Woe to those who abuse the little children!

XXVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mark 9:41

The disciples must be like little children, in their simplicity and innocence. However, like little children, they can easily stumble upon an obstacle and fall. The goodness of the children is that they rush into the protection of their mother/ father’s arms.

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus concentrates on those who put an obstacle in the path of the “little ones”, scandalizing them and causing them to lose their innocence; and he uses extremely strong language to denounce them and to state the disgrace brought upon themselves by their own actions.

Comparing his disciples to little children, Jesus is speaking about both of them, and curses all those who cause them to fall and lose their way:

“it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” (Mk 9:41).

Throughout the ages, children have been abused in all kinds of ways. In many societies, in old times, the father could dispose of his children at will. In fact, children had no rights and they should surrender in total obedience to their parents. In many old societies, children could be sacrificed to the gods, in order to placate them and obtain their good will and their blessings.

Humanity has come a long way from those cruel times, and Jesus’ teaching and attitude were one the main factors in that change. Today, we have a greater awareness of the children’s dignity and rights. However, in spite of that awareness, the children still suffer plenty of abuse in today’s society. And most of the times that abuse comes from where they less expected. The Church is paying dearly for the sin (crime) of so many who have sexually abused children; and nothing can justify that, even when we know that the problem of child abuse is far bigger in the wider society in which we live than what we find in the Church.

Jesus stands up against all kinds of abuse, threatening the culprits with terrible judgment. His words are a warning to all of us: we must protect the children from all kinds of predators, who are always ready to destroy them.

“LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN”

XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mark 9:30-37

Obsessed with the question for greatness

Among themselves, the Apostles argued about “which of them was the greatest” (Mk 9:34). In a way, it is good to discover that they were like all of us.  They cherished what we cherish and consider most dear. They were obsessed as we are with the quest for greatness. We find plenty of people ready to do anything to become the first and get the top position in whatever it may be. In all kinds of activities, people struggle to be the most sensational and the most famous.

Jesus made it clear that “if anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” (Mk 9:35). And he advises us to be like little children. We may ask how can it be, and does it make sense? In fact, all children struggle to become youths and all youths want to be considered adults.

Children do not know resentment and revenge

Are we to become like little children in their lack of understanding and their inability to take responsibility? Surely not. But children can show us that are important, even essential, for us to be true disciples of Jesus Christ and to find salvation. They do not care about who is first, all of them are at the same level; and they do not discriminate, because of colour, race, sex or creed. They may do wrong, but it is not planned and premeditated. They do not know resentment and revenge. They may quarrel and fight, but they do not keep a grudge and their heart is not filled with hatred. As soon as the tears dry out, reconciliation comes and they enjoy each other’s company again.

Simplicity and innocence

From the children, we must learn simplicity, innocence and trust. They are weak and powerless. They cannot defend themselves, and so they run to their parents for protection. Close to the mother or father’s heart, they feel at peace, and a smile may return to their faces.

Totally dependent

Children cannot survive on their own; in fact, they are totally dependent on their parents. It is their parents’ love that enables them to recognise and affirm their dignity. 

Like children, we must throw ourselves in God’s arms, accepting our weaknesses and shortcomings, and knowing that we are totally dependent on God’s love and mercy.

THE CONFRONTATION OF TWO EXTREME ATTITUDES

Violent demonstrations throughout the Muslim world

For these past days, all the news agencies, through the TV, newspapers and the Internet, report about the rage of the Muslim world against the irreverence of an insulting film called “Innocence of Muslims”.

Similar films have been made about Jesus Christ, and the Christian world hardly react to such insults and blasphemies. The Muslims have a completely different attitude. For them, the slightest word or gesture that may be interpreted as an insult is considered a big offense and big crowds come to the streets demanding retribution and punishment.

The perception of being dominated

They have the perception that the Western world despises them and tries to dominated and exploit them, and they react with violence, taking justice into their own hands, destroying the property of innocent people and even killing people who have been their friends (like the American ambassador to Libya).  They cannot understand that a democratic government has no power to control the media or to decide which films may be made or not.

Rejection of Western culture

The violent demonstrations that we have taken place are also a rejection of a society that lost its way, where nothing is sacred and where the only procured values are convenience, profit, fame, influence and power. Everything and everybody can be laughed at and be treated irreverent and disrespectfully.

Jesus and Muhammad: two different attitudes

Jesus and Muhammad had completely different attitudes and approaches to society, and this may help to explain some of the different attitudes that we find nowadays: 

• Jesus presented himself as a servant, humbling himself to the point of death on a cross.

In an effort to explain Jesus’ attitude, the first Christians used the prophet Isaiah’s poem about the Servant of the Lord (YHWH):

“For my part, I made no resistance,

neither did I turn away.

I offered my back to those who struck me,

my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;

I did not cover my face

against insult and spittle.” – Is 50:5-6

Like their master, throughout the ages, many Christians have suffered abuse and persecution. Jesus warned his disciples, telling them that they are not more than their master.

