Sunday, September 30, 2012

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Numbers 11:25-29/Psalm 19/James 5:1-6/ Mark 9:38-43, 47-48 Theme: A Tolerant community we must be

Today’s texts all make reference to community life, both in the people on the journey to the Promised Land, and in the Church community. The first reading talks about the gift of the Spirit of God to the seventy elders of the people on their journey across the desert. The Gospel reflects on certain aspects of the life of the disciples and of the early Christians in their relations among themselves and with those not belonging to the Christian community. At the end of his letter, James addresses the rich members of the community to reproach them for their conduct and make them reflect in the light of the final judgment. An imperfect community is usually intolerant. The first thing that catches one’s attention in today’s texts is that the early Christian community and, before them, the Jewish community in the desert, are characterized by limitations and imperfection. Their exclusionist intolerance of those who do not belong to their group is evident both in Joshua, “My Lord Moses, stop them!”(First Reading) and John, “Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him” (Gospel). Another point is the injustice committed by some of the “strong” and “great” members of the community, who put the simple faith of the more “insignificant” members at risk (Gospel). Among those who cause scandal are the rich, who place their sense of security in their riches. On top of this, they exploit the poor by not paying daily wages to laborers. They abandon themselves to luxury and pleasures, and tread upon the law and justice to the detriment of the poor (Second Reading). Here is an important lesson: no Christian community is exempt from imperfections, weaknesses and wretchedness. Before such a reality, the Pope invites us to purify our memory in the face of the past, and to repent and renew ourselves in the face of the present. An imperfect community makes us live with a greater consciousness that the Spirit of God, not man, is the soul which gives us life and sanctifies us with his presence and gifts. Our Parish communities and indeed our society must be a true reflection of Christ. Before all else, emphasis must be placed on Jesus Christ’s great tolerance, or rather, on his enormous openness of spirit towards those who do not belong to the group, to the community of believers. “You must not stop him,” Jesus says to John and to the disciples. Jesus’ behavior is preceded by that of Moses, who learns that his spirit has been communicated to Eldad and Medad, neither of whom belonged to the group of seventy. “Are you jealous on my account? If only all Yahweh’s people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit!” Jesus explains his position with two reflections: 1) Those who invoke my name to work a miracle cannot then immediately turn round and speak ill of me. Jesus exerts a comprehensive influence, which cannot be confined within institutional limits. 2) Those who are not against us are for us. And this is true even when one does not belong to the same community of faith. On the other hand, within the community relations between the different members must be based on the commandment of charity. The charity we are talking about is the “little charity” of the Gospel, a necessary ingredient for living together on a daily basis. The simple gesture of giving someone a glass of water with the sole intention of living out Christian charity is an example of this “little charity” in practice. Another way of living according to the commandment of charity is to avoid scandal. For the love of one’s brother, one must be ready to put an end to anything that may hurt him. Relations within the Church must also be characterized by justice between the owners of the lands and the laborers. The rich must be clearly conscious of the fact that their wealth is not there simply to be enjoyed and squandered, but to be placed at the service of the needy. In the light of the freedom of the Spirit, the Church must recognize her Catholicity. The word Catholic means universal. This presupposes that our Church excludes no one; indeed, everybody must feel welcome. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us to see “all goodness and truth found in these [non-Christian] religions as ‘a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life’” (CCC 843). The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church, but the Church does not have an exclusive or an excluding nature in relation to him. The Spirit enjoys the right to act beyond the visible body of the Church. As children of the Church, we must try to know and feel full of joy vis-à-vis the manifestations of the Spirit in other religions. Anything that stems from the action of the Spirit, wherever it may be, will be good, holy and true. It is true that together with the action of the Spirit there are also human actions, with all of their imperfections and even sin. This is why discernment is necessary, i.e., the capacity to distinguish and separate the work of the Spirit from the action of men. To distinguish and separate is necessary, but not to eliminate. “Do not put out the Spirit,” says St Paul. In the current situation of society and the Church, a situation bound to become more marked in the future, it is important for us Christians to be able to accept the freedom of the Spirit. It is also important for us to be educated, from a young age, to tolerate and accept the Spirit’s freedom. But we must especially be educated in Christian prudence and discernment. Have you had any opportunity - at school, at work, in your friendships - to practice tolerance, respect, prudence