Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 30^th 2011)        

Matthew 23:1-12

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

Questions raised by this reflection on the Gospel

1. Who benefits from our pious talk: the Lord, or ourselves?

2. What brings true happiness: the praise of others, or acts of love and service?

3. What is of greater value: a single act of love, or an entire convention on theology?

4. Are we are asked to choose the tree of knowing/talking, or the tree of living/doing?

5. Was redemption won for us by words, or by a concrete act on the part of Christ?

The Pharisee as an example of one who knows how to talk but does not act

This Gospel sets before us the paradoxical image of the Pharisee, a person who knows how to talk piously but who does not know how to act. Reflection on this figure challenges us to make a distinction that is of fundamental importance in life: we often understand the right thing to do; we can express it well in words; but the fundamental thing is to do it. "They talk but they do not act" - this is the terrible condemnation from the Gospel that can be justly applied to many of us.

Who benefits from our pious talk, the Lord or ourselves?

At the end of the passage we are confronted with the issue of who the real master is when it comes to spiritual matters. Real teachers always have something to learn; are always capable of being surprised; and are always in danger of being shaken from their own certainties and awoken to things that are more authentic. If, instead, a person lives for the admiration of others; covets the most privileged places at public functions; loves being greeted in public with honourable titles; then his real master is not God but his own status. He has lost his grip on what is essential in life. He may be able to speak about love, but is not able to love; he can wax eloquently about the importance of service, but he may have never served anyone in his life.

Acts of love and service bring true happiness, whilst the praise of others is of little use

It is commonplace to seek honour and admiration from others. But does it bring one jot of real happiness? The Pharisee knows how to speak well and gain the admiration of others, but the fact that he does not know how to act means that his life is an empty and unfulfilled one. What does it count in life if a person is given tributes and honour that are empty? What use is the attention of others and praise for achievements that are not authentic? It is no use at all! One might think that a life dedicated to service is a life of drudgery, but in reality it is a far more beautiful and fulfilling life. If we think of it, we will realise that every time we have sought to obey God we have been happy. Every time we have tried in the slightest way to follow the Gospel we have experienced healing, grace, and peace that cannot be obtained by mere words.

A single act of love is of more value than an entire convention on theology!

The inspiration of this Gospel should lead us to make a definite change of direction in life.  It should encourage us to stop talking and start acting. A single act of love towards God or neighbour is of more value than an entire theological conference. Of this there can be no shadow of doubt. To seek to obey God and to be faithful to his word is of much greater value than anything we might do of a theoretical sort. Real life is made up of concrete things. Love itself is not an idea but an act. Service is not an abstract thing but a concrete attitude, an exercise of the noblest characteristics of our being. To seek admiration for our pious words, whilst failing to act, is to waste time on one of the most useless exercises of our existence.

Redemption was won for us by an act on the part of Christ, not by words

The desire to understand whilst refusing to act is an ancient contradiction that goes back to the beginning of man. In the Garden of Eden there were two trees, the tree of understanding, and the tree of living. Man was destined for the tree of living/doing, but instead he chose the tree of understanding/calculating/pondering, and in this way he lost the tree of living. In order to bring healing to a person, it is of little use explaining things that may be genuinely beautiful in themselves. In the end, it is concrete action on the part of another that brings healing to a person's being. That which heals all of us is not a discourse, but an act. Christ, after many acts of teaching, finally submits himself in obedience to the Father. Our redemption was accomplished by a concrete act, not mere words that may have been wonderful in themselves.

