4th Sunday of Easter, Year A

13th April, 2008      4th Sunday of Easter, Year A

 

I have to smile at a rather amusing, but all-too-true Latin proverb that goes something like this: 

 

“It is the role of a good shepherd to shear their flock, not to fleece them!!” (Latin proverb, adapted).

 

We hear all too many examples of examples of poor leadership…. where people in positions of influence seem to be ‘in it for their own personal gain or prestige’ and do not seem to have the best interests of the people they are called to serve…..   History is littered with more examples of bad leadership than good…..    

 

surely, most Good leaders are not born that way, but rather, they are formed that way………// True, they may have some unique and priceless personal qualities that are inherent in their personality….  but even so, these qualities are honed to good, or to ill, by attitudes and values learnt from people of wisdom and goodwill….

 

Responsible, servant-leaders are formed, By God’s grace, (mediated in and through the community), by the wisdom of family, friends, school, parish, and other positive influences and the wider community.  the ways of ensuring good leadership, whether it be in the church, civic society, or in the workplace and clubs and homes…. is to foster the values and attitudes that produce good leadership, and it takes a whole community to do that, (and all that work is fruitless if not for God’s grace enlivening our humble work, with effectiveness, direction and vision).

 

to paraphrase another saying…..   “show me where your treasure lies and I will show you what kind of person you are”….  the things that are considered the most valuable possessions in any community, will strongly influence the kind of values and priorities that the same community fosters…..    and one would have to say that possessions and money do seem to factor big-time in the eyes of many people in our modern world…..  

 

in these times of tightening belts and rising costs and interest rates….   people are having to make really tough decisions about just what IS necessary and what is not… in order to make ends meet…..//    certainly, there are two alternative ways of having a sense of financial well-being..... one is the standard wisdom of the world:  get more and more money…to be able to have the things we want .…//. the alternative……is the way of the ‘road less travelled, and requires a whole transformation of mindset… and it is far less easy……. and that is “having more by wanting less”…… // (as the charity saying goes:  live simply so that others may simply live)….// we live in a world which “amplifies desire”….    that is geared to advertising to increase people’s sense of need for ‘things’ // We have industries geared to sell to us a sense of NEED for possessions/….and so the sense of urgency  to get these so-called ‘necessary things.’   Oh, to be free enough to want less of the extras in life… and need less…..    but the million dollar question is, what are the things we really need…that is not an easy answer… we know that we need healthy food, adequate shelter, education, health…..peace, family goodwill……  //   but there are other things that may very well  increase our sense of wellbeing and happiness….       //   again …   too many examples in our media remind us that a lot of leaders seem to be urging us to tighten our belt whilst being seen to be ensuring that their own needs are happily satisfied first…..    

 

in actual fact ….  the highest possession we can attain in this life, is to have and to give  unconditional love……    and to have life and life to the full……  but many would say….no… the best news you could give me tonight is not ‘love unconditionally….”  but that ‘you just won 19 million in gold lotto.”        but a world where people experience and give unconditional love and care to each other…  now:  wouldn’t THAT be NICE!” 

 

 

Jesus gives an example of himself as a good shepherd, the perfect leader……   he puts his people first…. he knows them each personally…..  and he is not in it for himself…. he gives himself fully for us…..    what a superb example and model for leadership/../….    he uses the image of the ‘shepherd BEING the gate….. they would lie across the opening of the sheepfold and their body would act as a human gate…..    nothing could pass by without disturbing the shepherd…. who would risk life and limb to protect his sheep……     the true leader puts themselves on the line…. their body on the line….  

 

It is interesting that in the gospel today, it says “the sheep know their master’s voice and will not follow a stranger…”  that would follow a stranger?    but here is the modern problem.,…..   with internet, so many different types of media and communication, advertising, and so many competing values in the world…. all telling us… ‘pick me, pick me…”  I am GOOD for you… you need this…..   this is healthy……   

 

I think it is true to say…..   we are being bombarded with false shepherds….  assailed with voices claiming to be our friends….  to be the voice of our master… and so… we are tempted to follow those voices out into the wilderness………    we need to be alert to the fact that we need to really, really discern and learn to distinguish the voice of our lord, from the voice of fakes……    it is not easy… but more necessary than ever………   we too need to reflect on the values of Jesus in the gospels, the wisdom of trusted family and friends… and the tradition of the church to help us recognize the true voice of the good shepherd… and the big test of authenticity is this… the real shepherd is not acting to feather their own nest… but acts in the best interest of the other….    willing to give up things for others…not take advantage… and that is a dead give away for the fake shepherds….. There is often something in it for them at a very clear point….

