Sunday, September 1, 2024 - Homily

 

Sunday, September 1, 2024 - Twenty Second Sunday of the Year - Be doers of the Word.

To read the Texts click on the texts: Dt 4:1-2,6-8; Jas1:17-18,21-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

At first glance, it might seem to us that Moses is advocating, in the First reading of today, what can be termed as a quid pro attitude or what may also be termed as an “If …then” way of proceeding. He seems, at first glance, to be saying that they will be rewarded if they obey and follow the commands that he gives them which have come from the Lord. However, this is certainly not so. What Moses is advocating instead is an attitude of being true to oneself and the way to do this is to put into action the words that one speaks. It is an attitude of obeying the commands of the Lord. In other words, it means to do what one says. The reason why Moses does is because he is aware that this kind of attitude can have only one consequence and that is peace within oneself and peace with everyone else. This is because it will show a sense of wisdom and discernment in the one who lives in such a manner. One who lives in this manner will live as a friend of God.

In the second part of the second reading, James says the same thing as Moses does, but in different words. He asks his readers to be, not merely hearers of the word, but doers. This “doing” has to be shown primarily in concern for the poorest of the poor and those who are regarded as the scum of society. However, even before this exhortation, he makes a noble theological statement. This is the basis and foundation for the “doing”. He affirms that everything that is good and perfect comes from the Lord who remains constant. This gift, that is good and perfect, was shown in the fullness of time in the Gospel but more than that, in the one who brought the Gospel, Jesus Christ the Son of God. It was in Jesus that God showed his faith in human beings in action. The appropriate response to such an unimaginable gift of God and his faith in us can be shown only in deeds and not words.

Jesus offers an invitation to such a response, in the Gospel text of today, to those who focus on the Law and not love, and to those who give too much importance to human traditions and enough to what God deserves. The invitation and challenge is to move from lip service to heart service and to move from empty words to loving action. Even as he does this, Jesus invites the crowd who are listening to understand that it is not merely external action to which he is inviting them. The action that they are called to perform is a loving action and this is possible only if that loving action first finds root in one’s heart. If, instead, the heart is filled with selfishness, corruption, and negatives, then the actions that flow from such a person will not be very different from these attitudes and will break rather than build.

Thus, even if the focus in all three reading seems to be on DOING, it is not merely on doing that the focus lies, but on the kind of action that one will do. For Moses, the right kind of action is following the commands of the Lord as summarized in the Ten Commandments. These call for right action with God and the world. They call one to realize that every creation of God is precious and to be honoured. For James, the right action is expressed in reaching out tangibly and practically to the least of the members of Society and making them feel wanted and loved. For Jesus, the right action stems from the heart. Thus, one must always ensure that the heart is filled only with positives so that what comes out from there and into action will be positive. The German mystic, Eckhart von Hochheim, or as he was more commonly known, Meister Eckhart, put it wonderfully well when he said: “You should bother less about what you ought to be, because if your being were good then your works would shine forth brightly.”

This is not always easy to achieve as is evident from the Gospel text of today. All too often, we might make the mistake of focusing a little too much on the external action and not give enough thought to the inner disposition. Our focus might be, too often and largely, on the body and not enough on the heart. Like he called his listeners two thousand years ago, Jesus continues to call us to imitate him in having a pure heart from which the right actions will flow. This will result in our following the statutes and ordinances of the Lord and practicing a religion that is pure and undefiled. It will result in the world we live in becoming a better place and furthering the kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated.

Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Homily

 

Saturday, August 31, 2024 - What are the talents that God has given you personally? How will you use them for his greater glory today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Mt 25:14-30

A talent is a large sum of money, equal to the wages of a day labourer for fifteen years. (In Luke 19:12-28, the figures are much smaller. There are ten servants and each receives a “mina” which was only one sixtieth of a talent, and worth 100 denarii and translated “pound”) In Matthew, however, there are three servants and they receive different amounts. The first receives five, the second two, and the third, one. The first and the second use the money to earn similar amounts in return. The third, buries it in the ground. The point that the parable seems to make here is that we are called not merely to “passive waiting” or strict obedience to clear instructions, but active responsibility that take initiative and risk. Each must decide how to use what he/she has been given.

Often times, our understanding of Christianity has been one in which we are content if we have not done “any wrong”, but rarely ask whether we have done “any right”. We are content like the third servant to give only grudgingly, and not with the freedom that we are meant to have.

Friday, August 30, 2024 - Homily

 

Friday, August 30, 2024 - Is there enough oil in the lamp of your life? If not, what will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; Mt 25:1-13

In the parable of today we will hear of the ten bridesmaids, five of whom were prepared and five unprepared, five of whom had oil and five of whom who did not. We are told that five were foolish and five were wise right at the beginning of the parable, because we cannot tell this just be looking at them. All ten have come to the wedding; all ten have their lamps burning; all ten presumably have on their gowns. The readiness is what distinguishes the wise from the foolish.. Five are ready for the delay and five are not. Five have enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the bridegroom arrives; the foolish ones have only enough oil for their own timetable.

It is easy to be good for a day if goodness is seen only as a means to an end. It is easy to be merciful for a day if mercy is seen only as a means to an end. However, if we see goodness and mercy and everything that is positive as an end in itself, then it is possible to be good and merciful and positive always. We are called then to be like the wise ones with our lamps always burning so that we will then be able to welcome the Lord whenever he comes.

Thursday, August 29, 2024 - Homily

 

Thursday, August 29, 2024 - The Beheading of John the Baptist - Does it make sense to lose your head?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mk 6:17-29

Mark’s Account of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Herod Antipas is more elaborate than that of Matthew and Luke. According to Mark, Herod had imprisoned John because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis), and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter (traditionally named Salome but not named by Mark or the other Gospels) danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When the daughter asked her mother what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed and had John executed in the prison.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also relates in his Antiquities of the Jews that Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his [John's] power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), [so Herod] thought it best [to put] him to death." He further states that many of the Jews believed that the military disaster which fell upon Herod at the hands of Aretas his father-in-law (Phasaelis' father), was God's punishment for his unrighteous behaviour.

