20th Sunday after Pentecost 22 Oct 2017 Sermon

20^th Sunday after Pentecost 22.10.17 Incarnation

The nobleman’s son was healed instantly, and from a distance. The word, or even the thought, is enough for Our Lord.

As the centurion in another story realised, Our Lord did not need to be in the same room to heal someone. Just give the command and that will do it (Mt 8,8).

More frequently though, Our Lord does work miracles close up. He touched the sick, placing hands on them; or spoke to them directly. He did not have to do this. He could have healed everyone from a distance.

We pause to consider the extent of this power, and this goodness; to let ourselves be overawed.

Why then does He come to us physically? The physical is to be taken up into the spiritual, and thus enriched.

We might wish sometimes we were like the angels, and did not have frail bodies. However, to translate the spiritual into the physical domain is a great achievement, and is why Our Lord did exactly that Himself.

If we can achieve spiritual glory in our physical condition we give more glory to God, and we will be rewarded with a glorified body (Ph 3,21).

Our Lord wants to bless us in our humanity, body as well as soul.

This is why the Sacraments were established.

Many say they do not need sacraments. They can just think about it, at home and that is enough (so they say). But it is not enough. We do not possess the faith or charity or other related qualities. We are simply not strong enough to do this on our own.

In any case it is God's will that we come together to support each other as in today’s epistle – singing psalms, mutual encouragement etc.

We need as much help as we can get.

God can always act outside of His own structures, but generally He wants us to respect those structures and practices, thus to make the Church stronger by our participation and enthusiasm.

Many Catholics have fallen away from sacramental practice. It could be they do not think they need any extra help. Or that the Church and its processes cannot help them. Or just loss of faith and clarity of thought.

Whatever the reason anyone who refuses to engage in the sacraments is likely to fall into one or other of the many snares that are possible.  And the longer they stay away the more ensnared they can become.

It is vital that we keep close to the Church, and thus Our Lord. We keep the beliefs and the practices.

We know the Lord can heal us from far off but that does not mean we can stay far off!

We need to be in there, as close as possible, realizing His infinite power, but respecting also His will, that things normally happen in a certain way.

For example, Holy Communion is the normal way we receive him most strongly. He may come to us some other way, but we do not presume on that.

We want to keep all the entrances open as far as letting God intervene in our lives - the normal, the unusual, the everyday, the once in a lifetime, the public, the private, the individual, the communal - we will take it all. We receive with gratitude and with expectancy.

Many do not put themselves in the way of God’s blessing. What’s the use, they say? A great deal of use if done consistently and humbly.

So we bring our frail mortal flesh into submission to the great healing power of Christ, and we hope with due humility to share in His glorious Resurrection. 

19th Sunday after Pentecost 15 Oct 2017 Sermon

19^th Sunday after Pentecost 15.10.17 Miracles

The age of miracles is not past, despite advances in human knowledge.

Many would say that only primitive or uneducated people believe in miracles, and that everything can be explained by science.

However, science only describes what usually happens. Science does not itself make things happen, nor can it stop them happening.

If God decides to intervene in some way in His own creation He has perfect liberty to do that!

It seems He usually abides by the normal processes of things, but He can make exceptions.

When He causes things to happen outside of the normal range of experience, that is what we can call a miracle.

(Every Mass contains a miracle, when the bread and wine change substance to become the Body and Blood of Christ.)

God will work miracles according to His plans, not necessarily ours. However, He will listen to our requests for miracles. Sometimes He will work them, sometimes not.

He will do whatever is best according to His infinite wisdom.

The overall principle is that God desires our salvation, and all His actions and plans are geared to that objective. He will grant or refuse our requests according to whether or not it helps us (or others) to final salvation.

At Fatima God decided to show His hand in a very dramatic way. The miracle of the sun may be the most spectacular miracle since the time of Christ.

People have still managed to ignore it, however, in a world so submerged in its own limited vision, seeking only what this life can offer.

Miracles indicate the great power and goodness of God, who is their Source.

If we experience a miracle it is meant as an invitation to look more closely. Where does this power come from? What must I respond? How can I reject such obvious goodness?

If we do come closer it amounts to accepting the invitation to the wedding banquet (today’s Gospel).

If we accept, we must do so on His terms not ours.

This is the ‘wedding garment’ which has to be worn. We have to conform to whatever demands made of us as disciples of Christ.

We cannot be dictating to Him what He should be doing. Today, as then, people think they can tell God what to do.

What we should be doing instead: be awestruck in His presence; keep reverent silence; do not argue or complain. Wait upon Him while expressing gratitude for past miracles and mercies; reaffirm our absolute loyalty to Him, no matter what does or does not happen.

And stay in that state permanently, awaiting further instructions.

Those who do not argue we call saints! It takes a lot of discipline to control our words and thoughts.

A big miracle like Fatima calls us to these attitudes. The response of our generation has been very lukewarm, as with other generations before us.

The same old sins keep coming.

And the same doubts, objections, and the constant demand for another miracle, because the last one was not enough.

An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, said Our Lord (Mt 12,39).

He could make the sky turn upside down every day – that is easy for Him. But He is hoping for another ‘miracle’ – that His children will have enough wisdom to submit to His will and so discover great happiness.

He wants us to accept the wedding invitation with full commitment; to become the ‘new man’ (epistle).