 

Maybe, in church life, civic life and community work…. etc.. this should be the help wanted sign put out: “Help Wanted: One Shepherd – dangerous occupation. No personal gain, concern only for others, no wages, willing to sacrifice for others… willing to risk life…”   I wonder how many takers we would get?  

 

(From Paul Kelly, some thoughts taken from: Celebrating the Gospels, by Gaynell Cronin, also Preaching the Word resource).

 

Welcome to Fr Jim McPherson, the new Anglican Rector of Maryborough.

Speech of welcome to Rev. Dr. Canon James McPherson, new Rector of St. Paul’s Anglican Parish, maryborough;  From Rev. Paul Kelly, (parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, Maryborough). Given at the Commissioning ceremony at the Church of St Paul, (Anglican church), Maryborough. 11^th April, 2008.

It is an honour and a real joy to be here tonight to celebrate with the Anglican community and the wider community the welcome of Rev Dr, James McPherson, Fr Jim as he is known to us, as the New Rector priest of Maryborough Anglican parish..

 

I bring messages of welcome and best wishes from the Saint Mary’s Catholic Community...to Fr Jim and his wife Marcia as you commence your ministry here in this beautiful community.

 

As a fellow minister, It is a joy to add my words of welcome to you….   I am sure that all the church communities and denominations of this area and their ministers are adding their words of welcome and best wishes to you at this time.

 

It is doubly special for me, to be meeting Fr Jim again, because I sat at the feet of Fr Jim in scripture lectures, as he was my professor at the Brisbane College of Theology (the ecumenical college with member schools from Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches). Fr Jim (Rev Dr Jim) was my lecturer in Pentateuch and Old Testament Prophets Biblical study, … and also, Fr Jim was the president of the Theological college when I received my theology degree and later post grad diploma….  Fr Jim presented me with the diploma, and I have a wonderful photo to remember that happy day….  so it’s great that we meet again, and that we are all fellow workers (alongside all the members of the church communities), in the vineyard of God’s word, in this place….// and its wonderful that you have made this community your home (as the communion reflection song so beautifully put it). May your ministry be filled with many joys and blessings, and I am sure you have already been made a treasured part of the family.

 

God bless you and I am looking forward to working with you here for many years to come.// And so, ..From a student to his professor, Christian to Christian and fellow priest to priest, Welcome Fr Jim and Marcia.

 

 

 

 

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A. 6th April, 2008.

6th April, 2008      3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A

 

The Gospel this weekend is really wonderful. It has such a richness to it… and many levels of meaning….

 

The journey of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, is also like a symbol of what happens each time we gather as disciples of Jesus at Eucharist….  when we listen to the word of God in scriptures, and Christ opens our minds to his word.   And when Christ breaks the bread for us and becomes present to us, in this special way ….. and we too recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread…….  

 

Another very special thing about this Emmaus journey is the fact that the disciples are talking to a fellow traveler along the road… and show hospitality to this person….    unknown to them this person is Jesus himself…..     it is no coincidence that Jesus becomes present to them in the outsider to whom they show hospitality … and with whom they break bread together…  then their eyes are opened and they recognize Jesus……  if they had not showed hospitality to this person if they had let him go on… they may never have know who they were walking with… and what he had to offer them…..     Jesus told us …  what you do to the least of my brothers and sisters… you do it to ME……    love God, love neighbour as you love yourself……    so hospitality, community and service are completely interconnected in Jesus’ kingdom….

 

This weekend at the different masses, we have our young ones who are about to begin their preparation to receive their Confirmation and first holy communion …..  

 

this Gospel we heard today is very special because it shows us that we are all friends of Jesus….  he walks along with us on our life journey… he is always interested to hear us tell him of our hopes, our fears… our disappointments and our failures… and he is there to reassure us and give us strength and to assure us that if we keep trusting in him, the love of God has the final word in our life….    and it lasts forever…..

