29th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) 22 October 2023 Sermon

29th Sunday Ordinary time (A) 22 October 2023  One God

Give to God what is God's. What would that be? We cannot give God anything that He does not have, as all the world is His anyway. But we can give Him our hearts and minds in paying Him homage and giving  Him obedience.

Apart from Me all is nothing I am the Lord unrivalled. (cf Is 45,1 and 4-6). From the rising to the setting of the sun. God is the greatest, unrivalled by a long way.

To think that the entire universe comes from one God. We say in the Nicene Creed that we believe in one God, not just God but one God. It is important to say that because it means we believe in no other god. Do not have false gods before Me, says the second commandment. ‘I am a jealous God’ says the Lord (Ex 20,5).

One God is more than enough because He can do everything; and again, all the world is His. (cf Ex 19,5-8).

When we see God's creative power and its diversity, we get some idea of His grandeur.

There is nothing He cannot do. He is far and away above and beyond us; but not so far as to be out of our reach in terms of prayer and sacrament, getting to know his will and presenting him our problems.

We may have a fear in a pluralistic age that we will offend other religions if we assert the truth of our own. But God wants to be made known. The great missionaries like St Paul and St Francis Xavier did not hold back. It is to everyone’s advantage to have the most accurate knowledge possible about the one true God.

He does not need our praise but he does want it. And it does us a great deal of good if we express these things to God, because it cleanses us from false gods and false ways. We become immersed in truth.

And it helps us to live our lives the right way up.

God can see that we damage ourselves when we turn to false gods. It is not out of vanity that He insists on being known, but to help us find the right path.

There are other ways of rejecting God besides pursuing false gods. The biggest problem in our society would be apathy, and just not taking anything seriously in the spiritual line.

We are offered a comfortable vagueness that relieves pressure on us to behave according to any particular way. There is probably something out there but we don’t really know, nor can we know.

There are many obstacles, but there has been considerable success in the Church’s missionary effort. Many have converted over the centuries, and this is great news. God will make Himself known if people seek Him out

We say the creed without fear, and without conditions – such as, we believe in one god, but only when things are going well!

We may not be greatly confident in our faith but we can work on that. The solution lies in developing the true faith not taking up a false one.

The Creed can be a prayer – Lord, help me overcome my doubts and fears. Help me to live in the right way; help others with their doubts and fears, and offer them the certainty of the faith.

Finally it will all fall into place for us: And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. (Zech 14,9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

28th Sunday of Ordinary time (A) 15 October 2023 Sermon

28th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 15 October 2023 Every tear will be wiped away

The recent massacre in Israel and its flow-on effects are presently in the news. (Hamas attack 7 October 2023).

There is much grief and anger surrounding these events. We can look at them from a Christian perspective.

In the first reading (Is 25,6-10) we hear the promise from God that the ‘mourning veil’ will be removed.

That God will act to restore what has been lost, and to bring justice where it has been denied.

This is not only for Israel and not only now. Always in our sad world there is trouble. Always and everywhere. We need some consoling, certainly.

God is promising to give us that consolation we seek, not just in words but physical reality.

He will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

There are two ways we can understand this:

One way is to see these passages referring to the end of time – the second Coming of Christ, the Last Judgment, the resurrection of all the dead.

Think how many people have been murdered, massacred, suffered genocide, and other injustices such as slavery, torture, rape. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without our heavenly Father knowing it (Mt 10,29)– so what about all the people, many of them defenceless children?

The last days are a major part of our belief but so much outside our experience that we have trouble forming any clear picture of it. We know one thing for certain, that the innocent will be compensated for their sufferings - injustices set right, dignity restored for all those shamefully treated. Those whose lives were cut short will have life restored.

The tears shed by them and on their behalf will be wiped away.

This much is for the long term. God will fulfil these promises but we do not know when.

We can also see these promises in a more immediate sense and some of it right now.

When people convert to Christ they are immediately happy. The close experience of God will do much to take away the pains that otherwise press upon us.

If we have come to faith and baptism we can draw consolation directly from Christ, crucified and risen.

At any time God can intervene in His own creation and give us some extra grace to call us back to the right path.

We have just had the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, and that was definitely a special intervention by God.

We hope the human race responds to such signs, even if a little late, and we can see some of those promised consolations in our own time.

It is worth the long wait we have had, and may still have. Such outcomes are worth waiting for; but many get distracted and confused and they abandon the faith thus weakening themselves and the whole Church.

