In the One we are one

Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

Not even an hour had passed after his election as the supreme Roman Pontiff, and when his name was announced from the central loggia of the Basilica of St Peter, both Catholics and non-Catholics began trawling the internet to gather as much background information as possible on this dark horse candidate which no one seems to have predicted or mooted. Despite delving into past social media postings, quotations from recent speeches and homilies, reading perhaps too much into his words and papal attire, Pope Leo XIV remains an enigma. We can only speculate as to the future of his pontificate from what he had said or done in the past, but there should be humility in admitting that the jury is still out as to how he is going to steer the Church, the barque of St Peter. I am in agreement with one commentator that we should just let “Leo be Leo” instead of trying to shape his pontificate in “our image and likeness.”

A clue that can throw light on his fundamental theological and pastoral position is his motto: “in Illo uno unum,” which translates as “in the One we are one.” The phrase is paradoxically both simple and profound. It is taken from Saint Augustine's Exposition on Psalm 127, where the great doctor of the Church explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.” Being an Augustinian priest before his elevation to the episcopacy, it is natural that this self-styled “son of Augustine” should adopt his motto from the Augustinian tradition.

The Rule of St Augustine to which Augustinians live under and are guided by, is really big about discovering God in community. Augustine believed that shared love of something always generated love of one another. Shared affinity sparks synergy which leads to unity. And that’s the meaning of Pope Leo XIV's motto: “in illo Uno unum” - in the One we are one. We're made one by loving the One. Someone noted: “Fans of the same team like each other. Music lovers normally get along well. And Christians should love Christ passionately enough that it translates into loving each other.” The members of the Church are supposed to get along because of the One we love in common. We all stand and fight under one big banner that flies above us as a standard and identity marker of who we are and what we stand for.

Perhaps, this is a most necessary corrective in an age where the Catholic Church seems threatened by factionalism, where we witness members who are fiercely individualistic and tribalistic, where Catholics most often than not identify themselves with commonly used political labels, whether on the left or the right or in the middle, rather than in the foundation of our common bond as Catholics.

Just in case you think that this is exclusively an Augustinian thing, our Lord reminds us in today’s gospel that this is fundamentally a Christian thing, indeed a most Catholic thing: “May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.” We are one because our Lord wills it and because He and the Father (and the Holy Spirit) are one. The Church, the Christian communion, has a fundamentally Trinitarian structure and foundation. And the truth of the Most Holy Trinity, Unity in Diversity, is most evident when expressed in authentic community living.

In today’s Gospel, taken from the High Priestly prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper, our Lord prays for the whole world, asking that the love with which the Father had lavished upon Him might also be ours, and that through us the Father’s love might be evident to the world. That is what He died for. This prayer is not just empty rhetoric. The prayer puts into words the very mission of Jesus, the project of Jesus, that is to bring about the community of humanity in communion with the Most Holy Trinity. “Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one.” The Lord’s death on the cross, the gift of Himself to us, was the embodiment of these intercessions; and His resurrection embodied the Father’s answer to that prayer.

And so, the prayer of our great High Priest, that “all be one,” transcends time and space. This unity is not meant to be sustained by a long history of human endeavour. In fact, just like in the past, human endeavour to preserve unity had often proven inadequate and the weak members of the Body of Christ had been responsible for causing great divisions and injury to the unity intended by Christ. We are not the primary agents of the Church’s unity. No, the bonds of unity among the disciples of Christ must be built on a much stronger and studier foundation. The unity of God’s people can never be fabricated by man. It must be generated by the Spirit of God. True authentic unity in the Church is never achieved by sharing an ideology or personality. Our unity, our communion, can only be found in our love for God. In Him we are one. Christians are drawn to one another because they are drawn to a common centre, Jesus Christ Himself. For that is the source of the power of that unity. As long as we remain separated from Him or His will through wilful sin, as long as we insist on our way of doing things or our opinions are the only correct ones, we will never be able to arrive at that unity.

As we await Pentecost and the return of the Holy Spirit, let us as members of the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, call upon the Bridegroom to come, for we wish to be united with Him and through Him, with each other. At the Mass of the Initiation of his Petrine Ministry, Pope Leo XIV made an impassioned call to unity, but it is a unity not built on sharing one ideology or another, but on Christ. Let us continue to pray for him and the Church whom he leads as we heed his words: “Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome His word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to His offer of love and become His one family: in the one Christ, we are one.”

They heard ... They saw ... They spoke

Solemnity of Pentecost

Although the descent and gift of the Holy Spirit is commonly associated with today’s feast, which takes place 50 days after the feast of the Passover, St John in today’s gospel reading provides us with another version of the story. In John 20, the gift of the Holy Spirit takes place earlier, on the evening of Easter Sunday. The Risen Lord invites His disciples to carry on the mission given Him by His Heavenly Father and empowers them to do so by breathing upon them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

St Luke’s version of the first Pentecost, which we heard in the first reading, is the biblical account that has most captured the Christian imagination. Fifty days after Easter, the disciples of Jesus gather for prayer in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit comes upon them in dramatic fashion, with a strong wind and “tongues of fire.” They begin to speak in different languages, and miraculously their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is heard and understood by Jewish pilgrims from different countries of the diaspora in their own native languages.

