Dignified Workers

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

Today I will only preach a brief message, because we will give over the next 10 minutes for you to complete our Parish Census form. So I share these two thoughts with you:

First, God expects us to work for his kingdom. An important purpose of this census form is to indicate your availability for work.

Second, when St Paul invites us to serve one another, we remember that none of us are slaves to each other – we all have equal dignity. So if I seek to serve your needs, and you seek to serve mine, we will meet happily in the middle.

So now, let us serve one another by taking a few minutes to complete our census.

Raising Our Standards

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

Tim Ballard worked for the CIA, until he quit his job so he could rescue more children.

There’s a terrible truth about the world around us. Many people are willing to pay to watch films of children doing very adult things. There’s a whole industry around tricking and trapping children to film them doing things they’d rather not do. Tim’s job was to catch the people who made the films, but his heart wanted to rescue the children themselves. He couldn’t do that as a CIA officer because most of the children were outside America. That’s why, ten years ago, he founded something called Operation Underground Railroad.

There’s a film in the cinemas at the moment called Sound of Freedom. With some artistic license, it tells the story of how Tim left his job, encouraged by his wife to do more to rescue trafficked children. It’s still playing in the Cardiff Vue and Cineworld. It’s a film worth watching.

Unlike the films Tim was paid to stop, this film leaves a lot to the imagination. The director hints at the things children were forced to do without showing you. That’s a refreshing difference to what most television and films offer us these days, with a lot on show for our entertainment.

I was struck by one sentence from St Paul in today’s second reading. “Avoid anything in your everyday lives which would be unworthy of the Gospel of Christ.” If Jesus walked into your house as you were watching TV, reading a book, or surfing the internet, would you be happy to share your entertainment with him? When it comes to the modern media, it’s hard to avoid the low standards of the world around us. But that’s no excuse for not trying.

This weekend I’ve been impressed by two young women who have taken a step of faith. Yesterday I was in London to see a friend of mine, Abigail, received into the Catholic Church. This morning at St Dyfrig’s, another young woman, Heather, was enrolled as a catechumen – an adult preparing to be baptised. To stand up for Jesus in this day and age is to take a stand against the world around us. And we’re never too old to answer God’s call. We might know that God wants us to change our lifestyle, but we also need that divine push called grace to do something about it. The eleventh-hour workers got the push a lot later than those who’d worked all day. But the “day’s wage” they received represents the entrance price of heaven. This is not a wage we can ever earn, but one only God can provide for us.

The world around us prizes independence. Is it OK to live off your partner’s salary? When that comes from a healthy sense of equality, it’s understandable that each of us wants to pay our own way. But in the church we need a healthy sense of inequality. We are not equal to Jesus Christ. He is Lord, and we are his servants, his labourers. He offers us two gifts: the entrance price of heaven, and the privilege of being called not servants but friends. Yet make no mistake – this is not because we deserve it. Rather, it’s because our Father in heaven and our eldest brother in faith, Jesus Christ, are generous. So generous in fact that they deserve an hour of time each week to say “thank you” and this is why we offer the Mass every Sunday.

There’s another terrible truth about the world around us. Most people don’t think about God, or if they do, they don’t have a healthy respect for who God is. This is why it’s so important for us to find gentle ways to challenge our friends to think about God. Right now we’re entering the week where we launch Discovering Christ. This is the last week, until Christmas, when you’ll able to invite one of your friends or family to come and see what it’s all about. Discovering Christ starts with the meaning of life, then asks what we really know about Jesus and why that matters. It leads up to a retreat day where we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us strength to live by God’s standards, and to avoid the terrible traps of the world around us.

I’d love to leave you with the news that Tim Ballard is a living saint. But it’s dangerous to label any living person as beyond criticism. Right now, Mr Ballard has been suspended while his treatment of adult female colleagues is being investigated. Like anyone accused of misconduct, he must be regarded as innocent unless proven guilty. But the world around us tempts us in so many ways, that we must all keep returning to St Paul’s words: “Avoid anything in your everyday lives which would be unworthy of the Gospel of Christ.” That goes especially for being careful to treat all human beings with respect, because each living person is made in the image of God. How could we use our words, our actions, in person or online, to encourage respect and discourage unworthy behaviour?

