Faith

Even if these forget, I will not, I could not and I cannot forget! – Thursday, 4th week in Easter – Acts 13:13 -25

Barnabas and Saul set out on a missionary journey to Cyprus. That journey would take them from the island of Cyprus to the mainland of Turkey. Acts records this place as Pergia in Pamphylia. It was a coastal harbour city which docked ships from Paphos. From here they will travel to Antioch of Pisidia, a 220-kilometer journey north in the region of Galatia.

But before this journey begins there is a shift in Church leadership and perhaps the first rumblings of the chords of discontent. Up to now, scripture accorded an honorific precedence to Barnabas. He is mentioned first and then Saul is mentioned. Saul continues to be addressed by his Hebrew name; now he is called by his Roman name, Paul, and he is mentioned before Barnabas.

We do not know precisely why this reversal of leadership took place. Scripture records it without much fanfare, installation or anointing. This massive change in leadership is mentioned by a very insignificant name change. Popular belief holds that Saul’s name was changed when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus. Rather, it is not at his conversion but at the change of leadership that his name is recorded as Paul. This is not uncommon; the Popes continue to take on a new name when they begin their pontificate and God changed the names of the patriarchs to indicate their new calling.  

But this new role came with difficult choices. The author of the Gospel according to Mark, John Mark himself, decided to leave the trio and go back to Jerusalem. Remember, he is a cousin of Barnabas. Did this change of leadership, from his cousin to what he may have considered a usurper, create this rift? We know that a rift did take place. Acts 15:36-41 testifies to the unpleasant parting between John Mark and Paul and the reluctance of Paul to reintroduce Mark to the mission. Was this the first ‘schism’ of sorts in the Church? Whatever the reason, we know that the mission of the Church was not thwarted. The Church does not belong to man!

Paul and Barnabas now head to Antioch of Pisidia. They enter the synagogue on the Sabbath. This tells us that the Jewish character of the Early Church did not change. It was perhaps after the council of Jamnia in the year 70 AD when a curse was placed on the Christians and Gentiles, that the Church developed a more ‘Christian’ character of its own. For now, the early church had a strong Jewish bent.

The synagogue service has in many ways, influenced the structure of the Eucharist we celebrate today. The ‘Word of God’ had a reading from the Torah and then a reading from the Prophets followed by a commentary or a homily which did not have to be given by a priest. Jesus was given this same honour when he came to his hometown and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. In this case, we are not told what the texts of scripture were but we have a very lengthy recorded homily, given by Paul.

In this homily which spans the text of today and tomorrow’s liturgy at mass, Paul takes us through the highlights of salvation history. He is addressing Jews and Gentiles. We know this because of his address; “You Israelites AND others who fear God.”

While I recommend a reading of this homily, I want to highlight one line in particular for our reflection. In narrating the exodus narrative, Paul refers to the disobedience of the Israelites. “For about forty years,” he says, “He (God) put up with them (Israelites) in the wilderness.’

I want to make this our reflection. God put up with the Israelites but God DID NOT give up on them. This line which clearly rings of God’s frustration with his people for 40 years also holds the compassion of a parent to a wayward child. Can a mother forget her baby or a woman a child within her womb? Even if these forget, I will not, I could not and I cannot forget you! Pray for parents who struggle with wayward children.

While this line of scripture consoles us in this generation it must also confront us. Are we pushing God’s buttons a little too much? Is he ‘putting up’ with us as he did with the Israelites? Is this covenant only being held by Him and that too dangling precociously by a silken thread?

