Introduction to the Celebration
One of the great gaps in each of our lives is between
intentions and actions; we often have only the best intentions but what we
actually do is a lot less wholesome. We have noble words and ignoble deeds. We
make professions of faith with our lips, but not with our deeds or our wallets;
we say we are willing to be disciples of the master, but we often find easier
paths and other guides. We claim the enlightenment of the gospel and to be the
people of love and peace, yet our behaviour often brings the very name of
Christ into disrepute. It is this gap that is the focus of our thoughts and
prayers in this assembly. Let us reflect now on this chasm that opens up
between our public religious identity and our ways of living.
Michel DeVerteuil
General Comments
General Comments
Today’s gospel passage contains several different teachings, each of them very
deep and relevant to us today, and each expressed in its own imaginative
language. Since they are all so special it might be better to focus on each one
individually although we may come to see a common thread running through
them all.
Another point to note is that the teachings are addressed to two different groups:
- the “scribes and Pharisees” on the one hand,
- the “people and his disciples” on the other.
In fact the focus shifts so that it is now one group that is being addressed and now the other. In our meditation we need to be conscious of the group being addressed and of how we identify with each.
• The Pharisees are those in authority who adopt false values. A good meditation on them will avoid two errors – self-righteousness on the one hand, playing down the evil of what they do, on the other. We avoid self-righteousness by recognising something of ourselves in them (even if in a reduced way); we feel the evil of their ways by entering into Jesus’ indignation.
• The “people” are us when we let ourselves be oppressed by others and some Jesus helps us to discover our freedom and dignity.
In either case we celebrate Jesus, the great teacher and leader:
- he is fearless in confronting the scribes and Pharisees, reminding us of times when we have been challenged by people, events or institutions – perhaps a Biblical word;
- he believes in the common people and is deeply respectful of them – a wonderful model for community leaders, catechists and spiritual guides. A model too for the Church community in our time.
Verses 1 to 3 are addressed to the common people. Jesus reassures them – they must not let themselves be awed by those in authority who do not practice the noble things they proclaim.
We remember times when we allowed ourselves to be overawed by others because:
- they were better educated,
- they belonged to a higher social class, to an ethnic group, culture or religion with a higher status,
- they were more “respectable” in the eyes of our Church community, neighbourhood, society.
Then some Jesus came into our lives (as individuals, Church community or culture) and freed us from this dependency. We saw that those we had placed on a pedestal were flawed like all human beings and we felt liberated.
Another point to note is that the teachings are addressed to two different groups:
- the “scribes and Pharisees” on the one hand,
- the “people and his disciples” on the other.
In fact the focus shifts so that it is now one group that is being addressed and now the other. In our meditation we need to be conscious of the group being addressed and of how we identify with each.
• The Pharisees are those in authority who adopt false values. A good meditation on them will avoid two errors – self-righteousness on the one hand, playing down the evil of what they do, on the other. We avoid self-righteousness by recognising something of ourselves in them (even if in a reduced way); we feel the evil of their ways by entering into Jesus’ indignation.
• The “people” are us when we let ourselves be oppressed by others and some Jesus helps us to discover our freedom and dignity.
In either case we celebrate Jesus, the great teacher and leader:
- he is fearless in confronting the scribes and Pharisees, reminding us of times when we have been challenged by people, events or institutions – perhaps a Biblical word;
- he believes in the common people and is deeply respectful of them – a wonderful model for community leaders, catechists and spiritual guides. A model too for the Church community in our time.
Verses 1 to 3 are addressed to the common people. Jesus reassures them – they must not let themselves be awed by those in authority who do not practice the noble things they proclaim.
We remember times when we allowed ourselves to be overawed by others because:
- they were better educated,
- they belonged to a higher social class, to an ethnic group, culture or religion with a higher status,
- they were more “respectable” in the eyes of our Church community, neighbourhood, society.
Then some Jesus came into our lives (as individuals, Church community or culture) and freed us from this dependency. We saw that those we had placed on a pedestal were flawed like all human beings and we felt liberated.
Textual Comments
Verses 4 to 7 are
addressed to those in authority.
Verse 4 speaks of their tendency to hand down laws without compassion. We think of
- church leaders unwilling to spend time counselling pregnant girls but condemning them when they have an abortion,
- education (including religious education) as handing down information rather than consciousness raising.