The revelation of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles on Pentecost took place in a series of sensible experiences: they heard… they saw … they spoke. First, they heard. They heard a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. This sound was so vast it filled the whole house. A sound that could only come from heaven. Next, they saw. They saw tongues as of fire, one sat on each of them. The fire of God’s presence was revealed. Finally, they spoke. As a result of the outpouring of God’s Spirit, His presence in such a distinctive way on each individual, they began to speak in languages known to those gathered outside.

These three movements could also be seen at the time of the Exodus when the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai and Moses received the Law directly from God. The account of this event is found in the first reading of the Vigil Mass. In fact, Pentecost or in Hebrew, Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, commemorated this event. On this mountain, the Israelites heard the rumbling of thunder and saw the clouds covering the top of this holy mountain. Then God spoke His law which is embodied in the tablets of the commandments. But instead of hearing thunder, and seeing a cloudy theophany or hearing God speak His law, the apostles and first Christians heard, saw and spoke what was clearly the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, whose law is now written on the hearts of believers instead of stone.

But the correlation between the Jewish significance of this feast and its Christian counterpart goes back further, in fact to the beginning of the Bible. God breathed His Spirit into earthly clay, like how Jewish mystics would attempt to do in the legend of the Golem, and brought it to life. Likewise, God now breathes His Spirit upon this motley group of believers and brought the Church to life. Jesus, risen and ascended into Heaven, sent His Spirit to the Church so that every Christian might participate in his own divine life and become His valid witness in the world. The Holy Spirit, breaking into history, defeats aridity, opens hearts to hope, stimulates and fosters in us an interior maturity in our relationship with God and with our neighbour.

But there remains one final connexion between the Pentecost of the New Testament and another event in the Old Testament. The miracle of Pentecost reverses the episode of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. In that story of the tower, in response to human arrogance, God “confused” the languages of humankind and scattered them over the face of the earth. Instead, of hearing, seeing and speaking God’s Word present through His Spirit, the builders of the Tower of Babel were planning to have their own voices heard, their monumental feat seen and finally spoke in the languages which no longer could be understood nor did they communicate God’s Word. After Pentecost, the division of Babel wrought by man’s pride will be undone and the Good News of Jesus Christ is the language that unites all these different peoples.

The building of the first Babel was an act of pride. Like Adam and Eve, the builders didn’t want to receive from God; they wanted to obtain things on their own. They sought to construct a tower “with its top in the heavens” and to make a name for themselves, lest they be “scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” They desired to raise themselves to God’s level – to be self-sufficient – and to establish unity on their own terms. The lesson of Babel is clear: it is human pride that has produced confusion and division in the world. God’s act in confusing their language and means of communication was not an act of vengeance and punishment. In fact, it was an act of mercy that would set them on a long journey to discover the true source of sanctification and unification - the work of the Holy Spirit.

According to Fr Paul Scalia, “we are witnessing the construction of a new Babel. Ours is a post-Christian society, an anti-culture that has rejected the Word of God. In our pride, we want on our own terms and by our own accomplishments what creatures can only receive from God. We have thrown off His reality – about gender, sex, life, etc. – and tried to construct our own. As a result, our language is increasingly disconnected from truth, our words unintelligible, and our ability to communicate crippled.”

The crippling of language divides us. We can easily witness this in our own country and parish situation, where language no longer unites but divides. Once language is no longer a vehicle for truth, for building communities and set apart for worship, it becomes an instrument for control and domination. That is why we can recognise that Pentecost is the undoing of Babel. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, speak in a way that all hearers can understand. Redeemed by the Word, man can now speak intelligibly about God and about himself. And because he can communicate the truth to others, this intelligibility leads to unity.

The memory of Jesus has been kept alive, and the movement He began has been carried on by the Church, who has preached the gospel to all nations and cultures through various languages. Nevertheless, Pentecost challenges the Church today to find even more effective ways of communicating the Gospel to peoples in every land on earth. The challenge, that faced the first Christians gathered in Jerusalem at the birth of the Church, still faces the Church today. Would culture and language be an obstacle to the gospel or would it be the vehicle by which the gospel is heard, seen and spoken? Would pride get in the way once again or docility to the Spirit bring about authentic conversion? For this reason, we need the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And so, on this Pentecost we must pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, come!”

May they all be One

Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

I’m often asked if I have a KPI for my leaders, and my answer is “Yes. He or she has to be a unifier.” It would be good if I could have a skilful, talented and super-efficient leader who can multi-task, but I would rather live with mediocrity and even incompetency, than to have someone who ticks all the boxes but has a penchant for sowing discord in the community. If I had a second criterion for my leaders, what would it be? And my answer is “integrity.” A unifier without integrity would be an oxymoron. You can’t have unity at the price of forgoing truth and honesty; and you can’t truly speak of Truth, without wanting to deepen the bonds of unity.

