Investing in Faith

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

Be afraid! Be very afraid! 

A preacher was once going on at length about death and damnation, one of his favorite subjects. “There will be weeping,” he thundered, “and wailing and gnashing of teeth.” But as he went on, an elderly lady in the front row started grinning, and the more he preached about these terrible consequences, the wider her grin became. Eventually the preacher could stand it no more, broke off his orations, and fixed the woman with a withering gaze. “Madam,” he said, “do you not understand what I am saying? If you don’t change your ways, you could be cast into damnation where there is forever a wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

At this, the woman broke into a broad, gummy, grin. “No teeth!” she declared proudly.

The preacher glared back. “Teeth,” he said, slowly, “will be provided!”

Do not be afraid! But be very afraid!

Sometimes the Bible seems confusing.

There are passages where God clearly wants to reassure us. You might have heard it said that the Bible tells us “Do not be afraid!” 365 times, one for each day of the year. Well, that’s not quite true, but according to one way of counting it does say that 145 times!

Yet there are also passages where Jesus seeks to warn us. The warnings are addressed to people who claim they’ve already decided to follow Jesus, but who aren’t doing that in practice. Last week’s warning was about lukewarmness – the foolish bridesmaids started off well but got complacent. Today’s warning is about fear – being more afraid of the consequences of doing God’s work than of not doing it.

The third servant in today’s parable was given a talent, but was afraid to work with it. Perhaps he felt embarrassed that he wasn’t blessed as richly as the ones entrusted with five or with two talents. Yet in a way, having only one talent is a blessing. You know exactly what God wants you to do. When you are multi-talented you have to decide where to pour your energy! The “perfect wife” in the first reading knew exactly where her talents lay, and she put them to good use.

The Master in today’s parable admits that yes, he gathers where he has not scattered, and reaps where he has not sown. What does this mean? It’s about the gift of faith. God could have created a world where every human being got their own personal apparition of an angel or saint to invite them to become believers. But that’s not God’s plan. Instead, God sends us.

The Master would have been content if the servant had “put the money in the bank” – but what does that mean in practice? The bank is the place where experts work to grow your investment. We’re not all good at speaking about our faith. But we can all invite our friends to come with us to something they might find interesting. This is why the Discovering Christ course we’ve been running recently begins with a talk about the “Meaning of Life”. Your friends might not respond well if you say “Would you like to come to a 7-week course about Jesus and the Holy Spirit?” but they might respond more positively if you say, “Would you like to come with me to an evening about the big questions of life?”

You might say, it’s not our culture as Catholics to do things like this. Well, cultures can change. In our first reading, the perfect wife is granted a share of the profits – perfectly normal today, but a radical exception in the culture of ancient Israel. The Catholic Church used to have a culture of being missionary – it’s because we’ve lost this that the Church is now struggling in the West.

We are here today because the Apostles set out to preach the Good News, and all except John paid with their lives.

We are here today because our forebears in the Roman Empire celebrated Mass in secret for 300 years.

We are here today because our ancestors in Ireland risked celebrating Mass on rocks and running before the Redcoats found them.

We are here today because saints like David Lewis, John Lloyd and Philip Evans risked being hanged, drawn and quartered for celebrating Mass.

We do not face any of those dangers. We are free to say to our friends, “Would you like to come with me to church for Christmas?” or “Would you like to come to a carol service?” Christmas is the easiest time of the year to invite someone who doesn’t often come to church to make that connection. Church at Christmas is the “bank of faith” where you can make an investment.

I’d like you to take a few moments now to think of the name of someone you can invite to Church this Christmas. Maybe it’s a family member who no longer comes to Mass. Maybe it’s a friend who’s never been connected to any kind of church. If you want to start with something very easy, you could even invite a friend who goes to a different kind of church, but we’re not in the business of sheep-stealing. And I’m going to ask for an act of boldness. Once you’ve thought of a person, if you are willing to invite that person to come to Christmas Mass or one of the carol services we’ll be advertising soon, I want you to raise your hand. This is your promise to me and to Our Lord that you will invite at least one person.

The Master knew the third servant had only one talent, and was of limited ability. He would have been satisfied if that servant had simply put the money in the bank. But the servant didn’t try – and listen carefully to these words, Jesus is warning us that if you are a follower of Jesus and you do nothing to try to share your faith, you may be thrown into the dark, where there is a wailing and a gnashing of teeth. And since we believe in the resurrection of the body, then yes, teeth will be provided!

Always Prepared?

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

Imagine being trapped in a war zone. Fuel is running short. Security gates are closed. Then a rumour goes round that a distant gate has been opened. Those with enough fuel in their vehicles make a mad dash for freedom. Those whose tanks are empty, panic. You have enough fuel in your tank for yourself, but not to help anyone else who’s run short. What do you do?

