Impostors and Evangelists!

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B.

Do you every feel like you don’t belong here? Well, that’s because you’re right – but it’s not what you think!

Many of us, even professionals earning a good salary and with a recognised status, suffer from what’s commonly called ‘impostor syndrome’ – that nagging sense that the people around me are eminently qualified to do something, but they are all better than me, so I definitely shouldn’t be here.

It’s true in the workplace. You can take some comfort from the reality that your colleagues think you are the competent one and they’re the impostor. And it’s especially true in our church community, when we’re tempted to think that even though we can do great things at home or at work, we couldn’t possibly do it for something as exalted as church.

Well, remember that Church has been likened to a football match – a couple of dozen people doing all the hard work and thousands sitting in the stands cheering them on. Brothers and sisters, church was never meant to be a spectator sport! In these weeks of the year we focus on the mission of the Church – the work that Jesus entrusted to all of us on the day he ascended into heaven.

Matthias was chosen to be the 12^th man because he was a ‘witness to everything Jesus had said and done’. St John, in his letter, says that ‘we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to save the world’. Jesus prayed for his followers to be ‘consecrated in the truth’.

Have you noticed how flexible the word ‘truth’ has become these days? People readily talk about ‘my truth and your truth’. Well, they’re mistaken. We can certainly talk about ‘my opinion’ and ‘your opinion’. But in the words of The X-Files, ‘the truth is out there’. If the word ‘truth’ means anything, it means a reality which we can discover and put into words. Some statements will only ever be opinion. There’s no one true answer to the question “What’s the greatest Eurovision song?” But there is a true answer to questions like “Is Jesus the saviour of the world?”

There are some truths we can discover by philosophy. There are some truths we can discover by scientific experimentation. But truths about religion we can only discover by revelation – when God touches our heart with the gift of faith. How do I know that Jesus really is the Saviour of the world? For me, personally, that’s because I read the Bible seriously in my teens and at the same time, I seriously tried praying. I realised in prayer I was encountering Someone and that Someone was the same person that the pages of the Bible described. We cannot be eyewitnesses to the Resurrection as John and Matthias were. But we can be witnesses to Jesus as a real presence in our lives.

I was fortunate to be given a modern New Testament when I started secondary school. But for some people, you may be the only Gospel they get a chance to learn from. Some of us are called to be ‘evangelists’, to be people who are given a platform to introduce Jesus to individuals or to groups. But all of us are called to be ‘missionary disciples’, people who bring the presence of Jesus to the relationships of our daily life.

Now, how is your impostor syndrome doing? Maybe you’re thinking that you’re the least qualified person to speak about Jesus you could possibly imagine. But Jesus disagrees. He would side with St John Henry Newman, when Newman said God ‘has committed some work to you which He has not committed to another… you are a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.’

You are Christ’s witness to the people in your life who don’t know any other churchgoers.

You have been consecrated in the Truth. Just as the bread and wine which will shortly be offered on this altar will become something infinitely more worthy, so your baptism has made you infinitely more than just another human being. Bread and wine, once consecrated, is set apart to be received as Holy Communion and worshipped as the Blessed Sacrament. You, as a member of the Body of Jesus, have been consecrated, set apart to know that you are loved by God and commissioned to share that love with the world. You, in fact, are Holy Communion for other people because you can be the one to put them in touch with God.

If you don’t know the words to say, you could consider giving a friend a copy of the Gospels. But when you give it, at least say something about why God’s word is valuable to you. And if you dare, say a bit about your personal faith. A recent survey found that “1 in 3 people, after having a conversation with a practising Christian they know, say they would like to find out more or experience Jesus for themselves.” What an opportunity! You can expect that if you tell three friends about your faith, one will want to know more! Yes, the thought of doing it is scary, so why not practice talking about your faith with someone who already goes to church first? Not sure who? Look around you!

With all of that said, do you still feel like you don’t belong here? The reality is, that we belong in heaven, with Jesus and our Heavenly Father. But we have been given a mission, to spread the truth of Jesus to the ends of the earth. So let’s make Jesus known on earth, so that we may lead many people home to heaven. There’s a reason that Pope Benedict XVI edited the final words of the Mass – yes, you really are expected to go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

You’re Hired

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for Ascension Day, Year B.

You’re hired.

You might think today’s celebration of the Ascension is all about Jesus. His glory becomes complete as he is ‘taken up into heaven’. Lest we think this is some kind of metaphor, we’re told the apostles were left staring into the clouds. But we’ve already celebrated the victory of Christ on Easter Sunday. No, today’s celebration is less about him and more about us.

