"When fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.”

I would like to ask you to imagine with me the following scene. A man goes to Confession and tells the priest, “Father, I have not been to Confession for twenty years.” The priest is very pleased to see him return, and greets him very warmly. Then with some help from the priest, he comes to the part of Confession where he confesses his sins. The man says, “I know it has been twenty years, but I can’t think of any sins to confess.” 

There is a long pause and then, the priest gives the man absolution, and as part of his penance asks him to pick up a copy of an Examination of Conscience found outside the Confessional and asks the man to think and pray about what he learns from this experience.

Now perhaps this man is some kind of natural saint who has intuitively learned to follow his better nature. I don’t know about you, but for me this is extremely unlikely. It is much more likely that his conscience has simply fallen asleep. He may actually be waking up at this point and he needs a double espresso from the Holy Spirit!

I wonder have you ever gone to Confession and struggled to think of what sins you are going to confess. It is very likely that this is not because you are sinless, but because you have allowed yourself to live on the surface and in the moment and have not entered into yourself very deeply.

At first glance, Jesus words in our gospel appears to be a kind of word salad filled with various metaphors. When we read a passage like this, we often find ourselves triggered by a particular verse that strikes us. Jesus asks, “Can a blind person guide a blind person?

Clearly, an effective leader cannot have their eyes closed, or be unable to see. The next verse is actually the key verse to this passage; Jesus refers to the notion of discipleship.

We are so used to hearing this word ‘disciple,’ that many of us have forgotten what it means. Jesus says, “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.”

Unlike our modern world, discipleship is not the same as ‘education.’ Discipleship was an apprenticeship in the life and teachings of the master. Discipleship primarily focused the imitation of the master to the point of actually becoming the other person in every little way.

Many years ago, I worked as an assistant in a large commercial cafeteria. When I was assisting the baker, I would literally add 20 pounds of flour and gallons of milk, but after we began mixing the dough, the baker would put his hand in the dough and determine whether we need to adjust the recipe with more liquid or more flour. This is not something you learn from a book. As Jesus notes, “when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” Discipleship was most of all an apprenticeship in the life of the master.

Jesus moves on to a new metaphor to explain how this might work. If we tried to picture this in our mind, this is would literally be a cartoon. Jesus asks, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”

This is a highly exaggerated metaphor. Jesus contrasts a speck, a word meaning a small flake of wood with a wooden beam, or the main load bearing beam of a building. Only in a kind of cartoon image could we imagine someone with this kind of wooden beam stilling out of his or her eye!

This person has failed to become a disciple or apprentice to the life of mercy and love that Jesus has been modelling.

Jesus says, “You hypocrite!” We experience shocked offence when we see obvious hypocrisy. “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?

Jesus asks us to begin with a humble self-examination of our hearts. Next, we must remove our own faults, only then can we see clearly to help someone else.

Our modern world often wants to make our faith something personal and private. Many people believe that faith is completely personal, and something that no one else should interfere with. In the name of being inclusive we should never judge another person. Each one of us has the right to follow our own feelings in matters of faith. Interfering with these feelings in another person’s life is judging that person.

Is this Jesus point in this passage?

While Jesus did warn about not judging others earlier (Luke 6:37), he does not use this word here. Instead, Jesus says that leaders should first take care of you own problems, then care for others.

St Paul makes a similar point in Galatians, 

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1–2)

Keeping in mind the five previous chapters of Luke’s Gospel and the notion of discipleship, we can outline a five step process in Jesus’ teachings

1. Jesus calls us to be his disciple, and to imitate his life and teachings. Jesus ministry centers on modelling mercy and love to others.
2. We must begin in humility with an openness to the words and life of Jesus,
3. We must first examine our own hearts: We must pray to have an awareness of our own serious mistakes (“the beam in my eye” not “splinters”);
4. We must surrender to Jesus and be converted with the readiness to follow him, and thus to become a different person (removal of the “log”);
5. Only then, can we be a renewed disciple fully modelling Jesus mercy and love.

