Recharging the batteries with prayer

Homily for 5^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B 2015

Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23; Mark 1:29-39

Introduction

Has someone ever asked you why you spend in prayer rather than using that time to do good works, like feeding the poor?

If you have been asked such a question then you are in good company.  The same thing happened to Jesus.  We heard that this is how he began his day. “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”

Scripture and Theology

What did a typical day in the life of Jesus look like?

·        Last Sunday we heard how Jesus went to the synagogue of Capernaum on the Sabbath to pray like any faithful Jewish person did.

·        We then heard how he made a great impression not only by his teaching which had a unique air of authority, but he also cured a man who had been possessed by a demon.

·        After the Sabbath service, and this is where today’s Gospel begins, Jesus and his disciples went to Simon’s house; they probably were looking for a free meal – as sons often do.  But Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever.  Jesus again came to rescue and healed her.  On getting better, she returned the favour by waiting on them and providing dinner.

·        Later that evening, after the Sabbath was over and people could once again begin to go about their business, we heard that “they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.  The whole town was gathered at the door.  He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons. . . .”

·        Finally, Jesus must have gone to bed really late and probably very tired.  That was a typical day in the life of Jesus.

But then, how does he begin the next day?  He had every reason to sleep in, given how busy the previous day had been.  But instead, “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”

But the disciples could not leave him alone.  Probably they thought he wasting precious time, during which he might have cured a few more people.  That is why when he finds Jesus at prayer, Simon Peter scolds him, saying: “Everyone is looking for you.”  They want you to continue healing people like you did yesterday.  But the response of Jesus is: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also.  For this purpose have I come.”  Instead of going back to Capernaum, to enjoy the status a superstar, a celebrity, Jesus chooses to go and pray and after prayer, to continue his ministry in another place.

For Jesus, prayer was essential.  That is elsewhere in the gospels we see him often withdrawing to deserted places, sometimes alone, sometimes with his disciples, so that he can pray, so that he can talk with God his Father.  Especially when he is preparing to do something really important, like at the beginning of his ministry, like before he choose the Twelve Apostles and like before he gave his life on the cross, Jesus always first went off to pray.

For Jesus prayer must come first and then the good works of his ministry will follow.  His work is strengthened and made fruitful only because of the profound relationship that Jesus has with God, a relationship strengthened by prayer.

Christian Life

If praying was necessary for Jesus, it is even more essential for us his followers.  There are many ways in which we pray:

·        We pray as a community when we come to Mass on Sundays like we are doing today.

·        We pray as a small group through various devotions like the rosary, the chaplet of divine mercy, charismatic prayer meetings and adoration.

·        We pray privately when we say the traditional prayers, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and when we spend time with God in Church or elsewhere.

But why do we do all these things?  Would this time not be better spent doing good works, doing practical things that help people in a concrete way?

·        You could spend this time tutoring a child struggling in school or baby-sitting so that the mother might go to work.

·        You could spend this time doing an extra job, to earn extra money that you could donate to the poor.

·        You could spend this time volunteering with some organization that helps needy people.

But like Jesus, you choose to use this time for prayer; so that after the priest dismisses you, saying: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life,” you are well armed, recharged and ready to do these things and to do them even better.

And yet, we who do pray must be careful that our prayer is real prayer.  Our prayer must be a genuine conversation with God, much like a conversations between friends.  There are three ways we could turn prayer into something else.

First, we should not pray simply out of obligation.  We don’t talk with a friend simply out of obligation.  We talk to each other because we love each other.  In the same we talk to God in prayer, because we love him and we know he loves us.  I remember that when I was a kid, sometimes prayer felt like checking off a get-out-of-hell card.  Jesus prayed, not because he had to, but because he loved the Father and wanted to keep in touch.

Secondly, we should not pray simply because we want to get something from God.  If the only time you speak to a friend is when you want a favour from them, that friendship will probably not last that long.  During the football season, some people often ask me, why I don’t say anything about the New Orleans Saints at Mass and why I don’t pray for them to win!  After mustering all the politeness I can spare, I usually remind them that perhaps my prayers might better be used for more urgent problems of the world today, like wars, hunger, Ebola.  We pray to God, not only to ask him for things, but also to thank him, praise and even moan to him like Job does in today’s first reading.  Prayer should not be demanding that God do our bidding; we propose and we wait for his answer.

Finally, prayer is not therapy or entertainment.  Sometimes prayer is joyful, especially when we are praise and thank God.  Sometimes prayer is sorrowful, especially when we bring to God our difficulties.  Sometimes prayer is neither joyful nor sorrowful, but is simply a serious conversation between us and God.