We need the discipline of a St Paul who can thrive on full stomach or empty (Ph 4,12). He can take any which way. Following that example we battle on through the hard times and eventually it will be always easy.

Though there are many difficulties we still never give up. Never means never.

Whether we succeed or fail in the short term we are pursuing the only sane course. The victory is assured, but we need to draw upon it more confidently.

Getting back to the Middle East crisis, we can help dissolve the hatred so that swords are turned in ploughshares (Is 2,4).

Words are not enough; missiles do not help; only full union with Christ will do it. We ask Him to make His presence felt and to resolve the current trouble and all the others.

To wipe away the tears from our eyes.

 

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) 8 October 2023 Sermon

27^th Sunday Ordinary time (A) 8 October 2023 Do not worry

There is no need to worry, from today’s second reading (Ph 4,6-9).

It depends a bit on what we mean by worry. We can take it to mean unnecessary anxiety about something.

Some things require what looks like worry, though we might call it ‘concern’.

Trust in God does not mean we ignore serious matters. If we have a fire or a flood chasing us we have to be concerned by that. It would be irresponsible to ignore a situation where we need to take some course of action, eg to warn people of danger.

An informed and charitable concern would be a good thing in that case, and is something that is required of us.

If there is anything you need pray for it (second reading continued).

Prayer will bring God's healing and transforming power into operation. Sometimes it will be a miracle as He overrides His own laws of nature; most times it will be just the smooth and normal running of events.

A lot of our prayer is asking that things don’t go wrong. That will help too.

So for example, with bushfires we pray for people who are in trouble with a fire, but we also pray for the fires not to start.

God will bring all the elements together, especially when we ask Him to intervene.

The first rule is: Don’t panic! We cultivate an awareness of God's presence and closeness.

Each time we escape some trouble we can record that one for future reassurance.

Yet one more time God has come to our assistance. We reaffirm God's goodness and power constantly - which is one reason why we repeat prayers.

If anyone asks why do you say the same things over and over, it is because we need God's protective power operating at all times. Prayer could be seen in the same light of necessity as we need to breathe, or we need our hearts to keep beating.

It is good to trust God but we cannot manipulate Him, or put Him to the test. For example, by driving recklessly, expecting God to cover my mistakes.

The instruction not to worry applies also to the whole Church. As the Church we face many crises, and trust the Lord to get us through, to cross the Red Sea.

What makes trust possible is the quality of those in whom we place that trust.

When we speak of God, or Our Lady, or the saints, we will find no deception there, and total goodwill on their part towards us.

They will not let us down. God may have other plans in mind than we have, but taking the overall view we trust His holy will, and are prepared to go along with it.

We do not abandon God because we think He has abandoned us.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Rom 11,33) ) We cannot understand all His ways but we can learn at least the main points He wants us to know.

He wants us to trust, but also to ask for what we need. This is so that we will articulate our faith and thus come to a clearer understanding of our position.

If we could know that the amount we pray and the intensity of our prayer actually changes things, more people would be praying than is usually the case.

We have it in our power to change what happens next - to make something good happen, or prevent something bad. We may not know what it is we are influencing but the influence will be real all the same.

Far from worrying we go onto the front foot; we turn every situation to victory. Thanks be to God for looking after us so well!

26th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 1 October 2023 Sermon

26^th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 1 October 2023 Freedom of choice

Two sons give different responses. One says he will not but then reconsiders; the other says he will but does not (Mt 21, 28-32).

The one who does obey, albeit after a delay, is the one for us to follow.

Delay is not recommended but God in His infinite mercy allows some leeway there.

It can take many years for some people to bring their lives under God's authority, even when they know they should have acted sooner.

Ultimately, God wants every person in the world to be united with Him, as child of the Father, disciple of the Son. There are a lot of people in the world, but the same principle applies to all.

Being in union with God will mean that we have to obey Him when He commands or forbids something. And this we can find daunting.

Whereas the alternative is to do as we please, without reference to God or any other restraints which might be in place.

This latter way is appealing because it offers instant happiness without requiring restraint or discipline. There will be an account rendered, however!

It really comes to a battle of viewpoints - short term versus long term. In the short term the way of sin looks good; in the long term the way of God is much more rewarding.

Whether sooner or later we must put our lot with God; there is no salvation anywhere else.

In the parable the two sons have only one choice to make. In life we have hundreds of occasions to decide good or evil. If we are conscious of the choice we can ensure we are moving towards God rather than away from Him.

