GET BEHIND ME SATAN – SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 16: 21 - 27

Fr. Tom, a newly ordained priest, came out of his room a bit disappointed after having received a call from his Provincial. Immediately Fr. Stephen a close friend of Fr. Tom asked him: “Where is he sending you?” “To that God-forsaken place! I knew he would send me there. He knows my caliber and intellectual capacity and yet he wants to send me there,” said Fr. Tom.  Fr. Stephen immediately whispered in his ear saying: ‘Hey! you are an asset to the Church and our congregation, just tell him a simple ‘no’, let him find somebody else.

God does not speak to us directly. He speaks to us through several people like our parents, teachers, religious superiors etc. and even through several circumstances. There are times we tend to bend the will of God in order to make it palatable to us or at times force our will on God’s will. This is what St. Peter does in today’s gospel. He tries to teach God a lesson. When we try to be like God we become Satan. Let us remind ourselves of the fate of the most beautiful angel Lucifer. Thus Jesus rightly calls St. Peter the rock a ‘Satan’ who dared to be like God or even go one step higher than God Himself. Here Peter tries to redeem the Redeemer and save the Saviour.

Rita and James were deeply in love with each other. During one of their intimate conversation, Rita asked James, ‘What will you do if I die all a sudden?’ Even before she uttered the last syllable, she received a slap from James.

When we love someone very much, we tend to treasure the presence of that person. We do not want to lose them. This is a sign of love. I am sure in this circumstance, even the act of slapping was a manifestation of love. This is what St. Peter does to Jesus. He rebukes Him. Why should the Lord talk about death on the cross at this point of time? The one who has come to give life abundantly speaks about lifelessness. Was the act of Peter lacking in signs of love? He genuinely loved the Lord and he did not want to lose Him. Then why should he be rebuked? Our love should not be a mere expression of our impulses. Even our emotions have to be educated. Not all that we feel is okay, there is an ethics even for our feelings. Our love should not be a cause of hindrance in doing God’s work. Every mother who prevents her son/ daughter from joining a religious congregation in order to have him/her close to her is in a way act like the agent of evil. Our love should foster the will of God not the other way.

When we love God and try to do His will, we find meaning in our life. Last week, after giving a short talk on Our Lady to the Legion of Mary, I was talking to a mother about the devotion to Our lady. In the course of our conversation, she told me that she is willing to give up everything and just dedicate her life for the Lord. She is from a fairly well-off family with a son and daughter of marriageable age. Her husband works in a big company. God has blessed her with everything she needs. But still she felt, God is above everything. I told her jokingly, that she should have thought about it, before the marriage. The simple words of that mother struck me. She did not talk from her head. They were the words from her heart. At the end of everything, what counts is how much of wealth we have inherited in the Kingdom of God. People, who love God and do His will, will be ready to lose everything for the sake of God.

Last year when I was attending the funeral of my friend’s mother, something touched me very much. Just before burying the body, people noticed the small ring on her finger. People around there wanted to remove it. But  they could not remove it. Many of them took turns and tried to remove it but the effort was in vain. Then someone suggested to cut off the finger in order to remove the ring. Some were for the suggestion and some did not agree. My friend told them to leave the ring in her finger. But the others did not listen and nearly after half an hour, they managed to pull out the ring. I was thinking, ‘even if we want to carry something after our death with us, our fellow human beings will not allow it. They will make sure that we go with empty hand.

Is it not right when the Lord tell us ‘What if you gain the whole world and lose the soul?

The simple way to save our soul and reach God is to love him sincerely and do God’s will even at the cost of our life.

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME MATTHEW 16: 13 – 20

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

I have divided my homily into three parts by asking three pertaining questions. Q1. Who is St. Peter? Q2. Who do people say I am? And Q3. Who do you say I am?

Who is St. Peter?

What significance does this question have? Today there is a lot of hue and cry over the authority of the Pope. Imagine when you read the morning newspaper you read a headline which says that the General of the Indian Army feels that there is no reason to defend our country. Will we not be surprised and shocked? Same thing happens with regard to the Holy Father and his authority. Many including Catholics and even the Clergymen who are supposed to defend the Pope, do question the authority of the Pope. For all these people, today’s gospel gives a clear answer. We all know this character called Peter. He represents some of us who keep messing up things again and again in our life. Everyone misspeaks occasionally. Peter does so daily. He blurts wrong words like a whale spouts salt water, spraying folly everywhere. He always hurts someone. Oh, Peter and his quick-triggered tongue. This is the kind of person our Lord chooses to lead his Church. He gives him the authority to bind people with laws. He gives him the keys of heaven. Keys are the emblems of authority and this language was addressed to Peter because of the Power that was to be conferred on him. He was to organize, toil, and manage the affairs of kingdom as the Head, of course not absolutely but under Christ the Head. Among the Jews when a scribe was admitted to his office a key was given to him as the symbol of duty he was expected to perform.

