Who do you like more, Pope Francis or Christ?

Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2014

IS 8:23-9:3, PS 27:1, 4, 13-14, 1 COR 1:10-13, 17, MT 4:12-23

Introduction

Soon after Pope Francis was elected, one of the most common questions people asked of Catholics “How do you like the new pope?”  Although I should have known better, I too jumped on the bandwagon, and whenever I had exhausted material for conversation, I would ask friends: “How do you like the new pope?”

I was talking to a friend in Uganda on the phone and asked her the same question: “So how do you like the new pope?”  My friend Agnes immediately responded: “Father, how can you ask such a question?  Do I have a choice?  He is the Pope, the man whom God has given me, to be my spiritual father at this moment.  Of course I have to like him, not necessarily for who is in himself or what he does, but simply because he is the Pope.”

With that answer, Agnes set me straight and I stopped asking that question.

Scripture and Theology

But I need not have waited for Agnes to remind me, how foolish my question about liking the pope was.  St. Paul, in today’s reading from the Letter to the Corinthians, had already said something about that.  He had heard that some Corinthians were going about saying: “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” similar to our saying: “I like Pope John Paul II,” “I like Pope Benedict,” “I like Pope Francis.”

But Paul responds by saying that this is nonsense.  The only person we should like in this way is Christ; the only person about whom we can claim to belong is Christ.  To make his point, Paul asks these questions:

·        “Is Christ divided?” – Of course not!  Christ is one!

·        “Was Paul crucified for you?” – Of course not!  It was not Paul that was crucified, but Christ, and him alone should be worshipped.

·        “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” – Of course not!  You were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

With these questions Paul asks the Corinthians to put their focus on Jesus and not on his messengers such as Peter, Apollos or even Paul himself.  The apostles are simply vessels, channels, vehicles through which Jesus is preached and his Body and Blood shared among God’s people.

·        The apostles are like the bottle of wine, not the wine itself; rather than focus on the elegant bottle we should focus on the quality of the wine.

·        We could also think of the apostles as the wrapping of a Christmas or birthday gift.  As important as the wrapping is, at the end of the day, you and I want the gift inside.  As far I know, gift-wrap, even expensive gift-wrap has never changed a pair of socks into a pair of expensive earrings!

And so, Paul really wants the people of Corinth, not to focus on the wine bottle or the gift-wrap, but on the wine and the gift itself, which is Jesus Christ.

Christian Life

This message is as important for us today, as it was for the Corinthians.  We too have the tendency to latch upon the messenger rather than the message.

·        “I really like Pope Francis – he is a man of the people,” we might say.

·        Of if you are of a different leaning, you have probably said, “I really miss Pope Benedict – he was such a learned man.”

Even among priests and bishops, we have our favourites.

·        “I like Father so-and-so, because he comes down the aisle and greets the people at the sign of peace.”

·        “I like Bishop so-and-so, because he stopped and spoke with me.”

But St. Paul is reminding us that our fondness for this or other minister should have little or nothing to do with their personalities or their idiosyncrasies, but rather with how well they preach the saving message of Christ.  For all ministers are called upon to use whatever gifts God has given them, to do this work. And because they have different gifts and personalities, they will probably do things a little differently, but always the same goal – bringing people to God.

·        St. Paul, a Pharisee was probably a man who could read and write, and was a good speaker.

·        Peter, on the other hand, was a fisherman and perhaps did not have the same writing or speaking skills as Paul, perhaps had wisdom and patience.

But both of them used their skills, to proclaim the same gospel of Jesus Christ.  And that is why the Corinthians should not choose Paul or Peter, but rather the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today’s church leaders try to do the same thing.

·        Pope Francis might not have the theological precision of Pope Benedict; but he more than makes up for this gap, by his earthiness, simplicity and wisdom acquired from many years of being a pastor.

·        Pope Francis might not have the charisma and philosophical mind of Pope John Paul II; but he more than makes up for this deficit, by his humility and willingness to try to new things.

All three popes, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis, have put their gifts at Jesus’ disposal, so that he can use them to proclaim God’s saving message.

Even here at home, the only thing we should expect of all our bishops and priests is that they preach the gospel message, albeit in their different ways.

·        You have priests who can sing the whole Mass in an angelic voice, something I cannot do, even to save my own life.

·        I also know a priest, who is very shy and you have to poke him to get two words out of him.  But I know him to be a great confessor and counsellor, one to whom people often turn when they have problems.

But I hope that all three of us, my musical priest-friend, my shy priest-friend and myself, in our different ways, continue to preach Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Perhaps one reason we might be tempted to say, “I like this pope or this bishop or this priest,” is because we think of them as political leaders.  For when it comes to political leaders, we have to choose between the Republican manifesto and the Democratic manifesto, and sometimes a third-party manifesto.  The leader we eventually elect, will usually represent and effect the vision of his party.

