Author: Peter McCulloch

On Emmanuel

(Isa.7:10-14; Rom.1:1-7; Mt.1.18-24)

At Christmas we often sing ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’. This ancient carol refers to Isaiah’s prophecy about a virgin giving birth to a son who will be called Emmanuel (Is.7:14).

In today’s Gospel, Matthew repeats these words as he tells the story of Jesus’ birth. He wants us to know that Jesus is Emmanuel, the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prediction.

Why, then, don’t we just call Jesus Emmanuel?

The reason is the angel Gabriel’s instruction to Joseph, ‘You shall name him Jesus’ (Mt.1:21; Lk.1:31). Jesus is his given name, but the name Emmanuel still applies in the same way that some 200 other names and titles have been ascribed to him in Scripture, including Word of God, Bread of Life, Light of the World, Living Water, Prince of Peace and Good Shepherd. Each of these names describes a different aspect of Jesus’ identity and work in our world.

Indeed, the name Emmanuel encapsulates all these other titles, because it means ‘God is with us’. And considered together, they all mean the same as Jesus, which means ‘God saves’.

God sent his only Son to live among us, to show us how to live and how to love (Jn.3:16; 10:10). Sadly, we too often forget this and we treat God as a remote figure who abandons us to our struggles. But the essential message of Christmas, and indeed of all Scripture, is that God is always with us and he really does care.

In the Old Testament, God promised Abraham and his descendants, ‘I will be with you, and I will bless you’ (Gen.12:1-3). Abraham’s grandson Jacob wasn’t so sure, however. So God replied to him in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob, I am with you and I will watch over you wherever you go’. When Jacob woke up he thought, ‘Surely God is in this place and I didn’t know it’ (Gen.28:15-16).

When the Israelites wandered through the wilderness, they also asked if God was with them (Ex.17:7). He was, of course, and he gave them many signs, including water and food and he even parted the waters for them.

And in our First Reading today, King Ahaz of Judah is in trouble and he, too, doubts God’s presence. But Isaiah encourages him to trust in God, and he promises that God will send a sign in the form of a child who will be called Emmanuel, for God is always with us (Is.7:13-14).

This is the whole point of Christmas. It’s a reminder of God’s living promise that he’s always with us, in the good times and in the bad. And he’s certainly with us right now.

Avery Dulles SJ said, ‘The incarnation does not provide us with a ladder by which to escape from the ambiguities of life and scale the heights of heaven. Rather, it enables us to burrow deep into the heart of planet earth and find it shimmering with divinity.’  ^[i]

We won’t see God walking through our door, but his spirit will always be around us (Jn.14:16). That’s the important thing about our Christian faith, for ours is a spiritual life. God is Spirit, and for us to live in his presence we need to live spiritually. This means we need to use our minds, our hearts and our wills to establish a meaningful relationship with him. [ii]

In 2015, in Madison Square Garden, Pope Francis said that one special quality of God’s people is their ability to see, even in ‘moments of darkness’, the light which Christ brings.

God’s faithful people, he said, can recognise God’s living presence in the midst of life, in the midst of the city. For Jesus is Emmanuel, the God who walks alongside us and gets involved in our lives, in our homes and in the midst of our ‘pots and pans’. [iii]

When the Dutch writer Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) was a little girl, her father used to tuck her into bed at night. He talked and prayed with her, and laid his big hand on her little face. Later, as an adult, when she was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, she asked God to tuck her in and lay his hand on her face. ‘That would bring me peace, and I would be able to sleep,’ she wrote. [iv]

Jesus was there with her. He helped Corrie survive the most awful of times.

When we actively live in God’s presence, we start to recognise all that he does for us. He encourages us (Josh.1:6), he strengthens us (Is.41:10), he comforts us (Jn.14:16-18), he protects us (Jer.15:20), he heals us (Jer.30:17), he provides for us (Ps.113:6-9) and he guides us through the darkness (Ex.13:21; 2 Sam.22:29).

What a remarkable gift Jesus is to us! He is Emmanuel, God-with-us.

This Christmas, let’s welcome Jesus with open arms.

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[i] https://ronrolheiser.com/incarnation-god-is-with-us/#.Xfn2Y-gzbIU

[ii] http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Christian_Spirituality/Christian_Spirituality_005.htm

[iii] http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150925_usa-omelia-nyc.html

[iv] Corrie ten Boom, Each New Day. Revell, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2013.

On Joy

(Isa.35:1-6a; Jas.5:7-10; Mt.11:2-11)

Today is Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. This is the day we heartily sing Joy to the World because we’re looking forward to Christmas. Jesus is coming!

But what is joy?

Some people say that joy is happiness. But Henri Nouwen says joy is much deeper than that. Happiness depends on what’s happening around you, but joy is internal. It’s ‘the experience of knowing that you’re unconditionally loved and that nothing … can take that love away from you’. [i]

Others say that joy is pleasure, like a magnificent meal. But C.S. Lewis says that pleasure is more like a substitute for joy. He says that what distinguishes joy from happiness or pleasure is a deep yearning for something agonisingly elusive. It’s the longing for a fulfilment yet to come. [ii]

The Greek word for joy is ‘chara’, which is how we react when we discover the work of God. ‘Chara’ is similar to another Greek word, ‘charis’, which means ‘grace’ or ‘gift’. Together, these words tell us that joy flows when we’re filled with the gift of God’s grace.

