or later) what really needs to be done today. And of course.. tomorrow may never come….

There is a story told of an Olympic champion who lived in an Eastern Block nation during the time of the Cold War. She wanted to defect to the West. When she finally decided to do so, it was only by literally turning her back on her unique privileges, including a rather rare car given to her as an exceptional favour due to her sporting status, and moving forward to a new life with the only possessions being one small carry-case.…. If she had tried to take anything more, it would have alerted the authorities to the planned defection and the escape would have failed and ended tragically. If something is urgent and important, hesitation or looking back could be catastrophic. Christ knew that.

This weekend’s readings are about setting out on an urgent and very important journey…. Our Lord has been up ‘til this point, traveling about proclaiming the good news… Now he has resolutely set his face towards Jerusalem and his impending suffering and death. As he journeys, various people come up to him and say: "I want to come with you." Our Lord impresses upon them that he is not forcing anyone to come along with him. Rather, he is giving them absolute freedom. But, if they choose to follow him it will require total, complete and single-minded commitment. There can be no "ifs or buts," and no hesitation . To those who say "I will follow you anywhere, but first I have to do such and such," Jesus cuts them off and virtually says…. "forget it! Go home. I am heading in this direction immediately. Come with me now or lose the moment. There is only now. No time for wavering" ….. The intensity and the urgency of Christ's mission cannot be more strongly emphasized.

The first reading has a strikingly similar incident. Elisha is chosen by the prophet Elijah to follow him as a disciple, symbolised by the beautiful image of the Prophet Elijah throwing his cloak over the young man as he walks by. Elisha is obviously both honoured and frightened. He says, "first let me say goodbye to my parents." Elijah is affronted and says to him the modern equivalent of “have I done anything to you? Am I forcing you to come with me? Go back and forget it.” This has the desired effect of shocking Elisha into realising that this offer is once and only. Elisha (who may probably have hesitated and not returned if he had looked back), went and followed Elijah immediately.

At various times we all find ourselves setting out on new journeys. Whether those journeys be physical, spiritual, vocational, or otherwise. These journeys create some hesitations and fears. They involve moving out of comfort zones and into unfamiliar territory. But we also know that we follow Our Lord wherever he has led us in life, without significant hesitation. God never has been one to lead us down the wrong paths, even if sometimes you and I may have occasionally turned down some seemingly "dead-end streets" in some of our decisions and actions. ………. but we are sure that ultimately we will be led by the Lord to our destination.

When I was a child, I remember hearing the reading of Jesus calling the disciples. He called them and they left everything immediately and followed him. I remember thinking with the wonderful openness of a child "why can’t I do that too? Why should I not heed this passage and go and follow Christ as these disciples did?" (Not that I was tempted to be reckless and leave everything or not tell anyone what I was doing. This Gospel was never a recipe for irresponsibility. I knew that even as a child). But when I was older I did want to do a job that meant proclaiming the good news explicitly and helping people as a “Proclaimer of the Gospel.”

As I got older I realized that of course we do not need to go overseas to do mission, although those who do this are doing great and important work and we who are not in overseas mission, nevertheless help by our prayers and practical support. Meanwhile, Our Lord calls us in the here and now; in this place and this time, to live and witness to the good news in the places we live, work and socialize. I also realized that one can follow Jesus in many, many vocations, careers and jobs; each in varying ways. All of us here have answered Our Lord' call to "come follow me" in different and wonderful ways.

I must admit that as a child, although I may have sensed that we all follow Our Lord in our work and life, I nevertheless felt a strong desire to follow him the rather more literal way that he called the disciples. I wanted to be more visibly, and clearly following Jesus, not just in essence but almost in imitation of the ministry and preaching of the disciples. So I entered into Priestly life. This year I celebrate nineteen years of ordination to the priesthood. I thank God for the blessings God has given me in the people I have worked with and the varied settings I have ministered in. I am glad to say that I do not regret for a moment answering that call, and God has graciously and patiently kept sustaining and renewing me in the best and the joyful and also in the difficult and trying times of ministry… In the nineteen years of priesthood and also the seven years of training prior to that, my faith in Christ and my vocation to priesthood has never wavered. Thanks be entirely to God's grace even in times of trial. Nineteen years after my ordination, I feel at this point, as certain as ever that this path, of priesthood, is an ongoing path of life and joy, and I know that each time we reflect upon the person and message of Christ this will assist us to keep resolutely set towards the good news and compassionately perform the different vocations to which Christ invites each of us.

