TO KNOW THE SHORTNESS OF OUR LIFE

XVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 12:13-21

We may say that the parable of the rich man pictures our society. He worked all his life to become not only rich, but very rich, until he achieved his goal. He was a lonely man, who lived only for himself, forgetting that he could not do it alone. He grabbed everything, becoming rich and enjoying life, never thinking about the life of all those who contributed to his wealth.

The dream of this rich man is the dream of today’s world, our capitalist world: to become the most rich and the most powerful, to occupy the first position and to become famous. In their struggle to become famous, people are ready to do anything, even the most strange things. People are hungry and thirsty for riches, power, fame and glory, and each one cares for himself only, claiming his own rights and trampling upon the rights of all the others. We do not speak of responsibilities or of sharing and contributing to the wellbeing of the others. In our capitalist world, we expect to have a continuous growth and to get bigger profits. Everybody wants more and more, forgetting that the resources are limited as we ourselves are limited.

In the parable, God calls the rich man a fool, because of putting all his trust in wealth, but wealth does not last and our lives may be cut short at any time. In the end, we may say that the rich man led a useless and meaningless life.

In the Old Testament, there is a special book - Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) - so different from all other books, that we may be surprised how it came to be accepted into the list of the Holy Scriptures. Qoheleth presents a very different attitude from that of the rich man, asking: “What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights?” (Ecc 2:22). And the answer comes without hesitation: All is vanity!

Qoheleth teaches us to look at life with realism, without dreams and false hopes. The idea so prevalent today that nothing is impossible and the daring of doing everything that is possible, crossing all boundaries and jumping over all fences - to prove ourselves and to satisfy our ego - is leading the world to self-destruction. And Qoheleth helps us to see that all this is vanity. And indeed there is plenty of vanity in people pursuing useless endeavours, becoming rich and powerful, but unable to find rest and peace in their hearts.

If we want to live, we must accept life with its weaknesses and shortcomings. We must accept our mortality. And the we can live in peace with ourselves and with the world around us.

The responsorial psalm portrays a similar attitude:

"You sweep men away like a dream, 

  like the grass which springs up in the morning. 

In the morning it springs up and flowers: 

  by evening it withers and fades. 

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life 

  that we may gain wisdom of heart. 

Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? 

  Show pity to your servants.” (Ps 89:3-6,12-14,17)

GOD LISTENS TO THE OUTCRY OF HIS PEOPLE

XVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Genesis 18:20-32

An outcry was heard by God

When we read Gn 18:20-32, it sounds as if God did not know what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. It was only a great outcry against them that brought their evil behaviour to his attention. Or maybe God would let it go or give them time, if it was not for the outcry. We do not know who was crying out. Where they the neighbouring towns and villages, or were they people living within, who felt oppressed and unable to live their own lives in a dignified manner?

Hearing the outcry, God decided to go and verify for himself. Time and again, in the Bible, we find this attitude on God’s side: it seems as if he does not see, or he does not care; or maybe he is not even there. It is when he hears an outcry, that he springs into action. God is always moved by an outcry of the people. And an outcry happens, when the situation becomes unbearable.

We can look at our society and, as we look and make an effort to listen, we can hear an outcry of uncountable voices that spreading. There is the outcry against a corrupt society, where the only value is the claimed right to do whatever pleases and satisfies my heart; and there is the outcry of all those who suffer violence, torture and death at the hands of those who claim to be righteous and submissive to God’s will.

Like Abraham, we must become intercessors

God made friends with Abraham and, out of friendship, he decided to reveal his plans for Sodom and Gomorrah. That is the first big surprise of this text - that God establishes a relationship of trust with his friends and shares with them his judgement. The second surprise is that Abraham has the audacity of trying to change God’s plans, appealing to his justice, a justice that is based on his love and mercy. And God obliges. Abraham did not ask anything for himself. God’s promise to him was more than enough to bring peace to his heart. He was asking God to have mercy on evil people, taking into account the goodness of just a few. We must learn from Abraham to become intercessors before God for all those who have gone astray. With Sodom and Gomorrah, it seems that it was already too late. However, in consideration for Abraham, God took Lot and his family away from that evil place, because in his justice, God cannot punish the just and treat them with the same fate of the evil.

Our prayer, an outcry before God

In the Gospel (Lk 11:1-13), Jesus teaches us to transform our prayer into an outcry before God. We cannot get tired of knocking and pleading, until God pays attention to us and listens to us. And we must learn with Abraham how to ask and what to ask for. We cannot present selfish requests before God. Instead, we pray for the others, and we pray for life and salvation, or as Jesus puts it, we pray for the Holy Spirit, who is the greatest gift that God will never refuse to give. God knows what is better for us and he gives us only the best - the Holy Spirit, who transforms us into his children.

WHEN GOD COMES TO VISIT US

XVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 10:38-42

In this Sunday’s liturgy, we are presented with two extraordinary visits: the three guests that went to see Abraham and Jesus that had a moment of rest at Martha’s place.

