Weekly Reflection

Third Sunday of Advent (C) – December 13, 2015

From the Pastor /

The readings today proclaim joy in the near presence of God. Yet each is set against a background that militates against joyful expectation. The book of Zephaniah was written in the 7th BC at a time when Israel was surrounded by hostile nations. The call to rejoice because the Lord is in the midst of His people is almost unexpected, as it is in contrast with everything preceding it. St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written when he was in prison because of his missionary work. In Philippi he had established his first European church and he called the community there “my joy and my crown”. Though he is imprisoned and facing the possibility of execution, joy and peace are prominent in the latter, culminating in St. Paul’s wish for their happiness in the Lord and for the peace of God that is beyond our comprehension while on earth. When John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness and called the people to prepare a way for the Lord, and to a baptism of repentance, they were under Roman occupation with a Roman procurator and a Jewish subordinate ruler, Herod. The tax collectors had bought their positions from the Roman authorities. The soldiers gave armed protection to the tax collectors. They were in need of some protection for they were hated by both Jews and Gentiles alike, not least because many abused their authority. The people are attracted to John and his message. They go to him for baptism, and all, tax collectors and soldiers included, ask what they must do. He answers that they must act justly towards others.

From readings we see John the Baptist, Paul and Zephaniah dispelled oppressing darkness with the light that shone from God’s nearness. The Christmas trees with their glimmering candles and other decorations, which now illumine the period leading to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, can be seen as symbolizing that same light of that same light of God’s near presence among us. May we never forget that the Lord is in our midst. Christ, the Morning Star, will dispel our darkness.

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Second Sunday of Advent (C) – December 6, 2015

From the Pastor /

The name “Baruch” heads the book from which today’s reading is taken, and there is a reasonably well-known Baruch in the Old Testament – the secretary to the prophet Jeremiah. It’s highly unlikely, however, that this Baruch wrote all of this very short book. Perhaps this Baruch wrote part of the book, but it looks as if today’s first reading came from a different source. Today’s passage shows every sign of having been written a considerable time after the exile, because the author refers to, but doesn’t directly quote, a famous passage from the part of the book of Isaiah that was written towards the end of the Israelites’ time in exile. This is, of course, the passage applied to John the Baptist in today’s Gospel.

The beauty of prophetic, poetic images in the Bible is that they allow us to apply our own understanding of what they mean to our lives. It would be unhelpful to offer a detailed list of all the ways in which we could apply the references to mountains and valleys in our lives. Those mountains of Baruch, Isaiah and John the Baptist could represent anything that blocks our awareness of God in our lives. We have to identify these for ourselves. Likewise, the valleys might represent the gulf that exists either between ourselves and God, or between ourselves and other people. Mountains and valleys might be a good way of expressing what we need to get rid of, if we are to love God with all our energy, and our neighbors as ourselves.

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First Sunday of Advent (C) – November 29, 2015

From the Pastor /

Some people come to church to get away from the hectic and disturbing aspects of life. They like that. Some people complain that church is unreal since it bears no resemblance to the life they lead. They don;t like that. What is the truth? Is what we do during the celebration of the liturgy an escape from the realities of life? In reflecting on the season of Advent, we have the means for seeing that the liturgy is real, that it reflects life as it is, but the liturgy is also an ideal since it gives a direction and purpose to life.

One of the aspects of life is that we are constantly looking to the future. It begins early when adults insists on asking a child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”It continues during school years. Most people look forward to marriage, to having children, to advancing at work, to retirement, and then to that which youth seems uncertain and distant, old age and death. Looking to the future is a part of life. It does so in two ways, first by being attentive to an uncertain, and seemingly distant future when Christ will come again to our world to bring His kingdom to perfection. Secondly Advent looks to the future by preparing to celebrate on December 25 the birth of Christ. The two part are not related. About Christ’s second coming we have sure hope because we accept His first coming with firm faith. What God promised was fulfilled in the first coming of Christ and what God still promises will be fulfilled in the second coming of Christ. One promise fulfilled is a pledge of a promise yet to be fulfilled.

God taught His people through the prophets to hope for salvation despite their sinfulness. In fulfillment of God’s will, the Son gave himself up to death, but by rising from the dead He destroyed death and restored life. Hoping for a bright future is a real part of life, and it is of the essence of the season of Advent.

