Homily Thirtieth Sunday of the Year A . 26th October , 2014

Homily Thirtieth Sunday of the Year A .   26th October , 2014     
 

“There are many examples of how, even after the busiest of days, Jesus would go up into the hills, to a lonely place, and spend the night in prayer to His heavenly Father.  So, it is fair to say, Jesus whole life was to worship and praise the Father. 

There are also many examples of how Jesus spent himself in complete service of others.

His whole life was an act of service and love to his neighbour… all in need around him…..  

 These two complete realities must be two sides of the same coin…. And are not in any way in contradiction.

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

 Another great monk was once heard to say to his brothers….  (when they focused too much on rules and not the heart of the gospel message….) he says to them in exasperation….   “My friends, you have torn the gospel of Christ in two….//.

There are two great commandments, not one. Love God, by how you love the neighbour as you would love and care for yourself.  (or perhaps it is more accurate to say there really is only one commandment to love.. which has two facets to it….)

In any case……Splitting up these two commands seriously distorts the gospel……  there are those who would emphasise worship of God to the point where doing anything practical for those in practical need seems to become an optional extra……. this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ……/// 

the other extreme is not right either…. there are people who are so caught up in social justice and practical action that they lose sight of the fact that Christian justice, (Christian charity) always flows out of our relationship with God and that we are all God’s children… and that it is not only our human actions… but God’s will that is important….  so if someone emphasises social response and neglects prayer, worship and a sense of faith in God who is the author and sustainer of us all……..   as essential as practical care for those in need is, it would lose its focus if we were to ever disconnect it to worship and prayer….. (it would become something merely humanistic….  And it could reflect a faulty sense that humans are their own saviours and can do all things themselves without reference to God…..)

Jesus shows us that both prayer and action are possible and that both are necessary…..   Again… I must say, that is why I always feel that the catholic groups of lay people such as St Vincent de Paul society, or Care and Concern or Knights of the Southern Cross,  …..   To name but a few and not to exclude the countless other groups that do the great work…  but these are wonderful examples and expressions of both these aspects: Prayer/worship and Practical action.

They focus on practical action….   helping those in need, thos who are hungry, seeking shelter, needing clothing, and also they visit those in need….  and also, integral to this, they meet regularly to pray and reflect on Christ’s gospel…  This is absolutely vital – connection to the person of Christ makes sense of and empowers their care for their neighbour…. 

there are many other groups and individuals who model this,..// and we give thanks for them all.  

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

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

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

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

(References:

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

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

·          Gutierrez, Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year.

 

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Homily Twenty - seventh Sunday of the Year A 5th October, 2014

Homily Twenty - seventh Sunday of the Year A   5th October, 2014     

This weekend we welcome our Catholic Mission appeal speakers.   We welcome Sister Anne Quinn and Mission director David McGovern.

 

Meanwhile, here is a reflection upon this weekend’s scriptures..  

The readings this weekend carry a very consistent image in each of them:  the ancient and powerful image of the Vineyard planted and left to people to look after and the landowner returning to claim his rights, only to be rebuffed and all his messengers mistreated and killed, and even his beloved son is rejected and killed. It is very chilling!

It is clearly speaking of the people of Israel as the tenants of God's vineyard, and the messengers are the prophets of God, and the son is clearly Jesus.

 Jesus is warning the listeners, particularly the chief priests and scribes, that they think they are holy and righteous, but they are in a long line of people who killed God's prophets and have set themselves against God's will.   IT would be shocking to them to hear that. They certainly saw themselves as righteous and doing God's will. It must be everyone else who is doing wrong, not me. Isn't that a familiar cry from so many people…

“I am right, it's all these other people who are in the wrong!”  

 When I think of the image of the vineyard, I also can't help but think that God has given us this beautiful world to live in and care for its natural resources. In return, in many ways, we wreck the things given into our care. God would not be impressed by a lack of care for our environment and for the people and creatures that live in it.   We are called to responsible care and management and respect of the resources that God has entrusted to us;  to avoid waste or destruction and pollution and excess and exploitation.

