GOD’S WORD

FEBRUARY 06 5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

CALLED AND CHOSEN

The scene in today's Gospel takes place on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret. This is one of three or four names for the large lake in Galilee, some 500 feet below sea level. It was an important part of the economic life of Galilee. It supported a thriving fishing industry from the little harbours around its edge. It figures much in the story of Jesus. His first followers included people who made their living from it, like his fishermen disciples and Mary Magdalene, from Magdala, one of the small lakeside towns.

The first part of the Gospel describes how Jesus got into a boat the better to be seen by the crowd and also perhaps to use the natural amplification of the water to carry his voice.

The second and most important part is the story of the call of the first disciples. The opening of this part of the story might suggest that Jesus is about to reward Simon for the loan of his boat as a pulpit. As an experienced fisherman, Simon probably smiled at what he thought was a well-meaning gesture from a man with little fishing experience. The fishermen of the lake preferred to fish during the dark. The previous night had brought in nothing, as he tells the preacher. Not wishing to offend his good intentions, Peter declares himself willing to lower the nets. To his surprise, the nets begin to bulge with so many fish that they are close to breaking point. They signal to their partners in the other boat to come and help them save the precious catch. So wondrous is the catch that even the two boats cannot hold it without running the risk of sinking.

Simon's response is to recognise that there is something holy about this teacher. He falls to his knees and confesses that he is "a sinful man." So far, we have no experience of how he could be a sinful man. Later events, such as his denial on the eve of Jesus' passion that he knows him, will undoubtedly confirm Simon to be a weak man. Jesus responds, "Do not be afraid." This isn't intended simply to restore Simon's self-confidence. There are echoes here of the stories of the call of Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament. As each is called, he recognises how unfit he is for the task but is reassured by a sign from God. In Simon's case, the sign came first, but it is only now he is made aware of what it means when Jesus tells him that he is to become a catcher, not of fish, but of human beings.

Peter and his companions James and John (and probably Andrew, Simon's brother) become the first disciples, leaving "everything" to follow him.

Today’s Readings

Is 6:1-8; Ps 137; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11

FEBRUARY 13 6TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

HAPPY ATTITUDES

In the Old Testament, Moses came down a mountain to announce God's word – the ten commandments – to his people. In today's Gospel, Jesus also descends a mountain to announce his word to his disciples and the assembled crowd. He preaches the beatitudes and woes. (Luke's account of the beatitudes is different to Matthew's. In Matthew's Gospel, there are nine beatitudes. Luke has only four beatitudes but also includes four woes.)

For anyone who is poor, hungry, who weeps, or is hated, Jesus has comforting words. He calls these people blessed. But he has harsh words of warning for those who are rich, full, laugh, or are honoured. Woe to you, he tells them.

Jesus' words can seem puzzling and harsh. They turn our commonly accepted notion of what is good and bad upside down. Jesus seems to be saying that it is a good thing to be poor, hungry, weeping and hurt. And that it's a bad thing to be rich, well-fed, able to laugh or be spoken well of.

But this is not what he is saying. Jesus is not lauding poverty, or hunger or hurt as something to be desired in themselves. They should be avoided, if at all possible. Nor is Jesus condemning a social class. As he knows only too well, virtues and vices do not belong to any particular group.

Jesus' beatitudes are addressed to his disciples, to those involved in building God's kingdom. And they are words of consolation and promise. Jesus knows that things will not be easy for them. They will suffer for preaching the Gospel. They will face rejection, betrayal, hurt, and tears. But the promise is of better things to come. Jesus is assuring his disciples that a life dedicated to God will bring difficulties and hardships but that God will overcome them. So long as they remain faithful, their weeping will turn to laughter, and they will be blessed.

Today’s Readings

Jr 17:5-8; Ps 1; 1 Cor 15:12.16-20; Lk 6:17.20-26

FEBRUARY 20 7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

THE GOLDEN RULE

Last Sunday, we began Luke's version of Jesus' great sermon, called 'the Sermon on the Plain.' Today and next Sunday, we will continue reading from it. While it has much in common with Matthew's 'Sermon on the Mount,' it is only about onequarter of its length (33 verses compared to Matthew's 112 verses).

There are two major but closely related themes in today's Gospel. The first is a teaching on love of enemies and the second is a call to imitate the compassion of God the Father. The first section is marked off by a repetition of the command to "love your enemies … and do good." Repetition is a way of highlighting the key idea of a text. In between, the details of how Christians can love their enemies are spelt out in concrete terms.

Jesus gives four practical examples of love of enemy. The first is how to respond to verbal abuse. If someone calls down a curse on a disciple of Jesus, they should not meet it with another curse but with a blessing, perhaps even with a word of praise. When they are poorly treated, they should respond by praying for those who mistreat them. The examples now consider physical ill-treatment: if someone strikes you on the cheek, do not retaliate but turn the other cheek.

