The readings focus our attention on the nature of true wisdom. It is this true wisdom which prompts us to choose the right course of action and directs us in our interpretation of the law. The longer we live, the more we realise that life experiences open up for us a series of choices. With these choices we chart the path that we will take. Circumstances might be thrust on us, but we can still make choices about how we will deal with them. Obedient people do what they are told; wise people choose what good they will do. True wisdom calls us to choose life and whatever enhances life. If we are truly wise, we will come to realise that what was acceptable and life-enhancing in one situation may not be appropriate in another. Life is fluid, and our thinking and acting must be flexible enough to adapt when necessary. True wisdom, which comes to us through the Spirit, will enrich us with insight into life in ways we never thought possible. We will realise where and how we fit into the vast and interrelated ecosystems of the universe, and we will be overawed with the majesty and intricacy of its workings. We will understand once and for all that the value of anything is determined by its capacity to enrich life, and we will commit ourselves to and cherish every manifestation of that life.
Jesus employs two metaphors to characterise the essence of discipleship: salt and light. These metaphors point to what the disciples do for others rather than to what discipleship does for the disciples themselves. It is the Spirit and power of God that work the wonders, and God works them through mundane elements of life such as light and salt. True disciples are the light that shines forth in the darkness of ignorance or faithlessness. They enlighten others not by words but by their manner of living. Jesus teaches us that what we do flows from who and what we are. We can enlighten the world with the message of the gospel, because our lives have been transformed by that gospel and now we ourselves are light for others. We can serve others in various ways, only because we have been saved by God’s grace and now we are agents of that grace in the lives of others. Our own renewal becomes the means through which God renews the world. We may not be asked to perform extraordinary feats, but all disciples of Jesus are called upon to do the ordinary things of life in an extraordinary way. It is this manner of living that declares to the world that the reign of God has indeed been established in their midst, and that the age of fulfilment has dawned.
To follow Jesus means that one learns from him, that one follows his manner of life and his way of thinking. To follow Jesus means to follow his example in the way he respects himself and other people, in his use of the things of the natural world. It means that one listens to what he says, and asks for an explanation when what he says is not understood. All of this requires that the disciple be a learner, one who can learn from the life of Jesus as well as from his teaching. The first lessons that the disciples must learn are found in the beatitudes. The same lessons are placed before us, the modern-day disciples. These beatitudes, these blessings call for profound inner transformation and it is clear that each and every beatitude invites us to turn our standards and our way of life upside down and inside out. The disciples of Jesus are not merely his followers; they also continue the work that he began. In whatever circumstance of life we find ourselves, as disciples of Jesus we work to sustain the good that is in the world and to transform whatever needs transformation.
This week we hear Matthew portray Jesus as the fulfilment of Sacred Scripture. Throughout his gospel, Matthew is at pains to demonstrate that Jesus fulfils prophecy. The purpose in doing this was not only to tie Jesus into the prophecies of the Messiah but to demonstrate that Jesus was part of God’s plan all along. This gospel was written at a time when there were growing tensions between early Christian communities and mainstream Jews. By highlighting the fulfilment of Scripture, Matthew attempts to firstly reassure the Christian community in the face of aggression and resentment from the mainstream Jews and secondly, challenge those who oppose the Christian sect to see this movement as just another thread in the ancient story of their people. Jesus’ call to repent is a call to see our relationship with God in a whole new way.
Dear parishioners of St Agnes’ and Our Lady of the Assumption,
Another year nears its end, and we say once again, ‘Where has the year gone!’ I thank you most sincerely for your continued support, in so many ways, throughout 2022. I think of the many liturgical and pastoral events of the last year and I’m aware of many significant times we’ve known as individuals and families within our parishes. For some there has been the gift of new life, and others the sorrow that accompanies bereavement. We’ve prayed for many who were sick, some who are now doing well, others who continue to struggle with the consequences of their illness. Our Parish communities are, in the true sense of the word, communities that share these highs and lows, these joys and sorrows. Thank God we continue to find the courage and the conviction to be the Body of Christ, the Church, the ongoing presence of God’s Son, empowered with God’s Holy Spirit, in these challenging and engaging times. As you may have heard me say on one or more occasions, ‘we are not simply called to be a people in whom Christ is present, rather, we are called to be a people in whom Christ is recognised’.