Tim Ballard quit his job to rescue children from danger. We aren’t all going to do something quite so dramatic. But we are all children of God in danger of being dragged down by the world around us. Our rescue starts with ourselves. Sometimes it’s as simple as making a choice, even if it’s one which sits uneasily with the company we keep. But sometimes it’s more difficult. If something’s formed a habit, we might need help to break the habit. Doctors, counsellors, 12-step groups and priests all play their part in helping to rescue people. Don’t wait for God’s final whistle. You have work to do now. Ten years ago, Tim Ballard made the right choice. You can do the same today.

Freedom of Self-Determination: An Open Letter to my MP

Dear and Honourable Alex Davies-Jones,

I am a constituent living in Pontypridd, CF37 1DB.

I write in great concern having learned of the outcome of a recent case in the Court of Protection, [2023] EWCOP 40.

The case concerns a young woman known only as “ST” due to court reporting restrictions. She died last week as a result of a genetic disease. It had been her wish to travel to North America to try an experimental treatment which offered her some slim hope of relief. But the Court of Protection stepped in and decided that she lacked mental capacity because she was unwilling or unable to contemplate the goodness of the alternative of dying with palliative care.

The court concluded that ST held a “wrong belief” that her permanent need for a ventilator would be reversed by some experimental procedure. Given that two psychiatrists agreed that ST did not lack mental capacity and was able to express the view that she “wanted to die trying to live”, I find it disturbing to hear that an adult, albeit a young adult, can be denied the right to seek treatment on the basis of a single “wrongly-held belief” which the judge herself acknowledged was likely the result of ST and her family hoping too hard.

I have read the full court report, and I recognise that the judge was trying to apply the applicable law and determine whether ST possessed or lacked capacity to make decisions about her own treatment.

As a man of science myself (I hold PhD in Astrophysics) I recognise the importance of informed consent in medical treatment. But I also recognise that every medical prognosis has an inherent uncertainty. The judge in this case acknowledged that ST had already defied the odds and rallied on several occasions when her doctors expected that she would die. The nature of an experimental treatment is that no-one can know the outcome until it is tried.

Had ST been allowed to apply for the experimental treatment, there is no guarantee that other hurdles would have been overcome. Maybe the costs could not have been raised in time. Maybe the air ambulance would have judged her unfit to fly. Maybe the directors of the clinical trials would have judged her an unsuitable candidate. But we will never know, because the Court of Protection took the decision out of her hands, and she was not allowed to try.

I am aware that MPs cannot and should not intervene in individual decisions of the courts, and given ST’s recent demise, the point in her case is moot. But we live in a state where “religion and beliefs” are strongly protected characteristics and I would hope to see some future tweak to the legislation whereby a strongly held belief is given weight in law above a medical prognosis whose truth is necessarily contingent until it is tested by time.

Were I, at some future date, offered the chance of some experimental trial which would alleviate part, but not all, of my condition, I would be horrified to find the State stepping into to tell me I was unreasonable, and therefore incapacitous, because the treatment offered me only partial hope. I would like the State to allow me freedom to fail – or, surprisingly, succeed.

Yours Sincerely

Revd Dr Gareth Leyshon, MInstP, BA (Oxon), BTh (Surrey).

Lessons in Forgiveness

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys, on the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

A married couple kept arguing about a certain thing that had once happened between them. Eventually, with the help of a marriage counsellor, they agreed to forgive and forget. A month went by, two months, three months, and neither of them mentioned it. But then, about six months in, they had a blazing row and one said to the other – “And there was that time when…”.

The other, shocked, said, “I thought we’d agreed to forgive and forget?” 

“Yes,” said the first, “but I haven’t forgotten that we’ve forgiven and forgotten!”

The readings today all point us in the direction of forgiveness. It’s the most distinctive feature of our Christian faith. We are not commanded to forget. But we are urged to forgive others, on pain of not receiving forgiveness, ourselves, from God.

