Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 17: 26-37

 

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A Reflection on Luke 17: 26-37 

(32nd Friday in Ordinary Time, Year A of the Liturgical Calendar, 2023)

Preparing ourselves for Christ's second coming

As a child the first-time death confronted me, I was playing Marble Madness on the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive console, a very popular gaming console of my time; I was about 7 or 8 years-old. I remember the incident that sparked the curiosity and fears of death in me. It did not register at first, however overtime, as the marble kept falling from the course, due to my amateur gaming skills, I realised that life had an end. I put the console controller down, ran to my father and told him that I did not want to die. From memory, he provided little assurance on the life that awaits us with Christ after death, but to be fair my father was gentle and kind about the situation reassuring me not to worry about it.

We all have loved ones who have died in the past too. Some we have no memory of who might be a grandparent we have never come to know; others have been closer relations. A school friend of mine died in a car crash in the first year out of high school, he was only 18. In the last year or so, politicians and cricket stars have left this world unexpectedly due to heart failure. Not all people die unexpectedly since some live to their final moments, prepared as they were before their soul separates from their broken bodies and go to God. Nevertheless, life for some takes an unexpected turn, leaving us confronted and worried about our own mortalities.

In this Gospel, Jesus confronts us with the reality of his second coming. He tells us that he will return without any warning: as Noah went into the ark and the people were eating and marrying and having a good time, the flood came and destroyed them all. In fact, when the second coming takes place, Jesus warns us that it will be too late for us to do anything else to warrant salvation. Not even our material wealth will sway God to save us: “when that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either.” However, it is not doom and gloom for all. Again, Jesus tells us that “anyone who preserves his life will lose it, and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.”

Preservation of this life, in Jesus’s point-of-view, is realised in those who seek security in this world. A man pursues not only a good career which secures him money, health insurance and material wealth; he invests his security only in created goods, and not God. Not only does the man place his security in created goods, but he also looks inwardly and sees himself as the only good worth preserving. He spends all that was given and gained on himself. He only eats, drinks, and enjoys life. When one is completely focused on himself, he forgets God and those around him in need. In other words, he forgets to love.

As human beings, we are called to love the people around us. The Church reminds us that God is love and that we were created out of God’s love so that we could love him and each other in return. In our own existence we feel a call to love even if we are ignorant of what the Church teaches. When we are confronted with evil our heart melts for those who suffer. Sometimes, we even respond to the evil to alleviate the pain of another. This kind of response requires self-sacrifice because we forsake something of ourselves so that someone else might find life again.

When Jesus says “those who lose it will keep it safe” he means that those who invest in God first and not themselves will find security after his second return.  To invest in God requires nothing more than trusting in his plan for us and living it out completely each and every day. It involves living a life of love out of love for God. We do this by first honouring him which consists of upholding The Commandments, praying regularly and every day, and most importantly showing people the same affection, which God has shown us - in other words: loving others as God has loved us.

For two reasons the last commandment should be considered seriously. Firstly, when we love we grow as individuals, realising our best potential. It is in sacrifice in which we discover our real selves, not in hoarding material and wealth for ourselves, nor in drinking and eating. Those who live only for material and pleasurable things not only become unhappier they also lack a story to tell; they are in fact boring people. We all would like our life’s story told by others however that story can be told only if we have something good to share with others. Think of what Jesus did for us on the cross: he died for us so that we might find life and that story remains to be told today. While life is all about getting to heaven where Jesus now reigns, our heavenly journey comes with a story, and it is one which must involve a personal cross. Lastly, we want to love because of this gospel message. A time will come when death or Jesus will come unexpectedly, and when that day arrives, we want to be prepared so that Jesus might take us with him where we will live happily forever.

Do not settle for comfort and pleasure like in the days of Noah and Lot. Indeed, comfort and pleasure are still pursued in our modern day. Instead, put God first and live for heaven’s sake.

Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 16: 1-8

 

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A Reflection on Luke 16: 1-8 

(31st Friday in Ordinary Time, Year A of the Liturgical Calendar, 2023)

Approaching Times of Crises with Intelligence and Truth

In this parable, Jesus conveys a message that has long puzzled not only me, but many in the congregation and numerous commentators throughout history. Frankly, when I first encountered this passage, I deliberated again and again the decision to reflect on it. The narrative portrays a dishonest manager who, confronting the threat of unemployment, reduces the debts owed to his master. His motive is clear: to ensure that these debtors would support him post-employment. Fascinatingly, at the parable’s conclusion, the master commends the steward for his shrewdness in navigating this critical juncture.

 

This passage presents a perplexing scenario: a master incurs a loss through his steward's actions, yet he commends the steward for reducing debts owed to him. To grasp its meaning, one must see the master as representing Jesus. Therefore, I propose the crux of the message lies in the dishonest manager's response to crisis. Jesus highlights that the manager doesn't dwell on his impending unemployment or wallow in self-pity for his mistakes. Rather, he evaluates his predicament and devises a strategy to regain control over his life.

 

Crisis is an inevitable part of life, sparing no one. For the single person, it often takes the shape of loneliness, possibly due to a lack of confidantes. This solitude can lead to coping mechanisms like binge eating, alcohol consumption, or pornography, culminating in depression. Financial burdens, too, weigh heavily, as single incomes struggle to provide security. In marriage, crises evolve differently. The demands of love, partnership, and parenting can be overwhelming, leading some to seek comfort outside their marriage, tragically breaching their vows and impacting children, in-laws, and the wider family network. For priests and consecrated people, crises might manifest as doubts in their vocation or the burden of false accusations, which they must endure. Diocesan priests face the additional challenge of financial stewardship for their parish and themselves. Meanwhile for consecrated religious, community life can be strained by personality clashes or projection issues among members.

