18th Sunday of Year C (1 August 2010)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

The Rich Fool

Three men were discussing how they shared their wealth between themselves and others. The first said that what he did was draw a circle in the earth and throw his coins to the ground– whatever lay inside the circle remained his and what fell outside was for the Lord. The second said that he simply drew a line on the ground and what fell on the left went to him and on the right to those in need. The last, the richest of them, said “What I do is throw my money up in the air. Whatever the Lord wants to keep is his and whatever falls back to the ground is mine”.

Always the question of how to live with worldly wealth has intrigued Christians. Some tithe, giving 10% of their earnings, others are happy giving something for the collection on Sunday and others will give generously to charity. The question of how to use worldly wealth needs to be taken seriously specially when we live a world of great contrasts. In many countries children still die of hunger and in others the greatest health problem is obesity. The global video game market is worth over $10 billion. Just think what that money could be spent on instead? What is happening? The psalmist warns us all “If today you hear the voice of the Lord harden not your hearts” (Psalm 90).

St Paul gives quite frank advice in his letter to the Colossians “Put greed to death”. The only antidote to greed is generosity. We have the tendency to accumulate so we need to exercise the virtue of giving to others. How many people have extra shoes gathering dust in the cupboard. Sometimes our giving would not even be generous but a matter of justice! Pope Benedict wrote in his encyclical Caritas in veritate, no. 15, "Without the perspective of eternal life, human progress in this world is denied breathing-space. Enclosed within history, it runs the risk of being reduced to the mere accumulation of wealth; humanity thus loses the courage to be at the service of higher goods, at the service of the great and disinterested initiatives called forth by universal charity.”

In the gospel two brothers are fighting over an inheritance, a situation not uncommon today. Jesus tells them a parable about a man who accumulates wealth. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ (See Luke 12, 13-21). Seems like the man has done well for himself and in our world of today he would be commended for being successful, people would look up to that person and probably show him (or her) much respect. But what does Jesus tell us that God said to that man? God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

It is interesting that Jesus calls him a fool and for this reason it is often known as the parable of the rich fool. The rich man is foolish as he forgets that his time on earth is limited, that it is only the prologue of a story which should run for eternity. Perhaps the man was foolish because he forgot about God. In his locution he repeats “I” many times - what shall I do then I shall say to myself. It is a sign that he has cut himself off from God and in the same foul swoop from his neighbour too. We have to ask ourselves “Am I living like the rich fool?” Perhaps in the eyes of others I am very successful but we cannot make a fool of God.

Sometimes people are lulled into thinking that later on, when they have more money, they will do good and help others. Like the person asking help from a friend –“If you won the lottery and received 2 million, would you give me one million?” Of course his friend affirmed. “If you had 2 sports cars, would you give me one?” His friend nodded his head in agreement. “If you had 2 cell phones, would you...” “No,” his friend replied, cutting him off mid-sentence. The man asked his friend how come he would be generous if he won 2 million, or got 2 sports cars but not 2 cell phones. The friend replied “Well because I actually have 2 cell phones”. Let us not fool ourselves. If you won the lottery you would not give more than you give now.

Let us ask for the grace to be generous. Let us rid ourselves of greed, not only financial but it can also be intellectual. Learning so many things but not sharing with others. If we have learned a lot we can dedicate to teaching, and in this way ‘share freely what we have received freely’ as Jesus asks of us. Don’t be foolish in this short earthly life. Let us not forget our poor brothers and sisters and in doing so we will be storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven. Amen.

REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

17th Sunday of the Year, Cycle C
(25 July 2010)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

‘Lord teach us how to pray for others’

