2nd Sunday of Advent 9 Dec 2018 Sermon

Second Sunday of Advent 9.12.18 Repent

If St John the Baptist were to stand before us today, what would he say?

Our Lord makes reference to John’s clothing: did you expect to see a man dressed in soft clothing (Mt 11,8)?

John’s clothing was not soft, nor was his preaching. He spoke the hard truth, that his listeners were sinners and needed to repent.

Much of present-day language is softened: people today make ‘inappropriate choices’ or ‘mistakes’ or ‘errors of judgment’ (these are all euphemisms for plain old sin!)  The use of such terms can make the sin seem less serious and therefore not as urgent a matter as it really is.

John addressed some Pharisees present at one of his talks - You brood of vipers (Mt 3,7).

Not very nice, many would say today. Yet his words were true, and spoken without malice. He cared for the wellbeing of others, and that is why he served up truth – necessary for them to know, so they could make the necessary changes in their lives.

So the Church has ever since been preaching, Repent, Repent.

That is what John would be telling us today. In any century, in any country, the same tune, the same words, the same urgency.

Having absorbed the hard language, repentance is hard in another sense insofar as it requires us to give up certain things, to which we may be attached, or even addicted.

But it leads to joy as we feel the weight of sin lifted from us. The Lamb of God takes that sin on Himself. We feel liberated. The pain is worth it.

We cannot cling to our sin and still expect to be admitted into the kingdom of God. Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers (1 Co 6,9).

Many would argue today that God will admit them to Heaven because He loves them. But do they love Him? That part is also necessary. We must have genuine contrition for our sins, not just rely on God's love to carry the day.

He will help us to reach the required state, if we let Him go to work on us. We approach Him in sacraments and prayer, and we gradually improve.

Ancient Israel was always learning the painful lesson that if they disobeyed God they would pay for it in other ways. They would lose their battles, suffer plagues and diseases, be divided from each other.

Sound familiar? The same problem applies now. The human race as a whole suffers all these things, because people do not come to terms with God.

And many within the Church have abandoned confessing their sins, preferring to be more ‘positive’ in their outlook, emphasising their achievements rather than their failures.

We must, whoever we are, confess our sins and, like the Publican, begin with asking for mercy (Lk 18,13). This we do in every Mass, and should do every day, at least once, an Act of Contrition.

We have to do all the other things: go out and evangelise the world, relieve poverty, and contribute to the social and moral welfare of our societies.

We cannot wait until we are perfect before we embark on these courses, otherwise we would never be able to do anything.

But implicit in all our projects is an acknowledgment that we are always in need of God's mercy.

If we are humble before Him He will bless our undertakings and there will be much good fruit.

St John the Baptist and all holy prophets will tell us so, in plain language. May we hear the truth and live by it.

1st Sunday of Advent 2 Dec 2018 Sermon

1^st Sunday of Advent 2.12.18 Justice restored

In films the hero and heroine go against the odds and manage to survive all sorts of dangers, outwit the villains of the story. And usually manage to marry each other as well. And all this in 90 minutes!

Real life is not so easy. We might have 90 years instead of 90 minutes, yet not see things wrapped up so neatly. We have known trouble all our lives, and we may have a lot more of it to come.

We know that the good will be rewarded and the evil punished, but we may not live to see it; or it may happen in ways that we cannot recognize.

Here we have to trust in Almighty God who sees all things and has all time in His hands.

He knows who committed all the murders, who stole the money, who told which lies, who set others on the wrong path etc. Nothing is hidden from His sight, or lost to His memory.

We would like to see it all sorted out in our time, but God has His time. He can see a lot further than we can, and He is working to a very definite plan.

God seeks to save as many people as possible. This requires time. As in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mt 13,24-30), He does not punish all evil immediately or to its full extent.

He has given the human race at least twenty centuries to come right with Him; and maybe more centuries to come.

We should not be distressed by that large sweep of time. We ourselves benefit from God's mercy, so we should not be too hasty in demanding justice, or we might get more than we want!

We are firmly promised that it will all be sorted out. The good will be rewarded and also compensated for any innocent suffering they have endured. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh (Lk 6,21). He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and raised up the lowly (Lk 1, 52). For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. (Ps 9,18)

Many people have been grievously mistreated, such as in torture, murders, genocide, concentration camps, all manner of injustice.  God will see that the poor and the oppressed will be restored. If not in this life, then the next.

This is the thrust of many of our Advent readings; that the displaced people will once again find a home; that a lost paradise will be restored.

The evildoers can be forgiven if they have genuine sorrow; otherwise only Hell remains for them. We should want them to be forgiven because that is what God Himself wants.