The Gospel today also raises the really important question of the extent to which we are capable of fooling ourselves… and self-deceiving ourselves… it can be a very subtle but effective thing…. Our Lord wants us to be honest and clear sighted about our lives and our motives and priorities… It can be so easy to be self-indulgent and, at the same time, to gloss over this by making up all sorts of noble excuses and reasons, which really are not authentic.

Let us never underestimate the power of self deception… it is in opposition to the light, openness and generosity of the Gospel of Jesus.

Connected to this.. I have been reading on the subject of self-deception.. because it is such a powerful dynamic in the lives of so many… One book, entitled "Don't Believe Everything You Think: The Six Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking," says that (1) On the whole people prefer stories over statistics. (2) People often seek to confirm their own ideas as opposed to question their ideas; (3) We rarely appreciate the role of coincidence in shaping our lives; (4) We sometimes mis-perceive the world around us; (5) We can often tend to oversimplify our thinking; and (6) Even if we think we have a good memory, it is more accurate to say we can often have faulty or selective memories. The point here is that we would do well to not only admit to the fact that we can self deceive and self justify what we do, but that also we would benefit greatly from strongly suspecting and actively looking for the ways in which you and I are attempting to water-down the message of Jesus' gospel for the sake of our own well-being or peace of mind.  It is perfectly healthy to have a healthy suspicion of our capability to water-down the gospel, and it is perfectly unhealthy not to suspect ourselves of the possibility of self justification, which can lead to inconsistency in the application of the gospels and double-standards.  This follows on from something I said a couple of weeks ago in relation to the gospel where the Pharisee was mumbling about the woman anointing Jesus' feet. The Pharisee rather disappointingly grumbled to himself: "if he KNEW what kind of woman this is who is touching him and how much of a sinner she was...."    But sadly Christ did not want the Pharisee spending any of his energy wondering just how much of a sinner she was or anyone else for that matter. It would be a better world if we all spent our energy wondering how much of a sinner we ourselves are. Would it not be a better world if each and every one of us tended to wonder and suspect that we ourselves might the biggest sinner in the world, and how this might be so, rather than thinking about who else might be a sinner and how much of one! Looking inside ourselves for our own poverty and need is surely closer to the gospel message than trying to look into others hearts and judging their worthiness.  
The more that we accept that we can have a tendency to self-deceive and self-justify, the more we will be open to reflecting upon just how closely we are adhering to Christ's vision and values, as opposed to a self-serving version of the same. We are invited to be more and more open to Jesus' call to follow him and place our priorities at his service; and be ever-vigilant for the trap of self-serving justifications.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly


Don't Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking. (Prometheus: May 2, 2006). by Thomas E. Kida.

MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR c. BY MARK LINK S.J.

A BOOK OF GRACE-FILLED DAYS. BY ALICE CAMILLE.

SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THELITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.

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Archive of homilies and reflections is at: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul’s homily mailout by sending an email at this address:
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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
You raise the dead to life in the Spirit. Lord, have mercy//You bring pardon and peace to the sinner. Christ, have mercy// You bring light to those in darkness. Lord, have mercy//
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Memorial Acclamation

1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.

2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.
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Preparation of the Gifts
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
       Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.
       Blessed be God for ever.
Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
  May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

Sundays Ordinary III p.30

Euch Prayer Three p.58

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Go forth, the Mass is ended.

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Catholic Reflections 532 : Homily 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 7th February, 2016

Homily 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 7th February, 2016
First Reading - Isaiah 6:1-8

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 137:1-5. 7-8. R. v.1

(R.) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Gospel - Luke 5:1-11

Any public speaker or homilist can take heart from the fact that Our Lord’s first public speech…  his first sermon… (which we heard last weekend), resulted in a large crowd of people picking him up and wanting to throw him off a cliff…. So, it is highly unlikely that one’s first talk will ever be received as badly as that!

In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah is called by God, but he looks at himself and says, "I am not worthy"…….and so, in response "God sends an angel to touch Isaiah's lips with a smoking-hot ember and tells him that God has MADE him pure…  God deems him worthy of the tak he is being given.

So, it is not the place of (even) the great prophet Isaiah to tell God what he is or is not worthy of. 

And in any case, there is a lesson here that we humans can take a long time to learn -  that it is not all about our efforts and willpower, but rather it is primarily about God’s grace. This is a timely reminder when we are just about the commence Lent, next week. It is possible to fall into a bit of a trap;  treating Lent as a time to prove to ourselves and God just how strong our willpower is in resisting temptation; and how much personal self-control we might have in giving up things we usually like; while, actually it is really about making more space, (more room) for God and for God’s transforming grace.

