Fr. Miha, a witness of Jesus Christ

The news, received by phone, came as a shock. Fr. Miha is dead. Was he sick? – I asked. And the answer came: His heart was weak.

Fr. Miha was a man full of energy, who could speak out his mind without fear. He was a hard worker, who could not sit still or keep quiet, seeing things going wrong and doing nothing about it.

Three times he went to Lubengele to video record some programmes that we had prepared. Many people will remember him going around with a video camera or with a microphone. He dedicated a good part of his life to the social media, knowing that they play an important role in society, being a force for change. In there, he gave witness of Jesus Christ, silently when he presented himself as a serious and committed professional; and openly as well whenever he prepared religious programmes and presented the values of the Gospel.

Fr. Miha will be remembered as well by his courage in denouncing policies and political actions that he considered harmful to democracy and to the goodness of the people.

May the good Lord welcome him into his Kingdom.

XXXI SUNDAY: Matthew 23:1-12

An accusation and a warning

In his chapter 23, Mathew presents a very outspoken Jesus, who does not mince his words, making a frontal attack on the attitudes of the Pharisees. Jesus showed himself to be a fearless prophet who stands up to the leaders of the people and points out their failures very clearly.

Mathew 23 is a chapter that should be read by all leaders, because it will help them to scrutinize themselves and see how far they have strayed from true leadership. According to Jesus, true leadership is service, meaning that the leader must put himself at the service of the people. In Jesus’ accusation against the Pharisees, we can point out some important points:

• Their life is a lie. They appear to be holy and present themselves as perfect, rigorously keeping the law in all its details, but, in fact, they use double standards. They don’t do what they preach.

Any leader must be true to himself and to the people. If not, people will find him out, and stop trusting him. True leadership must be based on trust, not on power that imposes itself. People have to see the leader guiding himself by the same principles that he presents to the others.

• They put heavy burdens on the shoulders of the common people, while they don’t move a finger to lift them. How true it is! In the countries in deep economic crisis, the taxes are increased, the benefits reduced, and many jobs are lost, while the ones who daily speak about it and seat in continuous meetings to find solutions, get fat salaries and even fatter allowances.

And the same can happen in the Church. From the top down, the leaders may be too harsh no people, lacking compassion and being unable to understand the daily life of the people.

• Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being self-conceited. The name Pharisees was given to them as a nickname, meaning “separated”, because they would not mix with the ones they considered sinners. They had no sins to be confessed or forgiven; they did not need conversion; in fact, they were already saved.
• They looked for prestige and influence. They wanted to be respected and considered “honourable”. They liked to show off and to present themselves as important. And they demanded to be given the first places in any function. They wanted to be called “masters”, “teachers” and “fathers”. Separating themselves religiously from the sinners, they were separating themselves socially as well from the ones they consider as second-class people. 

A true leader must be always in touch with people and be among them as one of them. The Bemba proverb says: Mulangishi wa bantu alapalama. The true leader always remains close to the people.

XXX SUNDAY: Exodus 22:20-26

From slavery to freedom

The suffering of slavery in Egypt and the liberation from that slavery experienced as God’s call and God’s gift marked forever the history of the People of Israel and it had a profound influence in their laws. The coming out of slavery into freedom became the foundational experience of a small group of people, who considered it so important that they based all their religious, cultural and social life on it.

God wants his people to be a free people. In fact, the whole Scriptures speak about that: God does not want to be a God of slaves. He only feels at home in a nation of people who live in freedom and accept his commandments as the law of freedom.

In this Sunday’s first reading, taken from the book of Exodus, God makes it very clear: The freedom enjoyed by his people must be extended to all. We are not free people if we oppress others. We should never forget where we came from. That’s why God told the people of Israel: You lived as foreigners in Egypt; so respect the stranger who lives among you. Don’t molest or oppress him.

Freedom to be true freedom goes together with justice and justice implies special care for the underprivileged. Take care of the orphan and the widow. If they cry to God in the middle of their suffering, God will listen to their cry of distress, and then he will punish the oppressors.

In the books of Moses and in the Prophets, we discover a God that sides with the poor and the oppressed. And he wants us to do the same. We cannot ignore the poor and the suffering people among us. Jesus’ compassion for the poor, the sick and the suffering is based in this very old tradition that recognises and expresses God’s love for them.