William Wallace, the leading character in the movie “Braveheart” chastised his fellow Scots for allowing minor issues, internal strife, and power struggles to stand in the way of their fight for independence from the English. “We have beaten the English, but they’re back because you won’t stand together.” I feel that is what is happening far too often in the church.

Since last year, our Holy Father Pope Francis has been calling all of us to get on board his initiative of moving the Catholic Church on the path of Synodality. If you still haven’t heard of this, you must have been living in a bomb shelter or a Soviet era gulag in Siberia for the past year. The word “Synod” comes from two Greek root words which mean “common path” or more popularly translated as “journeying together.” This should be good news. We should be starting to see how unity within the Church is being strengthened by leaps and bounds with such a focused project and theme. And yet, sadly, it is quite the opposite.

What we witness today, is not a single global Catholic Church with all one billion of her members happily and willingly “journeying together,” but quite the opposite. Nobody can turn a blind eye to the fact that divisions you normally witness in secular political discourse, have now become staple within the Church. Catholics within the same sheepfold often demonise others across the ideological divide. The teachings of Vatican II are being denied and subverted in open contradiction to Vatican II by many Catholics, not only by ultra-traditionalists but also by those who hide behind the banner of being hard-line defenders of Vatican II.

And despite all the apparent enthusiasm proponents of Vatican II express for Pope Francis, they flatly deny the authority conferred on him by Christ, as the successor of Peter. They just agree with him because it is convenient to do so: they think he agrees with them. Call it theological projection: you see what you want to see when you are enclosed in an echo chamber. The moment the Pope takes a different position, they are most ready to throw him under the bus. On all fronts, there seems to be so many factors which are tearing at the Church’s fabric of unity and threatening permanent rupture.

Could our Lord have foreseen all these when He first composed this prayer to the Father? “Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.” In Jesus' last words in the Gospel of John, in His dying wish expressed in His Priestly Prayer to the Father, He asks that we may all be ONE as the Holy Trinity is ONE. The unity of the Church should reflect the unity of the Father and the Son. Our unity is our most evident proof of the Truth about the Lord’s identity and mission.

When the Church is divided by conflict, we not only hurt our witness in the world, but we also cast doubts on the Lord’s identity and mission. If many continue to reject that our Lord is the only begotten Son of the Father, sent into the world to save us by His death, we have only our poor witness to blame. Our internal fights and disagreements make our words and testimony weak and unbelievable. Our disunity is doing the work and mission of Christ a disservice.

Our Lord must have understood that disagreements are very much part of the fabric of relationships and community living. That is why He prayed for unity just before His own death and why when He returned to His disciples after His Resurrection, the first gift He conferred upon this community is the Holy Spirit tied with the authority to forgive sins. This is at the heart of the Sacrament of Penance.

It is clear that unity within the Church is not just conformity or affability among her members. To be one is not the absence of opinions. Opinions are healthy. But since we can hold differing opinions, our unity must go beyond just mere good intentions and platitudes. Unity in the Church consists in the visible incorporation into the body of Christ (Creed, Code and Cult - doctrinal, sacramental, ecclesiastical-hierarchical communion) as well as in the union of the heart, i.e. in the Holy Spirit. Without these visible and invisible bonds, any man-made unity remains tenuous and susceptible to fraction. This is the reason why this visible communion with the Church (that we are in agreement with the teachings, the disciplines and liturgical tradition of the Church) must be a prerequisite for us receiving Holy Communion. We RECEIVE Communion only because we are IN Communion.

Finally, truth, not the threat of violence, holds our Lord’s sheepfold together. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (Jn. 14:6) Living His truth does not enslave, it liberates: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn. 8:32) The freedom of love does not come with mere compliance. It comes with the realisation that truth, liberty, and God’s commandments are inseparable: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn. 14:15) Because of its foundation in truth, Christian Unity is not populism. Unity cannot be manufactured by our efforts to accommodate, to compromise, to get along and fit in—and then, feel good about it. We cannot put unity above truth because it seems more comfortable to do that.

Unity is not just a public-relations exercise for public consumption. It is a call to conversion and repentance. If sin, whether in the form of envy, selfishness, pride, hostility, prejudice, resentment, is what divides us, then only repentance and conversion can lead us back to authentic unity. In a world which is fractured and polarised along ideological, sectarian and ethnic lines, the Church provides us with a radical model of community, which transcends such distinctions and divisions. So, let us not just pay lip service to unity. Let us constantly and fervently pray for it, work at it and allow ourselves to be transformed, so that we may be fruits of our Lord’s dying wish and prayer: “May they all be one.”

Let us cross over to the other side

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Our story begins with an invitation from the Lord: “Let us cross over to the other side!” This shouldn’t be a problem at all if you are convinced that the grass is greener on the other side, or you possess an exploratory spirit and every adventure is a moment of serendipity. But I guess most of us are not wired this way. We would rather stick with the tried and tested. We are not sure if the other side would be rife with danger or the crossing may prove to be perilous too. The familiar, on the other hand, offers no surprises. This may be why change is often resisted, risks avoided and why we would often wait for others to take the initiative.

