Good Master, What Must we do ...?

Twenty Eighth Ordinary Sunday Year B

This weekend, parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and many parts of the world will officially launch the Year of Faith. The Year of Faith, in the words of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his letter ‘Porta Fidei,’ is a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Saviour of the world.” You’ve been hearing a great deal about this event but perhaps the whole thing may still appear fuzzy. The question on everyone’s mind somewhat reflects that of the rich young man in today’s gospel. “Good master, what must we do…?” You may be glad to know that the answer to this question lies in the same story, which starts off as a tale of a promising candidate for discipleship.

The story, however, ends on a sad note. We must not, however, be too quick or harsh to judge the rich young man. He was no ordinary youth lost in worldly pursuits. He seemed willing to listen and even eager to learn. He sincerely desired eternal life and wanted to know the winning formula for salvation. The young man claimed to be a good observant Jew who faithfully kept the Law. He just wasn’t too sure whether he missed anything. His persistence in pressing Jesus for an answer would eventually lead him to one that he did not bargain for. The answer would require a price too heavy to be paid; a cost he was unwilling to bear.

The failed story of the rich young men need not necessarily be ours. Our story could have an entirely different ending, provided we are prepared to learn from his mistakes. The lesson learnt gives us a blueprint on how we could make this Year of Faith a fruitful one, but not just for the year. It’s a lesson of a lifetime for  all sojourners of faith.

The first mistake of the rich young man was that he failed to recognise Jesus as Lord. The young man could only manage a title of honour at best, “Good Teacher.” Jesus, perceiving the youth’s inability to move beyond human categories, answers with another question, a question that would challenge the depths of the young man’s understanding. "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” By providing the answer to his own rhetorical question, Jesus was laying out a simple logic for the young man’s consideration - If Jesus is good, then He is God. Knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ is the foundation and objective of faith.  We must always remember that faith is not just confined to knowledge of our catechism. Although this is necessarily important, knowledge of faith should ultimately lead us into an intimate communion with Christ. The Gospel that Jesus Christ came to reveal is not information about God, but rather God himself in our midst. One of the most famous and repeated phrases of the Holy Father comes from his first encyclical, in the very first paragraph: “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation. The Year of Faith is first and foremost an opportunity for Catholics to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus. We need to move from a cognitive knowledge of Jesus to a unitive one.

The second mistake of our protagonist was settling for less when he could have achieved so much more. That too may be the frequent problem with many Catholics who often suffer from legalistic minimalism. The oft repeated question posed to the clergy by laity is ‘must’ we do this? In other words, it is obligatory? They believe that as long as they fulfilled the minimum requirements of the law, it would be deemed sufficient. This is best summed up in Yogi Bear’s famous life philosophy, ‘Why do more when you can do less.” When religion and ethical principles settle for the lowest standards to accommodate personal convenience, it will finally and quickly bottom out. Settling for less does not only take away the edge from our faith, it also condemns us to mediocrity. Today, we see the rise of mediocrity in every sphere. Mediocrity today poses as democratisation, inclusiveness, populism, condescension, tolerance, broad-mindedness, optimism and even charity. Mediocrity provides the anaesthetia our society needs to shield it from the sting of suffering. In other words, mediocrity presents the promise of salvation without a cross, charity without needing to sacrifice. We try to make religion easier and more accessible in order to stem the steady decline in followers. But mediocrity is settling for cheap; it is selling a lie. The call to holiness, ultimately, is a call to perfection. Being average or just good when it comes to holiness just doesn’t make it! In the Year of Faith, you will hear the Church’s rallying cry to walk the extra mile, to go out into the deep end, to make the greater sacrifice for faith. You will hear Jesus constantly prodding you, “Why do less when you can do more?” The law may simply set the minimum base line. But the maximum limit is literally the sky – heaven, in fact! We are all called to be saints!

