The Gospel for the Solemnity of All the Saints is the Beatitudes. We are called to be saints. With such a 'great crowd of witnesses' all around us, we a spurred on to our heavenly inheritance. We pray that as the saints in their heroic or hidden ways earned their eternal rest, we too will remain faithful to Christ. When we live the Beatitudes, by God's grace, the Kingdom of Heaven is present.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Zacchaeus was a greedy little man!
If any of you, like myself, were schooled in the 'Children of God' series you may remember a little song on the Zacchaeus of the Gospel. It was a cute little song and painted a picture of who this tax collector was. It went: "Zacchaeus was a greedy little man, he cheated all the people in the land. If they said they wouldn't pay, he would take their farms away, and their furniture and anything they had....etc" I remember that song very well, and I am sure his role in the religion course has propelled him to fame. Nearly everyone knows Zacchaeus.
So who was he? A tax collector and a wealth man; a nasty bit of stuff it would seem. He collected the tax for the Romans and helped himself to whatever he wanted himself. At the time a tax collector had so much to collect, and whatever else he managed to take himself was fine. Not too many checks and balances there. He was also small; he had to climb a sycamore tree to get a view of the Lord as he passed by. He wanted to see Jesus; he was curious. He may not have been to interested in what Jesus had to say, but still he wanted to get a glimps of Him as he passed by. But did he expect to get the attention from Christ that he did? I expect not.
Zacchaeus climbed up a tree, he wanted to see the One everyone was talking about. He was aware, no doubt, that he was not a popular person - to understate it. But like everyone else, he was intrigued by Jesus and he wanted part of the action. Jesus saw him, called him down and told him not only did he want to see him, he wanted to dine with him. I am struck by one thing. Jesus had his mind made up. It wast a case of looking up and seeing a small man in a tree; he saw him as if he knew him already and wanted to go to his house. Zacchaeus was called and he had to come down and his life was changed.
Sometimes we prefer to live in the trees. Off up in the air, secure on our own. The Lord invites us to climb down to meet Him, to be close to Him, to dine with Him. Our smallness maybe sin. It may be regret, guilt, disappointment. It may be pride, when we think that we are just fine up in the tree.
Up in the tree there are only a few branches and leaves, maybe a bird or two. Its lonely up there, and there is little room to move. To be on the ground, with the Lord, opens up for us a whole new world.
Christ calls us close. When we meet him we change. Our stature is changed and we no longer fear. Jesus wants to dine with us, are we coming down or are we happy aloof by ourselves?
So who was he? A tax collector and a wealth man; a nasty bit of stuff it would seem. He collected the tax for the Romans and helped himself to whatever he wanted himself. At the time a tax collector had so much to collect, and whatever else he managed to take himself was fine. Not too many checks and balances there. He was also small; he had to climb a sycamore tree to get a view of the Lord as he passed by. He wanted to see Jesus; he was curious. He may not have been to interested in what Jesus had to say, but still he wanted to get a glimps of Him as he passed by. But did he expect to get the attention from Christ that he did? I expect not.
Zacchaeus climbed up a tree, he wanted to see the One everyone was talking about. He was aware, no doubt, that he was not a popular person - to understate it. But like everyone else, he was intrigued by Jesus and he wanted part of the action. Jesus saw him, called him down and told him not only did he want to see him, he wanted to dine with him. I am struck by one thing. Jesus had his mind made up. It wast a case of looking up and seeing a small man in a tree; he saw him as if he knew him already and wanted to go to his house. Zacchaeus was called and he had to come down and his life was changed.
Sometimes we prefer to live in the trees. Off up in the air, secure on our own. The Lord invites us to climb down to meet Him, to be close to Him, to dine with Him. Our smallness maybe sin. It may be regret, guilt, disappointment. It may be pride, when we think that we are just fine up in the tree.
Up in the tree there are only a few branches and leaves, maybe a bird or two. Its lonely up there, and there is little room to move. To be on the ground, with the Lord, opens up for us a whole new world.
Christ calls us close. When we meet him we change. Our stature is changed and we no longer fear. Jesus wants to dine with us, are we coming down or are we happy aloof by ourselves?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
31st Sunday in Ordinary time year C
Wis 11:22-12:2
2 Thes 1: 11-2:2
Lk 19:1-10
Salvation has come to this house. The story of Zacchaeus conversion reminds us that we are all in need of the salvation of God, and that no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness and mercy
2 Thes 1: 11-2:2
Lk 19:1-10
Salvation has come to this house. The story of Zacchaeus conversion reminds us that we are all in need of the salvation of God, and that no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness and mercy
Friday, October 22, 2010
30th Sunday in Ordinary time year C
Going home at peace with God.