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This gospel also calls upon each of us to consider the gifts God has entrusted to us to nurture and to bear fruit…

The Gospel parable reminds us that God is very patient with us and very generous…  But God is also just and won't give us endless time to produce the fruits God wants….   So..  are there areas in our lives where God has been exceedingly patient?   Are we perhaps taking that patience for granted in any way?.....

Are we producing the fruit?…   what kind of fruit is it?   And is it for the purposes of the Kingdom;   and are the fruits we are producing intended for the King from whom we received these gifts and resources? 

 What kind of fruit are we producing.. And if it's not up to the mark, what can we do about it?

Is it overripe?...  are we not producing at the pace we could…

Are we producing sour grapes... too often criticising? , finding fault??  Complaining?  Gossiping instead of assisting to build up and encourage and foster the values that God so wants for his people.  Or are we Afraid at times to show love, kindness and joy…

Are we producing colourless grapes..hesitant or sparing in showing and sharing our talents

Are we producing wild grapes.. going it alone, not working with the faith community…    not supporting or being challenged by the wider community…. A law unto myself..

Are we producing tasteless grapes….absorbed by our own needs and wants….   ?

May the Son inspire and strengthen us to produce the fruits of the Kingdom…  justice, mercy, peace, and righteousness

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REFERENCES:

 ·          FR. PAUL W. KELLY

·          Revd James M McPherson, Maryborough, 2011

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

·          Celebrating the Gospels, 1981-2003.

 

Our special speaker at Masses this weekend.   For Catholic Missions:
As far as experience is concerned, Australian Marist Missionary Sister Anne Quinn’s is hard to beat.

Born, raised and educated in Melbourne, Anne Christine Quinn was brought up in a Catholic family. Shortly before her twentieth birthday, Anne became a registered primary teacher and soon joined the Council of Public Education Victoria.

In 1961, Anne Quinn became Sister Anne when she was professed a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary. It was an achievement that opened the door to a lifetime of further education, mission and devotion to the Lord which would take her to countries around the world including Italy, Israel, Jamaica, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.

The newly-professed Sr Anne started her career at the Deer Park Primary School in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs, where she taught for five years. Despite her youth, Sr Anne’s experience and talent for teaching was noticed and she was offered a role as a teaching principal in Buma on the Solomon Island of Malaita. Later, after a short spell in the nation’s capital of Honiara, Sr Anne returned to Deer Park as a teaching principal at the young age of thirty-one. She would spend three years in the role, but the lure of overseas mission was too enticing and she left once again for the Solomon Islands.

Sr Anne has always desired to continually improve her education. In 1982, she added to her teaching qualifications a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in Psychology and Religious Studies, from the University of Queensland. Her religious education is also exceptional; having attended the Queensland Institute of Clinical Pastoral Education in 1979, Sr Anne left for the Holy Land and the Tantur Ecumenical Institute of Jerusalem, Israel. It is this unquenchable thirst for knowledge that has led to her appointment to more senior job postings around the world.

From 1994 to 2000, Sr Anne was the Congregational Treasurer for the Missionary Sisters in Rome. The financial nous she gained there, coupled with her experience in establishing community programs from time spent in the Philippines, made her an ideal candidate to head to Jamaica to take on one of her toughest assignments yet: reaching out to a community living in constant fear of gang violence, shootings and murder.

Sr Anne has worked in Jamaica for thirteen years, the first eleven of those as an administrator at the Holy Family Self Help Centre in Mount Salem, Montego Bay. Although she thoroughly enjoyed teaching the life-changing vocational training courses the Centre offers, it wasn’t long before primary education—her great love—called her once again. The irrepressible Sr Anne has assumed a number of important school board positions in recent years.

Since 2012 she has been working at St Anne’s Primary School in Hannah Town, a suburb of the capital Kingston. Her goal in educating very young Jamaican children is to provide them with the means to create a brighter future for themselves, away from the violence and crime that is ever-present in current day Jamaica.