The third mistake of the young man was that his deeds did not match his words when it came to faith. The young man had claimed that he had kept the Law perfectly. But the sincerity of this claim would be tested by the demand made by Jesus. The man’s sincerity was made poignantly clear by Jesus’ command to sell all and follow Him. His face fell and he went away sad because he could never part with his great wealth, not even in exchange for a greater prize, eternal life. Many fail to see the discrepancy, the dissonance between words and deeds. By claiming he had kept the Law, the man was declaring that he had obeyed the first commandment to love the Lord supremely and above all things, including wealth. He was also saying he loved his neighbour more than himself. But if he loved God and fellow-creatures more than he did his property, it would hardly be difficult and should have been quite effortless on his part to give up his wealth to the service of God and of man. But that was not the case. If the Year of Faith is going to be a year of deeper conversion, greater commitment to catechesis, relearning the fundamental basics of our faith in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, then we need to match deeds to words. Words not matched by deeds are simply hollow and insincere.

Finally, the young man’s last mistake that proved decisive in determining his fate was that he chose to walk away. Situations arise where we may need to walk away, but then again, there are moments which calls us to stand our ground. The call of faith demands that we make such a stand. The young man walked away from the challenge of deepening his faith. He walked away from the heavy cost of discipleship but he also walked away from its reward, eternal life. Ultimately, he walked away from Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. In choosing to walk away, he has chosen to close the door on Jesus. It is ironic and yet beautifully consoling that Jesus does not close the door on him. The Gospel of Mark records this little detail, that Jesus whilst looking at him, ‘loved him.’ The letter of the Holy Father inaugurating the Year of Faith tells us that “the “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church.”  Now is the critical moment for decision: do we walk through that door or turn our back and walk away?

Having faith in Jesus and following him along the path of holiness is not going to be easy. Recognising Jesus as Lord shakes us from our complacent stupour, challenges us to match deeds to our words, and calls us to reject mediocrity in all its varied manifestations and aim high for perfection. Not only does this mean embracing a completely different style of living; but it also calls us to stand against a world that has grown indifferent to the sacred. The temptation to walk away is great, and many have done so, especially when the zeal has run out, the sentiment no longer enjoyed, the theology distant and less relevant, faith has become boring and empty and God has been reduced to an abstract concept. The Year of Faith throws us a challenge to return to the raw basics – ‘sell everything, take up your cross and follow me!’ What this means is that our faith is in need of a major overhaul or in the words of Blessed John XXII when he convened the Second Vatican Council fifty years ago, we are in need of a ‘renovatio’ – a renovation of our hearts and minds so that we may breathe and live the newness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This requires us to launch ourselves not just knee-deep but right up to the point where we are totally submerged. We must risk giving up every false security, our comfort zones, and our complacent self-satisfaction with the status quo. Will you choose to walk away like the rich young man or stand your ground and accept the challenge of the cross? This may seem to be a tall order, but remember, "For human beings it (may seem) impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

The Holy Father tells us that “during this time we will need to keep our gaze fixed upon Jesus Christ, the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2): in him, all the anguish and all the longing of the human heart finds fulfilment. The joy of love, the answer to the drama of suffering and pain, the power of forgiveness in the face of an offence received and the victory of life over the emptiness of death: all this finds fulfilment in the mystery of his Incarnation, in his becoming man, in his sharing our human weakness so as to transform it by the power of his resurrection… Faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world.” Let us then make this journey of faith into the wilderness of the world so that we may transform it by the message of the gospel into a place brimming once again with life, joy and hope.

Marriage - a Path to Holiness

Twenty Seventh Ordinary Sunday Year B

Marriage today is no longer the safe haven it once was; in fact, it is just the opposite. Where once, marriage seem to provide social, emotional and financial security, now it is a journey out to the dark, uncharted, and often troubled waters, or as I so fondly like to tell the young couples preparing for marriage – a one way ticket ride on the Titanic, without live boats. The parties  in fact leave the safe harbour of their lives as single unencumbered individuals– they leave their families, their neighbourhood, their job security, and often enough, their circle of friends – and, as a consequence, they run the risk of an expedition, with all its uncertainties and imponderables. Besides fidelity and commitment, the word ‘marriage’ in our present day has taken on such new meanings as hazard and risk.

