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Homily. 33rd Sunday C. Active Waiting for End Times

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We approach the end of the liturgical year and the word of God orients our attention to the End Times which is Christ’s second coming. What should be attitude as we await this day?

Bible readings
Malachy 3: 19–20
Psalm 98: 5–6, 7–8, 9
2 Thessalonica 3: 7–12
Luke 21: 5–19

Mixed feelings

Christians await the second coming of their Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ. However, such waiting is characterised by mixed feelings. There’s judgement. But who likes to be judged? Judgement is something we want to avoid at all cost, for it implies either reward or punishment. So, there’s fear.

Besides, the coming of the Lord is associated with catastrophic events. The description that the prophet Malachy gives of the end times can’t leave us indifferent.  He talks of a day of fire which burns like a furnace where those who have committed injustice and the deceitful will be consumed like dry grass. And in the Gospel, we have catastrophes such as earthquakes, epidemics, wars and famine to mention but just some. Certainly, it’s an image which is in no way edifying. Obviously, no one would like to look forward to such a day. In fact, such depictions intensify the fear and thus and give birth to mixed feelings about Christ’s second coming. Which mixed feelings?

Christians live in the hope of the coming of their savoir, Jesus Christ. So, we speak of the joyful hope. But when we consider what’s associated with this coming, as seen above, you really need to search hard to see the place of joy. There’s more alarm than joy. Where does this mixture of alarm and joy come from?

There’s Jewish influence. For the Jews the Day of Lord is an important of which the extraordinary events serve to announce its importance. It’s a day when God would show his might, on one hand, by punishing the enemies of his people, and on the other hand, by liberating his people. It’s only a pity that a joyful hope for the Day of God’s visitation be drowned in such detailed frightening events. How should we look at it?

End of time as encounter with the Lord

The Day of the Lord’s coming is not the time of severe judgment, God is never severe with anyone. It’s rather a day of encounter with the one who came not in order to judge the world but that the world may have life. With such perspective, the announce of the end of times becomes good news since we look forward to sharing the fulness of life, as the fruit of the salvation wrought for us by Christ. That gives us all the reasons not to be afraid, but to be happy. However, looking forward to the joyful encounter with Lord does not imply negligence. We need to take our responsibility. It means we need to wait for this day with a certain attitude. What kind?

Waiting actively and responsibly 

In the letter to the Thessalonians, second reading, Paul addresses a kind of lethargy in the Christian community. Some members say to themselves, for what use should we continue to work if the Lord is coming soon? They want to fold arms and wait for the imminent end of times. That’s why Paul writes to correct and exalt them to work quietly in order to earn their food. Does that concern us?

Well, just look around and you will see. People, even Christians are super busy going about their business.  That may give us the impression as though the message of Paul does not concern our society today, which is busy enough. And yet, even our society may be infested with its own forms of negligence and lethargy. Let’s some of them.

End times discourse

You often hear a kind of end times language which, in a way, risks leaving us not to take enough our responsibility. Though the example I have in mind may not apply everywhere yet its seriousness alarms the world over.

From the end times discourse we hear about famine, and so, hearing of people dying of hunger today, for some religious fanatics, that’s only the prophecy fulfilling itself; people of different nations or ethnic groups may be butchering one another, and the response of bible fundamentalists would be: it’s written in the bible that those things have to happen before the End. Similarly, the climatic changes will never be appreciated in terms of the human impact on nature but only as fulfilment of what is announced in the Bible.

With that mentality, we look at the evils going on in the world not as problems that call for action, but only as prelude which announces the Lord’s coming. So, we keep ourselves in a little corner so that the Lord finds us in prayer. Paul warns us against such negligence and lethargy and exalts us to act responsibly.

Joyful hope with commitment

So, as we look forward to the coming of the Lord, that joyful encounter, and since we look forward to sharing life with him in the joy of heaven; it’s here on earth we are called to start realising it. And so, it would be total carelessness on our part as Christians if we consider such human misery only as a horn of the Lord’s coming. Christian responsibility in the world calls us to act.

Pray that we may be liberated from whatever fear that makes us dread the Lord’s coming so that appreciating the joyful hope of this day we may be encouraged to act in the manner to witness the presence of God’s kingdom already right where we are.

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32nd Sunday C: Believing the Resurrection is Living with Hope

Homily. 31st Sunday C. Zacchaeus, Son of Abraham

Homily. 32nd Sunday C: Believing the Resurrection is Living with Hope

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In the Gospel we find the polemic in the Jewish society, at the time of Jesus, regarding life after death -the resurrection. For a part represented by Sadducees death was the end of it all -it’s a sea of darkness and nothingness that followed. On the contrary, Pharisees believed in the resurrection; there was life after death. The polemic is still there in our society too. But how do we move from such futile controversy to find a word of life and hope?