 

 

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Paul's Reflections 453 : 2nd Sunday Ordinary time year A

Homily 2nd Sunday Ordinary time year A  19th January, 2014     

 

There is a line in today's gospel that John the Baptist keeps repeating… and it is an intriguing one….  Twice John the Baptist says "I did not know him….but…."….    What is the meaning of this line……   

It is mysterious…

 

John the Baptist is the cousin of Jesus….   He certainly would have known who he THOUGHT Jesus was, but now he was seeing a new side of him….  Someone much more significant….  The one who would carry the sins of the world on his back and through whom the world would be saved…….   It is almost too enormous for comprehension……    John the Baptist has very clear and strong ideas about what the Messiah would be like… and although it was his role to proclaim his coming, the really ironic thing is that John the Baptist really got it wrong……  his concept of what the messiah would be like…. Was not anything like what Jesus turned out to be….   Jesus turned on its head the concept of what a messiah was like….  Instead of judgement… he brought a time of God's favour….. instead of retribution…  he brought freedom from prison, and cancellation of indebtedness………    absolutely amazing…..  John the Baptist had to really swallow his pride and do a back flip in order to understand what Jesus was showing him and what Jesus was trying to show all people  who had the eyes of faith……

 

John the Baptist keeps repeating… I did not know him, but he is the one I was preparing the way for,,,,,,,,

 

There is something reassuring about this for you us… who live two thousand years later…  we believe in Jesus as the Lamb of God… and the messiah….. each of us here is committed to following Jesus. However, we are in good company if we do not fully comprehend the significance of who Jesus is for us ……   if we do not yet fully appreciate the radical call that Jesus is asking of us……    the world-changing values Jesus has come to bring us…..

 

I always have a soft spot for the poor disciple of Jesus… they followed Jesus wherever he went…. They saw themselves as his disciples….his faithful……. They knew their master, Jesus, had the words of everlasting life…. But time and time again.. they 'did not get it' they missed the point of what Jesus was trying to tell them.  Jesus was often quite exasperated with his disciples, saying…  'you have been with me all this time and still you do not KNOW me?" they often did not have a clue….. but still the kept following.. and slowly….   Little by little… they began to understand who he was…. And what the meaning of his message was…. 

 

In the Gospel, St John  the Baptist declares…  "look! There is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."    It's a timely reminder. We need Jesus. We need saving..  Sadly, we humans are not the final authority on everything. We are not the masters of all that we survey (and that can be extremely frightening and unsettling, because we would like to have a large measure of control over our lives, it is a natural instinct for security and peace-of-mind and self-preservation).  But, the events of recent years.. where various communities throughout Australia and in the world…have witnessed natural disasters or suffering or war….   remind us that although we are not meant to be entirely helpless, nor ought we ever just allow ourselves to be tossed helplessly through the events of life, it also can be very comforting and a source of a kind of serene peace for us to acknowledge that we are not all powerful,  and that we surrender ourselves into the care of God's grace…..  and that we truly and really NEED God and we need to be saved by God. In a real sense we would be utterly helpless without God's saving guidance and help.  

 I am reminded of a painting that someone once did… it was entitled "perfect peace"  but it was a painting of a storm-tossed mountainside.  What is 'peaceful about this… it looks anything but peaceful'   (people would naturally say!).  But a close look shows a small bird nestling in a little cave….   Sheltered from the storms that rage uncontrolled around us.    It is a challenging and beautiful image…  peace comes not from stilling the things outside us, that we really have no control over…. But from taking shelter and receiving inner peace of heart no matter what storms rage around us….  It is not easy….. but at times it's the only thing that gets people through…  It is not a promise that everything will go right… because sometimes everything doesn't… it seems to all go wrong….  But our God walks with us, and we are instruments of God's compassion and care….   And that can make all the difference…

There are some other lines from this weekend's readings that really strike me…… 

 

It is from the psalm: 'he put a new song in my heart…  a song of praise to our God"…..   and also  "I have told the glad news of our deliverance in the great congregation, see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O, Lord."

 

It reminds me….  there are so many things we can focus on in life….   ….   The words of scripture encourage and remind us that…  it is so important to notice and give voice to all the positive and life-giving things that are going on. There are so many things we give thanks for….  That can still fill us with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving…   fill us with a new song….