On behalf of the Parish staff thank you for your many Christmas cards, greetings and gifts. We extend to you and your families, our sincere best wishes for the Season of Christmas. May this Christmas be a happy time, where we can gather to celebrate the significance of the faith we share, and give thanks to our God for all that we’ve been given in the beauty and sheer splendour of His creation. The Father’s goodness to us is at the heart of what we believe, including, His ultimate gift to us His people, His Son Jesus Christ, the one whom we remember, in this Holy Season, as the Babe of Bethlehem, the King of Kings, Wonder Counsellor and Mighty God. May the Star of Wonder continue to guide us to God’s perfect light.
And may God continue to bless us, and all with whom we share His wonderful gift of life and love, today and always .
Fr Alan
Emmanuel; God-is-with-us – that’s what we celebrate through Christmas and that’s what we’ve been preparing for during Advent. We celebrate God-with-us in a particular time and place through our celebration of the birth of Jesus. But we remember it every year because we also use the Christmas celebration to remind ourselves that God continues to be with us. That is what is so remarkable about the Christmas season: that God-is-with-us now, not just in a stable in Palestine so many years ago, but now! Advent is the time to remind ourselves of this incredible truth and prepare ourselves to acknowledge it once again.
Half way through Advent we pause for a moment to celebrate Gaudete Sunday, a Sunday for rejoicing. Isaiah paints a picture of regeneration. The desert that once seemed to be dead is now bursting with life; eyes that lacked sight, ears incapable of capturing and holding sound, limbs without strength, and tongues devoid of speech are all given new life. There will be no death in that age of fulfilment, no limitations, no mourning. As we move deeper and deeper into the reality of God’s presence in our midst, we will discover the meaning of true fulfilment. Advent invites us to be more perceptive, and to take time out to see the presence of God with us. Like the people mentioned in the gospel, we may need to step aside, to ‘go out into the wilderness’ in order to see these signs. Look within your own life, your family, your workplace, your neighbourhood and recognise the sure signs of God’s presence in our midst.
What is essential and truly preparatory to Jesus’ proclamation of good news is John’s summons to conversion of heart. The “way” that Isaiah wanted prepared in the wilderness is one that must be prepared in the wilderness of the human heart. The good news will then find a hearing when at last it is proclaimed. The greatest obstacle to conversion of heart is complacency – a complacency that especially stems from privileged status and a sense that one is different from the despised outsiders and so can rest secure. Jesus will “baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. That is, he will seek to catch up human lives into the fire that is God’s love, communicated through the Spirit. But only hearts that are truly repentant and converted will be able to be grasped within a “baptism” of this kind. John’s baptism with water is a preparatory rite of conversion, readying human hearts for the entrance of this message about God’s love, the true “knowledge of the Lord” that Jesus will impart.
The first Sunday of Advent sees the commencement of the new liturgical year. This new liturgical cycle is referred to as Year A and features the gospel of Matthew. Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus which literally means ‘coming’; it is also reflected in the Greek word Parousia, which is used to describe the second coming of Jesus. So Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation of the coming of Christ into the world that is celebrated in the Nativity at Christmas. The gospel passage chosen for today’s reading richly expresses that anticipation and need for preparation. In the Nativity, we celebrate God become human; God present in the world in a physical way. Advent is a time to remember the many and varied ways that God continues to be present in the world.
Luke’s Gospel has been loaded with surprises: the poor are rich, sinners find salvation, the Kingdom of God is found in our midst. Here we see the greatest surprise of all. We are confronted with the crucified Jesus, whom faith tells us is King and Saviour of all. The irony is that the inscription placed on the cross, perhaps in mockery, contains the profoundest of truth. As the leaders jeer, the thief crucified by his side recognizes Jesus as Messiah and King, and finds salvation. Jesus is King, but not the kind of king we might have imagined or expected. His kingship was hidden from many of his contemporaries, but those who had the eyes of faith were able to see. As modern disciples of Jesus, we, too, struggle at times to recognize Jesus as King. Today’s Gospel invites us to make our own judgment. With eyes of faith, we, too, recognize that Jesus, the crucified One, is indeed King and Saviour of all.