While Mark has mentioned Herodians before (3:6), this is the first time in his Gospel that he mentions Herod. Herod, here is Herod Antipas who was the son of Herod the Great who is the one referred to in the narrative of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2:1-23), and had been appointed by the Roman as the ruler of Galilee and Perea (Lk 3:1). He was never “king” as Mark mentions in his story, and Matthew corrects this by referring to Herod as tetrarch (Mt 14,1). The story of the death of John the Baptist in Mark is sandwiched between the sending of the Twelve on Mission (6:7-13) and their return from Mission (6:30-34).

Mark mentions three opinions about Jesus said to be circulating at that time. Some believed that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead; others believed that Jesus was Elijah, while still others believed that Jesus was one of the prophets of old. Herod, however, is quite clear in Mark that Jesus is John the Baptist raised. This profession of Herod leads Mark to narrate the story of the death of John the Baptist as a flashback. According to Mark, the reason why John was put in prison was because he objected to Herod’s violation of the purity code, which forbade marriage of close relatives and to a brother’s wife while the brother was still alive (Lev 18:16; 20:21). Mark seems to lay the blame for the death of John on Herodias who manipulates Herod into executing John. The daughter of Herodias is not named here or anywhere in the Bible, nor does the Bible give her age. According to Mark a drunken Herod is trapped into fulfilling a rash vow and so has John beheaded.

Though in Mark’s narrative it is Herodias who is directly responsible for the death of John the Baptist, Herod cannot disown responsibility. He could have decided if he had the courage not to give in, yet he made the choice to have John beheaded. Each of us is responsible for our own actions though we may sometimes blame others or even circumstances. The sooner we accept responsibility for who we are and what we do, the sooner we will grow up. The legend of John the Baptist shows us that justice is the ultimate victim in such situations.

Wednesday, August 26, 2024 - Homily

 

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - How will you ensure that your being is good today so that your works too might be good?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18; Mt 23:27-32

The text of today contains the sixth (23,27-28) and seventh (23,29–36) woes begun in 23:13. 

The sixth Woe concerns “whitewashed tombs”. As a public service, tombs were whitewashed to make them more obvious, since contact with the dead and with graves, even if unintentional, transmitted ritual impurity (Num 19,11-22). This was especially important to pilgrims at Passover time, who would not know the places they visited. The point that Matthew makes is “ostentatious exterior, corrupt interior”. The seventh and final Woe extends the tomb image and modulates into the concluding theme: The rejection of the prophets God has sent.

The challenge then to each one of us is to bother less about what we ought to do and think more about what we ought to be, because if our being were good then our works would shine forth brightly.

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - Homily

 

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - If your being is good, then all you do will also be good. How will you ensure that your being is good today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 2:1-3,14-17; Mt 23:23-26 

The fourth (23:23-24) and fifth (23:25-26) woes against the Pharisees are about focussing on the insignificant matters and externals while forgetting what is significant and internal. 

The Pharisees were extremely particular about tithing and to ensure that they did not err in this regard, tithed even small garden vegetables used for seasoning which Matthew mentions here as mint, dill and cumin and probably in order to correspond with justice and mercy and faith. 

Gnat and Camel, which the Matthean Jesus contrasts in 23:24, were the smallest and largest living things in ordinary experience. While the Matthean Jesus does not state that what the Pharisees are doing is wrong, his critique is that while focussing so much on these insignificant items, they lose sight of the larger picture. 

Too much focus on the external can also lead to forgetting the internal. What is on the outside is merely a reflection of what is within.

Monday, August 26, 2024 - Homily

 

Monday, August 26, 2024 - How often has the impression of others over your own values, determined the way you behave?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12; Mt 23:13-22

The text of today contains the first three of the seven Woes that Jesus pronounces against the Pharisees of his time, because they gave more importance to human laws, rules and regulations than to the law of God, which was the Law of Love. The polemic is against placing too much value on the way one appears to others, which can be a form of idolatry. So understood, hypocrisy is not merely a transgression, but represents a lack of trust in God, a turning away from God toward what others think as the point of orientation of one’s life. This was the reason for their single-minded focus on the law and it blinded them to all else that really mattered. Consequently, the human person was relegated to the far extreme. Jesus seeks to correct their understanding and ours, by asking them and us to focus not so much on law but on love, not so much on self but on God.

The first of the three woes (23,13) is also found in Luke 11,52, but whereas the Lucan Jesus pronounces the owe because the Pharisees “take away the key of knowledge”, The Matthean Jesus pronounces the woe because they “shut the kingdom of heaven against men”. They do not enter themselves, nor do they allow others to enter.

The second woe (23,15) is exclusive to Matthew, and continues the imagery of the first woe. Here the Pharisees are accused of converting others to their beliefs, but this results in the converted being worse than they were before.

The third woe (23,16-22) accuses the Pharisees of trying to find loopholes in the law in order to suit themselves. They interpret the law to suit their convenience. 

Sunday, August 25, 2024 - Homily

 

Sunday, August 25, 2024 - Twenty First Sunday of the Year - Will you take the road less travelled?

To read the texts click on the texts: Jos 24:1-2, 15-18;Eph 5:21-32; Jn 6:60-69

The poem, The Road not Taken, by Robert Frost ends with these words:

        I shall be telling this with a sigh

        Somewhere ages and ages hence:

        Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

        I took the one less travelled by,

        And that has made all the difference.

Today, like last Sunday, the theme of the first and third readings centres on that of making a choice. The choice here is whether to take the road not taken or the road less travelled, confident that it will indeed make a difference.