 

A commentator once said  that there are different types of prayer… prayer of petition, where we ask for what we need…  prayer of penance..where we ask for forgiveness…  ; prayer of lament.. where we cry out for what is hurting us.. or worrying us……..and also….prayer of worship and thanksgiving…where we give voice to all the gifts and wonders that surround us… that we can be tempted to take for granted…  our presenter said…  70 percent of our prayer should be prayer of thanksgiving.. that still give us 30 percent for asking for things.. or voicing grievances and hurts….. this is not suggesting that we go on talking about everything being rosy when it may not be…. But even when we take the "rose coloured glasses off… even when we are brutally honest… there is still so much to be positive about… so much to be profoundly grateful for….  So many opportunities to see Jesus vision for the world which is so radically different from the logic of this world**… and yet…   we still struggle to understand the meaning of it….  But we never stop trying…..

 

The second reading has St Paul writing with affection to the community of believers in the church in Corinth. It is a reminder that we are all united with each other, and not even distance or time or culture separates us from our brothers and sisters everywhere in the world..  Like St Paul, we are united in prayer and in the Spirit with people everywhere and with the Heavenly community.  The grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ stays with us and binds us together in good times and in hard times.

Daily, we keep following Jesus, even though we (even now) do not fully understand his ways…..  but we believe in them….  We follow him into the unknown…..…..   trusting in his guidance along the path he leads us…….because he promises to be with us always….. in with a new song on our lips…  a song of praise…. And thanksgiving…

 

May God bless and protect us all, with his kind of peace – a peace the world alone cannot give…  .)

 

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REFERENCES:

 

·        FR. PAUL W. KELLY

·        **Fr. John Fuellenbach, SVD,  personal notes from Fr Paul based on a talk given by Fr Fuellenbach in 2007).  Save a tree. Do not print this e-mail unless it's really necessary

 

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How to keep up-to-date with parish news.

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For more info, please visit: http://stmaryextras.blogspot.com/2011/08/have-you-signed-up-to-receive-various.html

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Paul's Reflections 452 : Baptism of Our Lord - A 12th January, 2014

Homily Baptism of Our Lord - A  12th January, 2014     

As the preface of the Eucharistic prayer for this weekend’s Mass says: … “in the waters of the Jordan (The Father) revealed with signs and wonders, a new Baptism,

And, so ‘Jesus’ own baptism in the waters of the River Jordan was the introduction to a new path….    Baptism now becomes for all of us the means by which we are joined (in a special way) to Jesus’ life and, therefore, joined to God’s family.. // sharing life in God’s own love…..

As we celebrate the wonderful event of Jesus’ Baptism, it is always a time for us to renew the promises made at our baptism, and to celebrate the gift of baptism for others too.

Initially, it seems strange that Jesus needed to be baptized at all. John was offering a baptism of repentance…   for the forgiveness of sin…. Jesus did not need that, and John the Baptist realized this, and so did Jesus…  but it was really important, nevertheless that Jesus did this….. 

It is not easy to understand why Jesus accepted baptism. For you and for me, baptism is our initiation into Christ. We “put on Christ” at baptism like we put on a new set of clothes. We become Christ-like at baptism. We are made one with God through our baptism and our sins are taken away (not only personal sin, but also the overall experience of alienation and “not-at-oneness” that we humans experience in this world….). Jesus was already God and Christ and perfectly “one with the Father.” Jesus had not sinned. So why is He baptized?? 

For some of the early Christian writers, the baptism of Jesus is best seen as Christ the flipside of what we receive in Baptism….  Just as we are made holy in the waters of baptism….    It is Jesus, who MAKES the waters holy and thus it is Jesus who transforms US WHO RECEIVE IT…  Jesus makes g holy the waters of baptism. We can understand that Christ going into the Jordan brings holiness to all that He touches. ( JESUS, by undergoing Baptism, was bringing to this beautiful action of repentance and forgiveness  a new, deeper and divine meaning and divine POWER… Jesus was, (so to speak)..  “electrifying the waters” with God’s transforming power to makes us God’s children and make us truly into  brothers and sisters in Jesus…and to wash clean our sins and re-create us in God’s image anew…)

At another level, Christ being baptized is showing us that He takes very seriously his desire to share in our human nature, to be in solidarity and in perfect union with his people…..    God takes on ALL of our humanity and shows us the way to live our lives. Baptism, the Scriptures tell us, is a baptism into Christ’s life and his way of living…  his self-emptying way of loving….   a love that gives everything… even unto death, (on a cross). Jesus invites us, by going into these water, to follow him into the waters that are the daily living of his good news…. the daily living of the sometimes difficult challenges of loving as Christ loves..

