DIFFERENT ATTITUDES IN LISTENING

XV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 13:1-23

The parable of the sower, read in this Sunday’s Gospel, is not so much about the sower or even the seed, but about the soil which receives the seed. There are different types of soil, which explains the difference in the results when the harvest time comes.

Confronted with many people who rejected his word, Jesus put forward this parable, challenging them and stressing the importance of hearing with an open heart. He applied to the people this passage of Isaiah:

“For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes” (Is 6:10)

To hear and to see are essential for us to live in and relate to the world. In order to establish relationships, listening is essential, that is, hearing with the heart, which leads to understanding and acceptance. When I listen, I affirm the other and the other realises that he/ she is there for me. By listening, I drop my defences, become vulnerable and allow myself to be touched by the other. This makes the dialogue possible and strengthens the relationship. Listening is of paramount importance in all relationships: in marriage, in the family and in groups. Whenever I refuse to listen, I reject the other and the relationship will break down sooner or later. The parable tells us that the same happens when we hear the word of God. The different types of soil represent our different attitudes towards the Word or the different things that may distract us and stop us from listening and being challenged by the Word.

Each one of us should examine himself and find out how he hears when others talk to him? How do I listen? How do I listen to my spouse, to my children, to my parents, to my friends? And how do I listen to God? Is he allowed to speak? Nowadays, there is so much noise that we become deaf - deaf even to ourselves. In order to listen, we need silence, not only of noise but also of the worries that not allow us to stop, to sit and to reflect.

The parable presents the following types of soil:

• the edge of the path: - someone hears but does not understand; he is not touched by the word since it sounds like nonsense to him.
• patches of rock: - someone who enjoyed the word but had no time for it; he does not allow himself to be challenged by the word. Trials and suffering kill the hope that germinated in his heart.
• among thorns: - “the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing.” (Mt 13:22)
• rich soil: - “the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Mt 13:23)

What kind of soil do I have in my heart? Do I listen? Do I allow the word to challenge me? 

Christ is the Word, and we must listen to him (Mt 17:5).

THE LORD OF THE AFFLICTED

XIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 11:25-30

During Summer time, in Portugal, there are plenty of traditional feasts. Last week, in the Parish of Valadares, where the seminary of Good News Missionary Society is located, people celebrated the feast of the Lord of the Afflicted, which is a feast to the Crucified Christ. One may be surprised to see that the Crucified Christ is invoked as the one who brings consolation to all those who are in pain and suffer affliction. For people who suffer and who lost hope, it is consoling to know that they are not alone; in their midst, there is “a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity” (Is 53:3). It brings relief to our pain to know that the Son of God, the Messiah, shares our suffering.

Speaking of the suffering servant of the Lord, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

“Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.” (Is 53:4-5)

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus presents himself as the one who brings consolation and he invites us  to come to him:

“Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Mt 11:28-30).

All consolation comes from Christ. He went through suffering and so he is able to understand the pain others go through. In Bemba, there is a saying: icikalipa cumfwa umwine ( what it pains, only oneself can feel). Those who never experienced suffering cannot understand the suffering of the others. 

Nowadays, in spite of so much noise, of so many ways of finding pleasure and plenty of means for subduing pain, people find it difficult to feel at peace and many live in a world without hope. Jesus invites us: Come to me! With his light, he scatters the darkness that surrounds us, gives us the courage to overcome fear and fills us with hope to go on walking on the path of life.

In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah invites us to rejoice and to shout with gladness, because the Lord is coming with victory in his hands. He comes to bring peace, banishing the weapons of war:

“the bow of war will be banished.

He will proclaim peace for the nations.” (Zech 9:10)

THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS WE MUST MAKE

XIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus used to spend special time with the group of twelve Apostles, preparing and instructing them for their future mission. In doing that, he was always straightforward, always telling them the truth, never hiding or soothing the difficulties.

In order to be true disciples of Jesus, we must make him our number one. Nobody else can take the first place in our lives. Our family - be it father or mother, husband or wife, son or daughter - comes in second place.They are not ignored or excluded. We remain with the duty to respect and to care for them, but they cannot establish the rule by which we guide our lives. Nowadays, there are many Christians who are confronted with this situation and they have to choose between family and Jesus Christ. In societies which are overwhelmingly Muslims, the one who decides for Christ knows that he will become an outcast, being rejected by his own family, who may threaten to kill him. In spite of that, many people, after experiencing the love of Christ, are ready to go through that. 