Today celebrates the day when we were hired to complete God’s work in the world. It forms a kind of book-end with All Saints’ Day, six months from now, when we celebrate the saints who completed their share of God’s work in the world. But today, we go back to the beginning. Jesus has given us a mission. And our Second Reading spells out what it is: “To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers.”

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at each of these gifts in turn. They matter to you, because God has given you at least one of these gifts to help our church flourish. The work of building up the Church was never meant to be left to a handful of priests or monks or nuns. If you have been baptised, if you have been confirmed – you’re hired!

Today, I want to focus on the gift of being an apostle. Now it’s true that in our Catholic understanding, we speak of our bishops as successors of the Apostles. But the word doesn’t just refer to bishops. It could also be translated as ambassadors. Every Mass ends with the word GO – Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life. Go out into the world, nourished by the Word of God and the Bread of Life, to take Jesus into your home, into your workplace, into every place that you visit.

When you go the extra mile at work for a boss you don’t particularly like, you bring the presence of Jesus.

When you take time to ask a colleague or a friend how they really are, you bring the love of Jesus.

When you’re open about the fact that you are a Catholic and you attend worship, you bring the truth of Jesus.

By doing any of these things, you are serving as an apostle. All of us have the opportunity to bring Jesus ‘as we go’. But some of us are given the gift of doing more – deliberately choosing to go out to do God’s work. You’re hired – for a more specific task. But for what?

Some of us are called to go and speak out against injustice in the world. That’s part of the prophetic gift. I’ll say more about that another day.

Others among us are called to explain the Catholic Faith to those hungry to learn. We call these catechists, and they have this Bible role of teaching. You might feel that there’s someone else better than you to teach the faith. But the best teacher is the one who is part of the local community and worships with the one who wants to learn. Be ready for me to return to this topic soon.

Some, God called to be pastors. In the narrow sense that means parish priests. But in the broad sense it’s anyone who is called to go out and care for those in need. Those who co-ordinate our communion ministers are pastoral carers to the sick and housebound in our parishes. Each of our ministers who takes out Holy Communion from Mass is a kind of pastor. We’ll come back to this too.

Others, God called to be evangelists. Some people are simply more gifted than others when it comes to speaking about Jesus Christ. Why should everyone in the world follow him on the path to heaven? All of us have a duty to proclaim this when a suitable opening comes up in conversation, but those of us with a special gift in this area are called to run events like Alpha or Discovering Christ.

What, then, of the apostles? The apostle’s special gift is not to speak about Jesus, nor to teach how to follow Him; not to look after the needs of the community nor speak out about injustice. Any Christian, including one with an apostolic calling, might have to do any and all of these things from time to time. But the special gift of an Apostle is to get the Catholic community organised so that all of these other things do happen. That’s not only the role of the Parish Priest – it’s also the role of people good at organising, who work with me to make things happen. The apostle needs the overview of all the parts of the church working together – indeed, the Greek word for overview or overseer is episkopos, which gives us our modern word, Bishop.

Imagine what would happen if everyone in this parish used the gifts which God had given them to make our parish flourish? Look at what happened after Ascension Day – the apostles, who had only three years’ training from Jesus, established the whole Catholic Church! And how many of us have been Catholics for twenty, forty, sixty years?

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a parish where each member put aside their fears and used the gifts God had given them to grow the Church. This could easily happen in this community. You have an apostolic man among you who wants to use your gifts. You’re hired. All you have to do is say YES.

On the Grapevine

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Year B

About two years before she finally passed, my grandmother was taken into hospital. It was a difficult time for me and my family – we thought we were going to lose her. Fortunately, she recovered her strength and came home, but it could have gone either way. It made me very conscious of the things I did want to say to her before it was too late. But there was a problem – Nanna had become profoundly deaf, and it was impossible to have a conversation with her. So I did the only thing I could do. I wrote her a letter. On one side, I wrote about my own decision to become a Catholic and why it mattered to me. On the other side, I spoke about how grateful I was for all the things she had done for me – cooking the family meals when I was a child, and knitting the brightly-coloured pullovers which I loved wearing wherever I went. I told her how proud I was, that she was my Nan, and that I loved her.

I’m glad I did that when I did. A few years later, when Nanna was taken into hospital again and didn’t come out, I had the comfort of knowing I had no unfinished business. Mum told me that Nanna had kept that letter in her handbag and it had been unfolded and refolded many times.