….

Jesus the suffering servant, subjects himself to his human condition out of love and service…….so that he is "a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." (Abbot’s Homily, Monastery of Christ in the desert).

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It has also been said that, at his Baptism, Jesus definitively begins to SHOW AND TO ACT according to what he always was and always would be…..….  Jesus’ baptism is the official manifestation of him living this reality in his public ministry….being anointed by the Spirit with the oil of gladness to bring us light and hope and forgiveness…. (notes from 366 Days with the Lord)

Jesus shows us that discipleship is not merely a personal thing…  not just a private thing……   Being part of Christ’s good news is a participation in a very public ministry of Christ himself……..

Christ’s Baptism – signals the Commencement of his PUBLIC ministry. He has come from quiet and humble obscurity – from 30 or so years of everyday living, and now is dramatically appearing on the public scene…  revealed at last as the messiah, the chosen one……   the suffering servant of the Father…. and the son of God……with whom the Father is well pleased.

Jesus’ baptism is an invitation for us to reflect on the public and communal dimensions of our baptismal call…………. it is a good time to ask ourselves “in what ways do I step forward publicly as Jesus did, as a way of announcing and living practically the new reality represented in Baptism; 2. what can I do to live out my baptismal commitment more openly, more publicly, more consistent with the fact that Christianity is a distinctly communal religion never solely a private devotion……., what will I do?...…..

one thing we can do.. is to encourage someone whom we notice has intentionally changed his/ her way of life for the better, // (Notes also taken from: Prayer Time, Cycle A. Robert J. Heyer, ed. 2007)

 some ways we can put this into action…… ……. we can pray and give thanks for people involved in our regular baptisms that are undertaken in this parish..  whose names are regularly printed in the newsletter…….   We can pray for and be supportive and encouraging of our liturgy leaders, our ministers, our teachers, and catechist….  our visitors to the sick and housebound… and so many more…  … and of course…  …. Just as importantly….  …..everyone who conducts their daily lives, their family life, their jobs and any other daily activities in the intentional spirit of Jesus’ good news – is living out their Baptismal calling in a very practical way…..

May the lord who calls us to follow him into the waters of Baptism, raise us to newness of life, so that, united with Jesus, we may serve Christ by living our discipleship in everything we do and say…..   giving public witness by our love and service to all…

 

Paul's Reflections 434 : 29th September, 2013. Twenty - sixth Sunday of the Year C

Homily . Twenty - sixth Sunday of the Year C . 29th September, 2013

 

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, and Abraham and Lazarus 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….    “…..   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)

 

Paul's Reflections 406 : Pope Francis and saint Francis

With the election of our new Pope Francis, my mind has gone back to my sabbatical where I had a wonderful and spiritually moving retreat in St Francis’ hometown of Assisi.

 

The recent events of the election  our new Pope Francis, and his impressive priorities of simplicity and focus, have been inspiring.

 

It reminds me of a theory that I have long held, that God surely answers our prayers, but there is often a time lag…  for God’s own reasons…  sometimes even five or six years later….    Many of my prayers and the prayers of many others, have been answered in pope Francis…   I recall something I wrote in my Sabbatical back in November 2007 while in Assisi, which the election of Pope Francis has in many ways answered….

 

Assisi Experience

Assisi, is a town now recognised throughout the world as a symbol of peace: a place where a different world is possible - where harmony, forgiveness and love are a real possibility. Assisi, as well as being the scene where Francis and Clare opened up there their lives and hearts to God's action in their lives and amazing graces flowed to all the earth.

 

On the second day of my Assisi retreat we had mass at the basilica of St Clare. This church houses the tomb of St Clare, whose body is preserved in an underground vault. 