Abraham receives three guests

In the desert, during the hottest part of the day, Abraham was dosing, under a tree, in front of his tent, when three strangers arrived unnoticed. Nowadays, we are afraid of any stranger, mainly the ones who appear at awkward times, and we suspect the worst, immediately considering them as enemies. It was not so in old times;, when the welcoming of guests was seen as a source of blessings. And Abraham showed great hospitality to those strangers, forcing them to stay and preparing for them a feast, without asking who they were and why they were passing by. That did not matter. It only mattered that he had in front of him someone who had the kindness of paying a visit and who were in need of rest and food. Abraham provided the best that he had. 

When they mentioned his wife by name, showing to have knowledge of her condition, that’s when he started guessing that they were not common guests. Although she remained hidden in the tent, they spoke to her and promised to her the bearing of a son. Welcoming those unknown guests, Abraham and Sarah had welcomed the Lord, who came with a promise - the promise of a future, that all nations will be blessed in him.

Our God is always a God of surprises, and he wants to surprise each one of us as he surprised Abraham. He may come unnoticed and find us dosing, but like Abraham we need to have our hearts on the alert and be ready to jump and welcome who and what comes our way. And then God will lead us into understanding. He always comes with a promise, a promise of life and salvation, which will make sense of our lives.

Martha and Mary welcome Jesus

In the gospel, we are presented with another extraordinary guest, Jesus, who found a place to rest in Martha’s home. Like Abraham, Martha did not spare any effort to give Jesus a worthy welcome, preparing for him a good meal; but Abraham gave the work of preparing the meal to the wife and the servants, thus being able to have enough time to be with his guests, while Martha had to do everything by herself. That’s why she complained to Jesus about Mary, her younger sister, who would not give her a hand. 

Martha worked hard and did everything in order to prepare a good meal for Jesus, doing everything out of love for Jesus. However, she was reproached that she got too involved in her work and forgot about Jesus, as if Jesus was not anymore the centre of her attentions. She was too much worried about food, forgetting that we do not live by bread alone. Distracted by the earthly cares, she could not concentrate on what is essential: the word of God.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we find that the Apostles decided to create deacons, so that they could remain free for the service of the word, and justified themselves by saying: “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.” (Act 6:2). Martha neglected the word of God and concentrated on serving at table.

Mary chose to have the attitude of a disciple; seated at the feet of Jesus, she listened to him and learnt from him. Indeed, it is impossible to be a true disciple without a listening heart to the Word. Jesus is the one who instructs us on the way of life, and we must allow him to come in and rest in our hearts, while we are ready to listen him.

Let us pray for the victims of violence committed in the name of God (Allah) 

Jesus’ word is always a word of love and peace, a word of life. Faced with so much violence against innocent people committed in name of God, let us ask the Lord to give us all a listening heart, so that we proclaim the Good News of God’s love to all.

And let us pray for all those who have fallen victims of this madness of killing in the name of God. They are not martyrs; they are criminals. May the Lord illumine them and guide them to Christ, the King of peace.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

XV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 10:25-37

The British Referendum

Last month, the British people voted in a referendum, in which a majority decided to leave the European Union, causing an earthquake in British politics. Scotland and Northern Ireland do no want to leave the European Union and threaten instead to leave the United Kingdom and become independent states.

The analysts of the referendum pointed out that most of the young people voted to remain in the European Union, while a majority of the old people voted to leave. Like in most of the traditional societies, the old decide the future of the young and impose on them a future that they do no want.

There are many reasons why to leave was the winning option. The English were always very jealous of their independence and very proud of their parliament, but many of them have the feeling that their ability to make their own laws is being eroded or even taken away by the european institutions. Another big reason is their effort to control the flux of immigrants into their country. They think that their way of life and their culture is put at risk with the incoming waves of refugees.

They have forgotten that thousands upon thousands of British people emigrated and went all over the world. English has become a universal language, because the British colonised half of the world.

The refugees in Europe

However, we must remember that this fear of the refugees who come in waves is shared by many others in Europe, forgetting the suffering that many of their parents or grandparents had to endure when the war forced them into fleeing their countries. Certainly, there is the danger of members of the Islamic State mixing with the refugees and going into Europe to launch terrorist attacks, but Europe can make a well coordinated effort to screen the possible terrorists, while welcoming the thousands running away from war. Can we ignore them or treat them as waste which must be rejected or disposed of? Is that a human and Christian solution?

When we lose all sense of compassion for the children, the women, the young and the old running away in search of peace, then we are on the way to lose our own dignity. When we do not allow ourselves to be touched by the suffering of others, we become less human, being more and more like those they are running away from, because like them we have become callous, insensible to the suffering of others.

