​6th Sunday of Ordinary Time/Year A

​The Book of Sirach (15) states you have before you the choice of fire and water: which would you choose?

Well, probably water because fire burns. Water quenches thirst. Water cools. Fire we associate with burning and pain, with water purity, cleansing, and life. These are the choices of every day because God’s commandments are precisely the equivalent to choosing fire or water:
--Choosing death or choosing life.

​The metaphor used in the book of Ecclesiastes is quite fitting: With fire we might be tempted to poke it, or even put our finger on it, only to discover how hot it is, and even get burned. And suffer. The pain the fire causes, we are left with the marks even the scars of being burned.

Is this any different than when we sin? We are left with the marks of sin? And we can carry that scarred tissue for a long time, even years…
Put out your hand: some choices mean life, others mean death.

Notice the freedom of which Sirach speaks: which ever your prefer, which ever you like – you choose. You are free.
Wonderful expression of freedom: God is not a tyrant who imposes on us and tells us what we must do. No. He leaves us free to choose, but our choice has consequences.
That is where we need to reflect and discern and ask ourselves simply whether this choice brings me closer to God or distances me from God. That’s how we choose.
And if we choose to distance ourselves from God, and place ourselves in the fires of hell, that is what God will give us. Your choice, Sirach says.
If we choose the purifying and regenerating waters that to Everlasting Life, that is what God will give us, Eternal life.
We are left to choose.

The question is whether we fear God, fear God as children who love their heavenly Father, and do not wish to offend Him by choosing sin. That is the choice God leaves us with: to sin or not to sin. While he does not command us to be godless, he has not given us permission to sin, either. When we truly love someone, we have no desire to hurt or offend them – this is true with God.

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Some people have commented that they have not seen any blogs from me in a while. 

But I teach. And I want to give my students a solid Roman Catholic education. They are the future: we count on them to bring the Gospel message of truth and love. We are Christians: and teach others what Christ taught; and to live ourselves the message of the Gospel. There is but one Saviour: Jesus. The message has not changed.

Is this not what the Acts of the Apostles tell us in our First Reading: “You know the message…” To whom does “you” refer? The Apostles? Us? The Apostles are the witnesses and recorded what they observed, namely, the empty Tomb. And following the Apostles, our faith tells us we can believe their  testimony and teach others the same: our Saviour was risen from the dead.

Of course, this presupposes faith. If people lack faith, or if they are skeptics, or doubt, how will they come to have faith. To believe is the work of Grace; but also the effort of our intelligence.

But Christians are a people of hope; we even hope for the conversion of others to the Christian faith, to accept what God wants to give them – and us – Eternal Salvation. This is why Jesus came into the world.
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Conversion is for sinners. Spiritual and moral transformation from sin to sanctification --possible by God’s grace -- if we are humble enough to acknowledge we need help. If we do not believe we are sinners, then, we have no need for a Saviour. We have no need for the Gospel, for this message of salvation. The Gospel of Our Lord is about being saved from sin. This is why Jesus died. Christ did not come for the righteous but sinners. Christianity is more than humanism where we are “nice” to each other; our religion is about bringing the fullness of truth to others which means to live in light and not in darkness -- Jesus is the light; and to offer the love of Jesus to others which is self-giving love takes the shape of the Cross.

​We do not like admitting our sins because it takes humility followed by “change” and “growth.” Change so we conform ourselves to Christ and His teachings. Who wants that? Aren’t we happier to live our own comfortable life in our secure surroundings than to be destabilised by a message that says, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)? To meet Jesus means that our life is forever changed.

Yes, the Gospel shakes us up. Christ forces us to re-think about how we live and relate to others. Perhaps we were happy in our comfy world. So God permitted a Coronavirus to shake us up. God wants to connect us with reality. God is Real. Jesus is Real. This is why Catholics can speak of the Real Presence referring to the Blessed Sacrament. God finds and will find ways to lead us to Him and the perfect way for our return to God is through His Son. There is no other way that brings us into Communion with God because only the 2nd Person of the Trinity became flesh so we might have eternal life.
Based on our Reading from Acts, what do we know about Jesus?

