10th Sunday after Pentecost 14 Aug 2022 Sermon

 10^th Sunday after Pentecost 14 August 2022  Humility

The pharisee was  too much pleased with himself for his prayer to be effective. And the publican was successful in his prayer because he was displeased with himself, and knew that he needed God’s help.

It is only by God's grace that we can get anything right. He prompts us to make the right choices, and then gives us the will to put those decisions into practice.

We must never for a moment boast of our achievements, even to ourselves, as though we are somehow cleverer or better than others.

We must be humble all the way through – before, during and after. And thank God all the way.

Everything comes back to our relationship with God. Religion is not just a corner of our lives, but has to be central if we are to get the right understanding of things.

Salvation happens when we come into full alignment with God's plans for us. He calls everyone to eternal life, and this call begins with a direct personal interaction with Him, being fully attentive to Him, not just seeking our own advantage, but putting Him first genuinely.

Today there is a lot of emphasis on self-esteem. People are encouraged to discover their true selves and blossom to full potential.

This can be a good thing as long as it is not overdone or misdirected – which it will be if God is excluded from the picture.

No one should be seen as useless or hopeless. We all have something to offer, and so we encourage each other. However, we do not want to overdo this to the point that we think we can do it without God.

Without Him as anchor and guide human pride can run anywhere. See the trouble we have right now with certain tyrants who want to invade their neighbours. They have plenty of confidence, but it is misdirected.

True humility is happy to work with others, having a common objective which stems from God Himself.

Whether we liken ourselves to a human body with all its parts, or an orchestra with all its different instruments, there is a great need for unity and communal collaboration in doing God's work..

There is no place for envy. If others can do something better than I then I am glad about that. Thus today’s epistle 1 Cor 12,2-11 where  the Holy Spirit brings out what is best from all of us.

We must not be envious of particular gifts, particularly the ones which attract attention.

On the other hand, if there are worse sinners than we are, we do not take pleasure in that, but wish them to come to true holiness.

We cannot know the state of others’ souls, in any case. It is enough if we seek increase in our own holiness and wish the same for others.

Humility means we may never be recognized for the sacrifices we make, for our attention to duty, for having anything to offer to the world.

We may be dismissed as old-fashioned, out of touch, still clinging to old ways while the world has moved on.

All this and more we will be told, but this is what to expect as disciples of Christ.

He Himself was rejected because He would not dance to the world’s tune.

He had something much better to give but it was too good for coarse minds to grasp. So as usually happens, violence was called upon, and He was crucified.

We are prepared to endure ridicule and worse for the sake of the Kingdom. We know that we will be exalted if we are first humbled for the sake of Christ.

9th Sunday after Pentecost 7 Aug 2022 Sermon

 

9^th Sunday after Pentecost 7 August 2022 Punishment

Does God punish? Not as in ‘taking revenge’. He does not want us to suffer hurt but He will allow suffering if it is needed to advance the cause of our salvation. Sometimes harsh measures are required to reach the ultimately soft conclusion.

He is warning us so that we ourselves will make any necessary changes. In that event there would be no need for punishment because the point is already taken.

The same can be said for all prophecies, and messages from Heaven. They are sometimes severe in their tone, but it is all for a reason - to move us to repentance and conversion first, and thus not needing correction or punishment.

We can come to love God for His goodness, and not out of fear.

God wants us to have an attitude of reverence towards Him, of belief in His love and good intentions towards us; of gratitude, humility and loyalty to Him. He has been so good that all these attitudes become our normal way of interacting with Him.

He wants us to have real unity with Him, actually being good, not because we fear punishment, but because we love God, and with that, all that is right and good.

Fear of the Lord, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, does not mean we are quivering nervously, but that we take God seriously, with all the reverence and attention that is required.

We think now, and act upon it, making and keeping good resolutions; and if those resolutions collapse we make new ones, and eventually one of them will hold up.

We see God's attitude to punishment when He laments the fate of Jerusalem (Lk 19,41-47). He weeps because they have missed so many chances to be saved.

He wanted instead that sinners would come to Him and be forgiven.

This has never yet happened on the scale that Our Lord wants, so we see the plagues and disorders continue; along with the crumbling of established order as people become more rebellious.

The remedy for all of it is very simple: Repent! That is everything in one word.

There will be other things that are needed but there has to be a clear repentance from the human race.

We repent for one’s own sins, and as far as we can for the sins of all mankind.

We are prepared to do more for that result. If we are close to Our Lord we will share in His desire to save sinners.