St Paul knew this, and that’s why he says that joy is one of the 12 fruits of the Spirit, along with peace and love (Gal.5:22-23). These fruits flow when the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and we realise that God really is in control of our lives.

Pope St Paul VI once asked: ‘How is it that in our society, with all its wealth, clean water, readily available food, medical achievements and technological advancements – there’s so little joy?’

He says it’s because ‘we’re missing what joy really is’. Our ‘technological society has multiplied our opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy. That’s because joy comes from another source.’ [iii]

And what is that source? It’s God.

Some people say that joy means no sadness; that you can’t be both sad and glad at the same time. But Henri Nouwen disagrees. He says that sorrow and joy can exist together, and they are often contained within some of our deepest life experiences, such as witnessing the birth of a child or the death of a friend.

Rick Warren, the American pastor and author, says that we usually think that life comes in hills and valleys, but really it’s more like train tracks. Every day good things happen, bringing us pleasure and contentment and beauty.

But at the same time, painful things also happen, disappointing us, hurting us and filling us with sorrow. These two tracks – joy and sorrow – run parallel to each other all through our lives.

That’s why, he says, when we’re having an amazing experience, we often realise that it’s not perfect. And while we’re experiencing something painful, we realise that there’s still beauty and loveliness to be found. [iv]

Rick Warren says that when you look down train tracks towards the horizon, they become one, and that’s how it will be for us, too. One day, our parallel tracks of joy and sorrow will merge into one. It will all come together for us when we finally meet Jesus, and everything will start to make sense.

Someone once said that if you build a wall to keep out the sadness, you’ll also keep out the joy. They belong together.

But joy doesn’t simply happen. Henri Nouwen says nothing happens automatically in the spiritual life. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It’s a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.

In 1945, before the Nazis executed him, Alfred Delp SJ was locked up in prison in Germany. The conditions were awful, but he still wrote, ‘every now and then my whole being is flooded with pulsating life and my heart can scarcely contain the delirious joy … Suddenly … my spirits soar again and there’s not a doubt in my mind that all God’s promises hold good’.

He was filled with joy because he chose to put his life in God’s hands. ‘That’s the point’, he wrote. [v] Our happiness is inextricably linked with God.

When we choose to accept God in our life, he opens our eyes to his grace and power in the world, and he fills us with joy (Rom.15:13).

So, here’s the message for today: joy doesn’t come from our secular world. It comes from God. And for our joy to be complete (1Jn.1:4), we must choose to accept him.

If you want real joy, put your life in God’s hands (Is.41:10; Jn.10:28).

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[i] Nouwen, H., Christensen, M.J & Laird, R. ‘The Heart of Henri Nouwen – His Words of Blessing’.  Crossroad Publishing, 2003.

[ii] CS Lewis, quoted in Terry Lindvall, Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of CS Lewis. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 1996, p.56.

[iii] Pope Paul VI, Gaudete in Domino (On Christian Joy), Apostolic Exhortation, 1975.

[iv] https://relevantmagazine.com/current/first-word-two-rails-track/

[v] https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2008/01/21/jesuit-martyr-nazis-hitler-wanted-alfred-delp-forgotten-his-way-resistance-still

On Selfies and the New Narcissism

(Isa.11:1-10; Rom.15:4-9; Mt.3:1-12)

Something I find remarkable in my travels is the number of people who photograph themselves in front of major landmarks.  It’s not the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal that interests them. Rather, it’s the chance to get the perfect picture of themselves in a famous place.

Since ancient times people have wanted others to know what they look like, and in the Early Renaissance the rich and powerful began commissioning painted portraits.  Because these paintings can reveal so much, the artists were often asked to highlight or hide certain details, in order to convey an impression about the subject’s wealth, power, status or attitude.

In her article Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism, Christine Rosen says that self-portraits are still popular today, but they’re more likely crafted from pixels than paints.  We call them selfies now, and people like to post them on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, along with musings about their busy lives and details of their hobbies and friends.  

We put these pictures online, she says, because we’re looking for friendship, love and that ambiguous thing called ‘connection’.  And like painters constantly retouching their work, we alter, update and tweak our online self-portraits, adding vital statistics, glimpses of bare flesh and other bits of information.

‘The Delphic Oracle’s guidance was know thyself,’ Rosen says, but ‘today, in the world of online social networks, the Oracle’s advice might be show thyself.’ That’s because what drives these virtual galleries is the desire for attention. ^[i]

Whitney Houston used to sing that the greatest love of all is learning to love yourself, [ii] and that’s what our social media encourages.  In essence it’s narcissism, but it can lead to cyberbullying, sleep deprivation, lower self-esteem, social isolation, poor concentration, Internet addiction and depression.

The ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle taught that to live a complete life we must focus on meaning and purpose rather than just happiness, and for that we need to look beyond ourselves. [iii]

Here, Matthew’s Gospel has something to teach us today.  John the Baptist is in the desert wilderness, dressed like a wild man in camel-hair and leather and looking like the ancient prophet Elijah.  People from all over are flocking to him. Why? It’s because they’re looking for a way out of their own personal wilderness. They’re looking for answers.