May He continue to show His great power in whatever way He chooses; and may we have enough humility and wisdom to respond to the signs.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

18th Sunday after Pentecost 8 Oct 2017 Sermon

18^th Sunday after Pentecost 8.10.17 Life to the full

Our Lord restores the young man, spiritually and physically.

He said once: I have come that they have life and have it to the full (Jn 10,10).

It is commonly said of people who have died that they ‘lived life to the full’ - usually meaning they were adventurous and had lots of experiences.

But Our Lord was not referring to physical activity. He meant life in the spiritual sense – being and doing good; good as defined by God, not merely human wisdom.

The spiritual measure of life is very different from the physical. One could be elderly and unable to move, yet have more life than a young person in the bloom of physical health.

It is not something we can see or measure. We do not even know our own degree of life. We can talk about ‘more’ alive or ‘less’ alive.

How alive am I at this moment? It is the same as asking: how much do I love God? Or, how much am I in union with God? How much do I let God achieve His will in me? Do I belong to Him totally, or am I a part-time visitor, or a stranger to Him?

All this we cannot answer exactly, even for ourselves, and less still for others.

We do not need to know precisely. We can just look for ‘more’ rather than ‘less’.

Every time we do something which yields more grace then we are more alive. Every time we sin we are less alive.

This life (grace) can be lost or gained in one action. Lost through mortal sin. Gained through contrition and confession.

Knowing what can happen will help us make the right responses. We are less likely to throw it away if we have given the matter enough attention. We are more likely to make progress into further life if we are aware that such a thing is possible.

When we are in a state of grace we will be more likely to ask for the right thing, to seek the spiritual element, because we recognise that is where the essence of life is found.

If we are alive, we build on it; if dead, we come back to life (through repentance), and then build on it.

We live ‘life to the full’ in this redefined sense.

The more we are alive the greater glory we are giving to God; the more we are getting to His purpose in creating us.

We reject the minimalist mentality, that seeks to do only what is necessary to avoid hell. We are not trying to sneak into heaven, just making the cut.

No, we run for the prize, while yielding forth a harvest of good works.

We can change for the better. Many will say they cannot get any better, and just rest with their faults.

But any sin can be removed, and any bad habit can be overcome, as Christ comes to dwell in us. He had no faults, so neither will we, once we become sufficiently united with Him.

He re-makes us, re-forms us. we are not the same person year after year. We can take on new ways of thinking, of desiring, which will pass into our daily life.

This is to be alive in Christ; we have His nature acting in us. We are copies of Him!

This is really something to hope for.

The gates of Heaven are coming into view. Don’t throw it away.

Abundant prayer is necessary if we are to hold on to what we have, and increase.

Our Lady also came ‘that we might have life’. She came to Fatima 100 years ago. It was a simple message, but not yet sufficiently accepted by the human race. May she move us now to complete that acceptance on our part.

17th Sunday after Pentecost 1 Oct 2017 Sermon

17^th Sunday after Pentecost 1.10.17 Our Lady

We come to the month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary; and, this year as well, the 100^th anniversary of Fatima.

It is a good time to give honour to Our Lady, and to reflect on her unique role in the plan of salvation, in God’s plan, and in our lives.

In Mary we have such a rich source of help available to us, yet sadly she is not as well-known, or as often called upon as should be the case.

Most of the world does not know her at all, and most Catholics do not give her due attention.

We must ensure that we do not add to the neglect.

There is no opposition between the attention we give to Our Lady, and that we give to Our Lord. She loves God with her whole heart and soul (today’s Gospel), and she will help us to do the same.

It would be the last thing in her mind to divert anyone away from the worship of God; which worship she offers constantly herself.

She wants all her children to worship God as much as she does - because God deserves it; is right and just; and is good for those giving the worship.

Love does not have to be measured out so sparingly that we can love only one person at a time. The gospel today tells us to love both God and neighbour, so there, straight away, we have more than one object for our love.

In fact, we can love God, and Our Lady, and our neighbour, and even ourselves, all at the one time; and so we are commanded to do.

It is just a matter of getting the right proportion.

We love God the most, because He is the greatest, and deserving of the greatest love. We are forbidden to love anyone or anything more than Himself.

We love our neighbours because of their being created in the image of God. It is their God-given dignity which we honour; and the same for loving ourselves.

We are all very lowly creatures, by comparison with God, but treated by Him with great dignity, and that dignity must be respected at all times.

We love Our Lady for her own sake, for her immense goodness; but all the more because she is so special to God; that He has given her such status and power.

We express our love in prayer. Prayer to Our Lady has always been strongly advocated by the Church – by all manner of saints and mystics. Especially recommended is the Rosary, as a source of miracles and general spiritual health.

We cast ourselves at her feet, acknowledging our smallness and vulnerability; our fear and sinfulness. To be able to associate with someone who has all the good things we want to have, is very refreshing - like finding clear water in a desert. We still have life in us. Hope is restored. We have a taste of Heaven.

Our Lady loves us because she loves God first. The intensity of one love flows onwards to others.

She certainly loves more than one at a time, and so she can teach us. She will help us with all the right things, like growing in faith, hope and charity; and help us offload all the wrong things, like sin and false attachments.

She goes about her work in a quiet unobtrusive way – as she lived her earthly life.

She will do what she can for each person, even those who do not know her, or who would reject her. Much more she will do for those who actually call upon her – as we do.

What power Mary has, waiting to be released. Fatima is still new insofar as largely untried.

So much goodness is there, just waiting to be called upon. Each and every person is called to union with God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We can hasten her victory - and help others to share in it - by our willing response.