Conclusion

After Jesus, Mother Theresa of Calcutta is perhaps the best example of a woman who understood that prayer preceded good works, and that prayer was true conversation with God.  Mother Theresa was known throughout the world for her great works of charity.  What most people do not know about her is that before she and her sisters went out into the streets to help the needy, they always started their day in prayer.  And at the end of their day, they brought all their experiences to God in prayer.

May our days always begin and always end with prayer, so that we can be sure, that our good works are indeed the works of God.

A new teaching with authority: truth with conviction

Homily for 4^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B 2015

Deuteronomy 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Mark 1:21-28

Introduction

“A new teaching with authority;” that’s how the crowds describe the teaching of Jesus.

For us, though, teaching with authority, might remind us of experiences we had in school that we would rather forget.

·        Perhaps for you, the ladies, teaching with authority reminds you of Sr. Mary Michael, who made you un-hem your short skirt!

·        Perhaps for you, the guys, teaching with authority reminds you of Coach Smith, who made you do 50 push-ups when you were late for practice.

·        Perhaps for all of us, teaching with authority reminds us of our mothers.  Mom tried to convince you to do something, but despite her best arguments, you still kept asking: “Why?  Why should I do this?” Finally your mother had to deploy the only argument left in her bag: “Because I am the Mom and I say so.”

Scripture and Theology

For Jesus, however, the people actually like the fact that he was teaching with authority.  In fact because he taught with authority we heard that “His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.”  And so, why was his teaching with authority, so different from ours?

Before we answer that question, let us understand the context in which Jesus was teaching.  He was teaching at the synagogue.  Like any faithful Jew, Jesus went to the synagogue every Sabbath.  The synagogue service consisted of readings from the Bible and preaching.  And anybody from the community could be chosen to read and to preach.  And so on this occasion, perhaps because he was already getting famous as a teacher, Jesus was picked to do the reading and preaching.  And when he taught, the people were pleasantly surprised that he taught with authority.

Two unique qualities give the teaching of Jesus authority.

The first quality has to do with style.  When Jesus teaches, he is the source of his own teaching.  Last Sunday for example, we heard him say: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 

The scribes on the other hand taught by quoting past rabbis and authors known for their wisdom.  They would say things like: “As Rabbi Shammai taught . . . or as the Prophet Isaiah prophesied.” You could say that the scribes taught by name-dropping.  They taught the way students write essays.  If you are writing an essay about American history, for example, you might want to back up your arguments with quotes from George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King.

But Jesus does not rely on any other authority. He is his own authority.  Even when he drives out the demon in today’s passage he simply says: “Quiet! Come out of him!”  He does not drive the demon out by invoking the authority of another person, like today’s priests and ministers would do, saying something like: “in the name of Jesus I command you to leave this man.”

The second reason Jesus teaches with authority is because what he teaches has substance.  He teaches the truth, and there is a freshness about the truth that he is teaching.  We heard God promise Moses in the first reading: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.”  Jesus is that new prophet, who tells it as it is, who fulfils the promises God made in the Old Testament.  In fact in Matthew chapter 5 Jesus sees his teaching as fulfilling the Old Testament: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you . . . .”  Jesus is teaching some new things, some really solid stuff; and that is why he can be said to teach with authority.

Typical of Mark’s gospel, it is not the disciples, it is not the Jewish religious leaders, but it is the ordinary people who come off with any credit in this passage.  They see something different and special not just in the style of Jesus’ teaching, but especially in the substance of what he says.

Christian Life

All of us baptized Christians and especially we who are also confirmed, have been given a mandate to teach the gospel to others.  We must also teach with authority, as Jesus teaches.  Jesus has shown us that teaching with authority does not mean using one’s power to force things down people’s throats or making them do what we want.  Rather, teaching with authority means passing on the whole truth of the gospel with conviction, so that people are moved to listen and act on it.

How do we teach with authority?  Of course we cannot like Jesus go around saying, “You have that it was said, but I say this.”  People will think we are pompous.  Nor can we claim to be the source of what we teach.  That is called plagiarism.  But there is a way our teaching can have its own authority, even as we have to quote from Jesus and from what other teachers, must smarter and perhaps much holier than us have taught.  We must appropriate the gospel message and make it a part of us; only then will have authenticity and authority.  There is a saying in Africa that religion should not be like the shirt or cloth we put on and take off; it should be like our very skin, which is with us wherever we are.  When what we teach is second nature to us, stems from personal conviction, we teach with authority.