John the Baptist urges them (and us) to ‘repent, for the kingdom of God is close at hand’.  In other words, get ready, because Jesus is coming.

The Greek word for ‘repentance’ is metanoeo, which means turning around or changing.  So, he’s telling us to change the way we think; to change the way we live.

Why should we do that?  It’s because Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah (2Sam.23:1; 1Kgs.1:39). He’s the only way to truly escape from our own personal wilderness.  

In John’s Gospel, Jesus describes himself as ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (Jn.14:6).  What he means is that if you’ve chosen another way, then you’re heading in the wrong direction.  If you believe another ‘truth’, then it must be false. And if you’re living another life, then you’re going nowhere (Jn.6:68).

John the Baptist adds that in this process of change you need to produce the appropriate fruit.  That is, you need to show that you really have changed and not just thought about it. Indeed, to live like Christ isn’t a once-only process of transformation.  We must keep changing until we’re totally like him (Rom.13:14; Col.3:12-17).  

That’s the only way to truly escape from our own personal wilderness.

In her book Strange Gods, Elizabeth Scalia reminds us that God is the most high.  She says that if we choose God – his light, his way and his truth – then everything will flow from the highest possible point.  But if we choose something lesser (like ourselves) then our life will flow from a much lesser rise – from a hill, rather than from a mighty mountain. [iv]

In other words, if we reject God, we’re reducing our lives to the limits of our own human weakness.  But if we choose God, we’re opening up our minds, hearts and lives to something far greater and more wonderful than ourselves (Jn.3:16; Mt.19:21; Rom.12:1-2).

Thankfully, some European countries have banned selfies at major landmarks.  

As we prepare for Christmas, let’s ban them, too.

Let’s focus on Jesus instead of ourselves.

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[i] Christine Rosen, Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism, The New Atlantis, Number 17, Summer 2007, pp. 15-31. https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/virtual-friendship-and-the-new-narcissism

[ii] https://genius.com/Whitney-houston-greatest-love-of-all-lyrics

[iii] Pattakos, A & Dundon, E., The OPA! Way: Finding Joy and Meaning in Everyday Life and Work. BenBella Books, Dallas. 2015.

[iv] Elizabeth Scalia, Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life.  Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2013. 

On A Fresh Start

[Isa.2:1-5; Rom.13:11-14; Mt.24:37-44]

Would you like a fresh start?  Would you like a chance to begin again, avoiding the mistakes and the pain of the past?  

Consider the story of the great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-81). At the age of 27 he was jailed for his politics, and eight months later he and his fellow prisoners were taken outside to be shot.

Before the execution, they were given a cross to kiss and a chance for confession.  They were then lined up, the soldiers took aim and a drum roll sounded.  And suddenly, out of the blue, a messenger from the Tsar rode in on a horse with a pardon.  

Miraculously, they were all given a second chance at life. In a letter to his brother, Dostoevsky later described how he had changed: ‘When I look back on my past and think how much time I wasted on nothing, how much time has been lost in futilities, errors, laziness, incapacity to live; how little I appreciated it, how many times I sinned against my heart and soul – then my heart bleeds.  Life is a gift, life is happiness, every minute can be an eternity of happiness’. ^[i]

His priorities changed completely when he faced his own mortality (Prov.4:25-27).

Someone else who needed a fresh start was Dublin-born Matthew Talbot (1856-1925).  He started drinking at the age of 12, and 16 years later he was a chronic alcoholic, broke and deeply in debt.

One night in 1884 he faced the truth that he could no longer afford to drink.  He went home and promised his mother that he would ‘take the pledge’.  He kept that promise, and dedicated the rest of his life to prayer and charitable works.  He’s now being considered for sainthood. [ii]

At some point in our lives every one of us needs a second chance.  But we don’t need a firing squad or a chronic hangover to force the process.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and the start of a brand new liturgical year.  Advent is always a time for renewal and new birth, and so this is an ideal opportunity for each of us to pause for a while, to think about our lives and to consider how we might do things better.

In our second reading today, St Paul says, ‘Wake up! The time has come!’  None of us is getting any younger, and we know that one day we’ll all be held accountable.  So now is a good time to start afresh.

Ask yourself: am I a better person now than I was 12 months ago? Can I honestly say that I am improving as a person with the passing of each Christmas?  And is my relationship with Jesus growing?  Or am I stagnating?

The truth is that every one of us can do better. 

Martin Luther King Jr said that the first step in any journey must be taken in faith.  ‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase,’ he said, ‘just take the first step’. 

As we take that first step, our faith doesn’t have to be strong (Lk.17:6; Mt.17:20).  Real faith grows when we stand honestly and humbly before God as we really are, sharing with him what we think and how we feel. 

And as we go through the process of change (for a new start always involves change), it’s worth remembering that God always has our best interests at heart (Is.43:18-19; Jn.10:10).  And he will help us if we let him (Phil.4:13). That’s important to remember as we face our failures and let some things go (we know what needs to go).

In 2018, Pope Francis said that Advent has three dimensions: the past, the present and the future, and we would be wise to reflect on each of them. 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.  Why did he do that, and what does that truth mean for us today? 

