Second Sunday of Lent
There comes a time in all our lives when ‘we need to get away from it all’.
We need to find an escape when and where we can think, catch up, reflect, remain silent, un-distracted and uninterrupted.
Lent is a good time to take a day away in prayer somewhere for silence, reflection, confession and new purpose, a place like Mt Melleray for example.
Today’s reading from the Gospel is about the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus and His closest friends take some time out together. For a moment they see Him as the Son of God in glory.
What is that reading doing in the middle of Lent you might ask? Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham points out the relevance importance and necessary contrast between the reading for the event today and that of Good Friday.
The mountain of Tabor explains the hill of Calvary and vice-versa.
The transfiguration event recalled today can only be fully understood when we pair it with Good Friday.
Here Jesus’ clothes are dazzlingly white, on Calvary He is stripped of his garments
Here He is flanked by the great Moses and Elijah, there He is flanked by two thieves
Here He is surrounded by the brightness of the cloud; there He is covered in darkness
Here He is seen in glory, there He is in agony and flecked with blood
Here He is surrounded by some faithful men when all is well, there by faithful women when all is at its worst – how often women are the ones who are silently faithful as men suffer but men-friends cannot cope and are cowards in the face of pain
Here Peter has faith; there he is in hiding and in doubt
Here God the Father’s voice declares ‘This is my Beloved Son’; on Calvary there a pagan soldier says ‘truly this man was a son of God’
Here on Tabor, all is silence and solitude, there on Calvary all is clamour, violence and crowds and noise.
The point is both are important events: and that just as joy and sadness fill our lives, God is present not only when things are brightest but also when things are dark – in loneliness, pain, suffering and tears. God is with us not just when things are going well and all is calm; God is equally with us when all is chaos and even seemingly meaningless.
We are urged today to Listen to Him.
Let us take time apart sometime in Lent to listen to His voice in the silence.
There we might be able to make sense of things and also face the future with faith and trust and not fear.
First Sunday of Lent
First Sunday of Lent
If you ever had the experience of having your house burgled or of having property stolen, you know that one of the questions you ask yourself is: ‘how could I have been so casual or foolish about my property?’ ‘I was asking for it’. We give out to ourselves for letting our guard down. We were not vigilant and pay the price.
You might next ask: ‘how did they (the burglars) know I was out?’ It is scary, and a further violation, to think that a stranger was on the watch, watching our movements in and out of the house for some time.
That’s how the devil operates. He knows our weaknesses and vulnerability. He is patient, and then he pounces. We are tempted, but never beyond our means. On one occasion he is compared to one.
The Lord Himself is tempted by the devil on three occasions when he is at his weakest in body. He survives and succeeds in these mysterious trials and is strengthened for the ministry He is about to undergo. Lent commemorates this 40-day trial, and reminds us of our ongoing life-long battle (or what used to be called spiritual combat' with the ever-present realities of sin, temptation and of Satan.
There is great and, sometimes, unhealthy interest in Satan. The reality that there can in 2011 be commercial films about exorcism points to curiosity but also to the fact that the Church has been too shy or overly cautious (or too embarrassed) to remind us of the dangers of the Evil One. But we are not preaching the Gospel in its entirety if we neglect the many references of Jesus to the Tempter as well as the many exorcisms Jesus and His followers performed.
Temptations differ because we are different in our tendencies to sin. Self-indulgence opens the way to sin, and therefore fasting as one of three remedies – the others being prayer and almsgiving - is recommended. Pope Benedict said in 2009, that the practice of fasting is the means by which we can avoid and overcome sin. We may recall, or it may be recalled for us, that fasting and abstinence was a lot stricter in the past than today. Yet fasting has not lost its power and value, despite the fact that its relevance has not been understood, or the fact that we are still obliged to do penance every Friday, once we have reached our fourteenth year has not been taught sufficiently. This year 2011 is also a Year of Penance, as directed by Pope Benedict and we are called to do penance for our own sins but this year too for the sins of clerical sexual abuse – see the Irish bishops website.*
I am not sure that dieting was a familiar term until recently. A wise bishop once said that what the Church drops, the world picks up in a secular manner. Fasting was abandoned, but the world picked up fasting and turned them into ‘diets’ and commercialised it.
If you want a day to go slowly, fast. Fasting is not meant to end in a splurge of gluttony at Easter, but rather the season helps us to attain moderation and appreciation as well as a certain measure of self-control. Fasting and abstinence helps us to remember to give thanks for what we have received as well as what we ought to do to provide for others who hunger out of poverty - out of a sense of solidarity helping to address the imbalance in the world. We atone too for our personal sins of waste and gluttony as individuals and as a society. We can fast from food, but more importantly we must always strive to fast from sin.