That is not the case with the Church.  The church has only one manifesto, the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yes, there might be slight differences of emphasis or delivery, but the core message is one.  When Pope John Paul II took the reins, he could not make changes willy-nilly, like a politician could; nor could Pope Benedict, nor can Pope Francis make changes to the essential message of the gospel.  His job is to continue steering the ship of Peter to its final destination of heaven, in the best possible way.  He might make a few personnel changes; he might streamline some procedures; he might even improve the ways things are done.  But manifesto he puts into action is the same one Jesus gave to Peter; the syllabus was written by the Teacher himself and has to be taught as it is.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, much of the reporting about the Pope and the Church, treats them like politics.  And so, those who like Pope Francis will twist his words to fit their agenda; and those who don’t, will do the same thing, and may deceive us to fall into one camp or the other.

If we want to know what the Pope is teaching, let us go to the horse’s mouth.  We live in an internet age, where you can go to the Vatican website (I believe there is a link to it on your parish website), and read for yourself the authentic teaching of the Pope: not the New York Times, not Fox News and certainly not on various blogs you find on the internet.  And when you do, you will find the gospel of Christ and hopefully, you will get to like Christ and belong to him, not to Paul, not to Peter, not to Apollos, and certainly not to Father Deo!

Promoting Life - all Life

Homily for 2^nd Wednesday of Ordinary Time Year 2 2014

Mass of thanking God for the Gift of Human Life

Mark 3:1-6

Introduction

My grandfather had a sure fire way of telling which kids had only book knowledge and which also had common sense.  "There are ten birds on a tree,” he would say.  Then he would ask: “After I shoot and kill one, how many birds remain?"

The smart kids quickly did the math and came up with the answer, “nine birds remain on the tree.”  But the wise students, after giving the question a little thought, answered “zero.”  Surely no bird is going to remain a sitting duck, when the life of one their own has just been taken.

Preserving one’s life is perhaps the one thing all animals treasure.  On this day of prayer for legal protection of the unborn child, we have an opportunity to reflect on the dignity of human life and our attitude towards it.

Scripture and Theology

The dignity of human life is such an integral aspect of Christianity, that today, I did not have to choose special readings for this special Mass of thanking God for the gift of human life.  In today’s gospel Jesus shows us how valuable life is, so valuable that saving it trumps observing the Sabbath law.

We have heard just heard Jesus ask: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”  That Jesus even need ask this question should tell us that saving life was not the priority for some people.  Jesus poses this question to the Pharisees, who apparently thought that observing the Sabbath rest was far more important than saving life.  And we heard that when Jesus goes ahead and cures this man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, thereby breaking the Sabbath Law, we heard that the “Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.”  And so, not only do the Pharisees not care about the sick man, the sin of indifference; they are also guilty of plotting murder, since they want to kill Jesus who does something about the illness.  It would not be a stretch to say that the Pharisees prefer a culture of death, rather than one of life.

Christian Life

Unfortunately, this culture of death continues in our world today.  I would like us to reflect on three questions that deal with human life today.  What are many examples of a culture of death rather than a culture of life today?  What are the factors that lead to a culture of death, rather than of life today?  Why should we Christians promote a culture of life?

The culture of death, is not just about abortion, as Pope Francis reminds us, but pervades many areas of our life today

·        A culture of death in the medical field, which carries out abortions, euthanasia, and a contraceptive mentality.

·        A culture of death in the judicial system, which carries out capital punishment and rejoices at the death of the sinner.

·        A culture of death in the economic system, which either refuses to care for the needs of the poor or forces them into a mentality of entitlement and a vicious circle of poverty.

·        A culture of death in the social system, with murder and child-neglect being the order of the day.

·        A culture of death in the political system, with assassinations, terrorism and wars, being the easy solutions to problems.

But why do we have this culture of death?  Why does a Christian country like this one, continue to promote death rather than life?  The reason the Pharisees did not care about the life of the man with the withered hand was because of their scrupulosity and legalism.  For us today, three things seem to motivate our culture of death: a sense of entitlement, feelings of hate and sheer indifference.

Today people will kill each other because they feel entitled to do so.

·        Many would-be parents turn to abortion, because they want to take away what they see as an obstacle to a brighter life, career and reputation.  The life of a child in this case stands in their way.  And nothing should stand in their way; absolutely nothing should stand in their maintaining a certain way of life or having their reputation damaged by a pregnancy out of wedlock.  This sense of entitlement argues that one should do with their body as they like, including the killing of a baby growing inside the womb.

·        The drug-dealer also kills his rivals, because he wants to corner the drug market; so does the war-load and the politician who arranges assassinations of rivals.  Nothing should stand in the way of advancement.

·        In fact, the media often frames the wars in Africa and other places as being primarily about religion, Muslims against Christians and vice-versa.  If only they did a little more digging, if only they set aside their stereotypes, they would find that at the root of most wars is economic conflict and gain.

Of course besides economic gain, yes, some people will kill each other because they don’t like each other’s ethnicity, nationality or religion; but this only a secondary factor.  It is also such hate that is the root of the great support of capital punishment in this country, which remains one of very few industrialized countries, to still carry out legally sanctioned executions.  Many other countries, realizing that this punishment no longer serves the need it might have served in the past, have removed it.  I suspect that we still keep it, because we still thirst for the Old Testament law of an eye for an eye, rather than Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek.

Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this hate-driven culture of death was what happened after the death of Osama bin Laden.  There is no denying that everybody was probably relieved at the news that this master-mind of so much terror in the world would no longer be able to continue his murderous work.  We in Uganda have such a man, called Joseph Kony, who has caused so much misery to the people of Uganda. I am sure that when he is finally captured or killed, many people in Uganda and the neighbouring countries will sleep easy.  But as Christians, as a people who promote life, we cannot rejoice, at the death of the sinner, as happened on many streets in the United States when Osama bin Laden died.  We cannot express our relief by breaking out the champagne and letting of fireworks.  For when we do that, we undermine the whole project of fighting for life in all its forms.

Apart from entitlement and hate, the third cause of today’s culture of death is perhaps a little subtle; it is indifference.  It is political indifference of Christians that allows laws that promote abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment to be passed.  It is the political indifference of Christians that allows the elderly and children to be abused, the poor to starve to death or live lives of misery.  It is the indifference of Christians that allows our children to grow up thinking that they can get anything they want, even in ways that do not promote life.

Conclusion

The Christian way cannot be the way of entitlement, hate or indifference.  The Christian way promotes life in all its forms, not just the life of the innocent, because all life is a gift from God.  God does not rejoice at the death of the sinner.  Rather he wants the sinner to convert and return to him.  That is why as Christians, we must promote all life, from the womb to the tomb and in between.  We cannot be cafeteria pro-lifers, only choosing to promote some life.  For we promote life, not because of its inherent value, but because of God.  All, even that of the sinner is from God and all life leads to God.  Preserving life is a way of giving glory to God the Creator; for this gift of life we have here on earth is the beginning of an eternal life with God, for which he created us.

“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Jesus asks the Pharisees.  Perhaps Jesus might rephrase this question for us today in this way:  Is it lawful to think of the other first, rather than to think of one’s own needs, to love rather than hate, forgive rather than seek revenge, to save life rather than to destroy it?

Offering up our daily hardships with the Lamb

Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2014

Isa 49: 3, 5-6 • 1 Cor 1:1-3 • John 1:29-34

Introduction

At a conference, before the keynote speaker comes on stage, someone usually introduces them.  An introduction is considered good, if it prepares the audience  well, for example by telling them the qualifications of the speaker; in this way the listeners are excited and look forward to the keynote speech.

Scripture and Theology

If Jesus is our keynote speaker, then John the Baptist is the one who introduces him.  And as far as introductions go, John the Baptist does an excellent job.  In today’s gospel we have just heard him point to Jesus and say: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  In other words, John is saying: “Look, that man Jesus is the long-promised Messiah.”  For God had told him that the Messiah would be the person on whom he would see the Spirit come down and remain.

But I want us to focus on the title that John uses to describe Jesus; he calls him, “the Lamb of God.”  That is a strange way to introduce the Messiah!  And yet John uses those words deliberately, because the image of a lamb was one the Jewish people would understand perfectly.  When they heard the words: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” they were reminded of the Passover Lamb and the lambs sacrificed in the Temple.

If you recall from the book of Exodus, Pharaoh had refused to let the people of Israel return home.  God struck him with several plagues: blood, frogs and lice; flies, dead livestock and boils; hail, locusts and darkness; but Pharaoh still refused.  God had one final trick up his sleeve; the final plague was the death of the first born child and animal.  But how would the angel of death tell the Jewish homes from the Egyptian ones?  God told the people of Israel to smear the doorposts of their houses with the blood of a lamb; in that way the angel of death would pass over their houses and spare their children and animals. This blood came from the lamb that the Israelites had eaten at their Last Supper on the night before they were to leave Egypt.  And so the Lamb then becomes the sign and symbol of the liberation of God’s people from slavery and oppression.

But there is another lamb, that John’s listeners would think about, when he described Jesus as the Lamb of God.  The people of Israel worshipped God primarily by offering him an animal sacrifice.  The book of Exodus commands that every day, two one-year lambs were to be sacrificed on the Temple altar, as atonement for sin.  One was to be sacrificed in the morning and another in the evening.  Now we modern people might think of this practice as cruel and senseless, that is of course if don’t think about where our steak, veal and lamb come from.  For a people who lived from hand to mouth as the Jewish people did, every lamb sacrificed was one less sheep to provide food, wool, milk and skins.  The sacrifice of a lamb, was their way of giving God their most treasured possession.  This lamb was the symbol of their love for God.

And so, whether John’s words evoked the image of the Passover lamb or the image of the daily sacrificial lamb, the message was still the same.  John was telling them that this man Jesus whom you see, has come to do once for all, what our sacrificial lambs have tried to do over and over again without much success.  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” once and for all.

Christian Life

I would like us to take two things from this gospel, for our own spiritual lives.

·        First, do we really understand that Jesus is the Lamb of God?

·        And flowing from that, do we see ourselves as being lambs of God in our own ways?

Jesus is the Lamb of God, who offered himself completely for our sake.  God allowed the Jewish people who had sinned, to substitute for themselves a sacrificial lamb to die in their place.  In the same way, we are the sinners; but God has allowed his Son, to take our place and die for us.  That is why Jesus says that there is no greater love, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

For while Jesus is indeed many things for us, under all of them is the fact that he is our Sacrifice, our Lamb.

·        Yes, Jesus is that gentle baby in the manger, we saw at Christmas; but this baby will lay down his life for his friends.

