Sunday January 17th. to Saturday January 23rd.
Sunday January 17th. to Saturday
January 23rd.
Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings.
Sunday January 17th. Second Sunday in Year Two. Peace Sunday.
Readings
First Book of Samuel 3/3-10, 19 :
First letter to the Corinthians 6/13-15, 17-20 : John
1/35-42
This year on Sundays we read from Mark’s Gospel
but, exceptionally today, the Gospel reading is from John’s Gospel. For the
most part we read John’s Gospel in Lent and Eastertide and only
occasionally during the rest of the year. This
is often to make sure that we read parts of that Gospel which would otherwise
be omitted which is the case today.
Today’s Gospel reading follow on from that in
which John the Baptist recognises Jesus and at the beginning of that passage
John 1/29-34, we find John the Baptist’s reaction to Jesus. His testimony here
almost suggests that Jesus was a follower of John who had not recognised him as
the ‘One who was to come’ until the descent of the dove upon him, perhaps on
the occasion of his Baptism though there is no account of that Baptism in
John’s Gospel..
In today’s reading the Baptist hails Jesus as
the ‘Lamb of God’ but the overtones of this title are not clear. It probably
does not coincide the ‘Lamb standing as though slain’ in the Book of Revelation
for this is expressed by a more lordly
and less gentle Greek word, a noble ram rather than a meek lamb. Later, when we
come to the account of Jesus’ sufferings in John’s Gospel, the symbol of the
Paschal Lamb will be stressed since Jesus dies at the same hour that the lambs
are being slaughtered in the Temple and this Gospel notes that no bone is
broken in him. There may also be here some allusion to the Suffering Servant of
Isaiah’s prophecy who is ‘led like a lamb to the slaughter’ for the sake of the
whole world.
The positive reaction of the Baptist to Jesus
is followed by a more questioning reaction from the first disciple. This
encounter with the two future disciples in John’s Gospel begins a series of encounters, carefully
spaced out over several days, with individuals who come to Jesus. The tone is
set by the encounter with these first two.
As the two follow Jesus he asks them the
question which will be frequently repeated in this Gospel, ‘What/whom do you seek?’
Their answer seems almost like that of two people caught out and embarrassed as
they follow Jesus so that respond in what seems a rather foolish way by asking
‘Rabbi, where do you live?’ Jesus answers very simply by inviting the two to
‘Come and see’. The Gospel writer tells us that this was about four o’clock in
the afternoon and the two disciples end up by staying with Jesus, it would
seem, until the next morning. In this picture the Gospel writer gives us a
picture of the true disciple who stays with Jesus, rests with him quietly and
learns from him.
Although the first two named disciples in this
Gospel are the brothers Andrew and Simon, it would be a mistake to try to
harmonise this story with that of the call by the lakeside in both Mark’s and
Matthew’s Gospels. Here we are still in the Jordan valley in the territory of
John the Baptist. What is significant about this account is that Andrew
declares Jesus to be the Messiah and brings Simon to him. It is at this moment
that Jesus gives Simon his new name, Cephas, which means a ‘rock’ and
translates into Latin as ‘Petrus’. In this account there is no profession of
faith on Simon’s part, but he is given a new name which indicates the role he
will play in the little band of Jesus’ followers. Though weak and cowardly at
times, Simon will eventually be the rock on which the others come to depend.
The reading from the First Book of Samuel is,
obviously, meant to direct our thoughts to the Gospel reading and to the call
from Jesus. God calls Samuel and, at first, he fails to recognise the call
believing it to be the old man, Eli, who is calling him. Eventually they both
realise that it is God who is calling the lad and Eli directs him as to how he
should respond if the call comes again and Samuel replies ‘Speak, Lord, your
servant is listening’.
Sadly our reading omits the verses 11 to 18
which tell us what God had to say to Samuel. The boy is told that Eli’s sons,
the corrupt priests of the Shiloh temple will both die for their sins and Eli
recognises that what Samuel tells him is true. Later when, eventually, the two
die in battle with the Philistines, Eli himself dies on receiving the news of
their death. Samuel, however, grows up treasuring every word of God that comes
to him. In the same way, the disciples, having spent the night with Jesus and
having been taught by him, will treasure all that comes from Jesus’ mouth so
that they live by every word that falls from his lips.
Today we begin to read on Sundays from the
central part of Paul’s first letter to the churches of Corinth. Paul
corresponded with the Corinthian church more than with any other group of
Christians and scholars believe that there may have been as many as seven letters
to them.
The reason for this was the disturbed state of
that church, with a range of problems, rival theologians, factions, problematic
sexual practices, marital obligations, worship and church roles. For this
reason this letter is exceptionally instructive for the troubled Christian
churches of our own day. It is even more appropriate because the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity begins tomorrow.
This letter was written it would seem in late
56 or 57 C.E. (though some scholars would put it earlier in 54 to 55 C.E. It is
addressed to a mixed church of Jews and non-Jews in Corinth who had been
converted by Paul in 50 or 51 or, possibly, earlier in 42-43 C.E.
In the passage that we read today Paul is
facing one of the problems that faced the Corinthian church which was the
environment of sexual permissiveness in which they lived. That does sound quite
topical! Paul relates the human body to the risen body of Christ of which we
Christians are part so that to sin against the body is to sin against the Lord.