Acts of obedience to the Lord bring meaning and stability to our lives

We do not need to look too far to discern what act of obedience we are asked to accomplish in any given moment. The Lord constantly reveals to all of us our next opportunity for doing, obeying, loving, serving; for going beyond the little cubicle we live in. Do such acts make our lives difficult or dull? No, on the contrary, they bring fulfilment and happiness. Such acts of obedience represent the firm ground upon which we can stand securely amid the swamps of our existence.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time  (October 23^rd 2011) 

Matthew 22:24-40

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

Jesus repeats a commandment that would have been very well-known to his listeners

The Gospel passage this Sunday is very short, very simple and very direct. A doctor of the Law asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus gives a reply that would have been very familiar to his Jewish listeners. Hillel, the celebrated rabbi, said that the whole Law rested on a single pillar: the prescription to love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and with all your strength. It would have been well appreciated at the time of Jesus that this commandment (which appears in Chapter 6 of the Book of Deuteronomy) was the heart of the Law. Practicing Jews, in fact, would have repeated these verses at least three times a day.

            The commandment from Deuteronomy asks that a person love God in a way that is authentic; with all of the heart, all of the mind and all of one's strength. This might sound a little over the top, but how could it be any other way? A bride-to-be would not be very happy if her future husband said to her: "I love you with part of my heart, part of my mind, and some of my strength". If love is to be authentic then it has to be total and unqualified.

Jesus makes love of God inseparable from love of neighbour

The scholar of the Law that approached Jesus in this passage was looking for a reiteration of a commandment that he would already have been very familiar with. He was probably not looking for anything else, but Jesus is not content to stop at a simple repetition of the commandment from the Book of Deuteronomy. He goes on to say that the second commandment is similar. By "similar" Jesus does not mean that this second commandment resembles the first in certain respects. He means that this second commandment is inextricably linked to the first; to observe the first commandment is to observe the second. To love God in an authentic way involves loving your neighbour as yourself. The entire Law and the Prophets, Jesus asserts, depend on these two commandments.

Can our relationship with God be right if our relationships with others are wrong?

Here Jesus unifies love of God and love of neighbour into a single concept. And, when we think about it, is it possible to love God without loving your neighbour? The first letter of St John states that whoever claims to love the God they cannot see, whilst not loving the brother they can see, is a liar. Can we really have an authentic relationship with God if our relationships with our neighbour are not of the loving kind? Sometimes we try to put a division between our relationship with God and our relations with others. In the sacristy we behave like Christians, but in the outside world we live according to different principles. But Christianity cannot be something that we do in private, when we are on our own. If we really loved God, then we would love him all the time, and this involves loving him in and through our relationships with others. Our love for God must permeate everything we do in life. If someone told us that they had difficulties loving their neighbour but no problem in loving God, then we would be suspicious. The two things are inseparable. We are all children of the same father and if we don't get on with our brothers and sisters, then there is a serious problem in our relationship with God. The life of the human being is not divided up into different compartments. It is not possible that a person can have a perfectly faithful and loyal relationship with God, whilst behaving dishonourably towards the people around him. He who is faithful in small things shall be faithful also in greater things. If a person is truly faithful to God then he will be truly faithful to his neighbour. And the opposite is also true: if one's heart is truly open to his neighbour, then his heart will also be open to God.

            We often think we can place God and neighbour into different compartments of our lives but there must be fundamental unity in our attitude towards both. The horizontal and vertical dimensions of our lives cannot be separated. To love our neighbour as ourselves is to love God with all of our strength. And to love God with all our heart, mind and strength is, automatically, without any doubt, to enter into a relationship of love with our neighbour.

A right relationship with myself depends on right relations with God and neighbour

The business of loving our neighbours as ourselves must not be interpreted according to "new age" principles. We should not follow the line of thinking that is favoured by many psychological approaches to humanity and its ills. Often we hear it said that in order to be able to love others, we must first learn to love ourselves. But this is the wrong approach. It is a complicated business to learn to love oneself in a healthy way, and it could take a lifetime to learn how to do it properly. Are we to focus on ourselves for all of our lives before turning to the business of loving others?

            In reality, we are called to love our neighbour as ourselves. Through my relationships with others, I can set right the relationship that I have with myself. Forgive and you shall be forgiven; give and you shall receive; be merciful and you will find mercy. The point is that my relationship with myself depends on my relationship with others and with God. My personal identity is not something that is defined in purely private or personal terms. I cannot discover who I am by looking inwardly, but only by developing my relationship with the God who created me. Our nature is a relational one and it comes to fruition through love of God and neighbour.