I once heard an old bishop being interviewed about what is wrong with the youth of today.  The interviewer asked: “Your eminence, why do you think that today’s young people are so rebellious and don’t come to Church.”  Of course he was expecting the bishop to say, like we adults often say, “we miss the good old days, when things were different.”

But the wise bishop said, “There is nothing really different with today’s young generation.  From Adam’s time, young people have always been rebellious.  As they grow bigger in body and sharper in mind in their teenage years, they need to establish their own identity and so tend to disobey their parents.  The difference today is not the children, it is us the adults.  Because we are uncertain about the truth and about how to teach it, we have failed to guide and teach our children, as past generations of adults have done to their misguided youth.”

There is wisdom in the bishop’s comments.  More than ever before, today we need adult Christians who will guide the young, by teaching truth in love.

In my own life, the teachers who I still remember and respect are not those who let me off easy all the time.  I remember those who taught me the truth by their word and by their example, and if truth be told, by their disciplinary actions.  Whether it was religion class or science class, they set high standards and held us to them.  Whether it was football or drama, they showed us that practice makes perfect.  Whether it was the debate club or the Legion of Mary club, they taught us to put our hearts in what we did.

Conclusion

May we ask God to give us the grace to teach with authority!  May our teaching have such conviction and truth that it will convict people and move them to action on its merit, without the need for further arguments.  And may we never have to turn to the argument of last resort: “Because I am the mom.”  For our authority as mom, as dad, as teacher, will be so obvious as not to need saying.

The Power of God’s Word: sharper than any two-edged sword

Homily for 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B 2015

Jonah 3:1-5,10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

Introduction

You have heard the saying, “actions speak louder than words.” You have also probably heard what St. Francis of Assisi told his followers when they asked him the best way to spread the gospel.  This is what he said: “Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.”

These two sayings seem to suggest that we should prefer action and witness to words and talking.  And many of us would probably agree, because human words often are empty and hollow.

Ø  With sweets words people will promise to give you the moon.

Ø  With inspiring words people will be all talk and no action.

Ø  Even words of prayer can be empty if they don’t come from the heart.

While human words might deceive us, today’s readings tell us that the Word of God is different, for it is trustworthy and powerful.

Scripture and Theology

In the first reading we heard the Lord sending the Prophet Jonah, to deliver a special message to the sinful people of Nineveh.  Nineveh was a very large city needing three days to walk through it.  And so Jonah began to preach the special message: “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.”

He had barely gone through a third of the city, when the people were convicted by his words.  And so we heard that they not only believed God, but they also proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth, including the animals if you read on the rest of the passage.

In the case Nineveh, God’s Word, delivered through the mouth of Jonah achieved its intended effect.  The people heard the Word of God, were convicted, and turned from a life of sin to a life of righteousness.  And most importantly, when God saw their response to his word, he forgave them.

In the gospel passage, it is Jesus who is speaking.  And his words are simple and urgent: “This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Just like Jonah had warned the Ninevites to change or else, Jesus also warns the Jews of his time, telling them that the awaited time has come.  They were waiting for a Saviour who would restore them to a right relationship with God.  He, Jesus, is that Saviour.  The people need to repent and believe, that is, they need to make a radical change in their lives as well as accepting the message Jesus is teaching.

Unlike the people of Nineveh who responded to Jonah’s words with immediate action, the Jews were a little hesitant and slow in responding to Jesus.  Only a few repented and believed in the gospel. 

In today’s gospel passage we heard examples of those who responded to the words of Jesus.  Simon and his brother Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, all left their fishing jobs to follow Jesus.  He tells them that he is converting them from being fishermen to becoming “fishers of men,” those that with the bait of God’s Word, will bring men and women back to God.

It is clear then, that although we sometimes misuse words, we should not throw the baby out with the bath water.  The only time actions speak louder than words, is when those words are divorced from truth.  Words, especially God’s Words are powerful; they help people to change their lives.  Words can speak just as loudly and often even more clearly than actions, if they are based in truth and especially if they lead to action.  There is no doubt that God’s Word is the truth and that is why it has such a great effect on human beings.

Christian Life

God continues to speak to us today and we must listen to what he has to say.  Without hearing his Word, how else would we know what he wants us to do?

Like God has done throughout history, even today he often speaks through intermediaries and messengers.

·        In the Old Testament those intermediaries were the Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Jonah.