Only after initial conversion and the full apprenticeship of discipleship can I become like Jesus (v. 40b) and become a master or leader for others and help correct their little faults. (“splinter,” v. 42b)

How do we know this process has occurred?

In the next metaphor, Jesus talks about trees and fruit. He notes, “Every tree is known by its own fruit.” We cannot merely depend on our education, or the fact that we have riding along on the Catholic bus through the various sacraments. The final steps in the journey must involve a profound cooperation on our part. Like the earliest disciples, we must drop our nets and follow Jesus as his disciples. When we do this, our life will change and bear fruit. If we do not see fruit, there is a problem.

By literally walking with Jesus and experiencing his life and teachings, we awaken our conscience with the help of the Holy Spirit. Our heart needs to be fully awake in him.

This is a fundamental choice on our part. We need to say “yes” to Jesus. This is an act of our will. We need to surrender our life to him, and make him the center of our life. We may need to repeat this act many times in order to be continuously converted to his will.

Jesus final metaphor is a kind of litmus test, or scorecard. Are we really a fully initiated disciple of Jesus? Jesus observes that, “from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” The most profound demonstration of our holiness, and our conformity to the discipleship of Jesus, is how we control our tongue. We might be attempted to jump ahead and focus here, but unless we have taken the previous steps, we will likely fail.

Our journey begins not by following the rules, but by literally following the person of Jesus!
We must be changed by him from the inside out!



EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Sirach 27:4–7; Psalm 92:2–3, 13–16; 1 Corinthians 15:54–58; Luke 6:39–45

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

As we read the words of this Sunday’s Gospel, many of us will experience sense of puzzlement, or even a sense that what Jesus is asking of us asked is fundamentally not fair. If we keep strict justice in mind, when hearing Jesus say, “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. … we say, “Wait a minute. Really?” Where is the justice in these statements?

One of the divine attributes of God is certainly justice, but justice is not God’s central attribute. Years ago, St. John Paul II wrote and encyclical on the topic of Mercy (Dives et Misericordia, 1980). 

Without taking away from the importance of justice, St. John Paul II points out that Jesus unique mission on earth was to make the Father present as love and mercy (DM 3). Jesus centered his ministry on being a model of merciful love for others. We see this modeled in Jesus words, but even more in his actions. The call to mercy is in fact one of the essential elements of the Gospel message and the essential way of life for his disciples (DM 3).

Even in the Old Testament, where we often see God’s justice contrasted with his mercy, the perfection of God’s love is always greater than justice. St. John Paul II points out love is primary and fundamental and it conditions justice. Justice serves love.

This highlights the primacy and superiority of love over justice. In fact, the superiority of love is hallmark of the whole of revelation. The way in which we actually experience God’s love, however, is through mercy. (DM 4). The concrete expression of love in our lives is mercy.

St. John Paul II observes that the very idea of this mercy often creates certain prejudices in our hearts. This is because Jesus calls us to go beyond the precise norms of justice and our heart immediately tells us that this is not fair.

In our Gospel, Jesus calls us to a higher standard than mere justice,

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back

Our heart stumbles over Jesus’ call, because in focuses on the externals and on the apparent inequality of justice between the one offering it and the one receiving it. Our heart intuitively tells us that mercy does seem fair (DM 5).

Yet, Jesus calls us in this Gospel to transform our love into mercy. Without this mercy, we miss the essential element of relationship. When we fail to show mercy, we often fail to recognize the hand of God moving in hearts of others. We find our highest calling not in the things of this life, but in eternity with God. In the light of eternity, how important is a tunic? If we choose not to retaliate, and this leads to a new relationship with our enemy, we may become a model of merciful love that reveals the heart of the Father to our brother.