The third area in which Christians must practise forgiveness is in relation to property. Jesus begins with a basic example – the theft of one's clothes. In Jesus' time, clothing was relatively simple. Underwear consisted of a strip of fabric used as a loincloth. Over this was worn a light garment, like a long tunic or shirt, tied at the waist with a belt or sash so that the loose ends could be tucked up when at work. In cold weather or when travelling, a heavier woollen cloak was worn which could double as a blanket. If a robber demanded the cloak, the disciple was not to fight to retain it but offer even the tunic as well. The fourth example has to do with borrowing and lending. Disciples are to give to anyone who asks and not to expect the return of stolen property.

At this point, we hear what has been called 'the Golden Rule' – treat others as you would like them to treat you. This teaching is not exclusive to Christianity. Rabbis, even before Jesus' time, taught a version of it. It was known to religious teachers in China and India and to philosophers in Greece and elsewhere. It is probably the highest pinnacle of human wisdom, and its common sense cannot be doubted.

But Jesus' teaching goes a step beyond it. The call is not so much to treat people in the way you expect to be treated but to reach into the utter compassion of God for his creation and to imitate that.

Today’s Readings

1 Sam 26:2.7-9.12-13.22-23; Ps 102; 1 Cor 15:45-49; Lk 6:27-38

FEBRUARY 27 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A SOUND HEART

Today's Gospel contains a series of one-liners – very brief sayings of Jesus. Depending on how we count them, there are about six or seven short sayings that can be divided into two sets. The first is about right seeing. It begins with a short parable of one blind person leading another. Unable to see a deep pit in their path, both will fall into it. In the same way, a student who parts company with her teacher too early will make mistakes that a little more humility and time devoted to learning might have prevented her from making.

The third parable is about someone who notices that his companion has a splinter in his eye but fails to recognise that there is a whole plank in his own eye.

The second set of sayings is about the need for wholeness if we are to produce good fruit. Only a fool would go looking for figs on a thorn bush or for grapes on thistles. All of this points towards the theme of the good heart. In the Bible, the heart is not just an organ for pumping blood. It is the source of wisdom and of right intentions. If the heart is sound, then its soundness will be manifest in good deeds. The opposite is equally true: if the heart is evil, it will exercise an evil influence on the rest of a person's life.

Today’s Readings

SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 9 ACROSS: 1. Bishop, 5. Recant, 10. Abraham, 11. Brahman, 12. Ajar, 13. Jacob, 15. Abel, 17. Sly, 19. Absorb, 21. Tabard, 22. Retreat, 23. Nimrod, 25. Geiger, 28. Ice, 30. Wage, 31. Bosch, 32. Agog, 35. Succubi, 36. Eritrea, 37. Alcove, 38. Ailing. DOWN: 2. Inroads, 3. Ha-ha, 4. Pampas, 5. Rob Roy, 6. Cram, 7. Namibia, 8. Mañana, 9. Angled, 14. Clerics, 16. Error, 18. Eaten, 20. Bed, 21. Tag, 23. Newest, 24. Magical, 26. Gagarin, 27. Ragtag, 28. Iodine, 29. Eczema, 33. Juno, 34. Mill. Winner of Crossword No. 9 Mary Warde, Tuam, Co. Galway.

ACROSS

1. Site of an ancient colossus. (6) 5. Colourful birds of the parrot family. (6) 10. Biblical city with problematic walls. (7) 11. A state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts. (7) 12. A list that shows who must do a certain job. (4) 13. Old Irish alphabet. (5) 15. A small piece of something removed in the course of chopping or breaking. (4) 17. Vegetable often confused with a sweet potato. (3) 19. Plundered a city and fired an employed. (6) 21. A small wave on the surface of a liquid. (6) 22. Another name for Jesus Christ. (7) 23. An official language of Israel. (6) 25. Cowboy of the South American pampas. (6) 28. Appraise the animal doc. (3) 30. The second letter of the Greek alphabet. (4) 31. One of the Great Lakes between the U.S. and Canada. (5) 32. He sold his birthright for stew! (4) 35. Provoking a person playfully. (7) 36. She left only Hope in the box. (7) 37. A line connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure. (6) 38. Am expression of sharp disapproval or criticism. (6)

DOWN

2. A person who publicly dissents from the officially accepted dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. (7) 3. Device for charging mobile phones or laptops. (4) 4. Heavy, dull or uninteresting food. (6) 5. She danced and sang after the Pharaoh's army was drowned. (6) 6. A natural underground chamber. (4) 7. Vessel intended for combat. (7) 8. Long, deep, narrow inlets of the sea between high cliffs. (6) 9. A building for religious practice. (6) 14. Pet with ever-growing front teeth! (7) 16. The only republic in the Arab peninsula. (5) 18. A fight against the enemies of Islam. (5) 20. Water droplets of the morning. (3) 21. Low quality newspaper and an old cloth. (3) 23. Recurrent, often unconscious patterns of behaviour. (6) 24. Delivers to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty. (7) 26. Full-length garment worn by certain Christian clergy. (7) 27. Of or relating to the eye. (6) 28. Not having or showing good manners. (6) 29. Lethargy, a state of physical or mental inactivity. (6) 33. Arm, leg or large branch. (4) 34. Treat someone as if they are not there. (4)

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