One striking feature of the readings today is the prayer of intercession. For sure we all pray but we are reminded to not only pray for ourselves but to intercede for others. Perhaps it is a good question to ask ourselves – when I come to prayer why am I coming? Do I only pray for my own needs or am I bringing the needs of others, the Church and the world? We see Abraham in the first reading (Gen 18, 20-32) interceding for the inhabitants of Sodom who had committed a grave crime in their desire to abuse the angelic visitors who had come to the town. Abraham asks the Lord if he would destroy it even if there were 50 innocent people in that town to which the Lord says no. With great humility Abraham continues to intercede for the 45, 30, 20 and finally 10 good people that the Lord might find in that town. The Lord replied “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Once in Sydney I gave a short talk about prayer when I first met my community. In the silence that followed I was just relaxing, relieved that my talk had gone well. When we came to share our prayer I told all gathered that in my prayer time I had just chilled out. I was asked if I had prayed for anyone in the time of silence and I said no, that I was just enjoying. Someone asked me “Is there no one who could have benefitted from you prayer?” It helped me to realize that of course we must present our own needs in prayer, but not merely our own needs. Abraham had previously presented his own needs to the Lord, telling him that he was childless and the Lord had responded but now it was time to present the needs of others. Of course we have to get a balance. As St Charles Borromeo said “If you take care of souls then do not neglect your own”. But on the other hand our prayer cannot just be an exercise of going around our own belly button, around our own problems and situations but must be open to the world around us and the needs of our brothers and sisters.

In the gospel the disciples make this beautiful request “Teach us how to pray” (See Luke 11, 1-13). Really it is a request to teach us how to live for ‘as we pray so we live’. I remember in a one month retreat, on the last day the preacher was giving us the meditation. He said that he had asked the Lord that morning to teach him how to pray. I was a bit critical thinking that after a month of giving spiritual exercises if he still didn’t know how to pray then maybe he was not the man for the job! I realised slowly that each day we too must make this same prayer “Lord teach us how to pray” because we do not know how. We have already prayed but today is different, my situation is different, the people and situations I will meet are different and I need to ask the Lord of life to teach me how to live today. The disciples asked Jesus when he was in a certain place. I pondered on where that place might be and felt that it must be the bosom of the Father (See John 1,18). That is why Jesus teaches them to pray to the Father.

When we pray for the our Father we ask for our daily bread, enough for today. In asking we must never be afraid to ask for the needs of others. I ask for them too. Many times we will notice that we are out of bread. Once a missionary had an asthma attack and was trying to shout that he was out of breath. A mexican missionary who was trying to learn English heard him and said “Don’t worry I will go to the baker and get some”. When the asthmatic missionary repeated that he was out of breath the missionary replied “I heard you, I am going to buy the bread now”! We need to listen carefully to the needs of others and then we can ask the Father for the bread they need.

Jesus illustrates the power of intercessory prayer with the example of the man who is out of bread, (not breath!). A man comes at midnight to ask a friend for three loaves of bread as a visitor has come unexpectedly to his house and he wants to feed him. However it is midnight and the friend is sleeping. He gives a refutal, then 3 reasons as to why he cannot give him the bread and a final refutal. 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children are already in bed and so am I. I cannot get up to give you anything.' Jesus explains “I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”

Persistence and perseverance are essential for prayer. St Paul advises “Pray at all times” and “Pray without ceasing”. There is a very interesting detail in the gospel today which spoke to me of the need to persevere. When it says ‘Everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks, finds’ made me think that everyone asks but not all seek. We have to seek, to strive. In this striving St Theresa of Child Jesus says ‘let us never simply allow matters to take their course for the sake of our own peace; let us fight without ceasing’. To exercise thinking more of the needs of others than of our own. I had an nice experience of this last week giving a recollection to a group of teenagers who were graduating from High School. Trying to understand where they are coming from, how they see the world, what their views are, how they see the faith and the relationship with Jesus. St Francis of Assisi advises us “Seek to understand and not to be understood”. I found a lot of common ground with them in discussing their outlook on life, and of course with my British accent they seemed to be fascinated to discuss with me about Harry Potter! Our participation in the mission entrusted to us helps keep our hearts in shape and it makes out forget about only ourselves and think of others. This brings joy and this joy, as Mother Theresa observed, is ‘ a net for souls’. No wonder at the end of the recollection many of the young people experiencing so much joy were desiring to become missionaries!