Being disciples of Jesus, we must be ready to carry the cross. Soon or late, everybody will find the cross. Suffering goes always side by side with life, in spite of all our efforts to overcome it and to lead pleasant lives. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the true disciple knows how to transform suffering into a source of growth and maturity, so that it becomes a source of life. If we reject the cross, we are not worthy of being disciples of Jesus. This does not mean to look for suffering or to inflict suffering on ourselves, but to embrace the cross when it comes our way. “Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38). To find life, we must be ready to lose our life for the sake of Jesus Christ.

After these stern words, Jesus pronounced some reassuring ones: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.” (Mt 10:40)

The first reading from 2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16 presents the example of a family welcoming the prophet Elisha and how that family was rewarded. Jesus speaks of a similar reward for all those who help his disciples, mainly in the proclamation of the Gospel. 

Let us pray for all those who encounter suffering because of their faith in Jesus Christ, so that they may find the strength to remain faithful and pray for all those who put themselves at the service of the Gospel, so that they may find joy and peace.

WHY MANY PROPHETS?

XII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Jeremiah 20:10-13

Through Facebook Messenger, I got a message from Mr Malabo in Solwezi, asking about prophets: “Fr. In the Bible, it is said that God raised Prophets in the time of need. Why then do we have so many today that even contradict each other?”

Indeed, nowadays, there are so many people claiming to be prophets and they contradict each other, because many of them are prophets of themselves, not of God. Even in the Old Testament, there were many prophets, even associations of prophets, but many of them were false prophets, misleading the people instead of conveying faithfully God’s word and God’s will.

Moses had warned the people about the appearance of false prophets: 

“But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.” You may say to yourself, “How can we recognise a word that the Lord has not spoken?” If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.” (Dt 18:20-22)

There are so many people who enrich themselves while claiming to be prophets. Those are false prophets. There are so many people who look for power while presenting themselves as prophets. Those are false prophets. Jesus told us to look at their actions because a good tree is recognised by the good fruits. In his ministry, is he at the service of the word of God or puts the word of God at his own service or at the service of his masters?  Does he suffer because of his faithfulness to the word of God or he finds prestige and glory through it? Nowadays, as in the past, there are many people who try to play God and put God at their own service, and they are ready to preach strange doctrines and announce wild prophecies about earthly things that have very little to do with the Kingdom of God.

In this Sunday’s readings, we are presented with the prophet Jeremiah. Because of the word of God and of his faithfulness to it, Jeremiah went through rejection and persecution. He complains that even the ones who used to be his friends had turned against him. He even thought of stopping being a prophet, but with his heart full of the love of God, he couldn’t do it. 

Many times, the words of a true prophet are not pleasing to our ears because they challenge our attitudes and question our decisions and our way of life. Being truthful to the word of God, the true prophet puts his trust in the Lord and calls us to conversion. He is not concerned with the wealth of this world, but with a sound relationship with God as the foundation for a sound relationship with the others. A true prophet does not offer easy solutions as if God is ready to do for us what we should do ourselves. He does not preach an easy life, where all our desires become commands to God. Lesa ni mutima kyebele, meaning that we cannot dictate to him what to do.

The true prophet puts his trust in the Lord, as Jesus advises us to do: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.” He cares for us and he knows what is best for us.

IN THE JOURNEY OF LIFE, THE LORD WALKS WITH US

SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI - Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16

The feast of Corpus Christi (the body and blood of Christ) is a special feast, in which we go in procession through the streets of our towns carrying the Blessed Sacrament. We may ask what is the meaning of that. The first reading gives us the meaning. 

Moses told the people: “Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness” (Dt 8:2). It was not an easy journey. They got tired, exhausted, hungry and thirsty; and they complained and even revolted against the Lord. However, the Lord provide guidance and protection, water and bread. He never abandoned them and he was always in their midst. 

And this is the experience we want to have. In the procession, it becomes clear to us that life is a journey, and this journey is not a solitary journey, but one in which we walk together, in community, so that we can support each other and lean on each other. If anyone falls, the others will lift him up and give him encouragement to go on walking. And in this procession, we have the Lord in our midst, walking with us and being the centre of our attention. It is from him that our journey receives meaning; he is our source of hope and strength.

The Eucharist is the presence of the Risen Lord among us, dwelling in our midst. He sets the table for us and invites us to become satiated with his food - the bread of life. By eating this bread, we become one with him, sharing in his passion so that we may share in his resurrection.