Paul’s point is that sexual permissiveness does not bring freedom but bondage
to compulsions that enslave us. Such behaviour, Paul says, affects the
Christian’s body which should be valued as a member of Christ’s body and the
temple of the Holy Spirit. The body,
Paul says, is a means of self-communication and so sexual activity with another
person produces a union between the two. Union of someone who is a member of
Christ with an unworthy partner such as a prostitute, disgraces Christ, just as
loving union within marriage gives glory to God.
We must remember that Paul was speaking to a
very specific situation where prostitution was not only commonplace but was
frequently connected to the worship of pagan gods. We must take from Paul’s words what is
actually applicable to us in the twenty first century where morals and customs
are different.
It is not possible to draw from Paul’s words,
any easy answers to the problems that afflict our society but we can,
certainly, remember one thing and that is the respect we owe to our bodies
which are temples of the Holy Spirit and to those of others whose bodies are
equally sacred. We cannot force people into the mould that we may believe to be
the right one but we can use Jesus’ words to try to see what is good and what
is not. What would seem most important is Jesus’ injunction that, above all, we
should love one another. Perhaps it is from that starting point that we have to
look at situations which may not seem to fit the norms that we have created.
Perhaps we ought always to begin by asking ‘Is this a loving relationship?’ and
‘How loving is it towards other people?’.’ How can this situation be worked out
so as to hurt other people as little as possible?’ From those starting points
we have to try to work out the best way to proceed or the best advice that we
can give should we be asked. Above all it is never for us to judge.
Todays’ readings make us remember that we are
called by Jesus to be his disciples. The call may have come in different ways.
From our upbringing or our family, through our own search for meaning in our
life, through the appeal of another person, a partner or friend and so on. Very
rarely will the call be made in the direct way that it was addressed to the
disciples. Our response to that call must always be the same. We must try to
value every word of Jesus that comes to us through the Gospels and live by
that.
With the beginning of the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity tomorrow we have here the way in which we must also address the
problems that affect our churches and their disunity. This is the way in which
we must tackle the problems that affect us and others in our personal lives. We
must ask ourselves, given what we know of his teaching, ‘What would Jesus say
about this?’ How do his words as we read them in the gospels help us with the
situations that face us? All of that means, of course, that we need to try to
reflect on Jesus’ wordsprayerfully and with others in the Church and we must
put our faith in Jesus’ promise that he would be with us and that his Spirit
would guide us into all truth.
Today is also Peace Sunday.
Many years ago the then Pope asked that the
first day of the year be observed as a Day of Prayer for the Peace of the
World. For some obscure reason our bishops decided that this Day of Prayer
would be observed on the Second Ordinary Sunday in the Year which this year is
today.
Each year the Pope sends out a message to the
whole world and not just to our church on this particular day and this year it
is the creating of a ‘Culture of Care as a pathway to Peace’.
It is very obvious that we need to pray for the
peace of the world which is ravaged by warfare in so many places but more than
that, we must try to be involved as followers of Jesus who came to bring peace,
in all that makes for peace in our world.
With the e-mail accompanying these Reflections
you will find another attachment from Pax Christi, the international
organisation of our church which works to promote peace. This is a set of
quotations from the message of Pope Francis this year and there are several
that we might act upon.
Perhaps the one that is most relevant for us
who may feel that there isn’t much we can do is No.6 that we ‘strive daily, in
concrete and practical ways, to form a community composed of brothers and
sisters who accept and care for one another’.
This is part of what the Gospels are always
reminding us that we should be those who both create a sign and sacrament of
the Reign of God in our own communities and seek to build up that Reign in the
world around us.
There is a way of getting the full message of
Pope Francis at the foot of the attachment.
Pax Christi very poorly supported and needs all
the help it can get in propagating its message to the Church and to the world.
Do consider joining it and you will find all you need to know about it is you
Google ‘Pax Christi’
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from
January 18th. to January 25th.
The week of Prayer for Christian Unity dates
back to the beginning of the last century when two Anglican priests decided
that, in order to bring about reconciliation between their own church and the
Roman Catholic church it would be a good idea to promote a Week of Prayer to
that end. They fixed the dates because, at that time, the 18th. of
January was the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Rome (a feast now dropped
from the Roman Calendar) and the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on
January 25th. It is a pity that the Feast of Saint Peter has
disappeared because there seems no reason now to keep the Week at this time but
these dates have been observed for so long that it would be foolish to change
them.
At first Roman Catholics were very suspicious
of this initiative because it seemed to contradict their then understanding of
themselves as the One True Church to which all must return rather than be
reconciled. The Reformed churches were equally suspicious since they felt that
reconciliation with Rome was both impossible and undesirable since so many
Roman Catholic teachings seemed to them to contradict Scriptures which were
their supreme rule of faith.
It was not until after the Second World War
that French priest, Paul Couturier from Lyons found a way of keeping the Week
of Prayer that would be acceptable to all Christians. His solution was that all
should pray for unity as the Lord wills it and not as we might think it ought
to be achieved. From then on the Week of Prayer began to be more widely
observed and after the Second Vatican Council and its teaching on Ecumenism,
Roman Catholics began to share in it much more wholeheartedly with meetings,
joint services and study together. Sadly, its observance hes become more and
more neglected over the past few decades and Roman Catholics seem to have
forgotten how absolutely essential Christian Unity is if we are the Gospel to
the world.