Of course genuine prayer will strengthen us and make us more capable to enter into the lives of others. What is genuine prayer? It is to encounter Christ. It is to be strengthened by him as the psalmist announces ‘when I cried out, you strengthened my Spirit’ (Psalm 138,3). Let us pray for the grace to be so strengthened in spirit that we can grow more in love for others. To keep toiling, fighting the good fight and as St Theresa of Child Jesus asks “I always want to see you behaving like a brave soldier who does not complain about his own suffering but takes his comrades' wounds seriously and treats his own as nothing but scratches." May we learn how to live more in service of others than ourselves, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds (St ignatius of Loyola). This transformation begins in prayer. For this we humbly ask the Lord to teach us how to pray, how to intercede for others and in doing so be slowly transformed into men and women for others.

REFLEXION Evangelio Semanal

Durante el mes de julio estaré ausente, buscando el silencio, la oración y el descanso. Estaré en un sitio de montaña donde no hay internet. Volveré a estar con vosotros en agosto.

Un saludo y que Dios os bendiga.

Os pido oraciones.

P. Luis J. Tamayo

REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

16^th Sunday Cycle C (July 18, 2010)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

There was a famous song by a British comedian called Vic Reeves. One memorable line was “I’m so busy, my head is spinning”. I think Martha in today’s gospel had that tune in her head (Luke 10, 38-42). She was so busy preparing the food and serving the Lord. She was fighting with her sibling Mary and then complaining to Jesus “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me”. When we are very busy we should not forget the source of our strength and energy, God himself. When we lose that relationship with him, everything loses taste even our work.

I remember once begin assigned to cook dinner for my fellow missionaries. I decided to knock up a tasty soup. I found some chicken, some left over vegetables and flung all the ingredients into a big pot. It was lacking salt so after adding some still it did not taste right so I poured in the rest of the bag. Serving the soup the others commented that it was great but it lacked salt. I protested that I had put in half a bag. This caused some confusion as some sad actually we had no salt in the house. I checked the bag and it was not salt but ajinomoto, a type of MSG food additive. When there is no salt all is tasteless! The salt of our life is this love for Christ, our relationship with him. If we do not cultivate it we become a-theists, that is we live a life without God! And it becomes tasteless.

Abraham in today’s first reading cooks up a great dinner with his wife for the three guests who visit. Who are these three? They represent the divine presence. How was Abraham able to recognize the presence of God? Well we find him at the entrance of his tent while the day was growing hot. What does it mean? It means he is not inside the tent, inside his comfort zone, but is watching and waiting for the Lord. What do we have to do to find God sometimes? Get out of our comfort zone and start looking! Abraham was advanced in years in that moment so the calling is for all, every day to discover God’s presence in all the events and in the people we meet. How dour is life when a dimension of faith is lacking. There was a man sat at the bar, downcast. The barman asked him what’s up. The man explained that he had recently had a plane crash in Alaska. He was dying and called out to God to save him but no response. He yelled out louder but God ignored him. The barman said “But you are still alive now” and the man replied “Yeah, because some goddamn Eskimo came along…”

Having Jesus in our lives gives us a bigger horizon, a big perspective and we see this in the life of St Paul. He was a busy man, preaching, teaching, working as a tent maker at times but he always relied on the Lord. In his busy-ness he never forgot the Lord and we see the fruits of his life today. In his struggles and difficulties because he too had challenges, had to deal with problems in the Christian communities but what a vision he had, he never lost sight of the bigger picture - “I rejoice in my sufferings because in them I am building up the Church” (See Col 1,24-28).

The demands of human life are challenging. If we want to stay young and beautiful and not get tired we need to constantly recharge. Our cellphones get ‘low batt’ and so do our hearts. I remember after one mass in Singapore, a beautiful woman approached me after the mass to seek some beauty tips. “Doctor, I mean Father, I heard in your homily that before you were a plastic surgeon. Can you give me some beauty tips?” I responded “Well I shouldn’t really give away any tricks of the trade but it all depends on the daily face cream you use”. She told me that everyday assiduously, she was using face cream with Vitamin C and D. I told her that this was a waste of time. What is best is Vitamin P. “What is that, I have never heard of it. What is this Vitamin P that keeps you young and vivacious?”. “Vitamin PRAYER!” I told her. A truly prayerful life is a very fruitful one.