·        In the New Testament those messengers were the Apostles like Peter, James, John and even St. Paul who did much writing.

·        Today’s messengers and intermediaries who carry God’s Word to us are the Pope and the Bishops, being the successors of the Apostles and Prophets.

Do we listen what they have to say?  Even more important, after we listen, do we act on what we hear, like the Ninevites did when Jonah delivered God’s Word to them, like the four fishermen did when Jesus spoke to them?

It is one thing when the secular media attacks and rejects the teaching of the Pope and bishops.  It is another thing when we Catholics, sons and daughters of the Church do the same thing.  We could do better than our society, which has a chronic distrust of any teaching authority.  We could do better than our society’s children, who routinely ignore what their parents and teachers say and even worse don’t do what they are taught to do.

The teaching of the Pope and the bishops is God Word, revealed in the Bible and chewed over during 2000 years of the Church’s history.  But we seem to be selective in what teaching to listen to and act upon.

·        On the one hand, if the Pope and bishops teach from Genesis chapter 1 about caring for God’s creation or if they teach the parable of the Last Judgement, which calls for the care of the hungry, thirsty, sick, prisoners and the immigrant, we call them communists.

·        On the other hand, if the Pope and bishops teach from Genesis chapter 2 about a man leaving his father and mother and clinging to his wife, and the two of them becoming one body, or if they teach from Ten Commandments about preserving life we call them backward or worse.

But God’s word cut across all these ideologies.  For example, we have observed, during this past week two days that shine the light upon two different, but equally important aspects from the teaching of Jesus.

·        On Monday, as we remembered the life of Martin Luther King, we were reminded of the biblical themes of freedom, peace and justice.

·        On Thursday, the anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision, we were reminded of the biblical injunction to preserve life, especially the life of the unborn.

For us Catholics, what these two occasions signify is not mutually exclusive.  We cannot choose between God’s Word that asks us to fight for civil rights of the living or God’s Word that asks us to fight for the rights of the unborn.

As the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, “the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.”  God’s Word cuts both sides, cutting to the left and to the right.  God’s Word cannot be reduced to petty ideology, for it is much more profound, penetrating “even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12).

Conclusion

May today’s readings remind us again about the importance of God’s Word.  May God’s Word be the force that convicts and moves us to action.  May our action always find grounding in God’s Word.

After all that is what God wanted when speaking through Isaiah he said this about his word: “It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).  Actions might speak louder than human words.  But God’s Word speaks just as loudly and louder.

The truth shall set you free

Homily for Peace and Justice (MLK) 2015

R1 = Lect. 887 #2 (Is. 32:15-18), Resp = 889 #2 (Ps. 85), Gosp = 890 #3 (Jn. 14:23-29)

Introduction

“The truth will set you free,” says Jesus.  These words of Jesus are echoed in the life and work of Martin Luther King whose life and legacy we celebrate today.  He worked to free others from racial hatred and injustice.

Scripture and Theology

Peace and justice pervade the Scriptures, portions of which we have heard today.  Prophesying about the Messianic age, Isaiah says that at that time justice and peace will prevail.  And the source of this justice, like all other good things, will be the indwelling of the Spirit upon the people.  The Psalmist also harbours the same positive hope for the Messianic era, an era that will be marked by justice and peace, but by kindness and truth as well.

These prophecies are confirmed by the Messiah himself who declares: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”  But Jesus qualifies his gift.  His peace is not like that which the world gives.  His peace is the fruit of a higher power, the work of the Spirit, who “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  The peace of Jesus is not simply a man-made peace, but a peace in which God is front and centre, albeit using men to bring about this peace.

We live in that messianic age, hoped for by Isaiah and the Psalmist, and inaugurated by Jesus.  Have their hopes for a just and peaceful world come to fruition in our world today?

Christian Life

The evidence of the last few months here and abroad suggests that we have still have work to do.  This is partly because we have forgotten the recipe for justice and peace provided by the Master who says: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Justice is giving each person his due, the guilty punishment, the innocent freedom.  But such justice can only be the fruit of truth.  Even in secular courts, justice is done and seen to be done only when the evidence upon which a verdict is made, is “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”

Peace is living in harmony with one another.  This is the result of justice, but also truth.  At the micro level of families and small communities and the macro level of nations, peace exists only if relationships are guided by truth, that is by data and evidence consistent with reality.  Unsubstantiated judgements, unfounded conjecture and idle speculation, which are the essence of prejudice and the enemy of truth, cannot produce peaceful co-existence.