• John baptised Jesus;
• God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power;
• Jesus did good; He performed exorcisms;
• The Apostles were witnesses of Jesus’ work;
• Jesus was executed on a tree;
• On the third day God raised Him [from the Friday this brings us to Sunday];
• Jesus appeared to the Apostles ate and drank with Him after the Resurrection;
• Jesus commanded to preach and to witness that He is the Chosen One to judge the living and the dead;
• The prophets testify to the coming of Jesus;
• Whoever believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.

This sums the life of Jesus, His Mission, why He came into the world, why He was executed, and His Resurrection from the dead. Jesus is the One who reconciles us with God by the forgiveness of our sins. He is the One who gives us Everlasting Life.

Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is a reminder of where our thoughts should be directed: seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We already hear in St. Paul’s Letter the anticipation of the Ascension.

“Seek things that are above.” The problem with earthly attachments and possessions is that they possess us. We become the possession of things that will not let go of us. And so our possessions suffocate our soul so we can no longer set our thoughts on “things above.” The weight of being possessed keep our eyes, hearts, and minds fixed on material goods and pleasure. How can our soul ever be nourished?

And this brings us to St. John’s Gospel:
The first to witness the missing stone in front of the tomb is Mary Magdalene who went to the tomb early in the morning.

Mary Magdalene’s reflex is to go to the Apostle who exercises authority, namely, Peter. She could have gone to the other women, or to other Apostles, but she goes to Peter and the “beloved” disciple,” John.

We are given details: the two disciples reach the tomb but one disciple, the  younger one, John, outruns the older, Peter. But what does John do although he looks into the tomb, and notices the linen lying in the tomb, John refrains from going into the tomb.

When Simon Peter arrives, he goes right into the tomb. We are told the cloth covering Jesus’ head was not lying with the linen but rolled into a place by itself. The fact that the cloth was rolled meant someone had to roll it and place it apart from the linen wrapping. With such details John is clearly an eyewitness of these events.

Linen lying there, linen rolled up. Jesus is not there. Something very unusual happened.
At this point after Peter examines the tomb, John goes in to join Peter. We are told that John, “saw and believed.” “For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead”: now it made sense. The disciples began to connect the dots -- the meaning of the Scriptures, Jesus’ teaching, life, and crucifixion. Jesus was not in the tomb because rose from the dead. They understood and believed.

Mary Magdalene who remains behind after the disciples left the tomb is weeping thinking that Jesus was removed from the tomb not knowing what happened to Jesus. When she does see a man in the tomb she believes him to be the gardener and asks him where Jesus was laid thinking the gardener moved Jesus from his last resting place.

Mary Magdalene hears a voice call out her name, “Mary”; and she recognises Jesus’ voice, “Rabbouni,” “Teacher.”

Jesus tells her: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father; to my God and your God.” Jesus tells us we have the same God, the same Father in Heaven, and Jesus is the Divine Son.
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Mary Magdalene leaves the tomb with excitement and joy to tell the Apostles: “I have seen the Lord.” Now it is for us with the same faith to proclaim the words of Mary Magdalene, “Christ is Risen!”

Alleluia! Alleluia!

​John the Baptist was born of a mother who was said to be “barren” (Luke 1:38). And Zechariah gives not his own name to the child, but after hearing the voice of an Angel, humbly names the child “John.” The Virgin Mary who “does not know man,” puts her total trust in God and in a courageous act of humility tells the Angel, “Let it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). Joseph shows his humility accepting the news that his betrothed will conceive without him (Matthew 1:20). Mary who carries in her womb the Son of the Most High visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is now Elizabeth expecting, and what does Elizabeth tell Mary, “Why should I be honoured with a visit from the Mother of my Lord?” (Luke 1:43). Should we not learn these words of humility of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the radical acts of humility of Mary and of Joseph? The move from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant involve figures who stand out for their humility. Christ Himself will show the salvific power of humility when He, the crucified “King of the Jews” -- true King of the Universe -- will die naked on a Cross in front of his mother and closest friends. Are we prepared to worship our King in a smelly stable and naked on a Cross? Are we?
 
John the Baptist as prophet tells us to prepare ourselves: we need to be cleansed, to make changes, to throw ourselves into the Jordan River, to free our hearts and mind, and make room for the Son of God -- yes, in a stable where the scent is Truth!
 