 

whenever we gather at Mass, we come together as disciples and friends of Jesus and we break the bread and drink from the cup….and we believe that this is not just a sign of our connection to Jesus, that God forgives us, renews us and commissions us… we believe that Jesus comes to us in what looks like bread and wine and Jesus comes into our hearts and we become more and more part of Jesus’ life…. and go out into our daily lives to live his commandments to show love and care for each other…      this is the special message of the journey to Emmaus…and when we listen to the scriptures, and reflect on the many ways in which Jesus is present and active in our lives, inviting us to listen to him and follow his ways……..we too can say to each other… “did not our hearts burn as Jesus talked to us along the way, and explained the scriptures to us. “

 

Easter Week 2 . Year 1 30th March, 2008

Easter – Sunday Week 2. Year A .

The Risen Lord twice says the words “peace be with you.”   Jesus is offering us true PEACE….   and it is something we desire very deeply…..     Jesus appears to his disciples to reassure them of the reality of the forgiveness he has won for us by his death and resurrection….. we can truly be at peace and trust in Jesus’ promise that he does mean to free us from our burdens and forgive us our sins…..    this is a message of enormous hope….  

 

He implores us….  doubt no longer… but believe…. trust in my love….    trust in my forgiveness…..    believe that I do offer you the means to real and lasting peace in life….  

 

Also, the gospel today ends with the writer of John’s gospel saying….   there are more things that happened in relation to Jesus….    but they are not all written here…..    WE, these many, many years after Jesus walked the earth…..   we too are witnesses to what jesus continues to do in our world even now…..   we are called to be ministers of reconciliation, ministers of forgiveness…. and ambassadors of Christ’s peace…..  

 

The importance of the community cannot be understated either……   in the first reading we hear of an ideal community…. they pray together… they learn together… they share their resources to help and support eachother….     our faith community exists so that we might assist, build up and strength each other…. especially those most in need, most struggling……   Jesus calls us to be a community of disciples looking outward towards the world and ready to make a difference for good….

 

Our faith tradition tells us that to understand and believe in Christ, we must read the Scriptures and meditate on them.  We must also come to know other
believers and listen to each other’s  experiences.  Christianity is a religion that preaches Jesus crucified and risen, but always in the context of the community of those who believe in Him.

Today let us ask Saint Thomas to intercede for us that we can believe more deeply in the great mystery of salvation.  Let us be patient with our
doubts and keep looking for the truth of Christ's presence amidst the everyday events and people of life.  Most of all, let us rejoice in the Lord who loves us and invites us deeper into these mysteries.

 

May we continue to be build up by the risen Christ to be disciples who rejoice in being a community for the good of each other and for the common good of all……    ministers of Jesus’ graciousness and care…..Jesus brings us peace and immediately commissions us to go out and put his message into action, by acts of charity, love and support for all we meet….

Easter Homily

Easter Homily:  (Paul Kelly)  22-23/3/2008.      

 

We begin where we left off on Good Friday….

 

 “If Easter says anything to us (tonight/today), it says this: You can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets  and shut it in a tomb,…… but it WILL RISE! “ 

 

Tonight we celebrate the fact that Christ has risen…..   // He, who IS the way, the truth and the Life…..  could not possibly be held in death’s grasp…..  he broke free and promises us eternal life ….too.

 

God has the final say over the tensions and tragedies of life…..… and it is good news….    God says “yes” to the goodness of creation and “Yes” to each one of us……  it was right to remain faithful //   our hope in his promises is fulfilled…..

 

EASTER IS ABOUT FAMILY (sharing time for family, or if we are not able to be with them this easter, certainly giving thanks for the gift of them in our lives…)…..and giving thanks to God for the many ways God brings us to fullness of life…

 

We give thanks for our FAMILY, our friends….and    for so many graces and blessings we have received in life…  to nurture us and give us strength and joy……

 

Easter is the perfect time for celebrating Baptisms and welcoming people into our church communion…….    We give thanks for those who will be baptized and received into the church this season. God’s gentle grace has led them here… and their decision is a great source of renewal and thanksgiving for the whole community.