Why is it so hard to see all this? It is because of previous sin which has warped our capacity to judge. Sin darkens the mind and weakens the will.

We either do not see what is right (intellect) or lack the desire to carry it out (will).

Humans are complicated because we have rationality, the ability to reflect on our actions, and on such things as the meaning of life. We have free will, a privilege shared only with angels of all God's creation.

With God's help we can exercise the free will towards the better alternatives.

The best outcome is where we obey God, we do His will, yet it is because we want to, not because we have to. We realize how good God is to us, and embrace His will for us.

The command to children: Eat your vegetables first, before dessert – this is what it comes to. One can come to like vegetables, and so one can come to ‘like’ God's commands – because they are good for us!

Now we have union between two minds, two hearts.

With full freedom we do the best thing, and this as a matter of habit.

Meanwhile God's grace will go to work on all the people who hold out against Him, who refuse to recognize or obey Him.

He reaches some and not others. We hope for a time when conversions flow more quickly than at present. And we pray that people who are not so clear will see things in a new light and make that happy change for the better.

What we are at the point of death decides our eternal destiny. We can do a lot of things to make that moment as it should be. Prayer, Sacraments, Good works, Penance.

All the time we are learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ; trusting that He will lead us to the right way of seeing things.

That we have a choice increases our glory and gives glory to God.

Yes, Lord, we say, and we do.

 

 

 

25th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 24 Sep 2023 Sermon

25^th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 24 Sep 2023 Working for God

Working for God means doing or enduring, or being whatever He wants from us in any particular situation.

It is a very flexible reality as there are many different aspects to it.

We do what God wants from us in all sorts of ways. It would include long-term things like being faithful in marriage, working (as in career), and short-term things as they arise, like helping a sick person, feeding the hungry.

The earlier we start in life, and the more enthusiastically we embrace the idea, the more ‘work’ we can achieve.

The parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Mt 20,1-16) shows us that one can start serving the Lord at any point of life.

On one reading the parable might sound like the latecomers had the best deal because they had only a little bit of work to do, and the rest of their time was their own.

They were fortunate indeed to achieve salvation in time before death, but more fortunate still are those who discover early in life the need to live life under God's providence.

The early starters get the best of both worlds - the chance to serve God here on earth, and the joy of eternal life.

This would be the position of many of us here. We have been turning up to Mass and other events for most or all of our lives. Because it is work it requires a certain discipline and perseverance. However it is the best way to live, because it brings us close to God in the present and the future.

If we seek the Lord while He is to be found (first reading, Is 55,6) it is better if we find Him early.

The work that God requires from us is sometimes hard work, but we do not allow  ourselves to be bitter at what adversities we encounter.

If we are on course for that ‘one denarius’, that possession of eternal life, then we are in the right lane.

All our disappointments will be washed away by the infinite mercy of God.

This is our main way of coping with grief, which is a shorter-term suffering, eventually assumed into a much longer-term happiness.

From another angle we can see ourselves as the late workers because we are rewarded out of all proportion for the good that we have done.

We could never, strictly speaking, inherit the kingdom of God, because all our goodness just would not be good enough.

However by the generosity of the master of the vineyard we can receive that reward anyway.

All our prayers and good works are carried out with the knowledge that essentially all of us are being overpaid - the early and the late comers.

All glory to God, who has set things up in this way for our benefit.

St Paul worked very hard in every sense of the word ‘work’. Yet he knew it was more than he deserved! For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor 4,17)

Taking his example may we take up our various kinds of work with enthusiasm. It will not be long before the day ends.

24th Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 17 September 2023 Sermon

24^th Sunday after Pentecost 17 September 2023 Forgiving others

The first debtor should have been grateful but apparently was not (Mt 18,28).

So he lost the lot. And the lesson is there so we do not do the same, as we might do if we do not take heed.

Unless you forgive your brother from your heart, then we suffer the same fate (Mt18,35).

When we hear that parable it seems obvious where the first servant went wrong. But as obvious as it is we find ourselves capable of the same error.

We do the same thing when we begrudge mercy to others, the same mercy that we seek for ourselves.

If I get what I need why should I begrudge others getting what they need? There is no answer to that, rationally. It is just the emotions getting involved where they should stay out.

It is one of the side-effects of sin that it will give us a mean streak, whereby we resent the good fortune of others, especially if we think it is more good fortune than we have.

