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John 20: 11-18

"But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.' Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her."

Are we too secure, too comfortable to think about God and the poor?

30/9/2019

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Sunday | 26 | OT | C
Vancouver, September 27, 2019

It is roughly 760BC when the Prophet Amos writes. The prophet Amos is from the south, that is, from the Tribe of Judah, but his prophetic writing he is directed to the northern tribes although the south is not excluded: “those of you who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.” Remember the north was made of 10 of 12 tribes who were the sons of Jacob. The tribe of Joseph in the north was divided between his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Only 2 tribes were in the south, Benjamin and Judah.

So, why does Amos reproach the people of the north. Why should stability, security, even peace become an object of criticism, “those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches…therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile.” In this time of peace and relative calm, the people became very comfortable, focussed on living a good life, a life of pleasure, accumulating their possessions.

When I was reading this I was thinking, how does Amos know what will happen. He is still writing in 760BC. The exile will take place, in 723 BC. Forty years after his prophecy.

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who is my god?

30/9/2019

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Sunday | 25 | OT | C
Vancouver, September 22, 2019

Do you know that people do not like to be forgotten? Have you ever realised that? I have often wondered: why don’t we like to be forgotten? Why is it so important to be remembered?

Now could you imagine, how your children would feel if you say you will pick them up after school at St. Mary’s, and there they are waiting, and waiting, and finally, they go to the principal to say, my mommy or daddy did not come to pick me up?

How would that seem? The the parent later tells the principal, I forgot I had to pick up my children today? The husband thought his wife was going and the wife thought her husband was going. A child does not like to feel -- or want to be -- forgotten. What about when a husband forgets his marriage anniversary? Or his wife’s birthday? Or a wife, forgets, now what do wives forget: the husbands better not say anything… And parents: what is their common complaint. My children do not come to visit me. I never get a call. I don’t get to see my grandchildren… Again, feeling forgotten.

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seeing beyond addiction

17/9/2019

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Sunday | 23 | OT | C
Vancouver, September 8, 2019

While I was in Rome, I met someone whom I had been seeing over several years -- during the summer months. This person had been suffering from addiction. He was exasperated like anyone who deals with addiction. Discouraged. Yet, he had not given up.

What makes addiction difficult is knowing there is a very high chance you are going to repeat the same acts that you will later regret -- the same sin, over and over… This vicious -- endless cycle -- addiction is painful because it does not seem to stop.

And yet, there he was talking about his addiction, with the hope, that just maybe, this glimmer of light within him, that this vicious cycle of pain and pleasure would end. Yes, pain and pleasure. Underlying addiction is pain. And to bring relief to this pain, a person seeks pleasure; pleasure becomes like a medication. A person with an addiction will talk about being “medicated,” and medication is the addiction.

Now, this man who was struggling, was also hopeful, because he had faith in God, he believed in God, that God could and would heal him. So, the last time I saw him, I looked at him and said, “You look different almost like you are now glowing with light.” He simply smiled. And said, “I feel so liberated. God’s grace has helped me. It’s been a slow journey to recovery. But, now I even have someone to accompany me, in a very personal way, I found the woman I want to marry. She knows all about me.” And he introduced me to her. I gave them both a blessing.

I was so happy for him. He battled, he was courageous, he put his trust in God, and sought help from people whom he could rely on… and now, he would have a wife to journey with him. He found his ultimate source of hope and joy and strength in God. The joy on his face was incredible. The love and trust he had placed in God led him to freedom.

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Spread the good news

Are we too secure, too comfortable to think about God and the poor?

who is my god?

seeing beyond addiction

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