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Christ the King (B) – November 22, 2015

From the Pastor /

The years following the Great War of 1914-18 were years of trouble and turmoil. Many nations struggled to come to terms with the horrors that had befallen the world. Before long and further war erupted, driven by the expansionist will of Adolf Hitler, and so the 1920s and 30s are known now as the “inter-war years”. The Bishop of Rome published a letter to the whole Church and the whole world, to put before everyone the vital importance of Jesus as the ruler over all. The year was 1925 and already dictators were flourishing in the shape of Benito Mussolini, and new forms of government in Soviet Russia, where first Lenin and then Stalin would rule with an iron fist. With the new nationalism there arose the new secularism, a world ruled without reference to God. In our world today, we are accustomed to secularism, and the Church has had to accommodate itself to an ever-changing world. In some places the Church has had too much influence in the political sphere. In other places the Church is still persecuted and required to submit to the will of the Government.

Today’s feast prompts us to think about the rule of the Lord in our personal life and in our public and social life. The kingdom that He proclaims is the kingdom of truth, and that claim puts all of us on the spot. “All who are on the side of truth listen to My voice,” says the Lord.

“Love one another, as I have loved you.” “Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you.” The teaching of Jesus shows us that every human being is to be loved and honored and respected.

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XXXIII Sunday (B) – November 15, 2015

From the Pastor, PNCC /

We can understand people’s shock on hearing Jesus speak about the total collapse of the heavens, popularly believed to be in control of this world. The context for Jesus’ words is also important, though. Today’s Gospel is part of a long list of comments He made after leaving the Jerusalem Temple with His disciples. His passion and death are nearing. The Temple was central to Judaism. It had been greatly extended and improved by King Herod the Great – at the cost of massive taxation of His subjects. Think of shock when Jesus says that not one stone of this will stand upon another – a prophecy fulfilled in AD 70, when the Romans destroyed it.

Gospel stories like this one may seem distant to us today, rooted as they are in terminology alien to our understanding of the universe in which we live. At all times, disciples are to be wary of giving allegiance to what may seem impressive now, but will not last. The list of these may include people, ideologies, wealth, technology…we can make the list almost endless. As we approach the end of this liturgical year, we are reminded that all of these are transitory. We are called always to have our hearts set on the kingdom of God. As Jesus reminds us, not even the Son of Man knows the day when He will return, but He does stress one essential thing: heaven and earth might – indeed, will – pass away, but His words will never pass away.

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XXXII Sunday (B) – November 8, 2015

From the Pastor /

In today’s Gospel Jesus condemns those who “swallow the poverty of widows.” The widow in the society of His time was an outcast. She had no inheritance rights from her husband’s property. Her eldest son would inherit and if there was no son she might be married to a brother of her deceased husband. If the brother refused, or if there was none, she would return to her father’s house or go begging. Widows, like other women, had no role in public or religious life. Jesus is sitting opposite the area in the Temple where financial gifts can be donated. Amidst all the ostentatious giving by affluent people He notices a poor widow humbly offering two coins. They are smallest coins in use, and she seems unaware that her tiny contribution is even noticed. But Jesus’ admiration for the widow is coupled with strong reservations about what is happening. Religious legislation was forcing widows to lose their homes, and even the poorest in society were expected to contribute financially to the Temple. This is an opportunity for Jesus to draw attention to the lowliest people in His society. But it is also a chance to lament the injustice that creates the conditions for this scene. It is a warning about wealth: that wealth and greed blind those who are affluent to the needs of vulnerable people, and that amazing wealth for the elite, and even for the religious establishment, means poverty for widows and those at the margins of society.

The injustice that afflicted the widows in scripture continue to affect those who are poor and vulnerable in our day. And we particularly remember the millions of widows globally who are victims of war and conflict, which have impoverished them. The Church has an obligation to work for peace and justice in the world, and constantly to reviews its economic practice to ensure that vulnerable groups are supported. The Church is called to have compassion for those on the margins of society with no wealth or influence. What about individual Christians? All of us are challenged not to let financial self-interest dominate our lives. The widow in the Gospel was able to let go of her security by giving her last coins – a small deed of love. We are called to be selfless with the resources at our disposal, particularly supporting poor and vulnerable people. Today’s readings encourage us to rely on God for all our needs, and thank God each day for the many blessings received and the small deeds of love that we experience.

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All Saints (B) – November 1, 2015

From the Pastor /

On this Solemnity of All Saints, for the Gospel reading the Church has chosen the proclamation of the Beatitudes by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. In doing this the Church draws upon a long tradition that has seen in the Sermon on the Mount — the perfect instruction for living the Christian life — for becoming a saint, in other words. In his presentation of the Beatitudes St. Matthew presents Jesus as fulfilling the Law of Moses. Just as Moses went up the mountain to receive the tablets of the Law, which is the basis for the life of Israel, Jesus now ascends the mount to preach His new kingdom. The Beatitudes are the expression of His life, and those who live according to the Beatitudes will become like Him. Yet what it is to become like Him is mysterious. Those who live the Beatitudes provide a powerful witness in their lives of the presence of Jesus Christ, but we can never reduce this to a set of actions. Holiness is manifested in those who live their lives in love of others, but that love itself overflows any attempt we may make to contain it. Each one of us is called to live the Beatitudes in our lives, and to open our hearts fully to the mystery of Christ’s love.