“My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active.” With these words, St John reminds us that love is at the heart of our Christian faith – and not just love, but love-in-action. There are many kinds of love, including charity towards strangers, but today I invite us to focus on the way we show love within our closer relationships.

Who among us has not felt lonely at times?

Who among us has not wished for a token of love from someone we care about?

And yet, although our hearts are crying out to be loved, we are afraid to communicate the love that we feel, to others.

We may be afraid of rejection.

We may be afraid of being carried away by our stronger urges.

We may be afraid of our best intentions backfiring.

To be sure, love can go wrong. I once shared a house with a man who had a bad temper. We weren’t getting along very well, so I decided to make a peace-offering. He loved eating melon for breakfast, so when he went away for a week’s holiday, I made sure there was fresh melon in the fridge for his return. This did not have the desired effect. My gift was rewarded with a small explosion of anger – “That’s not the sort of melon I like, but now I have to eat it!” Truly, no good deed goes unpunished!

But do I regret what I did? Not at all. At the end of time, when all things will be made clear, he will understand that my gesture was meant as a peace offering and an act of love – and I will finally understand the pressures he was under at the time.

Showing love is always risky. Yes, we make ourselves vulnerable to rejection. Yes, we must guard ourselves against doing more than is appropriate in a particular relationship where our passions run high. But plainly and simply, Our Lord commanded us to love one another. The Greek word He used, agape, especially includes pouring out our strength for the good of others, seeking no return. If we give food to the Foodbank or send a donation to Sudan, we have shown the highest form of love. But only within our closest relationships can we touch the heart of another in a way which brings lasting joy. Our motives will always be mixed – even Pope Benedict XVI commented that it was impossible to totally separate selfless agape from our own desires to love and be loved – but that’s OK, because it’s human.

Every parish is also called to be a community of love. After Mass today, we have the opportunity to stay for a cup of tea or coffee. I know that some of us may have to leave quickly because of bus times or family duties. But to the rest of us, I ask this: are you planning to stay for a cuppa today? When we take time to talk to one another in this parish, we make our grapevine strong. But if we run away from opportunities to connect, we make our parish weak. God is looking for fruit – and one fruit is the strength of our relationship with one another.

Maybe it feels awkward to start a conversation with someone you don’t know. But I’m going to invite us to do that right now. Look for the nearest person who isn’t part of your household. I’d like you to turn to them right now, find out their name if you don’t know it, and invite them to have a cuppa with you after Mass. If you can’t stay today, arrange a weekend when you can!

We are called to love our neighbour – which you’ve literally just done. We also have important connections in our lives with absent friends. Is there someone who is fond of you, who would be touched to receive a phone call, a card, or a visit – someone you’re always meaning to contact but never quite get round to? No-one else can affirm them in quite the way you can. So do something this weekend, don’t delay!

Show love, because your love is real.

Show love, because the person you love needs a reminder that they are loved.

Show love, because God asks us to.

Show love.

Perfect Alignment?

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Year B.

“The Lord is my shepherd.” These are easy words to say, or even to sing – but are they true?

We’re all shepherded by multiple and competing forces. Some of them are very deliberately trying to influence our actions – so much so that in the world of social media we talk about “influencers”! So what’s influencing you? Do you find yourself imitating certain celebrities who seem popular? Have you downloaded the new Taylor Swift album yet? Or are you more a follower of fashion – if the people around you have adopted something, will you want to wear that too?

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

A cornerstone is the first stone laid for a new building. It has to be set carefully because the new walls will extend from it in different directions. It’s not to be confused with the ‘foundation stone’ which might have an inscription and is usually set a little higher in the wall; nor with the capstone, which gives a smooth finish to a wall; nor with the keystone, which holds an arch in place. Our reading from Acts today called Jesus the ‘keystone’ but the original Greek says Jesus is the ‘head of the corner’ which most Bibles translate as ‘cornerstone’.

Whether as our shepherd or as our cornerstone, Jesus seeks to guide our thinking and our acting. And how will we know we are following Him? We will know because we will find ourselves out of step with the world around us. We live in a world which does not accept that Jesus is Lord, and so does not accept the values he taught.

It’s hard to put Jesus in a box. What he taught is neither ‘on the left’ nor ‘on the right’.

A few years ago, sociologists in America made a survey to see how Christians felt Jesus matched up with their own politics.

As you might expect, Christians who support right-wing parties reluctantly acknowledged that Jesus would be more generous on taxing rich people to help the poor and welcoming illegal migrants – but they thought he’d be even stricter than themselves on issues like restricting abortion and same-sex marriage.