Never ending bad news! I don't know why I am so determined to get the news every night before I go to bed. Its a habit, I suppose. I just can't miss it, either on the telly or on the radio, I have to listen to the news headlines. But why? There is always bad news. If its not the economy, its a murder. If not a murder some other woe that seems to overwhelm us all. The weather is often the icing on the cake! No one seems to be at peace with each other, never mind with God.
The Gospel of the Pharisee and the tax-collector is one of my personal favorites. It is one of those special pericopes that gives me great hope. Sometimes I see myself as the Pharisee, other times as the tax collector. Which one would I rather be? If I was given a choice, if I could be one of the characters which would I choose? Say if I were the Pharisee; a good man, trying to do my best and seemingly succeeding well at it. I would be guilty of all the right things - fasting, praying, giving to the poor. Okay, maybe I am a bit arrogant, but so what?! I am arrogant about the proper things, right? Why would I want to be a tax-collector? After all these guys were not the cute little cartoon characters like Zaccheus in our school religion books- they were nasty, mean and most of all they were traitors. Who in their right minds would want to be one. But still, he was the one that went home at peace with God. And why? He realised that he didn't have it all together. He knew his need for forgiveness and mercy. He knew that he was not the master of the game.
When we forget that we need the Redeemer we become like the Pharisee. To forget that we are the ones that are in need of God and not the other way around, can only bring us emptiness and the opposite of fulfillment. I think one reason that we have found ourselves in the current economic and social turmoil is that we easily forget that we are bought and paid for. We arrogantly think that we are the only ones that matter and anything or anyone that reminds us of another reality is wrong. Peace of mind and heart is what we sacrifice if we get our real priorities wrong.
The tax collector went home at peace with God, the other did not, no matter how secure he felt in himself. The Gospel reminds us that we are the children and God is God.
Never ending bad news! I don't know why I am so determined to get the news every night before I go to bed. Its a habit, I suppose. I just can't miss it, either on the telly or on the radio, I have to listen to the news headlines. But why? There is always bad news. If its not the economy, its a murder. If not a murder some other woe that seems to overwhelm us all. The weather is often the icing on the cake! No one seems to be at peace with each other, never mind with God.
The Gospel of the Pharisee and the tax-collector is one of my personal favorites. It is one of those special pericopes that gives me great hope. Sometimes I see myself as the Pharisee, other times as the tax collector. Which one would I rather be? If I was given a choice, if I could be one of the characters which would I choose? Say if I were the Pharisee; a good man, trying to do my best and seemingly succeeding well at it. I would be guilty of all the right things - fasting, praying, giving to the poor. Okay, maybe I am a bit arrogant, but so what?! I am arrogant about the proper things, right? Why would I want to be a tax-collector? After all these guys were not the cute little cartoon characters like Zaccheus in our school religion books- they were nasty, mean and most of all they were traitors. Who in their right minds would want to be one. But still, he was the one that went home at peace with God. And why? He realised that he didn't have it all together. He knew his need for forgiveness and mercy. He knew that he was not the master of the game.
When we forget that we need the Redeemer we become like the Pharisee. To forget that we are the ones that are in need of God and not the other way around, can only bring us emptiness and the opposite of fulfillment. I think one reason that we have found ourselves in the current economic and social turmoil is that we easily forget that we are bought and paid for. We arrogantly think that we are the only ones that matter and anything or anyone that reminds us of another reality is wrong. Peace of mind and heart is what we sacrifice if we get our real priorities wrong.
The tax collector went home at peace with God, the other did not, no matter how secure he felt in himself. The Gospel reminds us that we are the children and God is God.
Monday, October 18, 2010
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time year C
Sir 35: 12-14,16-18
2Tm 4: 6-8,16-18
Lk 18: 9-14
The tax-collector dared not look up, but said "God, be merciful a sinner". In his humility he went home at peace with God.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Further thought for this Sunday
Praying without getting weary; it was wonderful to see the safe rescue of the miners in Chile. I can only imagine what an ordeal they went through. There was alot of prayer asked and offered for the men, and thank God, there was a happy ending. Sometimes people closest to us are trapped in the mines of life; there are countless examples of this. Sometimes we are the ones trapped with no hope of escape. "Lord, save us for we are going down". God is our refuge and our strength, he guides us along. With Him we are not alone. Is that wishful thinking? Something to tell children and simple folk? It is not, it is the truth of our faith. His love and care surrounds us. Only in the next life will we understand fully.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Praying always without being weary.