Such untruths, half-truths and unfair truths are often the result of uncritical loyalty to ideology and party.  But if we base our relationships and judgements on truth, facts and evidence, then we shall fight hatred and injustice wherever we find it, regardless of our loyalties, letting the chips fall where they may.

·        With truth behind us, we shall with Pope Francis condemn both the terrorist murders of the French journalists and the blasphemous work of these same journalists, and we shall not attribute the work of some Muslims to the whole Islamic religion and its adherents.

·        With truth as our master, we shall with Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis condemn brutality and racism on all sides, that of some law enforcement officers and that of looting rioters.

·        With truth on our side, we shall with Martin Luther King’s fights for the civil rights of the oppressed while at the same time warn them against hatred and violence.

St. Francis of Assisi, to whom the prayer for peace is often wrongly attributed, nevertheless sought peace based on truth.  Francis attempted to make several missionary trips, one of them to the Sultan of Egypt.  Perhaps naively he thought that he might convert him to Christianity or die as martyr in the process.  Neither of these things happened; but after his visit Francis was converted in his attitude towards Muslims, an attitude based on the evidence before his eyes.

Conclusion

Martin Luther King ended his famous “I have a Dream” speech harbouring the hopes of freedom for all, using the words of an old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

·        Like him, we must, as disciples of Jesus, continue to harbour and work for the same hope.

·        Like him, we must do so by observing the injunction of our Saviour who asks us to remain in his word, and thus to know the truth, so that the truth will set all of us free.

Freed from oppression and prejudice, our society will experience God’s peace and justice, both in this present messianic age and in the world to come.

Helping others come and see their vocation

Homily for 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B 2015

1 Samuel 3:3-10,19 •John 1:35-42

Introduction

I would like to compare the theme of today’s readings, Christian vocation, to the process of becoming an NFL player.

·        First, just as the player has to sign the contract, the Christian has to respond “Yes” when God calls.

·        Then just as the player has to undergo training, the Christian too needs to prepare himself or herself for their vocation.

·        Finally after training, both then begin to actually do the work, the player playing football, the Christian living out their vocation.

Scripture and Theology

Today’s readings teach us something about these three steps: responding to, training for and living out the Christian vocation.

In today’s first reading, two times Samuel hears the call from God, but does not know it is God; he thinks it is his teacher Eli calling.  After conferring with Eli he understands that it is God calling and the third time God calls him, Samuel responds: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Just like Eli helps Samuel to discover his call, in the gospel John the Baptist nudges Andrew and his fellow disciple towards Jesus, by saying “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  And their response is to go and ask Jesus “where are you staying?”  This is their way of saying, “Yes, we want to become your disciples.”  And later Andrew tells his brother Simon: “We have found the Messiah.”  They both go to Jesus to become his disciples; and as they say, the rest is history.

The positive response of all three, Samuel, Andrew and Simon is then followed by the second stage, a period of training.  When Andrew asks: “Teacher, “where are you staying?” Jesus responds “Come and See.”  If Andrew wants to take up the invitation to become a disciple, he must come and share the life of Jesus. 

And indeed for three years, Andrew and his fellow disciples walked the hills and valleys of Galilee and Judea with Jesus.  They ate what he ate, slept where he slept and prayed when he prayed.  They heard him teach God’s Word, saw him heal people, and observed him dine with sinners and tax-collectors. For the Twelve Apostles, coming and seeing was their training for the double vocations of disciple and apostle that they will receive from the Lord.

The training of Samuel is a little different.  While the apostles are trained as a group by Jesus, Samuel is trained one-on-one with his mentor Eli.  It is like the old days when people learnt trades by being an apprentice.  To become a carpenter, you lived and worked with one; to become a painter, you lived and worked with out.  In the case of Samuel, his vocation is to be a prophet.  And so Samuel hangs around the Temple with Eli the priest; he lives with Eli and learns from him how to be a prophet, how to be a mouthpiece for God.

For all the three people called in today’s gospel, after their training, they are now ready to live out their vocations.

·        Samuel will grow into a prophet of God, being the one who picks the shepherd boy David to become King of Israel.

·        Andrew and Simon both become disciples and apostles for the Lord.  In fact Simon, who is now called Peter, will become the leader of apostles.

Christian Life

The Lord continues to call people today.  There is the basic all to be disciples, to be Christians.  And within this wider call, each of us is called to a specific vocation, such as the priesthood, the religious life, marriage and for some the single life.  The same three stages apply to us too, when we respond to, training for and live out our Christian vocations.