Today, our Lord is inviting His disciples to cross this barrier of water. The sea itself shouldn’t have been that formidable since a number of His Apostles were themselves seasoned fishermen. They should have been in their element. But there is more to this. The sea or lake of Galilee served as a natural boundary between its Western and Eastern shores. To its East, we have pagan territory, the land of unclean livestock and violent demoniacs. To the West, we have the predominantly, albeit nominally, Jewish territory. Strangely, this so-called Jewish territory was not immune to demonic activity. Demons do not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles, both are fair game for the diabolical. Although both populations shared much in common in terms of language and culture, the Jewish rules of ritual separation ensured that the religious boundaries were meticulously guarded to prevent any casual crossing.

But then our Lord issues this command to His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side!” The comfortable status quo is challenged. The Church will not be limited by these human barriers nor will she be defined by any sectarian divisions. In response to Rudyard Kipling’s claim in his poem, “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” we Christians sing a very different tune as we proclaim that, “in Christ, there is no East or West.”

But the crossing would not be easy as demonstrated by the squall that overtook the party as they crossed the lake in their boat. The powerful storm at sea could be a symbol for the disciples’ resistance to cross over. It is so much easier to remain safely on the shore, on the familiar and comfortable side, rather than risk capsizing and drowning in the midst of crossing. We cling tenaciously to the known, and choose familiarity over risk. Just like the disciples, we cry out to God in fear and desperation: “Master, do you not care? We are going down!”

Perhaps, what is needed is a reality check from the Lord. Our Lord speaks these words with authority: “Quiet now! Be calm!” I’ve often wondered whether He was addressing the winds and the waves, which was unnecessary since He is Lord of the winds and the waves. But these words could easily have been addressed to His disciples in response to their childish and cowardly whining. Likewise, when we complain to God to save us, our Lord may be telling us, “Quiet now! Be calm!”, which is not only a rebuke but a consoling assurance that He is in charge. Our Lord is asking us: “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?”

So, what could the turbulent waters in our lives look like? Here are some possibilities.

Change, and the fear of change and commitment may be a frequent storm for many. Clinging to our comfort zones, to what makes us feel cosy and secure may be the greatest obstacle to discipleship and following of Christ. When we fear stepping out or stepping up to a mission entrusted to us, we are practically telling the Lord, “It is too difficult! I’d rather remain on this side of the shore.” Many would choose safe anonymity over being in the blazing spotlight of leadership. When our Lord called on the first disciples, He was asking them to leave everything behind, to deny themselves and to take up their cross in imitation of Him. The gospel story would have turned out differently if the disciples had hesitated and chosen to hold on to their current security. There will be no Church. We will not be here.

Many fear the crossing because they fear failure, which is actually a fear of negative public opinion. When we are so conditioned by what others think of us, we do not have the courage to take risks. We will always choose the safe path, the path of least resistance and minimal difficulty. But our Lord routinely crossed barriers that made Him unpopular. Our Lord ate with the wrong people, talked to the wrong people, and often did the wrong things. He routinely upset the religious establishment by loving people that were off-limits. He did all these because He was guided by the Father’s will and His love for the people.

Finally, in an environment which is deeply polarised, it is almost impossible for persons on either side of the aisle to cross the divide. Enmity raises barriers which prevent crossing. It is so much easier for us to keep our enemies at a distance. But our Lord invites us, “Let us cross over to the other side!” He is inviting us to go beyond our pride – to reach across the aisle and offer forgiveness and seek reconciliation. Saint Augustine gave a similar interpretation of our gospel passage. He wrote: “when you are insulted, that is the wind. When you are angry, that is the waves. So, when the wind blows and the waves surge, the boat is in danger, your heart in jeopardy, your heart is tossed to and fro. On being insulted, you long to retaliate. But revenge brings another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten Christ. Rouse Him, then remember Christ, let Christ awake within you, give heed to Him.” So, if you wish to overcome the barriers of hostility, you need to awaken Christ within you.

As much as it seems safe to remain in our secure comfort zone and do nothing, this will not lead to salvation. If we wish to follow the Lord, we must be willing to “cross over to the other side.” The true antidote to enmity and the fear of earthly dangers, inconveniences and public humiliation is the fear of the Lord, the reverent awe of a God who is master of the winds and the waves, and every storm in our lives. “He who fears the Lord is never alarmed, never afraid” (Sirach 34:14). The crossing from this side to the other side may seem impossible. But with Christ in the boat, we know that the journey will be possible. The “others” from the other shore are waiting for you to cross over. The “other” could be a stranger or an enemy or your worst fear. And though we may be wary of the reception we will get or the risks that we would have to face, our Lord persists with His invitation: “Let us cross over to the other side!” Let us trust Him. Let us follow Him. Let us take the first step in faith in heeding His call.

Consecrated to God for service

Seventh Sunday of Easter Year B

The last line of today’s passage, words uttered in prayer to the Father by our Lord at the Last Supper, contain familiar themes but spun in a uniquely new way. The fact that the Son is on the Father’s mission and we are now sent on mission by the Son is familiar to all of us, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” The second part of this line, however, contains another familiar theme, but our Lord uses it in a new and, let’s admit, strange way. We who are sinners, certainly recognise our need to be consecrated. But what about Jesus, the All Holy One? Why would He say “I consecrate myself.”