A milestone in humanity's understanding of itself and its relationship with God

Jesus knows man through and through, and this passage from the Gospel represents a milestone in the history of humanity's understanding of itself. It provides the key by which we can understand our own nature. Believers and non-believers alike have been inspired by these words from Jesus. Our hearts are made for love, and this fact must dictate all of our doings and all of our relationships with others.

            The doctor of the Law wished to know which of the commandments was the greatest. Jesus responds by telling us that the most important thing that we must do in life is to exercise our hearts in the art of how to love. The most essential aspect of our existence is love for God and neighbour. Everything else is secondary. Speaking personally, I don't believe that this is always my priority in life. And I don't believe that I often meet people who genuinely have this priority.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Matthew 22:15-21

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

The enemies of Jesus approach him with sweet words, but their intention is to trap him

This is the famous Gospel where Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God!" In the passage that leads to Jesus uttering this phrase, the Pharisees and the Herodians approach Jesus with a question. In normal circumstances, the Herodians (those who considered Herod to be the legitimate successor of the Kings of Israel) would not have had much in common with the Pharisees, but in this case both factions join forces in an effort to trap Jesus.

            They begin by praising Jesus for his honesty, truthfulness and impartiality. This is already a sign that they are seeking to ensnare him. Real friendship is not marked by adulation. Our enemies speak sweetly to us in order to lure us into a false sense of security; real friends, by contrast, speak to us honestly and forthrightly. And, in fact, Jesus reacts immediately to their two-facedness. "Hypocrites", he says, "Why are you putting me to the test?" The word "hypocrite" literally means one who does not publicly reveal his true face, whose true opinion or criticism remains underneath the surface.

A question that appears to have no satisfactory answer

The question is put to Jesus: "Is it legitimate to pay the tribute to Caesar?" A question such as this has been well chosen, for it has no satisfactory answer. If Jesus responds with a monosyllabic "Yes" or "No", then in both cases it will place him in a difficult position. On the one hand, we can discern in the biblical texts of the Old Testament a general attitude of deference towards the demands of the governing authorities. In the story of the return of the Israelites from exile, great respect and honour is shown towards King Cyrus, who allowed the Jews to return to their homeland.  Therefore, it would be to go against the Scriptures for Jesus to encourage people not to pay the tax to the governing authorities. On the other hand, to tell people to go ahead and pay the tax would be to affirm the definitive power of Rome. The Jews considered the Roman regime to be an oppressive one that placed great burdens on the people. Thus, as far as his listeners were concerned, whichever answer Jesus gave would have been the wrong one.

Jesus changes the playing field and leads us into much more profound territory

Jesus responds with a technique that he often uses when confronted by his enemies. He simply refuses to play the game that his adversary wants him to play and instead leads his listeners into much deeper waters.  He himself asks a question, thus bringing his adversaries onto his playing field. Firstly he says, "Show me the coin that pays the census tax". This coin would have had the image of the emperor on it and would have described him as "divine". There are two issues here that are highly relevant for the mentality of the Hebrews. In the first place, the coin has an image, and images were not allowed by the prescriptions of the Hebrews. Secondly, we have an inscription in which a human being declares himself to be God. Jesus invites his adversaries to focus on these issues by asking "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" When they reply, "Caesar", Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what belongs to him and to God what belongs to God". In so doing, Jesus implicitly turns the question of his adversaries on its head. Jesus' listeners are preoccupied with mundane matters. Their concern is; "How should we behave towards the earthly authorities?" Jesus, instead, prompts his listeners to ask how we ought to behave towards the heavenly authorities. If the payment of this coin suffices to fulfil our duty towards Caesar, then what do we need to do to fulfil our duty towards God?