The Prophet Isaiah learns this lesson if the first reading and the the same happens with Saint Peter in today’s Gospel.

Thank goodness for the early disciples. We look up to these wonderful people. But, they are also revealed to be people with weaknesses, with foibles, sinfulness, failure, and, (at times), a shocking lack of trust; and a hesitancy of faith. And at other times they show fear, and sometimes even cowardice. Because of this list of flawed leaders, it reveals how good God is, and how wise God is. And how utterly dependent we ALL are, on God's grace. Its not so much about us, but about God!  Without God’s grace, we can do nothing. God makes use of the humble things we have to offer and transforms it according to God’s good purposes.

Jesus is not ever saying to us that we should wallow in our sin, or use it as an excuse to stay stuck in our old ways and old sins. We know we should never say: 'this is as good as I can be….' // However, God also wants to remind us that our worthiness is not the issue, because actually- (as many great saints throughout history remind us by their own life stories); none of us is worthy of ourselves. None of us is worthy without God except that we are all lovingly created by God and are made worthy of God’s love. It is God who makes us worthy. We never earn God’s love, it is freely given as a generous act of graciousness. It is God who calls us. And it is God alone who knows what we are capable of, and who calls us to fulfil it. The difference between the saint and the sinner is not their worthiness before God, but their determination NOT to stay stuck in their weakness or their own wilfulness or limitations, but to put their trust and all their cooperation and openness into God's hands. We are then transformed into instruments of God's love and grace. Living, cooperating instruments in the hand of God, the perfect artist.

St Peter, Saint Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah……   King David… Saul…. Moses…….  the list goes on and on: Great people. People who did God's will. But, ALSO, these same people were at times, terrinly weak and sinful. Who sinned. Sometimes they even betrayed their calling or resented or doubted it. But, nevertheless it was God who called them. God knew them and what they truly could do, and held them to that. They trusted in God's wisdom, mercy and guidance, and of course, relied on God's grace.

 
Again we can reflect on our own experiences of weakness and forgiveness, both by the Lord and by others. Being forgiven is a humbling experience, but one that allows us, like Isaiah, to step forward and volunteer for the Lord's work. 

All of us are invited to reflect on our own refusals, (big and small), where we at times declined to accept God and His power and His presence. God is not there to frighten us; nor to condemn us to be frozen into inaction by our limitations; but, rather, God loves us into being everything God wants for us.

Whenever believe and to accept forgiveness for our weaknesses and failings, and put our reliance and our cooperation into God’s grace, then we are able to be given-over to the work of the Lord.

As with Saint Peter, we can doubt many times and we can deny but eventually, when we believe and trust, our lives can be transformed into a reflection of God's mercy, God’s compassion and graciousness. 

It would be ridiculous for a pencil to refuse to be taken into the hand of a great artist, claiming that it is not talented enough to draw a masterpiece. And it would also be crazy for a pencil to claim credit for the work that was wrought through its important use. Naturally, we know that we are not inanimate objects, and we are not merely passive objects in God’s action. God has lovingly and graciously willed that we will always be conscious, helpers, co-workers and cooperators…  heirs and family, participating in God’s work. But we always keep in mind whose work it is we are doing and guard against relying too much on our own efforts or our own virtues and going down dead-end paths,  and we also avoid the other extreme, inaction when faced with our limitations. Both extremes (which we are called to avoid carefully), are based on putting ourselves in the centre of things instead of God.  

But there is more. Did Jesus learn something from his previous rejection in his hometown. He preached alone and this met with utter rejection. The crowd almost killed him. He narrowly escaped being thrown off a cliff. Now, he goes and calls followers to join him, support him and be company on the journey; AND, what a hard journey it is. He (as always) calls a community around him.  

Simon Peter experiences a great miracle. In the least expected situation, not on a mountain top somewhere, but in the ordinariness of his workplace; he experiences this amazing event because he was huble enough to listening to someone telling him how to do the job he knew so well. Our Lord shows him a new and dramatic and  different way… and the results are huge…….. 

This is a timely reminder to us:

We must connect the gospel to our daily words, actions and priorities, or it will not make sense.

Secondly…. We ….  (Just like the disciples), need to work together… in unity… and in community. Like the disciples who were ALL needed to help haul in the enormous catch of fish…

We must always take our cues, as best we can discern them, from Christ… If it is only about our own individual efforts and priorities, our toil may be heavy and it may be misdirected. We never want to work like slaves on something and find that our struggle was mysteriously fruitless; like the fisherman who laboured all night (and applied all the experience and wisdom of their trade and still caught nothing), but, then Jesus asks them to trust him and follow his ways and do the same activity but under his direction, and they catch more than they can hold. Jesus’ ways are not the most ordinary, and not the most logical. However, they are the way of the gospel, and only by following Our Lord, (which is almost always the road less travelled), can we hope to bear fruit for Jesus good news……

Today let us ask the Lord to deepen our faith and give us the courage to proclaim his marvellous deeds. Let us be able to say: Here I am, Lord. Send me!"