But for today’s homily, I want to focus we do in helping others take up their vocations.  Many young men who go to the seminary to study for the priesthood often say that it is because a teacher, a family member, a priest or even a fellow parishioner told them: “You look like one who would make a darn good priest.”  And so we should ask ourselves: Do we like Eli, John the Baptist and Andrew help others discover their call from God, by nudging them in the right direction?

But equally important is the help we give others so that they can prepare for their vocation, just like Eli trained Samuel and Jesus the apostles.  Let me share a story of how one Ugandan man prepared himself to become a Christian.

In the 19^th century both Christianity and Islam were brought to Uganda, one by European colonizers, the other by Arab traders.  But although their religions seemed attractive, the people who brought them were not very nice people.  The European colonists subjected the natives, the Arab traders traded in slaves.

And so this one native man decided to work as a housekeeper for a European Christian family.  But after three years of loyal and diligent service, he suddenly put in his two weeks notice.  "Why are you leaving me," his surprised Christian employer asked him?  "You have been a good worker, I have paid you a decent salary and we have had a good relationship."

The Ugandan worker replied, "You are right that I have no reason to complain or leave you.  But I must move on.  You see, when you Christians and the Muslims came to our country, I didn't know which religion to choose.  So I decided to come and work for you for three years, to see and learn about your faith.  Next month I am going to start working for a Muslim family to see how they live and to learn about their faith. After three years, I will decide which religion to follow."

This man came to see, so that he could become a Christian.  Many other people come to us and our families to see and discover if they should follow our example.  That is why at a conference about vocations one anxious father asked the speaker: “What is the best way for me to inspire vocation in my children?”  The priest who was giving the talk told him: “start by loving and caring for your wife.”  When the children see the love between mom and dad, they will learn too how to be good husbands and wives, how to be good priests and religious.

I have had the privilege of getting a fairly good education in various seminaries and schools of theology.  But I must say that the things that really matter for my Christian and priestly vocation, I learnt from my mother at home and perhaps by early teachers in school.

·        It is in the “come and see” school of mom and dad I learnt my first prayers, my first Bible stories, and most important of all, I learnt fell in love with Jesus.

·        It is in the “come and see” school of mom and dad that I learnt the simple courtesies of “thank you” and “please” and learnt generally how to be a decent human being and so a worthy instrument of God.

Like his potential disciples to “Come and see” where he lived, we also tell our children and every potential candidate for the faith, to “come and see” where and how we live out our faith.

Conclusion

May all those who come to us leave having seen Jesus in us.  May they leave strengthened and trained well enough to live their vocation fully.  May our families and our personal example be the first seminary, the first novitiate, the first pre-Cana for the next generation of priests, religious and holy husbands and wives, and indeed all Christians.

Jesus takes the plunge into the water to save us

Homily for Baptism of the Lord Year B 2015

Isaiah 55:1-11; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11

Introduction

Finally today we come to the end of the Christmas Season.  Guys you have no more excuse for not taking the Christmas stuff to the attic.

More seriously, today’s Feast of the Baptism of Jesus brings to a close the season in which we focus on the idea that God became man.

·        On Christmas Day we marvelled at the birth of the baby Jesus.

·        On the feast of the Holy Family we then celebrated the family that raised this baby into the man that we know as Jesus the Son of God.

·        On New Year’s Day we celebrated the feast of the Blessed Mother, the woman whose body was the channel for bringing God’s Son into the world.

·        Last Sunday on Epiphany, we returned to the baby Jesus, who was being revealed not to the Jewish shepherds as at Christmas, but to the non-Jewish wise men from the East.

·        Finally today, we close this chapter of the Christian story, with the baptism not of the baby Jesus, but the adult Jesus about to start his ministry.

And so, why did Jesus, who is God, who did not have any sin and therefore had no need for baptism, present himself to be baptized by John?  I would like to answer this question using the example of locks on a river.

During high school geography class in Uganda, we learnt about the locks on the Great Lakes that run between Canada and the USA.  A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Michigan and see the locks in the canal between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Locks are built in places which have falls and rapids.  In such places, it is impossible for the boats to climb upriver or to come downriver as the incline is too sharp; sometimes also there are several sharps rocks and boulders in the area.  And that is where locks come to the rescue, enabling safe navigation. The locks, which are like gates, are built at the bottom and at the top of the falls.

When a boat is going downstream, they first raise the gates at the bottom, allowing the lock to fill with water.

·        Then they open gates on the upper side of the lock to let the boat in, after which they close them.