Let’s first examine the concept of “consecration.” You may not know the exact definition of the word but from its general application, we understand it to be making something or someone “holy,” e.g. the priest consecrates the bread and wine during Mass, a religious brother or sister is consecrated to the Lord, buildings are consecrated as churches.

Pope Emeritus Benedict explains the concept of “consecration” in his Chrism Mass homily: “To consecrate something or someone means, therefore, to give that thing or person to God as his property, to take it out of the context of what is ours and to insert it in his milieu, so that it no longer belongs to our affairs, but is totally of God. Consecration is thus a taking away from the world and a giving over to the living God. The thing or person no longer belongs to us, or even to itself, but is immersed in God.” This explanation for “consecration” could easily be applied to that of a sacrifice. A sacrifice is something which we consecrate, set apart for God.

Consecration thus involves movement in two directions – firstly, away from the world, from our grasp, from our control, and then, offered towards God. We then begin to understand the preceding text of today’s passage in the light of this last line:

Jesus consecrates Himself in the sense of Him turning away from the world which has rejected Him and His returning to God. He consecrates Himself by offering His own life on the cross. His consecration is now the basis of our consecration.

And so now, because of what the Lord has done for us, we are to turn away from sin, from the world because we do not belong to the world as much as the Lord does not belong to this world. We are re-orientated - we are turned in the direction of Christ, our spiritual East - turned towards God because through our Lord’s consecration, we too have been consecrated, we have been set apart from the world for God.

This double consecration of our Lord and His followers are re-enacted in the Eucharist. The sacrifice of our Lord, where He consecrates Himself by giving up His life on the altar of the cross to God for our sake, is sacramentally present at every Mass. Our Lord identifies His flesh and blood, given on the cross, as bread and wine and now commands His disciples to eat this bread, which is the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink this wine, the sign of the new covenant. The disciples’ participation in the divine communion, made possible by our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross and deepened by the Eucharist, sustains them on their mission. It is also a reminder that true unity is not man-made; but God-made! Only the All Holy God can make us Holy, and only the Most Holy Trinity, who lives in perfect unity, can make us one.

Now all this may seem to suggest that Christians are elitist and segregationist. We seem to claim that we are better than others, in the sense of being superior to them. Such aloofness and arrogance is certainly not the purpose of consecration. Rather, as Pope Benedict pointed out once again, such consecration “is not a segregation. Rather, being given over to God means being charged to represent others.” The Pope then gives the example of a priest, a man chosen from among the people and “set apart” for God. He explains, “The priest is removed from worldly bonds and given over to God, and precisely in this way, starting with God, he must be available for others, for everyone.” So, our consecration does not place us above others but at the feet of others - in the service of others.

Consecration ultimately leads to communion rather than alienation. In fact, when we choose to get along with the world, when we choose to fit in with the world and its values in order to be accepted and approved by the world, we end up alienating ourselves from God and without God, there can be no true authentic communion with others. The false communion offered by the world comes at a heavy cost. We have to sacrifice whatever is good, true and beautiful.

The Church is wholly serious about the work of building unity because our Lord taught that unity is essential to the life of His disciples, as it is the visible manifestation of their invisible sharing in the divine communion. But the call for unity does not mean that we should be pushing the unity agenda at all costs and do “whatever it takes” to accomplish that goal. Authentic unity cannot be humanly manufactured and achieved at the expense of sacrificing the truth. There can only be true unity if one is consecrated in truth, because a unity based on a lie would be a frivolous and fragile unity. True unity must be built on the foundation of truth because there is no opposition between love and truth. Love which is the fundamental bond of unity always serves truth, and truth is always at the service of charity.

Pope Benedict ends his Chrism Mass homily with this beautiful reminder: “When we talk about being sanctified in the truth, should we forget that in Jesus Christ truth and love are one? Being immersed in Him means being immersed in His goodness, in true love. True love does not come cheap, it can also prove quite costly. It resists evil in order to bring men true good. If we become one with Christ, we learn to recognise Him precisely in the suffering, in the poor, in the little ones of this world; then we become people who serve, who recognise our brothers and sisters in Him, and in them, we encounter Him.”

If your brother sins, go and have it out with him

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

It is fashionable nowadays to be “politically correct,” that is, to say nothing which may hurt the feelings of others, and to say everything which affirms their opinion, that is to say what they want to hear regardless of the Truth. Culturally we have become so wary of “judging” or of being labelled “judgmental” that we have become a society in which there is great moral confusion as to right and wrong. Therefore, we generally loath criticising anyone or express disapproval of anything. Everything else seems to matter; people’s opinions about anything and everything seems to matter; people’s feelings seems to matter; but with one exception - Truth doesn’t matter. In fact, truth is often seen as hurtful, violent and inconvenient.