·        Yes, Jesus is a Prophet and a Teacher; but he is one who gives up his life for his disciples.

·        Yes, Jesus is the Prince of Peace and King of the World; but he is one whose power consists in laying down his life for his people.

·        Yes, Jesus is the bread of life and the Light of the world; but he is those things in as far as he lays down his life for us.

In fact at Mass, just before communion, we sing three times: “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World.”  And then the priest holds up the Host and says: “Behold the Lamb of God, Behold him who takes away the sins of the world, Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.”  The reason we say these words is so that, even when we are having the banquet of the Lord, a sign of joy and communion, we have to be reminded, that this all came about, because of the blood of the Lamb.  And to the priest’s words we reply, “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the Word, and my soul shall be healed.”  By these words we recognize our unworthiness.

I have probably told you about a scene in the movie Saving Private Ryan; but I will do so again because it helps us understand John’s message.  As you probably remember, this movie is about a group of soldiers during World War II, sent to save Private James Ryan who has already lost his two brothers to the war. Many men die in the process of saving him, including Captain Miller, who just before he dies tells the rescued Ryan, “James. Earn this . . . earn it.”

James seems to have taken these last words very seriously. In this particular scene, now he is an old man who has returned to Europe to the cemetery where Captain Miller is buried. Staring at the grave marker he mumbles to his dead commander telling Captain Miller that every day of his life he has thought of Miller’s dying words. He has tried to live a good life, at least he hopes he has. He hopes he has earned the sacrifice that Captain Miller and his men made for him.

But James is not really sure. He wonders how any life, however well lived, could be worth the sacrifice of all those men. Now wobbly on his feet he stands up, but does not feel released. Trembling and filled with anxiety he turns to his wife and pleads to her, “Tell me I’ve led a good life.” Confused by his request, she asks: “What?” He has to know the answer, so he asks her again: “Tell me I’m a good man.” Finally she responds to him and says: “Yes, you are.”

If Jesus is the Lamb that gives his life for us, do we deserve his sacrifice?  Are we ready to lay down our lives for our family, friends and even strangers, like Captain Miller and his men?  Can we lay aside our sense of entitlement, when we make unreasonable demands from our family, from the church, from our employers, from the government?  Can we, like the lamb, endure a little inconvenience or difficulty, so that we can take one for the team?

Conclusion

There was a Catholic devotion of offering up our minor daily hardships and sacrifices to the Lord, adding them to the great sacrifice of the Lamb.  There are far too many people who don’t believe, who don’t pray, who don’t love God and their neighbour.  These people could benefit from our daily sacrifices, which we offer on their behalf, as small lambs with the Lamb.  The Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God has offered up everything for us; what can we in turn offer to show our gratitude, to testify that we have come to believe in him?

The simple message of Christmas - God is with us

Homily for Christmas Year A 2013-2014

Vigil Mass: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16  • Luke 1:67-79

Mass of the Day: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:18

Introduction

When people realize that I am from Africa, one of the questions they often ask me around this time is this: “How do you celebrate Christmas in your country?”

Let me give you the short version.  You see Uganda is about 85% Christian, about 10% Muslim and the rest belong to a few other religions.  So in my village, Christmas day is celebrated practically by everybody, even by our Muslim neighbours, with food, drink and music.  Throughout the year families pool their money together to buy a cow for meat and to brew beer for the Christmas party that lasts from Christmas day until about New Year’s Day.

The reason our Muslim neighbours and people of other faiths join us in celebrating Christmas is first of all, because they too want need an excuse to have a party.  But for Muslims especially, a second and more serious reason is that they honour Jesus as a great prophet sent by God, just like Mohammed.  And so they celebrate his birth and honour his mother.  In fact Mary is mentioned more times in the Koran than she is mentioned in the Bible.

What about us here: Why does Christmas attract so many people in the world today?  Why are you and I here today on this Wednesday morning (on this Tuesday evening), and not at work (or at home having dinner)?  There are probably various reasons for which people celebrate Christmas.

·        Some people probably celebrate Christmas as the birth of a great man, in the same way we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King in January or the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln in February.

·        Others celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a chubby and happy baby Jesus, seeing Christmas as a time for the kids.

·        Others still, like some of my neighbours in Uganda, celebrate Christmas because they want to have a kind of end-of-year party.

Christmas certainly celebrates all these things: the birth of a great man, the birth of the child-Jesus, a festive occasion.

Scripture and Theology

But let me suggest that for Christians, Christmas means something more than a birthday or an anniversary.  What makes Christmas unique is that on this day, God became human, being born as the child of Joseph and Mary.  By celebrating Christmas we Christians make a very radical claim.  Every religion has great prophets, every society has its great men and women, but only Christians claim that Jesus the man is also God.  And Christmas celebrates that great event when 2000 years God left the high heavens and took human form in the man Jesus.

VIGIL: This was the message we heard the angel give Joseph in today’s gospel.  “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.  She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  They shall call him “Emmanuel”, which means “God is with us.”  St. Paul echoes the same message in today’s second reading, reminding us that this Jesus is the Messiah God had promised his people for centuries.

DAY: This was the message we heard in today’s gospel.  John told us that: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  And then he goes on to say: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” as we say in the Angelus prayer.  The Letter to the Hebrews, our second reading is even more direct saying: “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son . . . .”  God himself has come down.