The mirror image was also true: Christians who support left-leaning parties admitted that they probably took a softer line than Jesus on these morality issues. But they also thought Jesus would be even more lavish than themselves on redistributing wealth and welcoming immigrants.

And of course, the Christians on the right thought that the morality issues were more important, while those on the left thought the social justice issues mattered more.

The lesson for us is that we are free to have our own opinions on whatever we like, but we cannot claim that the Lord is our Shepherd or that Christ is our Cornerstone unless we make it our business to find out what Jesus taught and set aside our own views when they come into conflict with His.

The American Bishop, Robert Barron, has a great idea which we can use when we find ourselves in conflict with another viewpoint. That might be when we’re arguing with ourself in our internal dialogue, or having a private conversation with a friend – and it’s especially important when we go into the great public world of the Internet and start arguing on social media. Bishop Barron’s idea is called ‘steel-manning’.

It’s the opposite of a straw-man argument. One of the dirty tricks we can pull when debating is to set up a weak or flawed version of what our opponents teach, and then use the flaws to knock it down. But that’s not very respectful, either of  the dignity of our rivals or of truth itself. No, says Bishop Barron, set up a steel-man. That is, set out the strongest possible case for why the opposite position should be taken seriously. This both shows respect for your opponents, and allows you to make the strongest possible case for your own point of view. Of course, you might discover that you need to shift your ground when you do. And that’s OK.

In the same way, the survey warns us that we are likely to hold a picture of Jesus who is committed to what we’re committed to, but more so. If we’re examining a point of view it never hurts to go back to read the Gospels and consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church to make sure that we’re remembering fairly.

One of the things I love about the Catholic Faith is that it doesn’t always set out an exact answer about everything. Do we have to believe that God made the world in six days? No, but we’re not committed to believe the Big Bang theory either. How exactly can Jesus be God and Man at the same time? It can be expressed different ways, and as long as we don’t go so far as to say “he wasn’t really God” or “he wasn’t really human” we won’t be accused of heresy. We can hold different views about how far the state should go in paying benefits or restricting migration and still be followers of Jesus in good conscience. He is the cornerstone, and any cornerstone will have walls branching off in three different directions. But there are limits, and if we find ourselves beyond the boundary of what is taught by Our Lord or the Catholic Church, we might just have to swallow our pride and shift our position.

Don’t let the wolf win. The wolf – the Enemy – the deceiver we know as Satan – uses lies and pride to keep us from being in perfect alignment with Jesus. If I’m in the wrong place, the Good Shepherd loves me enough to come to find me. He might even love me enough to cause a priest to preach a sermon to show me I’m out of line and make me think again! The Lord is my shepherd? He will be, if I align myself to him.

This Is The Day

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B.

Today is the day when everything changes.

St Peter has chosen an unpromising approach for his preaching. “You killed Jesus. That was a bad move, since he was God’s Son. Good news – he didn’t stay dead. Better news – he’s willing to pardon you for killing him. Now will you join our church?”

I wonder how many of the listeners had been in that crowd which shouted “Crucify him?” And how many, the week before, had also cried “Hosanna to the Son of David”? St Peter’s tactics were surprisingly successful – many in the crowd did repent, and we read in Acts 4 that the Church grew to about 5000 people! But perhaps that’s what happens when dozens of people say they’ve seen a dead man now alive!

Maybe you’re holding on to a sin which feels as terrible as crucifying the Son of God. Perhaps there’s an abortion in your past, or a broken relationship, or a terrible insult given. We’re still in the days close to Divine Mercy Sunday when Christ’s promise offers us not just forgiveness but the total pardon of the Purgatory attached to your sin. If thousands of people who shouted “Crucify Him” can repent and ask for mercy, you can too. So perhaps for you,

Today is the day when everything changes.

St John’s letter was written to Christian believers who, like us, came together to worship each week. Yet simply coming to church doesn’t automatically make us change our way of life. John felt it was important to write that we should start keeping God’s commandments and stop sinning. I wonder if there’s something in your life which needs to be addressed? Maybe there’s something you’ve decided doesn’t count as a sin, because it would be too difficult to change? Maybe there’s something the Catholic Church teaches, but you’re not sure if Jesus really expects us to live that way?

Our church doesn’t teach what she teaches to make our lives needlessly difficult. She only teaches what she believes Jesus wants us to do. If there’s a teaching you’re struggling to understand, there are plenty of good podcasts and videos out there on the internet. Or you could even book a conversation with your parish priest! If there’s a topic you’ve been avoiding until now, maybe…

Today is the day when everything changes.