·        Valves are then opened on the downstream side of the lock to let the water out.  As the water drains, the boat floats downwards.

·        When the water in the lock matches the level of the downstream water, the lower gates are opened and the boat moves out and continues on its downriver journey.

When a boat is going upstream, the reverse procedure is followed.

·        The boat is allowed into the lock by opening the lower gates.  After the boat is inside the lock, they close the lower gates.

·        They then open the upper gates slowly and lock begins to fill with water, raising the boat in the process.

·        When the water is level with the upstream flow, the upper gates are opened and the boat is let out to continue on its upriver journey.

In this way, the locks help the boats to avoid the steep falls and sharp rocks.

Scripture and Theology

The boat coming from upriver into the locks represents Jesus lowering himself and bringing himself to our level, in total solidarity with us.  Jesus became human and identified with our weak humanness.  He faced the same temptations like all humans do; but he never gave in to those temptations and thus never sinned.

The purpose of John’s baptism was to show externally that one had converted and repented.  Jesus did not have to convert or to repent; he was always on God’s side.  But just like he spent lots of time eating and drinking with sinners and outcasts, so as to convert them, Jesus also undergoes this baptism, this sign of conversion, to be in solidarity with sinners.

And after Jesus has identified himself with sinners in this way, the Spirit comes down on him like a dove, and the Voice of the Father says: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  This is God’s way of commissioning Jesus, God’s way of endorsing the work that Jesus is about to start: teaching, healing all the way to the climactic moment of his passion, death and resurrection.

By his baptism, it is like Jesus enters the lock from the upper side, takes a plunge into the water, if you like, and is lowered to the downstream level, where sinful and weak men and women are to be found.

Christian Life

There is a reason Jesus goes through all that trouble to come down to us.  He comes down to bring us back to the Father.  If the lock brings Jesus down to us, the same lock takes us up to the Father.  And so, while the baptism of Jesus brings him down to our level, our baptism raises us to the upper level, so that we now are like God, we now can share in God’s life.  And this is possible because Jesus first came down to our level, by becoming man and by taking on our sinfulness as he showed so clearly by his baptism.

As we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, which he underwent only for our sake, it is important for us to reflect on our own baptism and what it means.  Many of us were baptised when we were babies and so we may have no recollection of the celebration.  But we know that our baptism was not simply some magical ritual that was done once and for all.  We also know that it was not simply another excuse for the family to have a party.  Rather our baptism by removing original sin from us and by making us adopted children of the Father, it set us on a lifelong journey of growing in faith, hope and love.  Our baptism opened the gates for us and let us into the lock, so that now we are slowly rising up to the top, so that we can be holy and perfect like God our Father.

We must therefore take seriously the baptismal commitments that were made on our behalf and that we accepted once we were adults.  Put simply we rejected Satan and all his works and all his empty promises of sin.  The works of Satan and his empty promises continue to be among us, such as the terrorist murders carried out in France this past week, allegedly in the name of Islam.  But Satan can also stain our baptism if we respond to those acts with hearts of hatred and prejudice against all Muslim people.

At our baptism we resolved instead to believe in God the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and professing our faith not only in Word but also in action, observing God’s commandments by loving God and our neighbour and.

In some countries, including my home country of Uganda, there is the beautiful practice of celebrating not only birthdays, but also the day of our baptism and the feast day of our baptismal saint.  Our baptismal anniversary reminds us of that baptismal commitment to keep rising to the top; our saint’s feast day gives us an example of someone who has lived their baptism fully and risen to the top.

Conclusion

Finally, the water used at our baptism was only perhaps a few drops or a little more if the priest used immersion.  But that water can be multiplied many times over in the way we live our lives, so that indeed it lifts us up from the whatever darkness is drowning us to bring us to the top, where God awaits us with open arms and invites us to live with him forever and ever.

They searched and found the source of salvation

Homily for Epiphany Year B 2015

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction

Searching for answers is a natural human tendency.  Young children, especially have this knack for asking interesting and sometimes bizarre questions.  One child recently asked me: “Why do you speak funny?”  I told her that I come from Mississippi.

Even as a teacher, my best students are those who ask questions, because they want to learn more.  If I know the answer, I am always happy to give it.  But even when I don’t know the answer, I will humbly admit as much and steer them in the direction of a better answer.

Certainly as adults, we too have questions, especially the deeper questions about life, death, suffering, justice, peace.  Don’t we occasionally ask ourselves: “What is the purpose of my life?