On the Last Day all will be made clear, everything said in secret will be proclaimed from the housetop (Lk 12,3) - not literally, but in the sense that truth will prevail over all deception, a time for all the loose ends to be tidied up.

We have the chance now, while still alive, and not yet the Last Day - to tidy up our lives as far as we can. We can tie up as many of those loose ends as we can, to prepare the way; to take the fear out of the final judgment. We will not be afraid if we have built up our union with Our Lord.

We thank God for who and what He is. We thank Him in advance for what is still to come, the Second Coming of Christ.

This event will satisfy our thirst for justice, promised to the pure of heart (Mt 5,6 and 5,8).

It will also satisfy our desire for mercy, as we see the sin of all ages removed, and the contrite of heart rewarded.

We can hasten this event by our expectant hope (2 P 3,12); so let us hasten.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Last Sunday after Pentecost 25 Nov 2018 Sermon

Last Sunday after Pentecost 25.11.18 Trust

Imagine being on a rocket in space, and how insecure one might feel in such a place.

We would be hurtling through space, not knowing if our protective machine will survive, or will land safely.

If we had a choice we would probably refuse such a trip.

But we are on a journey anyway, one more exciting still, and this journey is the one to eternal life. We had no choice with this one. God created us; He did not ask us first. And He created the world we live in, and the terms on which we do so.

We are hurtling through time, if not space. We are heading towards the end of this phase of our journey. It could be in death, or it could be in the Second Coming of Christ.

But we will not go on forever like we have been.

We can fear change, especially sudden change. But these endings are not meant to be unpleasant experiences for us.

In the space capsule we would pray to God to bring us down safely. He knows how this thing flies even if we do not.

We do exactly the same thing with our lives. Lord, save us, preserve us. Bring us safely into Thy presence.

He will bring us through the trials and troubles, the moment of death and all that happens afterwards.

It is all in His hands, and the central message is, Do not be afraid. If we are in union with Him, we have everything we need. Why were you so frightened, you men of little faith (Mt 8,26)?

Being ready for the end is something we should be working towards all our lives. We have to get the ending right.

The threats of major disturbances in nature are because of sin in our world. If we stop sinning these things will not need to happen.

It is not likely everyone is going to stop sinning at the same time, but at least we the believers can stop, or at least sharply reduce the sin we commit.

We can take advantage of the time we still have to set matters straight, to build up spiritual strength.

We will be ready. We may be surprised physically by death or destruction, but not spiritually. If we are in a state of grace all the time, we must be ready for the end at any time.

All the time - the beginning, middle and end - the required state is to be in union with Jesus Christ.

So we confess our sins, repent of them, resolve to overcome our faults by the help of His grace.

The world at large does not worry about any of these things. They may be worried about the idea of physical disaster, but they do not think they need to repent of anything.

We pray for mercy for those who do not think they need mercy. They need it more than anyone.

We can help move towards this if we would increase our own belief and familiarity with these things..

If the believers would believe! That would help a lot. We should have these things in our minds as though they are just a normal part of everyday life. They may be more dramatic than most things we encounter, but they are as much a part of life as something we see every day.

And we should want the last times to come. We do not dread them, because they will make things better than they ever would be otherwise.

It is merely Christ collecting His own. He will gather up those who have put their trust in Him.

Lord, bring us safely to land, in Thy presence.

2nd Last Sunday after Pentecost 18 Nov 2018 Sermon

2^nd Last Sunday after Pentecost 18.11.18 Hazards to the faith. (Readings 6th Sunday after Epiphany)

Our Lord gave the image of the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a seed that becomes a great tree.

Its branches spread out over the whole world, and the birds rest in its branches (Mt 13,32).

The Church certainly has grown a long way from its beginnings, with twelve apostles and sundry disciples.

Yet we know we should have more of a grip on the world by now, after two thousand years.

We have not penetrated some places, eg much of Asia; and we have lost much of what we had gained, eg Turkey, North Africa – to Islam; and Europe to secularism.

Then there is at the personal level, for each disciple, the battle to hold on to the faith we have received, and make it more real in terms of how we live.

The seed becomes a tree. Trees have their difficulties in growing; but not as many as the Church has faced over 2000 years.

Persecution: many kingdoms have tried to destroy the Church, and prevent the Kingdom of Heaven from taking root.

The earthly kings and empires feel threatened so they try to stamp out the new religion. Many Christians have lost their lives as a result.

Christians are intimidated as to holding the faith. If we express our faith too readily we will be punished in some way, if not by death, then maybe demotion, ridicule, expulsion from the circle.

At the opposite end we have Seduction. We are promised rewards if we follow the world’s way of thinking. Don’t be too particular about right and wrong; just go with the system and you will rise far.