In the midst of this inverted reality world-view, we have the readings for this Sunday which propose as an act of charity and mercy; what is traditionally known as fraternal correction – which is the duty to admonish sinners. In fact, our Lord gives explicit instructions, outlining specific steps for correcting a fellow Christian. To the politically correct mob, what He is suggesting seems totally out of step with modern sensibilities and people’s sensitivities. In fact, Jesus is saying that Truth matters! He is saying that truth is fundamental to love and to community life. Truth is not violence. In fact, it is those who refuse to accept the Truth who would violently choose to silence the voices of those who attempt to correct them.

Even if you believe that truth matters, many would think that minding our own business, and not criticising anyone is a Christian virtue and an expression of love. But is it? St Augustine questions this logic: “You do not care about the wounds of your brother?” You see when your brother and sinner is sinning, they are really hurting, because sin really hurts! So, when we choose to keep silent, that is being more hurtful than speaking the Truth in love. St Augustine says: “By keeping silent you are worse than he is by committing sin.”

Are there occasions when we sometimes hypocritically and sanctimoniously condemn and criticise others while failing to recognise our own faults? Certainly. But should this disqualify us or anyone from correcting our brother or sister out of genuine love for them? In these cases, St. Thomas Aquinas advises: “We do not condemn the other but together weep and help each other to repent.” Though we seldom think of it in this manner, St Thomas reminds us that correction is spiritual almsgiving, an external act of charity. Correcting sinners does not expose one’s lack of love. On the contrary, it is a serious responsibility of love. Individual fraternal correction is ordered to repentance, to lead a brother or sister back to the correct path which leads him or her to Christ. Fraternal correction is, being concerned for their salvation, and working for the salvation of souls should be every Christian’s primary responsibility. Keeping silent, on the other hand, is condemning them (and us) to eternal damnation.

But how should we admonish sinners properly? Before we start correcting everyone on every single thing, it’s good to reflect over these questions: Am I certain that this behaviour is morally wrong or is this merely a difference in opinion? Is there a real necessity for correction or is it one of those things which we can and we should just tolerate? This means that we should not just be “triggered” by everything and anything which annoys us. Perhaps, we need to examine our own predilection for flying off the handle over the slightest trivial matter and work to correct this before we assume that we have the right to correct others.

We should also be prudent enough to choose a suitable opportunity to speak with the person, to listen to his point of view, to have a respectful dialogue with him, if that is possible, so that there is a real possibility that this correction would yield good results. If correction of another is going to be counterproductive or it could make things worse, then it is not prudent to do it. For this, Christian fraternal correction should never assume a patronising method of talking down to the other. Christian correction in order to be Christian should always remain charitable and done with patience, humility, prudence and discretion. That is why the correction must be done in the first place privately, as our Lord suggests because the person confronted has a right to a good name. Only when this fails, would we need to involve others in the community.

When all efforts have been exhausted to reason with the person to mend his ways and the person remains steadfastly arrogant and unrepentant, and weighing the effects of his sins on the larger community, the Church has a pastoral duty, which she exercises out of charity rather than a lack of it, to impose the penalty of excommunication. The purpose of excommunication is not to be a final punishment but rather a means to bring the person to the realisation of the alienating effects of sin and error. Sin cuts us off from God and the community. Excommunication merely makes visible what is actually happening. The purpose of excommunication, just like fraternal correction, is to lead the person to repentance and reconciliation with God and the Church.

Should we blame ourselves when persons do not wish to repent or be reconciled? Well, the first reading assures us that if we have done our job in admonishing the sinner and the person still refuses to repent, then we have fulfilled our obligation, and as the reading promises, we would have “saved our lives” as well as his, if he listens. But the first reading also warns us that if we fail in our duty to admonish the sinner when we have the opportunity to do so, God “will hold you responsible for his death.” We must fraternally correct, not only because Jesus instructs us to, but also because the very salvation of our souls depend upon it!

The best way to practise fraternal correction is by giving good examples and praying for the sinner in question. From our Lord’s last two comments in today’s gospel, we see how the community united in prayer, can really make a difference. Both promises are powerful. In the first promise, the Lord assures us of the power of the unity in prayer - that whatever two ask for, it will be granted. If we take His promise seriously, we will certainly witness amazing changes happening in the lives of individuals and communities, when we are united in prayer.

The second promise assures us of Christ presence when the community is united in His name - wherever two or three are assembled in Jesus’s name, He is in their midst. This is based on a rabbinic maxim: “If two sit side-by-side with the words of the Torah between them, then the Shekinah (God’s visible presence in the world) abides in their midst.” But in today’s text, prayer has replaced the sitting; Jesus Christ, the perfect fulfilment of the Law, takes the place of the Law; and instead of God’s Shekinah, we have the tangible, sacramental, real and substantial presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. For at every Mass, we find ourselves called to sit and dine at the Eucharistic Assembly of the reconciled and witness the final goal of fraternal correction, communion with God and with each other in the Body of Christ. And it is at every Mass, that the Lord challenges us to do this before we walk up to receive Him in Holy Communion, “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone.”