Given the many challenges and new demands of marriage, where can couples find the necessary resources to help them weather the storms and tsunamis of troubled times as well as breathe new life into the humdrum existence of growing old together bereft of excitement and novelty? Today’s readings may prove instructive and helpful to those contemplating or preparing for marriage. Young people, who often find the greatest source of information and the accompanying values from the internet, television and movies, need to pay attention too. For couples already married, it’s never too late to sit up and take in a much needed refresher.

The readings remind us that marriage is not a human institution; it is a divinely instituted one. It is a vocation.  It is a call from God to participate in his plan for the world, cooperate in his work of creation, and share in Christ’s work of redemption through the daily living out of family responsibilities.  Too frequently, however, God is forgotten in all the busy-ness of making preparations for marriage. The couples are more concerned with the wedding dress, the dinner, the floral arrangement, the invitation cards and the wedding photos. God and the church are reduced to necessary inconveniences. Many often think that the only reason why they have to see the priest is because they want to get married in church. The Church wedding has become nothing more than a sentimental ceremony rather than a spiritual celebration of faith in God’s love. Abandoning the sacred character of marriage ultimately dooms it for disaster.

It is easy to understand why so many have this misguided view of marriage. What we witness at every wedding may seem to be solely the actions of two human persons who wish to solemnise their love publicly through ritual and oaths. But the visible action of the couple merely veils the most important action which is invisible – the action of God. The mutual yearning for union between a man and a woman, the longing for a deep, permanent attachment, is not a mere human reality. It is put there by God as a reminder of his desire to share his own life with us and to symbolise the Christian’s longing to be with God forever. Therefore, marriage is ultimately the Work of God. Understanding marriage as primarily the Work of God does not reduce the couple into two hollow and mindless puppets. Their consent, freely given and exchanged, becomes both an act of commitment and an act of surrender to God’s Work.

Realising that marriage is as much a work of God has serious implications. Couples often attempt to ‘make’ their marriage work. They sincerely wish to be good parents and try their level best to establish a family, an environment where their children will grow up strong, courageous, possessing good moral values and be the envy of neighbours and kin. They often attempt to achieve all of these things as if God was not part of the equation. Couples and families would exhaust all possible options and resources available to them before resorting to prayer. But if marriage is the Work of God, prayer must always be a priority. If marriage is the Work of God, the greatest quality that must be possessed by these two individuals is not just parenting skills, compassion, care, forgiveness or even love. It is faith. It is faith that God will supply, make good and bring to completion the good work He has begun.

That is why the standard which is demanded by marriage is not merely superhuman – it is divine. It is a relationship that has been marked out from the very beginning as one characterised by unity and indissolubility. The unity of the two persons render them a new being, a being that is joined not just at the edges but also at its core. A unity that calls the parties to life-long fidelity. A unity that can never be dissolved by any human action or decision; so strong that it can only be ended with death. And this is so, because the unity of marriage only prepares you for the unity with God in heaven. All this seems too weighty and even humanly impossible. Be assured, its part of the Work of God. Only God can guarantee both unity and indissolubility.

Interestingly, the Church also describes liturgy as the Work of God. If both liturgy and marriage share the same analogous description, we can treat liturgy as another benchmark for marriage too. Our celebration of the Eucharist pulls in various themes, but principal among these is the theme of sacrifice. Couples must learn the important lesson of sacrifice from the Master himself, the High Priest, who made himself lower than the angels in order that he might taste death for the benefit of everyone, as described in today’s second reading. Marriage calls the parties to the marriage to embrace the cross, not seen here as a burden, but as a sacrifice of love. Marriage makes the ultimate demand of couples who are asked to sacrifice everything, even their most treasured dreams, their private space, and their moments of enjoyment for the benefit of the other. One of the main issues affecting marriages and contributing to the rise of divorces and separation even among Catholics, is the inability of parties to make sacrifices even in the face of changing conditions and circumstances. Changes often place new pressures on marriage, such as the arrival of children, employment, financial crisis, familiarity which comes with the territory. But these changes need not necessarily be indicators marking the end of the marriage. It is only so, when the parties stubbornly or selfishly refuse to make the necessary sacrifices and to pay the heavy price to save it. Lasting and loving marriages do not come cheap!