The Lord has a number of names for the devil in the Gospels as ‘a liar, a murderer from the beginning’. We will see him referred to again because in Holy week he enters Judas.
And yet on this occasion in the wilderness he does not call him by his name(s), but counter-argues the Scriptures with him. This is a reminder that we too conquer evil with the Word of God. Knowledge of scripture is knowledge of Christ (St Jerome). We ought to realise that familiarity with Scripture is also a safeguard from ‘the wickedness and snares of the Devil’.
*I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a
period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask
you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your
works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the
Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of
Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming
power of its grace.
Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and
in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted
to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and
monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have
an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real
presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that
have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed
strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests,
religious and lay faithful. I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness. [From the Pope's letter, March 2010]
If you ever had the experience of having your house burgled or of having property stolen, you know that one of the questions you ask yourself is: ‘how could I have been so casual or foolish about my property?’ ‘I was asking for it’. We give out to ourselves for letting our guard down. We were not vigilant and pay the price.
You might next ask: ‘how did they (the burglars) know I was out?’ It is scary, and a further violation, to think that a stranger was on the watch, watching our movements in and out of the house for some time.
That’s how the devil operates. He knows our weaknesses and vulnerability. He is patient, and then he pounces. We are tempted, but never beyond our means. On one occasion he is compared to one.
The Lord Himself is tempted by the devil on three occasions when he is at his weakest in body. He survives and succeeds in these mysterious trials and is strengthened for the ministry He is about to undergo. Lent commemorates this 40-day trial, and reminds us of our ongoing life-long battle (or what used to be called spiritual combat' with the ever-present realities of sin, temptation and of Satan.
There is great and, sometimes, unhealthy interest in Satan. The reality that there can in 2011 be commercial films about exorcism points to curiosity but also to the fact that the Church has been too shy or overly cautious (or too embarrassed) to remind us of the dangers of the Evil One. But we are not preaching the Gospel in its entirety if we neglect the many references of Jesus to the Tempter as well as the many exorcisms Jesus and His followers performed.
Temptations differ because we are different in our tendencies to sin. Self-indulgence opens the way to sin, and therefore fasting as one of three remedies – the others being prayer and almsgiving - is recommended. Pope Benedict said in 2009, that the practice of fasting is the means by which we can avoid and overcome sin. We may recall, or it may be recalled for us, that fasting and abstinence was a lot stricter in the past than today. Yet fasting has not lost its power and value, despite the fact that its relevance has not been understood, or the fact that we are still obliged to do penance every Friday, once we have reached our fourteenth year has not been taught sufficiently. This year 2011 is also a Year of Penance, as directed by Pope Benedict and we are called to do penance for our own sins but this year too for the sins of clerical sexual abuse – see the Irish bishops website.*
I am not sure that dieting was a familiar term until recently. A wise bishop once said that what the Church drops, the world picks up in a secular manner. Fasting was abandoned, but the world picked up fasting and turned them into ‘diets’ and commercialised it.
If you want a day to go slowly, fast. Fasting is not meant to end in a splurge of gluttony at Easter, but rather the season helps us to attain moderation and appreciation as well as a certain measure of self-control. Fasting and abstinence helps us to remember to give thanks for what we have received as well as what we ought to do to provide for others who hunger out of poverty - out of a sense of solidarity helping to address the imbalance in the world. We atone too for our personal sins of waste and gluttony as individuals and as a society. We can fast from food, but more importantly we must always strive to fast from sin.
The Lord has a number of names for the devil in the Gospels as ‘a liar, a murderer from the beginning’. We will see him referred to again because in Holy week he enters Judas.
And yet on this occasion in the wilderness he does not call him by his name(s), but counter-argues the Scriptures with him. This is a reminder that we too conquer evil with the Word of God. Knowledge of scripture is knowledge of Christ (St Jerome). We ought to realise that familiarity with Scripture is also a safeguard from ‘the wickedness and snares of the Devil’.
*I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a
period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask
you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your
works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the
Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of
Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming
power of its grace.
Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and
in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted
to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and
monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have
an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real
presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that
have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed
strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests,
religious and lay faithful. I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness. [From the Pope's letter, March 2010]
Ash Wednesday
This Lent we need to make SPACE for God
I find the acronym SPACE helpful as a programme of renewal in my own spiritual life for Lent. The suggestions below are not exhaustive (but may be exhausting!)