The Holy Trinity sends greetings

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

People often ask me, “Why start the Mass with a ritual greeting? This sounds so stiff-and-official-like. Why not just start with a warm and friendly greeting like ‘Good Morning’?” Good question. This would, indeed, be the right approach if the Mass were nothing more than a meal with family and friends, but, in reality, it is infinitely more than that. The Mass is not an informal gathering of a group of people.  It is a sacred moment before God.  This is why the Missal gives the formal, stylised greeting that the priest is expected to use.  If we believe the Mass is a representation of the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, you wouldn’t appreciate being greeted with a happy chirpy “Good morning” as you contemplate our Lord’s suffering and death on Good Friday, would you? Since it is a sacred moment before God, then the formality and solemnity of the words should be befitting God, for the Eucharist is an anticipation of the heavenly wedding banquet which God Himself prepares for us. The Most Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is now inviting us to enter into their inner circle, into their intimate communion which is the basis and foundation of all other communions.

As far as liturgical greetings are concerned, there are three options available.  Each option highlights the special nature of our gathering for Mass. Today, I would like to consider the first option, the Trinitarian option. The priest utters these words immediately after the sign of the cross. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” As warm and as friendly as a “good morning” greeting sounds to common folks, the liturgical greeting is far more superior. It all makes absolute theological sense. We come for Mass not because of the priest (although truth be told, many people choose their priests. Fr Friendly Smile is always preferred over Fr Prune face). We come for Mass not just to see each other. We come for Mass because of God. And it is only proper that the priest, the minister of God, should greet us in the name of God, the Most Holy Trinity.

These words are the last words of Saint Paul’s second letter to the Church of Corinth, which we heard in the second reading. Since Saint Paul refers to God the Father simply as “God”, this blessing is clearly Trinitarian. It expresses the Church’s belief in one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It briefly sums up the very essence of the Christian life. This is a good reminder that the Trinity is not primarily the subject of intellectual discourse. No, the Most Holy Trinity is first and foremost, the object of our worship, of our liturgy. To grasp the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, we must do so on our knees, in humble adoration and worship.

In this greeting, Saint Paul does not follow the order in which we normally name the divine persons of the Trinity. Rather, he first mentions Jesus, who is the Son before he names God the Father. This very unusual word order, unlocks for us the theology of Saint Paul about how we are saved. Paul begins the greeting by saying “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ”. He uses the word “grace” to express the salvation event. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled with God. Thus, it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we come to the Father. As Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6).

Paul ends the greeting with the words “the communion of the Holy Spirit”. In the translation of the third edition of the English translation of the Roman Missal, “communion” replaces the word “fellowship”. Both words translate from the Greek word “koinonia.” It’s good to unpack this word because the word “fellowship” and the word “communion” have taken on very different meanings from the original “koinonia.”

First of all, the expression “the communion of the Holy Spirit” reminds us of the intimate relationship that every believer has with the Holy Spirit. The Risen Lord pours out His Holy Spirit on each of us. It is because of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, that we can call Jesus “Lord” (I Cor 12:4); and, it is in the power of the Holy Spirit that we call God “Father” (Gal 4:6).

Second, the expression “the communion of the Holy Spirit” also reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives to each of us different gifts for a purpose. Using these different gifts, we are to work together for the good of the whole Church and thus form one body, one communion of faith (I Cor 12:7; Gal 5:22).

Something else needs to be said about the syntax of this greeting. In the original Greek found in Saint Paul’s letter, the word “be” is missing, so it can be understood both as a statement of fact and as a wish. But now with our liturgy adding the verb “be” in the greeting, the Church is confident in declaring her faith in the Trinity – it is not just a wish but a statement of fact, a statement of faith. She is confident of the love of the Father who has called together His children into His Church and who has sent His Son so that by His sacrifice we may be gathered into a communion whose inspirer and unifier is the Holy Spirit. This is what happens at every Mass. In the liturgy, all three persons of the Trinity are taking us up into their life as the one God, and forming us here on earth as the Body of Christ.

So, the next time you are tempted to walk up to the priest and ask him to change the wording of the Mass, so that it would sound less off-putting, less formal, more familiar, remember this simple truth – the Mass is not about you, it’s not even about the priest, it is first and foremost about God, the Most Holy Trinity, whom we worship, and the very same Holy Trinity who now invites us, unworthy though we are, into the community of Persons, where each is distinct and yet perfectly united. “Unity in diversity” is not just a pretty slogan. It is already a reality in the three persons whom we call God. The deeper we grow in union with God, the deeper and more authentic would our communion be.

Concordia Apostolorum

Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul

People who know me would know that I have an obsession with what seems to be Catholic trivia – small tiny details with regards to Catholic architecture, art, music and history all excite me, to say the least. One of the most exciting things which I have discovered over the years is this little publicised or known fact about the major basilicas in Rome dedicated to the two great apostolic princes, patron saints of Rome, we fete today. Now, you may have heard me mention that churches were traditionally built with a certain orientation, facing East, the position of the rising sun and the direction Christ ascended to heaven and is expected to return. Interestingly, the word “orientation” comes from the Latin “Orient,” which means “East”.