During Advent we journey in silence with Mary, the Theotokos, Mother of God, as we prepare ourselves meditating on the only Truth that matters: Jesus the Son of God is Truth -- the only Truth who saves us and gives us Eternal life.

​We have reached the end of Ordinary Time. The end -- end times -- preparing for who is to come reflects Sunday’s readings --- 33rd Sunday is “the end.” This year our end readings might appear rather apocalyptic: with the rising cases of Covid, with uncertainly and anxiety caused by the US elections, with rising tension experienced with radical Islam, with our society’s sexual ethics that are a return to paganism, indeed, the world is shaky, or perhaps being shaken by God.
 
Who is this “capable wife,” the woman whom Proverbs speaks of? One phrase that makes this woman truly “capable”: “but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” These verses we find at the opening of Proverbs: “Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools spurn wisdom and disciplines.” (Proverbs 1:7). The “capable” wife, like all believers, as the foundation of her decisions and actions, is fear of God. Everything flows from this relationship of filial love.
 
“Fear” is often thought of in terms of “threats” that cause “trembling”; but this is not the kind of fear of which Proverbs speak. The fear corresponds to God as Creator, the loving Father who creates our soul, our very being, and the one who sustains our life. And so, fear as it has been properly understood, is a filial towards God, so God is both cause and end of our actions.

​Proverbs refers to the “wife” because of her fundamental role in family life. But we each have our role, as spouse, child, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, godparent… but above all as children of God. And for each of us this begins with “Fear of God.” A person who fears God worships the Trinitarian God revealed to us.  A person who fears God does not blaspheme against the Creator, the Almighty Father. We do not say hateful things to people whom we love and respect. A person who fears God encounters Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and the Sacraments, the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. A person who fears God knows that at any time they can be taken off this earth, and will be prepared by their daily acts of goodness and love.
 
We do not know know when the end times will appear before us, even though we may have signs. What matters, St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Thessalonians, is that we are prepared. That we walk in the light, even as the days seem shorter and darker, these cold, long winter days, but the source of our light is celebrated in the midst of this darkness, the true light Himself: Jesus, Son of God.
 
Are we prepared? We can reflect in the light of St. Matthew’s Gospel what we have received. What have we done with our baptismal candle? With the white baptismal garment we received? Have we fought Satan with the chrism oil that anointed us? Have we collaborated with the Grace of God when we received the waters of Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity.
 
Do we fear God enough to love Him?

​On All Souls our Holy Mother Church encourages us to remember those who have died. We pray for them. We offer Masses for them. We go to the cemetery to visit them where their remains are kept. Nobody likes to be forgotten. We text and send messages and more texts and more messages so we can be remembered. We want to be remembered. The wisdom of the Church is that we remember those who have given us life, those who have been part of our life, those who have led us to the Sacraments in the hope of Eternal life.

Christianity is about the other. This is the beauty of Catholicism: we have preserved Christ’s teachings to focus on what is good for our family, our community, and yes, what is good for “me”; but I am not first, I am last in the order of “good” putting others first. And yes, this is tough. Our selfish nature wants to place my desires, my wants first, before everyone else, before the family, before the community. That’s selfishness. And Christ came to purify all of us of such selfishness, whether this is greed, or envy or lust.
If we want to follow Jesus, we take our Cross and follow Him. This means being His disciple. The Cross might be heavy. It might be one that I did not want. Nobody wants Crosses. This is what makes a Saint: accepting the Cross with Love and remaining faithful to Christ. The Truth of the salvific Cross is is why the Church exists: to preserve and transmit the teachings of Christ and His apostles.
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Stand guard, therefore, against innovative teachings as they do not come from the Holy Spirit. They are the marks of the world, fallen astray, and Christ has repeatedly warned us against conforming to the world. Falsehood is the path to hell. Jesus, Son of the Living God, teaches us the way to Eternal life. This is why we celebrate the Saints because the Blessed are in Eternal Communion with the Holy Trinity. This is why we pray for the deceased, so they, too, may share in this Communion. And this is why we struggle and strive, by God’s grace given to us in the Sacraments, to be holy, pleasing to God, so we too, one day, may share Eternal life with the Communion of Saints, with the Angels, Our Blessed Mother. To Jesus invitation to His Eternal Banquet let us say, “Yes”!