S is for Self-denial or Spiritual reading
Lent is the great test of our character and our commitment to self-discipline. We succeed or fail in it, and in doing so we see the true measure of our attachment to the Lord (and our detachment from earthly worldly things) by not only our willingness but our measure of consistency in keeping our Lenten resolutions. Fasting from food is difficult but rewarding. It can mean a significant reduction of food intake, for a prolonged period. We can abstain from certain foods, or eat less than usual. We can abstain from snacking. It can help us to appreciate the food that we eat as well as reminding us of those who are hungry without choice, and to remind us of our duty to provide for them. Fasting and abstinence on Fridays and Wednesdays have always been part of the Irish Christian tradition.
Spiritual reading is also a necessary part of spiritual growth. Particularly recommended to all Catholics is ‘a growing familiarity’ with Sacred Scripture. 'I remind all Chrsitians that our personal and communal relationship with God depends on our growing familiarity with the word of God'. Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 124)
P is for prayer and penance
Time given to prayer and penance is a particular characteristic of Lent. It may comprise of earlier arrival before and/or later departure after Mass; time spent alone in one’s room in quiet reflection; a day of recollection away for a while in a monastery or retreat centre. Prayer focussed on the Lord’s Passion is extremely beneficial – the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Seven Sorrows of our Lady, the divine Mercy chaplet.
Penance may be a more prompt and faithful diligence in the performance of one’s daily duty; patience in dealing with others as well as patience in coping with the sacrifices demanded of us that come with inconveniences to our plans. It may entail the performance of jobs we have delayed or procrastinated for a long time.
A is for Almsgiving
The Queen of France asked St Vincent de Paul what she could be doing for the poor, and he answered her with one word: ‘more’. The Catechism teaches us that love for the poor comes under the remit of the seventh commandment. The paragraphs numbered 2443-2449 of the Catechism are worth looking up to see our obligations and the proper motivation of Christians in regard to love for the poor.
C is for charity, especially in conversation; and Lenten confession
We need to close our mouths to desserts and fancies and excess, but also to close our mouths (and ears) to gossip, slander, detraction and hearsay. To fast from lack of charity is pleasing to the Lord.
Always associated with Lent is time taken to examine our consciences and to go at least once to confession.
E is for the Eucharist – Mass and adoration.
If the other practices mentioned above are, as it were, the flesh and bones of the practical ways of commemorating the Lord’s 40 day fast in the wilderness, it is renewed and prolonged adoration of his Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist that comprises the heart of Lent. There we renew and deepen our love for Him and come to a greater awareness of understanding His love for us. There we learn how to respond to His love (as well as to see Him) in our neighbour, especially those whose need is great.
‘Lord may be accept from your hands this day of Lent, may we make it yours by deeds of love’(from the Breviary)
I find the acronym SPACE helpful as a programme of renewal in my own spiritual life for Lent. The suggestions below are not exhaustive (but may be exhausting!)
S is for Self-denial or Spiritual reading
Lent is the great test of our character and our commitment to self-discipline. We succeed or fail in it, and in doing so we see the true measure of our attachment to the Lord (and our detachment from earthly worldly things) by not only our willingness but our measure of consistency in keeping our Lenten resolutions. Fasting from food is difficult but rewarding. It can mean a significant reduction of food intake, for a prolonged period. We can abstain from certain foods, or eat less than usual. We can abstain from snacking. It can help us to appreciate the food that we eat as well as reminding us of those who are hungry without choice, and to remind us of our duty to provide for them. Fasting and abstinence on Fridays and Wednesdays have always been part of the Irish Christian tradition.
Spiritual reading is also a necessary part of spiritual growth. Particularly recommended to all Catholics is ‘a growing familiarity’ with Sacred Scripture. 'I remind all Chrsitians that our personal and communal relationship with God depends on our growing familiarity with the word of God'. Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 124)
P is for prayer and penance
Time given to prayer and penance is a particular characteristic of Lent. It may comprise of earlier arrival before and/or later departure after Mass; time spent alone in one’s room in quiet reflection; a day of recollection away for a while in a monastery or retreat centre. Prayer focussed on the Lord’s Passion is extremely beneficial – the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Seven Sorrows of our Lady, the divine Mercy chaplet.
Penance may be a more prompt and faithful diligence in the performance of one’s daily duty; patience in dealing with others as well as patience in coping with the sacrifices demanded of us that come with inconveniences to our plans. It may entail the performance of jobs we have delayed or procrastinated for a long time.
A is for Almsgiving
The Queen of France asked St Vincent de Paul what she could be doing for the poor, and he answered her with one word: ‘more’. The Catechism teaches us that love for the poor comes under the remit of the seventh commandment. The paragraphs numbered 2443-2449 of the Catechism are worth looking up to see our obligations and the proper motivation of Christians in regard to love for the poor.