In the first reading, Joshua invites the people to choose which God they will serve. Will they choose to serve numerous gods, or will they choose to serve the one true God? Joshua clearly opts for one true God. He decides to take the road less travelled. The people, remembering the great acts that God had done for their forefathers, prudently decide that they too, like Joshua, will follow the one true God. To be sure, their decision was prompted by their experience that, in the past, God had come to their rescue and revealed himself as a gracious and redeeming God. He had revealed himself as a caring and compassionate God. Yet, it was a decision and a choice that they made for the one true God.

This, however, cannot be said of the people to whom Jesus addresses a similar question in the Gospel text of today. These people find the following of the true God too difficult and so, opt out. These people were not able to make any sense of what Jesus was offering them. They could not understand how he could give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. Since they could not understand with their minds, they decided not to follow Jesus any longer. They preferred to stay in their ignorance. However, Peter, who serves as the spokesperson for the twelve, makes the choice for Jesus and so, for the true God. He, too, like the people, does not understand completely what Jesus is offering, He, too, like the people, is not able to make total sense of how Jesus could offer himself as food and drink. However, he knows that, in following Jesus, he is following life. He knows that taking this road and making the choice for Jesus will make all the difference.

The problem of choice that the people and the disciples faced is a problem that we face even today. We are, at every moment, called to make a choice. Just because we are baptized does not necessarily mean that we have opted for Jesus. Just because we go to church regularly does not mean that we have made a choice for the one true God. The choice that we make for the one true God is a choice that has to be shown in action.

 

This action is what the Christians of Ephesus are called to in the second reading of today. It is action that has to be lived out first in family relationships. Wives and husbands and all other members of a family, and members of the larger family of the Church, have to live lives of submission and love for one another. Jesus Christ continues to be the model for such lives and relationships. Just as Jesus did not consider his own comforts as more important than those of others, so must members of the family put the interests of others over and above their own. Since all who believe in Jesus are members of his body, they must live their lives centered on Christ.

The living of a Christ-centered life is a constant challenge and calling. We can never assume that we have made the choice for Christ once for all. This is because it is a decision that has to be renewed every day. Even as we are faced with this challenge, Jesus does not offer proofs or miracles to make our choice easier. He does not promise a life of ease or comfort. He does not suggest that following him will mean that all our problems will be solved or all our questions will be answered.

On the contrary, he makes it clear that following him will mean hardships and difficulties and sometimes, we may have more questions than answers. He makes it clear that following him will mean that the road ahead may not always be even or the going smooth. He, however, constantly invites us, beckons us, and challenges us to follow. He constantly asks: Will you also go away?” Peter’s answer was; “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”.

What will my answer be?

Saturday, August 24, 2024 - Homily

 

Saturday, August 24, 2024 - St. Bartholomew, Apostle - Is seeing believing or do we have to believe in order to see?

To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 21:9-14; Jn 1:45-51

Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathanael (mentioned in the first chapter of John's Gospel). According to the Gospel of John, he was brought to Jesus by Philip. It is Nathanael whom Jesus calls “an Israelite in whom there is no guile”. Though Nathanael is not mentioned in any list of the Twelve, Bartholomew is mentioned by all the Synoptic Gospels and also the Acts of the Apostles. One reason why Bartholomew is identified as Nathanael is because in all the lists of the Twelve Bartholomew is named in the company of Philip

Unlike the first two disciples who followed Jesus (1:35-40), here Jesus invites Philip to discipleship. Even more significant than the call of Philip, is what happens to Philip as a result of his call. He cannot remain silent about it and wants another to know and encounter Jesus. Thus, he finds Nathanael and bears witness about Jesus. This he does in two ways. He first points Jesus out as the fulfilment of all scripture and then he refers to him as “Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth.” This witness seems to bring out both divine and human origins of Jesus and once again reminds us of the mystery that Jesus is and continues to be. Immediately after Philip’s testimony, there is resistance on the part of Nathanael, yet Philip does not argue but responds in the words that Jesus had used to invite the first two disciples: “Come and see”

Though having an opinion about where the Messiah would come from, Nathanael remains open to another revelation. Though sceptical, he is willing to be convinced. Jesus addresses Nathanael as an “Israelite” which signifies his faithfulness to the law and is used here in a positive sense. He is without guile because though he has questions and even doubts, he is open and receptive and willing to learn. Jesus’ intimate knowledge of Nathanael and the revelation that he makes to him leads to a transformation in Nathanael and he comes to faith. He responds to Jesus with a confession and though he begins with Rabbi, he moves on to recognizing Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel.

However, Jesus responds by pointing out to Nathanael that this is only the beginning of the revelation that Jesus makes. If he continues to remain open he will experience even greater things. By means of a double “Amen”, Jesus points out to Nathanael and to others there that he will be the bridge between heaven and earth. He will be that place and person in whom the earthly and divine encounter each other. He, as Son of man will make God known.

Skepticism and cynicism are common among many people. While this is not a problem in itself, what causes the problem is when these lead to a closed attitude. In a world in which we refuse to believe unless we first see, Jesus seems to be saying to us like he said to Nathanael “First believe then you will see”.

Friday, August 23, 2024 - Homily

 

Friiday, August 23, 2024 - Will you show your love for God by first loving those around you? How?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 37:1-4; Mt 22:34-40

Matthew has written Mark’s story (Mk 12, 28-34) and made what was a scholastic dialogue in to a controversy. Unlike in Mark where the scribe is friendly, here the “lawyer” (the only occurrence of “nomikos” = lawyer in Matthew) is hostile, and the question is asked to “test” Jesus (only the devil and the Pharisees are the subject of the verb, “test”). The lawyer addresses Jesus as “Teacher”, which is an indication of insincerity, because in Matthew, believers address Jesus as “Lord”. The rabbis counted 613 commands (248 positive and 365 negative), and some regarded all commandments as equal. The question of the lawyer may have been intended to draw Jesus into a debate and get him to make a statement that could be interpreted as disparaging toward the Law.