Each year the Roman Catholic authorities in
Rome together with the World Council of churches prepare material for the
observance of the week. This year the material for the week has been prepared
by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp and the theme they have chosen is
‘Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit’ based on John 15/1-17 which
alos expresses the Grandchamp’s community’s vocation to prayer, reconciliation
and unity in the Church and in the human family.
The Grandchamp community began when in the
1930’s a number of women from the Reformed churches in French-speaking
Switzerland, known as the ‘Ladies of Monges’
rediscovered the importance of silence in listening to the Word of God.
At the same time they revived the practice of spiritual retreats to nourish
their life of faith, inspired by the example of Christ who went apart to a
lonely place to pray. They were soon joined by others who took part in
regularly organised retreats at Grandchamp, a small hamlet near the shores of
Lake Neuchatel. It became necessary to provide a permanent presence of prayer
and welcome for the growing number of guests and retreatants.
Today the community numbers some fifty sisters,
all women of different generations, church traditions, countries and
continents. In their diversity the sisters are a living parable of community.
They remain faithful to a life of prayer, life in community and the welcoming
of guests. The sisters share the grace of their monastic life with visitors and
volunteers who go to Grandchamp for a time of retreat, silence, healing or in
search of meaning.
The first sisters experienced the pain of
division between Christian churches. In their struggle they were encouraged by
Paul Couturier, the pioneer of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
From its earliest beginning, therefore, prayer
for Christin unity was at the heart of the life of the community. This
commitment together with Grandchamp’s fidelity to the three pillars of prayer,
community life and hospitality, form the foundation of the materials they have
provided for this Week of Prayer.
The actual material for the Week can be found
if you Google ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021’ and it will only be
referred to each day but it may be helpful to use the prayer that the Sisters
of Grandchamp recite daily :-
Pray
and work that God may reign.
Throughout your day
let the Word of God breathe
life into work and rest.
Maintain inner silence in all things
so
as to dwell in Christ.
Be
filled the spirit of the Beatitudes:
joy,
simplicity, mercy.
These words may sound a bit remote from the way
in which we live our daily lives but they are worth reflecting upon slowly and
prayerfully.
Monday January 18th. Monday in Week
two in Year One.
Readings
Letter to the Hebrews 5/1-10 :
Mark 2/18-22
In today’s reading from the Letter to the
Hebrews the author develops the idea of Jesus as
‘High Priest’. While the High Priest of the
Jerusalem Temple was chosen and appointed by God and could not just appoint
himself, yet he was a man like everyone else with all the limitations that that
entails. For this reason the High Priest had to offer sacrifice for himself as
well as for the people because of his own sinfulness. Jesus is quite different
since he was appointed by God to be ‘a priest for ever, according to the order
of Melchizedek’. Melchizedek appears in the book Genesis, chapter 18, verse 14
where he is called ‘the king of Salem’ and ‘a priest of the Most High God’ and
he offered Abraham bread and wine as he was returning from the defeat of the four
kings. There is no mention of Melchizedek’s ancestry so that one might argue
that he had neither father nor mother. It was he who blessed Abraham and his
priesthood was accompanied by the Lord’s oath. Above all, a priest ‘according
to the order of Melchizedek is eternal, as in psalm 110, verse 4, a psalm that
is sung every Sunday at Evening Prayer. As the author will say later in his
letter there is, therefore, no need of other priests because Jesus, who has the
same priesthood as Melchizedek, is a priest for ever. It is his suffering, the
writer goes on to say, that has led to his being able to be ‘the cause of
salvation to those who obey him’. The writer does not explain how this happens
but he makes it abundantly clear that Jesus’ priesthood is superior to all
others. Yet, during his life on earth he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud
and in silent tears, to the One who had the power to save him out of death and
he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. It is through his sufferings
that Jesus is truly the High Priest of all humankind.
The
Gospel reading continues to show the controversies that surround Jesus’
ministry. Last week we saw how Jesus’ teaching on the forgiveness of sins and
his behaviour with those who were reckoned to be beyond the pale had caused the
scribes especially to criticise him. In today’s reading it is the dispute about
fasting that forms the centrepiece of these confrontations. Jesus deals with
the question as to why his followers do not fast as did the disciples of John
the Baptist and the followers of the Pharisees. The point of Jesus’ reply is
that the ‘now’ of his ministry in contrast to the ‘then’ of the absence of the
bridegroom is a time for festive rejoicing and eating and drinking, just like a
wedding banquet. The grounds for rejoicing have been unfolding in the previous
episodes of the story where people have been summoned to hear the Good News of
the victory of God over evil, sickness and sin. Even those who, habitually,
have been thought of as outside of the range of God’s forgiveness have been
made welcome at the banquet. But the time will come, Jesus says, when his
followers will fast since the bridegroom will no longer be with them. This
saying reflects the situation of the community for whom Mark was writing. They
existed between the past times when Jesus proclaimed life to them and the
future time when Jesus will return to gather his chosen ones, the time when he
is ‘no longer with them’.