The history of the Christian Church is full of heroes and heroines who have sacrificed themselves so that others might live. St Maximilian Kolbe took the place of a Jewish family man at Auschwitz. St Gianna Molla refused a life-saving operation which could have killed her unborn child. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Dr Martin Luther King paid with their lives for speaking out against Nazi ideology and racism. Saints Damian of Molokai and Marianne Cope spent their lives caring for the lepers of Hawai’i. Would it not be the most Christian thing to give away the last of your fuel?

Jesus made it clear that the man who has two coats should give one to the person with nothing to wear. The widow who gave her last two coins to the Temple was praised for her trust and generosity. Yet by the way Our Lord tells this parable, we’re clearly meant to conclude that it’s our responsibility to keep our lamps topped up with oil. This oil is not meant to be given to others – and that’s because this oil cannot be given to others. The only way to buy this oil is through good deeds and acts of faith.

Oil in Scripture is often a sign of the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit. God works in us and through us to bless the world around us. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but only if we open ourselves to God in prayer. And sometimes, to make room for the Holy Spirit we have to cast out the darkness we hold inside us: addictions, laziness, indifference. What we cannot do is take the share of the Spirit which God has placed within us and give it to anyone else. It’s only by our words and actions that we can inspire others to turn to God and ask for the Holy Spirit. He can, and He will, give His Spirit in abundance to those who ask with desire.

The foolish bridesmaids know they’ve been invited to the wedding. They have lamps. This means that they know Jesus is real, and wants to take them to heaven. They even have good structures in their life – like going to Mass every weekend. It’s not a problem that they were asleep. The wise bridesmaids know that we need rest and recuperation, too. But even when resting, the wise ones were ready for Jesus, at whatever moment he might come. Indeed, the very best way we can fill our lamps is by saying YES to Jesus at the unexpected times He asks us to make a move.

We add oil to our lamps when we see a person in physical need, and we give food, clothing or shelter.

We add oil to our lamps when we see a lonely person and reach out with conversation and care.

We add oil to our lamps when we speak about our faith in Jesus and invite another person to come to a spiritual activity.

We add oil to our lamps when we take time to pray quietly and ask for God’s guidance. Perhaps there’s someone we need to help, and God will bring them to mind in the quiet of our prayer.

We add oil to our lamps when we know we need God’s strength to do all of these things and we pray quietly, “Come, Holy Spirit!” for divine assistance.

I once saw a science fiction show where one of the heroes unexpectedly found himself in command of a starship. As they entered combat, this acting captain turned to the weapons officer and said, “Uh, you should probably prepare to return fire!” The officer replied: “For the record, I’m always prepared. I just have to press this button here.”

That officer, like the wise bridesmaids, knew his purpose. He had done his training and he had the right attitude. He had oil in his lamp and firepower at his disposal. At the right time, and the right place, he would do what he needed to do.

This weekend, we remember those who gave their lives to defend this nation in the great wars of the 20^th century and in more recent times. When the call to action came, they were ready. We will honour them in the bidding prayers we offer today.

Beware of falling into the trap of thinking that coming to Mass on Sunday is the one thing which makes the difference between Heaven and Hell. Coming to Mass is like doing military drill – it polishes your lamp, but doesn’t fill it. Rather, at the end of Mass we’re sent out to be the presence of Christ in the world, and it’s the way we do that which fills our lamp. That being ‘sent out’ also applies to the welcomers and Children’s Liturgy catechists who minister at that threshold where the world meets the church.

Imagine being trapped in a war zone. You are a citizen of heaven, battling against temptation on Earth. The gates of Heaven are closed. Then a rumour goes round that a gate has been opened, and Jesus is standing at the checkpoint. He will ask each person, “What have you done for me this week? This month? This year? Since your last confession?”

Many of the parables Jesus tells are about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like here on Earth. This one is about what it will be like for you after your Day of Judgment. If you need to, you have time to change the outcome. The choice is yours, alone.

To The Priests

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

“Don’t do as I do, do as I say.” It’s the common refrain of parents caught out by fault-finding children.

“Don’t do as they do, do as they say.” In a similar way, Our Lord warns us about the religious leaders of his own day. To which the Prophet Malachi adds: “Priests, beware! Stay faithful to God’s teachings or face the consequences.”

Much of what we hear today is directed at religious leaders. So I could preach to myself for 7 minutes, but I won’t inflict that on you. Instead, I’d like to share with you some thoughts about the recent Synod in Rome and the direction Pope Francis is trying to set for our church.