Like the life of Abraham. He was 99 when God told him that his wife would give birth one year later. Our time spent with God is never wasted! It is always fruitful. How much more fruitful our busyness, and business, will be if the Lord is helping us. If the Lord does not help our business we end up involved in monkey business! But to grow in our relationship with the Lord, to see God working in our family, to experience his presence in the world of today we need training. In the gospel Mary shows us how – she was sat at the feet of the Lord listening to him speak. This is the position of the disciple, to be sat at the feet of the Master learning from him. To sit down in a retreat because we need time to listen. Jesus said that Mary has chosen the best thing. Martha was worried and troubled about so many things but Jesus reminded her that only one thing is needed – and that one thing is Christ. And Martha followed the advice of the Lord because now she is St Martha!

Don't panic when life seems a little black and white or tasteless. Just add salt! Turn to the Lord and present everything to him. Let us pray for the grace to persevere in our Christian life and calling, to constantly seek the face of the Lord and that our lives can be truly fruitful, like Saints Mary and Martha. Amen.

Reflection SUNDAY'S GOSPEL

Homily for 15th Sunday of Year C (July 11, 2010)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Risking all on all LOVE

There is an octopus that has become quite famous for its uncanny ability to predict the winner of the world cup soccer matches. Many swear that the octopus never fails. We shall see if it can spot the winner between Spain and Germany! There are many things you can put your hope in. Outside one of the big churches in Manila, in Quiapo, you will find many fortune tellers, palmists and tarot card readers. Allegedly for a sum of money they guarantee to be able to tell your future. Where do we put our certainty? Is there something that never fails, that can be trusted? St Paul said there is one thing that never fails and that is love. There is someone who never fails us and that is Christ, the head of the Cosmos, the one who reigns over all principalities and powers. He desires that we put all our trust in him. He, as the psalmist reminds us, has the words of Spirit and life.

Yesterday I was talking to a man who sells corn by the side of the road. He was surprised to find out that God is with us. Christ is not far from us neither are his words of love far away or inaccessible to us. The first reading of today reminds us of this telling us that the Word is not far from us but it is in our mouth and in our hearts (Deut 30, 10-14). We have only to carry it out!

This is the advice that Jesus gives the scholar of the Law who was curious about eternal life. The scholar knew the answers but Jesus reminded him to put them into practice! "Do this and you will live” Jesus told him. Like us, we know many things but we should remember to put them into practice too. Let us not be afraid to risk everything for love. Jesus gives us the example of the Good Samaritan. He was not afraid to love, to take the risk to cross over to the other side and complicate his life. The priest and the Levite walked on by but the Samaritan was moved by compassion. He poured oil and wine on the wounds of the man who was half beaten to death, bandaged his wounds and then put him on his own mount. He then said to the innkeeper 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' It is as if Jesus is talking to us directly about our good deeds. We needn’t look for the reward right now but when Jesus comes back. St John Chrysostom noted that this earthly is not the time for honour and wreaths but of contest and sweat. We are not to look for prizes but for the battle. We will have the whole of eternity to rest.

Jesus taught us who our neighbour is. The scholar of the Law had asked “Who is my neighbour?” and Jesus responds with “Which one made himself neighbour?” Commenting on this. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Deus Caritas est, his encyclical about love - “Until that time, the concept of “neighbour” was understood as referring essentially to one's countrymen and to foreigners who had settled in the land of Israel; in other words, to the closely-knit community of a single country or people. This limit is now abolished. Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbour. The concept of “neighbour” is now universalized, yet it remains concrete. Despite being extended to all mankind, it is not reduced to a generic, abstract and undemanding expression of love, but calls for my own practical commitment here and now.” (DCE #15)

Recently we had a group of 15 young people from the Verbum Dei community in England visiting us here in Philippines on a mission trip. They spent some time in the depressed area sharing with the people, as well as one week in a school working with the deaf children. At times it seems that what we do is only a drop in the ocean as there is so much left to do. But here the prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero is helpful. He said “It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.”