With so many widows and orphans in our country, we must ask ourselves what has been done to diminish their suffering and to make their life easier.

Greed and usury are sins

The capitalist society which we live in is ruled by greed, in which one tries to maximise the profits. Be it business between individuals or between nations, the principle is the same: If I can get 50% profit, why should I content myself with 10% only? People and their living conditions count for nothing; to have a huge profit and to declare big dividends are the only thing that counts.

How far we are from the Bible and from God’s will of a free and fair society! In the book of Exodus, the rule is very clear: If you lend money, “you must not demand interest”. We may say that this is a rule impossible to follow. There would be no investment and no lending without some interest paid on the money borrowed. It is a service, and you must pay for that service. But can we justify the big interest rates that make borrowing impossible? Can we justify the so called lundalunda or kaloba?

The capitalist model which guides the organisation of our society and our economy only favours the rich, leaving the poor more and more indebted. As the communist model disappear, the capitalist one must go the same way, because it does not contribute to build a fair society, in which all can have a share.

SELF-SUSTAINABILITY

Yesterday, we had the Presbyteral Council meeting, which included all priests of the Diocese. In territory, Solwezi is a huge diocese with a small population scattered throughout the Northwestern Province. Being late comers, the Catholics are in a minority in this province. Like most of the dioceses in Zambia, the Diocese of Solwezi is heavily dependent on money received from outside for the daily running of its pastoral programmes. Most of the help come from our Catholic brothers of Europe and America. This sharing between churches comes from the beginning of Christianity and it has always been there. St. Paul urged the Christians of Corinth to contribute in order to help the Church in Jerusalem in their time of need. We can say that this sharing between churches is part of being catholic. However, when it is one sided, it creates dependence, and dependence destroys responsibility and commitment.

The economic crisis in Europe and the dwindling contributions of the Catholics in those countries is forcing us to rethink our situation and to make an effort to sustain ourselves. It is a duty of all Christians to take care of their church. And we should not complain about the lack of means. In Bemba, there is a proverb that says: Apali umunwe, pali ne bala, meaning Where there is a hand, there is a farm. We should not underestimate our capabilities and our resources. It is true that in a rural set up, people have little cash to give, but they cultivate and can cultivate much more in order to produce enough for themselves and for the work of the community. The bishop proclaimed this year as the year of self-sustainability, in which all of us must do a concerted effort to increase substantially the local contribution in order to diminish our dependence and in order to be proud of our own Church.

XXIX SUNDAY: Matthew 22:15-21

NO POLITICAL POWER CAN DEMAND UNQUESTIONABLE OBEDIENCE FROM ITS SUBJECTS

Being the leaders in the synagogues, throughout the Roman Empire, the Pharisees made the life of the first Christian communities very difficult and they were in the forefront of the well succeeded efforts to expel them from the Synagogue. That’s why it is not surprising that Matthew gives great important to the conflicts of the Pharisees with Jesus. They became enemies and they would stop at nothing in order to destroy Jesus; to bring down a common enemy, Jesus, they joined forces with their enemies, the Herodians.  In their effort to defeat Jesus, they tried to transform the religious conflict into a political one, with the question about paying taxes to the colonial power, the Romans.

Jesus never got involved in the affairs of the government. He was not a politician, and he was not a revolutionary intent on the overthrow of the Roman Government.  His heart and his mind were totally set on the Kingdom of God. And he made it very clear in the answer he gave to them: Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. This answer has always guided the Christian attitudes to political authorities. They are legitimate and they have a right to respect and obedience. However, there is a greater power, which has the right to put greater demands on us. And Jesus put it straightforward: Give to God what belongs to God. No state has total rights over people; and no state can demand unquestionable obedience from its subjects. Whenever the State takes the place of God, it stops being legitimate, and the ones in power keep their power only through oppression.

The fact that we must give to God what belongs to him sets a limit to political power, and it always reminds us that any human form of power is relative and it should be put at the service of the people.

THANKSGIVING FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS

Zambia is full of good surprises. It is normal to have ecumenical services to celebrate important occasions in the life of the Nation. What a difference with Europe. There, it is a taboo to mention Christianity in the affairs of the State. In many places, the cross was banished from the schools or from any public building. People are afraid to accept their past and to recognize their roots. Religion has no place in politics, and when it does it is to be spoken against. In Zambia, nobody is afraid of quoting from the Bible or of seeking guidance from the word of God.