A profound example of this mercy is the parable of the prodigal son. The father in this parable sees the good achieved in the heart of the prodigal son. This allows the father to look beyond mere justice, and to forget the evil, which the son has committed against him (DM 6). The father recognizes the reality of conversion in the prodigal’s heart. St. John Paul II notes, “Conversion is the most concrete expression of the working of love and of the presence of mercy in the human world” (DM 13). With eternity in mind, our goal should always be conversion.

Like the older brother in this parable, our heart may still say this is not fair! Clearly, our faith does not demand that we never pursue justice. We acknowledge such goods as the rule of just laws and legitimate self-defense. Our faith calls us to advocate for those who are poor and defenseless. We have not abandoned justice.

Yet at other times, Jesus calls us to show mercy. More than this, the presence of God in our life should lead us to become models of mercy and to make mercy the central focus of our life in Christ.

We can ask ourselves; in the light of eternity, what does Jesus ask me to do in this concrete situation? What action will most likely lead to this person’s eventual conversion? We can also think about the mercy and love we have received from God through the loving sacrifice that Jesus has made on our behalf. Do we really understand the depth and breadth of the love and mercy that we personally have received from God? In a certain sense, we are all prodigals.

As St. Paul reminds us, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet even so, this will not stop the mercy of God towards us. St. Paul continues, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). St. John reminds us God’s mercy flows from his love, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).

At the same time Jesus’ message of love and mercy also contains a solemn warning for those who harden their hearts against mercy. In the Our Father prayer we say, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12). Just in case we miss the implications of the word “as” in this verse Jesus immediately reminds us, “But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:15). St. James warns us: “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

Yet as the psalmist reminded us, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). Let us each open our hearts to his love and may his mercy flow through our lives to the world.

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SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME--YEAR C: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7–9, 12–13, 22–23; Psalm 103:1–4, 8, 10, 12–1, 1 Corinthians 15:45–49, Gospel: Luke 6:27–38

Joined to Christ in Suffering

Perhaps some of you have at some point have worked out in a gym, or been to physio and have heard the common training advice, “No pain, no gain.” This expression highlights the truth that in order to build muscle mass, and improve cardio endurance we need to exercise our muscles until they feel the fatigue and pain of this effort. If you have experienced physiotherapy you know therapists are not afraid to make you hurt sometimes, for your own good.

On the other hand, we also notice the opposite trend in our culture. We have become more and more focused on comfort and avoiding all suffering.

We want to buy our salads and carrots ready to eat from the fridge. Many of us have a coffee machine that dispenses a single cup of coffee on demand. The TV dinner of my era has turned into an entire aisle of instant meals at the supermarket.

Recently a marriage and family therapist and author has suggest that this has idea of comfort seeking has filtered over into the modern notion of marriage. We want our partner to be everything for us. We want them to meet all our needs for comfort, friendship and pleasure. They are our soulmate, the one who will meet all our needs. This is of course highly unrealistic, and can lead to serious problems in our relationship. We are in sense seeking heaven on earth and operating out of a profound sense of entitlement.

I am not suggesting that all of this focus on convenience and comfort is necessarily sinful. Clearly, no one would say, “Bless me Father I have sinned, I bought ready to eat carrots!” I also enjoy these modern conveniences. Yet this trend towards maximizing comfort and avoiding suffering can create confusion about our faith.

Suffering is an unavoidable part of life, but we might want to distinguish between two kinds of suffering. We can enduring voluntary suffering such as penance, fasting and mortification. In a sense, all spiritual disciplines are a form of voluntary suffering. We also endure voluntary suffering when we engaging in sports training, or dieting, or when we discipline ourselves to work hard at various other endeavors.

Another type of suffering is involuntary. Often the cause of this type of suffering is evil in our world. We can endure physical evils such as disease and eventually the inevitable death we will all face. We can also suffer from moral evils when people do unjust and evil things to us and cause us to suffer. On a natural level, there is nothing good about suffering. God did not create evil, it is a result of sin and our collective misuse of God’s gifts. Our misguided use of freedom is the cause of evil in this world. Creation itself is afflicted with this evil because of the Fall.