The disciples were there in the Upper Room trying to make sense of what had happened in the last week. They thought Jesus was going to start a revolution and become King of Jerusalem. Then they’d seen him arrested in front of their eyes.

Most had not had the courage to stand at the foot of the Cross, but in their grief and their guilt, they were now trying to make sense of these reports that people had seen Jesus, alive. And now, here he was, standing in front of them.

Not a ghost – definitely not a ghost. A living body, eating fish, with wounds still present in his hands and his feet. But not the King they were expecting, either. Until now they had thought they were heralds of a new independent Israel. But this is the day when they started to understand their true calling – heralds of heaven, sent to the ends of the earth.

Believe in the Name of Jesus. Stop breaking God’s Law. Say sorry, and mean it. Do these things and it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past – you have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today is the day when everything changes.

“Repentance” is a clumsy attempt to put into English a word which means a total change of life. So I ask you, are you living a changed life?

Maybe you’ve made changes as an adult. Or maybe the changes were made by your family and you’ve grown up living a changed life. So what kind of change am I talking about? Let me put it like this. If I visited you at home, how would I know you were a follower of Jesus?

Would I find you saying grace before meals or family prayers before bedtime?

Would I find you avoiding the coarse language of the world around us?

Would I find you choosing things to watch on television which are uplifting and not steeped in too much gratuitous sex or violence?

Would I find you making time to do family things together, away from the distracting devices of our age?

Would I find you taking time to volunteer for good causes in the community, or even for tasks that need to be done to keep this parish running?

Every saint has a chequered past. But every sinner who responds to Jesus Christ has a glorious future. Today is not about the faults that we have left behind us. Today is about the future which is set before us. If you’ve already reached that point in your life where you asked Jesus “What would you like me to do?” and you’re doing it to the best of your ability – thank you! Keep it up. But if my words today are challenging you to repent of some sin or take on some new good deed, you know what you need to do.   Today is the day when everything changes. Today is the day Jesus will make you a saint.

Guilt or Shame?

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for Divine Mercy Sunday, 2024.

“If you love me,” says the Lord, “you will keep my commandments.”

I wonder how many of us here today have ever suffered from Catholic Guilt?

Today, I have a special offer for you. How would you like to trade in your guilt for a well-formed conscience?

The thing is, sometimes we feel guilty for the wrong reasons. So we need to learn to examine our conscience properly.

Let’s take one classic example – missing Sunday Mass. How many of you here were taught that it’s a mortal sin to miss Mass on a weekend?

Almost correct. But also very wrong. We need to add two crucial words. It’s a mortal sin to freely choose to skip Sunday Mass. The sin is in the choosing, not the missing.

If you’re ill in bed, you’ve got no choice. If the weather is dangerous, you’ve got no choice. And where there is no choice, there is no sin. You might still feel bad that you didn’t make it to Mass. But that’s false guilt. It’s actually a healthy sign that you want to be worshipping God at Mass. On days like that, say some prayers at home and make an act of spiritual communion, and heaven will smile down on you.

What if you have to work on the weekend? If it’s a vocation caring for the needs of others, do that on Sundays with a clear conscience. But what if it’s just a job to make money? Employers should make reasonable adjustments to accommodate religious practice. It might be a sin to chicken out of having that conversation with your boss to see what’s possible. That’s a way of witnessing to your faith. But if flexibility’s not possible and you have to earn a living, so be it. You’ve tried.

Let’s take another example. What if someone asks a big favour, which is going to cost you in time or in money? Does Our Lord ask us to be bottomless pits of generosity? We read Scriptures like the one about how the first Christians looked after everyone’s needs and might feel inadequate. Is it a sin to say ‘no’ when someone asks for help? Here it’s a question of balance. We should eat into our own comfort zone to meet the needs of others. Jesus suggests that if we have two coats we should give one away to a person who has no coat at all. But God loves a cheerful giver – and what we can’t give cheerfully we can’t give sustainably.

You might remember that scene in the movie, Schindler’s List. Businessman Oskar Schindler had already liquidated his personal fortunate to buy the freedom of hundreds of Polish Jews. When it was time for him to make his own escape, he suddenly realised that he had a gold tooth which could have bought freedom for three or four more. But the good he had done far outweighed the good he had failed to do. It is the tender-hearted who agonise most about this.

A badly formed conscience is a problem, because it leads us to expect dreadful punishments for failing to achieve the impossible. God does not expect us to achieve the impossible. And as long as we are willing to choose the good which is possible, Jesus wishes to comfort us, reassure us, and bring us his peace. Now, even the first Apostles needed to be assured of his peace. What does he say to them in the Upper Room? “Peace be with you.”