When we read the lives of the saints we can find great inspiration, but we can also find it hard to see how we, with all our faults, can ever approach their holiness. The essential thing in reading the lives of the saints is to focus on Jesus Christ, for the lives of the saints are always to be seen in His light. In Jesus Christ we are all invited to share in a mystery of love that goes beyond our understanding and imagination. It is by welcoming this mystery into our lives that we are able to follow the example of the saints. We often misunderstand the nature of sainthood. Sainthood is not something reserved for a select few within the Church, but it is the calling given to all. As we pray, as we celebrate the liturgy of the Church, as we try through God’s grace as a sharing in the mystery of Christ’s love. At those times when we fail we are called not to lose hope, but to find in our failure the opportunity to encounter Christ’s love, a love on which we can never place limits, a love that calls each of us to holiness.

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Thirtieth Sunday (B) – October 25, 2015

From the Pastor /

We find many obstacles that get in the way of our discipleship. We are preoccupied with our hopes and anxieties. Many of these may be like those of the chosen disciples; we too are concerned with our security and whether life is going to be kind to us. The true disciple tries to see more clearly, trying to base the truth of his or her life on that of Christ, who is “the way, the truth and the life.” From time to time we too will be granted moments that offer us a significant step forward. They may be the difficult challenges that come with death, sickness or the loss of work and love ones. They may also be great moments of joy and elation when we are granted to see or hear things in a new way. What is common to all these moments is that they take us out of ourselves, and their aftereffects is that we too are more able to follow Jesus along the way. The great thing is that we too do not walk that way alone. We pursue our path in the great company of fellow pilgrims and believers, and we are supported by our risen Lord, always with us in His word and in His sacramental presence.

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Twenty Ninth Sunday (B) – October 18, 2015

From the Pastor /

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were anxious to share the glory of Jesus in His kingdom. Clearly, they didn’t understand what they were asking for. Yes, they said that they were prepared to do whatever Jesus would to do, but they were thinking about the worldly power and prestige that would come through their association with Jesus. They had yet to learn the lesson that the kingdom of Jesus does not confer wealth and status. On the contrary, the reign of God can only come about through humble service. The first places in God’s thinking belong to those at the bottom of the pile rather that the top. Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah had foreseen that the leadership of Israel would no longer be in the hands of self-serving kings, but rather in those of a servant of God who would be prepared to suffer for the sake of His people. Jesus fulfills not only this new way of being a leader, but also becomes a new model of priesthood, as we read in today’s second reading. He is the supreme high priest who has access to God himself as he offers the sacrifice of His own blood in redemption for all of us. We can have absolute confidence, then, in Jesus, the servant king, the supreme high priest, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom of many.

As disciples of Jesus, are we moved to give of ourselves so that others may have a better life? Do we feel a human connection with people whose lives are in crisis for whatever reason? Or are we simply looking for ways to satisfy our hunger for power, possessions and pleasure? The choice to put ourselves at the service of others will never be easy. What will other people think? Is it a waste of a life when there is so much else that can be experienced in the world today? As followers of Jesus, we have the great reassurance that He has not only modelled a life of humble service and encouraged us to follow His example, He is now our intercessor in the presence of God the Father when we are in need of help. So today let us renew our commitment to follow Jesus in the way of humble service of those who need our help, trusting that He will help us to overcome our selfish tendencies to put ourselves in first place.

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Solemnity – Christian Family (B) – October 11, 2015

From the Pastor, PNCC /

Today our Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christian Family to commemorate the great meaning of the family in society and in the Church of Christ. In these days, sad to say, we see the family taking a lesser and lesser role in the rearing of our children. The modern trend is to let the nursery schools, the preschools assume the responsibility of teaching children. St. Paul reminds us in his letter to Ephesians: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother.” This means that children should obey their mothers and fathers as they would obey Christ.

The Christian family is truly a wonderful gift from God and that family are today can do anything but commonplace. Just as families are different, the needs of those members of the family are different. Being a Christian family is not the easiest way to lead our lives, but it is the most righteous. It requires truth. It requires work. It requires struggle and sacrifice. It requires these elements if we are to succeed a happy Christian family.

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