Today, family life and married life is under siege. Divorce is becoming a normal everyday occurrence. Society provides an entire range of products from family therapy to self-help books to assist couples and families to weather the trials and difficulties encountered. What does the Church offer? What can the Church offer? Well, what the Church offers may appear overly simplistic and seemingly unconnected but it is the ultimate solution because it concerns every man or woman’s vocation. The Church offers us holiness. It’s time we call a spade a spade. The problem with marriage today is not just about dysfunctional behaviour, emotional baggage, or societal pressure. It is a problem of sin, the sin of individualism, the sin of selfishness, the sin of unforgiveness, the sin of infidelity, the sin of pride, the sin of lust, where man has been waylaid, where he has forgotten his ultimate vocation to be holy.  God instituted marriage for humanity’s salvation. God instituted marriage as a path to holiness. Like every other vocation, marriage is another preparation for heaven.  We launch from our safe and familiar shores so that we may finally make our way home to that great harbour, where we will find a safe refuge from every storm.

Marriage isn't easy. Marriage requires sacrifice, prayer and faith and these are the basic ingredients of holiness. Clearly, a husband and wife do not make a marriage holy; parents and children do not make a family holy. The family is holy because it is God’s creation, his plan for our way to him. It is his plan for our way to live fruitfully and happily here on earth. We are called to recognise the holiness inherent in these precious and sacred realities and to become humble servants, instruments and cooperators of God’s action and grace. God is the author of life and designer of marriage and family. He has made them in his image and likeness just as he makes man in his image and likeness. Marriage and family are holy because they are God’s work. Our work is to be holy and to allow him to do the rest.

Promiscuous Communion?

Twenty Sixth Ordinary Sunday Year B

Two weeks ago, our nation celebrated Malaysia Day, a day which symbolises the ideals of national integration, harmony and unity between ethnicities and cultures.  As a commitment to these same ideals, Christians from various Protestant denominations, hailing from both mainline and Evangelical streams, gathered at a nearby stadium in Shah Alam to offer prayers in common for the country. Catholics, both clergy and laity, join the ranks to make the event truly ecumenical, at least by appearance.

But for some, the joy and excitement of this visible celebration of Christian unity was marred by a written advisory issued by Archbishop Murphy Pakiam to the Catholics of this archdiocese, cautioning and reminding them of the Catholic Church’s position with regards to inter-communion. Catholics were reminded that it was ‘illicit’ for them to receive such communion with other Christians because of differences in sacramental and ecclesial theology. The Archbishop was merely reiterating the Catholic Church's teaching and canonical law (Canon 844#1). For some, the action of the Archbishop was viewed as another foot-in-the-mouth blooper, one which showed a lack of hospitality and charity. In fact, it sparked off an open letter of protest and criticism against the Archbishop.  

Was the Archbishop or his critics right? Today’s readings may help us out of this conundrum. A simple layman’s cursory reading could lead to this conclusion: that no person, or institution can have a monopoly over the distribution of God’s graces. The readings seem to suggest a broader rather than narrower approach in accepting the ministry of others who do not share a visible communion with us. In other words, the readings imply that there is a place for churches and Christians with different preferences, spirituality, experience, emphases and even theology, so long as we can all unite under the banner of Jesus Christ. This presents a popular picture of Jesus as someone broad-minded, non- judgmental, unconditionally inclusive, whose constant refrain is “All are Welcome”, one who would have no issues with inter-communion. In the words of the anonymous Catholic who wrote the protest letter against the advisory of the Archbishop, “I don't think in all fairness Jesus himself would have said this "Only Catholics can receive Holy Communion … all others are forbidden...” 