Our first response to this evil should be to cry out God for deliverance and healing. Even Christ in his agony, first prayed for deliverance. As our Lord prayed in the garden, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). 

Understandably, God does not ask us to resign ourselves passively to suffering. Yet, what if God does not answer our prayers and allows us to continue to suffer?

For many people suffering from an evil cause, creates difficult questions in their hearts. If God really loves me, then how could he allow me to suffer this way?

In our Gospel today, Jesus says some puzzling things that on the surface do not seem to make sense.

Lifting his eyes to his disciples, Jesus says blessed are the poor, and the hungry, and those who are now weeping, and those being persecuted. The word Jesus uses for ‘blessed” is makarios and it means fortunate, happy, privileged but also one who enjoys divine favor or being blessed. On a natural level, it is hard for me to understand how being poor, hungry, grieving and persecuted will make you blessed and happy.

Perhaps is it a kind of spiritual “No pain, no gain” principle. This is not the Gospel according to Planet Fitness. We can actually find this same advice in the Bible. We read in Hebrews, “At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it” (Hebrew 12:11).

This advice should be no surprise, as many saints have told us that growth in the spiritual life requires discipline and effort on our part. This type of suffering is likely the voluntary kind of discipline that our spiritual life demands of all of us.

To understand the full breadth of suffering we need to think more deeply about the nature of suffering itself. Does suffering itself have any meaning?

Our faith teaches us that it is only in the mystery of the cross that suffering takes on meaning. The ultimate goal of Jesus life and his ministry on earth was to suffer. A number of years ago, St. John Paul II wrote a beautiful apostolic letter on suffering that is still worth reading. He notes that , “Love is … the richest source of the meaning of suffering” (SD 13).

The truth is that anyone who really wanted to get rid of suffering would also have to get rid of love, because love always demands an element of self-sacrifice. Essentially, there can be no love without suffering. For more on this theme, see the following article by Dr. Matthew Ramage, in Religions 2021.

If involuntary sufferings are evil, then can this suffering be used for good?

In a highly unusual verse, St. Paul notes,

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).

The idea of making up or filling up what is lacking in Christ’s suffering is puzzling. We believe as a matter of faith that Jesus died once for all to save us. This sacrifice is complete, and unrepeatable. What does St. Paul mean? How can we , "filling up what is lacking" in Christ's afflictions?

The answer to this question has to do with the notion of communion. Through Baptism and the Eucharist we are joined to Christ.

St. Paul notes, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). The imagery of being “clothed” has to do with joining ourselves to Christ. Similarly, he notes, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, …” (1 Corinthians 12:13). We are literally part of Christ’s Body. We are joined to Christ like the parts of the body are joined together. He is part of us, and we are part of him, in communion.

Regarding the Eucharist St. Paul notes, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). The word translated “participation” can mean "fellowship" or even "communion." We are joined to Christ when we receive his Body and Blood in Holy Communion.

In relation to our suffering then, this communion with Christ moves in two directions. We are joined to the cross and to Christ’s redemptive sufferings, but he is at the same time joined to us in our sufferings.

St. John Paul II notes that while the sufferings of Christ are inexhaustible and infinite and cannot be added to, at the same time by being in communion with his Body, “Christ has in a sense opened his own redemptive suffering to all human suffering. . . . (SD 19).

This means that our suffering does have meaning. Our sufferings can be a share in the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. In communion with Christ, we share in his redemptive suffering which pays the penalty for our sins. At the same time, our human sufferings are also shared or joined with Christ, and become a share in the redemptive work of Christ as part of his Body (SD 19).

No one would say this is an easy road to walk. Perhaps in the midst of profound pain and human suffering this might sound trite. Yet, we do believe we can sanctify others through our suffering and we can be sanctified ourselves by the presence of Christ in our sufferings. We accomplish this by being drawn ever closer to his love.

