BE GENTLE AND HUMBLE

XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 14:1,7-14

Jesus was invited by one of the leading Pharisees with one purpose in mind: “they watched him closely”. Similarly, Jesus looked intently at everything around him and “noticed how they picked the places of honour.” Such an incident led Jesus to teach a lesson about humility. The eagerness to get honours and to occupy the top places may lead us to public humiliation. Moved by a bit of self-respect, we must show some restraint and be truthful about ourselves, aware of our shortcomings and recognise others’ value. When moved by pride, we put ourselves in the centre and on top of everything, despising everybody else and putting them at our service. Jesus advises the guests to have some basic good manners. And Jesus concludes the parable about the guests fighting for the best places with a saying that sets the pattern of behaviour for his disciples: “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus accepted the invitation of the Pharisee, even though he did not approve of such banquets, which were a pure waste of money. It would be better to think of the poor: “when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.”

In connection with the gospel, the first reading of this Sunday’s liturgy (Sir 3:19-21) advises us about the greatness of being gentle and humble:

My son, be gentle in carrying out your business,

  and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.

The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly,

  and then you will find favour with the Lord;

for great though the power of the Lord is,

  he accepts the homage of the humble.

 ENTER BY THE NARROW DOOR

XXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 13:22-30

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah (66:18-21) speaks of God’s plan of salvation for all peoples: “I am coming to gather the nations of every language.” And from all nations, the Lord will choose  priests and levites to offer him praise and glory: “And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.”

Certainly, God will not fail to bring his plan to fruition. However, we should never take God for granted. Sometimes, in our preaching, we give the impression that salvation is guaranteed since God wants everybody to be saved. If we believe, we are saved and we may be sure of our salvation. If we accept Jesus as our personal saviour, the gates of heaven are wide open for us. It sounds so easy! But is it so?

We may ask: Is everybody saved? If not all, are they many or just a few? A similar question was asked of Jesus: “Sir, will there be only a few saved?” Answering that, Jesus gives a clear warning: “Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.” We cannot take salvation for granted. We may not succeed in entering the Kingdom of God. We may end up in failure. The door is narrow, meaning that it demands effort and perseverance, faithfulness and commitment. We must live as true disciples of Jesus Christ. Of course, we must believe in Jesus as the Christ and the Saviour of the world. However, faith is much more than an intellectual assent which proclaims our belief in Jesus Christ. Faith implies discipleship, and discipleship is the decision to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Salvation is indeed a gift of God’s loving mercy, which must be accepted with thanksgiving. Salvation is not something that we can get with our effort. It implies that God called us and we must answer wholeheartedly his calling. This answer of ours implies a way of life. We may trust God’s love and mercy, but we may never be so arrogant as to claim salvation as something which we earned and to which we have right.

In the letter to the Hebrews, we are given the following advice:

“So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread”. (Hb 12:12-13).

And the author of the letter compares our staying here on earth to training, reminding us that “suffering is part of your training”. We may be accused of masochism, but we don’t find joy in suffering. The reality is that, through life, we cannot avoid suffering, and when suffering comes our way we must allow God to transform it into a source of blessings. 

I HAVE COME TO BRING FIRE TO THE EARTH

XX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 12:49-53

This Sunday’s gospel presents three sayings of Jesus, which may sound a bit strange, but they lead us to reflect upon the true meaning of discipleship. The sayings may be summarised in three words: fire, baptism, and peace-division.

Jesus came to bring fire to earth. What fire is it? It is used for melting and warming, burning and cooking. It gives light and dispels darkness. Fire may as well set everything ablaze, destroying everything on its path. Jesus wants to set the world ablaze. Does it mean that Jesus is intent on destruction and death? Far from it. Jesus came to bring salvation and life. The fire symbolises the glory of God and his protecting love, like the column of fire that showed the way and protected the people of Israel from the pursuit of the Egyptians (Ex 13:21). It is the fire of the Spirit of God, who sanctifies us and guides us through a path of righteousness. It is a purifying fire which sets us free from the power of evil. We need this fire, so that the world may be transformed and made anew.

Then, Jesus speaks about a baptism that he must receive. He is not referring to the baptism that he received from John. That one was only a preparation for another baptism, the baptism of his passion and death. When the two brothers pleaded with him to allow them to be seated at his right and his left, he asked them: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” In this question and the subsequent answer, Jesus made it clear that he was speaking about his death on the cross. According to Paul, baptism associates us with the passion and death of Jesus: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?” (Ro 6:3).

In the third saying, Jesus puts it bluntly that, before him, we are forced to choose and that choice may put us in conflict with others, even within our family. Discipleship demands faithfulness and this faithfulness implies attitudes that may lead others to reject us. We must be ready for that. Jesus did not come to bring violence and we cannot be his disciples if we are intent on violence and war. However, the disciples of Jesus must be prepared to suffer violence as he suffered. To his disciples, Jesus did not come to bring earthly well-being. We must prepare ourselves to carry the cross in the manner of Jesus.

“Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10:38-39).

 AN EXPERIENCE OF FAITH - LIVING IN TENTS

XIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19

Abraham is called our father in faith and we the believers are his children (Gal 3:7).

Abraham represents a new way of living and finding meaning in one’s life. Abraham lived his life in faith, that is in a relationship of trust in God. In the letter to the Hebrews, we find a reflection on the faith of our forefathers, mainly on Abraham’s life. The experience of faith is brought about by God’s initiative. He is the one who takes the first step: God addresses us and calls us. Faith. Once called, we must answer. “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call”. Faith implies obedience, that is, the acceptance of God’s call, putting ourselves at his disposal. This is made possible by our trust in the caller, that is God. Abraham was called to leave his country and go somewhere else and he obeyed. The obedience implied to “set out without knowing where he was going”. It is a journey into the unknown. Faith is always a journey, in which we move forward, uncertain about the direction, being guided only by the trust we put in the Lord. To pass through this world as travellers, we accept to live as foreigners “in a strange country”. Here on earth, we have no permanent abode. Like Abraham, we “live in tents”, while looking“forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.”

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks also of this experience of living in tents:

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened — not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Co 5:1-4).

In this Sunday’s gospel (Luke 12:32-48), Jesus presents some of the implications of living by faith:

• “There is no need to be afraid”. Time and again, Jesus calls on us to be confident. He is with us. God is our refuge and he protects and guards us, “for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.”
• We must get a “treasure” in heaven. The wealth in this world is useless. We must use whatever we have to get “purses that do not wear out” and that cannot be stolen from us.
• We must be “dressed for action and have your lamps lit”. We must be in a state of readiness to welcome the Lord when he comes and be ready to open for him.
• We must be the faithful steward, worthy of the trust placed in him. A good steward must be reliable and hardworking. That’s what the Lord expects from us.
• We may ask what is all this for. Jesus tells us that the Father will give us the Kingdom. And he goes a bit further saying that “he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them.” In the book of Revelation, we have something similar: “I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).
• The sort of unfaithful is to be cut off from the Lord.

“The Lord looks on those who revere him,

  on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

  to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

  The Lord is our help and our shield.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

  as we place all our hope in you.” (Psalm 33)