In our doing good let us stake all on charity. Let us take the risk and believe in love. One person who risked all for love was St Theresa of Lisieux. When she was 15 she said that she wanted to become a Saint. She entered the convent and one day became irritated because while washing the dishes one sister inadvertently kept splashing her with water. Theresa decided to be calm and offer it all to God out of love. Not just any love, but a pure love. She even declared that in the body of Christ she would be the heart full of love. And what a transcendence that little life had! She died at only 24 but was declared a Doctor of the Church, taking her place alongside the greats like St Thomas and St Augustine. She was described the “greatest of modern Saints” and was declared co-patron of the missions. When her relics visited England my family said that they felt her presence even though the relics were 50 miles away.

Love never fails. Even our friendly octopus will eventually let us down but we can risk everything for Christ. Let us be courageous and stake all on charity. Amen

REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

14th Sunday of the Year

Fr James McTavish FMVD

Rejoice!

Choices in life are very important. What we choose can make us happy but sometimes the array of choices in front of us can be overwhelming. Just buying shampoo there are so many brands. In Philippines a common one is called “Rejoice”. This is the same word that the prophet Isaiah uses to announce to the people “Rejoice Jerusalem and be glad because of her” (Isaiah 66, 10-14). What is the content of real joy? Most of us have experienced that our joy can pass away easily. One of my missionary brothers is from Toledo and is very happy to see Spain progress to the semi-finals but if Germany continues to play so strongly his joy could be short lived. Is there a type of joy that can last, an all weather joy where you feel happy come rain or shine? What choices should we make to be truly happy?

Once I saw the publicity for a retreat. There was a signpost with many directions on it, one saying career this way, another saying money this way. Behind the signpost was a long winding road with the words written on the road “The Way”. The message was “Many ways but only one WAY”. Jesus said “I am the way”. It is good to check which way we are going in our lives. Here in Philippines, a popular greeting of the people, especially those who don’t know you is “Where are you going?” Now this is slightly disconcerting as you think the person is being nosy but in fact they do not want to actually know where you are going it is more of a friendly interest in your life. But the question is helpful for all of us. Just where am I going?

Yesterday we had a recollection. More than 30 people attended. There was one young couple and they came because they had been working so hard recently and needed to find some direction in their lives. They had been so busy that they were not enjoying life so much. At the end of a day of reflection, talks, prayer and sharing the woman said “This day has been one of the best days in my life” and she really looked so happy. As missionaries we hear this many times from people coming on retreats and recollections. A source of true and lasting joy is the encounter with Christ. As Mother Theresa said “If you want to be full of joy you must be full of Christ”. What does it mean to be full of Christ? Do you think that one hour a week at Sunday mass is enough to be full of Christ? How can we be more full of Christ during the week?

The gospel gives us some answers. Jesus is sending out his disciples and each one of us needs to be sent too. Sent out of ourselves, of our comfort zones, sent out of mediocrity. Is Jesus powerful enough in your life to send you out of routine? Where does Jesus want to send us? To the harvest. What is the sign that I am really following the Way? When my life is becoming more and more concerned with the harvest, more focussed on the needs of others. When I am just looking at myself, my needs, just looking at my belly button going round and round myself it makes me unhappy. The real joy comes when I am trying to live for others. Of course my needs are important but I keep my eyes fixed on the harvest. Jesus said “The harvest is large but the workers are few”. How are you working for the harvest?

Jesus sends us out like lambs among wolves. How much I would like it to be the other way around, to be a wolf among the lambs! But Jesus will not have this because only a lamb needs the Good shepherd. At times we feel the task is too great, the harvest too vast and challenging but it reminds us we are not the Messiah! Working in the harvest is a source of great and lasting joy. It does not mean there are not moments of difficultly and struggle but what is does mean is that our lives have a bigger horizon when we are dedicated to work for others.

The disciples return rejoicing after seeing the victory of good and the defeat of evil but Jesus tells them to be joyful not because of these things but because their names are written in heaven. This is our task brothers and sisters! To write the names of many people in heaven. It is not just to get to heaven but to bring many people with us. There is no work or task more rewarding than this. Earthly occupations pale into insignificance compared to this wonderful task entrusted to us as Christians. Let us continue this day joyful, happy that the Lord is calling us to work in the harvest. The harvest is big but the workers are few. Rejoice! Let us respond fully to Christ telling him “Here I am Lord. Teach me how to work in the harvest. May I experience this joy that comes from working for you”.