Now those guys really had sinned. Peter, James and John had failed to keep awake and pray for an hour in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter had denied him. All except John had abandoned him at the foot of the Cross. Yes, Jesus looks for loyalty. But he is ready to forgive them all and offer them a new beginning. Their sense of guilt and shame when they meet the Risen Lord is punishment enough. Now, like the author of today’s psalm, they can truly say: “I was punished by the Lord, but not doomed to die; the Lord’s right hand has raised me up.”

Jesus knows we suffer not only from guilt, but also shame. True guilt is the knowledge that I have freely made a wrong choice. Shame is not about what I’ve done but about who I am – a person with a vulnerability to a particular sin. Shame says: “I’m the kind of person who eats too much chocolate – drinks too much beer – raises my voice to the children when I’m angry. God could never love me.”

Think again.

God loved the world so much that Jesus died on the Cross to take our sins away.

God loved the world so much that a hundred years ago, he sent Christ to appear on earth again in the form of Divine Mercy, with the message that any soul who confesses their sin on the Sunday after Easter would be pardoned not only the guilt – as happens with every confession – but even the punishment for sin we would otherwise have to work through in Purgatory.

We are not called to be bottomless pits of giving. But in the message of Divine Mercy, Our Lord did reveal the grace won through the Cross to be an abyss of mercy.

If you’re suffering from false guilt, rejoice in the knowledge that God does not ask the impossible. God does call us to be generous with the loaves and fishes that we do have, but no more than that. God does ask us to be chaste, enjoying sexual intimacy only in relationships sealed by Holy Matrimony. Above all, God does ask us to love our enemies and forgive those who have offended us. Do these things, and you are a long way towards avoiding cause for guilt.

If you’re suffering from true guilt, repent. Choose to live your life God’s way. And rejoice in the invitation to confess your sin today, of all days, and so have not only the guilt, but even the punishment, forgiven. Jesus, I trust in you.

Glimpses of Heaven

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the Easter Sunday, Year B.

I’ve heard a rumour that Christ is Risen!

I’ve heard a rumour that Heaven is Real!

I’ve heard a rumour that the best is still to come!

We live in an age of deepfakes, robocalls and false news. The consumer journalists warn us that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stories that would be amazing if true might turn out to be fabrications, or at least embellished. And that’s all before April Fools’ Day tomorrow!

But today, I’ve heard a rumour that Christ is Risen!

It’s Easter Sunday, yet in our portion from St Mark’s Gospel, we do not meet the Risen Jesus. We only hear the message that it’s true, and his friends will see Him soon.

The Colossians, too, are looking forward to what they cannot yet see. They are advised that their life “is hidden with Christ in God” and a future glory is yet to be revealed.

What good to us is the promise of pie in the sky when we die?

It’s worth waiting for, say those who’ve tasted the pie. Simon Peter tasted it. He was one of those witness who could declare “We have eaten and drunk with Jesus after his resurrection from the dead.” But that was a long time ago. Are there any credible witnesses now?

I’ve heard a rumour that Heaven is Real!

An engineer called John Burke was fascinated with the stories of people who’ve been revived after being clinically dead for a few minutes, people who return with the story of some kind of ‘near death experience’. He studied reports from both Western and Asian cultures, to see whether they matched what the Bible would suggest. And what he found was remarkable. Even those who followed another religion, or did not believe in God, tended to report what could best be described as an encounter with Jesus and a vision of heaven.

Burke has interviewed many of these witnesses, and you can find their testimonies online. Take Heidi Barr. She was raised in a family that was culturally Jewish and functionally atheist. The last person she would have expected to meet was Jesus Christ. But when she was 16, she was crushed by her horse in a riding accident. She found herself guided by a being of perfect love that she knew, beyond doubt, was Jesus. She was shown a glimpse of heaven, where – in senses beyond earthly sense – everything was tangibly alive and each blade of grass seemed to be singing God’s praises!

Or take Randy Kay, a medical executive with nothing to gain by insisting on outlandish stories. Yet when he stopped breathing due to septic shock, he too encountered a very similar vibrant vision of heaven. It took 14 years before he felt ready to share his story in public. As a businessman he was used to working with long-term strategies. But when he realised Jesus was going to send him back to this life, because he hadn’t yet ‘fulfilled his purpose’ he understood that he was not going to be given a road map – he would have to learn to follow God’s promptings in each moment.