The issue of communion is actually secondary. The real issue is ecclesiological – how do we understand ‘Church’? Was Jesus actually advocating a ‘Love Boat’ kind of church ‘without borders’, a church that would admit all kinds of beliefs, even contradictory ones, as long as one carried the name ‘Christian’? If this was the case, then the Church’s condemnation of ‘heresy’ in defence of the faith was misplaced, if not pointless. Excommunication, which is the denial of communion to those who break communion with the Church’s belief, laws and sacraments, would be unnecessary and even irrelevant. A more careful and nuanced reading of scripture would reveal a very different conclusion. The second half of the gospel clarifies that Charity must be at the service of Truth and that communion must be predicated on both Charity and Truth. The metaphor of self-mutilation seems severe but it challenges Christian communities to excommunicate members (seen as cutting off body parts which are a danger to the rest) who may be a cause of scandal for the whole community. In other words, communion implies communion of belief and practice, and most certainly worship.

I’ve spoken extensively on relativism in the past two weeks. It refers to the belief that all statements are mere opinions, which are neither absolutely true nor absolutely false. Applied to the situation of the Eucharist, if Catholics maintain that Jesus Christ is truly, really and substantially present in the communion species after consecration and if Methodists merely believe in a symbolic presence, then both are correct as far as opinions are concerned. Simple logic will inform you that one statement excludes the other, you can’t have both!  Indifferentism, on the other hand, holds the position that there are no substantial differences between one view and the other. In other words, when applied to churches and denominations, would imply that there is no difference between one and the other. This begs the question, why the divisions? Was the Protestant Reformation necessary if there is no difference between Catholicism and Protestantism? The liberals may answer by arguing that the differences are man-made and immaterial. ‘We need to just focus on the essentials.’ But in the pursuit of a common denominator, it would be a wonder if there is anything left over which can be called essential when one has gotten rid of all the differences.

Like all heresies, indifferentism and relativism are distortions and exaggerations of the Truth. In the name of Eucharistic hospitality, one forgoes the need to make distinctions between fact and fiction, truth and lies, essential and non-essential, sin and virtue. When we choose to forget our differences, it is ultimately a decision to abandon the Truth. Lies or avoiding the Truth can make us amicable bed-partners, but it would not be a true marriage of minds and hearts, it would just be co-habitation, a promiscuous kind of union. There can be no true Love, if love is not rooted in the Truth. These egalitarian heresies ultimately transform our faith into an amorphous puddle of mush, darken our minds, impoverish our souls, and blind our eyes to reality. Difference is not the cause of conflict but the failure to recognise differences is. Chaos, it has been said, is the lack of all distinction. As a popular slogan emblazoned on the front of T-shirts of promiscuous teens boldly propose: “NO LIMITS!”

Ultimately, the issue of communion hinges upon our Catholic understanding of Church. Thus Eucharistic communion is inseparably linked to full Ecclesial communion and its visible expression. The Catholic Church sees itself as one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, founded by Christ himself. This is not a triumphalistic expression of hubris. It is based on our understanding of the mission and plan of God and of Jesus Christ. Christ intended ONE church and it would be utter foolishness to presume that he would also have wanted division for division sake. For Catholics, communion is not just an act of worship but also an ecclesiological act. Our reception of communion is ontological – we receive communion because we are in communion. Full communion involves completeness of "those bonds of communion – faith, sacraments and pastoral governance – traditionally known as Creed, Cult and Code. For Catholics to participate in such communion without establishing these bonds would be self-deception and hypocritical. It trivialises the very act of receiving communion and reduces it to a purely symbolic and instrumental ritual. For example, someone who notoriously lives in serious sin would be excluded because his moral life is not in communion with the laws of God and the Church. Receiving communion would be a lie!

I would think that it would be most appropriate to close off this homily with an excerpt taken from an interview given by a good friend of mine, Revd Deacon Sherman Kuek, whom many of you know was a former Protestant theologian before his conversion to Catholicism.