 

In a large side chapel, bigger than a lot of churches, is the chapel which houses the "talking Cross" also known as the "san Damiano Cross". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Damiano_cross 
This , cross was originally housed at the little church of San Damiano, a few kilometres down the hill. St Francis went down to this dilapidated church of San Damiano to pray and was kneeling before this Icon Cross which colourfully depicts Christ Crucified and Risen and now glorified and risen, surrounded by Mary and The disciples and other faithful. While praying, Francis heard a voice coming from thw cross which said: "francis, rebuild my church, for it has fallen into disrepair!"  Francis set about rebuilding San Damiano's but soon realised that the voice of God from this cross was meaning MORE than physical rebuilding. God was calling upon Francis to be his servant in renewing the whole universal church to be more like the church Jesus wanted it to be - a place of practical concern for the poorest, a place of true worship, of simplicity, of obedience to Jesus' good news, of poverty of spirit, of humility. 

 

The cross in which Francis heard Jesus wanted voice is now housed in the church of Santa Chiara (st Clare). We had a beautiful mass there and the sacristan who set up for us at this place was a Franciscan Monk who lived there. He will be ordained a priest in about a year and a half and he asked us to keep his community and him in our prayers. His names is brother Alessandro from Rome.

 

Naturally, we heard no voices coming from this cross today, but I went away thinking "the cross today is still saying the same message - repair my church of San Damiano, for it has fallen into disrepair. Each of us is called to serve Christ in the constant renewal needed in his church, to purge us of anything opposite to the clarity of Jesus' good news - such as being pride, ambition, double-standards, wanting to be served instead of being servants, attachment to possessions, status, lack of empathy or compassion for others, favouritism, etc. These things are a constant source of mischief even today in the midst of the church and in the hearts of us Christ's people. The message of Francis is relevant to us today.

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We then went on a walking tour of this stunningly beautiful town.

 

We visited San Rufino (the cathedral) and saw two beautiful statues of St francis and of St Clare. The foundations of the older church were revealed by glass panels on the floor of this church.

 

We then went to the church called Chiesa Nuovo (New Church) which is where Francis was born and lived with his family. This is where he was locked up by his father (a merchant) when Francis started giving away possessions to the poor. There was a nice picture of Mary and the baby Jesus here. I got a photo of it.

 

We then went by the old cathedral, called Mary Major. This is where Francis was brought before the bishop by his father to answer charges of giving away his Father's goods to the poor. Here, in the square outside this cathedral and in front of the bishop's residence, Francis renounced his inheritance, gave his father back the money, and gave back all his clothes too. He declared thatt he had nothing but what God gave him and that his Father was God the Father. Ironically, as soon as he gave away everything the bishop immediately cloaked him with the bishop's own cloak to cover him. It is a reminder of how graciously God gives everything to those who release their grip on possessiveness.

 

A statue of Francis, in the courtyard of the bishops residence is a copy of the beautiful statue inside St Rufino. This statue bears signs of the dreadful earthquake that his this town in late 1997 doing extensive damage. The statue, although undamaged is standing in an uneven position because the horizontal and vertical shaking from the earthquake picked up the statue and dropped it back unevenly on the base - this would normally have taken a heavy crane to shift it in such a way!

 

We finished our walking tour at st peters church.

 

As well as having this nice tour, we had several talks from our retreat director and homilies by him in the masses at different locations.  I hope to share the content of these talks soon.

 

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In the Tuesday afternoon of our Assisi visit, we took the bus down the hill to the flat part of the city where theChurch of Mary and the Angels is located. This is a very special centre of Francis' life and work. In this area Francis had realised that his love for Jesus was useless unless it flowed out to the least of his brothers and sisters and so when he came across a colony of lepers even though his initial reaction was revulsion, he recognised in them a beloved child of God and so he went up to one of the lepers and kissed his hand.