The parable of the Good Samaritan

As we celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy, we are reminded time and again that we are called to be merciful as the Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). In his mercy and compassion, God comes close to us with his healing hand to make us whole again. In Jesus, we can see how God’s mercy and compassion was directed specially to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed. Whenever he cured someone, he did it moved by compassion. He was always touched by the suffering of all those that crossed his  life. Faced with the sufferings of people, Jesus never remained aloof or passed by, but he always made himself a neighbour to them. We may say that the parable of the Good Samaritan expresses his own attitude. In fact, he himself is the Good Samaritan, and we are invited to act in a similar manner.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a very actual parable, that we see repeated all around us. The victims of violence and crime are beyond counting. Who are these victims? Most of them are common people, just trying to survive. Most of them are anonymous, like the man of the parable; attacked by robbers, he remained half dead, hoping to receive help from passers by. With the wars in the Middle East and the terrorist attacks committed in different countries, there are many people in a similar situation.

In the parable, we are presented with three people who passed through that same road. Two of them were religious people, with a good knowledge of the Law and of the commandments of God, but they passed by, looking aside, ignoring their fellow human being whom they saw injured and dying. Surely they had good reasons to justifying themselves. Most probably, they were afraid of becoming impure, stopping them from performing their duties in the Temple; or they were in a hurry and had no time to waste; they might have thought that it was a trick or feared possible complications. For whatever reason, they did not consider to be social and culturally correct to approach the dying man and give him a hand. Like them, and many times with a sense of self-righteousness, we pass by and ignore the suffering of others.

Finally, a stranger - the Samaritan - was touched, and filled with compassion, he was unable to move ahead, leaving behind someone who was crying for help. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews, who considered  them as worse than pagans. However, this Samaritan was full of compassion and his compassion moved him into action to save the life of that injured man. He was being merciful like the Father, and the light of God was shining on his face. 

In the parable of the Last Judgement, Jesus tells us that we will be judged for our acts of mercy and compassion (Mt 25:31).

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan in order to answer a question from a man of the Law: Who is my neighbour? But according to Jesus the question should be inverted. I should not ask who is my neighbour, but how do I become a neighbour to the ones in need whose lives I cross?

IS IT RIGHT TO BOAST ABOUT THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST?

XIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Galatians 6:14-18

Time and again, in his letters, Paul pours out his heart with his emotions and deep feelings, brought about by a personal experience of Jesus Christ. Jesus became the centre of his life and the reason of his being. Moved by Christ, he embraced the cross. He showed this same attitude, when he wrote to the Corinthians: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2).

Then and now, there are people who are ashamed of the cross of Jesus Christ and who preach a gospel without the cross. However, a gospel of wealth or of material wellbeing that rejects the cross, is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not possible to be a disciple of Jesus without embracing the cross.

Nowadays, it is common to find in the social media or to watch on tv a new language used by Christian preachers, which has no resemblance to the word of Jesus Christ. There are messages in Facebook asking you to share and to assent by writing Amen, with promises of overcoming all kinds of difficulties and achieving all kinds of worldly goals. Such language is an insult to the Gospel and to God. We cannot manipulate God in such way. And when we try to do so, we are cheating people and serving ourselves instead of serving God.

During Paul’s time, the Jews and specially the group of the Pharisees, to which he had belonged, felt proud of their circumcision, seen as an external sign and guarantee of their belonging to God’s people. They were the chosen ones, and therefore the blessed and the saved. Paul considered that to be pursue of vainglory, saying: “It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature.” (Gal 6:15). It is in Christ that we become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).

Paul wrote to the Galatians, because they had abandoned his approach to the Gospel - that we are saved only by our faith in Jesus Christ, who redeems us and sets us free. Due to a strong influence of the Christian Jews, they became convinced that the faith in Jesus was not enough and that being circumcised and accepting Jewish customs and laws were essential to be saved. Paul would not have any of that, and he proclaimed:

“The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).

Theses words sound totally insane. How can someone boast about the cross? Is suffering something to be proud of? And should we eagerly look for it?  Certainly not, and Paul was not a masochist. The Church always considered ill advised to present oneself forward in times of persecution in order to be  martyred. Christ asked the Father to take away the chalice of suffering, if that was possible. And Paul also asked the Lord three times to deliver him from a “thorn in the flesh” that was tormenting him (2 Cor 12:7-8). 

However, we can boast that we are saved by the cross of Christ, that is by his death on the cross, offered in sacrifice for our sins. And we can feel blessed when called to shared in Christ’s passion. The Cross - our weakness, our shortcomings, our failures and our sufferings - are a proof that we cannot save ourselves, and that only Jesus can save us. It is by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that we are rescued from slavery and made into a new creation.

Paul found reason for boasting in the cross of Christ, because he was found worthy of carrying on his body the marks of Jesus Christ. Without further explanation, we may speculate about those marks. Many think of the stigmata, meaning that he had on his own body the wounds of Jesus’ body, like Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio would have in later centuries. Others think that he refers to the scars that he had on his body from the beatings and the scourging to which he had been subject because of Jesus Christ. In his own body, Paul had a share in the cross of Christ, thus becoming a true witness of Jesus Christ.

As we reflect upon the cross of Christ, we must remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in faith, who suffer persecution and martyrdom, thus experiencing the cross and sharing in the passion of Jesus Christ.