Speak out and we will punish you; keep quiet and we will reward you. Either way or both we are tempted to abandon the fight.

Then there is the challenge to each individual simply to cope with life and its daily troubles.

It is hard for us to be holy each day, and all day.

We are tempted on a smaller scale in the same way as the whole Church is tempted.

Keep the commandments and suffer the pain of restraint and discipline.

Break the commandments and experience how easy it is to live if we submerge the conscience.

How do we find the right course and the courage to stay on it?

We learn and re-learn the words of Our Lord and follow His way. Our trust in Him becomes great enough that we will make light of the world’s promises and its threats.

They cannot do as much good or harm to us as Our Lord.

As much good because He promises an eternal reward. As much harm because He can cast the soul into Hell (Mt 10,28),

The tree has to battle its way through the undergrowth to emerge taller than all else around it.

So for the Church; so for the individual disciple.

We have to do some work to get to the right place in this life. Grace will be available to help us overcome all difficulties.

We become stronger at recognising the smoke screens and seeing through them.

We prefer the truth, and anchor ourselves in it.

Is it really possible? Yes, to the serious disciple. We see the falsehoods all around and we grasp the one solid reality – divine Truth. This is what it means to take shelter in the branches.

In the Church we are secure, not from persecution, but from falling into error and sin. Living in the Church we are fortified in truth and virtue. To take another tree image from the Gospels, we are attached to the tree and draw life from it (Jn 15,1-8); and we bear fruit.

Third Last Sunday after Pentecost 11 Nov 2018 Sermon

Third Last Sunday after Pentecost 11.11.18 Providence (5th after Epiphany)

Today is Remembrance Day for the end of World War I, one hundred years ago.

We pray for an end of wars, for true peace among nations, realizing that such can never happen unless Man declares peace with Almighty God!

It is the rebellion in the human heart which leads to all the conflict; not only wars but every kind of discord between people.

To make peace with God means that we accept His holy will, that we express gratitude for His providence, that we live in partnership with Him on all points.

He wills above all else that we come to understand the special role He has for us.

Most of God's creation has no choice but to obey Him. The inanimate objects, such as the sun and the stars – they are impressive, and in their way they give glory to God; but they have no knowledge of what they do. The sun had to rise this morning; we had a choice!

We are blessed with the ability to reason, to decide what we are going to do; in short, we have free will. We can obey or disobey, build up or tear down.

This gives us the opportunity and the obligation to give full honour to God in our hearts, minds, bodies.

We are stewards of creation, but this means more than looking after the environment. It extends to every matter where there is an element of right and wrong involved, where good and evil are opposed, and good must be chosen.

When we choose the good we are sharing in the creative and saving will of God.

We talk of God's providence. This goes further than sending us rain and sunshine etc. His providence includes that He enables us to take our place with Him, as sharers in His authority over the universe.

It would be easier if God simply did everything for us, but it is to our glory that He entrusts us with a more difficult role. It is clearly God's will that we bring ourselves, brains and all, into union with Him.

Which gets back to the War, and we are reminded of how poorly the human race has taken up the special role entrusted to it.

Logically, each generation should be wiser and better than the one before. Every generation of children thinks it knows better than their parents, and also better than their children; yet there is a depressing sameness about human history, always plagued by wars and other forms of hatred.

They could actually be better by calling on the grace of God; it is just that not enough people are requesting it.

God provides this grace, and provides also that we would understand our need for it. He wants us to wake up to this.

We can be strong, confident, trusting children of the Father, and disciples of Our Lord.

If we face difficulties - and there are many – they also can be provided for. Divine grace will make us bold, and selfless, once we have enough of it.

God's ways can be mysterious to us. We wonder, as in today’s Gospel, how He lets evildoers do so much evil.

We come to see that it is mainly to give those same evildoers the chance to repent.

When a sinner repents the angels rejoice (Lk 15,10). In terms of God's providence this is the best thing yet. This is what He wants, above all else. This is what He ‘provides’ for.

When will they ever learn? As we contemplate a hundred years of not-learning-much, we can resolve to do better with the next hundred years. We take our place as sharers in God's creative and saving plans.

Fourth Last Sunday after Pentecost 4 Nov 2018 Sermon

4^th Last Sunday after Pentecost 4.11.18 All Saints

How does one become a saint? By the mercy of God obtained through the saving death of Our Lord.

He loved us first. If we manage to love Him in return it is because we have responded to His grace.

This the saints have done. Sinners like us, they have asked for and received the mercy of God; and they have been purified of all trace of sin

It sounds so easy - why is not everyone a saint? Not everyone recognizes their sin or their need for correcting their lives.

In each person a battle is being fought for correct spiritual sight. If we can see that life lived in Christ is better than life in the world alone, then we are a long way towards becoming a saint.

