Monthly Archives: July 2016

St. Benedict, Abbot
Isaiah 1:10-17 | Psalm 49:8-9,16-17,21,23 | Matthew 10:34-11:1

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)

I was at a wedding dinner last Saturday night, and Fr. Erbin Fernandez was in attendance, having celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in the morning. Before proceeding to pray grace before our dinner, he encouraged everyone to sing Let There Be Peace On Earth, a serendipitous tie-in to today’s Gospel.

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be

Jesus’ odd phrasing is a big clue that the obvious inference isn’t correct. It was not His intention to drive a wedge between people, but our propensity to sin will inevitably result in conflict when we see the light of Truth and yearn to journey towards it, to the disapproval of others around us. Without sin, peace among us all would exist by default.

With God as our Father, brothers all are we
Let me walk with my sister in perfect harmony

But peace on earth doesn’t necessarily mean automatic unanimity. With the supreme gift of free will granted to us by our heavenly Father, we may still disagree on the little details, like how long to let the kids run around outdoors, how long to keep a unsuitable employee on staff, how wise climbing Mount Kinabalu would be in middle age.

But we can still agree to disagree, and work towards some level of consensus without biting each other’s heads off.

Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow

Still, disagreements often bring out the fight-or-flight animal instinct in us, so it’s important for us to take a conscious stand to share the peace that Jesus left us, to be the first to extend the hand of friendship in difficult and disagreeable situations…

To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me

Amen.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Deuteronomy 30:10-14 | Psalm 68:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37 | Colossians 1:15-20 | Luke 10:25-37

Today’s Gospel features the familiar tale of the Good Samaritan, but there’s one verse that blazes forth from the oft-recounted words:

But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. (Luke 10:33)

The Law that Moses references in the first reading is so simple, even the lawyer is able to recite it by heart: Love God with your entire being, and love your neighbour as yourself. Indeed, kind deeds are as nothing without mercy; the Samaritan’s story wouldn’t even be half as interesting if he were merely going through the motions.

Certainly, donating money to charities is a much-needed kindness that keeps the lights on and fills hungry bellies, but we can do so much more. A favorite wedding passage from St. Paul drives this point home:

If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. (1 Corinthians 13:3)

Serving food to the needy, the physically and mentally challenged, begins a bonding of human warmth.

Breaking bread with them, watching them help each other, especially the ones who aren’t able to care for themselves, ratchets up the engagement to a whole new level.

Looking at the faces across from us, watching their unconscious animation and an occasional tear, laughing and crying with them, is a precious gift an arms-length donation just can’t buy.

Somewhere near you is at least one person silently crying out for compassion, perhaps quite literally a troubled neighbour. Will you answer that cry?

So on we go
His welfare is my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

Amen.

Saturday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Isaiah 6:1-8 | Psalm 92:1-2,5 | Matthew 10:24-33

The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. (Matthew 10:24-25)

This passage really needs to be read in the context of yesterday’s Gospel, then we would come to understand that Jesus is actually warning his disciples about the persecutions that would be visited upon them. His message is basically this: I will be persecuted unto death, so as my disciples, you cannot expect to be above such sufferings. Instead, focus on becoming more like me, loving and forgiving, healing and welcoming, accepting all the troubles ahead – that is what I ask of you.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

Taken out of context, though, we have a different yet equally interesting interpretation: an admonition to teachers concerned about students “usurping their position”. It can be hard for instructors to recognize and encourage brilliant yet unconventional thinking in their charges; I’ve personally been on the receiving end of a few put-downs during my schooling years, and I don’t think I was that smart.

Instead, teachers are called to form their students without fear or favor, passing on to in the young ones their own love for their chosen focus. Math, physics, geopolitics; whatever the subject, a good teacher understands that their students have their own life-path to take, and is therefore willing to teach them everything he can, not holding back for fear of being surpassed.

Similarly, when sharing our faith with others, we should not fear the risk of being “shown up”, of having our faith in God put to the test by enquirers. They’re not “superior” for being able to ask questions that leave us flummoxed; they’re just coming from a different life experience. The single mother still recovering from a bitter divorce, the rich trader feeling an unaccustomed emptiness in his life, the young convict still in prison and worried about life after his release; all of them have unique concerns and viewpoints that need to be addressed before they would be willing to consider a closer relationship with God.

We may not have all the answers, but I’m sure an honest admission thereof, a friendly sharing of what we do know, and a joint exploration of the unknowns in a Spirit of love and understanding, would be a good show of faith and a more convincing invitation to Christ than thumping the Bible…or their heads.

Friday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Hosea 14:2-10 | Psalm 50:3-4,8-9,12-14,17 | Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

Surprisingly, Jesus was probably referring to something like Blackadder-style cunning. The differences:

• Blackadder’s cunning held few boundaries, while Jesus would definitely frown upon any actions that violate God’s covenant with us, and
• Blackadder held himself as the ultimate beneficiary of his skullduggery, while we are called to place others before self, with win-win scenarios for everyone involved being the best outcome.

I think we can all agree that dealing with the unjust in a holier-than-thou Christian fundamentalist way will likely lead to hurt feelings all around and zero progress in conversion.

No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument. -Philip Yancey

Instead, we should be street-smart, first understanding the other party’s motivations and using that to turn the situation in a Godly direction while not ourselves crossing the line into sin. This requires us to keep our eyes open, to examine everything carefully, and to not take everything at face value.

We also need to guard ourselves against inbound attacks of insincere flattery, of appearing to cave on a point only to substitute an even worse alternative. We must never forget that the “opposition” probably has even more experience with guile and wile.

In short, we need to be crafty like serpents, but keep the Lord at the centre of our lives, so as not be consumed or tainted by evil, nor consume or taint others in turn. I think this is the true meaning of the Christian’s call to “live in the world, but not be of this world”.

Amen.

Thursday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Hosea 11:1-4,8-9 | Psalm 79:2-3,15-16 | Matthew 10:7-15

When Israel was a child I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
But the more I called to them, the further they went from me (Hosea 11:1-2)

I’ve done my share of running away from the Lord in my life, but something or (more often) someone always ends up drawing me back.

From my college chapel’s music director, who was always patient with me even when I cut mass several Sundays in a row…

To a horrific accident that took ten years to sink in…

To my atheist friend and his incessant poking at my faith…

To, oddly enough, the American entertainment industry. Yes, the mind boggles at “Hollywood for God”. ?

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

Like most adults, I spend a non-trivial amount of time watching TV and movies. It recently dawned on me that many thrillers will feature at least one scene where a hapless victim or hero is running away from the bad guys…and towards a cliff, waterfall or other precipitous drop-off.

Which begs the question: When we run away from God, what are we running towards, and how much will it cost us?

Lord, You call us to eternal salvation, so there is no reason for us to flee. Give us the courage to run towards You at all times, trusting in Your love always. Amen.