Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A – Sunday, September 6, 2020. (EPISODE: 250)

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A –
Sunday, September 6, 2020.
(EPISODE: 250)

Father's Day in Australia.

Readings for 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 33:7-9
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9. "O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts."
SECOND READING: Romans 13:8-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2 Corinthians 5:19). Alleluia, alleluia! God was in Christ, to reconcile the world to himself; And the Good News of reconciliation he has entrusted to us.
GOSPEL: Matthew 18:15-20
 
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed ID: 30700369. Large group of people seen from above gathered together in the shape of a cross, on white background. (photographed prior to COVID-restrictions). By Arthimedes .  

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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – including readings, prayers and reflections for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 6, 2020 by clicking this link here:   https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ordinary-23a-episode-250  (EPISODE: 250)
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Prologue: - In Australia, it Father's Day this weekend...-    the first Sunday of September. We give thanks for all Fathers;...  for their love, care and generosity...    We pray that God grants them joy in their family and friends, and health and strength.   \

For all fathers who have passed into eternal life..  may God give them a permanent place at the heavenly feast... for all their goodness and kindness...

All of the readings this weekend are really about the primacy of Love in Christ's vision for the Kingdom of God. Love, as saint Paul says, is the fulfilment of all the law… and love is the motivation for the prophet's words and the driving-force for the Christian community and its members to resolve misunderstandings and conflict. 
 
In the first reading, The Lord says to the great prophet Ezekiel… I have made you a sentinel… a watchman…..This is the true key to the role of the prophet…… forget about the fact that it sounds terrible that the prophet will be punished with death if they do not fulfil God's law… rather… if the prophet is the sentry… the watchman.. their vital role is actually a role of love and protection and concern for the welfare of everyone.. 
 
This image of the watchman reminds me of something I noticed when I visited Rome a few years back… the Firefighters in Rome had a wonderful name… they were called "Vigili del Fuoco"which in English is rather poorly translated as "Firefighters" just as we use here..// But, that is not actually what the word means.. "firefighter" (the word), tends to give the impression of a "responder to fire," reacting once the fire has broken out; whereas the words "Vigili del Fuoco"  literally means "watcher for fire" - a watchman..// a sentry…// actively keeping vigil....   looking out for the danger of fire.. Caring for the community by watching for danger… alerting them as soon as the danger is seen.. and acting immediately to put out the fire… (that is indeed what firefighters do everywhere, of course, and including in this community… they don't just respond to fires.. they also engage in community involvement to look into and point out risks and hazards to minimize the risk of fire… 
 
So too with the prophets of old…  the true Prophets were not self-righteous, superior know-it-alls. They were sentries.. they were showing God's love by watching out for danger and alerting God's beloved people so they could respond immediately and end the danger… they lovingly/ caringly watch for dangers so as to alert people, so they can act swiftly to avoid harm and disaster.  So, this vigilance and faithfulness to God's word is an act of love and care… No wonder God is so strict with his prophets… saying.. if you fail to warn them, you will suffer the same fate… Their role is like a security guard or a military watchman… if they fail to be alert.. if they do not warn people when danger is nigh, they have no regard for the people to protect and serve… and they are guilty of failing to do the very thing they are there for.  Looking at things that way, one can see God's absolute love for his people.. and desire that people have every opportunity to live in the light of God's care and protection.. Walking in God's ways. 
 
God's Law of love…. Asks all of us to be Vigilant not only to outside dangers, but also keep watch within…..…. keep guard and watch over our heart…. To ensure that we love, as God' loves, and that our hearts do not harden into legalism, lack of compassion or mercy…. Or apathy…..… we are all Sentinels… watch-persons.. vigilant for any discord, hatred, or inconsistency with the gospel. And we are vigilant within ourselves, where resentment, jealousy, desire, begins: in the heart… 
 
The essence of discipleship and faithfulness to God is love, this is a love that is formed from within by God's grace.
It fosters loving watchfulness inside and out, and it softens the heart and saves us from ourselves, It turns us back towards each other,
and creates understanding, healing and reconciliation.
Love, not righteousness is the key to all of this.


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23 Sunday A
 (Mt 18:15-20)

   Although being a member of the church often can feel like being in the loneliest game of all, this is not how Jesus intended it. We do not come to the knowledge and love of God alone but with others, 'two or three gathered', in community. We have been taught that Heaven is where God is and that God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and that Christ is in the Church, his body, a community of love and reconciliation.

  Today Jesus provides some practical advice on how to be the Church - the community of believers. We all know that problems arise in human relationships. Philosopher Jean Paul Sartre said: 'Hell is other people'. He was often right, if not a little strong in his metaphor. The first teaching from Jesus today is about our response to sin within the church. Notice that it is not the sinner, but the one sinned against, who is called to take the initiative here. That might seem to be the wrong way round

Too many times have I heard stories of people who have turned away from God because of violent and abusive experiences in their lives. People who had preciously relied on God through prayer and attending Church who have lost faith in God because of the evil acts of others. Statements like "Why would God allow that to happen to me?" or "Where was God when I needed help?" There are countless stories of people who have lost the desire to pray or the courage to go back to Church because they felt that God had abandoned them. On a few occasions have I tried to restore some of that lost connection with God, but in most cases the pain was much deeper than I was able to address, and I could do little to break down the sense of abandonment and bitterness that consumed them. In some of these cases these victims have even found it difficult to trust and love another person. The believed themselves to be 'unlovable' people not worthy of the love of another, let alone love of themselves.