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References:

Fr Paul W. Kelly

also,

the Abbot, Monastery of Christ in the Desert, http://www.christdesert.org/  ;

Gustavo Gutierrez, Sharing the Word through the liturgical year/

reflection from Madonna Magazine, Jan-Feb 2007.

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Archive of homilies and reflections is at: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

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Catholic Reflections 530 : Homily 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. 24th January, 2016

Homily 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. 24th January, 2016

Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10Psalm 18:8-10. Your Words Lord are Spirit and life 1Corinthians 12:12-30

Luke 1:1-4: 4:14-21
The letter to the Corinthians, the second reading this weekend, expresses very clearly our normal human experience: I do not have all of the gifts of faith, but when I relate with others, when we share our gifts and talents together we form a certain kind of wholeness. This is so important to remember today, when there are pressures to see ourselves as individuals who merely exist within a society…   St Paul calls us to a vision of Christ’s good news which sees us as integrally and essentially united in such a way that we are one body, and not just any old body, but one body IN Christ.  As john’s gospel says elsewhere, Christ is in us, and we are in Christ as Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in the son. Perfect communion, perfect unity, one body, one heart”**

Last week, we reflected upon the amazing sign of the “Wedding at Cana.”   Jesus gave us a foretaste of the unimaginable depths of God’s graciousness, generosity, love and care.

Jesus, by the action of turning an incredible and overwhelming amount of water into wine, set the scene for the overwhelming acts of self-giving, self-sacrifice, love and generosity that would always characterise all of his ministry.  And now today, Jesus spells out the blue-print for that generous and compassionate ministry, in this extraordinary speech in the synagogue of his home town. This speech is a stunning declaration of the dawning of a new era of God’s kindness, favour and grace. All the hopes and dreams of the poor and the needy have been noticed by God and committed to God’s care.

In the gospel today we hear probably the greatest, most dramatic and stunning of all homilies ever given. It was Jesus’ inaugural speech. Here, only just dawning on the people, was the surprising revelation of God’s messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ!  Jesus, who is God’s beloved son, is about to tell people the reason he was here. He tells them what his priorities would be and what he was going to do in his ministry.  

One commentary asks a very good question at this point: What might YOU have expected from God’s first speech to his people? What surprises you about what God’s first speech, in Jesus’ words, actually says to us?
 
For myself, I suppose I might have expected what I suspect the people of Jesus’ day were also expecting: something very much like John the Baptist’s preaching; intense, passionate, an indictment on the many injustices and wrongs that the world has wrought and a commensurate “calling to order” or a “reckoning” perhaps.  
 
What is most surprising, and it really should not be, is the reminder of just how much humans can underestimate God’s ways. God’s word is filled with the most moving graciousness, freshness, hope, lightness, forgiveness, lack of harshness, and absence of condemnation. God’s word is a declaration of good news for the poor. God’s word is the way of freedom for people who are experiencing in their lives enmeshment  and imprisonment in some way. Freedom, for those who had lost their way, and lost their sense of direction and clarity, a return to vision, a re-direction for those who had done wrong and who found themselves to be outcasts and sinners.  Jesus brings the surprising message of forgiveness, of lifting of burdens, of the cancellation of debts. Guilt washed away, and “beholdenness” erased. For all, a time of God’s favour! Amazing! Unexpected! So much better than we could ever have imagined or hoped for.    
 
The other stunning thing is how Jesus takes a well know text and fires home one final shot that floors them all. “This is not just some old text… it is being brought to fulfilment right here, right now… as I speak………”  (His words declare!).  
 
And of course, it is not just Jesus’ words; for his actions, his life confirm the truth of what he has just announced. He not only reads this passage out, he then immediately began practising what he preached. He begins, in his ministry, DOING what he said here. And it brings hope and renewal to the world, joy to many and, – (sadly and surprisingly), - it also evokes hatred from those who felt threatened and undermined by what Jesus had come to establish.
 