Scripture and Theology

And so, just like little children, just like students and just like us adults, the three wise men or Magi in today’s gospel were searching for meaning and truth.  We heard that they arrived in Jerusalem and asked: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

This question might seem ordinary for you and me who are Chrsitians, but it was a rather strange question coming from these three men.

·        First, these men were foreigners, non-Jews.  So what business do they have asking about the birth of the king of the Jews?

·        Secondly, for nearly forty years the Jewish Kingdom had been destroyed and taken over a usurper, Herod.  And so by asking about a new king these men were opening themselves to charges of treason.  And that is why Herod was very interested in their story; and why when they don’t return to him, he will kill all the newborn baby-boys.

·        But the most remarkable thing about their question about the new king was that they had been seeking him for a long time.  We heard that they had been following the star that would lead them to where the new-born King was to be found.  The star had led them to Judea and on inquiring from the Jews, they were told that the prophecies had specified Bethlehem as the place where the Christ was to be born.

These men had put their trust in the star, as their guide to find meaning and the star did not let them down.  After leaving Herod’s house they saw the star again and followed it to Bethlehem, where they found the child with Mary his mother.  We heard that they prostrated themselves and did him homage, as one usually does for a king.  And they also gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, again as one usually gives a king.

And so these three seekers, after a long, treacherous and possibly expensive journey, found what they were looking for: Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews and the Saviour of the world.

Christian Life

We today are also looking for meaning like the Magi.  As someone once said, there is no such thing as a stupid question.  It is better to look stupid for five minutes by asking what looks like a stupid question and get an answer to it, rather than remain silent and actually remain stupid for a lifetime.

But are we searching for meaning in the right places?  Are we following the right star?  I am reminded of a story about Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.

Boudreaux was walking home from the bar and he saw Thibodeaux on his knees right under the street light, searching for something.  “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“I am looking for my house keys,” said Thibodeaux.

His buddy got down on all fours under the light and joined in the search.

After looking for almost half an hour, Boudreaux asked his friend if he was sure that he had lost the keys in this very area.

"Oh, no!” said Thibodeaux.  “I lost them way over there by the Bayou."

Shocked and surprised at that answer, Boudreaux asked him why then he was looking for the keys in this spot.

"Oh", Thibodeaux said, "because the light is better here under the street lamp".

Sometimes we also seek answers to our deepest questions in the wrong places, just because those places are more attractive.  Today there is no shortage of misleading stars that lead us astray: the deceptive assurance of horoscopes, the misleading black and white nature of political ideologies, the fickle pleasure of pop culture – as striking as these stars are, they do not lead us to life and they do not give us true answers to the deepest questions about life and about God.

God in his infinite wisdom has given us many starts to follow.  There is one star that is implanted deep within us – our conscience.  Conscience is the secret chamber of the soul, to which only you and God have access.  That secret chamber of our conscience is the star that can lead us to true meaning and joy.  In that secret chamber of our conscience, God tells us what we need to leave behind in order to become truly free and what we need to embrace to become truly happy.  Conscience is that star that points towards good and away from sin.

But to be an effective star, our conscience must be formed.  Conscience does not mean doing whatever I want; rather it means doing what I have prayerfully and thoughtfully discerned to be God’s will.

·        We form our conscience when we pray regularly and listen to God.

·        We form our conscience when we read and reflect on the Scriptures and on God’s teaching  given us to us through his Church.

·        We form our conscience when we celebrate the sacraments regularly and fruitfully.

And so, when we do all these things, the conscience becomes that star which rightly guides our every thought, word and action.

What has God been telling you through your conscience? What has he been asking of each of us through our conscience?

·        Maybe he has been nudging your conscience, telling you to break off an unhealthy relationship or to take the first step to heal a broken one.

·        Maybe he has been inviting you to get rid of prejudices against people who are different from you, different religion or race.

·        Maybe he has been inviting you to do something positive for family, friends, the Church or society in general.

Whatever your well-formed conscience is telling you to do, like the star that led the Magi to the baby Jesus, let God’s star in your conscience lead you to him.

Conclusion

There is a passage I like in the book of Deuteronomy (30: 11-14).  In that section Moses is giving his final words before he dies.  In this passage Moses reminds the people about God’s commandments, which he has taught them.  He says:

For this command which I am giving you today is not too wondrous or remote for you.

It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who will go up to the heavens to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?”

Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?”

No, it is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

May the star of our well-formed conscience that resides in our hearts, guide us to finding true joy and meaning this year and throughout our lives.