Verses 5 to 7 speak of the Pharisees’ desire for external signs of honour. “External signs” for us will include the different ways (including subconscious ones) in which we look for approval from our peers or from the wider community. This is a defect we can observe in the Church as well.
We read these verses from two points of view:
- remembering moments of grace when we or our community became conscious of these faults in ourselves,
- celebrating Jesus people who brought us to this consciousness. We think of the great men and women, in
our time and in history, who have challenged the structures of our organisation – including the church.
Verses 8 to 10 return to the common folk, reminding them of their right to be guided by conscience. This passage has been crucially important for the development of our church’s wonderful teaching on the primacy of the individual conscience.
We celebrate the great theologians who have courageously upheld this teaching in the face of authoritarian tendencies in the Church, e.g. Cardinal Newman, Bernard Haering, Hans Kung. They have been Jesus for our time.
Verse 4 speaks of their tendency to hand down laws without compassion. We think of
- church leaders unwilling to spend time counselling pregnant girls but condemning them when they have an abortion,
- education (including religious education) as handing down information rather than consciousness raising.
Verses 5 to 7 speak of the Pharisees’ desire for external signs of honour. “External signs” for us will include the different ways (including subconscious ones) in which we look for approval from our peers or from the wider community. This is a defect we can observe in the Church as well.
We read these verses from two points of view:
- remembering moments of grace when we or our community became conscious of these faults in ourselves,
- celebrating Jesus people who brought us to this consciousness. We think of the great men and women, in
our time and in history, who have challenged the structures of our organisation – including the church.
Verses 8 to 10 return to the common folk, reminding them of their right to be guided by conscience. This passage has been crucially important for the development of our church’s wonderful teaching on the primacy of the individual conscience.
We celebrate the great theologians who have courageously upheld this teaching in the face of authoritarian tendencies in the Church, e.g. Cardinal Newman, Bernard Haering, Hans Kung. They have been Jesus for our time.
Verses 11 and 12 (returning to those in authority) can stand on their own but we can also read them in the light of the previous teachings;
- vs. 11 is a commandment, but we must avoid all moralising and read it as a story of grace – Jesus bringing good news. In Jesus we celebrate “great people” – teachers, leaders, spiritual guides – who taught us by word and example to reject the arrogance of authority figures (the “Scribes and Pharisees” of our community) and who put themselves at the service of all;
- vs. 12 is a factual observation which we are invited to recognise from our experience. It raises two possibilities:
* very gifted people “exalted themselves” and ended up “humbled” – looked down on by those who formerly admired them. Here again we must be careful to avoid self-righteousness. A sign that we have done so is that we feel very great sadness at the memory. What a pity!
* truly great people “humbled themselves” and were “exalted”, they gave themselves in humble service and are now widely admired. Some have made the passage on the world stage, e.g. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day; others in the context of our daily lives, e.g. parents, grandparents, teachers, neighbours.
We must not move too quickly to the second stage but spend time remembering (celebrating) the years of frustration. Our overall response must be from the heart – what a privilege to have known people like that!
The saying is a powerful reminder of how life brings surprises; it invites us to celebrate the Jesus who prepared us for this. It is also a call to the Church to speak its prophetic word, warning our culture of how false its values are.
Prayer Reflection
“A seemingly powerless
person who dares to cry out the word of truth and to stand behind it with all
his person and his life has surprisingly greater power, though formally
disenfranchised, than do thousands of anonymous voters.” President
Havel of Czechoslovakia, speaking when he was living under the communist
regime.
Lord, we thank you for
those who live under tyrannical regimes
and keep up the spirits of fellow citizens, telling them, like Jesus,
that they have to obey those who occupy the chair of authority,
and do what they say,
but they must be guided by their own values,
and not the values of those who preach lofty principles and do not practice them.
and keep up the spirits of fellow citizens, telling them, like Jesus,
that they have to obey those who occupy the chair of authority,
and do what they say,
but they must be guided by their own values,
and not the values of those who preach lofty principles and do not practice them.
Lord, we who hold
positions of authority in the Church
wear garments that attract attention;
we are always given places of honour at banquets
and front seats in places of worship;
people often greet us obsequiously in market places
and give us titles of honour.