All the readings this weekend show examples of great preachers, who are excellent because they practise what they preach. The Law of the God is alive in them and they cherish its meaning and treasure it in their hearts. They live their message!  There are of course many people who have never publicly preached a word, but who nevertheless have made their whole lives an inspiration; their lives, their actions and their whole way of being and relating in the world is a great wordless homily. I think not only of the holy women and men throughout history, but also the everyday people who have inspired us by the way they lived their daily lives. So many holy people we have known in everyday life, have shown us that their very lives and actions are an excellent “homily in action”…….  And as such deeply, inspiring and persuasive…. 
 
What then do we do? We do not always live up to the standards of these inspiring holy women and men, when we, at times, all fall short of the ‘fullness of the good news of Jesus.’  Sometimes we do not always live as we proclaim. There is an interesting quote by a 7^th Century ascetical writer, in the famous book “The Ladder of Divine Descent”:

“If some are still dominated by their former bad habits, and yet are still able to teach and inspire by mere words, let them teach and inspire with words still…..For, perhaps, being put to shame by their own words, challenged by how their actions are falling short of their words, they will eventually begin to practice what they teach.”    

This is a refreshing and interesting new angle on the (at times) high and mighty angle that one usually takes on demanding we be consistent in word and action. Naturally we all strive and are challenged to live out the faith we proclaim, to have our actions match our words, the words of Jesus good news. But we also acknowledge that none of us is perfect, but here still there is hope………. #
 
In the Gospel, Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, was an important place. Some might have mistakenly assumed that Nazareth was a small country township, but in fact, it was a major centre, with a sizeable population, probably about 20, 000 people. This was a major city.

It was also in a very, very important location. The hill nearby was not just some minor feature. If the boy Jesus, when he was growing up, had gone up that hill and peered over it, the world, he would have seen, in a sense, the world sprawled out in front of him. Before his eyes were the major trade and travelling routes from all the other different regions. Jesus would have watched the world go by as he sat there on that hill in Nazareth.  And nearby (an hour’s walk from Nazareth), was a town called Sepphoris, which was the location of Herod’s palace for a time. Sepphoris was a town of beauty, prestige, privilege  and wealth. It would have been a town Joseph and Jesus may very well have worked in, with carpentry work in this major time of building.

And so, Jesus’ speech in the Synagogue of Nazareth is timely and well-placed.  At the cross-roads of the nations, God has intervened in our history and has come to give us news. And, thank goodness, it is very good news indeed.

So, Our Lord proclaims from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It is clear that Jesus was a regular attendee of the Synagogue. Every Saturday he would attend. He clearly appears to be already accepted as a rabbi or a teacher, as he is reading from the text and speaking about its meaning.

Jesus observed the Law of Moses and was faithful to his attendance at religious observance. Even though there were clearly aspects about the way people were practising that he must have found issue with, perhaps sensing that they had lost their focus, he was nevertheless very much faithful to the practise of his faith.  He did not reject the religious institution of his day, even though it had become flawed and lost its direction in many ways.

Jesus’ speech is really his mission statement. This is what he is here to do! This is his purpose and his mission and it stands in surprising contrast to John the Baptist, who came declaring a time of judgement, uprooting and retribution. Now, here comes Jesus, declaring “good news for the poor, freedom to captives, and declaring a time of God’s favour.” It is wonderful! It is surprising! And, it is very good news. This is not to suggest that John was on the wrong track, for we truly do need to repent, change and turn back from our old ways, in order to be part of the Kingdom. Although Jesus’ news was indeed good news, he did not mince his words in relation to the fact that the Kingdom of God would be shut in the faces of those who persistently live in opposition to Christ’s message and values, or who continue to mistreat the vulnerable and needy, (a people for whom God has special concern). Jesus came to usher in a quite surprising Kingdom of grace, inclusion and overflowing mercy and kindness for all the nations and for all people who would accept his message…

There still is some bad news, too, amidst all this good news.  Jesus’ message is bad news for all who have arranged the world around them to suit themselves, and to the disadvantage of others.  Even Jesus’ good news will soon anger those who do not want everyone included in God’s invitation of being broadly included as part of God’s family. But Jesus will not water-down his message.  

And we can ask ourselves: who are the ‘poor’ to whom Jesus has come:

·         The poor are the hungry and the thirsty..
·         The poor are also the homeless and the sick..
·         People physically, emotionally or spiritually scarred…
·         Those suffering the burden of age…
The poor are also:

.      The sad and depressed
·         Those suffering from natural disasters as well as those suffering from human-made ills…. 
·         Those suffering injustice,
·         Those who are unemployed…   those struggling on low income..