The Bible, therefore, does not mince its words in telling us what Christmas is all about.  Christmas celebrates the birth of a great prophet as Muslims would say, or the birth of a great man as others would say.  But this man Jesus is God.  We celebrate God coming into our world, for our salvation.  Now I know that some mothers treat their little boys and girls as if they were gods.  Christmas is not the same thing.  For Christmas, the child Jesus was really God.

Christian Life

We celebrate Christmas using a variety of customs and practices, which, rather than obscure this simple Christmas message, can actually bring it to life, if we pay attention to the meaning of these symbols.

1.    That beautiful Christmas tree in your house, a type of tree that does not shed its leaves even in winter, can remind you of God’s everlasting life, a life he sent his Son to share with you and me.

2.    The wreath, which is round and therefore has no discernible beginning or end, can similarly remind us of God’s eternity, an eternity to which he invites us through his Son born on Christmas.

3.    Then you have candy canes, shaped like a shepherd’s staff.  This candy cane reminds us of the lowly shepherds of Bethlehem, the first ones to receive the good news of Christmas, the kind of people Jesus our Good Shepherd draws to the Father, the kind of people we should treat with kindness.

4.    The Christmas lights, even that outrageous display of your neighbour, can remind us of Jesus the Light of world, giving us joy, warmth and direction.

5.    And you have Christmas gifts.  People keep telling me what a hustle gift-giving is, especially for the givers.  Perhaps as you fought back the crowds on Black Friday to buy that special gift for someone or as you battled the traffic (this morning), last night doing some last-minute shopping, you probably were not thinking about spiritual things and may even have been tempted to use a few choice words.  But the Christmas gift can remind us of the perfect gift we receive at Christmas, the gift of salvation in Jesus, given to us by the Father.

6.    Perhaps the most important Christmas practice, even more important than the Christmas tree and wreath, the candy canes and lights, the cards and gifts, is your coming to Mass today.  For what is the Mass, if not coming to receive this Jesus who came into our world, and left us his Word and Sacrament!  In fact, the word Christmas literally means, Christ’s Mass, the Mass of Christ.

And that is why it is important to use the word “Christmas,” which keeps alive this central message that God has come into our world, to bring peace, joy and salvation.  Speaking of Christmas as a holiday, as is often heard in the phrase “Happy Holidays,” has the value of including it among the other holidays celebrated around this time: Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Kwanza.  But it also has the downside of diminishing the unique meaning of this feast for Christians.  Christmas celebrates the birth of Saviour of the world, which none of these other holidays claim to do.  And so that is why we say “Merry Christmas” to each other, because we want to profess our Christian faith in the fact that Christmas is not just a holiday or an excuse for a party; it means something important and serious for my soul and your soul – the birth of our Saviour.

Conclusion

And because this feast means something really important for us, we celebrate it not just for one day, but for Twelve Days, as the famous carol says.  Christmas begins today and continues on!  So don’t be in a hurry to dump the Christmas tree is on the curbside, first thing on Thursday morning.  And for those who did not get to do all their Christmas gifting, well you still have until January 6^th, to spread that Christmas cheer, that Good News which we are going to profess in a few moments, that for us and for our salvation Jesus “came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate [became flesh] of the Virgin Mary, and became man. . . .”  Merry Christmas to you all.

The Lord is calling you - are you listening?

Homily for 4^th Sunday of Advent Year A 2013-2014

Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1: 1-7 Matt. 1: 18-24

Introduction

Some friends recently became first-time parents.  I could see their great joy as they shared the news about their newly adopted daughter, especially as they had been waiting for a child for a long time.  But I could also see their anxiety.

·        There was the usual worry about sleepless nights, changing diapers and what to do when the baby was ill.

·        More serious was the anxiety of taking on the commitment to care for another human being for at least the next eighteen years.

And yet they eagerly took up this challenge with joy, trusting in the Lord’s help and guidance.

Scripture and Theology

In today’s gospel we have just heard how God called Joseph for the special task of being the foster-father of his Son.  Like my friends, Joseph was probably anxious at hearing this news.

·        Let us leave aside the usual anxieties that come with having a baby.

·        Let us leave aside the issue of an Angel is talking to him!

·        Let us leave aside the fact that the baby is not even his!

Joseph was taking on the great responsibility of raising the Saviour of the world.  We have to remember that Jesus was truly God and truly human.  That means that as a human being, he had to learn things just like any other human being.

·        It was Joseph’s job to teach him how to walk, talk and eat. It was Joseph’s job to teach him the Jewish prayers, commandments and the Bible.

·        It was Joseph’s job to teach him the trade of carpentry.

·        It was Joseph’s job to teach how to be a man, a Jewish man.

But Joseph is the not first person in the Bible God calls with heavy demands!

·        Seventy-five year old Abraham was going about his business in what is now Iraq, taking care of sheep and goats, and farming the land!  And then God comes and says: “Hey you, leave your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house and go to a land that I will show you. I promise to bless you and make you a great nation.”

·        Then there is Moses whom God calls to liberate his people from Egypt, but to do that he has to pass through the Pharaoh!