Preserve us, Lord, from setting store on all these things;
remind us that the greatest thing in our lives
is to be at the service of your people.
wear garments that attract attention;
we are always given places of honour at banquets
and front seats in places of worship;
people often greet us obsequiously in market places
and give us titles of honour.
Preserve us, Lord, from setting store on all these things;
remind us that the greatest thing in our lives
is to be at the service of your people.
“I shall not fear
anyone on earth. I shall fear only God.
I shall bear ill will towards no one.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.” Gandhi
Lord, there are times when people in authority hold us in bondage.
We are terrified of displeasing them, whatever they say is Bible truth to us.
Then you send a Jesus person into our lives who teaches us about our own dignity
- that we have only one Master and all men and women are brothers and sisters to us;
- that we have only one Father, and he is in Heaven; only one teacher, the Christ.
Thank you, Lord.
I shall bear ill will towards no one.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.” Gandhi
Lord, there are times when people in authority hold us in bondage.
We are terrified of displeasing them, whatever they say is Bible truth to us.
Then you send a Jesus person into our lives who teaches us about our own dignity
- that we have only one Master and all men and women are brothers and sisters to us;
- that we have only one Father, and he is in Heaven; only one teacher, the Christ.
Thank you, Lord.
“The important thing
for a woman soldier to remember is not to show weakness.
We wouldn’t give men that satisfaction.” A woman officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force
Lord, in our culture no one wants to appear weak.
We pray that in our Church communities there may be no great honour
for those who pretend to be strong when they are not,
and that those who admit to being vulnerable may be respected.
We wouldn’t give men that satisfaction.” A woman officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force
Lord, in our culture no one wants to appear weak.
We pray that in our Church communities there may be no great honour
for those who pretend to be strong when they are not,
and that those who admit to being vulnerable may be respected.
Lord, we thank you for
the various Centres that have been set up in our Church
to care for unwed mothers.
They are a sign that we do not merely call for obedience to your laws
but help people to bear their burdens.
to care for unwed mothers.
They are a sign that we do not merely call for obedience to your laws
but help people to bear their burdens.
“Power comes from the
people, but no sooner is that power acquired
than those who got the power begin to isolate themselves from people.” Cesar Chavez
Lord, have mercy on us who are in authority in the Church, in the State, in families.
How easy it is for us to hand down commandments,
tying up heavy burdens and laying them on the shoulders of those in our charge,
but never lifting a finger to move those burdens.
than those who got the power begin to isolate themselves from people.” Cesar Chavez
Lord, have mercy on us who are in authority in the Church, in the State, in families.
How easy it is for us to hand down commandments,
tying up heavy burdens and laying them on the shoulders of those in our charge,
but never lifting a finger to move those burdens.
“It is when I am weak
that I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
Lord, we can always recognize a moment of grace.
It is one when we realise how we had been exalting ourselves
and now feel ennobled in our lowliness.
Lord, we can always recognize a moment of grace.
It is one when we realise how we had been exalting ourselves
and now feel ennobled in our lowliness.
“Our fear is that a
reinforced Europe may choose for its conscience the law of the strongest,
the law of militarism, the old law of colonialism and of discrimination because of class, race
and sex.” Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women, July 1990
Lord, we pray for the followers of Jesus who are building the new Europe,
that they may consider it the highest honour in life to be servants of the oppressed;
that among them self exaltation will be held in low esteem
while those who humble themselves will be exalted.
the law of militarism, the old law of colonialism and of discrimination because of class, race
and sex.” Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women, July 1990
Lord, we pray for the followers of Jesus who are building the new Europe,
that they may consider it the highest honour in life to be servants of the oppressed;
that among them self exaltation will be held in low esteem
while those who humble themselves will be exalted.
********************************************************
Homily NotesIf one asks Christians, and especially clergy, whether or not the world benefits from their presence as religious people, one gets a clear affirmative: we point out that our religion is peace-making and loving, that it promotes humility and the care for the underdog, we point out our work for society in areas such as education, and for the world at large giving examples of help offered to poor countries or in the wake of disasters. Clearly, religion is a good thing!