 

Easter is not only about the promise of everlasting life in heaven,..// ..  there are so many ways in which Jesus’ rising from the dead is a sign of God’s  constant work to “bring us out of the entombment” that we can experience in our lives…// // (Tonight/today)  is also about the real promise that “God can and does” want us to be “fully alive”.,… //  and renewed in spirit and mind…. and brought to life again from so many things that can sap the life out of us…. weigh us down….  and imprison us……   whether it be fear, guilt, pain, illness, doubt, grief……   or countless other equally painful struggles…. 

 

Anyone who has ever gone through a “dark night of the soul” in their life, (and that is each of us at one time or another)…….and has come through the other end and now finds themselves in a renewed place, raised up again,  (never imagining that they would be in this new space) but here they are!!!….with the help of God’s grace, (shown by the helping hands of family, friends, colleagues, ….and so many other ways…)….   anyone who has gone through this can testify…   Christ really IS at work brining us to new life (in so many ways)……    and (Tonight/today)  we give thanks for this…. and pray for those who continue to hope and trust in God’s faithfulness….  // God’s love and care for us will never fail….. God effects resurrection IN our lives, in ways beyond our expectations….. beyond our presumptions or in ways different from the literal limits of our requests …..   Often, we only recognize a ‘resurrection moment in our lives’ with a kind of ‘dawning realization’  - like Mary Magdalene:  thinking that someone had hidden the body of our Lord….. searching and praying that she might find where they had hidden his body….…   and not at first realizing that her prayers had been answered in this man she initially mistakes for a gardener, (but no, it is the Lord himself)….. 

 

I would like to conclude with an ode… a short poem written to express the truth of the Lord’s Rising in our life journey….Anyone who can sing the words of this ode (or their own unique variation for their own life situation) knows that the resurrection is a reality ….. here and now…. in the lives of each of us:    

 

“Lord, only you know

the path of fire

I’ve been through

these past years.

But I made it

a miracle of grace,

Not by MY own strength,

But only ‘cos I clung to you

 

Today I arise,

though I still bear the wounds

Today it begins,

One step after another;

Some days backwards,

Mostly forward.

No longer in darkness

for That's in the past

 

Today I arise, //

today we begin…..

This “new day” dawns…

Lord, this -- new day dawns…!!”  

(words by P.W. Kelly).^[1]

 

May the Lord of the resurrection bless you and renew you with fullness of life – here and now (and forever)….

 

 

 

 

---

^[1] Title inspired by an ode attributed to St Patrick: “I arise today”
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s wisdom to uphold me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak to me,
God’s hand to guide me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s angels to save me.

attributed to Saint Patrick (c. 390-c. 461)

Good Friday Message, from Fr Paul Kelly

Good Friday and Easter Message . 21^st March, 2008. From Fr Paul Kelly. St Mary’s Catholic Parish, Maryborough.

 

At a quarter past two on Good Friday morning…..  when the power in the presbytery suddenly goes off…. (by no mere technical fault, I am sure), and two suspicious men keep lurking the presbytery and hanging around the Ford store next door (looking furtive), (not the usual type of revellers who wander happily but harmlessly through the church grounds on their way to a tax)… but with obviously nothing good on their minds….. one would be forgiven for becoming really cynical about today’s world and human nature…..  it would be understandable, if we became really down about those who go on a rampage of vandalism and fear…   cracking college windows and scaring elderly people in their homes, and retirement villages… or the endless stories in the news of people taking advantage of others for their own pragmatic gain….  not treating others as if they were their brother or sister……    with eyes looking on all these things… and all the wars and suffering and poverty an injustice….   the logic of the world would say…..   the world is going to the dogs……    (certainly, there are very serious social, economic human issues facing our world and our society…..  we are right to be very concerned…..  the challenge, though, is to realistically face these real obstacles with Christian hope… and with a commitment to respecting the humanity of all people and hoping in the kind of world Jesus died to usher in…..

 

By the standards of the world…..  today is Bad Friday… (and the world couldn’t be worse) and Jesus’ death was a disastrous failure of a “worthwhile dream”……   to the eyes of faith… this is Good Friday… where Christ shows us that God ultimately has the last word – and it is a word of Hope, a word of dignity.. and of LOVE (despite the cynical, but very real things that get thrown up at people as they walk through life in this day and age).