·        And then you have the Prophets, whom God calls to speak truth to power and the whole nation, delivering messages that people don’t want to hear.  In today’s reading, for example, King Ahaz does not want to hear Isaiah’s prophecy that a Messiah will be born of a virgin.

And so, as a faithful Jew, Joseph must have been aware of how God operates.  And that is why, even if he is a little reluctant, he takes up the challenging job that God is giving him, taking pregnant Mary as his wife into his home.

And we know that Joseph carried out this mission as a father faithfully, accepting the usual challenges of a new born baby and far more serious ones.

·        It was their luck that Caesar was carrying out the census during Mary’s last trimester!  And they had to travel all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  According to Mapquest, this is a distance of 100 miles and it would take you two hours by car, four and a half hours by public transport and 34 hours on foot!

·        And after going through the ordeal of travel, they get to Bethlehem and the hotels and hospitals are full!  I remember when my youngest brother was born in Uganda!  My mother and father walked to the hospital, thankfully two miles, not 100 miles, but there was no one to care for them.  So they returned home and a neighbour assisted my mother to give birth in our house.  Joseph and Mary did not even have that luxury of giving birth in her own home.  They had to give birth in a cowshed!

·        After the birth of Jesus, their problems did not end.  Now, with a new born child, they had to flee to go Egypt, a foreign country, rather than return to the comfort of their home in Nazareth. Think about the Syrian refugees today or any other refugees for that matter!  That was the call of Joseph!

Christian Life

Friends, God has not stopped calling people for his work, nor has he stopped asking a lot from those he calls.  Like he called Joseph and Mary for their special job of bringing the Saviour into this world, God also calls us too!  I can think of two challenging calls for us today: the call to marriage and the call to priesthood.

The call to Christian marriage is a call from God to lifetime commitment to each other, and to the task of raising children in the faith.  Those of you who are married will surely agree that this is not always an easy task!

·        What do you do when the romance in the marriage has died out?  What do you when you no longer recognize the person you said “Yes” to at the altar all those years ago?  What do you do when your husband or wife is seriously ill for a long time?  Like God demanded much of Joseph and Mary, God demands of you total fidelity and commitment to each other, even in difficult situations.

·        And then there is the commitment to the children.  Like he did to Joseph and Mary, God places a great responsibility in your hands as a mother and father, of raising a child or two or three, not just by feeding, clothing and generally keeping them healthy, but also raising them to know and love God and their neighbour.  This job of parenting, of teaching God’s ways has never been easy, but is made more difficult today by the often competing media messages that glorify materialism, drugs and sex.

And yet you carry on as married people and as parents, knowing that this is a call from God, who always demands much from those he calls.

Sometimes people think that the grass is greener on the other side!  Married people might think that the life of priests, sisters and brothers, who are not married, must be easy!  Well, not exactly.

·        If God calls the married people to be mothers and fathers of two or three or four children, he calls the priest to be the Father of all his parishioners!

·        If God calls the married people to be faithful spouses to each other, he calls the priest to be a faithful bridegroom to his bride, the whole Church.

And so like Joseph, the priest has to take up this challenge and be faithful to it!  He has to respond when one of his spiritual children calls him at three in the morning to go and anoint them in the hospital. He has to respond when his bride the Church asks him to celebrate several masses a day, even when he does not feel like doing so.  The priest like Joseph has to care for children who are not his biological children, feeding them with God’s word and sacrament!  And he does this without the comfort of his own wife and children, because God has provided him with another wife and children!

Conclusion

In a few days we will be celebrating Christmas, because Joseph and Mary did their work, of bringing God’s Son into this world.

The Lord needs more people to do his work for him.  As St.Theresa of Avila reminds us, we are the hands, the eyes, the ears and the feet of Christ.

For those who have already responded to the call, how are you living out?  For those, especially the young people, are you listening to the call of God, for you to be another Joseph or Mary, being a part of God’s work?

What does it take to be Great in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Advent Year A 2013-2014

Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

Introduction

Until recently, I didn’t know what a backhanded compliment was.  Then a few weeks ago, on my birthday, a friend said to me: “You look good, for your age.”  And a few days later another friend said, “You're smarter than you look.”  Of course my friends were only joking and I hope to get them back at some point.

In today’s gospel, Jesus also seems to give John the Baptist a backhanded compliment.  He praises him, calling John the greatest of all men; but immediately Jesus says that even the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Why does Jesus pour cold water on the greatness of John?

Scripture and Theology

It is true that “among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist,” as Jesus says.  For John the Baptist is a prophet, a great prophet, more than a prophet.  In fact Jesus suggests that John is even greater than Moses, who led the people out of Egypt; for John is the last of the prophets, who comes to prepare the way for the Messiah.  There will be no more prophets after him, because when the Messiah comes, he will reveal everything about God to the people.  That is why John holds this very special place in salvation history. 

·        We can see John’s special place in the gospels, where the conception and birth of John the Baptist Jesus, like that of Jesus is told.  They are both miraculous births; in John’s case his mother is beyond child-bearing age; in the case of Jesus, his mother is a virgin, one who by definition cannot give birth.  God intervenes in the birth of these cousins for a purpose: John is born so as to prepare the way, and Jesus to be the Messiah.