If, on the other hand, one asks people who have no formal
connection with religion whether they think that religions, or organised groups
of religious people, are a good thing or not, the overwhelming answer is not
one of neutrality (e.g. ‘each to their own so long as the horses are not
frightened’) but one of positive fear. Religion, they say, promotes discord,
its organisations promote fragmentation within society, it only gets involved
in social structures so as to enforce its own practices or ideas within
society, it is pompous and arrogant, and can lead to backwardness, coercion,
and hatred. Religion as a private sentiment may be fine in a consumerist
society (‘you want it, you can have it’); but when religion is organised, it is
subversive and divisive.
2.This attack upon religion may be the major threat that
faces us as Christians during the next century. Its power comes partially from
the fact that one can express most conflicts across the globe in terms of
religious divides; and having done so, can imagine that this distinction
between conflicting groups is the cause of the conflict between the groups.
However, its power as a critique of religion (and the reason I do not believe
it will go away any time soon) also comes from the fact that it tunes in with a
dominant theme in our culture: individualist consumerism – there should be no
limits on my personal desires and any external authority regarding my choices
is inherently a threat to my freedom. However, rather than tilt at such giant
ideas – a policy of questionable value in the context of short homily at a
Eucharist – one can note that some of the criticisms offered are strikingly
similar to the criticisms of the religious establishment in today’s gospel.
But even if there were no external criticisms of religion
(and the presence of such criticism should call us to self-reflection as a
first reaction), we need to take stock of ourselves and see whether or not we
are ‘fit for purpose’. This is even more pressing for any religious group, such
as the local community assembling for the Eucharist, than for other groups
which may gather for some good purpose, because of the nature of the claims we
make as a group. We call ourselves ‘the people of God: we say that we are
disciples of Jesus, we claim publicly to be followers of the ‘The Way: and we
propose a message that we will announce to all. Making such claims means that
we acknowledge that other people can have higher expectations of us and so can
castigate us even more trenchantly when we fail to meet our own proclaimed
standards. Sometimes church leaders claim that such an added standard is
unfair, arguing that church people should not be expected to be more
responsible than any other group; but such apologies are perceived as
deceitful for they fly in the face of the wisdom contained in the proverb:
people in glass houses should not throw stones.
4. The fact is that while we say that we are following
Jesus, we continually ‘lose the plot’. It is this losing of the, plot, failing
‘to see the big picture: ‘failing to see the wood for the trees’ that is the
criticism of Jesus of the religious structures of his day. ‘The scribes and the
Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you,
but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice:
So, since we are the people of God, how to we assess
ourselves that we are living up to the claims? We need some pointed questions
that can provoke our thinking.
5. Such questions really belonging to each actual group:
each parish, community, group within the community, each Eucharistic assembly.
One way to form those questions is to note that there are three endemic fallacies
that lull Christians into indolence and self-satisfaction:
First, the fact that the organization is running smoothly
indicates that it is helping people to grow as disciples. For example, the
Eucharist has been celebrated at 10.30am for years and everyone who comes is
happy with this, no one is complaining, and the music group always has the
sheets ready and loves what they sing. Maybe the larger community’s profile has
changed and no one inside this parish circle has noticed? Maybe those times or
that music is very much at variance with what others can cope with or expect?
Second, the fact that we have many achievements of which we
can be proud indicates that we are attentive to the voice of the Spirit. The
parish may run a very successful school and put great efforts into raising
money for this school, but is it putting forth a vision of Christian education
or just a good consumer product? Would those who work for it be willing for it
to relinquish its ability to produce students who’ can get on in the world’ if
that were the price of it having a more person-centred education?
Third, the fact that there was a genuine listening and
response to the call of God at one time means that we can keep repeating that
activity with confidence that that is what is called for from us. Built into
religions is the need for repetition: we repeat stories, we repeat rituals, and
we have structures for this such as the lectionary and the liturgical year. But
repetition can easily become a love of the past; how willing is the community
to change in order to proclaim the Word in each new situation? As Picasso is
reported to have said: ‘Tradition is about having a baby, not wearing your
grandfather’s hat.’
These are, of course, big questions; and so we usually hear
them asked at the big structural level: we hear them at ‘national pastoral
conferences’, at ‘diocesan renewal events’, and the like. But the call of Jesus
was not originally heard in such large structures: the gospel was preached in
small gatherings for the Eucharistic meal that probably never had more that
fifty people present. So Matthew imagined that this piece of gospel would be
provocative at the small level at a Sunday assembly, indeed at a much smaller
gathering than most of the assemblies we now have! It is the actual Eucharistic
group that this gospel expects will have to come to grips with this challenge,
not some greater and more remote structure.