Jesus will also return sometime in the future – at the end of the world, and at the end of our own lives.  Are we ready for him?

And finally, Jesus comes to us each day, in the present, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. [iii]  He is present in the Church (1Cor.12:12-14), in the Eucharist (Mt.26:26-27) and in the faces of everyone we meet (Mt.25:40). 

When we prayerfully reflect on these three dimensions of Jesus Christ, we are actually opening the door to a new beginning for ourselves (2Cor.5:17). 

If Advent is only a time for us to buy gifts and to plan our Christmas holidays and parties, then we’ve missed the point.  

There’s really only one gift of any importance at Christmas, and that gift is Jesus.

Jesus is the key to a fresh start. The only fresh start that really matters.

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[i] https://storiesforpreaching.com/a-fresh-start/

[ii] http://www.ncregister.com/blog/kschiffer/pub-crawler-to-penitent-ven.-matthew-talbot-is-an-inspiration-to-alcoholics

[iii] https://zenit.org/articles/santa-marta-pope-on-three-dimensions-of-advent/

On He Who Must Not Be Named

(2Sam.5:1-3; Col.1:12-20; Lk.23:35-43)

In JK Rowling’s popular Harry Potter books, Harry’s arch-enemy is so feared that it’s considered dangerous to even speak his name.  Most of the characters refer to him as ‘You-Know-Who’ or ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’.

It suits the storyline for these novels to include an adversary who is so fearful that he cannot be named.  It reinforces the chasm between good and evil.  

In our society there’s someone else that many people are reluctant to name.  It’s not a businessman or sportsman.  It’s not even a politician.  It’s Jesus Christ.

Certainly, many will use Jesus’ name as a curse or expletive.  And many will use the name of God in all sorts of reckless ways (Ex.20:7). [i]  But few, it seems, are prepared to talk about Jesus Christ as a topic of normal conversation. 

The strange thing is that many of those who dare not speak Jesus’ name actually call themselves Christian.

A survey conducted last year in the United States revealed that although most Americans (70%) identify as Christian, more than three quarters do not have spiritual or religious conversations.  Even among regular churchgoers, only a small fraction (13%) regularly talk about their faith.[ii]  The situation seems to be even worse in Australia, the UK and other Western countries.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to share our faith with others – using both words and actions (Mt.28:19-20; Mk.16:15).  Sherry Weddell tells us why in her book Forming Intentional Disciples.  She says it’s difficult to think about things you’ve never heard anyone else talk about. [iii]  

She tells the story of Sara, a young woman who experienced God’s presence so powerfully one day that she decided to become a Christian.  She joined a faith formation program and was received into the Church at Easter 2010.

About six weeks into that program, she thought she was missing something because they weren’t talking much about getting to know God or Jesus.  She didn’t understand who Jesus was, and assumed it was because of her non-Christian background. 

So she asked some Catholic friends to talk with her about him, one-on-one.  All but one of them got visibly upset and wanted to know why she was asking. 

Most did talk with her, but they didn’t like being asked. [iv]

Weddell says that Sara had discovered the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ culture that pervades so many parishes.  In this culture, you don’t ask anyone about their faith or interior life, or their experience of Christ, and you certainly don’t share your own faith experience with anyone else. 

Why are we so reluctant to talk about Jesus?  There may be many reasons.  Perhaps it’s driven by the fear of being judged or answering inadequately.  Maybe it’s a response to the growing secularisation of our society and the decline in religious fluency.  Or maybe it’s because of the clergy abuse crisis. 

Whatever the reason, Fr Gregory Jensen, an Orthodox priest, says that the more he follows discussions, debates and disagreements about the Church, or concerns about the failings of the bishops and clergy, the more he’s become convinced that it’s all simply a distraction. It’s an excuse, he says, for not helping each other and those outside the Church to fall in love with Jesus Christ.  For how easy it is to talk about everything else except Jesus. [v]

St John Henry Newman said that to holy people, the very name of Jesus is a name to feed upon, a name to transport.  His name can raise the dead and transfigure and beautify the living.

For there’s power in Jesus’ name.  It brings peace and forgiveness, love and hope – everything our hearts could wish for.  As Christians we should be proud that we carry the name of Christ.  There’s no greater honour than this, for it’s the name above all other names (Phil.2:9-11).

And when do we use Jesus’ name, we should remember that we actually invoke his presence. So we must use it responsibly.

Today is the Feast of Christ the King.  This is the day when we celebrate Jesus Christ as King of the Universe and Saviour of the World.  Today’s message about Jesus is the culmination of everything the Church has said and done over the past liturgical year.

As Christians, we’re not meant to just go through the motions or simply learn about our faith.  We’re supposed to absorb the Word of God so deeply into our lives that everything we say and do reflects our love for Jesus.

Christianity is a missionary faith.  We are meant to share it, bringing the joy of Jesus to others (Mt.4:19; Acts 8:4; Rom.1:16).  But if Christians won’t talk about Jesus, who will (Mt.9:37)?

So, do you talk about Jesus?  Do you share your love for him with family and friends?

If yes, well done!  Keep going! 

If no, then it’s time to start.