The coin carries the likeness of Caesar but we carry the likeness of God

The coin carries the image and likeness of Caesar, but it is man himself who carries the image and likeness of God. What should be given by us to Caesar? That very limited part of reality that belongs to Caesar and his system of governance. And what should be given to God? It is man himself and his entire existence that belongs to God. Jesus is not just talking here about placing the civil and the spiritual components of life in little compartments. To give to God what belongs to him is to give him the most fundamental part of our existence, for we bear the likeness of God and belong completely to him. Here the issue at stake is true conversion; we are talking about how one should live the Gospel fully. If we wish to understand this text properly, then we must comprehend the radical nature of what Jesus is saying to us. 

The martyrs and St Francis refused to give to Caesar that which belonged only to God

Men and women have been martyred for refusing to give to Caesar that which is not his. Caesar wished to take the place of God, declaring himself to be divine, and the martyrs of the early centuries died for not professing Caesar to be a God. Certainly they would have been good citizens, and would have paid their taxes. Christians of all ages give scandal by not obeying the civil authorities. But to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God is not resolved by just paying one's taxes. It requires a process of discernment in which we come to appreciate the immensity of what is properly due to God. Saint Francis, for example, when he gave to his father all of his clothes and declared himself to be a child of the heavenly Father, was giving to Caesar the riches of this world, and was giving to God what belonged to God - his very life and daily existence.

            This is the call that was placed before us at baptism when we were asked not to be of the world. All too often, in practice, we give to Caesar what actually belongs to the Lord. Too often we give to this world the things that should only be offered to God. This is also the case with money, which has a logic of its own. We are called to show love through our use of money, to utilize money to love and to serve others. We are asked to relate to money in such a way so as not to be completely caught up in the affairs of this world.

This is NOT a Gospel that compartmentalizes the spiritual!

The Lord, through this Gospel, wants to bring a certain clarity to our lives. We have all been given a mission. If, for example, we have been given the mission of raising a family, then we must strive to give to God what belongs only to him. If a man has been called to be a husband and a father, but is busy most of the time doing other things, then he is giving to Caesar that which belongs to God. He is giving to the affairs of this world the same dedication that God requires of him to fulfil his mission as father and husband. It is the same with the mission of the priest. A priest who occupies himself doing endless meaningless things; who busies himself with matters that are mundane and of secondary importance, is giving to Caesar that which belongs to God. Let us be absolutely clear about these things; let us put them in order, and, in so doing, let us attain freedom.

Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Matthew 22:1-14

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

An invitation that is offered to those who have nowhere else to go

This story of a wedding feast tells of invitations being sent by a king to people who decline to attend. Some are too busy looking after their own affairs; others become annoyed and angry at the request, and go so far as to kill the servants who bore the invitation. The king reacts violently, killing those who had mistreated his servants and burning their city. He then says, "'The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, to the crossroads and invite whoever you find".

            This expression, "crossroads", makes one think immediately of street junctions, but the original Greek word refers to the place where the street finishes. In ancient writings, certain of the Church fathers placed great emphasis on the significance of this expression. The king's invitation is being issued to those who are at the end of the road; those who are stuck in a cul-de-sac; those who are in a situation that offers no hope of escape. The invitation is thus being offered to the very ones who appear to be unworthy to be in the exalted presence of the bridegroom.

            Often, in order to be willing to accept the invitation of Christ, it is necessary to be at the end of one's wits; to have exhausted all of one's own efforts. Often, it is only when we have tried everything else without success that, finally, we become open to considering the alternative offered by God.

How willingly do WE  accept the invitation to the wedding feast of the Eucharist?

These considerations are interesting in themselves, but then we are confronted with a second "parable within a parable" - the story of the man who enters the feast without the proper attire. In both cases, we must try to understand what the wedding feast is symbolic of. Who are those who consider their own affairs to be more important than a wedding feast? A wedding is something joyful, something wonderful that anyone would love to attend. It is not by accident that the Gospel of John begins with the story of a wedding feast. Much of the folklore in various cultures is centred on things that happen at wedding feasts. Weddings - celebrations of married love - are at the centre of life. They are joyous events, and this is especially true of the feast to which God invites us. God wishes us to leave aside our own plans, our own affairs, and to attend his wedding feast. Our own affairs are stressful, full of mediocrity, and of temporary value only. The feast of the Son of God, which is celebrated especially in the Eucharist - the feast of the Lamb referred to in the Book of Revelation - is the feast of paradise, the greatest and most beautiful feast of all.

