Third Sunday of Lent 2016 ~ Luke 13:1-9 “Bear Fruit”

The people in the Gospel today are wondering if the Galileans who were killed by Pilate had died because they deserved to. We can empathise with them as we know too well of accidents and tragedies of all kinds where we might ask the same question. Jesus insists that they have not done anything wrong. Their sudden death challenges those still alive to live to the full and to bear much fruit because life can end suddenly, life is fragile, no one is indestructible. 

Climate Change affects us all. Climate injustice occurs when people who have done little or nothing to cause climate change are suffering the most from its effects. It is the greatest injustice of our time as it is the world’s poorest countries who suffer the most from the changes in our weather systems. In Ireland we recall the devastating storms of 2013 which caused so much destruction along our West Coast. We have the resources to cope, for now. In countries like Kenya and Malawi, these resources are simply not there and the effects of storms and droughts are catastrophic. Let us pray today that we hear the call of the Gospel to bear fruit, not to be inactive, not to be complacent when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint. The Galileans died because of Pilate, but the greater ‘sin’ here becomes inactivity.

“Common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning… Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace”. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 207). 

Second Sunday of Lent 2016: Luke 9:28-36, (37-43) “Called to transformation”

Jesus takes the disciples up to the mountain top in today’s Gospel. In that space, they have a profound experience and are invited to see Jesus for who He really is. One can empathise with the disciples in this story as they do not want to leave that space. We all have had experiences that we want to last forever and are hugely disappointed when they are over. However, commitment to any cause very often involves a long and painful journey. Like the disciples in the Gospel today, there is a ‘hook’ moment, when Jesus or any leader shows us something different, a vision, a dream, something that is so wonderful and hope-filled that we commit there and then to making it happen. Then we realise that there is much work to be done and the path will not be so easy. Obstacles will arise, people will fall away, enthusiasm will waver, there will be set backs and disappointments. We are being called to commitment today, to the more difficult path. We are being called to open our ears and eyes to the Gospel message of transfiguration, of transformation.

Per capita, Ireland is one of the highest polluters in Europe. This is not a statistic to be proud of. We know we can do better. Coming down from the mountain, like the disciples, means making changes in our lifestyles that lower each of our carbon footprints. We start with ourselves.

 “We require a new and universal solidarity… All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own cultures, experience, involvements and talents.’ (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 14)

First Sunday of Lent 2016

14^th February 2016 ~ Luke 4:1-13 “Trust the wilderness”

The temptations are not just an embarrassing episode in the life of Jesus but are an integral part of his mission. Jesus is tempted to eat when he is not supposed to eat, to take the easy route of power through exploitation, when that is not His way. Ultimately, God is in control here; this wilderness is ‘Spirit’ led. And so it is for us. When it comes down to it, each of the temptations are about the same thing, our ability to trust in God. This should not direct us towards complacency but to listening.

We listen to God’s Word and this year’s Trocaire campaign is urging us to listen to what God is saying through the Book of Creation; to trust in those signals and signs. Listening to the story of Teresina this year, we hear of an effect of climate change that is often overlooked: a family forced apart because of dry land. This past year we have seen large movements of refugees around the world. We know that the next generation of refugees will be climate refugees. It does not have to be this way. As we enter the ‘wilderness’ of Lent, let us spend time with the temptations in the Gospel today and hear the call to ‘trust’. Trust what God is trying to tell us through the Book of Creation. It is in the wasteland that we find the signs of God’s renewal.

‘I urgently appeal for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all’. Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 1, 14

February 7th Reflection 2016

7^th February Luke 5:1-11 “Put out into the deep”

Jesus is preaching at Lake Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee) in today’s Gospel. This is Luke’s account of the calling of the First Disciples which takes place in the context of a miraculous catch of fish. Jesus is using Simon’s boat as a sort of platform from which to address the crowds who had gathered around him. Already Jesus is gaining popularity and the crowds are ‘pressing’ near to him. Clearly they see something in Jesus that is attractive and fulfilling.

Simon is most likely being polite when he agrees to try again for a catch, possibly thinking that Jesus should leave the fishing to the professionals. Simon obeys, takes the risk, lets go of his pride, and the result is an overwhelming catch of fish. It can be hard to trust others at times; it can be difficult to let go of what is familiar to us. We are constantly being challenged to do this. The big challenge is to trust that God knows what God is doing and is constantly urging us to pull away from the shore.

“A boat is safe in the harbour; but this is not the purpose of a boat” ~ Paulo Coelho