In his answer, however, Jesus brings together two Old Testament texts that existed separately and in different books of the Bible. The commandment to love God alone was found in Deut 6, 4-5 and the commandment to love neighbour was found in Lev 19,18. These two, Jesus brings together into one, making them dependent on each other. This combination is distinctive of the Synoptic Jesus.

In his first letter John makes a telling point when he says that the one who says that he/she loves God whom they cannot see but cannot love their brother/sister whom they can see are liars (1 John 4,20).

Thursday, August 22, 2024 - Homily

 

Thursday, August 22, 2024 - The Queenship of Mary - Mary's response goes beyond YES

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 9:1-6; Lk 1:26-38

Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary in 1954. However, Mary’s Queenship also has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her Queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship.

In the fourth century St. Ephrem (June 9) called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.”

This feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption of Mary (celebrated on August 15) and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII pointed out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and because of her intercessory power.

It is fitting then that the Gospel text chosen for the feast is the Annunciation of the birth of the Lord to his mother. Through his mother and her courageous YES, Jesus became a human being. The point of the Annunciation is to stress that Jesus did not come down from heaven as an “avatar” but rather that in every sense of the word; he was totally and completely human. Another related point is that God “needs” the co-operation of human beings to complete the plans god has for the world. One of the most beautiful examples of co-operating with God is that of Mary and her unconditional Amen.

Mary though betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet lived with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year after the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She has opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was gripped with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it is the angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes the announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that he will accomplish.

In response to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is struck dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith. Mary did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked only for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This will be accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the child will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is not merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s generous gift in the Spirit.

 

The evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s trusting, obedient response.

Today, many assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the essence of God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity mask its scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part in God’s plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that God would have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an important example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk to self.

When we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed, Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us, that we, too, like Mary, might be able to say YES to all that God wants to do in our lives. It is a challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too, might be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - Homily

 

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - Are you good because of fear of punishment or hope of reward? Or are you good because it is good to be good?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Mt 20:1-16

The parable of the labourers in the vineyard, who are paid the same wages for unequal work, is exclusive to the Gospel of Matthew. Many are of the opinion that the original parable ended at 20,13 or 20,14a, and what follows from 20,14b –16 or 20,14-16 are Matthean additions. The parable narrates how the landowner himself goes to the market to hire labourers at different hours and even at the eleventh hour. While the first group of workers is told explicitly that they will be paid the day’s wage which was one denarius, while the others are told that they would be paid whatever is right. When the time for payment arrives the focus is on the groups hired first and last, with the last being paid before all the other. They are paid one denarius, which is the day’s wage. The last are also paid what the landowner agreed with them. Since the parable does not speak about the amount work done by each group or say that those who were hired at the eleventh hour did as much work as those who were hired in the morning, it leaves the reader stunned. This ending upsets and challenges conventional values. The point that Jesus seems to make in the parable is that the tax collectors and sinners will be given the same status as those who have obeyed the law.

The additions by Matthew stress the jealousy and envy of those who were hired in the morning. The objection is not to what they have received but about the fact that the others have received as much as they which they regard as unfair. The difference is that they have received what is theirs through their hard work and effort; the others have received what they have because of the landowner’s generosity. 

If one can identify with the group who complains, then it is time that one checks one’s motivation whenever one does good, because if one does not, one will continue to get frustrated at what one sees happening around one. Is the work that you do reward in itself? Or do you expect another reward?

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Homily

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - How would you define “kingdom of God”? What/How much are you willing to give to acquire the kingdom?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 28:1-10; Mt 19:23-30

Immediately after the rich young man departs, the next words of Jesus are to his disciples. Matthew reformulates it as an “AMEN” saying. The word “Amen” occurs thirty-two times in Matthew. Beginning some of his pronouncements with “Amen” was a unique aspect of Jesus’ own authoritative speech. Amen is not a Greek word, but a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Amen” which is a responsive affirmation to something said previously. In this context, it is used to make the pronouncement of Jesus solemn. The pronouncement is about the impossibility of a rich person entering the kingdom of God. Jesus clearly reached for the most extreme illustration of impossibility, and the disciples got the point.

In response to Peter’s question, which must be seen as a continuation of the preceding dialogue (for taken by itself, Peter’s question seems purely selfish) Jesus affirms the eschatological reward for those who have not depended on their own goodness/talents/abilities/righteousness, but acknowledge their dependence on God’s free grace.

The point is not so much that God will prevent the rich from entering the kingdom, but that their riches will be an obstacle in their path.

Monday, August 19, 2024 - Homily

 

Monday, August 19, 2024 - What is the wealth that has so possessed you; so as to leave you unfree to say a total YES to Jesus? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 24:15-24; Mt 19:16-22

The story found in Matthew has sometimes been called the one of “The Rich young ruler”. However, these words appear nowhere in the New Testament, and is a conglomerate of the figures in Mark (rich), Matthew (who alone adds “young”) and Luke (who alone adds “ruler”). Matthew alone gives us a picture of a youth, twice calling him “a young man”. He would thus be a person in his twenties. He addresses Jesus as “teacher’, which signals that he is an outsider – in Matthew, real disciples address Jesus as “Lord”. In his answer to the young man, Jesus is portrayed as an advocate of the Law rather than its opponent. In response to the second question of the young man, Jesus takes him further to “perfection”, which does not mean “to be blameless”, but rather to be “whole”, “undivided” in love.

However, he was not able to say YES to the call of Jesus not merely because he was a man of great wealth, but rather because instead of possessing wealth, he let wealth possess him. This “being possessed”, did not leave him free, and consequently, he was unable to make a free choice.