.          The poor are also those who feel unloved, unwelcomed, un-forgiven, or  left-out…
·         The poor are also the alcoholics, and drug addicts…
·         The addictive gamblers….
·         Those who have enough food and shelter and material comforts, but do not know God and are missing much in their lives…

The list goes on…

“The poor” are all of us! In one way or another, we are all poor. Many of us are captive to one thing or another in our lives. We all desperately need the news Jesus has to give us. So this news from Jesus is for all of us and for everyone. We take heart that Jesus has us in mind when he begins his mission to save and help all people and to free us from what imprisons and impoverishes us.

The first step seems to be ‘freedom’ – if we are not free, then things hold us back from being the loving people God calls us to be….  If we are not free, we are limited in what response we are capable of giving to those in dire need. If we are not free,  we are trapped in values, priorities, actions and mindsets that that do not give us life. If we are not truly free, we can waste our time and energy on that which does not truly and fully satisfy.
Jesus words are not merely ‘talk’ but rather they give us hope to trust in him. Jesus has the way to true and complete life, joy and fulfilment. He needs to free us and wants to free us from things that bind us up. Once freed, the Kingdom will flow in and through us with unimaginable effects.
Let us allow Jesus words, his good news, his invitation into a new and heroic way of living, draw us deeper into a way of living that matches these words. If we look inside our lives and see ourselves falling short in this aspect of the Word or that, Jesus invites us to not lose hope, but to continue to proclaim his word, allowing his word to draw any gaps or inconsistencies ever smaller until, with God’s grace, there is little or no inconsistency. This of course, is a journey of a lifetime, but in faith, we allow Jesus to take us along this unfamiliar path.      
And again, on this Sunday, we give praise to Jesus, our first and greatest teacher and preacher, whose gracious words matched so perfectly with his life and his actions… and whose words, in 2016, continue to be “fulfilled in our hearing.”

Let us trust in our Lord, who is truly good news for us poor and captive. In fact Christ is the best news we will ever hear.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
 * THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF LUKE. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.
* SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAY LITURGIES. YEAR C. FLOR MCCARTHY S.D.B.
# 365 days with the Lord, 2007
**Adapted from homily from Christ in the Desert Monastery website.
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Archive of homilies and reflections is at: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au


To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

Catholic Reflections 528 : Homily Baptism of Our Lord - C. 10th January, 2016

Homily Baptism of Our Lord - C. 10th January, 2016


WATER: This is the main symbol of baptism. Water represents washing clean and re-birth and renewal. Water is a perfect symbol, as it contains so many meanings: It is an absolutely essential element for life.
 
It contains so many meanings within itself: health and life, danger and threat. Water represents enormous power and also soothing, renewing, gentleness, and washing and restoring.
 
Water and baptism are wonderful symbols that show us that following Jesus means we want to “immerse” or “plunge” ourselves into Jesus’ way of life. Baptism is a word that literally means “to plunge” and we believe that Baptism is not just a sign of following Jesus, Baptism actually achieves the very real connection between us and Jesus, and makes us one with his life and with the life of all other believers in Jesus.
 
In baptism, we become a beloved and cherished child of God. We become children of the same Father in heaven. Our Heavenly Father is so generous, so lavish in love and praise, as the gospel today tells us, that the Father, upon Jesus rising from the waters of John’s baptism literally tears the heavens apart and pours down the most wonderful praise, confidence and blessing upon his beloved son.

As one commentator says….
“We are told that God rends the heavens to lavish praise on his son— a son who, up to that point, had yet to accomplish much of anything. It must have been indescribably affirming and motivating for Jesus as he was about to begin his most challenging and self-emptying ministry. Although Jesus is God made human, he was also fully human…. and in need of encouragement and affirmation and strength from his beloved father who was in heaven… and who happened to be the father of all things….. Jesus was now absolutely assured and commissioned in the loved and confidence of his heavenly father….and confident that God the Father was completely pleased with him.” (Patrice J. Tuohy).
 
It is a timely reminder, that affirmation and sincere praise of one another is an important human need. We live in a culture where it seems easier to voice criticisms. It seems that for some, even if they are not actually unhappy with anything, it is not so much praise that follows, but rather silence. So we live in a world where there is too often criticism or begrudging silence. Then at other times we can get the other extreme where people compliment others with empty and insincere words that do not connect with the reality of what is happening and which therefore do very little good. Still others can feel that they should not praise others for fear that it might give the other a ‘big head’ or that the praise may be taken as mere flattery. Having said that, there is no substitute for sincere, heartfelt and constructive affirmation, encouragement and praise, which is a form of gratefulness in words. Affirmation is simply naming that for which we are grateful. 
 
Praise is so important. Good managers know this, as do teachers, coaches, counsellors, volunteer coordinators, and fundraisers. Anyone who is trying to get someone to take the next step, or stretch themselves, or to constantly strive to reach a higher level of commitment or performance, uses affirmation at appropriate times.
 