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Dictators beware -Wednesday, 4th Week in Easter – Acts 12:24-13:5

Read also https://www.pottypadre.com/a-call-within-a-call-wednesday-4th-week-in-easter-acts-1224-135a/

View also a previous teaching by clicking on this link https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=bb76d5dfba185935JmltdHM9MTcxMzgzMDQwMCZpZ3VpZD0wODJmZjQzNS1kNjU2LTYyZGUtMjEzMi1lNzVmZDdjZDYzZjImaW5zaWQ9NTIxNQ&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=082ff435-d656-62de-2132-e75fd7cd63f2&psq=youtbue+warner+wednesday+4th+week+easter&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1sUC0zaFZNVnhIdw&ntb=1

 

Between yesterday and today, the lectionary has skipped twenty-seven verses. It tells us of the power of the early Church, whose prophets predicted a severe famine which came to pass during the reign of Emperor Claudius sometime around 45-46 AD.  What is interesting is the Bible records the response of the Church. This perhaps is the first recorded ‘Christian Relief Effort.’ What is also interesting is that each was to give(not could give) ‘according to their ability’.  Here in lies the point; everyone can give something yet most choose to give nothing and I AM NOT disparaging the widows mite. To verify this, multiply an average of Rs 50 (which is the price of half a kilo of dal) against the total strength of the population in your Church. Surprised?

To crown this suffering of famine, the Acts records the second major persecution of the Church. The first began after Stephen’s martyrdom, and this one (12:1) is under the reign of Herod Agrippa. He has James the brother of John killed with the sword. (This is the only martyrdom of an apostle recorded in scripture.) He also has Peter arrested. What was the response of the Church to all of this? Acts 12:5 tells us, “The church prayed fervently.” This was not some one-day token fast announced by some Bishop’s conference but a dedicated call to prayer; prayer is not a sometimes, it is an always!

The passage also offers hope to Christians who suffer persecution. Dictators live in a world of delusion and the ride may seem great for a while. But while they may prop themselves on posts of power for several terms, death comes to all. Death came to Herod Agrippa and it was by no means a ‘peaceful death.’ He died unexpectedly in the year 44, after only three years of reign over Judea. He died while attending the Games of Caesarea in honour of the emperor. Patronizing the games, he appeared there in dazzling silver finery in front of the crowd who acclaimed him and compared him to a god, a blasphemous remark for a Jew against which the king did not then protest. If all this sounds even faintly familiar, take heart and consolation that God is in charge.

This brings us to the text of today which begins with the words “BUT the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. (12:24) How consoling are the Acts of the Apostles to all Christians who suffer persecution. We should announce this good news to the world, reminding men and women of faith that may kill the body but you can’t kill the soul. Even more, the word advances and thrives when Christianity is lived. Members of the clergy and the laity must rely on the help of God and not willfully choose a life of servitude to political masters.

The text tells us that five leaders in the Church of Antioch were hailed as prophets and teachers. The text of today names them and one of them was even a member of the court of Herod. Scholarship is not clear as to his identity but does tell us the meaning of his name, which is ‘consoler.’ But in him, we see a man unafraid to walk out from the courts of luxury, from the halls of power and even incur the wrath of one to whom he swore loyalty. Following the cross is not a matter of Sunday devotion but a devotion that calls you to leave everything you once cherished.

Yet while the Church of Antioch had five leaders, we are told that the Holy Spirit chose only two; Saul (notice he is still called Saul) and Barnabas. This was not an appointment by a hierarchical organization rather this was truly the work of the Holy Spirit. This entire ‘conclave’ was marked by prayer and fasting. God speaks to us when we are with him and not when we consult him at intervals in our lives. It is God who ‘set apart’ Barnabas and Saul. Note that up to now, Barnabas is always mentioned first and then Saul. Barnabas was respected over Saul even though the author of the Acts of the Apostles was a companion of Saul.

The text of today leaves us with the beginning of the first of the three missionary journeys of Saul and will cover chapters 13 and 14. This missionary journey will take Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus. This was no vacation on some island in the sun. From the minute they landed, they hit the runway. On this journey, they take with them John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas. It is in his house that Peter took refuge when the angel of God released him from prison.

The Church was missionary at its inception. Sadly, it has now become institutionalized. Perhaps our structures seem to have grown deep roots and with-it immobility. At its heart, we are called to be a missionary Church and the word of God must be spread. I choose to write; you can choose to forward this text. In doing so we become evangelizers.