C is for charity, especially in conversation; and Lenten confession
We need to close our mouths to desserts and fancies and excess, but also to close our mouths (and ears) to gossip, slander, detraction and hearsay. To fast from lack of charity is pleasing to the Lord.
Always associated with Lent is time taken to examine our consciences and to go at least once to confession.
E is for the Eucharist – Mass and adoration.
If the other practices mentioned above are, as it were, the flesh and bones of the practical ways of commemorating the Lord’s 40 day fast in the wilderness, it is renewed and prolonged adoration of his Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist that comprises the heart of Lent. There we renew and deepen our love for Him and come to a greater awareness of understanding His love for us. There we learn how to respond to His love (as well as to see Him) in our neighbour, especially those whose need is great.
‘Lord may be accept from your hands this day of Lent, may we make it yours by deeds of love’(from the Breviary)
Eighth Sunday of the Year A
This Sunday‘s Gospel challenges us to trust God
The readings clearly tell us what kind of God we have, and how we are to respond to the God of love. The imagery used to refer to God today crosses all religions and faiths and expressions of God. It goes back to basics.
Nothing can happen without trust. All human relationships, friendships, contracts, agreements and terms of employment are based on trust.
God asks the same of us – a relationship based on our trust.
Do we trust Him? How much does it take? How many proofs do we need? Just as human relationships take time to build on trust in small things to begin with until greater and greater trust develops – with confidence and discretion. It CAN happen that we hit it off with someone instantly. It CAN happen that there is love at first sight. But it is more often the case that we only gradually build up a friendship over time.
God’s relationship of love is unqualified, spontaneous and unconditional. But we object that we can’t see him, so...it requires faith. God does act and speak to us in situations and people and in answered prayer. There are too many coincidences to suggest otherwise. But over time He does gradually let go of the immediate supports and ready answers to prayer and slowly wants us and allows us to stand on our own two feet and not get everything instantaneously our own way or on our terms.
In the unlikely situation of a breast –feeding or expectant mother forgetting her child for a moment, (as we read in the First Reading) God will never forget us for an instant.
But we forget:
• To put God’s will first
• To put God’s concerns first
• That God is two steps ahead of us
• He clearly sees what lies ahead
• Nothing is to be gained by worry
• We are not in full control
• Worries and concerns are real
• Not to serve 2 masters
• While Clothing and food are the two most basic needs, we are not to worry, be anxious, or afraid
• This day is all we have, to act
Perhaps there is another veiled challenge – given our long experience of Fatherly provision and care in God’s hands, which often comes through the support of others, can we not likewise co-operate in God’s plan by providing shelter and food to those in want, to pass it on, carry it forward, as one good turn deserves another?
If I am not to be consuming and wasting time on food and clothing, and to rest assured that they are going to be looked after, well then, what must I do? God’s will. Jesus said ‘my food is to the will of the Father’. What does God want? Do I ask Him? When did I last ask Him what HE wanted instead of what I wanted? What does he want me to do to co-operate with His loving plan for me and how can I make it easier for Him to ‘get His way’, as it were? What am I afraid of letting go?
Jesus is clear: the more I put God and His will (‘thy Kingdom come, thy will be done’ –are one and the same petition really) first in my life, the more all the other details are looked after.
Try it and see.
It has been my experience as a priest that the more time I give in prayer and doing what I ought to be doing in my pastoral duties instead of what suits me at every given moment, the more the everyday concerns are cared for by God or they take care of themselves. The more time I make for God and others, the more time I seem to have and everything works out better than if I had done things solo.
I am amazed I am such a slow learner.
The readings clearly tell us what kind of God we have, and how we are to respond to the God of love. The imagery used to refer to God today crosses all religions and faiths and expressions of God. It goes back to basics.
Nothing can happen without trust. All human relationships, friendships, contracts, agreements and terms of employment are based on trust.
God asks the same of us – a relationship based on our trust.
Do we trust Him? How much does it take? How many proofs do we need? Just as human relationships take time to build on trust in small things to begin with until greater and greater trust develops – with confidence and discretion. It CAN happen that we hit it off with someone instantly. It CAN happen that there is love at first sight. But it is more often the case that we only gradually build up a friendship over time.
God’s relationship of love is unqualified, spontaneous and unconditional. But we object that we can’t see him, so...it requires faith. God does act and speak to us in situations and people and in answered prayer. There are too many coincidences to suggest otherwise. But over time He does gradually let go of the immediate supports and ready answers to prayer and slowly wants us and allows us to stand on our own two feet and not get everything instantaneously our own way or on our terms.
In the unlikely situation of a breast –feeding or expectant mother forgetting her child for a moment, (as we read in the First Reading) God will never forget us for an instant.