Every day, we pray: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

The story of God’s people through the ages is shot through with forgiveness.

St Stephen, the deacon and first martyr of the church, was stoned, and died crying: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’

In 1679, St Philip Evans was brought to the gallows in Cardiff and was permitted to make a speech before he was hanged. “If I have or had any enemies in the world, which I do not know that ever I had in my life, I do heartily forgive them for anything done or said against me, and if I have offended anybody, I am heartily sorry for it and ask them forgiveness. I pray God bless and prosper the king.”

In 1902, a young Italian girl was fatally wounded by a young man who attacked her. Her parish priest brought her Holy Communion and asked whether she forgave her attacker. Before she died, St Maria Goretti replied, “Yes, I forgive him and want him to be in Paradise with me.”

In 1927, a Jesuit priest working in Mexico was falsely accused of plotting against the President. Rejecting the traditional blindfold, Blessed Miguel Pro stretched his arms out in the form of a cross and facing the firing squad said, “May God have mercy on you. May God bless you. Lord, You know that I am innocent. With all my heart I forgive my enemies.”

Beyond the ranks of the Catholic Church, we could speak of the Methodist, Gordon Wilson, who forgave the IRA for the bomb which killed his daughter, Marie; we could point to the Anglican Bishop Festo Kivengere, who dared to preach forgiveness towards the homicidal dictator, Idi Amin; we could mention of the Russian mystic Seraphim of Sarov, who was brutally assaulted and left crippled for life, but refused to press charges against his attackers.

Christians forgive. If we do not forgive, we are not followers of the Crucified One.

But how can we forgive? If someone has wounded us so deeply that our only feelings towards that person are hatred and revenge, are we not entitled to say, “I cannot forgive – I will never forgive”?

No.

Say not, “I cannot forgive”, but “I will not forgive” – because forgiveness is a choice.

Forgiveness is nothing to do with your feelings, and everything to do with your willpower.

Forgiveness doesn’t require that the person who wronged you must apologise. You can choose to forgive them anyway.

Forgiveness doesn’t require that the person who wronged you must change their behaviour. But the way you express your forgiveness will be more cautious if you are at risk of being harmed again. It’s OK to make the other person earn your trust again – forgiveness is the decision to give them the chance to do so.

Jesus teaches us again and again that we must choose one of two ways: the path of demanding our rights, or the way of forgiveness. The power to choose the way of forgiveness rests with us. St James, in his letter, puts it most clearly: “Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful, but mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Our merciful Saviour, we are told, was praying all the time for sinners. Let us not be closed to his grace, but be willing to forgive as he forgave. This requires, at the very least, praying for our opponents and calling God’s blessings on those who have harmed or obstructed us in life.

How can you forgive your worst enemy? Here are three steps you must take.

1. Say the words. “Heavenly Father, I forgive this person. Do not hold their sin against them.”
2. Choose not to punish the person for what they have done. If there is any ongoing situation where you are being vindictive, stop it immediately.
3. Show some sign of love towards the other person, if it is safe to do so. You can always pray for them.

None of these actions require you to feel warm towards your enemy. They only require an act of will. You forgive with your mind first, and eventually your heart will follow.

When our enemies express true sorrow, we must go further and extend the hand of friendship in return for sincere repentance. A follower of Jesus must never withhold forgiveness. But if the other person is in danger of continuing to harm you, make it clear that your restored trust, unlike your forgiveness, must be earned.

Perhaps this seems too much to ask. It will certainly require a great deal of emotional energy. If you cannot find it within yourself, ask God for a share of the love which flows from the wounded heart of Jesus. But if you need inspiration, if you need motivation, look to the Crucifix, and remember what we celebrate at every Mass: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”

So, dear friends in Christ, do not forget to forgive. Indeed, your eternal life depends upon it!

Extraordinary Ministers

Homily at the Pastorate of Our Lady of the Valleys, 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

To be a follower of Jesus requires humility. To be a minister of the church, doubly so.

