WE ARE MERELY SERVANTS

XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4

Time and again, in the Scriptures, we see people crying out to God because they feel as if God has forgotten and abandoned them. That’s a common experience that we all go through. There are moments of hardship and suffering that bring a terrible feeling of loneliness, which may lead us to despair. And we question God, waiting for answers that don’t arrive. In spite of that, we go on looking for answers.

Abraham complained to God about being childless, questioning God about the usefulness of the promise if he did not have a son to inherit that promise. He also had the audacity to plead for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. That audacity was not born of arrogance but of full trust in God as a merciful God.

Then, with Jacob, we find someone who dared to wrestle with God in the darkness of the night. It is the wrestling of life, trying to overcome powers and beings that put us into question. Early in the morning, it dawned on him that he was wrestling with God. Jacob represents humanity that goes through moments of darkness, wrestling with unknown powers, until it dawns on us that we are wrestling with God, from whom we demand a blessing that makes life possible and meaningful.

The whole book of Job is about the suffering of the innocent who doesn’t understand the reasons behind his suffering and questions God about it. Job foreshadows Christ, the suffering servant, who addresses God with a question that so many others would ask: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Habakkuk presents the same attitude, presenting this question before God: “How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help while you will not listen; to cry ‘Oppression!’ in your ear and you will not save?” Like the psalm (Ps 22), prayed by Jesus on the cross, Habakkuk ends full of hope. God will fulfil his promise, and he has not forgotten us. He wrote our names in the palms of his hands (Is 49:16).

In scriptures of Islam and in its traditions, we find a completely different attitude. We cannot question God, and we must accept whatever Allah brings our way. Before Allah, one cannot ask questions or complain. The only possible attitude is compliance. And Allah is a whimsical god who can change his mind at any moment. In Allah, we find a raw power that must be affirmed at any moment.

It is true that Jesus came as a servant who is ready to do the Father’s will. Before God, we must humble ourselves and recognise our weaknesses and shortcomings. As servants, like Jesus, who came to serve, we must do faithfully what is asked of us. “When you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.’” (Lk 17:10).

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

XXVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31

According to Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, we must strive for holiness. We should aim to be “saintly and religious”, trying to excel in faith and love. And that implies a continuous struggle. “Fight the good fight of the faith” are Paul’s words. We may think that Paul’s advice to Timothy is in contradiction with what he wrote to the Romans about justification by faith: “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Ro 1:17). “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Ro 3:28). There are many who go beyond Paul, asserting that we are saved by faith alone. However, in the same letter to the Romans, Paul advises them “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Faith implies commitment expressed in a way of life; it implies discipleship, that’s following Christ’s footsteps. Faith implies the acceptance of Jesus Christ and his way of life. He is the Way, meaning that we must “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Ro 12:1-2). We are involved in a spiritual warfare that we must win: “Win for yourself the eternal life.” In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul teaches that we must be protected by wearing the whole armour of God, and, in that armour, faith is the shield (Ep 6:11-18). Surely, we were called. God took the initiative, but we must answer that call and then remain faithful and committed.

In the daily struggle of our faith, we must make difficult choices: we have to choose serving God and never become the slaves of money. When money becomes our god, the god we worship and make the centre of our life, we become slaves, and our hearts will be hard like stones, incapable of compassion and feeling for the others. We become like the rich man of the parable who remained untouched by the suffering and misery of the poor Lazarus who sat at the gate of his house.

The echo of Amos’ words still reverberates today: Woe to those who live in luxury. They spend their lives consuming what others have produced.

“Lying on ivory beds

and sprawling on their divans,

they dine on lambs from the flock,

and stall-fattened veal;

they bawl to the sound of the harp,

they invent new instruments of music like David,

they drink wine by the bowlful,

and use the finest oil for anointing themselves.” (Amos 6:1, 4-7).

With the psalmist, let us sing to the Lord:

It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

  who raises up those who are bowed down.

It is the Lord who loves the just,

  the Lord, who protects the stranger. (Psalms 146).

OFFER PRAYERS FOR EVERYONE

XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 16:1-13

This Sunday’s gospel leaves us puzzled. The parable tells us the story of a corrupt man who was mismanaging the property of his master. In the end, he was caught and called to give an account of his stewardship. As is many times the case, he had a good life but had not been wise enough to accumulate wealth for himself. However, he was clever enough to use well the time left. He doubled down on his corruption practices by calling all those who had not settled their debts and reducing them substantially. Thus, he made friends to give him a hand in times of need. In the end, he is praised not for his corruption but for his astuteness. He guaranteed his future subsistence by the helping hand he gave to the servants who were facing hardships. And Jesus advises his disciples to make friends in heaven with the tainted money that “will welcome you into the tents of eternity”. In the last sentence of today’s gospel, Jesus gives a stern warning: “You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” Most of the time, we try to get the best of both worlds, but that is not possible. God and money don’t go together by the simple reason that money easily becomes an idol that we worship, enslaving us.

In the first reading, taken from Amos, the prophet denounces the exploitation of the poor by the rich and the powerful “who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country.” (Amos 8:4-7). We may think that God does not care or does not see, but He is keeping record of our evil deeds, and, one day, He will call us to account: “Never will I forget a single thing you have done.”

Finally, in the second reading, the apostle Paul calls on us to offer prayers for everyone – “petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet.” (1 Tim 2:1-8).

THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP

XXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - John 3:13-17

On the 14th of September, the Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast has its origins in the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 335. Emperor Constantine built the church on the site where his mother, Helena, found the Holy Cross. Then, in 628, the emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians and recovered the Holy Cross, which they had taken from Jerusalem.

Celebrating the cross, we celebrate Jesus’ crucifixion. On the cross, Jesus shed his blood for us, offering himself in sacrifice for our redemption. That’s why the cross occupies so important a place in the life of the Church. We may not feel ashamed of the cross of Christ. On the contrary, we must make ours Paul’s words: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14). Indeed, we cannot live “as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phi 3:18). We should never forget Jesus’ words: “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38).

The cross is an embodiment of human depravity. Despite being innocent and sinless, Jesus was treated like a criminal and suffered a most cruel death. Humans are capable of all kinds of evil whenever they ignore God and revolt against him. Accepting willingly the death on a cross, Jesus gave the ultimate proof of his obedience and faithfulness. The hymn quoted by Paul in his letter to the Philippians presents Jesus’ attitude:

His state was divine,

yet Christ Jesus did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

God accepted his offering and recognised his faithfulness, raising him from the dead:

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father. (Ph 2:6-11).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the saving power of the cross: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Co 1:18). That’s why “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Co 2:2).

Let us glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

CARRYING THE CROSS

XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 14:25-33

Jesus never tried to seduce his disciples with false promises. He never deceived them; on the contrary, he was always very clear about the demands of discipleship. They should not expect an easy life. On the contrary, they must be ready to accept suffering. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Mt 10:24). If the master was rejected, judged and condemned, what can the disciple expect? It is difficult to understand why so many Christians are hated and persecuted. Despite not being perfect, they are among the most law-abiding citizens of any country. They are hated for carrying Jesus’ name. In the book of Revelation, speaking of the dragon – that is, the “ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” – we are told that “the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Rev 12:9-17). We should not be surprised that in many countries of the world, war on Christians is being waged.

It is not an easy thing to be a Christian. We may be hated and rejected for it. And we must be ready to strive for holiness, following Jesus’ footsteps. We must live our lives guided by the spirit of the Beatitudes. To the Colossians, Paul wrote that we “have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Col 3:9) According to the new self, we live our lives guided by only one commandment, the new commandment given to us by Jesus: “Love one another: just as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34).

The readiness to follow Jesus has implications on the way we relate to others. Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Col 3:11) Based on this awareness of being one in Christ, Paul wrote to Philemon, pleading with him to accept Onesimus as a brother, not as a slave. Indeed, before Christ, there are no slaves, but all are children of the same Father. 

May the Lord give us the strength to acknowledge and affirm the dignity of all our brothers.

CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a

Whenever we read the Bible, we can easily discover a lot of discrepancies between the Old and the New Testaments. It is no surprise that, in the second century, a man called Marcion defended a radical distinction between the God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament. In reading the Bible, we must always be aware that God reveals himself in a long process that takes us from the beginning to Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (Jn 1:18). In the Bible, we find the long journey of humanity to Christ. If we read it from this standpoint, then we discover that things fit in place and that there is a continuous line that leads to Christ. Thus, Jesus Christ is the key for the interpretation of the Old Testament. That’s the way the Apostles and the Church Fathers dealt with the Old Testament, mainly with the prophets and the psalms.

On this Sunday’s liturgy, the second reading, taken from the letter to the Hebrews, invites us to compare the way we experience God and the way the people of Israel experienced Him. On Sinai, people experienced God’s presence, power and glory through the terrifying natural phenomena, such as the “blazing fire”, the storm, and the “trumpeting thunder”. People were terrified hearing God’s voice and pleaded with Moses to be God’s spokesperson to them. God revealed Himself to be so holy that people could not come close to Him. In the Temple, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, once a year, after careful preparation and purification. We, who belong to the New Covenant, are granted a completely different experience: “But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant.” (Heb 12:22-24) In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Ro 8:15-17a). Indeed, God reveals to us his love and, through the Holy Spirit, pours his love into our hearts (Ro 5:5).

 IF ANYONE LOVES ME

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

More than once, Jesus was asked about salvation. A rich man came to him and asked, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16). To that question, Jesus gave a straightforward answer: Keep the commandments. On this Sunday, the gospel presents a similar question: “Sir, will there be only a few saved?” Prophet Isaiah, in the first reading, announces that God will offer salvation to people of all nations: “I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory.” “And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.” (Is 66:18, 21) However, salvation is not for the faint-hearted. It demands effort, and it implies hardships. That’s what Jesus states clearly in the answer that he gave to the question about salvation: “Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.” And he insists that we must be ready to welcome the Lord when he comes. We must be on the alert; otherwise, we may find the door closed. Then, we will be excluded, and we cannot blame anybody but ourselves. We must always be in a state of readiness to answer God’s call.

The second reading, taken from the letter to the Hebrews, advises us to accept God’s corrections, which take place whenever we go through hardships and suffering in life. “Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons.” (Heb 12:7). For sure, suffering is never pleasant, and we try to avoid it at all costs. However, an easy life never yields the ripe and sweet fruits of justice, compassion, and love. Hardships are necessary to build a good character and bring forth commitment and responsibility.

The gospel acclamation puts forward the essential attitude of listening and obedience:

“If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.” (Jn 14:23)