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[i] Hugh Mackay, Beyond Belief.  McMillan, Sydney. 2016:177-179.

[ii] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/13/opinion/sunday/talk-god-sprituality-christian.html

[iii] Sherry A Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples.  Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington IN. 2012:141.

[iv] https://aleteia.org/2015/01/06/why-are-catholics-afraid-to-talk-about-jesus/

[v] Op cit. p.142.

On Passing the Dragon

(Mal.3:19-20a; 2Thess.3:7-12; Lk.21:5-19)

‘Absolutely terrifying.’ That’s how one person described the recent bushfires in NSW and Queensland. Tragically, these fires have destroyed many lives, homes and communities.

Most of us hope and expect to live steady-as-she-goes lives, but sometimes we find ourselves facing unexpected, and occasionally frightening, turmoil. 

When this happens, life can be a rollercoaster, perhaps like Indiana Jones’ ride in the movie The Temple of Doom, where he swoops at breakneck speed through a mine in a mine-cart, escaping menacing villains. [i]

And the obstacles we face are a bit like the dangers he braves in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Inside an ancient Peruvian temple, he runs the gauntlet of flying arrows, collapsing walls, cavernous drops and a crushing ball of stone. [ii] 

He survives these tests, of course, but sometimes we wonder if we will.  We look for signs and sometimes we fear the worst.  And others go even further.  Fed by unending media reports about the destruction of our planet, some people have become fixated on visions of the apocalypse.  They even try to predict the end of the world. 

So, how should we respond?  

In Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus gives us some advice.  He says that we can expect to live in troubled times.  Some of these troubles will be natural disasters, such as earthquakes, famines, plagues – and even wildfires.  But, whatever happens, he says, don’t lose faith and don’t be afraid (Mk.4:39-40).

Jesus also says there will be problems caused by people trampling on the rights and lives of others. There will be wars and revolutions, cruelty and injustice.  But whatever happens, don’t lose faith and don’t be afraid.

And many will be persecuted for their beliefs, whether political or religious.  Some will be jailed, churches will be burnt, missionaries will be killed and many will not be able to speak openly, even in their own families. 

But again, whatever happens, Jesus says don’t lose faith and don’t be afraid, for it’s not the end of the world. 

And don’t listen to false prophets who say ‘the time is near’, Jesus says, because they’ll be wrong.  Not even he knows when this will be; only his Father knows (Mt.24:36; 1Thess.5:2-4).  

In his book Bread for the Journey (1996), Henri Nouwen says that in the face of all the world’s calamities, the attitude of spiritually mature people should be to stand erect and to hold our heads high.  Our everyday lives might be full of doomsday thinking and feeling, but we must resist this temptation and stand confidently in the world, never losing our spiritual ground and always being aware that ‘the sky and earth will pass away’, but the words of Jesus will never pass away. [iii]

‘Jesus reminds us,’ Nouwen says, ‘that we don’t belong to this world.  We have been sent into this world to be living witnesses of God’s unconditional love, calling all people to look beyond the passing structures of our temporary existence to the eternal life promised to us.’ [iv]

In other words, don’t dwell too much on worldly things, for they will all pass away.  The earth is not our real home.  Focus instead on the only things that ultimately really matter: love, compassion, forgiveness and understanding. These things are eternal.  They make a difference.  They’re the only things we take with us into the next life.

And whatever happens, don’t lose faith and don’t be afraid (Josh.1:9). 

St Augustine said that fear is the enemy of love.  As Christians, Jesus has promised us everlasting life in heaven.  All we have to do is to embrace his way of life and live in confidence that no matter what happens, we’ll always remain secure in God’s warmth and love.

But in the meantime, we can expect troubles and unpleasant surprises. 

Perhaps he had the lively imagination of Indiana Jones, but referring to the Book of Revelation, St Cyril of Jerusalem (c.313-386 AD) wrote, ‘A dragon lies in ambush for the traveller; take care he does not bite you and inject you with his poison of unbelief. … In your journey to the Father of Souls, your way lies past that dragon. How shall you pass him? You must have your feet stoutly with the gospel of peace so that, even if he does bite you, he may not hurt you.’ [v]

So, hold firm. 

Don’t lose faith. 

And don’t be afraid (1Cor.16:13). 

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[i] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUtQUtMbAYw

[ii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC1ikwQ5Zgc

[iii] Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey. Darton Longman and Todd, London. 1996:293.

[iv] Ibid. p.284.

[v] Cyril, S. The Works of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (Vol. 1), The Catholic University of America Press, Washington DC. 1969.

On Life After Death

(2Macc.7:1-2, 9-14; 2Thess.2:16-3:5; Lk.20:27-38)

Is there life after death (Job 14:14)?  And what happens when we get there?

The ancient Aztecs, Vikings and Egyptians believed in an afterlife.  Some Native American tribes also believed in a happy hunting ground, and many eastern religions believe in reincarnation.

But our secular society doesn’t accept any afterlife, at least not officially.  It assumes that there’s no God and no spirit world, and many people claim to be atheists. 