 

Today is not so much about “see how awful us humans have been to God”…. but rather “see how faithful, how loving, how merciful our Lord is to his beloved people……”   we fall at his feet in amazement and thanksgiving. We praise Jesus for his goodness and faithfulness to us (which excel all we ever knew).”  God has given us more than we could ever have hoped for or imagined. 

 

Every year…. without fail….. the account of the Passion of Our Lord,  inspires and renews……  it fills us with a sense of awe…..

 

The Power of Christ’s death on the cross, is humbling ….. as we silently contemplate how much God loves us….. and gave up everything for our sakes…..

 

Jesus betrayal and arrest the previous evening…… his unjust trial, (in which he is really found to be innocent in the process but sentenced to a criminal’s death anyway! because of the insistence of the hysterical crowd..)……The cruel journey to calvary and his unimaginable execution………………only the eyes of Faith could describe this Friday as a “Good Friday”……    but it truly is……   because nothing can destroy God’s faithfulness to his beloved people…..   nothing can defeat the power of God’s love……  Even when we can’t imagine that some actions could ever be forgiven… it is Jesus himself who pleads to the Father that we will embrace the forgiveness that is really offered to us……/  ….   God keeps telling us that we are loved (no matter what may come). And we know that even when everything bad was thrown at Jesus; he continued to respond in love and faithfulness to the Father,….. crucifying all that was negative and death-dealing, on the cross…..  robbing it of its power….

 

I stop to ponder the power of a MOB…….     when Jesus entered Jerusalem.. the crowds worked themselves up into an amazing excitement… they threw down palm fronds and cloaks and hailed Jesus as the King of the people…. the Messiah…….  many people joined in the excitement of the crowd…..   presumably a lot of people joined in the praise of Jesus because they loved what he stood for…. some probably went along because everyone else was doing it……  maybe some hated him and joined in because they followed the crowd….. 

 

only a very short time later… members of that same crowd, (surely many of the same people), were stirred up by a few ……  now saying…  (not hosanna to our King! – but the opposite!!)… get rid of him,….   crucify him … he’s not our king….   kill him…….!!!!    

 

Some people hated Jesus…  but probably most didn’t…. they just went along with the crowd.. they let the mob rule them……..  

 

a group of people can be such a powerful thing… groups can support and nurture all that is good in their shared values…. a group can become a “family”… sharing common support, care and visions……  but groups can also turn nasty… violent… hateful… they can be stirred up by “mob mentalities” / fear and bigotry //….    how many people at Jesus trial really wanted him exectuted????…   and how many just went along with the emotion of the crowd????… and the wave of hatred and jealousy…that had erupted……  

 

the Cross of Christ stands as a reminder that, although we are all members of various communities and groups… each one of us stands before the cross and is asked to make our own personal YES to Jesus…..   and our own personal NO to the peer pressure and unthinking trends..../   shifting values…..that can assail us.

 

in a short while… we will each come before the wood of the cross… where Christ revels his unconditional love for us…..  and asks us to say yes… to the life he gives to us….   our personal acts of veneration….    is our own individual way of saying… “yes”  to the values of one person.. who withstood the enormous pressures of huge numbers .. to be faithful to his vision….   God’s vision.. for a world of forgiveness and justice… and above all….. LOVE.. // which does not stop to count the cost….  which gives without hope of return….

 

The cross of Jesus is to be found reflected in all who mourn…. all who suffer rejection and injustice….   the cross is patterned in the hearts of all who endure illness or pain…. //  Christ’s cross is a silent “YES” to  all who long to be forgiven for past mistakes but don’t dare believe that they can be freed from their guilt and shame………    It is found in the experiences of people persecuted or experiencing fear or unrest throughout the world… whether it be in Tibet or in the house next door to us…..

 

This is a good Friday….  and in the cross is revealed the wisdom and power of God……    most of all….   it reveals God’s constant LOVE.

 

 

“If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: You can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets  and shut it in a tomb, but it will rise! “   (Clarence W. Hall).

 

Passion Sunday

16th March, 2008      Passion Sunday

 

The Passion account of Our Lord, is so powerful that it really speaks for itself….    SO much can be said of its power and significance that it could take a lifetime to ponder…..   and yet…  in many ways… it also speaks for itself….  extra words seem to pale in comparison…. 

