6th Sunday In Eastertide : Homily / Sermon

A peace the world cannot give: that is my gift to you. (John 14:27)

I’ve always enjoyed science fiction, and especially Star Trek. A fascinating thing science fiction - is that strange alien races and species often hold up a mirror to ourselves and our societies. One such is the Klingons, a noble but war like people, for whom the waging of war is a solemn duty.
There is a Klingon language, and Klingon sayings. One such is "Vengeance is a dish best served cold". (No doubt there are more earthly claims to the origin of these words). It a literally chilling saying. It means that even if you think you are at peace with the Klingons, the act of revenge may just be round the corner.
This saying holds up a mirror to what we might mean when we talk of Peace.
Peace is one of those words which we hear so frequently, yet which is rarely defined. When a conflict rages whether it be amongst children at school or at home or in an international conflict, "Peace" is the name we give to the end of the conflict. The trouble is, when this kind of peace is present, the conflict, the bitterness, the hurt and resentment lurks just below the surface, ready to erupt, sometimes with ferocity. Revenge - a dish best served cold.
Peace is a plea, it might seem, which emerges from exhaustion and defeat. It is nothing very much in itself, just normality, and the absence of conflict. Parties come together for peace talks when one side or both realize that they cannot win. Amongst families or friends we try to make peace when the bitterness has ebbed and we desire some reconciliation. Peace is the remedy to conflict, and once the conflict has passed, and the grievances addressed or put aside, then we pretend to move to normality, and get on with our lives. We never need think of peace again, just as, when the noise has abated, we do not need to wish for quiet.
This - to adapt the words of Jesus - is the peace which the world gives. When there has been war, conflict or hatred it is no bad thing. But there is another peace, a peace which the world cannot give. This, like love, is the Gift of God.
But what does it mean?
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid, Christ tells us. This is the peace which the world cannot give, the peace which comes from Christ himself. It is a peace which we cannot create for ourselves, but which comes only from life lived in faith. It shows itself as a serenity in the face of trouble, a trust in the purposes of God when life is difficult, a calmness and courage when facing illness or suffering.
But is does not only appear when times are hard. It is always there. It is hope. It is comfort. It is an attitude to life, it is dependence on God. It is a peaceful heart.
This peace is for us a sign of hope and cause for trust in God. It is the awareness of the love of the good Shepherd, it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
And this Peace is not an escape from the troubles of the world. It is not a denial of the world's troubles, like a drug which makes us oblivious to our pains or anxieties. On the contrary, it maes us more aware of the lack of peace in the world.
If we have that inner peace, we will always long for the outer peace. It is true, when we hold grudges and bitterness in our hearts, then we will seek revenge and be driven by malice. But when our hearts are filled with peace, we want others to know the same peace.
And so while worldly peace is often absent, while war ranges and hatred abounds, while we are in the middle of conflict and suffering adversity, the Divine Peace never departs. The Divine Peace is a strength and comfort in time of trouble. It is the yearning for reconciliation, the drive for forgiveness, the pledge and presence of salvation.
This is what Jesus meant when he said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they be called the Sons of God".
Is Vengeance a dish best served cold? If so, it has a bitter taste which will never be enough. Sweeter and more satisfying is to feast on Peace.

Easter 5 (C) : Homily / Sermon

By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples. (John 13:35)

Everybody, absolutely everybody, knows that Christians should love another, that the Christian Gospel is about love, that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. Indeed, Christianity is so much about love, that in times gone by to say someone was a ‘Christian’ wouldn’t necessarily have related to their beliefs or their prayer life or their attendance at mass, but rather to their general kindness and compassion and generosity. “She’s a real Christian” people used to say (it all might sound a bit old-fashioned now).

Easter 4 (C) : Homily / Sermon

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice (John 10:27)

There are a number of prominent occasions when voices are mentioned in Scripture.
There is the voice of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness.
There is the voice which speaks from heaven, saying "This is my beloved Son" on the day of Jesus baptism, and at the Transfiguration.
There is also an echo of these voices in the words of the Centurion at the Cross: "Truly this man was the Son of God"
These are all voices which either look forward to the coming of Jesus - or which proclaim his divinity.
Voices call. They grab the attention. Their words may be brief, but their message profound. They may be terse, but they are insistent. And memorable. Difficult to ignore. Easy to remember.
Today the voice is a little different. It is not from others calling us to Jesus, or telling us about him, but it is his own voice. And the words of the voice and its message come second to the effect which it has. "I know them'" he says' "and they follow me."
This is what we mean by vocation, something which is spoken to all of us not only in words, but also in a call to our lives. Hearing the voice is more than just go catching a sound, or receiving a message, but it is about making a response, and taking action.
And the voice makes the action possibly. It makes the action compelling, and it makes it necessary.
The voice of the Good Shepherd is a voice which binds, which heals and which soothes. It is a voice which unites, and which guides. It is a voice which protects, but which also challenges.
It is a voice which we hear in words, and teaching, in commandments and in prayer, but also which speaks to the heart, and enthuses us with love.

Easter 3 (C) : Homily / Sermon

There stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. (John 21:5)

There are a number of accounts of resurrection appearances in the Gospels, and in quite a few of them it seems the disciples do not immediately recognise Jesus. Mary Magdalen does not at first recognise the risen Jesus in the Garden. Neither do the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Nor do the apostles here. They see a figure, but not the Man.
But then they do see him. And in each case it is his actions which reveal him. For the Magdalen it is his word of tenderness. For the disciples on the road to Emmaus it is the breaking of bread. Today it is in the great haul of fish.
Nowhere in the Gospels do we have a description of the Jesus’ appearance - short or tall, scrawny or muscular, plain or striking, we are never told. We can surmise that he was certainly not blond haired, white skinned, nor blue eyed (despite what we have often been shown), but we cannot be sure even of this. We are never told. But we do hear time and time again about his words. And about his actions. His works of Mercy.
Our age, our society is obsessed by appearance - but Christ is made known not by how he looks, but by what he does. He heals the sick, cures the lame, feeds the needy, and shows compassion to sinners.
And these actions always create a response - the act offered in return. Mary Magdalen and the disciples in Emmaus rush to spread the news. Peter leaps into the water. And we make Christ known, we make Christ present, by doing what he did: celebrating the sacraments, certainly, but even more by caring, loving, sharing. By assisting those who hunger and thirst, or are in acute need, by welcoming the stranger, by visiting the sick, by supporting those in trouble.
Like the disciples, we may struggle sometimes to see Christ, grapple with faith, and are anxious over unanswered prayers - but when we get on with it, when we practice the Works of Mercy, then Christ himself is visible amongst us.