In
the two following sayings about the old and the new, Mark makes it clear that
the new is incompatible with the old. The images of shrinking and fermenting
suggest that the split between those who want to continue to observe Jewish
practices and those who wish to leave them aside has widened over a long period,
perhaps dating back to Jesus himself.
This tension and, often, incompatibility, between the old and the new
occurs in every religious tradition and accompanies every change within that
tradition.
This is, in part, true of the situation within our church at this time.
There are those who want to go back to what they perceive as the old ways
though what they often fail to recognise is that the practices to which they
wish to return are not truly old but merely the customs that had grown up in
more recent centuries. The changes proposed and effected after the Second
Vatican Council, though not seeking to go back, are more in line with the
original teaching and practice of the Church.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Throughout the week a theme will be chosen for each day from chapter 15
of John’s Gospel.
The
theme today is ‘Called by God’, ‘You did not choose me but I chose you’ John
15/16a.
We
might well reflect on how we come to be Christians, followers of Christ. Each
of us has been called in a different way and we might reflect on how this has
happened, through friends, family, our own personal search and so on and give
thanks for the enormous gift that this is, something which so many others do
not have. That is a mystery. Why have I been given this gift of faith to follow
Jesus and how grateful I ought to be.
Tuesday January 19th.
Memory of Saint Wulstan, monk and bishop (c.1008-1095)
Wulstan
was born of Anglo-Saxon parents at Itchington in Warwickshire and was educated
at the abbeys of Evesham and Peterborough where he excelled both in piety and
in sport! About the year 1033 he entered the household of Brihtea, the bishop
of Winchester and, after being made a priest he was offered a richly endowed
parish but decided instead to return to
the monastic life in the Cathedral priory of Worcester where, as in many
English Cathedrals, the monks ensured the daily round of worship. Wulstan soon
became Master of the boys in the monastic school and later Cantor in charge of
music and Sacristan in charge of the worship of the Cathedral. He both renewed
monastic life there and was zealous in preaching, baptising and counselling. In 1062, when the bishop of Worcester,
Aldred, was transferred to be archbishop of York, Wulstan was recommended as
his successor and with the approval of the King, Edward the Confessor, he was
made bishop by Aldred. Wulstan combined the monastic life with his role of
diocesan bishop and he was the first English bishop to have made a systematic visitation
of the whole of his diocese. He encouraged the building of churches and
reformed the clergy, insisting on celibacy! He was prominent in the worship of
the Cathedral church and would often comment on the Latin reading in the
Refectory in English. He was devoted to the English saints, Bede, Dunstan and
Oswald who was one of his predecessors as bishop of Worcester and whose example
of austerity and generosity Wulstan emulated. Like many bishops, Wulstan was
involved in the politics of his time and though he had supported King Harold,on
his defeat, he was one of the first of the English bishops to accept William
the Conqueror as lawful king. Unlike many of the bishops Wulstan remained in
office under William and his successors and supported him
during various uprisings. Another of his acheivements was the abolition
of the slave trade from Bristol to Viking Ireland. Which he achieved by
persistent and persuasive preaching. Wulstan supported Lanfranc at Canterbury
in his policy of reform and fostered contact between the two monastic
communities. Wulstan died at the age of eighty seven, one of the last survivors
of the Anglo-Saxon church and he was revered almost immediately as a saint
though he was not canonised until 1203. His shrine is still revered in the
Cathedral of Worcester and his feast has been kept widely I monastic and diocesan
calendars. It has been restored to our national Calendar since the year 2000.
We
pray today especially for our reconciliation with the Church of England and the
Anglican communion.
Readings
Letter
to the Hebrews 6/10-20 : Mark
2/23-28
Today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews begins by reassuring us
that God does not forget the good we do and, even though this may be difficult,
we must persevere to the very end. The
next section is not easy to follow but, in a word, it tells us that God kept
his word with Abraham and he will keep his promise made to us in Christ. We
must, says the writer, ‘take firm grip on the hope that is held out to us’.
Hope which is founded on Jesus who has entered Heaven on our behalf as our
great High Priest, the One who stands between us and God.
The
Gospel reading continues the controversies between Jesus and the Scribes and
the focus moves from the forgiveness of sins and table fellowship with habitual
sinners to the observance of the Sabbath. Sabbath observance was central to
Jewish belief and in Mark’s Gospel we find no criticism of the Sabbath itself.
What is at stake here is how the notion of work might be understood. For the
Pharisees, the Law was interpreted very strictly and in minute detail so that
the action of Jesus’ disciples would be seen by them as ‘work’ since they were
grinding the corn between their fingers. Jesus replies to their accusations by
quoting a passage from the First Book of Samuel though it is interesting to see
how he manipulates it to suit his argument. David persuaded the then High
Priest, Abiathar, to give him some of the loaves that were set apart for ritual use together with
the sword that had been Goliath’s and this does not correspond with the actions
of Jesus’ disciples. What Jesus seems to be saying is that things consecrated
to God, such as the bread in the Temple or the Sabbath are not absolute values
in themselves but exist for the sake of the people. This leads on to Jesus
declaring that the Sabbath was made for the good of the people and not vice
versa. In using the term ‘the Son of Man’ of himself, as he has done in the two
preceding incidents, Jesus is stating his authority, with which Mark’s Gospel
began.