I had the good fortune of seeing a dramatised version of CS Lewis 'The Screwtape Letters'. I think there will be weeks of homilies in that one. Its amazing how different the storyline of a book can be when it is acted out. Of course, there is always a risk that a film version, or a stage production of a great work will not do justice to the original; and there a countless examples of that. The original is always so much better, particularly with a book. You can savor certain passages, mull over them and re-read them, letting your imagination create all kinds of images that are as unique as the ideas of the author. But this was different, is was almost a word for word dramatisation and it brought to life ideas and images in a way a reading might just miss. Often you have to listen carefully to the source to get real meaning.
Jesus encourages us to pray. Just think about that for a moment. Jesus encourages his disciples to pray always without getting weary. The image of the widow and the unjust judge of the Gospel paints a very vivid picture, but go back a step - pray without getting weary.
I get weary praying. I try, I really do, but I just can't manage to get the art as much as I desire to. The Divine Office, fine, the Rosary in this month, very powerful, adoration of the Eucharist and Mass- all part of life, but, I don't seem to be able to do what the Lord asks - pray without ceasing, without becoming weary. But that is the invitation, the Lord wishes us to pray without getting weary.
I am always struck about the image of St Patrick on the mountain when it comes to prayer - actually there were a number of mountains - but there are two I am thinking of. The first was when he was slave. I presume he was very young, a boy, or a teenager. He was taken slave and landed on a mountainside minding the animals. In his Confessions, he tells us that here he learned to pray up to a hundred times a day and night. He was 'cut off from the land of the living', and all he could depend on was God. And he tells us himself that before this time he did not know God. He prayed- he talked to God- and he found him and became a saint. The second mountain was when he was a missionary in Ireland. This time he spent forty days on the mountain we call Crough Patrick. This time he went himself into exile to pray and fast and find God in his prayer and his penance. The first mountain helped him find God, the second helped him keep him in contact with Him whom he had found.
Prayer can be wearysome - no voices, no visions, not revelations, often no comfort. But we keep doing it, we keep doing it, because we love the one we come in contact with. In our transitory world, if it does not 'feel' good, it is often disregarded as broken. If we do not get sensory feeling of pleasure or whatever we are looking for we dismiss it. Prayer does not always guarantee us a feeling of elation, but as long as we pray we are putting ourselves in the line of God's grace. He forms us, often in silence. Screwtape describes the road to hell as soft and steady, a gentle slope with not lights or signposts - prayer can often be the gentle and hidden - but it works.
This week, we are encouraged to pray without becoming weary. And if we are weary, all he have to do is look at Him whose arms are not held outstretched by two assistants, but by two nails.
Jesus encourages us to pray. Just think about that for a moment. Jesus encourages his disciples to pray always without getting weary. The image of the widow and the unjust judge of the Gospel paints a very vivid picture, but go back a step - pray without getting weary.
I get weary praying. I try, I really do, but I just can't manage to get the art as much as I desire to. The Divine Office, fine, the Rosary in this month, very powerful, adoration of the Eucharist and Mass- all part of life, but, I don't seem to be able to do what the Lord asks - pray without ceasing, without becoming weary. But that is the invitation, the Lord wishes us to pray without getting weary.
I am always struck about the image of St Patrick on the mountain when it comes to prayer - actually there were a number of mountains - but there are two I am thinking of. The first was when he was slave. I presume he was very young, a boy, or a teenager. He was taken slave and landed on a mountainside minding the animals. In his Confessions, he tells us that here he learned to pray up to a hundred times a day and night. He was 'cut off from the land of the living', and all he could depend on was God. And he tells us himself that before this time he did not know God. He prayed- he talked to God- and he found him and became a saint. The second mountain was when he was a missionary in Ireland. This time he spent forty days on the mountain we call Crough Patrick. This time he went himself into exile to pray and fast and find God in his prayer and his penance. The first mountain helped him find God, the second helped him keep him in contact with Him whom he had found.
Prayer can be wearysome - no voices, no visions, not revelations, often no comfort. But we keep doing it, we keep doing it, because we love the one we come in contact with. In our transitory world, if it does not 'feel' good, it is often disregarded as broken. If we do not get sensory feeling of pleasure or whatever we are looking for we dismiss it. Prayer does not always guarantee us a feeling of elation, but as long as we pray we are putting ourselves in the line of God's grace. He forms us, often in silence. Screwtape describes the road to hell as soft and steady, a gentle slope with not lights or signposts - prayer can often be the gentle and hidden - but it works.
This week, we are encouraged to pray without becoming weary. And if we are weary, all he have to do is look at Him whose arms are not held outstretched by two assistants, but by two nails.