St. John Paul II notes that although Christ died once for all to save us (1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 9:28) yet at the same time Christ sufferings are unceasingly completed because of our intimate communion with him (SD 24). It is perhaps difficult to understand this notion of being unceasingly completed, but this notion make the most sense of St. Paul’s words, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).

Again, this is an intimate communion with his love. This means our sufferings can be ‘offered up’ as a sacrifice for others. We do this by adding our suffering to our prayer intentions for others. We can sanctify others through our suffering and we be sanctified by the presence of Christ in our sufferings. “Christ through his own salvific suffering is very much present in every human suffering” (SD 26).

If we understand this then our own suffering can be time special of grace that will transform our souls. St. John Paul II notes in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace and time of conversion (SD 26).

As we think about this theme of suffering perhaps there are two things we can take away for this. In relation to involuntary sufferings, we need to understand that Christ is very close to us in our sufferings. We are part of his body and joined to him. He suffers with us and offers us his love. We can use this experience to offer up our suffering for others and to deepen our own conversion.

Having said this, this path can be very difficult! I am not a stranger to suffering in my own life, and this path can be very hard.

Regarding voluntary sufferings, we might want to recall that in the old calendar of the church this past Sunday was Septuagesima Sunday. The name comes from the Latin word for "seventieth" or seventy days before Easter. It was a kind of Pre-Lent or extended time of preparation for Lent. Perhaps then we can use this as a reminder in order to take advantage of the season of Lent. To live the season of Lent well, we need to do some planning.

What can we do to gain the most benefit from the season of Lent and allow this discipline to draw us closer to our Lord?

 

What can we do to prepare ourselves for Lent?

One suggestion might be to use an Examination of Conscience to carefully prepare for Confession and then use this experience and our deeper interior reflections and to choose Lenten penances that will help us to grow in our faith. The church also recommends frequent Confession.

I offer the following reflections for this process based on the three traditional practices of lent: prayer, fasting, and alms giving. These practices are not a check list of equal activities for our soul, however, we should focus on those things that change our heart and draw us closer to our Lord.

Prayer and the Interior Life

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you, your personal weaknesses. Be genuinely vulnerable with God. Begin with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

What patterns have you observe in your Confessions?

Is there a sin or weakness that your often struggle with?

What could you struggle against that would help your to grow?

Could you try to build a virtue that opposes this sin?

How could you get closer to God in your relationship with him?

Could you spend more time in prayer and in the personal reading of Scripture?

Do you own a Bible that you regularly read? How much time do you spend prayerfully reading the Bible?

Are their distractions in your life that typically take up your time, and keep you from spending time with God? Facebook? Screen time, TV viewing?

Does your screen time sometimes lead to engage in sinful behavior?

Have you received any spiritual advice in the Confessional that you have not yet put into practice?

Is there a person in your life that you should be spending more time with?

Is there someone in your life who often leads you to do things you later regret?

Fasting

It is fine to pick some things that you will abstain from during Lent. It is important to remember that these are voluntary penances, and if we fail (all things equal) we have not committed a sin. It does not have to be something specific, but if there is something in your life that you think might be controlling you or that your use of is disordered, then it would be good to focus on this item specifically. For example, some people give up alcohol, or deserts, etc.

We might want to be careful that what we propose is doable and not too hard for us. In addition, we should not mortify others with our penance. This is our penance and not theirs. There are times when love is more important than our voluntary penance. We do not sin by temporarily stopping our penance out of love.

We can gain benefit from even little acts of detachment. Someone might give up eating ketchup or other condiment on their food or plan to eat more food that they do not like, but they know is good for them. The simple act of discipline in these areas can later strengthen our will against other temptations.

In the tradition of the Church, Sundays are never a day of fasting. See the following reflection: Are Sundays a part of Lent?

Alms

Here we focus on detachment. We can fast from spending money on luxury items, or from certain recreational activities that waste our time and save the money that this cost normally us.

We could also donate the money we save through our fasting to the poor, or simply donate to the food bank or volunteer our time, etc.




SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME --YEAR C