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Tuesday, 4th week of Easter, Acts 11:19-26/ John 10:22-30

“The hand of the Lord was with them” (verse21)

This little line may elude us completely in the powerful narrative taken from today’s first reading of the Acts of the Apostles. The text itself is a kind of flashback. We are taken to chapter seven where Stephen has been martyred and great persecution rocks the believers in Jerusalem (8:1) As a consequence, “all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.”

The opening verse of today’s text takes us back to that scattering of the Church. Ironically, the word ‘scattered’ does not bring a sense of comfort to us. It indicates separation and division that has come to pass due to force or an unpleasant experience. Yet God’s thoughts can rarely be grasped by our finite imaginations,  even if we may stretch them to the fullest.

The text of today tells us, that for the first time, some of the Greek-speaking believers made a tremendous breakthrough for the faith. From an involuted evangelization that catered only to the Jews, the faith now explodes to the Gentiles; to the Greek-speaking people of Antioch.

The text is going to narrate a flurry of activity. Like any company whose sales have just gone through the roof, necessitating a movement of the best minds to tackle the job, the apostles in their headquarters in Jerusalem hear of this unimaginable growth and are swung into action. They did what any clever ‘organization’ would do; send in the ‘best’ man. They sent ‘Barnabas who was a ‘good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. (Though that would not be the choice of any multi-national corporation.)

I have a few reflections I want to draw today.

  1. Is the hand of the Lord with you? The hand of the Lord was with the Greek-speaking believers from Cyprus and Cyrene who evangelized to the Greek-speaking residents of Cyprus and Antioch. Were they qualified? Did they have a mandate from Jerusalem? Did they have a master’s degree from Rome? Well, you can have all of the above and be a colossal failure if the Lord’s hand is not with you.

  2. It can be no other hand that confirms ministry but God’s. When HE begins a good thing, HE brings it to completion. If not, you will be like the foolish man who attempted to build that tower that never took off. Many claim to be doing the will and work of God; but they produce only leaves not fruit and you will know them by their fruit.

  3. When ministering, don’t play the number game. Numbers don’t indicate the work of God through you. In today’s text, we are told, “a great number became believers and turned to the Lord.” Unlike in other places in the Acts, we are not given a specific number. What if the great number was ten Gentile converts? That itself may have sounded amazing and impossible to achieve for an infantile Church. If God has chosen you to minister to ten, be happy and serve. Mega Churches and mega congregations don’t necessarily indicate God’s work; the scandals in such Churches are evidence enough.

  4. Discern God’s will. If his hand is on you, no earthly power can hinder the ministry he has called you to. They might give you a tough time, but God will see you through. Anyone who thwarts the work of God is fighting God himself and woe be upon such a person.

  5. When you are called to choose a person to minister in the parish; no matter what the role, ensure that the criteria are those which God would go by. The choice of Barnabas is certainly unlike the choice of any multi-national company seeking to boost sales. The Church in Jerusalem chose a man of faith, a good man and a man of the Holy Spirit. They relied not on talents but on grace and God came through for them.

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You can’t write your obituary you can only live it – Saturday, the third week in Easter – Acts 9:31-42/ John 6:60-69

What will your obituary read? Understandably obituaries are an expensive affair and words have to be measured. Even so, would your obituary read as powerfully as the obituary of Tabitha’s in today’s text? She is described as a disciple and the only person in the New Testament mentioned by name as a disciple.

But she is also described as a woman ‘devoted to good works.’ This tells us that she did not flirt with some form of Lenten acts of kindness or a Christmas-time charity outreach; she is devoted to good works and for her it is a way of life. Even more, she is described as a woman who is devoted to her charity, one that is seen not only in the words of our text but by the mourning of the people in Joppa who wash her body and weep unabashedly at her demise.

This text is brief but effusive in describing this disciple. But the text also leaves some more clues and we need to examine it like a forensic examiner. For example, we are told that when Tabitha dies, her body is washed and laid in ‘the upper room.’ The upper room could well read as a modest modern-day mansion of our times. Archaeology has shown us that ‘upper rooms’ were few and far between and indicative of wealth. What is also interesting is that she is not mentioned as the wife of some man or that she is a widow. This means we have a rather rich spinster who is devoted to charity and good works.