• Muhammad was not only the founder of a religion, but also the founder of a state, which in a short while became an empire. In Islam, state and religion are the sides of the same coin. Any disrespect to religion is seen as a threat to the state and to society. 

Irreverence and disrespect

The prevalent attitude in most of the Western societies, where irreverence and disrespect are the trademark of modernity (or postmodernity), is full of arrogance, always ready to trample under their feet what is considered sacred by many people. Those who do so cause injure and inflict pain on many people, and lead them to violence. And all that is done in the name of  human rights. Maybe, we should speak less about our rights and speak more about our duties towards the others.

Radicalism and fundamentalism

On the other side, crowds are being manipulated by radicals and fundamentalists, who reject everything that is different and that challenges their understanding of the world. All those who don’t accept their religious and political code are considered enemies and should be destroyed. And all that is done in the name of God. We may ask if God is a bloody God, because if he is, then he is not God at all.

We must remember that the majority of Muslims are peaceful people, who look with dismay at what is being done among them by a small group of radical people.

“WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”

XXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mark 8:27-35

The question that Jesus asked his disciples is an essential question for all Christians. All the New Testament was written so that we may answer that question. If we meet Jesus in our lives, we are confronted with this same question. 

People may give different and even contradictory answers to the question about Jesus. However, it does not matter what others say about Jesus, because he will ask each one of us this very personal question: 

Who do you say I am? 

What do you think of me? 

Who am I for you? 

What place do I have in your life?

If we decide to follow Jesus and to become his disciples, we must have come to the same conclusion as Peter did and give the same answer, which is the Church’s answer: 

You are the Christ; you are the Son of the living God (Mk 8:29; Mt 16:16)

This proclamation of faith is the rock (the foundation) which the Christian Church is built upon. And throughout the books of the New Testament, we find a great variety of witnesses proclaiming this same faith. 

It is interesting to discover that the same faith proclaimed by Peter (in the Synoptic Gospels) is proclaimed by Martha in the Gospel of John:

“Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (Jn 11:27).

DO NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE POOR

XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: James 2:1-5

The poor Lazarus

James makes it clear: the faith in Jesus Christ does not go together with discrimination. In the Church, we cannot favour the rich and despise the poor. In fact, according to James, the poor are better off than the rich, not because they are poor, but because God is on their side: 

“it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.” (James 2:5).

James warns us against keeping special places for the rich in church, while the poor are left at the door, standing.

We must remember that Jesus showed always special preference for the poor and the sinners. And he warned his disciples (us) that it is very difficult, although not impossible (due to God’s grace), for a rich to enter the Kingdom of God (Mt 19:23-24). Riches are a temptation that easily can separate us from God and from our neighbours. Once our hearts lean to wealth and find refuge in it, then they are a curse, instead of a blessing.

Our parishes and our Christian communities cannot ignore the poor and the suffering without loosing their Christian identity. Seeing the poor, we cannot pass by, but we must make ourselves his compassionate neighbour. The poor must feel at home in our churches, because they are in the Father’s house, sharing his love with all the brothers and sisters.

HUMAN TRADITIONS ARE NOT SACRED

XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

Time and again, as we read the Bible, we are reminded that only God is God, and that there is not other God, but God. Only God may demand total surrender; and that  surrender does not transform us into slaves, because it is the surrender of love, which makes us free, enabling us to be truly humans.

Only God is God; everything else is relative

The acceptance that only God is God relativizes everything else, making it of much less importance. In the past as well in the present, many things have risen above human beings and claimed total obedience and surrender, seeing any question or challenge as betrayal and treason. It can be the State and the ones who control the state machinery that become gods, demanding unconditional control of the citizens’ lives. It can be wealth, money and economic power – or the markets that become supreme, imposing themselves on people and controlling all levels of society. And it can the customs and traditions, which may bring oppression and discrimination and are an obstacle to development. 

Customs and traditions – our culture, as people like to say – are not sacred, unquestionable and unchangeable. In fact, customs and traditions are a product of human activity; they are a product of people living together in a certain place and time. As the times change, so people change, being faced with new conditions and challenges. As they change, their culture changes as well. In that change, the old and the new may go hand in hand, or may conflict with each other, causing some things to be disregarded while others are accepted.

Sometimes, we speak of culture as if it is something outside and above us. However, culture is what we are together in a given place and time.

Jesus challenges us

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus challenges us about our culture: our customs and traditions are not more important than God’s commandments, and they cannot be a pretext to ignore them. Once we accept Jesus Christ and choose to become his disciples, we are faced with many challenges in regards to our culture. Jesus can help us to integrate everything that his human and that enhances human dignity, communion and peace among people. But he will demand from us the courage to stay away and reject everything that creates discrimination, brings fear, instils hatred and tramples down upon our dignity or the dignity of our neighbours.