and discernment? Authority and richness in the Church must tolerate all and sundry. In the Church, only some have been called by God to exercise institutional authority and this authority must be at the service of the Church. Indeed, we all have the right and duty to exercise the authority of holiness for this is common to all whether Priests or Laity. Since the Christian conceives authority as a service, the Church hierarchy practices its service making sure that the Church community is on the right track when it comes to doctrine, moral life, and liturgical actions. In turn, holy souls exercise their authority over the ecclesial community by generously giving their lives to God and men, attracting many people to God and to the Spirit with their behavior and witness of life. These are two different ways of exercising authority, both of which are at the service of the Church as a whole. It goes without saying that many members of the hierarchy, in addition to the juridical authority which they enjoy, also stand out by virtue of their moral authority and their holiness. In conclusion, in the Church, there are many who are rich in goods, and many of them are also rich in true love. In the Church there are also those who are poor in goods, but who possess extraordinary wealth in terms of faith, love and hope. Unfortunately, there are also the others, the rich in goods and poor in love, the poor in goods and rich in their eagerness to make money and gain wealth. Let us not deceive ourselves. The real rich in the Church are the saints. If, in addition to being rich in holiness, they are rich in dollars, so much the better - provided that they place them at the service of all.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Homily for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Wisdom 2:12, 17-20/ Psalm 54/ James 3:16-4:3/ Mark 9:30-37 THEME: A community that embraces the least privileged

With his person, his teachings and his life, Jesus Christ has brought about a change in our world. The texts of this Sunday’s liturgy focus on this change. The godless man who does not understand or accept the life of the upright is asked to change his attitude (First Reading). Jesus’ disciples need to change their mentality before the surprising teachings of their Master (Gospel). James proposes to the Christians a spiritual plan which calls for a change in the lifestyle that they had before (Second Reading). In the first reading of today, the godless man is invited to change his attitude. What is the godless man’s attitude towards the upright man? What is the attitude of the pagan towards the Christian? Indeed what is the Christian’ own attitude towards his fellow Christian? According to the Book of Wisdom, the godless man thinks that the upright man is a nuisance, because he is the critical conscience of one’s actions; instead of admiring and imitating him, as he should, the wicked man prefers to put the innocent to the test. The writer says, “The ungodly men said: “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions…” (Wisdom 2:12). He even wants to condemn the innocent man to death, contravening human and divine laws, to see whether the God in whom the innocent man trusts will protect and save him. This shows that those who choose to follow the wisdom of God, the upright, are a reproach to those who lead lives according to the principles of this world. Often, therefore, the upright are persecuted. The ungodly is wrong. Their attitude does not correspond to the attitude that God wants. Therefore, they must change. The upright and holy man must be admired and put forward as a model worthy of being imitated. It is true that the faithful man challenges the conscience, but this is a cause for joy and gratitude. Why not turn to God with the trust of the upright instead of putting him to the test and even condemning him to death? Jesus invites us to the same attitude of change in our mentality in the gospel reading of today. In the first reading, the adversaries of the righteous man decided to lay ambush and kill him. But in the gospel, Jesus freely offers his life to his adversaries. What a paradox. Even Jesus’ disciples simply cannot comprehend why their Master must go through the passageway of suffering. What even weighed more on their conscience was the fact that in order to be first, one must be the servant of all, that in the new categories of the Kingdom of Christ the child occupies a prominent place. It is not easy for them to leave behind the lessons they received in their education as children. But if they want to be disciples of Christ, they must change. They must accept that suffering is the way to redemption for Jesus Christ and that it continues to be so for Christians. They must be firmly convinced that serving is not a favour that one does once in a while, but that it is the habitual way of being a Christian and living like a Christian. They will have to forget that the child is not important in the gathering of the elders. They need to learn that by accepting those who do not “count” - the marginalized, the weak, the needy - one accepts Christ, and through Christ one accepts the heavenly Father himself. This is a teaching that only by the grace of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we can accept and practice. Changing our life and attitude is not only crucial but a necessary condition for a fruitful Christian life. The greatness of a Christian consists in serving others particularly the poor and the marginalised. What Jesus suggests, is of course, madness for unbelievers. If changing one’s way of thinking is difficult, changing one’s life is even more so. Baptism and the Eucharist restructure us from within; pour a new way of being and a new principle