***************
Jack
Mc ArdleCentral Theme
Today’s gospel is a head-on attack on the religious leaders, who preach one
thing, and practise something else. Jesus shows them up as phoneys who try to
impress others by external show, while, within, they are far from being what
they pretend to be.
Parable
With the growth in global communication has come the spotlight that penetrates into every corner, so that it is getting increasingly difficult to conceal, or to suppress scandals. We see that in our Tribunals of Enquiry, where pillars of society, who were telling us to tighten our belts, have been exposed as lining their pockets with millions. All of the recent dictators, who have been ousted, have been exposed as having bled the country’s economy dry, as they stashed billions in other countries. Something similar has been exposed in the church, when some of those who thumped the pulpit and told us how to live our lives, have been exposed as people who themselves were living double lives.
With the growth in global communication has come the spotlight that penetrates into every corner, so that it is getting increasingly difficult to conceal, or to suppress scandals. We see that in our Tribunals of Enquiry, where pillars of society, who were telling us to tighten our belts, have been exposed as lining their pockets with millions. All of the recent dictators, who have been ousted, have been exposed as having bled the country’s economy dry, as they stashed billions in other countries. Something similar has been exposed in the church, when some of those who thumped the pulpit and told us how to live our lives, have been exposed as people who themselves were living double lives.
Story
One day the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing him just how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what could be considered a very poor family. On their return from the trip, the father asked his son, ‘How was the trip?’ ‘It was great, dad.’ ‘Did you see how poor people can be?’ ‘Oh yeah!’, said the son. ‘So what did you learn from the trip?’
One day the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing him just how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what could be considered a very poor family. On their return from the trip, the father asked his son, ‘How was the trip?’ ‘It was great, dad.’ ‘Did you see how poor people can be?’ ‘Oh yeah!’, said the son. ‘So what did you learn from the trip?’
The son answered, ‘I saw that we have one dog, and they have
four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a
creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have
stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole
horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go
beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We have
walls around our property to protect us, but they have friends to protect
them.’ With this, the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, ‘Thanks,
dad, for showing me how poor we are.’
There is a vast difference between being wealthy and being
rich. When I have genuine gratitude for what I have, I may begin discovering
the richness of others.
**********
1.
From
Father James Gilhooley
The boss was in his
new office. An employee walked in. The boss picked up the phone and started an
imaginary conversation flattering himself. He signaled the worker he'd be with
him shortly. The employee said, "Take your time, boss. I'm here to hook up
your phone." "A proud heart," wrote Ben Franklin, "is like
a crooked fence.
All the paint in the
world won't straighten it." The problem of pride was as bothersome to the
early Church as it is to ours. Mark and Luke touch upon pride as well as
today's Matthew. No century corners the market on pride. Can anyone even
remotely imagine a proud Christ? Yet, He had much to be proud about. What
disciple does Jesus seek?
A monk was sent to an
abbey as abbot. He arrived at the abbey. From his dress, the monks judged him
inferior. They sent him to their kitchen. Their new abbot spent weeks scouring
pots and shelling beans. The bishop arrived. When he could not find the abbot,
he went on a search. He found him in the kitchen preparing supper. He presented
him to the monks in chapel. They had received a lifetime lesson in humility.
The abbot is the man whom the Teacher wants. (William Barclay)
The proud, we are
told, pray on Sunday and PREY on those about them on Monday. Rather, pray with
God on Sunday and walk with Him on Monday. The abbot reminds us when we think
we are humble, we are not. Many of us even have a nasty habit of being proud of
our humility. We become legends in our minds. We go to church to find out what
our neighbors should do to lead better lives. He that is proud, said
Shakespeare, eats himself up. Pride, says the Bible, goeth before the fall. In
Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," Alice found a mushroom. When
she ate one side of the mushroom, she found herself getting smaller. When she
ate the other side, she got taller. Of the two situations, Alice decided
smaller was better. For, as she was reduced in size, all things and people
about her looked more wonderful. Less, she discovered, can be more. Small can
be beautiful.