We are living in a world in which it is easy to get so taken up with material things that we lose sight of everything and every one else. We can if are not careful make the acquisition of things an end in itself.

Sunday, August 18, 2024 - Twentieth Sunday of the Year - How will you choose?

To read the texts click on the texts: Prov 9:1-6; Eph5:15-20; Jn 6:51-58

In a debate class, the teacher presented hypothetical situations to encourage his students to talk and argue for their position. One case was: “If you were in a sinking boat with your mother and your sister and you could save only one of the two, whom would you save?” In another case, the situation was modified to that of a man who had his wife and daughter with him. He could save only one of the two. Whom would he save? 

The word “choice” summarizes all three readings of today. In the first reading of today, wisdom invites all who are listening, and especially the unlearned, to choose the meat and wine that she has to offer in order that they have life of both body and spirit. This is in contrast to what folly offers namely, stolen water and pilfered bread which lead to death. It might seem obvious to make the choice for wisdom and life rather than for folly and death. However, the invitations issued by wisdom and folly are identical. One needs the gift of discernment in order to make the correct choice.

This gift of discernment is what the author of the letter to the Ephesians invites them to have. It will help them to choose wise conduct over foolish conduct and to choose to do the will of God rather than continue in ignorance. Accordingly, the presence of true wisdom should be obvious in the life of the believer who, by virtue of that wisdom, will not fritter away his/her energies in careless, thoughtless living. Rather, the grace-filled disciple of Jesus lives each day empowered by a full and thoroughgoing faith. The process of integrating faith with life is one which begins in prayer and finds its fullest expression in prayer, particularly in Eucharistic, liturgical prayer.

In the Gospel text of today, Jesus invited those who had their fill of the physical bread that he provided them, to realize that there was much more to life than merely satisfying physical hunger. Jesus invited them to choose to partake of the bread that he alone could give: the true bread that indeed comes from heaven. This they would do if they made the deliberate choice to eat his body and drink his blood. This scandalized and shocked his listeners. They could not accept that Jesus himself could be the sacrifice and so give them his flesh and blood. They questioned, they quarrelled, and they refused to make the choice for him.

Though on the rational level it seems clear that any person will choose wisdom over folly, meat and wine over stolen water and pilfered bread, and life over death, this does not always happen. Often, the choice we make is for untruth over truth, for darkness over light, and for death over life. This is because, at first glance, untruth, darkness, and death seem so much more desirable and easy to choose. It is because we think that the choice of truth, light, and life will mean that we have to make changes in our life styles that we are not prepared to make. It is because we mistakenly think that the stolen water and pilfered bread can bring us the happiness that we seek, which seems so elusive.

Even as we struggle with the choices that we have to make, Jesus invites us, beckons us, even challenges us to make the choice for him and for his kingdom. This is because to eat his flesh and to drink his blood is to become totally identified with his very person, with his deepest thoughts, with his vision of life, with his values, and with his mission to build the Kingdom of God. The flesh and blood of Jesus is, above all, that part of him which he totally surrendered in his suffering and death. He is inviting us to be with him, sharing totally and unconditionally his mission and destiny. To opt for Jesus means to make a choice for all that is positive and enhancing, for all that leads to life in all its fullness. It is to make a choice for selflessness over selfishness, for sharing rather than hoarding, for giving rather than receiving, for light rather than darkness, and for life rather than death. It is to opt for a life that is not closed in on itself but is lived in the full knowledge that, since one is loved unconditionally, one can only love in return.

To eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood means being filled with his spirit. This is a spirit of generosity, a spirit of freedom, and a spirit that will give thanks to the Father always, and for everything, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Homily

 

Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Humility is a funny thing. Once you think you’ve got it you’ve lost it. What do you think of this statement?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32; Mt19:13-15

The text of today is on the one level about Jesus’ attitude to children, but is more importantly and on a deeper level about the kingdom. While in Mark and Luke the children were being brought to Jesus that he might “touch” them (Mk 10,13; Lk 18,15), in Matthew the children are brought that he “might lay his hands on them and pray” (19,13). These two acts are the typical acts of blessing by a revered teacher and Matthew intends to show that Jesus is regarded as such by the people. Jesus goes further than the blessing to make a pronouncement about who will inherit the kingdom, and he identifies not just the children but also “such as these”. This means that anyone no matter of what chronological age will inherit the kingdom if he/she receives it without presumption and self-justification.

As Christians we are blessed in that all that we receive from God is not through any effort on our part but is given gratis. We have only to receive. Even this, however, is difficult because sometimes we mistakenly think that it is our effort that brings us what we have.

Friday, August 16, 2024 - Homily

 

Friday, August 16, 2024 - Do you usually take the “easy way” or the “right way”?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63; Mt 19:3-12

The context of today’s reading is immediately after Jesus has finished instructing his disciples (19,1-2) in the “Community Discourse” (18, 1-35). The text is found also in Mark 10, 1-12, but Matthew has made some changes to suit his purpose. In Matthew, Jesus begins his response to the Pharisees question about the legality of divorce by going back to Genesis 1,27 and 2,24 (in Mark the quotations from Genesis come later). In Matthew, the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ quotation by citing Deut. 24,1, which allowed divorce, and this prompts Jesus to move to the situational application. The union of husband and wife is the creation of God and must be regarded as such (in Mark, they respond in this manner after a question from Jesus about what Moses commanded them). Matthew omits 10,12 of Mark, which reflects the Gentile provision for a woman’s initiating a divorce, since this is not applicable from his Jewish perspective. Matthew adds an exception clause; “except for unchastity” as he did earlier in 5,32, and in doing so makes the teaching of Jesus, a situational application rather than a legalistic code.

19,10-12 is exclusive to Matthew, and in them Jesus responds to the comment of the disciples that it is better not to marry. Those “who are made eunuchs by men” seems to refer to the pagan practice of literal castration as a religious practice, and this is rejected by Jesus. Those “who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” seems to refer to those who choose to remain celibate in order to concentrate more fully on the kingdom, rather than get weighed down by family cares.