Today’s Gospel requires us to put one another right when we risk straying off the pathway to heaven. No-one likes being corrected, but as people trying to follow Jesus we accept that we are not Lord over our own lives, and sometimes, annoying though it is, a brother or sister can see better than we can, when we are not following his instructions.

In a few moments I will be commissioning members of our community to continue, or in some cases to begin, a ministry of distributing Holy Communion. The Church therefore asks that I preach about this ministry in particular. We do call it a ministry, and the people who perform it are properly called ministers. So like Government ministers or clergy, these ministers are called to be careful about the standard of their lives, because they are seen as an example to us all. There is no ministry more sacred which can be entrusted to a lay person, that that of handling the Body of Christ. And perhaps that is why Mother Church offers such ministers a word of correction so often. To quote the Gospel according to Spider-Man – with great power comes great responsibility!

On the night before He died, Our Lord took bread, blessed and broke it, and said “This is my Body – do this in memory of me.” But the Mass is not simply a re-enactment which helps us to remember. Jesus said – you can read this in Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel – that His followers must truly munch His body and quaff His blood in order to gain eternal life. We know from the writings of St Justin in the 2^nd Century that the first Christians understood very well that what they received in Holy Communion was truly the body and blood of Jesus.

But that left a question open. Was the loaf consecrated at Mass then still bread at the same time as it became Jesus, or did it stop being bread when it became Jesus? This became a point of argument 800 years ago, resulting in the gathered bishops of our church making a clear statement in 1215 that we believe the bread is changed. It becomes Jesus. It is no longer bread. And so we have a duty to remind ourselves of this truth. If someone speaks of receiving bread or wine at a Catholic Mass, we should gently but firmly correct them. “No! We do not believe it remains bread or wine once the priest has consecrated it. It becomes Jesus Himself, and the greatest privilege of our faith is that the God who died to save us desires also to be in communion with us.”

Now I will admit that sometimes we use language which adds to our confusion. Yes, we can speak of the “Bread of Heaven” or the “Bread of Life”. We even have the acclamation “When we eat this bread… we proclaim your death…”.

But this bread is no longer bread. It is always wrong to use the unqualified word, “bread” and Mother Church encourages you to put right anyone who does.

In fact, we have a confusing range of words that we can use for this great gift at the centre of our faith. We speak of the Body of Christ, the consecrated host, the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion, the Eucharist.

Of course the “Body of Christ” can also refer to the Church, made up of each one of us, or Jesus’ physical body which once walked this earth and is now ascended into heaven. The actual wafer, consecrated, is properly called the Blessed Sacrament. When it is consumed by a believer, it becomes Holy Communion. It is by eating and drinking that Our Lord is joined, connected, communed and communicated to each one of us.

But then there’s the word Eucharist. It comes from a Greek term meaning thanksgiving. It was the word used by the first Christians for the whole ceremony where a priest took bread, gave thanks in the name of Jesus, and offered God the Father the gift of Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. In fact, each Mass is a double thanksgiving. First we gave thanks for the bread and wine which are presented to the priest, as we would say grace over any meal. Then we give thanks for Jesus dying on the Cross, within which prayer – the Eucharistic Prayer – the priest repeats the words of Jesus, This is My Body, and indeed His Body becomes present anew upon the altar.

So let’s be clear. The Eucharist is another name for the Mass. And Mass doesn’t mean “any Catholic prayer service”. The Mass is only and uniquely the prayer where a priest or bishop stands in the place of Jesus and repeats His words over bread and wine. The wafer of bread and the wine within the chalice become the Blessed Sacrament, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Body and Blood of Christ. When they are received first by the cleric presiding and then the people, these gifts become Holy Communion.

Mother Church likes us to get these things right. But even she can be careless and may need to correct herself. In 1980, a Vatican document (§11) referred to lay ministers as ‘extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist’. But on reflection, our leaders said ‘hang on, if the Eucharist is the Mass, that’s not right’. These ministers don’t help celebrate Mass. They do help distribute Holy Communion. So in 2004, the Vatican issued a revised ruling (§154) asking us to refer to Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and avoid speaking of Eucharistic Ministers.