The two basilicas, the Basilica of St Peter in Vatican City and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, however, were not built with the above orientation in mind. Their architects, or at least those responsible for the rebuilding, enlargement of these two great churches, built them with a deliberate intention of making them face each other – both stood on opposite banks of the River Tiber facing the direction of the river which divides the city of Rome into East and West (or north and south), standing as emblems and guardians of Rome – one to its north and the other to its south. The symbolism of this configuration witnesses to the fraternal camaraderie of these two great apostles. It was St Augustine who spoke of their twinning in this fashion: “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; And even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labours, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”

According to early Christian traditions, Peter and Paul met one last time in Rome under the persecution of Nero.  They were imprisoned together in the Tullianum, Rome’s oldest prison reserved for the greatest enemies of the state.  For nine months, Peter and Paul “pray, preach, and prepare” for their birth into eternal life.  Little is known about this period of their lives but it must have been a time of grace for the friends to spend so much time together discussing the things of God.  Artists have rightfully been captivated by the final embrace between the Christian brothers as each goes off to give the ultimate testimony of their earthly life.  Peter was crucified upside down on the western side of the Tiber River and Paul was beheaded on the eastern side, perhaps in God’s Providence so that from both sides of the river, the whole city, might be sanctified by their blood. And finally, the two basilicas, which stand as living testimonies of their martyrdom, mark the spots where their remains were said to be buried.

Both in art as well as in architecture (the orientation of the two basilicas facing and reaching out to each other), Saint Peter and Saint Paul, once rivals, are now depicted as embracing each other in symmetric unity with their arms intertwined, a form of image known as the Concordia Apostolorum - “The Apostolic Harmony.”  Two men, from such different backgrounds, made brothers in Christ and apostles to the whole world.  It is hard for us to imagine the love that they had and now have for one another, the depth of their friendship brought about through their shared faith in Jesus Christ. 

The early Fathers saw the harmony of these two apostles as a historical allusion that recalls the legend of the founding of the city of Rome by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, both sons of a wolf mother.  Their city matured into an Empire that was one of the most powerful civilisations in human history.  Yet over 800 years from the founding of the city of Rome, another set of brothers, Peter and Paul, not natural brothers, but united by the bonds of the Spirit in Christ, laid a foundation of a new civilisation which would outlast and outshine the Roman Empire.

The contrast between these two sets of “brothers” is remarkable.  According to the ancient Roman myth, Rome was violently established when Romulus killed his brother as they laid the city’s walls.  In comparison, Peter and Paul built up the civilisation of love found in the Church with brotherly affection by tearing down the walls between nations and tribes.  The Roman Empire, would rule the world through fear and violence under the shroud of the pax romana.  Peter and Paul would set the example for the Church to serve the world through faith and charity under the mantle of the pax Christi.  The spiritual kingdom of the Church would far surpass the boundaries of time and space to which the Roman Empire had aspired. 

As noted by Pope St. Leo the Great, the Roman Empire which was the great teacher of error became the disciple of Truth under the guidance of the two great apostles, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Through preaching truth in word and practicing charity in deed, Saint Peter and Saint Paul re-founded the city of Rome for Christ. Even though Peter and Paul were to continue in their mission to preach the good news to both Jews and Gentiles, Paul was confirmed in his special mission to the Gentiles as Peter was confirmed in his preaching to the Jews. 

Since the first Rome was founded on fratricide, Rome needed to be re-founded as a Christian city in fraternal love.  The blood of the brothers united in Christ serves as the seed of the Church which will grow in time.  We sing their praises together, according to Tertullian, because they “poured forth all their teaching along with their blood.”  Their witness in teaching and their blood is what truly makes Rome the urbs sacra and urbs aeterna, the Holy and Eternal City.  It was their martyrdom in Rome that at last led to the unending reunion between Peter and Paul in the true Holy and Eternal City, the Heavenly Jerusalem.  For eternity, they are united with one another and with their Redeemer who called them both to the great mission of bringing the gospel to the entire world.

Since their bond and mission was based on Truth and Love, it should not be surprising that it should also be marked by fraternal correction for fraternal correction flows from love. Saint Paul publicly admonishes Peter for his actions in backtracking in an earlier decision (cf. Gal 2:11).  Often this scene is over emphasised by those pitting Peter and Paul against one another.  Rather, it should be read as a passage demonstrating true fraternal correction, the fruit of fraternal love.  Because of the bonds of friendship forged in the love of Christ, Paul objects to Peter’s actions.  Paul is concerned with Peter’s deeds not his doctrine. An admonishment like this could rupture any friendship but not for these two.  In fact, it led to its growth between these two men.

Today as we contemplate these two pillars of the Church, our prayer should be to re-commit ourselves to the Church’s unity and mission in all aspects of our lives. It is a mission not just to confirm and encourage our brothers and sisters, but a mission which also demands fraternal correction. For without Truth, love would be a lie. With the grace that comes through that prayer, together we can all be the sign of unity in Christ that God intends for the healing of our often fragmented Church and disordered world.