 

so I won’t say much today….  

 

except to say, that every time I hear the passion, it stirs something deep inside me….  it renews me, overwhelms me….   reminds me……..    challenges me, condemns me, forgives me……….     It shows just how wonderful Jesus is……  how much he loved us…… that he was prepared to give up everything….  

 

He won’t speak up in his own defence…. he does the unthinkable… even though innocent… he remains silent….  not uttering a word….  even a word  that has in so many previous encounters has gotten him out of a dangerous situation…..   I always admired how Jesus, when faced with malicious antagonism from others.. was often able to pull the carpet from under them with some well chosen words… or a question… the answer of which they cannot give…..    I love his clever and insightful replies,.,,,, but none now….   not that he couldn’t…. he would not….  he remains silent…..

 

It is a reminder… there are times we feel the need to justify and explain ourselves…  sometimes we might be unjustly judged by others…. and we want to speak out in our defence….  sometimes the judgement may be correct… but pride can make us want to explain, excuse, mitigate…..  but not Jesus…..   he will not speak up to defend himself…. he is utterly sure of his own worth in the Father…  he is not puffed up with pride… he knows the truth and has no need of the acceptance of arbitrary judges……. 

 

It would be great (some quiet time during this holy week) to take the whole longer account of the passion and read it slowly.. prayerfully….   mattehws account from today is different from the one in John’s Gospel which we hear every Good Friday…..

 

contemplate Judas…….   what in the world is going on?... jesus insists on calling him Friend… even when he betrays him….. I used to think he was just being ironic… what if he wasn’t …. what if Jesus continued to trust in and hope for his friend Judas, and that Judas would not accept the offer of friendship Jesus was giving him……..    Judas does repent (of sorts) and throws the blood money away….    but was Jesus asking him to trust in the mercy and forgiveness that he was offering on  the cross for all people…..    ?  can we trust that jesus is truly calling us friend….  would give anything for us… and is inviting us to trust in the new life and forgiveness that he does offer to each of us, who hope in his unconditional love…  revealed on the tree of calvary?

 

 

 

Lent Week 5 . 9th March, 2008.

Lent Week 5 .  9^th March, 2008.

“Unbind him, set him free !”

Sunday:

There are some words and phrases, that are so powerful that they actually convey and express the feelings and realities to which they point….. 

they are words or sentences that have a power of their own because they are intimately connected to reality they describe….

For example…..   a couple of pastoral council meetings ago a few of us were saying how the word “serenity”   actually conveys the sense of calm, peacefulness and tranquility that we so desire in life….   to be serene.. in the face of the storms and disruptions in life…..   this is a greatly sought-after quality.

many organizations know the power of words to capture the reality of who they are and what they are seeking to do….   they are called Mission statements….   or vision statements…..  

When these statements touch on the core values they represent, it is as if they resonate with truth and power…..  

 

Last Friday, I was at the Saint Mary’s college official opening and blessing of the new Christian Brothers Innovation and technology Centre”   and David Hutton, the head of Catholic education in this Archdiocese  quoted the St Mary’s college Mission statement… and I felt deeply moved by its introductory words… I felt that they had a real immediate impact that surely reflects the fact that they have evolved after a lot of thought, prayer and reflection …..   the words that moved me are simple….    it starts by saying: God’s spirit inspires the Saint Mary’s College to love, learn and live as Christian people of faith. 

I could not help but be quite convinced that this Spirit gives power to the words and their meaning….  

 

This weekend the parish has been delighted to be host for the Saint Vincent de Paul training conference…   and I know it has been a wonderful time of coming together and sharing and reflecting on their ministry and gaining support and encouragement….   the Vinnies mission, also resonates with energy and powr….:

the words include:  ‘to heighten the awareness of Jesus Christ”….by sharing ourselves - who we are and what we have - with the poor on a person to person basis.

We seek to co-operate in shaping a more just and compassionate Australian community, ……

and Our preferred option in this mission of service is to work with the poor in development, by respecting their dignity, sharing our hope, and encouraging them to take control of their destiny.