Meanwhile, for as long as we live and the world lasts, we maintain a state of humility and reverence towards God, always seeking to improve on wherever we are, never presuming that we have done enough, or that we are good enough as we are.

In this state we will be pursuing all the benefits of salvation as we grasp that more is available to us, if only we seek it.

If the word ‘punishment’ seems too strong or too harsh, then we can say ‘purification’ – things that go wrong can purify us of false or disordered attachments.

Or ‘purgation’, another word with a similar thrust. In Purgatory the souls are ‘purged’ or purified from sinful attachments.

It is painful but also sweet, as we discover the goodness of God and wonder why we did not do that sooner.

Why wait till we die to find that out? We can do it now as we ask the Lord to hold back His punishments, and give us instead the grace to do His will.

8th Sunday after Pentecost 31 Jul 2022 Sermon

8^th Sunday after Pentecost 31 July 2022 Living in the Spirit

One can be intelligent but not wise. Many people are too ‘clever’ to come to terms with God, either as to understanding or obeying.

A humble peasant praying reverently is showing more wisdom than a highly educated person mocking religion.

They say if you don’t know history you  are condemned to repeat it. But it seems that even if we do know history we are condemned to repeat it!

Folly can be kept in circulation and it is contagious.

Every generation makes the same mistakes. We should improve over the centuries but it seems we do not.

We have progressed technologically but not morally.

Generally, if we are learning a new skill and we get something wrong, we go back and get it right, gradually gaining greater control over the skill in question.

We do this cheerfully with certain tasks we attempt, concerning say, music or language, yet we do not do it with our whole lives.

Playing sport or music we could not be so careless as we are with life itself – as to whether we are hitting the right note or not!

Our Lord points out to us in today’s Gospel that the swindlers of the world plan their way more carefully than the honest people.

He is exhorting us to use more of that wisdom He has planted in us, to learn just one thing from the criminal world – that we have a goal and we press on towards that goal no matter what else.

We need a more precise attitude to whether we are doing right or wrong, and this will enable us to build up good habits and perform better overall.

Granted it is harder to live a whole life than to do one or other task, but we have a great deal of help available if we call upon it.

The grace of God will enable anything He asks from us. He will never command the impossible.

He will make it clear to us what He wants and then give us the strength we need to do it.

This works better the more we try it.

We tend to stay with what we know and just say we are good enough generally, and that should be good enough for anyone else!

But now, having been baptized, we live by the Spirit (epistle) and that is another matter.

We have received the Spirit within. He has the power to do things even if we do  not, and He will enable us, as He works through us.

We can uproot various bad habits we may have despaired of ever removing, simply by asking for the strength from the Holy Spirit.

Being good all the time amounts to getting each thing right as it arises. There is no complicated formula, just calling on God's help at each step. Eventually, the right responses become habitual and therefore relatively easy.

Living in the flesh is slavery to passions and disordered desires. We can be set free from that slavery, whereby we want the right things in the right way and the right amount.

Wisdom and intelligence can meet and get along together. We know how things work (intelligence), but more importantly how they fit in with each other (wisdom).

The Holy Spirit transforms us into what we were always meant to be, holy children of God.

This is what each individual is called to, and the Church also, to radiate life and holiness to the world so that people will flock to the Church as a sign of hope and refuge. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Is 2,2).

We can learn from history after all, at least what not to do. Do not go on ignoring or denying Almighty God, but give Him first place in our hearts, minds, and lives.

7th Sunday after Pentecost 24 Jul 2022 Sermon

 

7^th Sunday after Pentecost 24 July 2022 True religion

Many Gospel passages put before us an ultimatum, that we must be decisive on the matter of being a disciple of Christ.

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. (Mt 16,24).

No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. ...(Lk 9,62)

And today’s Gospel:  it is not those who say, Lord Lord, but those who do the will of God will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 7,21)

We might think these to be poetic exaggerations, but when taken together they convey a sense of all-or-nothing. Our Lord does not want us to be half-disciples, only giving to Him sometimes.

We would like to be able to respond to Him with the same certainty and enthusiasm that He asks from us, but we are often unsure of our ground, and want to have something in reserve. (like Ananias and Sapphira, perhaps? Holding something back cf Acts 5,1-10)

When God commands something He will always give the means of fulfilling that command. We will say it is too difficult but He will show us otherwise.

The key for us is to ask His help and then be ready to go wherever that leads, understanding that He will make it manageable.

With that assurance we can promise to give Him all rather than half, or nothing.

Imagine the Church if every baptised disciple made that commitment, retrieved their old promises still unfulfilled, and really exerted themselves!

It does not mean we have to sell all our possessions as for those first disciples. But it does mean that we put every aspect of our lives under God’s authority and providence.