The
Sabbath was enjoined not as a day of worship but as a day of rest and this was
not for its own sake but as a humanising influence on the people. This was
quite unique in the ancient world and reminded the Jewish people both of the
Creation after which God rested and the rest into which they entered after
their escape from the slavery of Egypt. The scrupulous observance of the
Sabbath as practised by the Pharisees missed the point of what the Sabbath was
all about.
This may be a good moment for us Christians to reflect on the meaning
and purpose of our ‘holy’ institutions and rites, both in terms of their
original intent and their continuing service of human needs. Many of those
things that we hold as ‘holy’ are not divine
institutions but the inventions of the Church and though they may have
been good and useful at the time, they may now have served their purpose.
It
may also be worthwhile reflecting on the reason for the Jewish Sabbath. It was
intended to memorialise the holiness of creation and liberation from slavery.
While the Christian Sunday was never meant to be a ‘sabbath’ in the strict
sense, it was, nevertheless, meant to be the weekly reminder of Jesus’ death
and resurrection and our liberation which springs from that. Perhaps we need to
recover something of that sense of ‘sabbath’
in order to bring home to people their need of a day of rest, being
together in the family and putting aside all the things that make our weeks so
busy and frenetic. The recent movement ‘Keep Sunday special’ would seem to be
something in which we ought to be involved not for religious reasons but for
human reasons because the observance of a real day rest and togetherness would
enormously enhance our daily lives and help us be more human.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The
theme for today is ‘Maturing internally’, ‘Abide in me as I abide in you’ (John
15/4a)
How
do we abide in Christ as he abides or dwells in us? He dwells in us bythe power
of his Spirit and this is something we ought to reflect on in our prayer time.
We don’t feel or sense this but he assures us that it is true and so we can
turn to him in faith, believing in his indwelling presence. But we can increase
that awareness of our dwelling in him by our constant reflection on his words,
above all in the Gospel. As we reflect on and ponder his words he becomes more
the reality in which we dwell so that we can say that we live in him. But this
is the reality for all Christians and it is this abiding presence that already
makes us one. Unity can only come from our ever closer following of Jesus and
opur awareness that he indwells each and every Christian in this unique way and
this is what we must build on if we are ever to achieve unity.
Wednesday January 19th. Fabian, bishop of Rome (+c.250) and Sebastien
(c.288), martyrs
Fabian, in spite of not being ordained and, apparently, a stranger in
Rome was chosen to be its bishop in 236 C.E. Saint Cyprian of Cartage praised
Fabian as ‘an incomparable man, the glory of whose death corresponded with the
holiness of his life’. He is credited with the dividing of Rome into seven
archdeaconries, giving the Roman church a close-knit structure and he was also
responsible for the building works on several cemeteries. However, after many
years of peace , when the persecution of the Emperor Decius broke out, Fabian
was its first victim and his body was buried in the Catacomb of Saint
Callistus. It was later removed to the church of saint Sebastien which is the
reason he is celebrated on the same day as the saint.
Given Fabian’s success in re-organising the Roman church we might well
pray for Pope Francis and his attempts to reform the Roman Curia in our day,
something which is absolutely necessary for the good of our church.
Sebastien, who suffered under the Emperor Diocletian about the year 300
was buried in the cemetery on the Appian Way, close to a Basilica that bears
his name. We know little about him except that he seems to have been connected
with Milan either by birth or education. The later legends about him are all
fiction but it is due to these that he often represented as a soldier,
condemned to be shot b=y arrows for his Christian faith. He is said to have
recovered from this and, after confronting the Emperor he was clubbed to death.
Sebastien was enormously popular in the Middle Ages due to these legends about
him. Because of the execution by arrows Sebastien is frequently depicted as a
young muscular man with many arrows piercing his body and he is often thought
of as the patron saint of athletes and with George and Maurice he is the patron
of soldiers.
A
day then to remember athletes especially when there seems to be so much
corruption in their world and to pray too for all those who take part in
warfare that we may find better ways of solving our differences.
Readings
Letter
to the Hebrews 7/1-3, 15-17 : Mark 3/1-6
The whole of chapter seven in the Letter to the Hebrews is devoted to
explaining why the priesthood of Jesus is superior to that of the priests of the
Jerusalem Temple who were the descendants of Aaron. In today’s reading the writer retells the
story of how Melchizedek encountered Abraham and the exchange that took place
between them. Quoting psalm 110 the writer reminds his readers that Jesus is
the second Melchizedek who is also a
priest for ever. Jesus is the One who stands for ever before God, our bridge
with him, as it were. It is interesting
that the word ‘pontiff’ is often used for bishops, especially the bishop of
Rome who is often called the ‘supreme pontiff’. This is a title that was taken
from that of the pagan High Priest of Rome but the word itself means a ‘bridge
builder’ which is exactly what Jesus is. He is our bridge between God and
humanity because he is both human and divine. We have no need of any other
pontiff. This is particularly relevant in our relations with other Christians
and so appropriate for this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
In the Gospel reading Jesus is seen again in dispute with the Pharisees
about their interpretation of the law of the Sabbath. The Pharisees are on the
watch to catch Jesus out and in this last of the five scenes where Jesus comes
up against the Pharisees and no-one except Jesus speaks. It is as if the whole
Synagogue is now ranged against him and follow the action in silence. Even the
man with the withered hand does not speak but Jesus has seen him and has had
compassion for him. Jesus deliberately uses the situation to provoke the
Pharisees by asking them outright whether it is lawful to do a good deed on the
Sabbath Day. The term ‘grieved’ is too weak and the original Greek says that
Jesus was angry, a word that must remind the reader of the ‘wrath of God’. He
is angry at their hardness of heart, their obstinacy in refusing to see the
good because they are blinded by their own narrow concept of the Law. This episode ends the series of
confrontations that Jesus had with the Pharisees and it concludes with their
decision to work with the Herodians to see how they might get rid of him.