No matter what state of life one chooses, one must remain faithful to one’s commitment in that state of life. The grass seems greener on the other side, but only till we go to the other side.

Thursday, August 15, 2024 - The Assumption of our Blessed Mother and India's Independence Day

 

Thursday, August 15, 2024 - The Assumption of Mary into heaven and Independence Day

To read the texts click on the texts: Rev11:19; 12:1-6,10; 1 Cor15:20-26; Lk1:39-56

Today we celebrate two significant and related events. These are The Assumption of our Blessed Mother and Independence Day. Both are celebrated on the same date: August 15.

The reason why these events are related is because they are both about Freedom. Independence is celebrated as freedom from foreign rule and domination to self-rule and governance and the Assumption may be seen as a freedom from this limited and incomplete life to the bliss of eternal and perpetual life.

The verses which make up the Gospel text of today are commonly known as “The Magnificat” or Mary’s hymn of praise. It seems to have been modelled on the prayer of Samuel’s mother, Hannah, in 1 Sam 2:1-10 and contains many Old Testament concepts and phrases. It communicates a picture of Mary as someone quite steeped in scripture. It reveals God primarily as a God of the poor. God is the one who will vindicate the poor by removing the rich and mighty from their positions and raising the lowly.

The hymn may be seen to be divided into four parts. The first part consists of praise to God for what he has done in and for Mary; the second part speaks of God’s power, holiness and mercy; the third part shows God acting as a Sovereign in reversing social conditions in favor of the poor and downtrodden; and the fourth and final part recalls God’s mercy and promises to Israel.

The hymn speaks of the effects of the Lord’s coming for all of God’s people. It begins on a note of salvation as Mary acknowledges her dependence on God. It was the grace of God that sustained and brought her to the position in which she finds herself. She has not achieved anything on her own, it is all a gift of God and thus, Mary acknowledges her humble state, referring to herself as God’s servant. She is to be called “blessed’ because God, in his mercy and goodness, had raised her to this level.

God has shown this mercy and goodness to the poor by showing the strength of his arm, by scattering the proud, and deposing the powerful. The poor, on the other hand, have been raised, and the hungry have been filled. God remembers not only those of old but also the present generation. He is a God not only of the past, but also a God of the present, the now.

The stress on God as a God primarily of the poor stands out in Mary’s hymn of praise. In a world where the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor, poorer, one wonders whether the Magnificat is a hymn that can make sense to the poor, to those of low degree. Yet, it is important to remember that God’s ways are not our ways and so, the poor must, in confidence, sing this song as their song. The confidence with which Mary sings this song runs through the entire hymn. She uses past tense to denote God’s future actions, thus expressing that God will indeed accomplish his will, and the poor will be vindicated. What is important for the poor to realize is that they, like Mary, need to continue to open themselves to all that God wants to do in them. They need to continue to acknowledge their dependence on God by doing all that is required of them and then, leaving the rest in his capable and strong hands.

Even as we do celebrate these events, we need to ask ourselves serious questions both as Indians and Christians. Can we be really free when caste distinctions result in murder and rape? Can we be really free when freedom to speak the truth is met with physical violence and threat to life?  Can we be free when the incidence of female foeticide is so high in our country and where in many places the girl child is seen as a liability and burden rather than a blessing? Can we be really free when we are so intent on destroying our natural resources for selfish ends and then have to wonder whether we will have enough rain to see us through the year? Can we call ourselves Christians when we will not do anything about these atrocities and continue with our lives as if it does not concern us?

Are we really free? Are we truly Christian?

Let the celebrations of Independence Day and the Assumption of our Blessed Mother be wake-up calls for us to rouse ourselves from our slumber and do something tangible to right the wrongs.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 - Homily

 

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 - There is no such thing as “individual sin”. All sin is both individual and communitarian.

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 9, 1-7; 10, 18-22; Mt 18:15-20

Though Matthew means that the one who sins against another is a member of the Church, he also means that that person is a brother or sister. One needs to avoid scandal or embarrassment as far as possible and so the matter must first be sought to be settled between the offended and the offending party with the offended taking the initiative. If this does not work, then two or three must be taken to the offending party to work for the reconciliation. If this too does not work, then the local church will have to intervene to set things right. If the offending party will not listen even to the members of the Church who might be the leaders or some members of the congregation, then the person concerned must be expelled. Though this may sound harsh and does not seem to fit in with Jesus’ command to forgive innumerable times (18,22), the point seems to be that it is possible that at times the best way to make a person see sense is to resort to harsh measures. Also, the good of the entire community is in view.

Jesus himself will ratify the decision of the community and assures them of his presence when they are gathered together in his name. He also gives them an assurance of their prayers being answered when there is a unity of minds and hearts in the community.

There are some people who are incorrigible. Even with these, however, every attempt must be made to win them over and regard them as part of the community. After everything possible has been done and they still refuse, then they can be left to their own designs.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 - Homily

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 - Has your behaviour resulted in anyone being scandalised? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 2:8-3:4; Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14

The text of today is taken from what is termed by some as Matthew’s “Community Discourse” (18,1-35). It is the fourth of the long discourses in Matthew. Some see the discourse as divided clearly into two parts (18, 1-14 and 18, 15-35), with various indications, which point to such a division. Some of these indications are as follows: Both sections end with a parable (18, 12-13 and 18,23-34), after the parable is a concluding statement of Jesus, which begins with the word “So” (18,14.35), there is also in the sayings, a reference to the heavenly Father and the saying is about the subject of the preceding section (“little ones” and “brother/sister”).