 

At the site of St Mary and the angels church St francis was given a 'little portion" of land on which he built up a tiny little church. This ancient church still stands as a tiny church within the larger church in the sanctuary. It is quite a site to behold. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Santa_Maria_degli_Angeli

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portiuncula 

This is a place of silence, reverence and prayer. As if to confirm this, my camer which I had zipped in my coat pocket became stuck when the zipper tab pulled away. So, even if I wanted to take a photo I couldn't. So, it was a wonderful opportunity to just BE and pray and look around. This place is where Francis founded his order of Friars. Here is where he loved to come and pray. It was here wherever, tempted to sin, he threw himself into a bush of thorns to ward off the temptaion and the bush became a bush of thornless roses which one can still see today. This is also the place where Francis died.

 

In recent history, this is the place in 1988 where Pope John Paul II met with the religious leaders of the world as a sign of peace, respect and dialogue.

 

At this "little portion" (portiuncula) Francis had a vision and he was asked what he wanted. Francis answered "lord, I want the sins of the world forgiven." This request was granted and  given, with the Pope of the time's consent, for a special grace obtained by all those who come to this place, on behalf of others too, and pray accordingly.

 

This was a very special place.

 

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Paul's Reflections 396 : 10th February, 2013. 5th Sunday of the Year C

Homily 5th Sunday of the Year C  10th February, 2013     

Isaiah looks at himself and says, "I am not worthy"…….and so, in response….."God … sends, an angel to touches Isaiah's lips with a smoking-hot ember and tells him that his sins are purged."  It is not the place of (even) the great prophet Isaiah to tell God what he is or is not worthy of………. 

The same happens with St Peter..

Thank goodness the early disciples… the ones we look up to so much…. are also revealed to be people with weaknesses, foibles…. sinfulness……   failure…….    And at times lack or trust and faith…..  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…….  God makes use of what we have to offer and God transforms it……. Jesus is not ever saying to us that we should wallow in our sin or use it as an excuse to stay stuck in old ways….….   And we should never say.. 'this is as good as I can be….'   But God also wants to remind us that our worthiness is not the issue…  because (actually- as many great saints throughout history would remind us….) none of us is worthy of ourselves….   None of us is worthy without God…    It is God who makes us worthy.. it is God who calls us… and it is God alone who knows what we are capable of, and calls us to fulfil it…  The difference between the saint and the sinner is not their worthiness before God, but their determination NOT to use their weakness or their own wilfulness to stay stuck in a rut, but to put their trust and all their efforts in God's hands…  and to be changed by this…   and given direction…    to be transformed into instruments of God's love and grace… 

St Peter, Saint Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah……   King David… Saul…. Moses…….  the list goes on and on…. of great people… people who did God's will….. but also who were terribly weak….. who sinned….. sometimes even betrayed their calling…. but nevertheless it was God who called them… and knew them and what they truly could… and held them to that….   if 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 forgiveness, both by the Lord and by others. Being forgiven is a humbling experience, but one that allows us, like Isaiah, to volunteer for the Lord's work. 

All of us are invited to reflect on our own refusals to accept God and His power and His presence. God is not there to frighten us nor to condemn us but to love us. Once we begin to believe and to accept forgiveness for our weaknesses and failings…, 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 begin to believe, our lives can be transformed into a reflection of God's mercy, compassion and forgiveness. 

But there is more……  did Jesus learn something from his previous rejection…. he preached alone and he 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 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…..   and he experiences this amazing event by listening to someone telling him to do the job he knew so well… in a new and dramatic and trusting and  different way… and the results are huge…….. 

This is a timely reminder to us…..   of a couple of important matters:

We must connect the good news to the ordinary, everyday events of life and work, or else it will not bear fruit… it will not make sense……  Secondly…. We ….  Just like the disciples, need to work together… in unity… community.

Like the disciples who were all needed to haul in the enormous catch of fish… and finally……   we must 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 misdirected.. …..it may be fruitless… like the fisherman who laboured all night and 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…..not the most logical…. but they are the way of the gospel… and only by following jesus way, 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!"

 

·         (this reflection seems as fresh and relevant as the first time I delivered it, so I have tidied it up a bit and re-present it this weekend….  From FR. PAUL W. KELLY and also, the Abbot, Monastery of Christ in the Desert, http://www.christdesert.org/  ; also thoughts from Gustavo Gutierrez, Sharing the Word through the liturgical year/ also reflection from Madonna Magazine, Jan-Feb 2007).