But we forget:
• To put God’s will first
• To put God’s concerns first
• That God is two steps ahead of us
• He clearly sees what lies ahead
• Nothing is to be gained by worry
• We are not in full control
• Worries and concerns are real
• Not to serve 2 masters
• While Clothing and food are the two most basic needs, we are not to worry, be anxious, or afraid
• This day is all we have, to act
Perhaps there is another veiled challenge – given our long experience of Fatherly provision and care in God’s hands, which often comes through the support of others, can we not likewise co-operate in God’s plan by providing shelter and food to those in want, to pass it on, carry it forward, as one good turn deserves another?
If I am not to be consuming and wasting time on food and clothing, and to rest assured that they are going to be looked after, well then, what must I do? God’s will. Jesus said ‘my food is to the will of the Father’. What does God want? Do I ask Him? When did I last ask Him what HE wanted instead of what I wanted? What does he want me to do to co-operate with His loving plan for me and how can I make it easier for Him to ‘get His way’, as it were? What am I afraid of letting go?
Jesus is clear: the more I put God and His will (‘thy Kingdom come, thy will be done’ –are one and the same petition really) first in my life, the more all the other details are looked after.
Try it and see.
It has been my experience as a priest that the more time I give in prayer and doing what I ought to be doing in my pastoral duties instead of what suits me at every given moment, the more the everyday concerns are cared for by God or they take care of themselves. The more time I make for God and others, the more time I seem to have and everything works out better than if I had done things solo.
I am amazed I am such a slow learner.
Seventh Sunday of the Year A
Anger and forgiveness
Today’s readings are of a piece and remind us once more of one of the greatest and deeply felt of human passions – anger, rage, hatred, animosity, a desire for revenge, resentment. It is the deliberate harbouring of these emotions that are so un-Christian.
We need examples of forgiveness to inspire us, that it is possible and attainable, and worth letting go of deeply held rage and violations.
The funny thing about anger is that we often fail to recognise that if the world is full of angry people (and if I am one of them) where does all this anger come from, and have I caused other people to be angry? I have to accept and admit to occasions when I have made mistakes. Perhaps I have said and done something tactless (I know I have, and recall being corrected, and rightly so – and remembering the pain of correction can also be embarrassing). I know there are times when I have been misunderstood, that the intention of something I was attempting to say or do was jumped on and exploited, or totally misinterpreted by someone.
Any reasoning with some people is fruitless as sadly there are some people who, for their own reasons, insist in being offended at every turn, or see the worst in everything or are suspicious of other’s motives or are prickly to begin with. We tip-toe around them for an easy life; rather than face up to them, which is actually what they may want or need. They respect people more for facing up to them, and often back off, whereas my knee-jerk response is to avoid conflict; but the day comes when there is a long-awaited and necessary showdown!
I have to accept as a fact of life too that there are just some people I will never fully understand or get along with – we are totally incompatible, and have nothing in common, so the effort to attempt to do so is too much for us, but the best we can do is wish them peace and move along.
However we must try everything that is within our power to forgive and overcome anger.
There are some steps in the 12 step AA programme that are applicable to all and are worth living by. The steps in relation to anger include steps 5, 8, 9 and 10.
THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS : We...
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Is anger always wrong?
There can be righteous anger and indignation over injustice, but I have all too rarely showed it and thought to do something about it. The point is that this anger or energy can be directed for good, to overcome what I perceive to be wrongs and injustices, as well as exerting effort to do something constructive and positive. Not just to forgive, but to create conditions in my life and in my society where seeking forgiveness is not necessary, because I am a force for peace, and grant forgiveness readily.
It is true what they say, ‘to err is human, to forgive divine’. With God, all things are possible. That is why frequent confession helps me not only to be forgiven, but slowly and surely, to be healed where humanly impossible.
The root of so much human unhappiness is pride, which can leads so easily to anger. We also have to forgive ourselves, oddly, and it then becomes easier to forgive others, because we can then identity the faults in them which we also have (or had), and therefore we become more tolerant and understanding. We say to ourselves, ‘I see how that could happen’ or ‘I can see how he/she could come to that wrong conclusion.’ An analysis of our own faults, weaknesses and frailty helps us to be more accepting of these same faults in others. That is the road to peace.
'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'.
Today’s readings are of a piece and remind us once more of one of the greatest and deeply felt of human passions – anger, rage, hatred, animosity, a desire for revenge, resentment. It is the deliberate harbouring of these emotions that are so un-Christian.
We need examples of forgiveness to inspire us, that it is possible and attainable, and worth letting go of deeply held rage and violations.