The elections were peaceful and the transition from one regime to the other went smoothly. People have understood that they have the power to say no and to vote out the ones who are mismanaging the country; and they are ready to exercise that power at the ballot box. They don’t need violence and war; they just need the stroke of a pen, and the powerful come tumbling down, leaving the place to others.

More than the clear vote for change, what surprised us most was the people’s vigilance, so that their votes could not be stolen. Those are attitudes of a democratic society that knows the value of freedom and of peace. And for all that we must give thanks to God.

XXVIII SUNDAY: Mat 22:1-14 and Is 25:6-10

WHO ARE EXCLUDED FROM SALVATION?

This Sunday’s parable gives an answer for a basic question, which so many people ask: Who is saved? Or who is excluded from salvation? The parable is very clear: the ones who will not find salvation are the ones who excluded themselves by refusing to accept the invitation to the feast of salvation, which is the feast of the wedding of the king’s son – Jesus Christ.

God does not reject anybody and he wants everybody to rejoice and to celebrate. He invites us time and again, but he will not force us to accept his invitation. If we prefer our own business to the honour of being God’s guest, then we will find what we chose, discovering that nothing will be able to satisfy us and to give us joy. True joy and true feast are possible only in the Lord.

The parable warns us that to accept the invitation is not enough: we must answer it with honour. Otherwise, we will be thrown out.

THE BANQUET OF THE GREAT FEAST OF SALVATION

Isaiah is a great prophet with passages that are simply marvellous, unforgettable. The beginning of chapter 25 is one of such passages. It is remarkable by its universality, proclaimed in vivid, powerful and imaginary language to a closed and nationalistic society, as it was the nation of Judah. 

According to Isaiah, God offers salvation to all, because he is the ruler of all. Even the enemies of Israel are not excluded.

And what is salvation? It is celebrating and rejoicing. It is a feast, where a big banquet is offered to all, with the best foods and the best wines. People are gathered together to exult and rejoice, because “he has saved us”. God has taken away the shame of his people. Salvation is a feast, because we regain our dignity and our honour.

And more than that: salvation is a feast, because God has destroyed death forever, removing “the mourning veil covering all peoples”. God is the Lord of life, a life that he shares with all who recognise him. Salvation is a feast in which we celebrate life received as a gift. In God’s kingdom, there will be no more suffering, because God himself “wipes away the tears from every cheek”.

Isaiah’s words are full of promise and full of hope. They were proclaimed to a people who live in fear, in order to restore their confidence and their courage. That’s why they are important for us today, in this world where so many people are lost in despair. God is offering us life and joy.

GREAT NUMBERS ARE DENIED THE EUCHARIST

Today, at St. Kizito Pastoral Centre, Solwezi, we started one month course for women chosen in their parishes to be extraordinary ministers of the communion.

As I inquired about their expectations, the question came: What about the people who live very far away from the centre of the Parish? Who can take the Eucharist to them?

This is a difficult question, for which we don’t have an answer. The distances are enormous, and people live isolated in small communities. It is impossible for the priest to attend to those communities, even when he tries to visit regularly the centres of the Parish; and the priests are few. The extraordinary ministers of the communion will not solve that problem. If they live far away from the Parish Centre, how are they going to come to the church on a Sunday morning and go back the same morning in time for the Sunday service in their community? It is impossible. The same applies to the sick. If they live far away, who will take the Eucharist to them? They will die in God’s hands, trusting his love and mercy, without the sacraments of the Church.

We teach, preach and believe that the Eucharist builds the Church, putting us in communion with Christ and helping us to establish communion among ourselves. We believe that receiving communion is part of our spiritual journey towards salvation, and yet we don’t find a way to make it available for many of our Christians. It is like a luxury for the ones living in towns, with a church near by. On one side, the Catholic Church is closer to the less privileged than many other churches; on the other side, she is elitist, leaving a great number of people out of the sacraments. Our traditions about the sacraments and especially about the priesthood are so heavy that we have lost the creativity and the imagination to find new answers for people living in different situations. 

XVII SUNDAY: Mt 21:33-43

THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD

The theme of the vineyard as representing the people of Israel was an old one, used specially by Isaiah, who spoke harsh words against the leaders and the people in general, because of their unfaithfulness and their bloody oppression.