of action into us. This is the basis for changing our lives. But this change requires the grace of God, human work and time for the new structures to be assimilated and to configure our behavior day after day, deed after deed. Only when we have assimilated this new teaching of Christ can we come to appreciate the fact that war, hatred and conflict lie in our refusal to accept the invitation of Christ to serve. St. James says: “the wisdom that comes down from above... something pure; it is also peaceable, kindly and considerate; it is full of mercy and shows itself by doing good. Nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it.” (James 3:17-18). It will guide human behavior in every moment. Without this change of attitude, which requires grace, effort and time, the old structures will continue to exist, and with them, our actions will be guided by dispute, greed, the desire for pleasure and envy. Changing one’s life is the great task of the Christian, which must be undertaken with determination and enthusiasm. It is said that to live is to change and to be holy is to have changed often. Change according to God. We live in a culture in which everything is in constant flux. We see change everywhere. It is easier than ever before to change jobs, computers, cars, houses or countries. One can also change one’s way of thinking and living, and even one’s religion. Change happens every day, and those who do not change quickly are left behind. Change is inherent in progressively-minded people, who seem to have change written in their DNA. But not all change is good. Nor is all change indicative of progress. There are changes that are rather unfortunate: so it is for many emigrants, who are compelled to leave their countries out of necessity; so it is for many young girls, who are forced to sell their bodies as prostitutes; so it is for many children, forced to work in inhuman conditions or abducted so that their organs may be sold. These changes cry out to heaven for vengeance! The change that the liturgy invites us to bring about is a change according to God. In other words, it is the type of change that God wants and expects of us in order to be more human, to live out our human dignity better and more fully. The change that God wants is from injustice to justice, from abuse to the service of others, from unfaithfulness to faithfulness, from hatred to love, from vengeance to forgiveness, from the culture of death to the culture of life, from sin to grace and holiness. To be men and women who change according to the plan of God, every person must outline a plan of life or live by principles. What values am I going to teach to my children? What values am I going to fight for in my personal, family and social life? How much time am I going to devote to my mission as Apostle of Jesus Christ in my parish and diocesan community. What initiative, great or small, am I going to propose to foster awareness of God, to promote vocations to the priesthood or consecrated life, to visit and care for the sick or those who live alone in my neighborhood, in my parish? It need not be a major, exhaustive plan. Make a small plan for a year, a plan that will help you grow in your spiritual life. For instance, you could devote some daily time to prayer, or go to confession more often and more regularly, or fight with greater determination and energy against some vice. Make it a plan that will keep you active in your mission within the Church: teach catechism, join the parish choir, devote greater attention to the spiritual and moral education of your children. At the end of the day or the week, reflect a little on how you put your plan into practice. A small plan can do a world of good! In sum, in order to live out our Christian life to the full, we are invited to live out clearly the four main principles of Catholic Social Teachings of Human Dignity, Subsidiarity, Common Good and Solidarity. As far as human dignity is concerned, we are called to preserve the sanctity and dignity of the human person by preserving life and resisting anything that threatens it. By subsidiarity, we are invited to use our good offices to protect the poor and marginalised and overthrow all oppressive structures. By the principle of the common good, we are invited to seek not our own selfish interest in the discharge of our duties but have the interest of the other person at heart. The principle of solidarity invites us to promote justice, equality and equity in all spheres of life.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Isaiah 50:5-9a/ Psalm 116/ James 2:14-18/ Mark 8:27-35 THEME: To be a disciple is to be truly human

In what does the essence of our being consist? Today’s liturgy gives us an answer. In the First Reading, man has three traits according to the plan of God: man is a being "who listens", who suffers, who experiences the presence and help of God. The Gospel presents Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of the human person: the One Anointed by God, the man of suffering, the servant obedient unto his death, he who loses his life to save that of others. Finally, in the Second Reading James teaches that in man, faith and works are combined in an indissoluble union to achieve perfect human fulfillment. The first reading from the prophet Isaiah is the third of four servant songs found in the book of Isaiah (Is 42: 1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, and 52: 13-53:12). These servant songs are found in Chapters 40 -55 of Isaiah often called the book of consolation because the prophet offers no judgment and condemnation of Israel, but only trust and confident hope that God is about to end the exile. The situation presupposed is that life in exile has become burdensome for