The funny thing about anger is that we often fail to recognise that if the world is full of angry people (and if I am one of them) where does all this anger come from, and have I caused other people to be angry? I have to accept and admit to occasions when I have made mistakes. Perhaps I have said and done something tactless (I know I have, and recall being corrected, and rightly so – and remembering the pain of correction can also be embarrassing). I know there are times when I have been misunderstood, that the intention of something I was attempting to say or do was jumped on and exploited, or totally misinterpreted by someone.
Any reasoning with some people is fruitless as sadly there are some people who, for their own reasons, insist in being offended at every turn, or see the worst in everything or are suspicious of other’s motives or are prickly to begin with. We tip-toe around them for an easy life; rather than face up to them, which is actually what they may want or need. They respect people more for facing up to them, and often back off, whereas my knee-jerk response is to avoid conflict; but the day comes when there is a long-awaited and necessary showdown!
I have to accept as a fact of life too that there are just some people I will never fully understand or get along with – we are totally incompatible, and have nothing in common, so the effort to attempt to do so is too much for us, but the best we can do is wish them peace and move along.
However we must try everything that is within our power to forgive and overcome anger.
There are some steps in the 12 step AA programme that are applicable to all and are worth living by. The steps in relation to anger include steps 5, 8, 9 and 10.
THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS : We...
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Is anger always wrong?
There can be righteous anger and indignation over injustice, but I have all too rarely showed it and thought to do something about it. The point is that this anger or energy can be directed for good, to overcome what I perceive to be wrongs and injustices, as well as exerting effort to do something constructive and positive. Not just to forgive, but to create conditions in my life and in my society where seeking forgiveness is not necessary, because I am a force for peace, and grant forgiveness readily.
It is true what they say, ‘to err is human, to forgive divine’. With God, all things are possible. That is why frequent confession helps me not only to be forgiven, but slowly and surely, to be healed where humanly impossible.
The root of so much human unhappiness is pride, which can leads so easily to anger. We also have to forgive ourselves, oddly, and it then becomes easier to forgive others, because we can then identity the faults in them which we also have (or had), and therefore we become more tolerant and understanding. We say to ourselves, ‘I see how that could happen’ or ‘I can see how he/she could come to that wrong conclusion.’ An analysis of our own faults, weaknesses and frailty helps us to be more accepting of these same faults in others. That is the road to peace.
'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'.
Sixth Sunday of the Year A
Sixth Sunday of Year A
'For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.'
Many of us are familiar with the TV comedy series ‘Keeping up appearances’ and the snob, Mrs Bucket, who tries to hide her common background and circumstances, yet fails miserably to impress those she wants to look good for. We laugh at her vanity, maybe because we can identify with some hint of it secretly in ourselves when we have fallen flat on our faces, or because we know neighbours or acquaintances who think they are fooling us, but are in fact fooling only themselves.
A measure of our maturity or honesty is how readily we can laugh at ourselves and share the joke with others. Blessed are those who do not take themselves too seriously.
We naturally judge people in terms of how they present themselves – for a job interview, for a social occasion, or we admire someone in uniform – and their attention to detail, such as shiny shoes or buttons, does say something about how seriously they take themselves and their role, as well as not letting the side down, as it were, in their profession. We rightly tut-tut at sloppiness in uniform, or someone badly dressed for an occasion. I think of Groucho Marx’s line to a girl who said, ‘I just had enough time to throw on this dress’ to which he replied ‘you nearly missed!’
We judge beauty after a while, however, beyond skin level. Over time as we get to know someone better, appearances simply don’t matter. Friendship, loyalty, reliability, kindness, openness and trust are qualities that tend to endear us to a person over the long haul, much more than what the world might describe as ‘glamorous’.
Surface superficial discipleship is not pleasing to the Lord. To be focussed merely on external appearances, what one looks like. Just as beauty is only skin deep, so can virtue be. We might often ask someone ‘how do I look?’ awaiting praise or an honest comment. That is one thing – to present oneself respectably. It is quite another to do so in an insincere way in a bid to outshine others or to do so that attracts attention and praise for one’s seeming virtue and personal glory as the Pharisees did. The problem for the Pharisees therefore is the cultivated sense of superiority and looking down on others in judgment – usually in a condemning and self-satisfied way - that external emphasis alone can engender, the danger that it is a virtue in itself and is empty show.
Insincerity points to a deep inner flaw that serves as a warning to all of us who desire to keep God’s commandments - lack of integrity, being a hypocrite, ‘looking good’ on the outside, being false and superficial, living a virtuous life that is shallow, merely keeping the rules out of habit and, yes ‘keeping up appearances’.