There are many more stories like this. Can you trust these witnesses and what they say? Next month, there’s a chance to look at some of these stories in depth, but I’ll tell you about that at the end of Mass.

I’ve heard a rumour that the best is still to come!

I have no idea whether the next story really happened… but I read it on the Internet.

It’s about a woman who knew her life was nearing its end, so she met with her parish priest to plan her funeral arrangements. After all the usual discussions about Bible readings and hymns, she had one more request. “Pastor, please would you make sure that before they close the coffin, they put a fork in my hand.”

The priest was puzzled and asked why.

In a very quiet response, the ailing widow replied, “Well you see Pastor, whenever we had a meal in the Church Hall, the ladies from the kitchen would gather up the plates after the main course, but they’d say, ‘Hold onto your fork, the best is still to come!’ Well, you know how much I love lemon meringue pie, and knowing I need a fork for dessert would always put a smile on my face. But I also know this life on earth is just the appetiser, and I’m confident that when I get to Heaven and see my Saviour Jesus Christ, it will be the best dessert ever. So bury me with a fork in my hand, and when people ask why, tell them, the best is still to come.”

I’ve heard a rumour that Christ is Risen!

But like the women at the tomb, we may have to hear without seeing.

We too are god-like beings. If we could see each other as we would be in heaven, we’d be astonished at the divine light carried by each one of us. That’s why Scripture tells us that we too will be revealed in glory. It’s why we should always treat one another with respect, as each one of us is an image of Christ.

I’ve heard a rumour that Heaven is Real!

But God’s plan for most of us is not that we should see heaven right now. Rather, what we’re called to is FAITH. F. A. I. T. H. That’s Future Assured In The Heavenlies. That’s why, even in Easter Sunday’s Gospel, we’re not given sight of the Risen Lord, but only news of the Risen Lord. We’re given a reason to believe there will be pie in the sky when we die. And when we celebrate Mass, we only taste an appetiser of the Heavenly Banquest. Even so, we come, like the women bringing spices to the tomb, to honour Jesus.

I’ve heard a rumour that the best is still to come! For Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

The View from the Cross

Homily at Ss Gabriel & Raphael for the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, 2024.

Good Friday

We’ve heard many words today; now I would like to share with you a picture. This image, by the artist Tissot, takes you to the Cross through the eyes of Christ. Take a moment to take it in.

What did Our Lord see from the Cross?

He saw those who cried for his crucifixion. He saw those who whipped and stripped him. He saw those who had driven in the nails and hoisted his body high.

And he said: “Father, forgive.”

What did Our Lord see from the Cross?

He saw those who loved him. He saw the women who had followed him, supported him, ministered to his needs. He saw John, the Beloved Apostle – but not Judas, who had betrayed him, nor Peter who had denied him, nor the other apostles, who had fled for fear of their lives.

And he said: “Father, forgive.”

What did Our Lord see from the Cross?

He saw His Blessed Mother steadfast at the foot of the Cross. As had been prophesied, a sword had pierced her soul. Was there ever any sorrow like her sorrow? She who had been spared the pains of labour in giving birth to the Christ, Son of God, now chose to share his labour in giving birth to the Church, the Body of Christ. Even as the torment of crucifixion drove the breath from his body, he knew he had to speak.

And he said to the Beloved Disciple: “This is your Mother.”

What did Our Lord see from the Cross?

He saw that his life was ebbing away. And with his last breath he cried out “It is finished!” The same words in Greek can be written on a bill to mean “The debt is paid.” He saw us set free, as he slid captive into death. Yes, he loved us to the end.

And now, here, today, he says: “Do you love me?”

With My Body, I Thee Worship

Homily at St Dyfrig’s for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 2024.

Maundy Thursday

Today I have celebrated two weddings already, and now I welcome you to the wedding supper of the Lamb.

Twice today, I have heard a couple promise to honour each other with their bodies. And now the Lord Himself pledges to honour your body with his.

At the Last Supper, Jesus honoured Peter and the other apostles by washing their feet, as a servant would honour his Master. In a few moments I shall honour a few of you, representatives of this whole community.

At the Last Supper, Jesus honoured his followers by giving them his own body, in the form of bread, to be received into theirs. There is no greater intimacy that to become physically part of one another. Tonight, as at every Mass, the Lord will offer us His Own Body to consume, to become nourishment for our bodies and souls.

And what about us? How can we make a return for such love?

Every time we choose to attend Holy Mass, we honour His Body.

Every time we keep the hour’s fast before receiving Holy Communion, we honour His Body.