Walt Whitman ate the
correct side of the mushroom, for he wrote, "As for me, I know nothing
else but miracles." We are forever circling that same mushroom. If we
allow ourselves the portion that makes us larger, everything else about us will
lack wonder. We will become puffed up with our worth. Critics will put us down
as studies in pomposity. We will develop in ourselves the very faults which we
detest in others. The proud, says the savant, detest pride in others.
A man was awarded a
medal for his humility. Shortly he was stripped of it. He had begun to wear it
proudly. Many of us have much in common with him. Two ambassadors walked on
Paris' Champs Elysees. They were grieved. Though the Parisians had greeted them
warmly, none had addressed them with their title, "Your Excellency."
If proud, one becomes the character whom Peter Ustinov addresses in his play as
"Your Altitude." We become like those who ask, "What will the
world do without me when I'm gone?" Only those who permit themselves to
grow smaller and smaller will be able to see "the world in a grain of sand
and heaven in a wild flower." Not only will they bring themselves joy but
also they will share that joy with others. They will be God's ambassadors. They
will give pleasure to the Christ.
They will become the
children which the Nazarene asked us to be. They will rush into the Kingdom
laughing and singing "When the Saints Come Marching In." A US senator
attends a weekly prayer group. At its end, while other participants rush to
their jobs, the senator stays to stack chairs and clean up. And he is the
highest ranking person there. Looking for a role model? But do not put off this
thousand mile journey! Lewis Carroll must have had each of us in mind when he
wrote in his other classic "Through the Looking-Glass": "It
takes all the running you can do to stay in one place. If you want to get
anywhere, you have to run twice as fast." A US president was working an
old age home for votes while running for a second term. He said to an old man,
"Do you know me?" The fellow said, "No, but if you ask the
nurse, she'll tell you." No one, history tells us, has ever choked to
death from swallowing his own pride. Can those, who really know themselves,
afford to be proud?
**********2. Fr. Jude Botelho
In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah begins with a
feeling of deep depression almost forgetting what happiness could mean. This is
man’s reaction in the face of death, or the prospect of isolation, want or
chronic ill-health. Is this the end of it all? Then the prophet remembers what
God has revealed of his mercy and he speaks words of hope as he describes final
salvation and the joy of the chosen ones of God, who replied to the Lord’s
invitation, in terms of a banquet. With the reawakening of faith comes the
feeling of peace. The souls in purgatory have this peace as they wait in
patience for the Lord’s coming and the fulfilment of his promise. What is certain
is that He will come and bring his peace and consolation to all who await his
coming.
I Am God’s Man!
During the Second
World War I had something to do with a canteen which was run for the troops in
the town in which I was working. Early in the way, we had billeted with us in
the town a number of polish troops who had escaped from Poland. Among them
there was a Polish airman. When he could be persuaded to talk, he would tell
the story of a series of hair-raising escapes. He would tell of how somehow he had
escaped from Poland, how somehow he tramped his way across Europe, how somehow
he had crossed the Channel, how he had been shot down in his aero plane once
and crashed on another occasion. He always concluded the story of his encounter
with the same awe-stricken sentence: “I am God’s man!”
William Barclay
In today’s gospel we
see Jesus with his friends Martha and Mary as he goes to meet them on the
occasion of receiving the news of the death of Lazarus. The narrative tells us
that he did not immediately rush to Bethany on hearing this news, but went
almost four days after Lazarus was dead and buried in the tomb. Why did he
hesitate and delay? Did he not care for his friends? Could he not do anything
for those who were in pain and loss? These are questions that come up in our
mind not only about the family of Lazarus, but also each time we are confronted
with the death of near and dear ones. When Martha and Mary hear that Jesus had
finally arrived, their reactions were different. While Martha went out to meet
him, Mary remained sitting inside the house. Martha immediately voices her hope
in a plaintive voice: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
At the same time she expresses her faith in Jesus: “But I know even now,
whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.” Jesus responds to her faith by
reassuring her, “Your brother will rise up again!” “I am the resurrection and
the life!” –this statement of Jesus is the centre piece of this gospel on the
raising of Lazarus. To believe in Jesus, Messiah and Son of God, is to have in
oneself eternal life, which no physical death can overthrow. When we believe in
the power of the Lord Jesus the impossible becomes possible, where there is
death life is restored. This happened for Jesus after he died on the Cross
submissive to the Father’s will, and the same happens to all who accept death
as the will of the Father, who let his son die on the cross, and who allows us
to suffer pain and even death. We cannot understand why this has to happen but
we know that only through death do we reach the fullness of life.