Even to go to Jerusalem today it is quite striking to note the emphasis on modest dress, on sober colours, on unshaven bearded heads covered in public, with black hats and skullcaps, tassels, and hair in ringlets for men and boys. It is impressive; it is quite public, and therefore the body language is that one is proud to be easily identifiable as a Jew. There is a sense of clarity of identity, expression and belonging. You know when you see these prominent displays of Judaism that you are in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem or near the Wailing Wall. It is a reminder of the culture and mentality that must have existed in Jesus’ time that emphasised externals.
The Lord condemns the scribes and the Pharisees, however, because they are more concerned about their dress code and parading their observance of rules rather than keeping the commandments in the depths of their hearts and living it out sincerely in practical ways. They miss the wood for the trees, because their adherence to silly human regulations has taken prominence and precedence over the Lord’s own law, or 10 commandments.
The Lord cannot be fooled, even if perceptive people can be for a while. He is described in the First Reading in these terms:
For vast is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is almighty and all-seeing.
His eyes are on those who fear him;
he notes every action of man.
It is quite exhausting to put up a front and be false to others. ‘To thine own self be true, then it follows as night follows day that you cannot be false to any man’ (Polonius farewell advice to Laertes, Hamlet).
But it is quite another thing altogether to live a lie – to be saying one thing and doing another. To do so before the Lord is even more serious.
The word ‘Hypocrisy’ comes from the Greek and it originally meant "play-acting” for those on a stage. It has come to mean living a lie and ‘carrying on an act after you leave the stage, it has come to mean saying a thing without really meaning it. It is ultimately, dishonesty.
How much of my daily Christian life is ‘keeping up appearances’? Is it just a masquerade, or a charade? Or do I mean it? Do I talk the talk’ and ‘walk the walk’?
Or, in the words of the Psalm, is my life ‘happy’ and ‘blameless’ ‘doing his will’, ‘seeking him with all my heart’? Do I know the 10 commandments? Do I examine my conscience often or at all to see if I live them?
Let us take to heart Jesus’ words and examine our consciences:
'For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
'For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.'
Many of us are familiar with the TV comedy series ‘Keeping up appearances’ and the snob, Mrs Bucket, who tries to hide her common background and circumstances, yet fails miserably to impress those she wants to look good for. We laugh at her vanity, maybe because we can identify with some hint of it secretly in ourselves when we have fallen flat on our faces, or because we know neighbours or acquaintances who think they are fooling us, but are in fact fooling only themselves.
A measure of our maturity or honesty is how readily we can laugh at ourselves and share the joke with others. Blessed are those who do not take themselves too seriously.
We naturally judge people in terms of how they present themselves – for a job interview, for a social occasion, or we admire someone in uniform – and their attention to detail, such as shiny shoes or buttons, does say something about how seriously they take themselves and their role, as well as not letting the side down, as it were, in their profession. We rightly tut-tut at sloppiness in uniform, or someone badly dressed for an occasion. I think of Groucho Marx’s line to a girl who said, ‘I just had enough time to throw on this dress’ to which he replied ‘you nearly missed!’
We judge beauty after a while, however, beyond skin level. Over time as we get to know someone better, appearances simply don’t matter. Friendship, loyalty, reliability, kindness, openness and trust are qualities that tend to endear us to a person over the long haul, much more than what the world might describe as ‘glamorous’.
Surface superficial discipleship is not pleasing to the Lord. To be focussed merely on external appearances, what one looks like. Just as beauty is only skin deep, so can virtue be. We might often ask someone ‘how do I look?’ awaiting praise or an honest comment. That is one thing – to present oneself respectably. It is quite another to do so in an insincere way in a bid to outshine others or to do so that attracts attention and praise for one’s seeming virtue and personal glory as the Pharisees did. The problem for the Pharisees therefore is the cultivated sense of superiority and looking down on others in judgment – usually in a condemning and self-satisfied way - that external emphasis alone can engender, the danger that it is a virtue in itself and is empty show.
Insincerity points to a deep inner flaw that serves as a warning to all of us who desire to keep God’s commandments - lack of integrity, being a hypocrite, ‘looking good’ on the outside, being false and superficial, living a virtuous life that is shallow, merely keeping the rules out of habit and, yes ‘keeping up appearances’.
Even to go to Jerusalem today it is quite striking to note the emphasis on modest dress, on sober colours, on unshaven bearded heads covered in public, with black hats and skullcaps, tassels, and hair in ringlets for men and boys. It is impressive; it is quite public, and therefore the body language is that one is proud to be easily identifiable as a Jew. There is a sense of clarity of identity, expression and belonging. You know when you see these prominent displays of Judaism that you are in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem or near the Wailing Wall. It is a reminder of the culture and mentality that must have existed in Jesus’ time that emphasised externals.