This episode is not altogether irrelevant during this Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity because so often in the past Christians have been reluctant to
see any good in those of other denominations. That the Spirit is among them is
evident by the good that they do and the sort of people that they are, the
goodness of their live. This was recognised by the bishops at the Second
Vatican Council and it is for us not only to recognise this but, sometimes to
learn from Christians of other churches who may have answers to problems that
are common to us all and who may have ways of looking at things from which we
could learn.
Let’s try to be always open to see the good not only in other Christians
but in people of every faith and none and not allow ourselves to be put off
because they don’t quite fit in to the categories to which we have clung so
rigidly.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The theme today is ‘Forming one body’, ‘Love one another as I have loved
you’ (John 15/12b)
If we are to become one again, it is only by love that we can achieve
this. Jesus said that we must love one another as he has loved us and that
means being ready to die for one another. It is difficult enough to have this
sort of commitment to the people who form our own church community but Jesus
says this must extend to those of every church, Obviously, we may never be
required to die for another Christian but what can we do? We cannot love
someone we don’t know and so it means our being actively involved in trying to
get to know those of other churches. This means we have to be courageous and,
probably, make the first approach but if we know someone who belongs to another
church why not take the first step and say ‘We are both Christians, can we be
friends?’ That’s a challenge but why not try it?
Thursday January 21st. Memory of Agnes, martyr ( c.305)
Agnes died in the persecution of Diocletian and became enormously popular
although little is known about her. A basilica was built over her grave in the
Via Nomentana in Rome in the middle of the fourth century. All the rest is
legend although there is almost certainly some truth in the stories that grew
up about her. She ws said to have been
as young as twelve or fifteen and,
having dedicated her life to Christ and refused marriage she was killed by a
sword being driven through her neck, the normal way of executing women of noble
birth. Her fame was praised by Ambrose
of Milan, Damasus of Rome, Jerome and others so that
we can be sure of her existence and her martyrdom but of little else.
Today is a good day to pray for young people, especially those of our
church on whom the future of our church depends. We pray for those many young
people who challenge us with regard to climate change, the preservation of our
earth and many other matters that their voices may be heard and that they may
not become disillusioned by the apathy of their elders.
Readings
Letter to the Hebrews 7/25-8/6
: Mark 3/7-12
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews develops his thinking of
yesterday in today’s extract and explains why Jesus is the ideal high Priest.
Whereas the other High Priests have had to offer their daily sacrifices for
their own sins s well as for those of the people, Jesus has offered himself
once and for all. He is a holy, blameless and undefiled High Priest, not a
sinner like others, exalted above the heavens, offering a sacrifice that is
once and for all.
The writer then introduces the idea of a heavenly Tabernacle (the Tent
of Meeting where God met with his people) which Moses had been shown so that he
was able to build the earthly one on the same model or plan. Whereas the High
Priests had had to make repeated offerings to God, Jesus, the eternal High
Priest, has offered himself once and for all and so his priesthood is of a far
higher order than that of the Temple and supersedes it. In the same way, the
new Covenant between God and humankind is of a far greater order since it is
the covenant which is Jesus himself in whom God and humankind are reconciled.
In today’s Gospel reading we move on from the series of confrontations
between Jesus and the Scribes and the Pharisees to a sort of transition before
we come to the next section of the Gospel.
After the Prologue and the initial arrival of Jesus, Mark structures his
material to show his readers a Jesus who is powerful in word and deed but who
will also suffer mortal opposition. These two themes will continue but with a
subtle shift towards the division and opposition that Jesus will cause. Today’s
reading summarises the major themes that we have seen so far and prepares us
for the next set of stories.
This summary begins with Jesus withdrawing with his disciples. The
crowds still flock to him however so that he has to ask the disciples to have a
boat ready for him to keep him from being crushed. Although Jesus is still
healing those who crowd forward to touch him and casting out evil spirits, the
theme of opposition is still in the background. The way in which the evil
spirits fall down before him prepares the way for the charge that will be made
against him later, that he is himself possessed. The unclean spirits address
Jesus as the ‘son of God’ and this takes us back to the very first words of
Mark’s Gospel and foreshadows the use of this title at Jesus’ trial and
crucifixion. The title ‘son of God’ reflects to some extent the use that
Christians will make of Psalm 2 where the title is given to the King as a sign
of Divine adoption but here it is used as a reminder to Mark’s readers that, in
spite of the opposition, Jesus, who is the Son of God, will ultimately triumph.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The theme today is ‘Praying together’, ‘I do not call you servants any
longer … but I have called you friends’
(John 15/15)
Jesus has called us his friends and as friends of his we ought to be
able to pray together and this is really an essential if we are to grow
together and to move towards greater unity. This does not mean United Services
or inviting those of other churches to join us at ours or vice versa. This
means our praying in a more intimate way with those of other churches and the
best way of doing this and the way which causes not problems as to the way we
pray is to pray in silence.