For people who live without affirmation and who live with constant criticism, they get the crippling message that everything they do is never good enough or that nothing they do will really satisfy or meet with approval. For a person who gets false praise, they either feel that the words are meaningless or else they rely on compliments that do not really give them an accurate indication of who they are and what they are doing and how it is affecting others for the better. And then there are those who get good, positive feedback and affirmation, even when setbacks and the occasional mistake or failure come their way, and have developed resilience and are not defeated, because they believe in their value and the strength of their own worth, persevering through any struggles and challenges.

It has always been a bit of an intriguing thing that Jesus went to John the Baptist for Baptism. Why in the world did Jesus, God’s Son and our messiah, go to John the Baptist and request baptism from HIM?

John the Baptist was performing baptisms for the repentance of sin, and we believe Jesus was without sin. So why was it so important that he be baptized?


But, in some way, calling John’s baptism a ‘baptism of repentance’ is only a ‘shorthand’ summary of a much more complex reality.

People were coming forward for John’s baptism, because they not only were needing to repent from sin, but also because John’s baptism represented an extraordinary movement closer toward God by the people. This as the beginning of a world-shaping and world shattering time. John was calling people into a new and deeper relationship with their God, a radical calling to be part of God’s Kindom in ways that are closer than ever before. John’s preaching and his invitation for people to be baptized, was a definitive public action by all who accepted his call, to confirm that these people were wanting to be forever part of (and affiliated with) the movement of God’s Kingdom. This is the Kingdom of God that John the Baptist had been preaching about and preparing the people for. This same Kingdom would be fully established by Jesus Christ.


This was a key moment in Jesus’ ministry. From this point on, he would commence a very public and urgent ministry.

Jesus clearly did not need to be forgiven from any sin. In fact, in this gospel version of Jesus’ baptism, it does not say Jesus is LOOKING for baptism. It says he “accepts” baptism after all the others are baptized. So perhaps it is better to say that Our Lord did feel the strong need to be identified publicly with the movement of the Kingdom of God that John was preparing the people for. Jesus was the fulfilment of the Kingdom that John the Baptist was preaching about. So, in this act of Jesus being baptized, that fact was made quite clear. Jesus was completely identifying himself with all those who were committing themselves to the public way of the Kingdom of God, which he embodies so perfectly and completely. And then, when he was baptized, the heavens resonated with that truth to reveal that he was the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom.

And Jesus actions were deeply successful as he knew it would be. The Father’s voice confirmed that this action he took was the right one. Jesus was revealed to be the chosen one, the eternal Son of God. He is the one in whom the Heavenly Father is most pleased.

The words used by the Father are interesting too… “you are my beloved Son” Psalm TWO was a passage traditionally interpreted by the people of this time as a declaration of the Messianic King. “In whom I am well pleased..” is a familiar line from the prophet Isaiah 42:1…. Which culminates in the suffering servant……..(chapter 53)… So, Jesus knew that his sonship and mission was always going to involve not glory and earthly dominion, but suffering and the cross. The Cross loomed large in Jesus’ vision right from the outset. But it makes sense in the total commitment of Jesus to the vision of God’s Kindgom, which would challenge contrary powers and priorities and require all the love and sacrifice one could possibly muster. Jesus embodies this total commitment to his Father’s vision for the world and us.

Jesus’ baptism by John did the opposite, (in one sense), to what it would do for us. For us, baptism forgave our sins, but for Jesus it was HE HIMSELF who made holy the waters that touched him. By being baptised, Jesus invested baptism with the power of his presence and holiness and the power the Holy Spirit.

We who have been Baptised, in the Baptism of Jesus Christ, are called to remember the fullness of the meaning of this baptism. By being baptized, ”we are permanently and truly connected to Jesus Christ, and we share in his life and his relationship to the Heavenly Father. Our baptism is a real union with the life, values and person of Jesus, who is God made flesh. Let us be stirred into constant practical action, so as to live the Good news in our lives.

Our Baptism is intended to have real, permanent and practical effect in our lives.

Our baptism, echoing Jesus’ actions in the Jordan, is a huge “Yes” by us. We are saying “yes” we too want to share Christ’s life. Yes, we wish to truly immerse ourselves in the values and movement towards God that the Good News embodies. We want to be connected to Jesus who is utterly committed to the establishment of the Kingdom in its fullness. And we too, are aware of the necessity of the Cross which is the unavoidable cost of that commitment. There is always going to be a worthwhile cost and the reality of suffering in any love that serves. Love that suffers and actions that make a difference are founded firmly on the values of Christ.