Yet the popular culture seems obsessed with vampires, zombies and ghosts, and heroes with supernatural powers.  And surveys reveal that most people do have mystical experiences, when they sense that there’s ‘Something More’ to life than what they can actually see. [i]

It seems that searching for the supernatural is a very human thing to do (Jer.29:13).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is in the Temple in Jerusalem preaching about the resurrection of the dead, when some Sadducees decide to challenge him.

Now, who were the Sadducees?  They were a powerful sect of Jewish priests and merchants who didn’t believe in angels, spirits or resurrection (Acts 23:8).  They only accepted as truth the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.

They put a hypothetical question to Jesus. ‘Teacher’, they say, ‘Moses told us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, then his brother must marry her and raise up children for his brother’.

To explain, this practice of a man marrying his brother’s widow comes from the Torah (Gen.38:8; Deut.25:5-6). It’s called the Levirate Law of Marriage, and its purpose was to ensure that a widow is looked after and that the first husband’s name continues to live on after him.

The Sadducees’ question is this:  whose wife would a woman be if she marries each of seven brothers, one after the other, after each one dies?

The point they’re trying to make is that God’s Law, as given to Moses, cannot be broken, and that God would never create something that contradicted his own Law. So, he could not have created an afterlife, because it would simply undermine the sanctity of marriage.

Jesus answers them in two ways. Firstly, he says that marriage is an earthly institution blessed by God, and it doesn’t exist in heaven.

Then he says that Moses learnt about the resurrection before he received the Law from God. He learnt this when he first encountered God in the Burning Bush, when God said to him ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’ (Ex.3:4-6).

What Jesus means is that because God is the God of the living, and because God is also the God of the patriarchs, then the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – must still be alive.  For God is a ‘living’ God and only the living can experience something that lives.  The patriarchs, therefore, are still alive and they’re now in heaven.

What, then, does Jesus say about heaven? 

He gives few details in this passage, but he does say that in heaven there’s no more death or decay, but only eternal life.  This means that there’ll be no more suffering or pain (Rev.21:4).

He also says that life in heaven is different to life here on earth (‘life is changed, not ended’), and marriage won’t be needed.  However, this doesn’t mean we’ll be separated from our families and friends.  Rather, our relationships will be different, and the fellowship of marriage will be replaced by the depth and diversity of new life in the presence of God. 

Our eternal lives won’t be reduced to some level below that of marriage, though.  Rather, we’ll find ourselves living a much fuller and closer life with God himself and with all of God’s family, and the emotional intimacy and affection we now restrict to just one spouse will be shared with everyone in heaven. [ii]

All this points to the model of the Trinity, which reveals to us that the essence of divine life is perfect loving communion.  Here on earth we experience this in a very special way through the Holy Eucharist, and in heaven we’ll experience it by living in perfect loving intimacy with God and all his angels and saints.

This is why Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment of all is to love God and our neighbour, with all our hearts, all our souls and all our minds (Mt.22:34-40). 

This is our challenge.  Jesus wants us to prepare for eternal life by learning to love God and each other, before we get there.

CS Lewis said that in this life we write the title page of what we will be in eternity.  

But my own father likes to put it this way:  our life here on earth is basically the qualifying round for our next life.

So, what do you think? Is there life after death? 

And are you ready for it?

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[i] William Bausch, The Story Revealed. Twenty Third Publications, New London, CT. 2013:144-145.

[ii] KJV Study Bible, 2^nd Edition. Thomas Nelson, Nashville. 1988:1588

On Fixing our Eyes on the Prize

[Wis.11:22-12:2; 2Thess.1:11-2:2; Lk.19:1-10]

St Martin de Porres (1579-1639) really should have vanished without trace long ago.  In the eyes of the world he was a nobody, and that’s how he was treated: he was ridiculed, abused and excluded.  Why?  Because he was poor and black. 

Yet, here we are today, four centuries later, celebrating his life on his feast day in a church that proudly bears his name.

Why do we celebrate this son of a former slave who was born so far away in Lima, Peru?  It’s because he has something remarkable to teach us.  St Martin’s relationship with God so transformed his broken life that he went on to transform the lives of countless others.

St Martin’s father abandoned him in his infancy because of his colour, leaving him to live in poverty with his mother and sister.  He often went hungry, he only had two years of schooling and he was regularly bullied in the streets. 

When he was 12 he was apprenticed to a barber who taught him the basics of medicine and healing, as barbers did back then.  And at 15 he joined the Dominicans as a servant boy, but his training was ignored.  He spent most of his time cleaning and laboring in the kitchen and in the fields.  He never complained, though.  He was always patient and cheerful.

Eventually his gifts were recognized, however.  At 24 he was invited to become a Dominican brother, and 10 years later he was given responsibility for the monastery’s infirmary where he worked for the rest of his life, healing the sick and helping the poor.  He helped everyone, regardless of their race or social status.  It made no difference whether they were archbishops, monks or slaves.

St Martin went on to do remarkable things: fundraising, feeding and sheltering hundreds of people and animals, planting orchards, teaching people how to farm and establishing a school and an orphanage for street children that are still operating today.

In today’s Gospel, Luke gives us the story of Zacchaeus, the unpopular tax collector.  Unlike Martin, Zacchaeus was rich, but like Martin he was rejected by his own community.