In the same vein, Jesus told the parable as a warning and an indictment against the leaders of the people, the chief priests and the elders - the ones who would be responsible for his death. Jesus was aware of his impeding death and he used the parable to show it and to put it in the context of the history of salvation.

God, represented by the landowner, took the initiative. He prepared everything that was necessary, planting vine of the best choice, in such a way that in Isaiah God asks: “What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done?” God called the People of Israel and made out of them his own people.

And then what happened? The tenants forgot the landowner and behaved as if the vineyard belonged to them. The parable presents the history of the people of Israel as a history of rejection of God and of his messengers and a history of opposition and violence against all those who stand for God’s rights. At this point, we must remember that the attitude of the tenants attributed to the people of Israel and especially of their leaders is a paradigm of our own attitudes. Humanity as a whole does what the people of Israel did, taking their destiny in their own hands.

God’s plan was a plan of cooperation, in which we are called to share the work and the rewards with God. However, people (the tenants) turn against God, ignoring God’s rights. But God doesn’t let it go. He goes on pursuing his claim on us. And so he decided to send his only son, thinking that they would respect him son. In the letter to the Hebrews (Heb 10:7), we find that the son offered himself to go. It was a dangerous mission into the unknown: although expecting respect and obedience, the worst might happen! 

At this point, the parable reaches the climax: Seeing the son, the tenants grasped the opportunity of getting rid of the owner once and for all. If they kill the son who will inherit the vineyard, then they will become its owners. Nobody would bother them anymore. And so they did what they had planned. They killed the son.

Jesus was telling them: You are going to kill me, but the vineyard will not be yours. God will find people who are ready to accept him and to recognise his rights.

Some people think of Jesus’ death as part of God’s plan, stating that he sent his son to die. It was not so; God sent him to be accepted, loved, followed and obeyed. They did not carry out God’s will by killing his only son. Their action was an evil action, inspired by the great enemy. The rejection and the killing of Jesus was a crime. Jesus’ death is the ultimate proof of what we are capable. That’s why the words of Isaiah still reverberate in today’s world: “He (God) expected justice, but found bloodshed; integrity, but only a cry of distress.” (Is 5:7). On the other side, Jesus death is the ultimate proof of his faithfulness and his love.

XVII SUNDAY: Phil 4:6-9

THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY!

Paul is able to say important truths in just a few words easy to remember. What is surprising is that they are still relevant for us today, in spite of being written long ago. However, we should not be surprised that sometimes they go against the prevalent thinking in our society.

“There is no need to worry” – he tells us. Hearing these words, we may think: Only fools don’t worry, or those who are very rich and don’t need to count their money. Nowadays, the wealthy nations live in a constant fear of the way the markets may react, tumbling down and causing the loss of millions. We may ask: who are the markets? The markets are people buying and selling, and in this case they buy and sell money, or papers that stand for money. Those are frenetic, worried people, without a soul, constantly looking for a profit. They are never satisfied and they live in fear, in spite of all their wealth. They move their money around, always looking for the place that represents fewer risks for their investment. In their greed, they control the world and bring economic disaster to many countries.

In our capitalist society, people count for nothing, and profits are the supreme rule that decides the future of companies and countries.

Nowadays, with huge debts in many countries, anxiety grips the hearts of many. That’s why it is for us that Paul speaks: There is no need to worry. By saying this, he is simply repeating the words spoken by Jesus: “Do not let your heart be troubled” (Jn 14:1). In spite of the difficulties, we must be full of confidence in God. He is our father and he loves us. When we are in need, we should present our needs to him, and he will make a way where there is no way. This doesn’t mean that God is going to give us money or wealth, but he is preparing our hearts and minds to seize the opportunities that come our way. Because we don’t loose trust and confidence in him, we are not ready to go out of the way in order to get what we want, and we will be content with little.

It is time to get rid of the capitalist mentality that instils greed in our hearts, so that we are never satisfied with what we have. Paul advises us on the attitudes that help us to remain human: 

“Fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.” (Phil 4:8)

If we don’t listen to Paul’s advice, then one day the words of Isaiah will be applied to us:

“He (God) expected justice, but found bloodshed; integrity, but only a cry of distress.” (Is 5:7).