28th Sunday of the Year : Homily / Sermon

“Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, …  everything is ready. Come to the wedding.”  (Mt 22:4)

As I guess we all know, the Cardinals and Bishops from all over the world have been meeting in Rome over the past week, and this extraordinary synod” will continue into next week. They are joined by a number of other people, including a few married couples. 

This is because their topic, their theme is the Family, the Church’s teaching about all these difficult issues, practice and rules over the family: sex, marriage, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, and so on. 

These are big, important and serious issues, and there is a lot expectation surrounding them. 

And while people, particularly people in the press, are looking for sweeping changes in the Church’s teaching - communion for those who are divorced and remarried, marriage in church for those who have been divorced, the blessing of homosexual unions (“gay marriages”, as they may be called), a less censorious attitude to sex outside marriage, heterosexual as well as homosexual - I think they are likely to be disappointed. 

However, perhaps the issue, and therefore the outcome, will be less about changes to the Church’s teaching, and more about changes to the Church’s attitude.

In many parts of the world homosexuality is still illegal and punishable in law, sometimes even by death. In some places sex outside marriage (fornication) is illegal, and divorce difficult if not impossible. Children of such relationships are unwelcome in faith schools and disadvantaged in society. And these attitudes, perhaps in a lesser way, seem to affect the Church. We hear of stories of priests who refuse to baptise children of unmarried couples, for instance. Or who put obstacles in the way of those who are living together from having a wedding in Church (though I have to say I find the logic of this rather impenetrable). There have even been claims that there are Churches in North America with signs at their doors saying “Gay Couples not Welcome Here”. 
[However - it may be that the picture (above) indicates that the sign was left by a protester, rather than being a message coming from the Church].  

Yet, While we may regret many of the changes in attitudes and moral standards we find in our own society, much of this hard, discriminatory and frankly unkind attitude would be quite unacceptable to us. We might understand why it comes about: if something is wrong, as one of the Cardinals said last week, can we do “moral backflips” and pretend that it is not, but generally, I think, we want to show charity, rather than express rejection. It is a dilemma many of us have had to face in our own families, and we hope that the Church will be able to develop a similar compassion. 

So - let’s get back to today’s Gospel. It hints, I think, at a way forward. 

The King, like many families, is having problems with his guest list. Some he has invited are really too concerned with other matters to accept. There are more than a few empty places. So he casts the net further, and invites those who we might least expect. It is a story about a marriage feast, but it is really a parable about the invitation not to an earthly feast, but rather the heavenly one. 

And what does it tell us - firstly, God calls everyone into his Kingdom. The self-important, the self-righteous, the holier-than-thous had better beware. Those who think, or indeed know that they are better than others might be in danger of missing the boat. The rich, the wealthy, the influential, the clever, the successful - they are in danger of thinking themselves too good. The invitation is for them, but also the poor, the destitute, the weak, the uneducated, the failures of life, the sinners and the despised. It is not just an invitation for those who can keep to the churches teaching about marriage, divorce, and sexuality but also those who struggle with it, or fail to follow it, or find it does not fit with their own experience or circumstances. They are invited too. And their partners are invited. And their children, too. 

And there is a second point, which at first may seem to jar. It's to do with this strange detail of the man without a wedding garment. You see, while the invitation is open to everyone, this does not mean it is without conditions. Christ invites sinners, (in fact, he only invites sinners) but they must be  sinners who wish to live a new and renewed life. He invites all to his Wedding Feast, with open arms and without condemnation, and accepting the invitation means accepting a faith and a way of life which changes and transforms us. In entering the Feast we become a new person - the Wedding Garment is the robe of our baptism, which symbolizes a new life in faith and trust and honesty and compassion and love. We must love as we are loved. We must forgive as we are forgiven. We must give as we have received. As we have been invited, we must invite others. As we enter the Feast, so we put on a wedding garment, leaving behind pettiness, and ingratitude and self-interest.

And here perhaps is where this great synod, this wonderful initiative of Pope Francis will lead us. Not to tear up the rule book, but to send out the invitations; not to forget about the challenges of the Christian life, but to open the doors to the kingdom; not to wag our fingers, but to open our arms in welcome. 

… So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. (Mt 22:10)

25th Sunday of the Year : Homily / Sermon

It is sometimes said that there are two topics of conversation which should never be aired in polite company. One is politics and the other is religion. So, to bring both religion and politics together is especially dangerous.

Some recent research, published in the newspapers underlies this. While most people believe that everyone has a right to believe what they wish and practise whatever faith they wish, this is all best kept to themselves, and in particular religious leaders should not ‘meddle’ in politics.