Be Not Afraid!
I should like to read
to you some passages of a letter from a man, Captain Scott of the Antarctic,
written in the tent, where it was found long afterwards with his body and those
of some other very gallant gentlemen, his comrades. The writing is in pencil,
still quite clear, though towards the end some of the words trail away as into
the great silence that was waiting for them. It began: “We are pegging out in a
very comfortless spot, hoping that this letter may be found and sent to you. I
write you a letter of farewell. I want you to think well of me and my end.
Goodbye – I am not at all afraid of the end, but sad to miss many a simple
pleasure which I had planned for the future in our long marches. We are in a
desperate state –frozen feet etc., no fuel, and a long way from food, but it
would do your heart good to be in our tent, to hear our songs and our cheery
conversations…. We are very near the end…We did intend to finish ourselves when
things proved like this, but we have decided to die naturally without.” - I
think it might uplift you to stand for a moment by the tent and listen, as he
says, to their songs and cheery conversation.
J.M. Barrie in ‘Quotes and Anecdotes’
Looking in the Mirror
There is a story
about a Jewish man who survived the concentration camps. The night after his
liberation, he went to stay in a nearby house. There he found about thirty
other survivors gathered in the room. Seeing a mirror on the wall, he went over
to it. He was anxious to see what he looked like. But in the same mirror he saw
the reflection of some other people as well. There were many faces in the
mirror. And he could not tell which one belonged to him. He had to make faces
and gestures, in order to be able to distinguish himself from the group. And
when he did distinguish his own face, he got a terrible shock. Because the
person he saw in the mirror was one he had never seen before. He was so changed
that the person in the mirror didn’t bear any resemblance to the person he had
seen before the war. A strange story but true.
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’
There is a sacred
story from the Jewish tradition which tells of a certain rabbi and his wife who
had two sons to whom they were extremely devoted. One Sabbath morning while the
rabbi was teaching the Law in the synagogue, both boys were struck by a sudden
illness and died. The mother laid them out on a bed and covered them with a
white sheet. When the rabbi came home for his meal and asked where the children
were, the wife made some excuse and waited till the rabbi had eaten. She did
not answer her husband’s question but instead asked one of him. “I am placed in
a difficulty,” she said,” because some time ago a person entrusted to my care
some possession of great value which he now asks me to give back. I am unsure
of what to do. Am I obliged to return these great valuables to him?” “That you
should need to put this question surprises me” the rabbi replied. “There can be
no doubt about what you must do. How can you hesitate to restore to anyone what
is his own?” The wife then rose from the table and asked the rabbi to follow
her. She led him to the room where the two bodies lay and pulled back the
sheet. “My sons, my sons,” groaned the father in pain. “The Lord gave and the
Lord has taken away,” said his wife through her tears. “Blessed be the name of
the Lord. You have always taught me to restore without reluctance what has been
lent to us for our happiness. We have to return our two sons to the God of all
mercies.” –Like the Jewish women in the story, we are consoled by our faith in
difficult times. Of course, faith does not banish our sense of loss, but it
affirms the great truth that all life is a gift from God. Who we are is what we
have been given. Death is not a door in the dark, but a dark door into the
light.
Denis McBride in ‘Seasons of the Heart’
One day a priest was preparing a group of children for the
sacrament of Confirmation. He wanted to know how much the kids understood the
Church’s teaching on Final Judgment. He asked one of the little boys, “What
will God say on Judgment day to those who have led a very good life on earth?”
Without any hesitation the boy replied, “Come and enter heaven and live with
me.” The priest asked a second boy, “What will the Lord say to those who have
lived a very bad life?” The boy said, “You cannot come to heaven. You will have
to go to hell.” Then the priest went on: “Now what will God say to those who
are not good enough to enter neither heaven at once nor bad enough to go to
hell?” After a pause a little girl put up her hand and said, “God will say, I
will be seeing you soon!”