We will be good trees bearing good fruit, or branches attached to the vine which is Christ (Jn 15,1). Attached to Him we can do whatever He asks of us.

How do we achieve this, or at least draw closer?

We are told it takes more than saying Lord, Lord. It has to be more than words, and more than ritual actions.

Whatever we give to Our Lord must be from the heart. The interior must match the exterior word or action.

It is still a good thing to do the external things, like kneeling down, bowing one’s head, taking part in Mass and other ceremonies.

These things remind us of the need to get the interior right, and also they go some way to helping us have the right dispositions. They bring grace upon us, and we become stronger each time.

Anything that promotes an awareness of what is required, or gains us some extra help will be welcome.

If we repeat the same things over and over, it must have some effect on our way of thinking.

This is one reason why it is important to come to Mass at least on Sundays. Each time there will be some reaction unless we are completely blocking the process.

We will be more inclined to turn away from sin, to be generous, forgiving, less self-centred etc.

Yes, we will very likely still stumble. But we are working our way towards the perfection that Our Lord asks of us.

One minute we say Yes, I will follow.

The next minute we ask for forgiveness for some lapse, and for generally falling short of the ideal.

We do not then dismiss the ideal but call on more strength. We can then give the ‘all’ that Our Lord is asking from us.

6th Sunday after Pentecost 17 Jul 2022 Sermon

 6^th Sunday after Pentecost 17 July 2022 Compassion of Christ

Our Lord has compassion on the multitude; they have nothing to eat and He feels genuinely sorry for them.

Of course this is symbolic of a deeper problem and a deeper solution. He is working this miracle to promise something better than bread.

He was sorry for the whole human race that would make such hard work of something that should have been simple, namely salvation, even to the point of putting that salvation in doubt.

All this difficulty is caused by sin, the Original sin and then some more. It is harder to solve a problem when the factors causing the problem are still very active.

Still, the Saviour has noted our trouble and is still anxious to save us, despite our ingratitude, defiance, indifference etc.

We call on the Lord’s help to make us willing to receive the nourishment that only He can give us.

Part of the problem of being spiritually hungry is that we may not know it. Everyone knows they need food, but they may not know they need God, as in the Eucharist, and the new way of life that goes with that.

They might deny it or simply not get around to thinking about it. Or they just think they are getting by ok.

It is easy to dismiss what seems a distant solution, but there is so much to discover here.

These people need more than a free meal; they need to find God.

And He will help them do that.

We might start the search for God tentatively, but we will become more aware of Him as we go along.

Our Lord certainly is aware of us. He knows each sheep, and deals directly with each one.

He hopes that each one will wake up to how fortunate they are to have such a possibility, such a solution.

The Eucharist is an acquired taste, requiring a sense of loss if we do not receive it.

The Eucharist can be understood only if we make sufficient commitment to a life of discipleship of Christ. One cannot simply come off the street and expect to receive the full benefit.

There are people who demand the Eucharist as a right; yet they openly maintain a lifestyle out of union with God. Taking the Eucharist on those terms will make matters worse.

Instead, we keep the commands, pray the prayers, help the neighbour - all at the same time, and then we will see the Eucharist as part of a whole way of life.

God perseveres. He has compassion even on the lost and the most difficult.

He continues to offer Himself, and some at least will repent.

God is not so mysterious that we know nothing about Him. He has a definite plan and desire to win people to Himself - thus today’s epistle regarding baptism. He claims them all – go and baptize all nations.

He wants us to feed people with the truth. There is so little truth about! To help people to think straight, and to know night from day.

We are fortunate if we already know these things, but we realize how hard we have to work to keep these beliefs foremost in our minds, so steering through this life to eternity.

We do what we can to make it clearer for others, to unravel the hostility and confusion. They need to know they do have a reason for existing, and it is to glorify God, and share in His happiness. Each person missing is a great loss, for themselves and for the whole Church.

May we all be saved.

 

 

5th Sunday after Pentecost 10 Jul 2022 Sermon

5^th Sunday after Pentecost 10 July 2022  Unity in worship

Our Lord calls us to a very high standard in terms of how we treat each other. We must love our neighbour, to the point of never so much as an insult, and having no ongoing grievance. If you present your gift…go first to be reconciled with your brother (Gospel).

He wants us to find unity in Him. He has died for all, now He wants all to react accordingly.

Imagine you survive an accident with several other people. They all survive too, so you are glad that no one is killed.

This can be an image for how we see salvation. We are glad that God forgives us, but must also be glad that He forgives others. even if they are our enemies.