St Martin and Zacchaeus also shared something else:  both kept their eyes firmly fixed on Jesus (Heb.3:1; 12:2).  St Martin did this by spending his nights in prayer and contemplation before a Crucifix.  Zacchaeus did this by climbing a tree to get a clearer view of Jesus as he passed through Jericho.

By firmly fixing their eyes on Jesus, both men found their lives transformed.  St Martin found himself filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and able to perform miracles (Acts 1:8); while Zacchaeus found joy, acceptance and forgiveness, and a brand new way of life (Ps.16:11).

The message for us today is that as long as we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, then we’ll find ourselves living happy, meaningful and purposeful lives, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

We see this in Matthew’s Gospel, when the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee during a storm one night.  Peter discovers that as long as he keeps his eyes firmly focussed on Jesus, he can actually walk on water.  But as soon as he’s distracted, he starts sinking (Mt.14:22-32).

That’s the risk we face.  There are so many temptations and distractions out there.  When we turn away from Jesus and focus instead on our grudges or illusions or worldly obsessions, then we’ll find ourselves troubled and even overwhelmed. 

Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to talk about the red lamp near the tabernacle in our churches that signals the presence of Our Lord (Jn.8:12). When we’re near the light, he said, we bask in its glow and we enjoy its comforting warmth.  But if we walk away from that light, the shadows grow longer and the darkness grows.

And so it is with us.  When we lose a sense of God’s presence, or when we refuse to acknowledge his existence, the shadows lengthen, the darkness envelops us, and the storms become more terrifying.

God didn’t want St Martin to vanish because he has something important to teach every generation:  that God’s grace can transform our deepest sorrows into the greatest love and happiness, as long as we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. 

As St. Augustine put it, ‘In my deepest wound, I saw your glory and it dazzled me’.

St Martin de Porres kept his eyes firmly fixed on the only prize that really matters in this life (Phil.3:13-14).

We must do the same.

On the Fragrance of Love

(Sir.35:12-14, 6-18; 2Tim.4:6-8, 16-18; Lk.18:9-14)

Nothing expresses love quite like a beautiful fragrance. 

Napoleon Bonaparte and his Empress Josephine adored violets.  Every anniversary he gave her a fragrant bouquet of violets, symbolising their passionate love.  And on his deathbed, Napoleon’s locket held a picture of Josephine, a lock of her hair and dried violet petals.

Our noses are closely connected with our memories and feelings about people, places and things.  That’s because the olfactory nerve that controls our sense of smell crosses the parts of the brain that manage memory and emotion.  

This explains why memories and feelings often return to us when we smell familiar aromas, such as certain perfumes or foods.

But sweet fragrances aren’t just romantic. They also connect us with divine love.

We see this in the Bible’s Song of Songs, which is a love poem overflowing with the scent of fragrant perfumes, spices, flowers, fruit, incense and wine. 

At one level, it describes a passionate love affair between a man and a woman.  But at another, it’s an allegory of God’s extraordinary love for his people, and it tells us that God loves gorgeous scents even more than we do (Prov.27:9).

In Exodus 30, God instructs the priests of ancient Israel to keep burning aromatic incense on the golden altar in the Temple’s Holy of Holies.  This golden altar represents our faithful, loving hearts, and the sweet-smelling smoke represents our heartfelt prayers, rising constantly up to heaven.

God gives Moses a recipe for this incense in Exodus 30:34-37.  He must prepare it like a perfumer, by mixing equal parts of certain exotic spices with pure frankincense.  For God likes his incense salted, pure and holy.

In a similar way, today’s readings give us a recipe for our own prayers.  They must be honest and genuine.  They must be borne of faith.  They must express our love and gratitude to God, and they must come straight from our hearts. 

To emphasise the right kind of prayer, Jesus today gives us his Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke’s Gospel.

These two men go into the Temple to pray.  The Pharisee stands where everyone can see him.  He looks up to heaven and loudly thanks God that he’s not like everyone else, and especially not like the Tax Collector.  For he’s a virtuous man who fasts twice a week and he’s generous with his money.

The Tax Collector, however, stays at the back of the Temple.  He’s ashamed of his life and he can’t lift up his eyes (Ez.9:6).  He prays quietly, saying, ‘God, please be merciful to me, a sinner’.

Now, which prayer does God prefer?  It’s the honest, humble one.

The problem with the Pharisee’s prayer is that he sees no need for forgiveness.  He has no sense of the distance he still has to go in his spiritual life, and his prayer simply lists all the good things he’s done.

While his good works are commendable, he doesn’t compare himself with the holiness of God that he and we are all called to imitate (Lev.19:2; Mt.5:48).  Instead, he compares himself to the Tax Collector he despises.[i]  The Pharisee’s prayer therefore isn’t a prayer at all.

The Tax Collector, however, is lowly and humble.  He’s honest about his mistakes.  He knows he needs help, so he prays, asking God for forgiveness. 

That’s the kind of prayer Jesus likes.  He wants us to be honest with him and ourselves.  He wants us to love him and share our fears and burdens with him. 

When we pray like this, from deep in our hearts, God always welcomes our words as sweet and precious gifts, rising like the smoke of sweet-smelling incense towards heaven. He remembers and treasures such gifts (Ps.141:2).

