When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples,
This gospel passage for this Twenty-fourth Sunday, contains two of the most important questions we may ever be ask to answer. We might characterize them in this way; Few questions receive more attention than questions about religion. What people say about religion can vary greatly:
In the gospels, we see Jesus very much engaged in the religion questions of the day, but his purpose is to get to the deeper question, the question of faith, for it is what you believe that shapes the way you conduct your life. It is one thing to form theories and have opinions about religion, it is quite another to embrace with certainty what you are convinced is true. St. Paul made it quite clear when he said, that if it is not a certain fact that Jesus has been raised from the dead, our whole faith structure collapses into nothing. (1Cor. 15:14) It is the official position of our liberal, democratic society not to have a definitive answer to the questions of religion. As long as we do not impose our beliefs on others, or deny them their rights granted them by law, we can practice what ever religious beliefs we have. It is our country's guarantee of religious freedom under the law. So question one asks, "... what are people saying about ...?"
The fact that in this county we have the freedom of religious belief and practice, which we respect, and see as a blessing, does not diminish the importance of the fundamental question: What do you believe - "who do you say I am?". And if your answer concerning Jesus is the same as Peter's, what is the state and condition of your "communion" in the Church that Jesus builds in the world? |
Voices is a resource for personal prayer and devotion from a Catholic perspective - especially for those beginning the practice of meditative prayer.
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Friday 13 September 2024
Twenty-fourth Sunday - 2024
Saturday 7 September 2024
Twenty-third Sunday - 2024
During this month of September the Second Reading in the Liturgy of the Word is taken from the Letter of St. James. James is referred to as James the Lesser; not a standard of importance but by the chronology of age, being the younger James, son of Alphaeus or Cleophas as mentioned in John. James was leader of the Church in Jerusalem and this letter is thought to have been written about AD 47. St. James wrote his Letter for the Jewish Christians outside Palestine, who, for the greater part, were poor and oppressed. St. James was moved to write his Letter as he witnessed that the first fervour of the Jewish Christians had grown cold, and a certain spirit of discouragement was developing amongst them. How appropriate for us to hear his words in our own time of declining fervour and faith in the Church. The Jewish Christians James is addressing had come into a beautiful new living faith through the gospel and the Gift of the Holy Spirit – some may have even heard or witnessed Jesus before his death on the Cross. Ignored at first by the people among whom they lived, now they were experiencing backlash, rejection, even persecution. Their social condition was becoming even worse than before they embraced the faith. Our challenges to the Faith today are also rooted in the cultural influence that surround us – the secularism of society – the injustice that divides people – the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Let us look for a moment at some of St. James’ words we will here in the next few Sundays. In chapter one, – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” In chapter two, as we heard today - “Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?” Again in chapter two, next Sunday, one of James’ most powerful lessons – “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Then, the following week from chapter three – “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Lastly in chapter five – “Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;” James does not hold back in his use of strong language, because of the urgency of his message. We need to hear the same kind of uncompromising straight talk today, lest we be swallowed up by the chaos around us. Our faith in Jesus is a treasure beyond price. Let nothing rob you of it. |
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