Prayer together in silence can be enormously powerful and build up a
sense of unity that vocal prayers might never achieve. Perhaps it might begin
by a few words from the Gospel or psalms and then just being together in
silence for a set period of time.
Why not invite one or two people that you know are members of other
churches to meet with you to pray in this way? This building up our unity from
beneath rather than trying to impose it from above.
Friday January 22nd. Memory of Vincent, deacon and first
martyr of Spain (+304)
Vincent was trained by the bishop Valerius of Saragossa in Spain but
almost all we know about him with any certainty is that he was martyred in the
year 304 C.E. The way in which he died is open to much speculation. The writer
Prudentius (348-410) speaks of Vincent as does Augustine (354-430) who says
that he is honoured throughout the Roman ERmpire. The old legend about him says that he was a
victim of the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian , being first imprisoned
and weakened by semi-starvation. When he refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods
he was racked, roasted on a gridiron, thrown into prison and set in stocks,
dying finally of his sufferings. He was enormously popular and there are six
ancient churches in England dedicated to him. He is the patron saint of
vine-growers and wine-makers because of the belief that prayers to him will
safeguard the vines from the early frosts that occur around his feast. It is
obvious that some of the legends surrounding Vincent are based on those around
Laurence of Rome with whom there was some rivalry among their devotees.
We pray today for the church in Spain of whom Vincent is a patron and
for all those involved in the wine-making industry. We pray too for a proper
restoration of the Order of Deacons and a proper understanding of their
particular ministry.
Readings
Letter to the Hebrews 8/6-13
: Mark 3/13-19
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews continues to explore the idea
of Jesus as High Priest and the writer contrasts the covenant that he offers
with the first covenant. This is done by a series of quotations from the
prophet Jeremiah, from Exodus and even from the second Book of Kings, reflecting
on how the first covenant had gone wrong when the people abandoned God. God,
however, is still faithful and promises a new and better covenant. The writer
paints an idyllic picture of this new covenant which Jesus brings and concludes
by reminding his readers how the old covenant is outdated and must disappear.
In the Gospel reading we start to read of the second phase of Jesus’
ministry beginning with the appointment of the Twelve. These twelve he calls
apostles and they are to be his companions who will help him in his work. What
is interesting in Mark’s Gospel is that, although the Twelve are named, they do
not reappear as a group in the rest of that Gospel or in the writings of the
New Testament. Their relative obscurity
might indicate that, as an institution, they died out within quite a short
time. In the early Christian centuries a great number of legends circulated
about the Twelve and their lives and careers after Jesus’ death and
resurrection but, although there may be elements of truth in them, they are for
the most part, totally unreliable historically.
The significance of the Twelve in Mark’s Gospel and their relationship
with the disciples in general is unclear. Their main function seems to be to
symbolise the nature of discipleship. The true disciple is someone whom Jesus
has called, as in this extract, and who is to be with him and do the things
that he does. It may also be significant that it is on a hill that Jesus
summons the Twelve and it will be from the Mount of Olives that he will go to
his suffering and death. The episode ends with the stark reminder that it will
be one of the Twelve, Judas, who will betray him.
It is possible to see the whole event as, in some way, under the shadow
of the Cross, indicating that to be a follower of Jesus will involve the
disciple in suffering and, perhaps, death.
The list of the Twelve also presents a rather diverse picture. There is
Simon who is ‘the rock’ and who yet emerges as unreliable in the Gospel. There
are the ‘sons of thunder’, James and John, who seem to be ambitious for power
and who cause bickering amongst the others. Philip and Andrew have Greek names
while Matthew and Simon have Semitic names. This suggests that the group was
made up of those who were ‘hellenised’ and those who came from more traditional
Jewish backgrounds and, of course, there is the one who will reject the group
as a whole and betray Jesus. Both the diversity and the fragility of
discipleship are part of church life throughout history and even today.
Finally, there is the contrast between ‘being with Jesus’ and ‘doing the things
Jesus does’. This has been an ongoing tension within the Church from the
beginning, the tension between ‘contemplation’ and ‘action’ and here the
disciple is presented as someone who manages to combine the two.
The lesson that we might learn is that, firstly, Jesus has called each
one of us in a unique way through our family, other people, our own personal
search and so on. At some point we have made the decision to accept that call
and to follow him though this may not have been at some particular moment but,
rather, as the result of a gradual understanding of the call and a growing
conviction that it must be followed.
