REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

3^rd Sunday Ordinary time A (23 January 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Make space for the great plan of God!

One day the elephant decided to go for a nice bathe. No sooner had he got into the water when a little mouse began angrily running up and down the river bank demanding that the elephant get out of the water. The elephant protested because he had just got in and asked what was the problem. The little mouse was adamant that the elephant had to get out the water first and then he would tell him. The elephant relented and got out of the river. “Sorry,” said the little mouse, “just checking. Someone borrowed my bathing costume and was just checking that it wasn’t you.” What could be the moral of the story? It is easier for an elephant to enter the bathing costume of a mouse than for God’s plan to enter the human heart! What is required? To enlarge our hearts and minds, to make room for God’s great plans. Is there space in your heart for God’s plans? Do you want to know the acid test? One sure sign that you are making space for God in your heart is when there is space in your daily schedule for prayer.

Look at the great plan of God for those first fishermen. Peter would become the first Pope, and Andrew a Saint and martyr. Wow! Jesus had a huge plan for them and that is why he called them. The calling though is not just to be a priest or nun. Alas, how much misunderstanding there is on this point. Everyone is called to a life of holiness, but the state of life will differ. To be a priest or nun is a state of life to fulfil the calling. When the Lord gives us an intuition to pray more this is a calling, when there is a chance to serve more in the parish this can be a calling. If we listen we will hear the calling.

What is the connection then of listening (prayer) and being open to God’s plan? Well if we don’t listen how can we discover what the plan is? And even if we know it we need the grace to do it. When you have a piece of metal, it will stay cold and rigid until it comes in contact with fire. The heat expands the metal and makes it malleable and the fire of God’s love experienced in prayer warms our heart, expanding the capacity to love and gives a certain flexibility to the person. Prayer is the ordinary means whereby the believer can receive the grace of God. In the recent Church document Verbum domini the lay faithful are encouraged to have a “familiarity with the Word of God.” It is amazing just how many Catholics end up joining other denominations and sects because they mistakenly feel that they cannot learn about the Word of God in the Catholic Church. Many Catholics are not familiar at all with Scripture. Come on, let us make more effort!

What is needed? Faith! If we have faith we can listen to God’s voice in the Scripture. As Saint Augustine puts it: “When you read the Bible, God speaks to you.” What is God telling you today in the readings? Many Christians complain about the homily and it is true, the priest needs to prepare it well. But each Christian also has a responsibility for example they could read the Sunday readings before coming to mass. That would make a huge difference. The readings today have one strong theme – light. The first reading (also read at Christmas ‘midnight’ mass) is from the prophet Isaiah (Is. 8,23-9,3) “Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.”

One particular darkness which is affecting more and more people in the world of today is the darkness of the occult and there is a growing interest in it. One reason is a real weakening of faith. Many no longer go to Church yet man longs for what is supernatural as he is a creature. Instead of finding God the Creator man can be perverted in his search and end up drawn to the occult. Many today put their faith in visiting clairvoyants, palm readers or tarot cards. These can be dangerous practices as even if done ‘just for fun’ out of curiosity they can open up the door to the Devil. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) gives clear guidance: “All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health –are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion...Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance and recourse to mediums, all conceal a desire for power over time, history and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we to God alone (see CCC 2116 & 2117)

How lucky we are to have the Lord as our light and salvation as the psalmist reminds us (Psalm 27). St Paul reminds us to guard against the division, factions and favouritisms that often weaken many Church groups. In the Church of Corinth there were many rivalries with some favouring Paul, others Apollos. Paul reminds them that all must be for Christ. The devil through these temptations of factions, envy and rivalry does great harm to unity and peace. Let us be vigilant. Of course one extreme will be to see the Evil one behind everything but the other is to laugh him off as a joke. We need the light of Christ to fight off the darkness.

Jesus comes to help us walk in light. In whatever situation, if we are open he can enter. The Lord passed by the lives of those simple fishermen and look at the consequence of their yes. We too are called to pass on the light of faith. Perhaps you have friends or family in darkness – the darkness of alcohol abuse, the darkness of occult practices that appear harmless – why don’t you bring them the light of Christ – “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1,5). The faith has reached you and I because of many faithful witnesses who passed on the torch – like the Olympic flame passed down through many hands. See the transcendence and consequences of the response of Peter and Andrew...James and John join them. Through each one of us, Christ wants to call many people. Do you believe that? Sometimes this plan won’t enter into our little hearts and minds. If we don’t pray we will end up like the little mouse...Mr Elephant did you borrow my bathing costume? Let us pray, more and deeper, to expand our hearts and minds to make space for the great plan of God.