As children we resent if another child has more: I have one chocolate, you have two, that is an inflammatory situation!

As adults we grow out of that? No, it becomes about salary, cars, clothes. The same problem.

In fact we should rejoice in the good fortune of others. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Rm 12,15)

We should want others to receive everything that God wants them to have – especially the spiritual things like mercy, grace, spiritual gifts, and finally eternal life.

God wants each person to come to a certain potential. If He wants it, then we want it too. There is no time for resentment.

Of course, we do not miss out. Heaven is big enough for all who want it. And a repentant sinner is a person we can like, once they have repented.

As to forgiveness, God rejoices in granting mercy to repentant sinners. Cf the father of the Prodigal Son. He ran to meet him and lavished attention on him (Lk 15,20) So there is more joy in heaven over each sinner who repents (Lk 15,7).

In murder trials someone will call out to the accused: I hope you rot in hell. It is the wrong thing to say; we wish no one in hell. If we did wish that then we are back to the problem of the first debtor, unable to extend mercy to his fellow servant.

We can be angry with people we perceive to be in the wrong.

But we do not wish them to stay in the wrong, especially not for eternity.

God seeks to save. He never deviates from this objective.

We must remove the plank from our own eyes first (Lk 6,41-46).

The only way we could ever legitimately wish others to suffer would be that they suffer in the full realization of what they have done, and then repent.

They are not ‘getting off lightly’, as they will suffer real pain, eventually giving way to joy at being forgiven.

We may doubt that the sinner will repent. Whether they do repent or not, our attitude must be the same – that we want them to receive God's mercy.

The Church meanwhile proclaims both mercy and the quest for holiness. We always need mercy; at the same time we can always do good and do better in our grateful desire to please God.

 

 

 

23rd Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 10 September 2023 Sermon

23^rd Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 10 September 2023 Body of Christ

St Paul puts before us the image of the human body as a point of comparison for the spiritual life (1 Cor 12,12-31)

We have each one body which has many parts. Even if even one part is out of order the whole body suffers.

So it is with the Body of Christ, of which we are all a part. If even one member of the Body makes a false step there is an element of discord registered in the whole Body.

St Paul appeals to each of us to do our part in enabling the Body to proceed as it should – in expressing the will of God as He works through each of us, seeking always to embrace more members from among all the scattered sheep in the world.

The Gospel today gives a blueprint for what to do when a member of the Body is misbehaving. There is a graded response whereby the misbehaving member is given stronger correction if he has not responded already. Finally, excommunication is the last resort. (Mt 18,15-20).

In all this procedure the emphasis is on charity and mercy, so that the offender should not feel he has been rejected altogether. The idea is to get him back to full union with the Church (1 Cor 5,1-5).

Given the size of the Church (over a billion members) there are always going to be areas of disagreement. And some of these disagreements will be much less charitably expressed than the Gospel requires.

To which we can say, Forgive each other as soon as a quarrel starts (Col 3,13); treat each other as gently as we would hope to be treated in our turn. The golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do to you (Mt 7,12).

We should be as anxious to preserve unity in the Church as we are to have our own physical bodies have peace within.

God is always at peace with Himself and wants us to share in that state.

Unity does not mean we have to agree on everything. We must agree at least on the essential matters covered in the creeds and catechisms. We have received the faith handed down to us, and it is our task to pass it on without alteration to those who come after us.

For the rest there can be discussion, but always within the bounds of charity and wisdom.

If we ever have to correct someone we think is in error, or someone thinks we are in error, then it is especially important that we keep charity foremost.

Truth can be lost in the midst of personal animosity. One major example of that would be the behaviour of the Pharisees in dealing with Our Lord.

They came to hate Him so much, through a mixture of jealousy and rage, that they did not care if He were the true Messiah or not. They just wanted Him gone, murdered if necessary.

We can be attached to certain causes within the Church to the point that we can come to dislike, or even hate those who oppose us.

This is where we have to be careful not to create more discord than there already is by pushing too hard on our own point of view.

If it is a matter of faith and morals the Church can deal with that along the lines of Mt 18, 15-20).

If it is less important then we may have to let others go their own way, all the while maintaining charity and mutual prayer.

Let peace prevail, whereby all parties to a dispute find their point of reference in Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body, the Master of all disciples.

If we achieve a basic unity He will give us the grace to build on that, while achieving a better understanding of all the issues involved.

This is the Peace of the Lord which is offered to all who come to Mass. The peace of the Lord be with you always. Amen.