 

words…  that fill one with energy..  make one want to join in this work…..I pray with confidence that the work of Groups such as Saint Vincent de Paul society, will continue the powerful work of Christ meeting Christ in their ministry of service… of meeting ‘person-to-person’.

and of course, I truly believe there is one single WORD who gives power to all other words and phrases.. and it is the person and message of Jesus, who is THE WORD of God……  Jesus is a DOING word, so the word of God, is a verb……. 

some other very special words have a powerful effect because they are so intimately connected with Jesus’ values//  his message and qualities about himself that they convey the qualities they describe….

these words are powerful, as though the Spirit hovering over them fills them with resonance…..  words such as

“Your sins are forgiven”

“Your debt is cancelled”

“Be Freed”  /  “Be released”

“Be Opened”

“BE upLIFTED FROM YOUR BURDENS”

“lazarus – COME-OUT…… //   now unbind him…. set him free!”

“This is my body broken for you…..   this is my blood poured out for you as a new covenant”

 

I love these words….  I know you do too……    they fill us with hope… but more than that… they immediately begin to  achieving what they say…….   

even our own parish newsletter, at the top…  I love that little line….   “Building our lives on the gospel…”    I don’t know where it originated, but it is wonderful, it is true……   that is what we strive to do, always and everywhere….

SO, Jesus said a lot of words to people in his ministry…  sometimes the things he said really challenged the faith of those who were with him……   In the gospel today, jesus talks to them about God having the final say on suffering and death……   / Jesus is powwrfully SHOWING that HE DOES CARE…. HE DOES LOVE US…..  HE DOES CARE WHEN PEOPLE SUFFER, DIE…   GRIEVE….  OR FEEL TRAPPED BY THEIR PAST SINS AND MISTAKES….. HE CRIES WITH US…..  HE SIGHS FROM THE HEART FOR US……..    AND HE SPEAKS WORDS OF CHANGE…..  

 

BE HEALED

BE FORGIVEN

BE FREED….

I GIVE YOU ETERNAL LIFE….

 

AND THEN TURNS TO US AND ASKS……

 

 

do you believe this…   DO you believe?????”  

 

We reply, like Martha: “yes, lord, I believe... You are the Christ, the one who is to come into the world…..

 

If we believe this, THEN  we will trust that if Jesus says “your sins are forgiven”.. (and he does say this to each of us)…. then who are we to stay in the darkness of shame….//   who are we to remain still imprisoned by these sins if Jesus cancels our debt…….

 

Right….  then, untie them…   ….. this is what I desire for you…// 

 

This is what makes Christ become moved so deeply he sheds tears….//    but they are certainly tears of hope….

 

what love jesus has or each one of us….  

 

surely it is only Divine love that fill us with life again….……  freed, healed, forgiven….  LOVED.

 

 

 

 

+++++

 

Saturday Night:

 

I have a friend I have known for many years, A fascinating and eccentric person, (who won’t mind me mentioning him in a homily I am sure)….and his preferred means of communication to me (of recent years) is via e-mail and sms. He sends me an email message and I reply, but I never get a reply to my reply. It is the strangest thing.  It has become the most unusual one-sided conversation of all time…….    He will write to me from 100 kilometers down the road one time..  about some amazing thing that has happened to him… and I will reply in amazement at his exploits…. and ask a further question…  but nothing……  no reply….  it doesn’t really bother me…  its just odd……    another time..  he will send me an email from Spain…(or somewhere equally exotic)…..  he will write about having just walked the way of ST James….(the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim walk)     … and again….I will write back immediately…… in amazement… /,,,,,, again …  no reply…… !     I got another message the other day….    he is home…..   back in Australia…   I welcomed him back…and said…  ‘wow… your journey must have been wonderful… how are you, are you settling in?’….. but at the same time I thought to myself….   ‘I bet you a million dollars I will never get a reply to this message until the next time I get an email from some new location….….’…. but then I thought…   ah, to heck with it….  who cares if he doesn’t reply… if that is the way he is … then good……    let him send me messages… I will always reply.. always ask…  always keep answering….   and maybe one day…   a reply to my reply…..……..     (don’t worry..  eventually I will ring up and find out whether his email is faulty… - knowing the way these things go, he is probably sitting there saying..  Paul never replies…  but I will keep sending…  ha ha-- …..but not yet… not yet….)……..but anyways…   I tell this story.. because it made me think of something…..  