The call to ‘be with Jesus’ comes first of all and it means for us to
try to know him through the Gospels and through those who we believe to be like
him, other disciples and to listen to his teaching and try to follow it in our
lives. Sometimes we hear that we must have a ‘strong personal relationship with
Jesus’ or even ‘with God’. This, when examined, seems impossible. It is
possible to have a strong personal relationship with another human being
because I can meet with them and share with them and gradually come to know and
understand them. It is not possible to do that with Jesus and even less with
God because Jesus isn’t around for me to do it and nor is God. There would seem
to be a danger in this so-called
relationship and we may end up with assort of fantasy friend with whom we hold conversations and so on.
Our relationship with Jesus must be of a different kind, built upon our trying
to follow his teaching and our faith that he is with us as he promised and our
loving him, above all, in the love that we give to our sisters and brothers.
Following on from this is the ‘doing of the things that Jesus did’ and
here we have his example. We know what he did and we must try to do the same,
loving those who come our way and showing care and compassion for all, most
especially the most deprived and neglected. We must proclaim the Gospel by our
lives more than by our word, seeking to do good and to oppose evil wherever we
find it.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The theme today is ‘Letting oneself be transformed by the Word, ‘You
have already been pruned by the word…’ (John 15/3)
This is what the Gospel reading today has been telling us about being a
true disciple of Jesus. Our reading and reflecting on the Gospel and Jesus’
words and actions will gradually transform us if we allow this to happen. This
transformation is not our becoming someone different, more holy, more saintly.
It is our becoming more and more ourselves. As we become more like Jesus so we
become more the person we are intended to be, our true self. As the early
Christians often said, ‘God became human so that we might become divine’. In
the fullness of Jesus’ humanity we see the revelation of God and as we become
more like him, more truly human, so we reflect more fully the image of God that
is in us.
Again, to do this with other Christians is a sure way of healing our
divisions and growing into a unity of love and fellowship. Can we talk about
this with other Christians and reflect on this with them?
Saturday January 23rd.
Saturday in Week two in Year One.
Readings
Letter to the Hebrews 9/2-3, 11-14
: Mark 3/20-21
In today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews the writer continues
to describe the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting and its structure as it existed
during the time that the Israelites were on the move before they came into the
Promised Land and before the Temple was built. As the author describes it, the
most important part of the Tent of Meeting was the so-called Holy of holies
where God was believed to dwell in a unique way, throned upon the images of the
Cherubim, the strange creatures with partly animal form and with wings which
formed the Mercy Seat. Before entering the holy of holies there was another
section or holy place which separated the people from the place of offering
sacrifices.
This reading is an obscure passage but the writer is making an analogy
between the High Priest’s entering the Holy of holies, bearing with him the
blood of the animal that had been sacrificed
or offered to God and Jesus, the High Priest of the new covenant who enters the presence of God, having shed
his own blood at the end of a life totally offered to God. There is a
suggestion that the writer is alluding to Jesus’ risen body since Jesus had
said, when accused of having threatened to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem,
that, were his body to be destroyed, God would raise it up in three days. This is the ‘greater, the more perfect tent …
not of the created order’ since God had raised it up. Jesus has offered himself
to the Father from the very first moment of his human existence to the moment
of his last breath and it is this offering which of infinitely greater value
than the offering of animals. This offering can ‘purify our inner self from
dead actions so that we do our service to the living God’.
This passage is about Jesus, the Word made flesh, united in his humanity
with all humankind, the High Priest of all creation offering himself to God
and, in so doing, bringing with him the whole of humanity.
The short Gospel reading is of great interest because it suggests that
Jesus’ family so misunderstood him that they thought he was ‘out of his mind’.
In a sense, by human standards, Jesus was mad. Everything he said turned the
accepted values of his time upside down and seemed madness to his
contemporaries. As the Scribes and the Pharisees became more and more opposed
to Jesus, he might well have seemed mad to them since he continued on the road
that he had chosen and which would lead to his destruction.
To be Jesus’ disciple means that I too must be a bit mad by the
standards of the world around us. In the generosity we show to others, in the
forgetting of myself in favour of others, in the readiness I show to help others,
in my willingness to forgive others and so on we are called to a certain
madness. We often say that someone is ‘madly in love’ when people seem to act
irrationally but we are called to be madly in love with our sisters and
brothers which is, of course, to be madly in love with the Lord himself. We
might well look at our lives and pray that we may be a little more mad in our
loving and giving and caring.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Today’s theme is ‘welcoming others’, ‘Go and bear fruit, fruit that will
last’ (John 15/16b
This follows on from what we have been seeing in today’s Gospel reading.
Is my home truly welcoming or do I make of my home my castle? Of course, we
cannot just throw wide our doors to all and sundry and we have to consider
those with whom we share our lives but, in little ways, am I welcoming? The way
I greet the postman or the rubbish collector at my door or my neighbours. Saint
Benedict in his Rule tells his monks that whoever comes to the monastery must
be treated as they would treat Christ himself. That’s the ideal for which we
must aim.
Of course, we must also be welcoming to those of other Christian
traditions, whether it be in our meeting places or in our home. A welcome given
to someone from another tradition begins to build up that unity for which we
are all striving so can I do more to invite and welcome those of other churches
to come into my home ? An invitation to coffee or a cup of tea can develop into
our being able to pray together and share together and be enriched by our
different church backgrounds. Can I do something about this?
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