the Israelites. In their dejection, it was the Word of God, spoken through the prophet that sustained them. The word of God sustains the weary. As he puts it, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher so that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” (Isaiah 50:4a). Indeed, God never grows tired of speaking through the prophet; giving him words of encouragement. And so the prophet says “Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4b). The determination of the prophet to deliver the Word of God to wearied hearts brings him suffering. Yet, he must deliver it at the cost of his personal suffering. So he says “The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting’ (Isaiah 50:5-6). People who proclaim the word of God face stiff opposition. They must not be deterred under any circumstances. However, the prophet is confident that God will eventually prove him right; that God will vindicate him someday. Therefore, the Servant firmly relies on God. Thus he puts it beautifully “The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:7). As if that was not enough, in the midst of the stiff opposition he faces in the discharge of his duties, the Servant of God is confident that his vindication is imminent. He says, “… he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me?” (v.8). He was so confident that he challenges his adversaries but he affirms the fact that God is his help. This should be the attitude of the Christian. We must recognise that our help comes from God. He alone fulfills for us our deepest longing. Indeed, the attitude of the servant in the first reading is what Jesus fulfills in the Gospel reading of today and invites all his followers to do likewise. The focus of the gospel reading is the theme of dying to self so that others might live. By dying to self, Jesus meant taking up our crosses daily in order to follow him. So he says to his disciples, “…if any wants to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their lives will lose it and for those who lose their life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). This is the crux of the readings for today. We are invited to accept that true Christian fulfillment is found in accepting the will of God even if it means suffering so that through you others may be liberated. In Christ, our humanity and our divine nature find true fulfillment. Jesus is first and foremost the Messiah, the One Anointed by God, who subjects his entire being to the mission that God has entrusted to him, going as far as the obedience of the Cross. This is why in Jesus the Anointed One and the Servant of suffering are combined, not like two contrasting titles of his human condition, but like two names of the same person that define and characterize him. Even when Jesus is compared with other figures of the Bible (Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Solomon, Jonah...), he remains distinct, unique. As he himself will say, "Here is someone greater than Jonah; here is someone greater than Solomon." On the other hand, in his condition of suffering, Jesus is not self-destructive. He experiences no denial in the face of death; rather, he continues to have absolute trust in God, who will assist him in his pain and will make him rise from the dead. This is why Jesus calls Peter Satan when Peter tries to make him stray from his redeeming mission and his perfect human condition in accordance with God. In Jesus we find a trait pointed out by James in the second reading: consistency between faith and good deeds. Here we are not talking about the deeds of the law, but the deeds of faith. We could say that Jesus’ self-consciousness coincides with his self-fulfillment. In Jesus, we see a man of faith and action. He feeds the multitude with physical bread and at the same time, he gives them his body and blood as food for eternal life. Therefore, in Jesus we find a Person and a Christian. These two realities have traveled down separate paths. It seems to some that one cannot be a complete man if one is a perfect Christian. In anthropological terms this is the dilemma which has existed for centuries between faith and reason, between science and faith. In our cultural and spiritual climate, John Paul II, in keeping with Catholic doctrine, has categorically asserted that "faith and reason are like the two wings with which the human spirit elevates itself to the contemplation of truth." Translated into anthropological terms, it may be stated that "the person and the Christian are like the two wings with which the human spirit elevates itself to the fulfillment of its humanity." Perhaps it may be useful to ask ourselves why in the past, and probably today as well, "being a person" has been separated from "being a Christian", and vice versa. What aspects, what traits of Christian life have succeeded in overshadowing and even alienating us from an authentic conception of the person? What models of Christianity have been presented or are presented in our time, that may seem to others, both Christians and non-Christians, less human or even dehumanizing? The Council declared beautifully that Christ reveals man to man, but we should ask ourselves, as Christians, are we all following Christ’s footsteps in this respect? There is no doubt that there is still a long way to go as far as this aspect is concerned. Following this path is a task for each and every Christian. Jesus lays bare the Christian paradox as he concludes the gospel reading today: "Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:35).This is the great Christian - in other words, human - paradox. In paradoxical terms, Jesus presents the great battle of human existence. It is the battle between selfishness and self-giving, between the