 

you know what…  I reckon that is like the way we often treat God….. 

 

we talk and talk and talk at God…..  and God hears us alright.. and more than that, God replies… God asks….  God inquires….  God…  speaks…. God cares about us, loves us and is utterly involved in our lives and cares…….. but we don’t hear………  

 

how often do we ask something of God….    pour out our hearts to God……    implore God…    reprove God…..    express frustration with God……    and then go on our way….   back into the intense busy-ness of life…..   leaving God’s replies, God’s certain response floating in thin air……..  

 

I think that may happen a lot more than we think….   what if God is like the faithful email friend…..    always interested… always responding…  always answering…  but we have spam-guard set on such a high level and his message gets junked with all the rubbish too…..

 

This was certainly happening to Jesus in the gospel today……    he was telling  them so much…. but they were unable to hear…. unable to comprehend….. 

 

Jesus had such affection, such love for Lazarus, Mary and Martha….  they must have been his home away from home whenever he visited Jerusalem….    he DID care very much about them…. and what was happening to them……… but people couldn’t understand his behaviour….. 

 

Jesus says that Lazarus is sleeping..    but they misunderstand that he means that he is actually dead, but that “like a sleeper,” he lies ready to be called forth to new life, by God’s word…..

 

But more than this… Martha and Mary and everyone else….   are asking Jesus…  “do something”…..Help us?   On other people’s lips is surely also the question. “Does he CARE about his friends?  How can he stand by and watch people suffer…..   why doesn’t he take away their pain… is it because he does not care?  Is it that he does not love?”      

 

We don’t pretend to understand all this, but it is quite clear that the answer to these questions is./…   Yes… he does care… and more deeply than words can express……   Jesus is profoundly moved by their pain… He becomes distressed and deeply grieved………  Even though he knows that God has the final word in relation to suffering and pain and death…   his love and compassion burst out… he feels for his beloved people… and weeps with them……   he does not want anyone to suffer…..  he is the God of love… of goodness….. life…… and of freedom…. 

 

Back to my idea that God is like the faithful computer pen pal….  but even more than that, clearly. God always responds with unconditional love….    no matter what……. 

 

but we don’t begin to comprehend….

 

The most powerful words Jesus utters, are deeply moving…  can we imaging how he said it?….  only divine love is powerful enough to bring us out of our tombs… (whatever they may be)…….  to call us out of our hurtful ways….   to release us from so many “prisons” of so many “un-freedoms”……    

 

Jesus cried out in a loud voice…..…  (We can still feel his love in the words):   “Lazarus--- COME -----OUT !!!!”  

 

“Now unbind him….   set him free”…// let him live… let him be fully alive.. this is what I desire for everyone.. to be free.. to be alive…   to have joy.. and joy to the full…….   

 

So, when we come to the Lord and say to him… Lord…  I am aware that there are things in my life that are sinful…. I know that I am bowed down by my mistakes and hurtful ways….. by weakness and a sense of unworthiness….//    We pour out our hearts to God…  we tell God our fears and hopes……….And, you know what, ……. this gospel helps us to “recover” what the “missing email back to us” would certainly be….    “friend….  I DO want you to be free….  I DO want you to be released from the burden of your sins…  I do want you to come alive.,…..    I want you to come out of all that holds you back…… I do not want you to be bowed down… to be trapped….  by your past….  by your fears….  by your mistakes….by your doubts…..     BE FORGIVEN……  BE RELEASED…..    BE FREED……   BE HEALED…….   BE LIFTED FROM YOUR BURDENS……..!!!!   do you believe this…   DO you believe?????”  

 

We reply, like Martha: “yes, lord, I believe... You are the Christ, the one who is to come into the world…..

 

If we believe this, then we will begin to live this….   we will trust that when Jesus means to forgive us of our failings he really means this…..   if he says your sins are forgiven.. (and he does say this to each of us)…. then who are we to stay in the darkness…. who are we to remain still imprisoned by these sins….

 

Right….  then, untie them…   ….. this is what I desire for you…//  This is what makes Christ become moved so deeply he sheds tears….//    but they are certainly tears of hope….

 

LAZARUS ----   COME -------  OUT !!!!!!!!!!!

 

…..NOW UNBIND HIM…… set him free……