In the Book of Revelation (5:8; 8:3-5), John the Evangelist tells us that God likes our prayers so much that he collects them in golden bowls near his throne.  And as our prayers waft upwards, so those golden bowls fill up until they tip over and pour out God’s power, love and mercy onto our world.

Some people think their prayers are of little value, but the truth is that God loves them.  He listens and he responds.  That’s what St Paul is saying in our second reading today (2Tim.4:6-8,16-18). 

Our prayers are precious to God.  They serve as a bridge between heaven and earth, and they move his heart. 

St Therese of Lisieux, the ‘Little Flower’, understood this.  She described prayer as a fragrant spiritual bouquet, given to God. 

She also saw the Rosary as a shower of fragrant roses, left at the feet of Jesus and Mary.

So, today, let’s open up our hearts.

Let’s shower God with bouquets of fragrant prayers.

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[i] S. Joseph Krempa. Captured Fire, Cycle C. St Paul’s Publications, NY. 2005:153.

On the School of Mary

(Exod.17:8-13; 2Tim.3:14-4:2; Lk.18:1-8)

St John Vianney used to describe prayer as ‘union with God’.  He said it’s like two candles (one for God, the other for the soul) that have melted into each other.

Prayer can also be described as our heartfelt search for the source of all life and love.   When we find that source and absorb all it has to offer, then we ourselves become a source of new life and love for others.  In this way, prayer both refreshes and sustains us.

We can see this in our first reading from Exodus.  The Israelites are being attacked and they’re fighting to defend themselves.  Meanwhile, Moses is on a hilltop, praying hard.  He’s standing with his hands held high, looking towards heaven (that’s how the ancients prayed).  As long as Moses keeps his arms up, the Israelites are safe, but when he drops them, the enemy gains ground.  The message to us is simple:  Keep praying!

Jesus’ message is similar in his Parable of the Unjust Judge in Luke’s Gospel.  ‘Keep praying!’ he says, ‘Never lose heart!’

Now, October is the month of the Holy Rosary, the ancient prayer that focuses so beautifully on the life of Jesus Christ.  When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at Fatima in 1917, she asked us all to pray the Rosary every day. [i]

Many people do just that, but sadly, others choose not to.  They think the Rosary is not about Jesus.  But that’s a misunderstanding. 

In 2002, St John Paul II said that praying the Rosary is like sitting in the ‘school of Mary’, learning about her son Jesus.  ‘Through the Rosary,’ he said, we ‘contemplate the beauty of the face of Christ’ and we ‘experience the depths of his love’.

‘The centre of our faith is Christ,’ he said.  Mary does not detract from him.  She is the one who leads us to Christ, the final goal of our life. ^[ii]

Today, the Rosary is still one of the most powerful and effective tools for Christian prayer and meditation.  The prayer is addressed to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the meditation focuses on all the major events in Jesus’ life, from his birth to his Passion.

Edward Sri, in his book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before, says that we pray the Rosary with Mary and not to Mary.  And he describes the Rosary as ‘a portable chapel we can keep in our pocket and pull out anytime, anyplace.  Whether we have a sudden, urgent situation to present to God in prayer or we just want to fill some of our day with thoughts of God, all we need to do is pull out the beads and turn to the Lord in prayer.’ [iii]

The word ‘Rosary’ means a ‘crown of roses’.  The ancient Greeks and Romans used to place crowns of roses on statues of their gods as gifts of love.

The first Christians continued this tradition.  When Christian women went to their deaths in the Roman Colosseum, they wore crowns of roses symbolising their joy and love for God.  At night, the other Christians gathered these crowns, and for each rose recited a prayer or psalm for the eternal rest of the martyr’s soul.

Thereafter the Church encouraged everyone to use their Rosaries to recite the 150 psalms. God loves the psalms, they believed, because they include all of Jesus’ life and ministry.  Most Christians were illiterate, however, and couldn’t read the psalms, so they said 150 Hail Marys instead.   

That’s why the Rosary is sometimes called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen said the Rosary is almost like words with music.  A lady once complained to him, ‘I think the Rosary is monotonous and I don’t think God likes us to say monotonous prayers.’

Sheen asked who the man was with her.  ‘He’s my fiancé,’ she replied.

‘Do you love him?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she said.

‘How does he know?’

‘I told him: “I love you”,’ she said.

‘When did you tell him?’

‘Last night.’

‘Did you ever tell him before?’

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I told him the night before.’

‘Don’t you think he tires of it?  Isn’t it a bit monotonous?’ asked Sheen. [iv]

He made his point.  These simple words mean something different each time we say them.  

Every time we pray the Rosary, we are in effect saying ‘I love you’ to the Holy Trinity and to Mary.  And the meaning changes as we contemplate the different aspects of Jesus’ life.

So, now is a good time to join the school of Mary. 

Now is a good time to pray the Rosary.

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[i] Pope Francis, Angelus Address, 4 October 2017

[ii] Pope St John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2002/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae.html

[iii] Edward Sri, Praying the Rosary like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth, Servant: Cincinatti. 2017:178.

[iv] Fulton Sheen, Your Life is Worth Living. Image: New York.  2019:402-403.