The Lord condemns the scribes and the Pharisees, however, because they are more concerned about their dress code and parading their observance of rules rather than keeping the commandments in the depths of their hearts and living it out sincerely in practical ways. They miss the wood for the trees, because their adherence to silly human regulations has taken prominence and precedence over the Lord’s own law, or 10 commandments.
The Lord cannot be fooled, even if perceptive people can be for a while. He is described in the First Reading in these terms:
For vast is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is almighty and all-seeing.
His eyes are on those who fear him;
he notes every action of man.
It is quite exhausting to put up a front and be false to others. ‘To thine own self be true, then it follows as night follows day that you cannot be false to any man’ (Polonius farewell advice to Laertes, Hamlet).
But it is quite another thing altogether to live a lie – to be saying one thing and doing another. To do so before the Lord is even more serious.
The word ‘Hypocrisy’ comes from the Greek and it originally meant "play-acting” for those on a stage. It has come to mean living a lie and ‘carrying on an act after you leave the stage, it has come to mean saying a thing without really meaning it. It is ultimately, dishonesty.
How much of my daily Christian life is ‘keeping up appearances’? Is it just a masquerade, or a charade? Or do I mean it? Do I talk the talk’ and ‘walk the walk’?
Or, in the words of the Psalm, is my life ‘happy’ and ‘blameless’ ‘doing his will’, ‘seeking him with all my heart’? Do I know the 10 commandments? Do I examine my conscience often or at all to see if I live them?
Let us take to heart Jesus’ words and examine our consciences:
'For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Fifth Sunday of the Year A
The light
Remember the story of a boy who was taken to Mass every Sunday and he was always looking attentively at the stained glass windows? He was asked at school if he knew who or what a saint was, and he answered simply and profoundly – ‘a saint is someone the light shines through.’
I recall meeting (soon to be Blessed) Pope John Paul II quite by accident in 2002, if there is such a thing as ‘accidents.’ My one recollection is that he seemed to be luminous. Yes, there was strong lighting in the indoor auditorium at the Vatican, but as I knelt and kissed his ring, in those short moments I got the distinct impression that I was in the presence of a saint – and he seemed to glow a shimmering light. I have had this impression confirmed by a Polish woman I met in Krakow in 2009 who saw him on more than one occasion. She agreed that he appeared to shine.
The word ‘light’ is mentioned 7 times in the readings of today. But it is not an abstract idea – we are given concrete, practical ways in being a ‘light’ to others. There is a very clear link between being a light and the performance of good works.
When we are surrounded by so much darkness, the light shines all the brighter, and stands out more. The readings tell us that Jesus is the light of the world, but so are we called to be in practical ways.
Taking pity and lending, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, not turning our backs on our own family, generous and persevering, being open-handed instead of a clenched fist – the fist of violence and the fist of meanness, ‘grasping’, unjust, and doing away with wicked speech. We are to do all this by being a good example – not hypocritically but with a pure intention, so that God might be praised and not us. A light of the world is someone who is just and merciful in all their dealings with others, who selflessly does good works – perseveringly, consistently and not sparingly or infrequently. The praise is for God not for ourselves. We must be motivated by being a sign, not a destination or cul-de-sac.
Our faith in Christ must have a knock-on effect, as it were. We think of Blessed Mother Teresa, who was light and yet mysteriously suffered so much interior darkness. Her book describing her incredible years of darkness (depression?) is entitled ‘Come Be My Light’. Christ was her light – and like the lighting of one small tea light to another – we too are called to pass on the light we have received. All energy in the planet comes ultimately from the sun. All spiritual energy comes from the Son of God.
It’s amazing how we tan ourselves and yet we know we must be exposed to the right kind of light. The same is true for us spiritually – there is a certain glow of radiated joy in a holy, saintly, self-sacrificing person, who smiles and acts out of genuine Christian joy because they have been exposed to Christ in prayer. We too are called to be like them. We benefit and feel better and maybe even challenged to be better Christins, even saints ourelves (imagine!), as a result of being in their company. But as we might try hard to get a great skin colour (even from a tanning salon which is an imitation of the working of the sun's UV rays) we should be more anxious to go to the source of all light – Christ – who is THE light – of the world.
We must draw close by prayer – especially before the Blessed Sacrament – as well as imitating the kind of life he lived, which was not for Himself alone, but for others. It was the life that Pope John Paul II called living according to ‘the Law of the Gift’ – complete self-giving and God cannot be outdone in generosity. Mother Teresa lived this kind of life, that the more you give, the more you get back. The reading and the Psalm give us the formula of this kind of life.
We are called to examples of light to one another. How do we measure up? How do we score? How bright are we?
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