To the ministers being commissioned today, I charge you to be people of extraordinary faith, extraordinary humility and an extraordinary example to all of us. Follow the rules which Mother Church will set out from time to time for this ministry, and correct one another gently. Hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in the rules of Mother Church. And now I invite you to come forward to make your commitment humbly before us all.

A Catholic Opinion on Reflexology

From time to time, I am asked if Reflexology is compatible with Catholic faith. I say, no. I will set out why below.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a form of therapy based on the belief that ‘lines of bio-energy’ connect different parts of the body, in particular various internal organs are mapped to different regions of the sole of the foot (or to other easily accessible parts of the body).

Belief in the existence of this ‘bio-energy’ is widespread in many Asian cultures. In India it is known as prana, in Japan as ki and in China as chi or qi.

Reflexologists operate in the belief that lightly touching certain points on the sole of the foot (or other parts of the body) affects the flow of this energy and therefore brings healing and balance to our inner organs.

For example, the British Association of Reflexologists claim that “back in the 1920’s investigative studies regarding this concept allowed the first Western reflexology foot map to be produced. Since that time the other anatomical areas have been mapped allowing this model to be applied to the hands, ears and face.” But they then go on to acknowledge that “there have been some positive research projects carried out with reflexology; however, as yet, there is not a large enough body of evidence for us to make clinical claims of effectiveness.”

What I say below applies strictly to reflexology as defined above. It does not automatically apply to other forms of massage or therapeutic touch.

There are two questions a Christian should ask when dealing with any alternative therapy. The first is, “Does it work?” and the second is “What are the spiritual implications?”

The Scientific Question

Now, we need to be careful in precisely asking the question “Does it work?” Any form of therapy which pays attention to a person in pain and offers them hope is likely to have a positive feel-good effect, which can itself reduce pain. This is well known in medicine, and called the placebo effect. So whenever we ask if a therapy such as Reflexology works, the question is, does it offer relief above and beyond what can be achieved by the placebo effect alone? If a therapist is charging a client for their ‘expertise’ it would be unethical to do so if that expertise had no added effect. In the case of Reflexology we might also ask whether there is rigorous research to validate the zone maps which suggest how internal organs link to particular regions of the skin. But as we saw above, even the British Association of Reflexologists admit there is a lack of scientific evidence. A study in Malaysia concluded that “From ten systematic reviews, it is safe to conclude that until now reflexology does not have sufficient evidence to support its clinical use.”

Now a scientist will always admit that lack of positive evidence is not proof of absence. The widespread belief in bio-energy across Asian cultures might be pointing us to connections in the human body we are not yet able to document. There is much still to learn about our nervous system and how hormones (chemical signals) work in our body. In recent years, medial science has established a series of unexpected connections between the microbes which live in our guts and the workings of our brains. As a scientist, I am open-minded about whether we will one day discover and understand new connections which caused Asian practitioners to theorise the existence of bio-energy. But until this is characterised and understood, it cannot be used effectively to provide well-founded therapies.

The Spiritual Question

The first of the Ten Commandments requires Jews, Christians and Muslims to honour no God except the God of Abraham. “Honouring” is not just about the explicit acts of worship we carry out; it’s also about where we place our trust.

We do not dishonour God when we put our trust in something which is good and true. We can safely turn to professionals who have passed exams to show they know their craft, based on research which – to the best of our ability – has described the truth of the natural world we live in. So in general there is no problem with a Christian believer turning to doctors, dentists, psychologists or counsellors for help. But we are still morally responsible for checking the values of those practicioners – so we could not agree with a doctor who proposes abortion or a counsellor with a relaxed approach to divorce or sex outside marriage.

When it comes to a therapy like Reflexology, where are we placing our trust? In other words, how would the therapist answer if you asked how they choose where to manipulate your foot and why it would ‘work’?

• I’m doing what I was taught by my tutor/textbook.

In this case you are putting your trust not in this practitioner but in someone else who wrote the instructions.

• I believe there is evidence that your pain relates to this part of your foot.