Yet they do. In America, where Church and State are separated by the Constitution, there is much discussion of the influence of the ‘religious right’, and whether Catholics can support politicians who vote in favour of abortion.

I don’t want to get bogged down in the nitty gritty of policies, and the Church in England and Wales, while often speaking on political issues has never - so far as I can remember - supported one party against another.

So let’s look at principles, because that is what today’s Gospel helps us to do.

I have always been struck by what CS Lewis wrote about this. He was asked whether a truly Christian society would be left wing or right wing, socialist or conservative, and he answered that he believed there would be something to both please and annoy both sides. In terms of family life, individual morality and so on, the Christian society would look quite conservative, promoting marriage, children, families, the sanctity of human life. Conservative values. On the other hand, in terms of social policy, economics, education, health care, the Christian society would look quite socialist, providing generously for the weakest in society, and taxing the richest to provide equal education, health services for all. And so when the Christian votes he or she needs to put both considerations in the balance.

And so to the Gospel.

Here we have the labourers in the vineyard paid the same rate whether they worked all day or just for one hour. Now the political mind looks at that story in terms of fairness and justice. On the one hand it could be said that the parable underlines the rights of the employer, the vineyard owner, to do what he wishes with his money - to pay what he likes to whom he likes when he likes. No place for unions or regulations or a minimum wage here. But on the other hand another political mind may disagree and say that the parable underlines the need for all to be supported, everyone to receive a basic wage, all to be given a living income whether work is available or not.

Which is right? Well both and neither. The Gospel deals with political issues, but also does far more.

Political life and questions are about fairness and justice, about rights and entitlements. They are all important in their own way. The Church supports struggles for justice, the promotion and protection of human rights – the right to a living wage and the right to own property.

But the Gospel does not stop there. The Gospel is not about rights – but about responsibilities. It is not about justice and fairness, but about love. It is about doing what is right, but also about doing more than is needed.

The Good Samaritan does not only stop to help, but he takes the wounded man to the inn. The man who owed a great sum of money does not only give the debtor time to pay, but wipes out all the debt. The vineyard owner does not only find work for those seeking it – but pays them more than they are due.

The Church must challenge politicians. It must promote human life, human rights, peace and justice – but it can never be restricted to them. For God’s love is greater, more generous, than any legislator or political policy could ever be.

Fifth Sunday of Easter : Homily / Sermon

Whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself - he will perform even greater works - because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

In some ways this statement may appear to be a little shocking. The apostles, the Church, we will do even greater works than Christ himself? Surely not?

And indeed as we believe that Christ is not only a great teacher, but also entirely free from sin, who has made the ultimate sacrifice. God Incarnate. How could we possibly do greater works than him?

And surely, Christians and non-believers over the ages have taken comfort in pointing out to us the perfect teaching and perfect life of Christ, alongside the failings and rivalries and sometimes even cruelties of those who claim his name. It is not just that he is a challenge to Christians, but is almost as if everything started to go wrong the moment after he had ascended to heaven.

And yet, here are the words of the man himself - we will do even greater works.

And think about it, and we will realise that of course it is true. He did not say we would be sinless - no, he said we could be forgiven our sins. He not say his followers would never get things wrong - no, he warned against charlatans, and he prayed for unity rather than division.

But consider what Jesus himself achieved. It may seem so little. As is often remarked, he never led any armies, or founded a nation, or even wrote a book. He never travelled more than a few miles. When he died he was deserted by his followers.

Yet he did not fail - not so much for what he did, but for what his followers did.The recording of his words, and the development of teaching based upon it. The establishment of the Church. The spread of learning across Europe and beyond. Thousands of hospitals and schools. The development of social care for the disabled and the vulnerable. The rehabilitation and education of those convicted of crime. The very concept of human rights. And the science of the "Big Bang". The abolition of slavery - first in South America by Catholic Missionaries, ever before its abolition in this country. Extraordinary artwork and music and architecture. For all its flaws and human shortcomings, the Catholic Church is the largest international organisation in the world, and the Papacy the oldest institution. The Church works with more sufferers of aids than any other non-governmental organisation in the world. There is a presence in almost every city of the world, and in this country a chaplaincy for every hospital and prison, and for many many schools.

All these have been the work of followers of Christ - those who have done and are doing even greater works.

Of course, many of these are not only the works of the Church or of the followers of Christ alone, but do not be misled into thinking that these are not the continuing works of Christ or that his works and his ministry are somehow set in the past, captured in aspic, beautiful to behold yet static and remote.

Far from it. Christ is at work today. In the Church, in you, in us. It is not that we are greater than him, of course. It is that he is so great, that risen from death, and ascended into heaven, his work continues and flourishes.

And he will do yet greater works. Through us.