  (When I was a young priest, I was assigned as an assistant chaplain to a large hospital. There I met a grumpy old man. ('He's one of yours', the nurses said, pointedly)  The man was not very communicative. He told me he wanted to die but couldn't. I persisted in seeing him and eventually learned more of his story. As a young boy during the Depression he had been placed in the care of a guardian who often beat him and occasionally sexually abused him. He learned to hate that man and nurtured that hatred for the rest of his life. With that hatred came bitterness and cynicism about all relationships and love itself. Though baptised and raised as a Catholic, he had never been able to pray. He could no longer remember a single occasion in his life when he had addressed God. He couldn't bring himself to go near a church. This is not one of those happy ending stories. I could do nothing to break down that hatred and bitterness.)


   As I recall these encounters, it still makes me feel incredibly angry at the abusers who had so utterly destroyed another human being's capacity to love. Yet the Gospel and the life of Jesus himself calls the victim to go another step - for his or her own sake. Jesus was beaten and tortured to the point of death and yet he prayed: 'Father forgive them'. He understood that the only escape from the cycle of hatred and bitterness was forgiveness. He taught his disciples to pray: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Do we ever have to strength to do this? Only with the gift of forgiveness (the ability to forgive) comes the perfection of love and union with God.

   Another of his lessons is if your brother or sister does something wrong, go and have it out with that person alone, between your two selves. Too often this attempt at reconciliation leads to even greater disharmony. Yet the burden of these wrongs done to us becomes an even heavier burden when we insist on revisiting the hurt. How can we honestly prayer the Lord's Prayer while harbouring thoughts of hate and revenge?  Are some of us wasting our time here because a hateful relationship is standing between ourselves and God?

   This second teaching is about the nature and power of prayer made together in the church, and with one another. Christ the risen Lord is present always when Christians gather to pray in his name. Prayer is many things. It is the soul's pilgrimage from self to God. It is conversation with God.

He prays best who does not know that he is praying.

 We remember those lines from the 'Ancient Mariner':
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all. (Colderidge)

Prayer presumes the ability to love, and with it the preparedness to forgive.

 If we cannot love in this way, we cannot pray.

  The Jewish rabbis used to say that where two or three people met together to study the Law, the Shekinah (God's dwelling) is in their midst. In today's Gospel Jesus is doubtless referring to this saying, but substituting his own name for the Torah (Law) and identifying himself with God. He is Emmanuel (God with us) and he will be with his disciples till the end of time. Notice that Jesus always moves the focus away from laws and regulations to interpersonal relationships. It is no longer the Law which guarantees God's presence but you and I gathered in God's name. How we live and relate to one another makes possible the presence of God in the world.

So, to love is to forgive and to love is to be able to pray well. Paul's advice (second reading) is worth taking to heart: 'Avoid getting into debt, (good advice always) but he adds the rider 'except the debt of mutual love'. Our church, our parish will be a place where God is present if we allow ourselves to fall into the debt of mutual love (and forgiveness).

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References:
Homily-  Fr Peter Dillon

Prologue: Fr Paul W. Kelly
 
Bergant, D. and Fragomeni, R. (2001). Preaching the new lectionary. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press. P. 340
 
Barclay, W. (2009). The gospel of Matthew. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew.
 
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Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed ID: 30700369. Large group of people seen from above gathered together in the shape of a cross, on white background. By Arthimedes . 


Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A  (Sunday, September 6, 2020)  (EPISODE: 250 )
The Lord be with you.
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{{Peace and Patience to you all}}
Happy Father's Day to all our Dad's in the community. May God bless you and grant you peace and joy. And we pray for all Dads who have gone before us, that they now are enjoying the peace, joy and mercy of the eternal banquet kingdom.

Coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let usprepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by recalling our sins and remembering Christs greater mercy.
sung
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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For our fathers, who have given us life and love, that we may show them respect and love, we pray to the Lord. R. 


For all who have gone into eternal life, especially all fathers who have died. That God may bring them into the joy of his kingdom, we pray to the Lord. R.

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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary III
Euch Prayer II
Communion side.  pwk:  RH
(start variation - 4)
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{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}
God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. With give thanks for and ask you to Bless all fathers. Grant then to wisdom and love to always be good fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. 

Grant this through Christ our Lord. 

R. Amen. 

And may almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.

Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)

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

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers. 

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.  

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of  William John Kelly -     Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019. 

 [ Production -  KER -  2020] 

May God bless and keep you. 
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