In Jesus your life shall blossom like sunflower

Bible readings
2 Maccabees 7: 1–14
Psalm 17: 1, 5–6, 8, 15
2 Thessalonica 2: 16—3 5
Luke 20: 27–38

Life after death a current question

We just commemorated, the 2nd November, all the faithful departed. For some people, it was an emotional occasion as they remembered their beloved departed, especially those who died recently for whom the wound of their loss is still fresh. We realise then that the question of the resurrection, posed in the Gospel, is not just a dispute between Pharisees and Sadducees but something that touches us to the core even today. Indeed, not only do we think about the lot of our departed, we equally think about what will happen to us after we die.

Resurrection question as a way of life

Believing, or not believing, the resurrection of the dead concerns not just what happens after this life but also one’s attitude in life.  When one leads this life as though that’s all there is, the advantage would be living to the fullest, exploiting every possibility and never miss any opportunity. Yet, on the dark side, such a life would be like walking on the road that ends in a cul de sac or dead-end street. A person is very limited in what they can hope for.

On the contrary, believing in the resurrection especially for a Christian, founded on Christ’s victory over death, transforms the whole attitude to life, even the way of living the daily experiences of life. In Jesus, death is no longer an insurmountable block but a gateway to new life in God. The hope for the resurrection enables us to look at the events of life through the prism of the victory of life over death. Despite the dark clouds that may appear at certain times of my life I remain serene in the hope that those dark clouds will not remain forever; one day they will be dissipated, and the sun shall shine again in my life.

So, we can say, belief in the resurrection is a way of life that influences our choices and our actions from the profound depth of our being. In that way, the resurrection becomes a value that gives form to certain culture or manner of living. However, the question is: how firm am I in my belief in the resurrection? Can I stand for it even when it seems absurd to persons around me? That’s the challenge in the first reading.

They refuse to obey the king for greater value

The seven brothers, in the first reading, demonstrate that the belief in the resurrection is not just a doctrine to be obeyed but a value that becomes determinant in the choices one makes in life.  It opens one to a positive life style.

By that strange story put before Jesus, about a widow married to seven brothers, shows how resolved Sadducees are not only to refute the resurrection but also to ridicule it. Unfortunately, our life is still full of Sadducees, that is, persons and events that are intent to robe us of hope. Once we are fallen, we hear a voice telling us: that’s all you can rise, you can’t do it. They want to keep us in the lying position, position of the dead. But when we welcome the message of life that Jesus gives us by the victory of the resurrection, then, we know that we are not meant to remain lying down -we are sure of picking ourselves up one day.

Living in hope

So, we pray that the Lord may sustain our hope despite whatever experiences in life that seek to keep us in the position of the dead. In the name of Jesus, we shall not die; we shall live! We believe not only the resurrection of the dead, but also in our resurrection of everyday life.

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32nd Sunday C. Resurrection: What happens after I die?

Homily. 31st Sunday C. Zacchaeus, Son of Abraham

Homily. 31st Sunday C. Zacchaeus, Son of Abraham

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In the Gospel we have the meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus, an encounter by which the latter rediscovers his identity, as son of Abraham; he’s more than just a corrupt tax collector. In Zacchaeus we discover how God looks at us despite our sinfulness and we discover also mission: to look at others as God looks at us.

Bible readings
Wisdom 11: 22—12 2
Psalm 145: 1–2, 8–11, 13–14
2 Thessalonica 1: 11—2 2
Luke 19: 1–10

Story of a tax collector

We are familiar with the story of Zacchaeus the short tax collector who, desiring to see Jesus, climbs a tree in order to have a glance at him. What does this story say about God, about our identity and about our mission as Christians?

But who’s this tax collector? He works to collect tax for the detested colonial, Roman government. Besides, he takes advantage of the oppressive system to make himself rich by demanding people to pay more than is required. It’s for that he’s not only hated but he’s also considered as public sinner. That explains the scandal it causes when Jesus, a respectable Jew, makes himself a guest of Zacchaeus. Apparently, People around see in him nothing more than a collaborator with enemies and an immoral person. But is that all?

“He too is a son of Abraham”

Jesus remarks: “He too is a son of Abraham” which means that this hated tax collector, and a cheat, is also one of the chosen people, and thus, equally called to inherit the kingdom of heaven. That’s the good news Jesus announces to him, leading to a new self-awareness. Indeed, that is salvation for Zacchaeus who comes to realise that his life is not just about the career and accumulating wealth but finding his place among his fellow chosen people. It’s dawn for Zacchaeus that leads to a new page in his life. In Zacchaeus we have a mirror of our life before God.