When we come to Mass we are expressing our unity with Christ in His saving sacrifice; we are by implication expressing unity with each other.

We cannot have malice in our hearts to each other as we are all focused on Christ, and He makes us one if we were not before.

The same then  extends logically to every other time, outside of Mass. This would be hypocrisy, acting charitably in one place but not another. We must be at one with Christ in all times and places, and thus with other people too.

This is better than hating or seeking revenge. It is certainly better for the Church, not having to endure a war among its own members.

This is especially relevant when we gather at Mass. We are present together at this particular time and place. There are limits to how well we know each other, and what needs others may have, but we can still achieve a strong unity in Christ.

If I am here to deal with Him, and you are here for the same reason, that makes us united.

We contribute what we can in terms of charity, love of God, strength of faith etc

The more we give of ourselves the stronger will be the effect of the Mass on the rest of the world.

If the congregation is strong or weak in faith and charity it makes a difference. The same goes for the priest! Imagine praying with a church full of saints. Then imagine a congregation which is completely indifferent. The Mass is the same, but there must be different results.

We are here at Calvary, which is the basis of every Mass. Calvary was no picnic yet leads to great joy when its effects come into play. Individuals are made holy and people are reconciled.

We are not just trying to keep the peace but seeking full unity with Christ.

Some call for a freer self-expression in Mass, without the formality of old.

Think of the Mass like a play where each character has his lines to say.

If we are in a play we do not presume to change the words we are supposed to say, or to say whatever we like.

For the good of all, for the glory of God we play our part, externally, and as in today’s Gospel, internally. If we look like a pious crowd, then let us be truly as we appear.

Mass is essentially the action of Christ, but the participation of the people is important to receive the full benefit of His offering, and allow it to take effect. He needs us to receive Him, and if we do that we are stronger each time.

May the Lord unite us to Himself in this perpetual sacrifice to the Father.

4th Sunday after Pentecost 3 Jul 2022 Sermon

4^th Sunday after Pentecost 3 July 2022 Frail humanity

We have just celebrated the feast of Sts Peter and Paul, whereby we reflect that God uses human agents to achieve His will. He entrusts to those two saints the leadership of the emerging Church.

We might wonder why Our Lord would do that, knowing that He could run the Church much better than any mere human.

It is part of God’s saving will, however, that we learn to cooperate with Him. He does not strictly need us as He has all power in Himself. He could easily work a miracle or two to bring about any desired result.

He works through us, like a master class where the master seeks to impart knowledge and capability to the students. The hope is that the students will be as good as the master eventually, or at least they will be better for the contact they had.

To share in the joy of creativity, learning to do new things is generally good, best of all when it is a sharing in God's own nature and creativity. God hopes to bless us with a greater share in His life and nature.

This has happened, as in the case of Sts Peter and Paul, and many other holy people. It could happen a lot more if God were seen as He rightly is, at the centre of all our plans and projects.

From God's point of view, salvation of a person is not complete unless that person come to a true self-understanding, not just obeying certain laws, doing certain things, avoiding other things.

We need laws to guide us, but we are not just slaves, employees, or spectators, but children of God. He wants us to see ourselves in this light and come to a voluntary and complete union with Him.

This is the way He made us, and He wants us to reach this full capacity, of understanding and ability. We would settle for less, probably, but we are much better off if we take God's way.

Ask the apostles if they are glad now that they followed Our Lord, with all its consequences, or would they prefer to have stayed as they were?

If we get to heaven we will say it was all worth it, all the suffering, waiting, hoping, disappointments etc - all will be justified. And we will be grateful that God did it this way.

As to human authority running the Church, yes, there have been many problems, as we could have predicted at the start.

That brings in another element – that we must pray for our leaders. We pray that God the Holy Spirit will fill their hearts and minds with heavenly wisdom and courage.

Sts Peter and Paul would have benefitted from that fact that others were praying for them.

We pray for the Pope and local bishop by name in every Mass. We might take that as a somewhat routine thing, but it must make a difference.

Entrusting the Church to human authority will work after all if enough people pray for it to work as God wants.

In general we pray for all other people to become what they are meant to be in God's sight.

For ourselves we work on our own response to God's call and grace.

Our Lord is doing a double act of salvation. One, bring the people in, to be rescued from darkness (the miraculous catch of fish). This is the first part of salvation.

The second part is that those in the Church reach a more complete union with God, whereby we are transformed in grace, becoming wise, mature, complete, charitable, merciful etc

He works through people and on them at the same time.

Thus His glory is reflected in us, and our happiness is increased. Blessed be God.