Losing a loved one is hard, losing a breadwinner or a benefactor is harder because it’s not one life lost, it could well be the death of several more. Tabitha was a provider; not just from the copper coins in her pocket but surely the shekels from her savings. The fact that the town of Joppa mourns her enough to send two disciples to fetch the prince of the Apostles indicates the great affection they have for her. The widows who were beneficiaries of her great love and charity weep to show Peter the tunics she had made. They were not displaying her skills as a seamstress as much as they were displaying the charity that shared.

Charity and good works are seen by many Christians as merely Lenten disciplines or Christmastide activities. Rather, it should be a way of life. The sufferings of others should not just ‘upset us’ but disturb us to the point of acting in favour of those in need. Sadly, some are only receivers while I have seen many in the Christian community for whom charity and good works are a way of life.

I have often heard obituaries of the dead at mass. Sometimes I am inclined to get up from my seat and check if the person who is being eulogized is the one in the coffin. But then there are those precious moments at a funeral when grief is not just limited to the relatives but to the whole congregation. People show up because the person who has passed away has touched the lives of many. There are stories of kindness and love that are told amidst tears of sadness.

As an end note, I want to make a comment. Take it for what it is, a comment and not a personal judgment. What you leave for your children is an inheritance that hopefully will not erupt in a battle amongst relatives on earth. What you give to the poor is charity which is rewarded in heaven.

So, to end where I began. What will your obituary be like?

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Grace + Repentance = Salvation – Friday, the third week in Easter – Acts 9:1-20/ John 6:52-59

Chapters eight, nine and ten of the Acts of the Apostles cover three conversion stories. Yesterday we heard of the conversion of the Eunuch of Candace at the hands of Philip the deacon and today we will hear of the conversion of Saul.

It must be said emphatically that every saint has a past and every sinner a future. If you find yourself believing that your soul is lost, then think again. St Paul may be romanticised today as one who was sent from heaven with angel wings but the fact is that he consented to murder and was responsible for the violent persecution of Christians sparing no one; woman or man.

This text deserves a repetitive reading to understand that God’s ways are not ours. Think of the one person you have spiritually ruled out of heaven. The one person you have damned in your heart to the fires of hell. For all you know, that is a Saul whom Jesus chooses to make a saint. Ananias was reluctant to go and heal Paul for he had condemned him in his heart, yet he is told to, “Get up and go” to a street called ‘straight’ for here the Lord has straightened out a crooked soul.

But sin requires a response. Sinners are called to repentance by Jesus. When that happens the grace of God flows through. God has no favourites; he may have a preferential option for sinners but his grace is available for all, provided grace is met with repentance. Grace + Repentance = Salvation. This is the formula for Christian life.

Saul would go to the ends of the world to defend his Jewish beliefs. Saul was a Pharisee but his misguided zealotry for the defense of the Jewish faith turned him into a murderer. Faith must be tempered with love. Zealotry and bigotry do not make us poster boys for the Christian faith, rather they leave an unpleasant taste of the faith in those who are even remotely attracted to Christ.  

But the Saul heading to Damascus could well be us heading to persecute a fellow Christian. We tend to think of persecution as merely an attack on the faith, an external attack. What we fail to realise is that often the persecution is also from amongst the flock. Satan supplies every evil thought and action to perpetuate such persecution within the Church leading to the greatest scandal of division within the sheepfold. It is better for those who have been led astray by satan to tie a millstone around their neck, for this persecution that they wage is against the very Body of Christ.

When Jesus confronted Saul on the way to Damascus, Our Lord said to him, “Saul why do you persecute me?” He did not say, ‘Why do you persecute my Church?’ The persecution of any Christian especially by another in the sheepfold is an attack on Christ. This truth must be said strongly and emphatically from every pulpit and even more to some in the pulpit who have let their earthly position blindfold their actions.

Saul of Tarsus is St. Paul of Heaven.  Our earthly address changes when we give our lives to God on earth. What is your address?

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