“… it is necessary to recognise that dialogue can be fruitful only when it is at the service of truth — not opinions or personal dispositions on specific issues — but truth. Unity is indeed important to the Catholic Church, and it remains her priority. However, it is a unity in the service of truth that she seeks, not unity for the sake of itself. For this reason, the Catholic Church does not — she cannot — sacrifice truth at the altar of unity…

This does not mean that the Church would exclude any other groups of Christians who have different ideas of truth. The position of the Catholic Church is always inclusive, but being inclusive does not mean being pluralistic. The principle of inclusion enables the Church to make space for others and to recognise the good in others without having to compromise our self-understanding... Unity based on a whitewashing of differences, according to Pope Benedict, is a facade and only stalls fruitful dialogue … Pretending that there are no differences and relating to one another as a “fully united body” by resting on the lowest common denominator of the faith is to pander to false and promiscuous union.”

Dying for One's Convictions

Twenty Fifth Ordinary Sunday Year B

On the 16^th of April this year, Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, celebrated his 85^th birthday and the seventh anniversary of his pontificate. Having weathered and survived the storm in the aftermath of his Regensburg address which angered millions of Muslims, a worldwide media onslaught on the Church’s ‘war crimes’ in the area of clergy child sexual abuse, ongoing criticisms of his defence of the Church’s moral teachings concerning life issues and marriage, continued opposition from within the Church on his views and initiatives in liturgy, the damaging Vatican-leaks that portrayed the Church as a badly-run and corrupt ridden organisation, and despite rumours that he may retire soon due to old age and health, the Pope still remains strong and resilient, although unable to conceal signs of physical frailty.

To his critics, the Pope is regarded as a capricious dictator, a Grand Inquisitor who clamps down on theological freedom, the German Rottweiler who heads a backward-looking, misogynistic organisation that continues to stunt social progress by her stands against homosexual relationships and the use of condoms to thwart the spread of AIDS, while self-righteously trying to cover up its own mistakes, including the crimes of paedophiliac clerical offenders. All these accusations and criticisms may come as a surprise to many of us. How could this man, the spiritual and temporal leader of a billion Catholics throughout the world earn such hate and derision? How could a religious man who stands for peace, a source of inspiration for millions, also court controversy? How do we explain this ambivalence?

I recently attended a talk by a friend of mine who ended his session with some anecdotal wisdom from the Pope. My friend described the Pope as someone who is both deeply loved and also widely hated, by both those within and outside the Church. And the reason for this is because he is a man of convictions. “One will go unnoticed if one didn’t have convictions or failed to reveal them.” According to a German thinker, Heinrich Heine, “People in those old times had convictions; we moderns have only opinions. And it needs more than a mere opinion to erect a Gothic cathedral.” No greatness can come from mere opinions. It takes strong convictions backed with the willingness to die for your beliefs to bring about serious change. In other words, you need to be dead serious before you are taken seriously.

What does it mean to have convictions? When you are a person of conviction, you believe that what you know is the truth and you are grounded in that truth. You stand by the truth whether it appears to the rest of the world as foolish or archaic, and regardless if it is not politically correct or not part of some fad.  You believe that the truth is True and that it is not determined by a popular vote, or by its convenience. Today, relativism teaches that there is no absolute truth, only personal subjective versions. But the Truth cannot be bent or moulded to fit personal situations or the times. The Truth is timeless. When you are truly grounded in the Truth, you believe from your core and you are prepared to defend it. At times you may be criticised as hopelessly out of date and out of touch. Yet you are prepared to forgo popularity in order to defend the Truth. The Pope has made his final stance in defence of the Truth.

In other words, to be a man of convictions means, to borrow biblical-theological language, to become a “sign of contradiction,” the rise and fall of many. To be a man of convictions is to embrace the contradiction posed by the cross, once seen as an instrument of torture and death, and now the instrument of our salvation. To be a man of convictions means to embrace the destiny of Christ and to live the challenge of the gospel paradox, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Christians continue to make this same sign present through the centuries as they unite themselves with Christ.