The discourse begins with a question about the disciples regarding greatness. Unlike in Mark 9,33, there is no dispute among the disciples about who is the greatest. In his response, Jesus makes clear that being in the kingdom or coming into it, is not a matter of one’s talents or qualities, but “becoming like a child”. In first-century Judaism, children were often regarded as inferior and were treated as property rather than as persons. The point Jesus makes here is that one must acknowledge dependence on the Father. The reception of a child is an indication that one has accepted the values of the kingdom and one is no longer concerned about being greatest. Since God does not give up on anyone, Christians must also be prepared to accept those who may have strayed. Not only must they be valued, but they must also be sought out like God himself seeks them. The focus in Matthew’s parable is on the sheep that has gone astray. This means that the straying members of the community ought to be the focus also of the community.

While to be a Christian one has to make an individual commitment, one cannot forget that Christianity is also and even primarily a communitarian religion. This means that each is responsible for the other. I am indeed my brother or sister’s keeper.

Monday, August 12, 2024 - Homily

 

Monday, August 12, 2024 - Is your “freedom” an end in itself? Does it sometimes result in the “bondage” of others?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28; Mt 17:22-27

The text of today contains the second Passion and Resurrection Prediction in the Gospel of Matthew. In this one, however, it is clearer that God will deliver up the Son of Man., but it is human hands into which he will be delivered. God will also vindicate Son of Man. Since Matthew tries to avoid scenes in Mark, which speak of the disciples’ inability to understand, here too, the response of the disciples is to be “greatly distressed”.

The pericope about the “Temple Tax” (17:24-27), which follows, is exclusive to Matthew. The point being made is about freedom and concern for others. Just as the Son of Man gives his life for others and freely, so too the members of his community live lives of freedom but concern for others and not wanting to be a cause for their stumbling will result in a foregoing of that freedom.

There are times when we do things more to avoid scandal than because they are important and need to be done.

Sunday, August 11, 2024 - Homily

 

Sunday, August 11, 2024 - Do not set limits on God's magnanimity!

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kgs19:4-8; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6:41-51

The behaviour of many of us is not very different from that of Elijah, in the first reading of today, or of the people who encounter Jesus in the Gospel text of today. Like Elijah, many of us are wont to give in too easily to despondency, discouragement, and despair. We give up, we give in, and we accept defeat when the road ahead gets tough and the going steep. When trials come our way, we prefer to regard them as hindrances and obstacles rather than as opportunities.

One of the reasons why this happens is because we do not trust ourselves and God enough. We set limits on what God can and cannot do. We decide in advance the form that his manifestation will take and, when this does not happen, we conclude that he is not present.

In the first reading, Elijah, who has had difficulty with Queen Jezebel, flees from her presence and goes to Beersheba, the southernmost town in the land that was under Judah’s control. Thus, he was well beyond the reach of Jezebel Though the Lord had shown his power and might when Elijah challenged the priests of Baal and prevailed over them, Elijah still loses hope. He has had enough. Now, he wants to give up, he wants to cave in, he wants to die. Even in Elijah’s consternation and hopelessness, God does not give up on him. God believes in Elijah and invites him to believe in himself. The bread that Elijah is given by the angel sustains him and enables him to continue on his way along the path that he has chosen. Elijah is assured that it is this bread that will give him the strength that he requires to persevere in what God wants him to do. Elijah accepts the bread and is able to go on.

This bread, however, pales in comparison to the bread that Jesus gives to anyone who is willing to believe. However, the people in the Gospel text of today were not willing to do so. They had made up their minds that God could not come to them in the ordinary and mundane form of bread. They had decided that God would only come in glory, power, and might and, that when he came, he would rule and not serve. They were confident that God could come only in the spectacular, the extraordinary, and the miraculous.

This is why they simply cannot believe that Jesus could be the Messiah. Since they thought they “knew” where Jesus came from, they thought they “knew” that he could not be the Messiah. They began to grumble and resist his claims. They, too, like Elijah, set limits on what God could do. However, unlike Elijah, who later listened to the angel of the Lord and partook of the bread, the crowd who listened to Jesus did not relent and so remained in their unbelief. They were unable to eat the bread that would indeed give life.

This is what the author of the letter to the Ephesians means when he exhorts his readers, in the second reading of today, not to grieve the Holy Spirit. The sin against the Holy Spirit is not to believe that Jesus has been sent by God for the salvation of the world. It is to disbelieve and refuse to accept the fact that Jesus has been offered up to God, that he even offered himself up, so that others might have life in all its fullness. Since believers have been transformed into Christ, they must live that new life. At the same time, they must be actively engaged in strengthening what they already are.

Conversion, baptism, putting off the old and putting on the new, being sealed with the Spirit and freed from sin, are not merely past events. Rather, these events have introduced them into a new reality, the body of Christ, which is still in the process of growing. Like the body, the development of the whole depends upon, and contributes to, the well-being of individual members. These individual members today are each one of us who continue to believe in Jesus and live out his message of unconditional love. It is a message which will keep echoing when we do not set limits on the magnanimity and graciousness of God. It is a message which will resound when we realize that our God makes himself as easily available to us as bread. Though he could have chosen a different symbol by which he could have been available to the world, he chose the symbol of bread because he wanted to be available to all people everywhere and at every moment. He wanted to live in them and have them live in him.

Saturday, August 10, 2024 - Homily

 

Saturday, August 10, 2024- St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr - In becoming like the grain of wheat, Lawrence became like Jesus. Will you?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Cor9:6-10; Jn 12:24-26

The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. Lawrence is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly.

He was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian. The church built over his tomb became one of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favourite place for Roman pilgrimages.

After the Pope was arrested, Lawrence knew that he would be too. As soon as he could he gave all the money that he possessed to the poor and even sold some of the Church’s treasures and gave the money he received to the poor. Later, when asked to show the Emperor the treasures of the Church, Lawrence gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

The Emperor was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn me over!