seduction of the ego and the attraction of God, between the worshipping of one’s own personality and the worshipping of true humility. Normally, but wrongfully so, one thinks that by being selfish he can fulfill himself, he can save his identity, achieve a great personality. But after some time one becomes aware that he is chasing after the impossible, and then comes the frustration of having wasted so much energy uselessly, of realizing that one has gone down the wrong track. In conclusion, the only way to be fully human is to tread the right track. This implies an emptying of the self in order to fill oneself with God, giving oneself to others disinterestedly without seeking compensations of any kind, the deep humility of those who know and accept that all that they are and have comes from God and must be placed at the service of others. This is the way of salvation. This is the way of our authentic self-fulfillment. This is the way of the Christian paradox. Let us walk together and be happy through Christ. It is the way that he has shown us, his disciples.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Isaiah 35:4-7a 4:1-2,6-8/ Psalm 146/ James 2:1-5/ Mark 7:31-37 THEME: Be truly free

The first reading uses the image of the deaf person to show us what God would one day do for his people. The Israelites had shut their ears and no longer listened to the Lord. But one day God was to cure their deafness. By describing the healing, the gospel is saying that the messianic times promised in the first reading have arrived. Ears are now opened and tongues loosened in order to announce the gospel. The second reading continues this theme, describing it as a community deaf to the Word of God and to the voice of the poor. A free nature at the service of humanity is what the first reading of today emphasises. God created nature, but he did not then lose interest in it. Nature is our home, and so God exercises his providence over nature, so that it may serve us. This divine providence “frees” the earth from its misery. The first reading tells us that “the parched ground will become a marsh and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah 35:6). God is the Lord of nature and freely exercises his absolute dominion over it to help us materially and spiritually. Materially, by making nature bear abundant fruit, so that we may feed ourselves with that fruit. Spiritually, by making us feel the power and weight of natural calamities, so that we may feel the need to look up to the Lord of nature and beg him for his blessing. Human pride, the enemy of our true good, is invited to humble itself before such natural misfortunes, which to us are like a platform enabling us to leave our pride aside and go back to God. In freeing the destructive powers of nature for a moment, God especially tries to free us from ourselves, which is what is really important. God is presented to us as our liberator. We humans are a mystery of flesh and spirit. God manifests his love to us by offering us a total liberation, which we need to accept with gratitude and a simple heart. He frees our flesh from illness. He does so directly, when it becomes necessary for our overall good, as happens with many sick persons who have been miraculously cured. He does so indirectly, by the power that he has given us to study the human body, know its illnesses and treat them. Today’s Gospel tells the story of how a deaf and dumb man was cured by Jesus. But God also intervenes to cure our spirit. He cures us from mental illnesses, he frees us from the power of the devil and sin through the work of the Holy Spirit, he makes us strong before temptations and inclinations to evil. When and how does God, man’s liberator, act? These are questions to which only God has the answer. However, the most important thing for us is to be aware and fully certain that God loves us and wants what is good for us. It is also important for us to be humble and turn to God with simplicity and ask him, “Lord, free me from all illness; especially free me from myself so that my life may be a song of praise to your holy name.” James’ exhortation in the second reading fits in perfectly here: “My brothers, do not let class distinctions enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.” The believer, having been freed of himself by baptism and the Eucharist, cannot go back to the slavery of the past. It would be like overturning God’s liberation.“Everything he does is good” was the reaction of the crowd, when they realized that Jesus had cured the deaf and dumb man. In addition to this, there are many Gospel texts which narrate the good works of Jesus for man. Indeed, St Peter says of Jesus in one of his speeches to the early Christians that “he went about doing good.” John Paul II tells us that “The charity of Christians is the prolongation of the presence of Christ giving of himself.” Yes, Christ wishes to continue to do good among us and in our days through Christian believers. Christ wishes to continue to free us from material needs, illness, natural disasters and spiritual ailments, through Christian believers. Indeed, it is truly wonderful to observe the generosity of so many millions of Christians in rescuing the needy in any part of the world. Christ must truly be happy, for he can continue to do good in history through his Christians. At the same time, as Christian believers we must ask ourselves a few questions: am I personally doing all the good that I can do? Do I wish others, individually or as a community, would do good? What is the kind of good that I like to do: material good, spiritual good, or both at the same time? Am I convinced that through me the glorious Christ continues to be present among men and do good? To do good unto others