 

Every crisis requires an intelligent response. Indeed, while emotions are a natural part of our response, it's essential to tame them. This control ensures that we are not entirely swayed or blinded by our feelings, as they aren’t concerned with rational decision-making. In any crisis you face, it's important to take a step back and read the situation intelligently. I’m no clinical psychologist but every crisis provides an opportunity for sin, and this makes us vulnerable to the devil even more.

 

Our human nature, flawed as it is, often leads us to make self-centred decisions in times of crisis, much like the dishonest manager in the parable. His shrewdness was acknowledged, but it's worth considering whether he was commended more for his initiative than for the moral judgment of his actions, given that his choices ultimately disadvantaged his master. To navigate a crisis responsibly, it’s important to have a game plan ready. The most effective plan we could adopt is to immediately seek God’s counsel. In our efforts, it's God who orchestrates order from chaos, being the mastermind of all things and who knows the best route for rescuing. However, turning to God in these trying times can be a challenge.

 

As mentioned earlier, emotions heavily influence our decisions during a crisis, often leading us to act out of pride or folly rather than from a place of truth. This is where humility becomes essential — acknowledging our limitations and seeking help from God. Our faith teaches us to turn to God, who is holy, faultless, and whose love is everlasting. This truth is affirmed by His ultimate sacrifice for us on the Cross, even while we were still sinners.

 

Crisis often involves others, as seen in the parable of the dishonest manager whose actions financially and emotionally harmed his master, leading to severe repercussions. The steward's introspective approach to problem-solving disregarded his master's needs. As Christians, we're called to a life of service to others, which demands creative thinking that is outward-looking, in both good and challenging times. This principle especially resonates with married people, who take vows to honour each other regardless of circumstances. Therefore, when a crisis knocks on our door, we should, with God's assistance, remain composed and discern a wise path out of the troubles that may invade our lives. Rather than wallowing in our problems, we're encouraged to seek ways to serve others. It's through this service, even in hard times, that we find peace.

 

Let us love God wholeheartedly, in good times and in times of crises.

Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 14: 1-6

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A Reflection on Luke 14: 1-6 

(30th Friday in Ordinary Time, Year A of the Liturgical Calendar, 2023)

Approaching the Sabbath with common sense

In today’s Gospel, Jesus introduced us to the dilemma revolved around observing the sabbath. His contemporary Pharisees and Scribes contended a harsh observation of the law, which often neglected the concerns for a fellow human being in the time of his need. We get an insight to the rigidity of the sabbath by the attention that is paid on Christ by the Pharisees: “and they watched him closely.”

Jesus, however, knowing their inward thoughts, puts the dilemma of the sabbath on those leaders in the room with him: “is it against the law… to cure a man on the sabbath or not?” and again: “which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on the sabbath without hesitation?” So, it is very hard to oversee this problem which was so real in and the years leading up to Jesus’s time.

The sabbath is extremely important for human flourishing. We simulate this since the call to rest on the sabbath is the third divine commandment of the Decalogue. It should be noted that the Commandments have a different numbering system for the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments for Catholics and Protestant Christians. Whatever is issued here has been primarily for our good and upbuilding, and nothing less. However, keeping the sabbath is not approached with stiffness as the leaders in Jesus’s time would have us observe. Instead, Jesus reminds us that the bases of the sabbath is found on love. Our business on this day is not merely static or an isolated action; other people who rest and who are meant to and don’t but should rest are also drawn into this weekly solemn divine calling. Since others participate in the sabbath then our response to this commandment is governed by love.

When we rest on this holy day, we do so along with other people, since all are called to honour God with their life. We are also social beings which means we relate with one another, and more importantly: can learn how to love each other. A sign of our love for one another is seen in our response to the immediate needs of those God puts before us. Keep in mind that on the sabbath, it’s a time of worship, rest and leisure. When a fellow neighbour is in a state of physical, emotional or spiritual discombobulation in anyway, it normally causes distress and unrest in our very existence. Think about the unrest in Ukraine 🇺🇦 or the struggle between Israel and Hamas in more recent times, we often respond with sadness when war and conflict affects those there. The news on these conflicts are reported every day, we don’t become indifferent on the sabbath to these events, so we often wonder in helplessness when peace will be establish in those places. So, whenever a fellow human being is in need on a sabbath and is left unattended, our rest is disturbed, and we fail to love truly.

The sick man in today’s passage suffered from dropsy, a disease caused by heart, lung and kidney failure. Its symptoms cause general swelling in the extremities, leaving one stiff in the joints, limiting movement. In the time of Jesus, dropsy was fatal, whereas nowadays there are some medications that can be helpful. However, the real disease ascertained from this passage isn’t so much the dropsy of the man, but the stiffness of the thinking of the leaders. They would, in their hypocrisy, rescue their own animal over a human being, would allow him to be dead yet pull out their own ox from the well instead. In other words, they put their own interests over the interest of others. Jesus finds this attitude of thinking problematic because in the divine scheme of things, love looks outwardly and not selfish interiorly. The interest of the other should always precede that of our own every day.

As a take home, we should have a healthy attitude toward the sabbath and be flexible in our thinking and actions when responding to the concerns of human beings on this sacred day. Let’s ask God therefore to equip us with the right thinking so not to be so stiff like the religious leaders of Jesus’s day and those of our own with respect to our religious duties on the Sabbath.