·        We know that the first meeting between Jesus and John the Baptist happened when Mary, the mother of Jesus, came down to Jerusalem to take care of her elder cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.  We read in the gospel of Luke that John the Baptist leapt with joy while still in the womb, when Mary showed up; for even then he recognized the arrival of the Messiah.  In fact there is a tradition among the early Fathers of the Church like St. Augustine, that at this first meeting between John and Jesus, John the Baptist was cleansed of original sin.

·        Even the Church gives John the Baptist a very special place in its calendar of saints, second only to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We celebrate as a feast, not only John’s death on August 29^th, but we also celebrate his birth on June 24^th.  This double honour is accorded only to Blessed Mother.

And so, it should be clear why Jesus so highly praises John the Baptist.  He has been given a special role in God’s plan of salvation, a role he carries out faithfully, even unto giving up his life.

Why then, after making all this fuss about the greatness of John, does Jesus say: “yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he?”

The answer has to do with timing.  As the person preparing for the coming of the Messiah, John did not have the privilege of hearing the saving message of Jesus himself.  John is like Moses who led the people of Israel from Egypt, through the Red Sea and the Sinai desert, but died just before they crossed into the Promised Land.  John the Baptist too does all the preparation, even baptising Jesus, but does not hear and see the work of Jesus.  Those who will come after him and will hear the Messiah’s teaching and see his great works, even the least among this group, Jesus says, will be greater than John.

You probably remember Jesus saying something similar about his family.  When he was informed that his mother and brothers had come to see him, Jesus instead pointed to his followers and said: “Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”  What counts as true greatness, therefore, is not what place or status you have, not even being the last Prophet; but rather what counts for true greatness is how faithfully you listen to the gospel and put it into action.

Christian Life

This week Pope Francis was named Person of the Year, by Time magazine.  You would think that such a prestigious nomination would have the Vatican officials breaking out the champagne and giving each other hi-fives.  Instead, there was a sober response from the Pope’s spokesman. He began by courteously acknowledging the award, but then hoped that it was a recognition of the pope’s work as “one who proclaims spiritual, religious and moral values in the world, and who speaks effectively in favour of peace and greater justice.”  The spokesman then said that “the Pope, for his part, he does not seek fame and success, since he carries out his service for the proclamation of the Gospel and the love of God for all. If this attracts men and women and gives them hope, the Pope is content.”  In other words, for the Pope, as for all Christians, the award that really counts, the award that grants us greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven, is the award for faithful preaching and faithful living out the gospel.

This week also, the people of South Africa, and indeed the whole world, mourn and bury the beloved former President, Nelson Mandela.  But this massive outpour of grief has little to do with Mandela’s being the first black President of South Africa or the fact that he was unfairly imprisoned for 27 years.  His greatness, which is recognized both in South Africa and beyond, both by white and black South Africans, was because he worked for the reconciliation and harmonious relations among all people, among all races.  Even after his release from prison, even after he became President, there was no bitterness or revenge in him.  His greatness did not come from his status, but from his heart, from his Methodist upbringing, from his Christian faith.

Recently I went to a big banquet, but I could not see my name on the seating list.  As I was about to go away and save myself the embarrassment, someone tapped me on the shoulder and took me to their table up front, where they had reserved a place for me as their guest, and that is why my name was not on the seating chart.

Jesus says that you and I could have a more important place than John the Baptist at the eternal banquet, if we take our privilege of being Catholic Christians very seriously; if we are faithful listeners to the gospel and faithful doers of what the gospel tells us to do.  And it doesn’t matter if you and I are never named Person of the Year by Time magazine or never have 80 heads of state at our funeral.  What matters is if we live up to the demands of the gospel.

Conclusion

My grandmother and I have lived very different lives.

·        She had only a second grade education and never travelled more than 100 miles from her home; I have gone to college and studied theology abroad.

·        My grandmother did not hold any office in the Church; I doubt that she was even an officer in her parish Legion of Mary group.  For my part, I have had the great privilege of being ordained a priest and serving as a pastor, chancery official and now seminary teacher.

But I am constantly aware that in the wider scheme of things, these differences count for zilch.  My privileged status and titles were given to me for service of God’s Church; and by themselves they do not give me a leg up on my grandmother, when it comes to what really matters, getting into heaven.

For when both she and I and even John the Baptist, show up at heaven’s door, asking to be admitted into God’s, we all have the same chances of admission; for we are all judged on our faithful discipleship, on how attentively we have listened to God’s word and how faithfully we have lived it.

Keeping the eye on the goal

Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Advent Year A 2013-2014

Isa 11:1-10 • Rom 15:4-9 • Matthew 3:1-12

Introduction

Coaches tell their players to keep their eyes on the ball, as well as keep their eyes on the goal.  A few weeks ago, I saw the movie Forest Gump again.  Those who have seen this movie might remember that as a young man, Forest was a really fast runner.  So he was recruited by the Alabama Football team.  Unfortunately, all Forest knew was how to run fast with the ball; he did not know where to run with the ball.  At one point in the game, after they have shoved the ball into his hands, he runs really fast towards the goal line.  But then, with the defence on his hills, he turns and runs towards the sidelines and is in danger of going out of bounds, until he is directed by the coach to run towards the goal-line.  Thankfully he crosses into the end-zone and makes a touch-down.  But then he doesn’t stop and just keeps running into stadium tunnel; he is completely oblivious to the goal of the game.