Jesus looks at Zacchaeus the way God looks at us

The first reading affirms God’s attitude toward his creation. Though he’s all powerful, and that everything he has created appears to be nothing before him, yet he keeps it in high esteem:

“In your sight, Lord, the whole world is like a grain of dust
 that tips the scales, like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground.
Yet you are merciful to all… Yes, you love all that exists,
you hold nothing of what made in abhorrence,
for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it….
You spare all things because all things are yours…
you correct those who offend, you admonish and remind them
of how they have sinned so that they may abstain
 from evil and trust in you Lord.”

Here we can appreciate how God looks at us, not with an eye of judgment but of mercy and love for we are his children. And despite whatever image we may have painted ourselves, out of our lifestyle, he sees beyond our mess.

Our mission

Having benefited from God’s merciful and loving attitude towards us, we are inspired in the way we interact with others. No matter the notoriety that they may have built for themselves, they nonetheless remain beloved sons and daughter of God. This is not to minimise sin but simply to affirm that sin does not obliterate our dignity. Indeed, salvation is coming to the awareness of who we are in God.

Besides, through Zacchaeus we come to appreciate that even those who may have a bad name in our society they probably carry deep within them noble yearnings. It’s thus our vocation as Christians to welcome and accompany such persons without judging them. The experience of being loved and accepted, as they are, can lead them to conversion. So, in Zacchaeus we see how merciful and loving God is towards us, sinners. Naturally, we are also encouraged to be loving and forgiving to the other Zacchaeus around us.

So, I thank you God, for you love all that you have created; you love me and you give me the opportunity to come back to my sense and realise my real identity as your beloved child destined to enter they joy of heaven.

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Homily for 31st Sunday C. Zacchaeus come down, beloved son

Homily. 18th Sunday C. Riches, Vanity of Vanities?

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This Sunday we have readings with important allusion to riches. Especially with the parable of the Rich fool, there’s a risk of associating, indiscriminately, foolishness and being rich as if living in material misery was a guarantee for wisdom. But, then, we shall have to answer the question: are riches ungodly and poverty godly?

Bible readings
Ecclesiastes 1: 2; 2: 21–23
Psalm 90: 3–17
Colossians 3: 1–5, 9–11
Luke 12: 13–21

All is vanity, is it?

From Qoheleth we have a popular phrase: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” He wonders, for what use should humans toil, even without rest, to obtain knowledge or materials if at the end they must leave everything behind? That’s why Qoheleth considers all that as mere chaff which has no weight, it’s only to be blown by wind. Of course, he doesn’t doubt the usefulness of material goods or knowledge, but he calls for vigilance against banking our hope on something which is volatile. It’s a call to discernment where we give each thing its rightful place. In this sense we can understand better the allusion to rich fool.

Riches are not foolishness

From the beatitude: “Happy are the poor” or the woes “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger” (Lk 6:24-25); some people would be suspicious of material wellbeing as something ungodly, to the point of even justifying material misery as something godly. It’s a mentality that we can find a bit from certain tendencies of Christian spiritualities. You don’t become a fool by becoming rich out of hard work; it depends on what you do with it. The rich man in the Gospel is described as a fool not simply because he’s rich but because of poor judgement. Such deficiency of discernment can be seen equally among those living in material poverty.

Certainly, this man has worked hard; and beyond expectation, his fields give abundant yields surpassing the space that he has for storing his harvest. Looking at the abundance of this fortune, the man thinks he has it all; it’s like with such material abundance he has enough to guarantee him a quiet, secure future.

Besides, it’s all about “I”. In his material abundance he never thinks of anyone else, not a neighbour, and not even God. That’s what Goheleth calls vanity, that is, something that is as weightless as chaff. Indeed, once life is taken away from him, the rich man can’t enjoy his wealth.

Vertical and horizontal dimensions

We just can’t ignore the vertical and horizontal dimensions of our life. By vertical dimension, we acknowledge that who we are and all that we have, we owe them to God, hence, the need to care for our relationship with him. But we didn’t receive life or material goods directly from heaven, but by intermediation of our fellow humans. We are relational beings, and a well-balanced life ought to take into account these two dimensions regardless of the success we accumulate.

And so, the strong language that we find at times used against the rich should not be interpreted as against hard work and earning a decent life but rather against certain ways of dealing with what we have. This is should be understood also in terms of the particular sensitivity of Luke to the little ones of society who are often victims of the those wield power or by the rich.