 

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Paul's Reflections 386 : 23rd December, 2012

Homily 4th Sunday Advent. Year C  23^rd December, 2012.

 

“Blessed is she who believed the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  (Luke 1:44).

This truly beautiful gospel passage today illustrates at least two important concepts….. 

·         the importance of giving thanks and

·         naming blessings…..    

this takes on particular significance in this year of Grace….   For Mary, as the beautiful “Hail Mary” prayer so wonderfully puts it, is “filled with grace.”   Mary’s life, and Mary’s response to God’s action in her life, is the epitome of the perfect response of Faithful servant of God.

I recall a parable about a man who “wrote the hurts he received in the sand… but carved all the blessings he received in rock”… when he was asked why he did this he said….  it is so important to inscribe the hurts and wrongs in sand.. so that the winds of forgiveness and love can erase them after a time….    but it is so important to carve the blessings and graces in stone.. so they will serve as a constant reminder to us of all the things we are grateful for …   and time, busyness, even misfortune and circumstance will be unable to erase those memories….  I have always been deeply impressed by the point of this parable….

 I thought to myself…    why do I suspect that for many of us, (myself included)…   we might be tempted to do things the wrong way around….     writing the countless acts of kindness, love, generosity and grace on the shifting sand of our memories…. whilst carving hurts and grudges, memories of misfortunes and our sins and weaknesses (and the sins and weaknesses of others), on stone……..    and does it help?   Not one bit!! 

Elizabeth is an example of a faithful disciple of God who sees the graciousness and blessings happening around her and sings out loudly in praise of God, - in thanksgiving… -  and she names the presence of God that she has experienced in and through Mary’s visit and her own child…….    it is a truly inspiring moment….

The other thing that strikes me about this well-known passage is the importance of family, extended family….   and (for the many who do not have many family members, the community of support that is family to us…  our parish, our friends, our colleagues…….)….  

Mary must have been frightened and overcome by what she knew was happening to her…. Mary was more than surprised to be told she was to conceive and bear a son through the action of God. Others would not understanding this. Not everyone would be happy with this news. It caused Mary to ponder and to wonder. She would surely have known that not everyone would assume that the Holy Spirit was at work. Even her  saintly fiancé Joseph, when he found out that Mary was expecting,  was thrown into confusion and hurt….this was only natural – how COULD this have happened. Who was responsible for this???  If he were not an honourable man he might even have made a major case against his betrothed…. we are told that when he found out what was happening he was clearly hurt and confused, but he was extremely gracious and acted only with the interests of Mary at heart. He wanted to cause no harm or embarrassment or publicity. Joseph planned to divorce Mary without any fuss so as not to cause what he honestly believed was a scandal. This was  before he found out the truth……that God was at work here……

 Mary went to visit Elizabeth…..    not so much a cousin.. probably more an aunt…….     certainly a member of her extended family……   together, they meet and gain enormous support and comfort from each other…….. 

At Christmas time family reunions are not always delightful… sometimes there is conflict… sometimes family members have met up after not having seen each other for ages… and differences can become obvious..  causing tension……  

That can be the risk if we try to cram all our family dealings into a few days once a year, rather than trying various ways of keeping contact and discussion going throughout the year…..    but it is a challenge.

 This weekend…   as Advent comes to a close so quickly that the weekend almost immediately turns around into Christmas eve….    let us take some time to carve a few things in stone…..     let us look back……   who are some of the people we need to give thanks for from this past year, (and all past years) ….  Let us recall in our hearts the acts of kindness and love they have shown….   who are the people through whome we have experienced Christ’s graced presence and action…..    Let us remember and give thanks for them in our hearts, minds..,.  even our words …… and let us….

 “Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the “Bethlehems” of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present”. —Edward Hays

Let us seek out people who, like Elizabeth, have grateful hearts… who focus on the positives and do not dwell on negatives, getting us more and more upset and downcast…….  

Let us be attentive to the ways in which God is present to us, in (and through) the people with whom we live, work and socialize…….

(From Fr. Paul, homily reflections. Taken from my collection, 2006).

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REFERENCES:

• FR. PAUL W. KELLY/ Prepare the word ministry resources.

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