You can ask the Reflexologist where this evidence comes from. They might sincerely believe in something they have read, but if it wasn’t published in a journal with rigorous scientific checks and balances it doesn’t constitute good evidence.

Ultimately, unless the Reflexologist can produce a peer-reviewed scientific paper, they will be grounded in one of three things:

1. They don’t believe Reflexology actually works but are happy to take your money.
2. They believe Reflexology does work but have blind faith in what they are doing.
3. They believe Reflexology does work and believe they are manipulating bio-energy.

If we find ourself in the postion of a therapist saying “I don’t know how this works and I can’t give you evidence, but trust me that it does” we are surrendering to a superstition, giving authority to somone else’s unfounded beliefs. This is a form of idolatry.

If the therapist believes they are manipulating bio-energy – or is putting trust in a textbook/tutorial from someone who believed that – then to receive treatment is co-operating with an attempt to manipulate the flow of spiritual energy. This is defined as a sin by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion… Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2117

“The virtue of religion” is a technical term describing the Christian understanding that a follower of Jesus should not turn to any spiritual source for healing other than the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or the angels and saints who invoke the same Triune God by their prayers). The only permitted spiritual healing for a Christian is to turn to Jesus.

The Catholic Church does not have a position on whether ‘spiritual energy’ exists. It does recognise that evil spirits exist. When a person opens themself to a spiritual power – real or imagined – other than God that person gives permission for unGodly spirits to have authority over them. This is both a sin of idolatry and potentially leads to a spiritual afflication which will require deliverance ministry.

A Christian Reflexology practitioner might protest that what they are doing is good and the ‘spiritual energy comes from God’. But where is this revealed in the Christian tradition? We know how Jesus taught his followers to heal – by laying on hands, invoking the Name of Jesus, asking for the Holy Spirit. There are hints of the flow of spiritual energy in Scripture – three times it is written of Jesus that ‘power went out of Him’ (Mk 5:30, Lk 6:19 & 8:46). But this power flows because the person has faith in the one they are touching – Jesus the Messiah. There is nothing in Scripture about spiritual energy connecting different parts of the body.

Conclusion

In most cases, a person receiving Reflexology is submitting to the belief – held either by the therapist or at least the source of their instruction – that spiritual energy can be manipulated to effect healing. If the client is not aware of this belief, they would not be guilty of sin, but would still be vulnerable to affliction by unGodly spirits because they had given consent. If the client is aware of the claim to manipulate spiritual energy, they would also be comitting a sin of idolatry.

In some cases a Reflexologist might explicitly reject belief in bio-energy. But in the absence of solid evidence for their technique a person receiving their therapy would be entering a different kind of idolatry – that of giving authority over their body to a human being not grounded in something true and good.

Heaven’s Unexpected Kiss

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Our story today begins with an unexpected kiss.

If you’re going to do that, make sure it isn’t an unwanted kiss. In the movies, boy kisses girl and after a moment of hesitation she decides to let him in. In real life, as we’ve seen playing out with the Spanish football team, it can result in an ugly row. But today’s homily is not a sermon on human relationships and how “no” always means no, and about resisting saying “yes” unless you really mean yes. Today’s homily is about the relationship between God and each one of us.

“You have seduced me Lord, and I have let myself be seduced.”

The prophet Jeremiah has had such an extreme, overwhelming experience of God’s love that he must reach for the strong language of a passionate relationship, to explain his sense of calling. But this is not an exclusive gift for the prophet. If we open our hearts to God, if we give permission to the Holy Spirit to fill the deepest, darkest corners of our being with the light which only God can give, each one of us can have a powerful experience of God’s personal love for us.

But we are afraid to let go and let God. If I were to let God into my heart, what would He find? My sin. My shame. My sorrow. How could God love a person like me?

Yet this is the amazing claim of the Gospel – anyone might give their lives for a really good person, but Jesus Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

There is no greater example for us than St Peter, chosen by Jesus to lead his apostles, yet subject to temptation at every turn. On the night of crucifixion, Peter would deny Jesus three times. Today, mere moments after being affirmed for hearing the Father’s voice, Peter yields to Satan and protests that God’s plans cannot possibly involve suffering.