On All Saints Day we acknowledge the ‘ordinary’ saints, people like our own parents or family or parishioners.

We hope that all the people we love and pray for either have reached, or will reach Heaven.

What they lacked in merit may the mercy of God supply.

Sainthood can be achieved by indirect means. It is better of course to grasp the nettle, to pitch in fully and be a zealous disciple of the Lord. But if we are hesitant, fearful, habitual sinners – it is still possible to be a saint, by sincere sorrow for what is lacking. We can at least achieve that much; to be sorry for all that we should have done or should have been, but did not achieve.

His mercy purifies us so that we are actually changed by the experience. We become perfect by receiving the cleansing grace of Christ (washed in His Blood). We are then able to put into practice the charity that comes from God.

If we are not perfected in this life, it will happen in Purgatory. No one can enter Heaven unless cleansed of every sort of blemish. This means that everyone in Heaven is perfect (each to his respective capacity).

It is not as though God simply overlooks our faults and lets us into Heaven anyway; He removes the faults – either before or after death. As long as we can at least be sorry for our sins and willing to make amends.

But we can at least reduce the sin we commit and transform vices to virtues. We don't just sit back and say, Well, I am a sinner so here goes. We make every possible effort to cooperate with the mercy of God and let Him transform us.

It is better of course to be purified of sin before we die rather than after. This, because it is easier to do while still alive; and more importantly because it gives greater honour to God.

Why waste another day before we resolve to belong to Him entirely?

We know what it is to regret lost opportunity. We do not want to face a great sadness at the end of our lives. Rather we strive to be like the good and faithful servants who were found at their work when the Master returned (Mt 24,46).

His mercy forgives, primarily, but has other good effects too: such as motivating us to good; to being merciful ourselves; to evangelising, helping others to see the way forward.

We hope to be part of the ‘All’ in All Saints. It is not so hard to reach Heaven if we observe the basic requirements. But we will not give any room to complacency or idling. Let us do good while we have the chance (Ga 6,10).

Christ the King 28 Oct 2018 Sermon

Christ the King 28.10.18 Imitating the King

We can think of Our Lord as King in two different ways.

He is King in the sense of glory. He is seated at the right hand of the Father; He will come again to judge the living and the dead. He has been exalted far above all else: God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Ph 2,9-11)

He is worthy of all praise and adoration. No words we can say would ever be enough.

Yet this is the same Person who is seen kneeling down to wash the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper.

He is the same who is gentle with the poor and disadvantaged, the sick, and sinners.

He has all authority as God, but holds back on the use of His power. He seeks to persuade by love, to lead people rather than impose upon them.

He shows great humility, especially on the way to Calvary and on the Cross.

This is not what we would normally expect of kings; they are not usually so humble.

What king would be born in a stable? Or allow himself to be crucified, if he had the means of getting away? What king would be generous enough to give his life for his subjects?

Our Lord did all these things, thus showing another kind of power.

In His glory He can make universes, create great wonders with just a word.

In His humility He can show great capacity to love and to give.

In both ways He shows great strength - the strength of glorious power with the strength of perfect self-control, every thought word and deed in perfect harmony.

Either way He deserves to be worshipped – Worthy is the Lamb (Rev 5,12).

If we worshipped with the angels all day we would never reach the end. All His perfections are infinite, therefore unending.

We honour heroes. A hero could be someone who saved one life once. What about someone who saves billions and is saving all the time?

On this feast we honour Him in both lights - Glory and Humility.

The praise that we can give is just a drop in the ocean, but valuable to Him all the same.

We praise Him and we imitate Him, at least on the humility side.

We can wash each other’s feet, taking that to mean mutual service, and humility as regards each other; always happy to take the lowest place (Lk 14,10); forgiving one another (Ep 4,32); to lay down our lives if required (1 Jn 3,16).

We hope by this imitation to be glorified by Him, sharing in His glorification as Man.

We hope also to give Him a Kingdom on earth, as He has in Heaven.

He is King anyway, but if we let Him be King over us (instead of resisting at every turn) this will serve to give Him glory.

We glorify Him in our prayer, but better still in our obedience and trust.

If we let His royal power work in and through us we then we will see better days.

It is in our power to live in imitation of Him, and to make that way of living the norm, insofar as we can.

When people forget God they do a great deal of damage. When they kneel before Him there will be peace. When people realize they belong to the same King they lose the desire to fight. Swords are turned into ploughshares (Is 2,4).

Better still, they lose the desire to sin. Sin is rebellion against the perfect King, and perfect society. Why do we want to do that?

Far better if we learn from His humanity how to manage our own.

If we humble ourselves as He did, we will be exalted as He was.