Scripture and Theology

The season of Advent is given to us to remind us of the goal, the goal of why we are Christians at all.  Our goal is life with God; Jesus has promised all those who follow him, that he is coming back to take us with him, to live with God the Father for eternity.  We express our faith in this promise, when every Sunday we say in the Creed, that: “He [Jesus] will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.”  These four weeks of Advent are an exercise in waiting, preparing and hoping for that Second Coming of the Lord.

But how do we wait?  How do we prepare?  How do we hope?  Let us look at what our forefathers in the Bible did, as they waited for the First Coming of Jesus.

We heard in the first reading how Isaiah gave hope to the people of Israel, who were waiting to be saved from their exile.  The Lord promised that a Messiah would come, one who would bring justice, faithfulness and peace.  At that time, “the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb” and “The baby shall play by the cobra’s den.”  With these wonderful images of harmony, Isaiah describes to his listeners what life with God is really like, the kind of life that the Messiah will bring. Isaiah tells them that help is on the way! Hope is on the way!

As for John the Baptist, the immediate forerunner of the Messiah, he prepares the people by preaching to them: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  As a sign that they have repented, the people come to him in droves, asking to be baptized.  But he tells them that the kind of baptism he gives is not the real thing, the baptism that forgives sins.  John’s baptism only prepares the people for the coming of the Lord.  “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,” he says.  “But the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.  I am not worthy to carry his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  We can think of John’s baptism as the Hors d'oeuvres, the anti-pasti, the appetizers, preparing for the main course, which is being served by Jesus himself.

Why then does John the Baptist get mad at the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to him for baptism?  We heard that when he saw many of them coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  You can tell from his strong language that these religious leaders have really ticked John off.  But then again, in their defence, he had said, “come to me and be baptised as a sign that you are leaving behind your sins, and getting ready for the coming of the Lord.”  And this is what these Pharisees and Sadducees had done.  It is like they have run with the ball and crossed into the end-zone and made a touch-down; but now, John the referee gives them a penalty, telling them to go back to their ten-yard line and start all over.

The reason for this long penalty is that these religious leaders have not run with the ball as they should.  Yes, they came to be baptised, but only because they wanted to be seen by the people.  What would people say, if they stayed back and did not go through this cleansing ritual?  It would be like today, if everybody is coming to Church to say the rosary and the priests and nuns are the ones staying away.  So the Pharisees and Sadducees also came for the baptism of John, but without any internal conversion on their part.  They had not repented of their old ways at all.  They had only been cleaned externally with the water; but their hearts internally were still very dirty.

That is why John the Baptist challenges them: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance! . . . [for] every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”  In other words, you cannot prepare for the coming of the Lord merely by observing religious rituals; you must prepare for the coming of the Lord by living a life of virtue and charity.  John teaches these leaders and us, that the way to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, is by participating in both kinds of services: religious services and service to each other.  The Pharisees and Sadducees did the first, but had nothing to show for the second.  And that is why he calls them a brood of vipers, who are not ready for the coming of the Lord.

Christian Life

Like the Israelites, like the Pharisees and Sadducees waited for the Lord to come the first time, we wait for the Lord to come the second time.  That coming of the Lord will find some of us already dead and others still living: both will then be judged and if found worthy, admitted into God’s presence forever.

Can we take some lessons from our forefathers in how to wait?  Can we learn from Isaiah in how to hope for that great banquet, which the Lord has prepared for us when we return to him?

John the Baptist tells us that the best way to wait has three parts: we have to listen to the Word of God which says, “Repent, for the Lord is coming back.”  Then we have participate in a religious ritual which is a sign of that interior repentance in our hearts.  And then thirdly, we have to live out that new life every day of our lives, in charity and virtue.  How well do we wait?

Do we listen to the Word of God, which is read to us and preached to us at Mass?  During this Advent season, perhaps we could read a little more Scripture, especially the Book of Revelation that speaks to us about the Second Coming of the Lord.

After listening to that Word, do we wait by going to John for baptism, which for us means, coming to Mass and regularly celebrating the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance?  These religious services are not empty signs.  They are the means through which God gives us his divine help; they are also the means through which we tell God that we are committed to being faithful to him.

The third step in our waiting is by going forth to produce the good fruit, which the Pharisees and Sadducees woefully lacked.  At the end of Mass, the priest sends us forth saying: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”  In other words, now that you have heard the Word of God, now that you have celebrated the religious ritual, go and live out what you have heard and celebrated in your everyday life.

Conclusion

These three ways of attentive listening, reverent celebrating and fruitful living are the ways through which the people of Israel were taught to wait, to expect and to hope for the coming of the Lord, which we celebrate at Christmas.  But the same tools can help us keep our eye on the goal as we journey towards heaven, our eternal home, as we wait for the Lord to come back for us.

We cannot wait in complacency; for if we are complacent, the other side, the Evil One will take the ball from us and we shall lose the goal and the game.  Our goal is heaven; let this Advent season help us to never take our eyes off that goal.