But God’s plans do involve suffering. For Jesus, they led to His Passion on Mount Calvary. For us, they require us to “pick up our cross” each day.

To journey with God, you must think God’s way, not in a worldly way. God’s way is the way of forgiving people who don’t deserve it; the way of resisting temptations to intimacy in relationships outside marriage; the way of helping others not because of what we might receive from them, but because of what we will receive from God. The world will regard us as foolish; the Lord will regard us as holy. When our minds are made new, after the pattern of Christ, our thoughts will be on how we can serve others and love God. We must think God’s way, act God’s way and love God’s way. We must live lives shaped not by what other people will think of us, but by what God will think of us. To help with this, the Holy Spirit, with all His gifts, longs to dwell in our hearts. We are not alone!

It is for our consolation on this challenging journey that He will seduce us, so our hearts cannot rest until they rest in Him. St Rose of Lima, whose feast fell last month, was a mystic who heard Christ speak clearly to her in these words:

“Grace comes after tribulation… the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase… Take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross [you] can find no road to climb to heaven.”

Last week, perhaps you were able to cry with Peter, “Yes! You are the Christ!” – this week you may be standing with Peter as one who has fallen and failed on the road to Calvary again and again. Last week Peter was commissioned as Pope; today, his fallibility is clear for all to see. What makes him a saint is his willingness to get up again … in the long run, he perseveres; all he can do is pick himself up, and offer himself once again to Jesus. And here we see the amazing love of God made visible in Jesus – for the Lord keeps calling Peter. The Risen Christ, speaking privately with Peter on the shores of Galilee, will send him once again to be the rock of his brethren.

We have an Enemy, whose weapon is despair. Time and time again we are tempted to look in the mirror and see only our faults, our failures, our darkened heart. Who am I that Christ could love me, invite me to be his friend, make me a saint? It is so easy to give in to such temptation. Jesus will never force us – but, until He comes again, He will never cease inviting us to choose Him. He longs to see us fall at His feet again, remove the tar, make our hearts pure again.

It is God alone who chooses when to greet us with heaven’s unexpected kiss, and here, like the girl in the movies, we do face a moment of decision. Do we accept God’s love, or do we resist it? If you allow God into your life, he will not rest until he has made a saint of you. He will lead you, as he led Jesus, on the Royal Road of the Cross, the only true stairway to paradise. “Will you come with me on this road to heaven?” asks the One who loves you. The decision is yours.

CALLBACK – remarks at the end of Mass

Sometimes we come to know God’s love in the privacy of our own prayer time. For many of us, the pace of life picks up in September. Perhaps this week our challenge is to make space for God, to spend ten minutes sitting with Jesus alone and asking that we may know His love, His forgiveness, his tender touch.

Sometimes we come to know God’s love when others sit with us and pray with us. This is why our Discovering Christ Course, launching this month, will lead us to a retreat day where we can receive this kind of prayer. If you’ve never had a personal experience of sensing God’s love for you, I would strongly encourage you to take part. Of course no-one can guarantee when and how God’s love will break forth into our lives, but the more we turn to God and seek His presence, the more chances we have to see God drawing close to us.

DISCOVERING CHRIST

What on earth am I here for?

Does Christian faith make sense in the 21st Century?
Seven talks – each starting with a free meal – presented by the Catholic Church.

It helps to book in advance so we can prepare the right food:

MONDAYS at 12.30 – 3 pm, 25 Sep – 13 Nov (no session 30 Oct)

– Monday talks at All Hallows’ Hall, Miskin tinyurl.com/DC23-miskin

– Monday talks at the Cwm Farm Shop in Treorchy tinyurl.com/DC23-treorchy

THURSDAYS at 6.30 – 9 pm, 28 Sep – 18 Nov (no session 2 Nov)

 – Thursday talks at the Pick & Shovel (near St Dyfrig’s) tinyurl.com/DC23-treforest

Walk-ins welcome too. Bring a friend!