Friday, October 8, 2010
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C
This weeks post is later than planned, and I am sorry! I am away from base on a preaching course and some holidays, so structure has fallen down a bit. I am reminded of something Fulton J Sheen said about time. He was exhorting his priests to make a daily holy hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He reminded them that the most difficult time to fulfill such a devotion was when one was on holiday; "When we have all the time, we have no time. We will always excuse ourselves "I can do it later". Later of course never comes and our time is gone." So, I spent a week saying I'll do it later!
An interesting aspect of the course was the concept of preaching by ear. You know the way a musical instrument can be played by ear, the music seems to come from within rather than simply playing the notes; preaching can be done in the same way. A good homily will always appear to come from the heart, when it is disengaged from the preacher, it certainly will not engage with the the people who are listening. A sermon or a homily is a living entity. It is for a specific time and a specific place. It is a moment of grace where the the Word of God can become alive and active as it says in Hebrews in a very visible way. That is, of course, not to say the Word of God is not alive and active outside of the sermon. The Word of God is what it is, but when it is shared and experienced as an oral event it becomes tangible; for it was spoken before it was written. There is lots more that can be said about that, which I hope to in time.
Anyway, this Sundays readings, what can be said? As I am not preaching this Sunday the normal preparation process as has gone out the window, so I cannot admit to have deeply engaged with the text, so I do not feel as if I can expound on the mysteries as I should. The thought that struck me about this gospel, however, is one of gratitude which leads to faith. The sick are healed in the 1st reading and in the Gospel. Naaman acknowledges the God of Israel, the foreign leper seeks out the Lord to thank him. When I experience God in my life, either in trauma or in more gentle and hidden ways, I become aware of the complete mystery of our life in Him. God made me! God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, of everything seen and unseen made me! Not only that, God become man and died so I could share His divine life. That should make us grateful, that in turn should make us joyful and awaken our desire to come close to him.
The characters in the readings had an experience of God in their lives that made them grateful. We should never stop giving thanks to God for all he has done for us. If only we were not so blind to see!
An interesting aspect of the course was the concept of preaching by ear. You know the way a musical instrument can be played by ear, the music seems to come from within rather than simply playing the notes; preaching can be done in the same way. A good homily will always appear to come from the heart, when it is disengaged from the preacher, it certainly will not engage with the the people who are listening. A sermon or a homily is a living entity. It is for a specific time and a specific place. It is a moment of grace where the the Word of God can become alive and active as it says in Hebrews in a very visible way. That is, of course, not to say the Word of God is not alive and active outside of the sermon. The Word of God is what it is, but when it is shared and experienced as an oral event it becomes tangible; for it was spoken before it was written. There is lots more that can be said about that, which I hope to in time.
Anyway, this Sundays readings, what can be said? As I am not preaching this Sunday the normal preparation process as has gone out the window, so I cannot admit to have deeply engaged with the text, so I do not feel as if I can expound on the mysteries as I should. The thought that struck me about this gospel, however, is one of gratitude which leads to faith. The sick are healed in the 1st reading and in the Gospel. Naaman acknowledges the God of Israel, the foreign leper seeks out the Lord to thank him. When I experience God in my life, either in trauma or in more gentle and hidden ways, I become aware of the complete mystery of our life in Him. God made me! God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, of everything seen and unseen made me! Not only that, God become man and died so I could share His divine life. That should make us grateful, that in turn should make us joyful and awaken our desire to come close to him.
The characters in the readings had an experience of God in their lives that made them grateful. We should never stop giving thanks to God for all he has done for us. If only we were not so blind to see!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C
2 Kgs 5: 14-17
2 Tim 2: 8-13
Lk 17: 11-19
"Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel."
"Jesus Master, have pity on us!"
If you read the entire pericope of the first reading from the second Book of Kings, you will see Naaman fly into a fury because Elisha asked him to go and bathe in the waters seven times. His servant advised him that if the prophet had asked him to do something difficult he would not have hesitated to do it. So he goes, washes and is healed. Often we are not asked to huge and dramatic things in our faith; we are asked to have faith and trust. The Divine Mercy teaches trust. Can we say with faith "Jesus I trust in you"?
2 Tim 2: 8-13
Lk 17: 11-19
"Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel."
"Jesus Master, have pity on us!"
If you read the entire pericope of the first reading from the second Book of Kings, you will see Naaman fly into a fury because Elisha asked him to go and bathe in the waters seven times. His servant advised him that if the prophet had asked him to do something difficult he would not have hesitated to do it. So he goes, washes and is healed. Often we are not asked to huge and dramatic things in our faith; we are asked to have faith and trust. The Divine Mercy teaches trust. Can we say with faith "Jesus I trust in you"?
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