GOD IS RELATIONSHIP AND LOVE

FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY - Exodus 34:4-6,8-9

In the Feast of the Holy Trinity, we give ourselves a day to celebrate what is always present, every single day and every single moment of our lives. Speaking of the Trinity, se speak of God as relationship and love, and we speak of him in this manner, because that is the way he has revealed himself to us. We do not believe in three gods. The Christians are monotheists, being part of the Abrahamic religions, together with the Jews and the Muslims. However, we understand God in different manners. Believing that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Christians affirm God to be communion in diversity. God in himself and within himself is communion and love, which implies relationship. That’s why love and relationships are so important for us, human beings because we are created in the image of God. The faith in the Trinity is an essential feature of our understanding of God and of the understanding of human beings, who are called not only to live in relationships but to enter into a relationship with God.

God in Islam

For the Muslims, the Trinity is an absurd and it is blasphemy, the sin that cannot be forgiven. For them, Allah is supremely alone - a cold and lonely god, who cannot dream of entering into a relationship of love with human beings. For them, the only relationship possible between man and Allah is the relationship of the slave to the master, and the only attitude possible on our side is submission, knowing that he can decide as he pleases, following the whims of his heart. For the Muslims, the central belief of their religion is called tawhid, that is the unicity of God and the worst sin shirk or to give partners to God. The Muslims think that the Christians believe in three gods, being the Father, the Son and Mary (the mother of Jesus). They reject the thought that Allah may be called Father because he never had a wife and he cannot bear children. We mere human beings can never think of ourselves as children of God. God has no children, and we are simply slaves.

“God will never be a God without man”

Even though Muslims and Christians worship only one God, we see ourselves in his presence in a different manner: the Muslims as slaves, and the Christians as children. We are children, not because we are born of the flesh of God (his goodness), but because God, who is love, has decided to adopt us as children and give us the rights of children. That was his plan since the beginning, even before the creation of the world.

Pope Francis tells us that, in Jesus Christ, God revealed himself as the one who cannot live without us. He is relationship and love and his love is so great that is in a continuous outpouring that reaches us.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we are never alone. We can be distant, hostile, we could even profess to be "without God". But the Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals to us that God cannot stand without us: He will never be a God "without man"; It is He who can not stand without us, and this is a great mystery! God can not be God without man: great mystery is this! And this certainty is the source of our hope, which is preserved in all the invocations of our Father.” (Pope Francis, General Audience, 07-06-2017)

WE WERE ALL BAPTISED IN ONE SPIRIT

FEAST OF PENTECOST - 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13

More than ever before, the world we live in is a world divided, with nations fighting against nations and groups against groups. It is a world full of conflicts with ever increasing violence. In our days, there is a lot of violence done as a service to God and in submission to him, as if such a god could be a true God. How can he be called great the god that demands violence and death in order to establish is sovereignty? Such a god is not different from the power of evil, personified in Satan.

We are in need of solidarity and communion, which make peace possible, a peace that is built on justice and mercy. And that is what we celebrate in the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, who sets our hearts on fire, filling them with love and thus enabling us to announce the good news of peace.

The giving of the Torah

The Feast of Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast called Shavu’ot or Festival of Weeks because it came seven weeks after the Passover (see Lev 23:16). In the Feast of Pentecost, the Jewish people celebrate the giving of the Torah, that is the giving of the Law (the commandments) which set people free and establish them as God’s People. Indeed, we cannot live in peace and be free without the rule of law, God’s Law, which is not oppressive but sets forward the principles that should guide us in building a society in which human dignity is affirmed and respected.

The healing power of the Holy Spirit

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the feast acquired a new and deeper meaning. The Holy Spirit came as a Comforter, a Counsellor, a Healer and an Advocate - the Paraclete. Being the one who sets our hearts on fire with love, he can heal us of our pride and self-centredness, which was the source of division. The disruption and violence which started with the tower of Babel are healed on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit makes of different nations speaking different tongues one people, the new People of God.

The Holy Spirit brings communion

St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, speaks of the Spirit as the source of communion established in the diversity of all the members of the fraternity. The first work of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ, because “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Co 12:3). Then, the Holy Spirit gives a great variety of gifts and they are given “for the common good” (1 Co 12:7); they are not given to bring jealousies and enmities or to create infightings within the same group. “For in the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Co 12:13)

It is the Holy Spirit that guides and strengthen us in the work of reconciliation, which is the path for peace and for communion. Communion is only possible when it is built on diversity. If the gifts we received become a source of divisions, destroying peace and harmony, then we are misusing what was given to us, making of them our own property, without any respect for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

With the Psalmist, let us pray: “Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.” (Ps 104:30)