Today we have Benedict XVI the 265^th Pope who is known for his intelligence and erudition. When the Pope teaches from the chair of St. Peter on issues concerning faith and morals, it binds the whole Church. He is also called the Bishop of Rome, which means anyone who is the Bishop of Rome is also the Pope. Why Rome? What is so very special? It is simply because tomb of St. Peter is in Rome. We as Christians have the responsibility not only to pray for our Holy Father but also to defend Him when he is attacked by enemies of the Church.

Who do People say I am?

Any Communication gets completed only when there is a feedback. Jesus being a good communicator wanted to get the feedback from his disciples. Feedback can be both positive as well as negative. He just asks his disciples to know what exactly the people think of him. The feedback given by the disciples is quite positive. Some call him Elijah, John the Baptist, Jeremiah. He was considered to be one of the prophets. Surely it is a compliment for Jesus and His mission.

This is an important lesson we need to learn from Jesus. As human beings, and more specifically as Christians we live in communities. We do not live in isolation. Therefore we cannot be too individualistic in our attitude. We should be mindful of what other people think about us and our way of living. Though we do not live for the sake of others, we also do not live only for our sake. If majority of our community members feel that our way of life is not that okay, we need to pay proper attention to that feedback. If many our community members point out to us saying that we seldom attend Sunday mass, we do not live a proper life worthy of a Christian etc., we should not ignore their view totally by shunning them. There could be some traces of truth in that. Jesus was ready to listen to the feedback.

We need not know everything about us. There are certain things which only when somebody points out to us, we will come to know. We see the whole world and the reality around us, using our eyes, we cannot see our own eyes. We need mirror to see our eyes. People with whom we live might serve as mirror at times. Therefore we should also take suggestions of people into consideration.

Who do you say I am?

Last year I went along with my friend to watch one of the league matches of IPL. I was longing to see Sachin playing. I was delighted throughout the match and came back home happily. Many asked me about the match and I was happy to share my personal experience with them. I was describing Sachin for quite a long time. Suddenly, someone a critique of cricket asked me, ‘Did you get his mobile number? I gave him a strange look. He continued. Do you have his email id? Do you know his house address? And finally asked me, do you really know him? This made me to reflect deeper. I know Sachin for a long time. I know how many centuries he has made but do I really know him? Is he related to me? Does he know my name?

We come for mass, and sit like spectators in the stadium, sing songs if we know, partly listen to sermons and then go away. We might know how many miracles Jesus did; where he was born; we might know the names of his parents, and so many other minute details. But do we really know him. On your way back home after the mass, if a non-Christian brother/sister asks you why do you go every Sunday to the Church, what answer will you give? Some of us might emphatically say, we go to receive Jesus Christ. But if that person asks you again, ‘who is this Jesus? Do we have an answer for that question? Will that answer come from our personal experience?

Who is Jesus Christ? To the banker, hidden treasure (Mt 13, 44), To the builder, one foundation (Is.26,16), To the carpenter, door (Jn. 10, 7), To the doctor, great physician (Jer.8, 22), To the educator, great teacher (Jn. 3, 2), To the engineer, new and living way (Hb.10, 20), To the farmer, sower and Lord of harvest (Lk, 10, 2), To the florist, rose of Sharon (song of songs (2, 1). This list is endless. But Jesus asks us today, who do you say I am? If we do not have an answer that comes immediately from our heart, probably it is the high time to enter into a personal relationship with Him. Let us move from the level of knowing about Jesus to Knowing Jesus.

JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER – MONDAY - AUGUST 1ST– Mt 14: 22-33

1.      Jesus’ walking on water is recorded rather as a spectacular instance of his supernatural power, which evokes a suitably awed and theologically loaded response from the disciples (v 33). Behind their reaction lies the OT imagery of God walking on or through the sea (Job 9:8; Ps 77:19; Isa 43:16), a potent symbol of the Creator’s control over the unruly forces of his world.

2.      The fourth watch is a Roman term covering the period 3 A.M to 6 A.M. It indicates that Jesus has spent most of the night in prayer. He now comes to help the disciples who are in difficulty.

3.      It was a popular belief that evil spirits lived in the sea or that those who had drowned haunted the water. The disciples’ irrational fear is met by the familiar voice of Jesus; considering the startling manner of his appearance.

4.      Peter’s address is submissive yet daring. Though perhaps tinged with some doubt he calls Jesus Lord, recognizing that Jesus manifests and participates in God’s rule over all creation. He asks permission to imitate Jesus in walking on the water and that shows his trust in Jesus’ authority.

5.      Peter begins well but soon falters. He cried out, ‘Lord save me’, which reflects Ps 69: 1. Jesus extends his hand and delivers Peter as Yahweh delivered the people of Israel from oppressive slavery (Ex 3: 20).

All of us face wind/storm blowing in our lives; Sometimes it blows against us and sometimes it blows along the same direction and makes our life journey easier. Whatever might be the situation we should never forget that Jesus is always with us. People who are close today might turn out to be our enemies, and people whom we thought to be dangerous might offer us timely help. Let us face our life situations with trust and confidence in God believing firmly that our Lord will catch hold of our hands and will save us from drowning situations.

Reference

The Gospel of Matthew – R.T France

Matthew and the Margins – Warren Carter