If one were able to see beyond the ad-hominem ‘below the belt’ attacks and vilifications against the Pope, one would then realise that much of these criticisms reveal something far more insidious on the part of the hate-mongers and critics rather than about the object of their calumny and revulsion. The attacks on the Pope are for the most part attacks on the Catholic Church and the Truth which it has sworn to defend because the Pope is the visible icon of the Church. The reason for the Pope’s unpopularity with many of his critics is not because he lacks moral character or because he stubbornly refuses to move with the times. On the contrary, the Pope, and for that matter, Holy Mother Church, are criticised because they refuse to bend to the demands of public pressure to compromise the Truth in favour of a watered-down, appeasing Christianity. In other words, the Pope is a source of controversy, not because of his sins but because of the sinfulness of his critics. The enemies of the Pope and of the Church seem to be singing the same tune we had just heard in the first reading: “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.”

 Pope Benedict’s person and message are one. By his very presence he offers the world deluded by sin a path out of the bunker and into the light of truth. Pope Benedict makes written and spoken contributions on almost a daily basis about matters as diverse as the condition of modernity, the meaning of eternity, the conundrum of reason, and the quality of beauty, and yet many are only enabled to hear what he says when this threatens their reinforced positions. It is not the Pope who is stubborn and blind. It is the reverse.

Today, the Pope continues to be model of inspiration for all of us. Through his perseverance and fidelity to the Truth of the gospel, he has become the man of derision, the subject of ridicule and hate, the embodiment of the scandal and contradiction of the cross.  Often, wrongly accused of being a hardliner traditionalist and conservative, Peter Seewald, the famous German journalist and papal biographer who interviewed our Holy Father, described, the man as “ahead of his time.” Seewald tells us that the Pope is actually trying to steer the Church along the “Catholic centre,” not an Anglican kind of via media which is willing to compromise truth in favour of expediency, but a balanced course that leans neither to the extremisms of the left or the right. “With Ratzinger, everything is about the centre, but not in the sense of being average,” he continued. “It’s a positive middle line which, on closer inspection, is not the easiest of exercises, but the hardest,” he said. “Everyone can fall into either extremes, lurching to the left or to the right, but to take a straight path along a balanced centre — that is the school of a master.”

Today, the Master of masters, Jesus himself, outlines the path by which we must all take. Christians cannot be ambivalent when it comes to the cross. They must choose. They cannot be but persons of convictions. Their lives must ultimately lead to the contradiction of the cross. Conflict is inevitable for those who stand for Truth against the forces that lie. They will receive derision, hatred, condemnation from those who are blinded to the Truth but they will also be a source of inspiration to those who are prepared to see and listen to the voice of reason. To this world their announcement of the Truth of Gospel must be courageous, clear, consistent, constant and quite often a sign of contradiction. Christians are not deluded by some romanticised attachment to the past, neither are they stubbornly stuck to a position which is out of touch with the world. Christians are rooted in reality, the reality of cross. This is the lot of Christians, we can do no other, we can be no other. St Mary Benedicta of the Cross, or better known by her pre-baptismal Jewish name ‘Edith Stein,’ once taught on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: “More than ever the cross is a sign of contradiction. The followers of the Antichrist show it far more dishonour than did the Persians who stole it. They desecrate the images of the Cross, and they make every effort to tear the cross out of the hearts of Christians. All too often they have succeeded even with those who, like us, once vowed to bear Christ's cross after him. Therefore, the Saviour today looks at us, solemnly probing us, and asks each one of us: Will you remain faithful to the Crucified? Consider carefully! The world is in flames, the battle between Christ and the Antichrist has broken into the open. If you decide for Christ, it could cost you your life.”

Sometimes, the fear and pain of conflict and persecution becomes unbearable and we are tempted once again to choose the false peace of compromise over Christ. But our hope comes in knowing that where things seem impossible for men, all things are possible for God. Love is stronger than hate. Truth is stronger than lies. During the homily delivered on his birthday this year, our 85 year old Pontiff said these words: “I find myself on the last stretch of my journey in life, and I don’t know what is awaiting me. I know, however, that the light of God exists, that he is risen, that his light is stronger than any darkness and that God’s goodness is stronger than any evil in this world, and this helps me go forward with certainty.”