in a disinterested way is a wonderful way to be truly free and free others. God has the whole world in his hands; he got you and me in his hands. What has been our own attitude towards our environment, our neighbours and especially the vulnerable? Destruction awaits us as a result of our negligence. It is clear that man, consciously or unconsciously, sees and perceives himself as “enslaved”, at least partially. We should observe that in his existence, man encounters may constraints at different times of his life. By experience, we know that we cannot free ourselves from such bonds on our own, especially when it comes to the deepest and strongest bonds. We need to be set free. But in order for this to happen, we must want to be set free. Because it just so happens that, due to inexplicable and often complex reasons, we love the “sweet” constraints that enslave us. But they are bonds that as sweet as they may be, gradually strangle us until they kill our freedom. Some few lessons for our reflection: • One of God’s attributes is “the liberator”. This is the attribute which this Sunday’s liturgical texts especially focus on. We have become so dumb and deaf that we have failed our prophetic role; we have failed to speak against the follies and foibles of society. John Paul II of blessed memory tells us that the charity of Christians is the prolongation of the presence of Christ giving of himself. The poor and the vulnerable among us are crying for freedom. If they are discriminated against in the secular society, they want to enjoy a freedom in God’s house. This too has eluded them. • It is said that a truly free person is one who acts responsibly. God frees all human beings from their sad condition of outcasts and he frees nature from its barren dryness (First Reading). He frees us from illnesses of the heart and of the spirit, “everything he does is good, he makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (Gospel). He frees the Christian from any distinctions of class, for whether we are rich or poor; we are all the same before God (Gospel). • One who is truly free is one who enables others to enjoy their freedom. The reason why we do not desire others to enjoy their freedom is that we ourselves are slaves to our passions and desires. Are you truly free? God is our true liberator. Our true liberator is Jesus Christ who died for us and rose from the dead for us. Have you accepted, do you really accept with all your heart, the freedom offered by Jesus Christ? If you want to be set free, have no doubts, he will free you. Having deeply experienced Christ’s liberation, you will be spurred on to tell others who it is that can grant them the real freedom they are seeking. In conclusion, liberation, therefore, is possible only for those who wish to be freed. Another aspect to consider is who to turn to in order to be set free. In our world and in our environment, there are many people who claim to be “liberators”, because what they free is not man in his greatness and dignity, but the foul pits of his passions, his selfishness, ambitions, nightmares and instincts.

HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8/ Psalm 15/ James 1:17-18,21-22,27/ Mark 7:1-8, 14-15,21-23 THEME: Stop murmuring

The theme of marriage dominates this Sunday´s liturgy. On the one hand, there is Moses´ law which allows a man to dismiss his wife "on account of something ugly" (according to the interpretation, it could refer to infidelity between the spouses or even a poorly prepared meal Gospel). On the other hand, Jesus goes back to the original law introduced in nature, according to which "a man leaves his father and mother, and the two become one flesh: (First Reading and Gospel). In the Second Reading, Jesus, the bridegroom of the Church, gives him self to her to the point of dying to purify and sanctify her with his blood. This way, he becomes the true prototype of spousal love. Victory over loneliness is emphasised. It is very moving to see how God, according to the Book of Genesis, is concerned with man´s loneliness. We understand that God did not create us to live in solitude, but in a relationship with others, in the company of others. The company of pets is good, it should not be criticized; but it is not enough. Adam gives each animal a name; this is meant to show that he exercises his dominion and control over them. But it is not enough. It is relationship based on dominion. It is unequal and does not afford the human being complete fulfillment or joy. The only full, satisfying and joyful relationship is a relationship with someone who is equal to him, "flesh of his flesh." It is the relationship proper to human beings. The highest degree of such a relationship is marriage between man and wife, whereby "they become one flesh." However, marriage is not the only form of relationship or the only way to overcome loneliness. Friendship, companionship, the relationship between brothers in religion, etc. also overcome our loneliness. However, marriage and the family are natural institutions in which the victory over loneliness can achieve its highest level. Victory over division. Being alone is sad, it is painful. Being inwardly divided is ever more so. Sometimes there exists division between intelligence and will: should I get married or not? Or division of the heart: of all the boys and girls that I know, who can help me the most to overcome loneliness and make me happy? Whom can I best help to love and be happy? There is division of living experiences: so many experiences with this or that partner that leave the soul feeling empty, the heart half broken. They imply the bitterness of frustration, that make one feel unhappy about oneself, that leave one´s conscience feeling upset or seriously