Every time we genuflect to the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, we honour His Body.

By keeping the sanctuary lamp alight, by using incense at Mass, by respecting each church as a holy place, we honour His Body.

By doing each one of these things, we renew our marriage vows to the Lord.

But do we do these things as a slave honours a master, or as a bride honours a groom?

Do we come before the Lord as prodigal sons and daughters, knowing that we deserve nothing but delighting in the prodigious love? Or do we come before the Lord like the elder brother who, despite living in the Father’s house, has not appreciated that all the Father’s bounty is at your disposal?

Love cannot be forced. But if we do not do these things out of love, perhaps it is because we have not yet let ourselves be loved by the Lord.

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” How many of us, like St Peter, protest that we are unworthy of His love? Take care! It is healthy to recognise that we are unworthy, but it is dangerous to refuse His gift of love.

Yes, it is so easy to refuse a gift which seems too precious. Once, when I was attending a World Youth Day in Canada, I met a Canadian family where the Dad offered me a flight in his private plane. It seemed such an extravagant gift that I refused – and ever since, I have regretted it. This man flew for a hobby. He would have burned the fuel whether I was with him or not. And it was only my sense of unworthiness that stopped me from accepting.

To miss out on a joy ride in Canada is but a small misfortune. To miss out on the double gift of salvation and friendship which Jesus offers us would be an eternal tragedy. In the end, St Peter yielded and let Jesus wash his feet. By saying yes to the Lord, we honour his body.

We in our turn are called to be servants of one another. We give our bodies to the Lord by spending our time in service to those in need. In the coming weeks, I will invite us to come to an Open Listening evening to ask how we can do this in our community. Can we be more effective at visiting the poor? Might we start a bereavement support group? How can we minister more effectively to the University students who come and go in our midst? Those questions are not for tonight, but to prepare for them, ask the Lord to open your heart. Each day in Eastertide, ask the Lord anew: “How are you calling me to wash the feet of your friends?”

A Jewish bride would undergo a ritual bath before her wedding night. The Lord washed the Apostles’ feet before they received their First Holy Communion and were commissioned as priests of the New Covenant. They were humble. They were cleansed. They were honoured.

We, the people of the New Covenant, have honoured Jesus by coming to this place tonight. Jesus now honours us with the sign of humble service and the sacrament of His Body and Blood. Blessed are those who called to the wedding supper of the Lamb. Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof – but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

A Donkey for a Lamb

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for Palm Sunday 2024.

Consider the humble donkey.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem, we are told, on a colt – a young male donkey which no-one had ever ridden. And this donkey is important – so much so that St Mark stresses how it was brought because the Master needed it. Just as Our Lord’s mission began in the wilderness, with the ‘wild beasts’ so here it concludes with an untamed donkey.

This is not the first donkey we’ve met this Lent. When Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah, he rode on a donkey – but the first-born son was saved by the sacrifice of the ram provided by God.

Donkeys themselves were unique in Jewish law. They were not considered “clean” animals so they could not be eaten or offered in sacrifice. Yet if a donkey bore a colt, the owner was obliged to redeem it by offering a lamb in sacrifice.

The prophet Zechariah declared that Jerusalem’s King would come in humility, not riding on a great war horse like other kings, but on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

And so Christ comes, riding on a donkey. He accepts the crowds shouting “Hosanna!” for yes, he is the true King, entering Jerusalem. But he enters in humility, riding a donkey. And when the crowd tuns against him, and shouts “Crucify Him!” he submits. He does not resist.

Any Jewish farmer with a newborn colt must make a decision. Which is worth more to him – the donkey, or one of his lambs? For the Jewish Law required that he must either redeem the donkey by offering a lamb at the temple, or else destroy the donkey.

Our Lord Jesus is the Lamb of sacrifice. And the donkey that must be redeemed? The donkey which is not, of itself, clean and yet is precious to God? That donkey which is worth the blood of the most precious of Lambs? That donkey is you.

He did it for you.

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In a longer reflection, I might have noted that a donkey can be redeemed not only with a lamb, but also with a goat. Yet the offering of a goat might itself remind us of the scapegoat, loaded with all the people’s sins and sent outside the city to die.

Matthew tells us Jesus rode on a (she)-donkey and on its colt. Obviously you cannot ride both at the same time, so he may have used the older donkey for part of his journey and then ridden the smaller colt only for the trumphal entrance. This gives us the image of the “mother and son” sharing a mission, which echoes in a small way Mary’s presence at the foot of the Cross.

Inspiration acknowledged from van Popta and Nally.