In the pages of the New Testament itself, we have instructions for how the church was to be set up in each town. There was to be a “presiding elder” – we would interpret that as a priest or bishop – who was a married man, had well-behaved children, was mature in living the Catholic faith, and was able to teach. This was the person who became the hands and voice of Christ in celebrating the Last Supper for that community whenever they gathered to worship. Every formal prayer service of the church – every liturgy – is a sacred drama where the one cast to represent Christ, that is, the bishop, priest or deacon – is the one who solemnly blesses the people present.

As the Church developed through history, it asked questions. Who is the most appropriate person to preach? Why, the Elder, because he represents Jesus among us. And who should make the governing decisions about how things are run? Why, the man who stands in the place of Jesus!

But this was a very male way of thinking, which focussed on the question, “What’s my place in the pecking order?” What is appropriate in liturgy leaked and became the way the whole organisation of the church was run. It resulted in senior officials at Vatican departments being elevated to the rank of Archbishop because otherwise they weren’t seen as “worthy” to give instructions to local bishops. And it resulted in rules that said only other ranking clergy could stand trial over clergy accused of crimes.

60 years ago, the world’s bishops gathered for the Second Vatican Council. They rediscovered a priority which had been lost: our status as Christians comes first from baptism, which makes us all members of the Body of Christ. Our bishops declared that any Christian who has received a gift from God has the right and the duty to use it for the good of the church. These gifts include the ability to teach and to exercise leadership. Now Pope Francis is rewriting our rulebook to put this into practice.

Two years ago, he changed the rules so that lay judges in Vatican courts could try even Cardinals accused of crimes. This spring, he allowed the governing body of the Vatican City State to include laity, and also required that 70 lay delegates with full voting rights – including women and young people – should be alongside the bishops in this year’s Synod. Now the Synod itself (13k) has questioned whether senior Vatican officials need to be ordained as Archbishops. It’s all part of a clear trend which says leadership doesn’t need to be tied to ordination.

That said, we must have Malachi’s warning ringing in our ears. We must stay faithful to God’s teachings. I know that many Catholic commentators were worried that the Synod would dump God’s teachings and call for changes reflecting current trends and fashions But that’s not what we see in the final report. Rather we see that Christians from different wings of the church have been listening to each other, noting points of agreement and questions to be explored. The Synod emphasises the importance of listening to one another – and the one thing we can be sure of is when we take time to stop and listen, change only happens slowly.

“Don’t do as I do, do as I say.” But I need to strive for integrity! None of our priests are perfect because for some unfathomable reason, Jesus chose human beings to be his hands and voice rather than remaining on earth himself. It’s not good for the church when we put priests on a pedestal. Every priest needs to be accountable, and I will always listen seriously to feedback, whether it comes through an official parish committee or from someone communicating with me directly.

Last month, our diocese issued a new rulebook for priests about how they administer the finances of parishes. If the priest wants to spend more than £2,500 on a project, he needs approval from the Parish’s own finance committee. Any project costing more than £10,000 also needs approval from the Trustees of the Diocese.

Here in the Rhondda, I’ve recently set up a Church Management Committee to serve as the Finance Committee and also look after some other issues of how we maintain and care for our buildings. Soon I will publish in the parish newsletter the names of who is serving on this body. The diocese also expects that we will have an annual parish meeting to present the accounts and allow any parishioner who wishes to ask questions about our finance and administration. So we will call such a meeting before Easter.

Here All Hallows, I asked the Parish Council which was in place when I arrived to continue as a Church Management Committee, to also serve the functions of the Finance Committee. I am grateful for the work of those who allow the running of our buildimgs to happen with me keeping an arms’ length approach. The diocese also expects that we will have an annual parish meeting to present the accounts and allow any parishioner who wishes to ask questions about our finance and administration. So we will call such a meeting before Easter.

Here at St Dyfrig’s, I’ve recently set up a Parish Finance Committee to monitor our accounts and spending. Soon I will publish in the parish newsletter the names of who is serving on this body. The diocese also expects that we will have an annual parish meeting to present the accounts and allow any parishioner who wishes to ask questions about our finance and administration. So we will call such a meeting before Easter.

Separately from the financial administration, one of the first things I did when I came to you in January was to put together a Pastoral Leadership Team. This was not concerned with buildings, but with what is far more central – the spiritual life of our community. How and when do we worship? How do we share our faith with other people? How do we provide for people to access the sacraments of initiation? How can we care for the sick and poor among us? Without these, we have no purpose. If we don’t do those things, we come under the condemnation of Malachi. Rather, let’s hold one another accountable so that we do worship God, serve the poor and spread the Good News of Jesus in this place – and then we will have integrity of words and deeds.