hurt. Marriage, lived out in all of its splendor and beauty, unites. It unites the forces of intelligence, which are steered towards married and family life. It unifies the forces of the will, which accept the wishes of the loved one and want what is good for him or her. It unites the heart, focusing it on the husband or wife and on the children. It unites life´s experiences, all of which are lived out in relation to the fundamental experience, which is that of marriage and of the family. It is true that in marriage too, one can be confronted with forces that seek to divide again, that seek to break unity. It is also true that there may be extremely difficult situations. But when married love is deep and authentic, it is able to overcome "division", and there is no shortage of resources to promote and defend unity. It is the love which our Lord Jesus Christ best personifies. All of Christ´s being is unified for the love of humanity, a love that does not spare him any sacrifices. No one loves more than he who gives his life for the ones he loves. Through the sacrament of matrimony, Christians share the love with which Christ the Bridegroom loved the Church, his Bride. This redeeming love of Christ, which is effectively present between Christian spouses, will help them overcome any temptation to be divided, and will promote unity as the greatest good for the spouses, the family and society. Marriage: a word with a single meaning. It is a principle of human and Christian wisdom to call each thing by its name. It is not a matter of judging anybody; on the contrary, as Christians we must be extremely understanding. What it is really all about is to speak correctly and clearly. If we start talking about "de facto marriage", of a "free union", of "gay marriage", of "the right to be different", and if we recognize all this from a juridical point of view, instead of lessening the confusion we will undoubtedly add to it. Marriage is a stable and free union between a man and a woman, juridically recognized by the State (civil marriage) and/or the Church (ecclesiastical marriage). Whatever does not comply with this definition, is not marriage. This is why it should be given a different name, always with respect and charity. Obviously, respect for those who are different is an obligation for all, but this respect in no way means connivance, and it does not imply equality of status. The reality of marriage is something very serious and sacred, and it cannot be played around with. This is often not taken into account. The result is a deterioration of the institution of marriage, which appears less and less similar to its (correct) definition. One wonders what is going on in the Parliaments of the various countries, which sometimes make extremely serious decisions touching the very future of the family and society. Do we realize that little by little, these changes can brainwash us? That political (Parliamentary) and cultural (mass media) imperialism have entered our homes, almost without our wanting it? Catechesis squared. A Christian conscience and our fidelity to our missionary vocation commit us to a catechesis squared (using the language of mathematics), to a level catechesis, and to an intense evangelizing action of marriage that reaches everyone, both Christians and non-Christians. We need to use the whole range of resources at our disposal. We must educate children to understand the nature of marriage and its Christian meaning. This must be even more true with adolescents and young adults. We have to make use of religion class in school, catechism in the parish, the Sunday homily, personal conversations in the family or in other milieux, newspapers and magazines, the radio, television and the Internet. We must duplicate our catechesis and evangelizing efforts, to counteract the attacks on marriage which greatly upset and disconcert the average man. It is usually said that the best defense is a good offense. And the offensive in the area of marriage is the truth of our faith. Let us tell us the truth without being afraid, sure that the victory is ours.

HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Proverbs 9:1-6/ Psalm 34/ Ephesians 5:15-20/ John 6:51-58 THEME: Stop murmuring

In October 1972 a charter flight from Uruguay was crossing the Andes Mountains to Chile. It never reached its destination. All forty passengers on board were presumed dead. But 72 days later, 16 emerged alive to tell how they had survived on the snowcapped slope where their plane had crashed. The world was stunned to learn their story. For food, they had eaten the flesh of the passengers who had died in the crash. In today’s gospel, Jesus’ listeners are likewise stunned to learn the incredible promise that he makes: One day he will give special bread for them to eat – bread that in reality will be his own flesh. Is it any wonder that they object, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”Before examining the Lord’s reply, let’s place today’s gospel passage in its proper context of John, chapter six. There’s a unified theme closely linking the three parts of this chapter. First, the chapter begins with Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000 by multiplying five small loaves of bread. Normally, bread results from a long and tedious process – beginning with spring planting and ending in an oven. But Jesus’ simple blessing dispenses with both time and effort.His action is a resounding declaration: “I can suspend the laws of nature for BREAD!” Next, later that night, while the disciples are struggling to steer their boat on the storm-swept sea, Jesus comes walking towards them on the surface of the water. This is the strangest of all the gospel miracles. To walk on water seems to smack of