The Gospel for the Poor

The mission of Jesus, which Luke announces in chapter 4, it’s a mission of liberation of the oppressed, the little ones of society. We find situations where some people gain profits on the backs of the weak ones, tendencies from ancient times which, unfortunately, persist even today. The Gospel awakes the human spirit to learn to make priorities in life. If I want to build my life solely on material goods to the point of even turning my fellow humans into instruments of profit, then, I fall in this foolishness evoked in the Gospel.

But I can also use the goods of this earth as means of acknowledging God who is the source and use them to help others. In so doing, I accumulate wealth in heaven. I live in the world, with all I possess but my mind and heart are oriented to heaven as Paul calls us, in the 2nd Reading: “Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Certainly, we can’t glorify material misery in which many people wallow. It’s an evil against which we should all join hands to fight. And yet, whatever material wealth we accumulate, should never make us forget about God and our neighbour.  The material goods are there for human use; they are not the end but only means. They become a problem once they become the end of life to the point of cutting us off from God and from our fellow humans.

Vanity of Vanity

It’s not vanity to work and earn a living and be able to live in dignity; it’s not vanity to make use of the resources God has given us in order to live decently. It becomes vanity if accumulating material wealth becomes the fundamental goal to orient our life. In such case, instead of using them we become their slaves. That would be unwise.

Be rich and wise

We can become wisely rich when we make our own the prayer of the Psalmist: “make us know the shortness of our life so that we may gain the wisdom of heart” (Ps 90:12).

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Homily. 17th Sunday C. Prayer: Teach Us to Pray

Homily. 16th Sunday C. Mary and Martha; Balanced Disciple

 

Homily. 17th Sunday C. Prayer: Teach Us to Pray

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A disciple says to Jesus: “Teach us to pray”. I guess the disciples of Jesus, as good Jews, knew how to pray, and indeed prayed. So, we may wonder, what is it that this disciple wants to learn about praying? Well, no matter the number of years we have been praying we too, perhaps, there’s something we can learn about prayer. But what is it then?

Bible readings
Genesis 18: 20–32
Psalm 138: 1–3, 6–8
Colossians 2: 12–14
Luc 11: 1–13

But is it true?

Jesus puts it simply: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Yet, many are the times, and situations, in our lives when we asked and got nothing, searched and didn’t find and knocked, and the door never opened for us. How do we reconcile, then, the affirmation of Jesus and our own experiences that show, sometimes, just the contrary?

In fact, there are persons who have abandoned their faith simply because when they called upon God in prayer, for rescue, during critical moments of their lives they felt not heard when they didn’t get what they wanted. So, they have gone “away” disappointed. Even those of us who may still be holding on, comes a time when we have doubts and questions about what happens to that prayer we have been addressing to God since long time. Such doubts and questions are good reasons for us to join the disciple in asking Jesus: “Teach us to pray”. But which prayer?

“Our Father…your kingdom come”

The prayer of Jesus is a prayer of a secure believer, confident in the father who cares. He’s not afraid to express how feels and what he wants, like in the case just before his passion: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Mt 26:39). We find this attitude in the “Our father…your kingdom come.”  Where God reigns, his will takes first place. It’s not submission or resignation, but an act of trust; surrendering oneself to the one who loves us. This attitude of addressing God as Father, and allowing him to reign in my life, changes also my prayer. I pass from old to new way of praying.  

Old way

How have I been praying? What has been inspiring my prayer? When I feel insecure or when I’m in need; it could be moments of fragile health, financial insecurity or when my relationship is threatened. In such cases, naturally, prayer becomes spelling out a list of things that God should do for me. For an insecure believer prayer becomes an SOS call. Such prayer is heard, so one thinks, only when the desired help comes by. But is it true that our prayer is heard only when we get what we ask for? “Teach us to pray” means opening oneself to another way of looking at prayer.

New prayer

The prayer of Jesus is inspired not by needs or insecurity, it’s rooted in a filial relationship of a son with his caring father. We can add an image to it:  a little child that throws itself in the arms of mum or dad, sure there’s someone who loves and cares. That’s the prayer that Jesus proposes, a prayer of trust, in the knowledge that God is our Father. Before him we can express our needs, all right; but not because we feel threatened but that we have a dad whose will is our wellbeing.

To move from the old, insecure way of praying, to the new and self-abandoning kind of prayer; we need to look at the way Jesus prays. And, then, we can join the disciple, saying: “teach us to pray”.

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Homily. 16th Sunday C. Mary and Martha; Balanced Disciple

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