The Gospel text for the feast of St. Lawrence is from the Gospel of John. Jesus introduces teachings about his death with a brief agricultural parable The seed imagery recalls the parables of sowing found in the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 13:3-32; Mk 4:3-20, 26-32; Lk 8:5-15). Jesus uses the imagery here to interpret his own death.

The significance of this parable for understanding Jesus’ death lies in the contrast between remaining solitary and “bearing much fruit”. In John, “fruit” is Jesus’ metaphor for the life of the community of faith. Jesus thus uses the seed parable to show that the salvific power of his death resides in the community that is gathered as a result of it (cf. 10:15-16; 11:51-52).

Jn 12:25 is one of the best-attested sayings of Jesus; in addition to this verse, some form of the saying occurs five times in the synoptic Gospels (Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mt 10:39; Lk 9:24; 17:33). While all of the occurrences share the basic pattern of an antithetical parallelism that highlights contrasting attitudes toward one’s life, there are also significant differences among the sayings. The significant number of variations within the synoptic tradition and between the Synoptic Gospels and John argues against any theory of literary dependence and for multiple attestations of this saying in the oral tradition. It also argues for the authenticity or historicity of the saying. The differences point to the ways each evangelist adapted this Jesus saying to serve his Gospel.

To love one’s life is the opposite of Jesus’ own action; it places one outside of the community shaped by Jesus’ gift of his life (psyche) and leads to the loss of that life To hate one’s life in “this world” is to declare one’s allegiance to Jesus (cf. 15:18-19) and so to receive his gift of eternal life (cf. 3:16; 6:40; 10:28; 17:2).

While the synoptic versions establish a condition for following Jesus (“taking up one’s cross”), the Johannine version contains both condition and promise. Since Jesus’ ultimate service is the gift of his life in love, he calls the disciples to love as he loves and hence to serve as he serves. What it means to be Jesus’ servant will be enacted in the foot washing of 13:1-20.

The prime reason for the choice of the Gospel text is that Lawrence became like the grain of wheat that was unafraid to fall into the ground and die. In doing so, he became like his Lord and master Jesus.

Friday, August 9, 2024 - Homily

 

Friday, August 9, 2024 - “Your money or your life.” “You better take my life, I will need my money for my old age.”

To read the texts click on the texts: Nahum 2:1,3; 3:1-3,6-7; Mt 16:24-28

In Matthew, the sayings that form our text for today are addressed exclusively to the disciples unlike in Mark where they are addressed to the crowds. A disciple must be prepared to follow the Master and even to the cross if need be. This is the consequence of confessing Jesus as the Christ. The Son of Man has to suffer, but will also be vindicated by God. The pronouncement “some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (16,28) has been variously interpreted. Some think it refers to the event of the Transfiguration, others think it refers to the Resurrection and still others that it refers to Pentecost. However, it seems that Matthew’s community expected that the Parousia (the second coming of the Lord) would come soon, indeed before the death of some who belonged to the community, and so there are some who think that this pronouncement refers to the Second coming of the Lord.

Denial of self means to count the self as nothing. While this sounds nice to hear and sing in hymns, it requires grace from God if it is to be into practice. Jesus had to constantly overcome this temptation himself and challenges each of us through his words but also through the example that he gave on the cross.

Thursday, August 8, 2024 - Homily

 

Thursday, August 8, 2024 - If Jesus were to ask you the question he asked the disciples, what would your response be?

To read the texts click on the texts: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Mt 16:13-23

The phrase “from that time Jesus began” is found twice in the Gospel of Matthew once in 4,17 and the second time in 16,21. The latter verse is part of our text for today. Some divide the Gospel into three parts, taking this phrase as the one which points to this division. In this division, the first part is from 1,1 – 4,16, the second from 4,17 – 16,20 and the third from 16,21 – 28,20. Our text for today, however includes an earlier pericope termed usually as “Peter’s Confession” (16,13-20). The question of Jesus concerning his identity is not because he wanted to be informed about people’s opinion of him, but to draw a contrast between people’s answers and the answer of the disciples. Matthew is the only evangelist who adds Jeremiah to the answers of the people. Some think that Matthew has done so because of Jeremiah’s association with the fall of Jerusalem. Others think that Jeremiah is mentioned because of his prophecy of the new covenant. After hearing through the disciples what the people have to say about his identity, Jesus asks the disciples the same question. The “you” is plural and therefore addressed to all disciples. It is also emphatic. Simon Peter answers on behalf of the group. Matthew adds “the Son of the living God” to Mark’s “Christ”. Only in Matthew does Jesus respond directly to Peter. Peter is not blessed because of a personal achievement, but because of the gift he received from God. Jesus names Peter as rock, the one who holds the keys and the one who binds and looses. Rock here stands for foundation, and though Peter is the foundation, Jesus is the builder. The holder of keys was one who had authority to teach and the one who binds and looses is the one who had authority to interpret authoritatively. The reason for ordering them to tell no one is to reinforce the idea that the community founded by Jesus is distinct from Israel who rejected Jesus.

The second part of the text, is the first of the three (some see Mt 26,2 as a fourth passion and resurrection prediction) passion and resurrection predictions. Peter’s response to this is to “rebuke” Jesus. However, in Matthew, Peter’s response is not as harsh as in Mark because of the use of “Lord” by Peter. Jesus’ counter response to Peter is not as harsh as in Mark, because Jesus does not in turn “rebuke” Peter. Instead, in Matthew, Jesus calls Peter to a newer and deeper understanding of the meaning of discipleship. Peter’s understanding is still on the human level, Jesus invites him to go beyond and further.

Many of us would like to see God as someone who can do all things and be always in control of every situation. However, our God as revealed in Jesus is a God who relinquishes not only his divinity but also his humanity. He becomes totally selfless and disponible, at the service of the whole of humanity. If we are to imitate such a God and be disciples of his son, we need to do the same.