what occurs in pagan myths. What’s the point? A most important one, actually: The law of gravity mandates that weighty objects seek their rest at the lowest possible level. By preventing his body from sinking, Jesus was implicitly declaring: “I can suspend the laws of nature for my BODY.” Later that afternoon, some of the crowd that had been fed, came to Jesus on the other side of the lake in order to make him their "bread king." Jesus used the occasion to promise that someday he would give special BREAD that would be his own BODY. (Jn. 6:51). In short, when he fed those hungry thousands with only five small loaves, he proved, “I can do what I want with bread.” And by walking on the water, he confirmed, “I can do what I want with my body.” That afternoon, he drew the logical conclusion: “Someday, I will give special bread that in reality is my body.” When did Jesus fulfill the awesome promise he made that afternoon? At the Last Supper, when he blessed the bread and wine saying: "Take, eat. This is my body…Take, drink. This is the cup of my blood…" For almost 2,000 years the Church has firmly taught that whenever the priest at Mass does what Jesus did at the Last Supper, the bread and wine are changed in substance to the Lord's true flesh and blood, even though the accidentals of the bread and wine remain. Does this seem incredible? Perhaps the following illustration might shed some light on this marvel: You grasp an iron bar. How do you know that it's iron? From its weight, its color, and its hardness. But in outer space, the bar becomes weightless, and in a blast furnace it becomes a red hot liquid. Is it still iron? Yes, of course, for its substance remains the same. Only the accidentals (weight, color, hardness) have changed. In the blast furnace of God’s love at Mass, the reverse of this takes place. The accidentals of the bread and wine stay the same; the substance changes into the Lord’s own body and blood. This marvelous change the Church calls transubstantiation. Ever since that afternoon of the promise at Capernaum, many have refused to take Jesus at his Word. Some have said that the Eucharist only represents him, just as the Stars and Stripes represent our country. However, someone who burns our country's flag is charged with desecrating the flag, not our country. But in 1 Corinthians, St. Paul emphatically states: “Whoever eats this bread or drinks of the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” (11:27). Furthermore, if Jesus had meant a mere symbolic eating of his flesh, why did he allow his listeners to take him so literally? Elsewhere in John's gospel, whenever Jesus’ listeners had understood him incorrectly, the misunderstanding was corrected at once: In John 2, when Jesus told the chief priests – standing in the Temple courtyard – “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,” they thought he meant the temple of stone. So the evangelist added the clarification that he was referring to the temple of his risen body. In the next chapter, when Nicodemus concluded that Jesus had in mind a physical rebirth (“Surely, a grown man cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born.”), Jesus pointed out that he had meant a spiritual rebirth. And in the eleventh chapter, when the disciples understood that Jesus wanted to awaken Lazarus from natural slumber, he had to specify that he had meant the sleep of death. But when his listeners at Capernaum objected, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” far from correcting any misunderstanding, Jesus went on to reinforce his statement by adding that they had to drink his blood as well – something utterly abhorrent to a devout Jew! When they refused to accept this “intolerable teaching,” Jesus allowed them to walk off and leave him. He did not call them back so that he might restate his message to make it more palatable, by rationalizing: “Wait, you're misunderstanding me! I'm only referring to a symbolic eating of my flesh.” No, he turned to the twelve and asked, “Do you want to leave me, too?” Why was Jesus prepared to risk so much – even the loss of his chosen twelve? The only possible answer is that the presence he spoke of was not symbolic but real. I fear that this homily has been more an affair of the head than of the heart. Recent surveys indicate that many Catholics are entertaining serious doubts about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. So I wanted to use this occasion to reinforce what the Church has taught from the very beginning. A serious examination of the sixth chapter of John leaves no room for doubt that Jesus is really, truly and substantially present in the Eucharist – the Sacrament his Love. In conclusion, love demands union. The greater the love, the more intimate is the union desired. The lover longs to be joined to the beloved – in thought, in letters, in phone conversations, in physical presence, and ultimately – in spousal love – through the love embrace between husband and wife. So much does Jesus love us that he conceals himself under what looks like bread in order to ravish us in the love embrace of Holy Communion! Such was the meaning of one of the early Church Fathers, St. John Chrysostom, when he wrote: “How many of you say, I would like to see his face, his garments, his sandals. You do see him, you touch him, you eat him. He gives himself to you, not only that you may see him – but also to be your food and your nourishment.” ___________ * As used in this analogy, “substance” does not refer to the chemical substance of the iron bar or of the bread. Rather, it refers to the basic reality of the thing, i.e., what it is in itself. You might not recognize me if I don a disguise, but I still remain the person I was – my substance remains unchanged.