Elias Dias in ‘Divine Stories for Families’
On Dad’s Shoulders
In Kohima, Nagaland
there is a War cemetery, where the allied soldiers who died during the War are
buried. On the door of the Cemetery, it is written, “Tell them that we gave our
today for your tomorrow.” Like the soldiers of World War II, the memory of our
near and dear ones is a reminder that we need to be grateful to them because
what we are today is mainly due to their efforts and sacrifices. A Scottish
poet has written, “If I have done anything in life, it is because I was able to
stand on the shoulders of my dad.”
Elias Dias in ‘Divine Stories for Families’
May we pray for those who have gone ahead of us on the way
home!
*******
3.
From
the Connections:
November 2 – Commemoration
of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
John 6: 37-40
THE WORD:
Since the middle of the sixth century, monastic communities observed
a day of prayer on the day after Pentecost for the deceased monks of their
monasteries. The monasteries of Cluny
established the practice of praying the Mass and Office of the Dead on November
2, the day after All Saints’ Day. Many
local churches and dioceses in Europe had similar commemorations for the dead
every year. All Souls’ Day was adapted
by the universal church in the 14th century.
While there are many superstitious customs surrounding All
Souls’ Day (“the Day of the Dead”), the theological underpinnings of today’s
feast is the acknowledgment of God’s mercy despite our human frailty and Christ
as the hope of the living and the dead.
While yesterday’s solemnity celebrates the victory of the saints,
today’s somber and more austere commemoration focuses on the reality of death
as the transition from this life to the life of God.
Today’s readings may be taken from any of the lectionary
periscopes for Masses for the Dead. In
John 6: 37-40 (the Gospel reading found in many worship aids for today’s
liturgy), Jesus concludes the “bread of life” discourse reiterating that God
seeks salvation and eternal life for every member of the human family and has
raised Jesus as his Christ as the means to resurrection.
HOMILY NOTES:
All Souls’ Day confronts us with the sobering inevitability
of death and the pain of taking leave of this life and those we love; but our
faith in the loving providence of the Father tempers our fear with trust and
hope: that we live every day in the promise of Easter’s empty tomb, that our
every step is guided by the light of the Risen One.
Faith enables us to see death not as an ending but as a
beginning: our conviction in the dawning of Easter should warm our winter
hearts as we await new life in the eternal spring to come.
In Christ, God takes the initiative in our salvation; God
makes the first and last move in our redemption. God calls us to himself despite ourselves,
welcomes us, grasps us by the hand despite our doubts, our fears, our
sadness.
In the waters of baptism, we enter into the life of God; in
death, our baptismal journey is completed, our passing over with Christ
perfected. Just as we have lived this
life with Christ, we take our leave of this world with Christ; the baptism that
made us part of his death now makes us part of his resurrection.
“The greatest among you must be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but
all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23: 1-12
Today’s Gospel is another powerful indictment of the scribes
and Pharisees. The scribes were the
religious intellectuals of the time, skilled in interpreting the Law and
applying it to everyday life; the Pharisees belonged to a religious fraternity
(“the separated brethren”) who prided themselves on the exact, meticulous
observance of the Law. Jesus condemns
them for their failure to live up to their teachings: In their eagerness to be revered, they seek
to dominate rather than to serve.
Religious ostentation and pretension are rejected in favor of the
Christian ideal of leadership contained in loving service to the community.
In warning his disciples not to use of the titles “Rabbi,”
“teacher” and “Father,” Jesus condemns the spirit of pride and superiority such
titles connote. Those who minister as
teachers and leaders should be humbled by the fact that they are not teachers
or leaders in their own right but by the inspiration and grace of God. In the reign of God, those who exercise
authority have a particular responsibility to lead by serving.
HOMILY POINTS:
In the Gospel perspective, the greatest leaders and teachers
are those who share their vision of faith not in words alone but by the power and
authority of their example, in the integrity of their lives, in their
commitment of service toward and respect for those in their charge.
Jesus exalts those whose leadership and influence over
others are centered in humble service, in selfless integrity, in respect for
the hopes and dreams of others, in the ability to empathize with and reach out
to the suffering and struggling, the poor and forgotten.
For the person of faith, joy is found not in the recognition
or honor that one receives in doing good but in the act of doing good itself,
in realizing that we imitate Christ in such service, in the assurance that we
are bringing the love of God into the lives of others.