Do we wear the "Sunday frown" at our Eucharistic gatherings?

But sometimes in our Eucharistic assemblies, we are there with long faces and bored expressions, glancing at our watches every five minutes! This shows that we have not entered into the mystery of union with God; that we simply do not appreciate what we are celebrating. We are inclined to think that the quicker that Mass finishes the better, because our own affairs and projects are much more important, and we must return to them as soon as possible. This attitude is mistaken. To be invited to the Sunday Eucharist is an invitation to rejoice. It is a wedding feast, not a waste of time! God, in his wonderful plan, invites us to this feast as friends of the bridegroom, that we may rejoice with him. We have reason to grieve only if we fail to turn up. Why then do we so often wear the "Sunday frown" in our Eucharistic gatherings?

We must change if we are to celebrate the wedding feast appropriately

Let us consider now the man who is not dressed in the correct wedding attire. If the guests have really been gathered from the backstreets; if they are all desperate down-and-outs with nowhere else to go; if they are, as the text says, "the good and bad alike", then in what way is this man dressed inappropriately? In order to understand what this passage is referring to, we must understand the nuptial traditions of Hebrew culture. In the Jewish wedding feasts, it was the custom for the bridegroom to provide a garment for the guests as they entered the wedding feast. This guest, then, must be understood to be a man who has refused to change attire. The word "abitus" – habit – refers to one's clothing, but also to one's pattern of behaviour. To wear different clothing, or to have  changed one's garment, often involves washing a garment. It is God who, above all, cleanses our garment and dresses us in new attire.

            The guest in the parable is someone who wishes to enter into the feast of God without abandoning his attachment to what he wore before. Wearing his old garment represents the retention of his old attitudes and patterns of behaviour. If someone comes to a wedding celebration wearing a tracksuit, then we tend to feel indignant that they have shown up in such inappropriate dress. When someone comes to a feast, we expect them to dress suitably. And to be at the feast of Christ similarly requires the wearing of a proper garment. It is impossible to be truly with Christ and not to have changed one's old attire completely.

The "Sunday frown" on our faces is a sign that we have not changed garment

We must remember that the gift of God is not something that is imposed upon us. It is something, rather, that can only be accepted freely. Why do we treat the Eucharistic gathering like a funeral rather than a feast? Because we have not changed and taken on the new garment that is appropriate for participating in this celebration. This is something that should be done before we enter the banquet. It is the just practice of the Church to request that one be in the grace of God before approaching the holy Eucharist. The forgiveness of sins, the new garment that is offered to us, is a gift that we receive from God. Without any shadow of doubt, it is necessary to go through the stage of changing the garment before we are ready to enter into the fullness of the wedding feast. In the process of adult baptism, the adult is required to change their name at the moment of baptism. They are challenged to change their very person, and they are asked to undress and put on a white garment. It is only while wearing this white garment that they are admitted to the sacrament of the Eucharist.

A parable that challenges us to view the Eucharist as a joyous feast that is wonderful to attend, and that requires a change of habit on our part.

In the same way, this parable challenges us to be aware that we have been invited to a sumptuous feast; that there is great joy to be experienced; and that it is well worth our while attending. In order to attend, however, we are invited to allow ourselves to be changed, to put on the new garment so that we may celebrate the feast appropriately. The will of God for us, the Christian adventure to which we are called, the sacramental life in which we are invited to participate, is a joyous banquet. It is not a weight upon our shoulders, but an offer of a gift be embraced. The Eucharistic feast is not a sacrifice on our part, but a sacrifice on the part of God. It is something that makes our lives beautiful. It is a time of festival, full of nuptial joy, a unique moment of union with Him.