Jesus made holy the waters of baptism, by investing this beautiful action with his very self and all they he stands for. Let us ask Our Lord to keep us committed to his vision of the Kingdom in all ways and at all times; in thought, word and action.

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REFERENCES:
 
FR. PAUL W. KELLY

THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF LUKE. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.

SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ

2010 – A BOOK OF GRACE-FILLED DAYS. BY Alice Camille

THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF LUKE. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.

PATRICE J. TUOHY, PrepareTheWord.com, 2008, TrueQuest Communications, LLC.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

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Archive of homilies and reflections is at: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

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Catholic Reflections 527 : Epiphany of the Lord. Year C. 3rd January 2016

Homily Epiphany of the Lord. Year C. 3rd January 2016


On this feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate that God’s glory has been revealed to all the nations, and not just the chosen people of Israel. People from every corner of the earth, of every nation and race. Generations of people. God’s revelation, God’s invitation is for all people of all times and places.
 
Saint Paul puts it so nicely: “God had a secret plan, formed before all ages. And that plan is now revealed, and it is this; in Christ Jesus, the Gentiles, (people from other religious and cultural backgrounds and nations), are now CO-HEIRS with the Chosen people of Israel, members of one and the same body and sharers in the promise of God, through the proclamation of the good news…” We are one big global human family!
 
Are we becoming more and more one human family? (A)
This is a hard question to answer. In some ways, the answer is “yes.” Technology, medicine, communications, transport, aid to needy nations, multinationals, globalization (which means good and bad things). We certainly are more and more aware that we are part of something much bigger than the local. Yet, in other areas we see nations breaking up into smaller factions, and we see social and ethnic groups in tension, we witness news of wars, strife, poverty and starvation in poor developing nations. The jury is still out on how far God’s dream for the world is being fulfilled. But, one thing is for sure, it is not for want of God’s desire, God’s work, and God’s calling. God has made it abundantly clear what kind of a world God wants to foster.
 
I was given a poem to read and it is so very topical to this feast day. It is the poem by TS Eliot, entitled the “Journey of the Magi.” The commentary says of this poem, “This poem is not one of Eliot’s most famous, but it is a very good example of plain and direct language, and very well illustrates the complex and mixed emotions and issues going on for the author prior to his conversion to Christianity …….(B)
 
In this poem, the Journey of the Magi, he writes..
 
T. S. Eliot's "Journey of The Magi".
 
“'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
 
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
 
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
 
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down this,
set down this: “were we led all that way for
Birth or Death?” There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But, had thought they were different;
This Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death,// our death. //
We returned to our places,// these Kingdoms, //
But no longer at ease here,// in the old dispensation, //
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.”  (B)
  
This poet, Eliot, captures something about the journey of the wise men to find the Holy family and particularly the savior lying in a manger. It is our journey too. It is our journey of life as well. It is our religious pilgrimage through life. Our journey to conversion and beyond is the same.
 
For, our journey of faith is not an easy one. It is filled with challenges, inconveniences, doubts, obstacles and stumbles. And how many important faith journeys have we heard critical, negative voices, and the ‘prophets of doom,’ or people who make fun of the rare path a person needs to walk along. The voices of doubt and negativity need to be ignored, endured, moved beyond!
 
The journey to conversion, the complete commitment of heart and head towards Jesus good news, is a real odyssey. Like the journey of the Magi, the journey to find Christ is like a death, and a rising to new life. And we, like the Magi, return home to where we came, but by a new way. In the bible, a change of path symbolizes conversion. And after encountering Christ, everything looks different, because Jesus invites us to see it all though his eyes. We now see the world around us more and more through the lens of the Good News. We now see life through the eyes of Christ’s compassionate care for those most in need. We being to have a vision for the inclusion of all.

As the Bible passage mentions: “Bethlehem, by no means the least of all the cities” -  Like Bethlehem, which, at first sight seems slight and insignificant, and “lesser” – yet, here is where Jesus is born; humble, vulnerable, poor. So too, the poor and the forgotten may appear insignificant to some, but it is through them that the Lord’s presence is revealed.” (C) 

The Wise Men realized this that first Christmas and it changed everything. It changes everything for us too. Come let us worship!

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
One commentary –“365 Days with the Lord” asks rather relevantly.
“80 Great Poems, From Chaucer to Now” - Geoff Page. UNSW PRESS. Sydney, 2006.
From Gustavo Gutierezz, Sharing the word through the Liturgical year. 

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Archive of homilies and reflections is at: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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