18/09/2024

Would that St Paul's first letter to the Corinthians  been read and acted upon by the Jews who occupied what we now call Israel 80 odd years ago. Would that the Christian Germans had acted truly to the teaching of the Lord 100 years ago. Would that I had always acted according to the treasure of faith often buried under the shield that sin fatuously builds to protect my selfishness from the unblinking gaze of God.

All moral outrage at the material greed of others has to remove the plank that is my own sinful-self before condemning others. Our Lord came not to condemn us but to reveal the way, the truth and the life, his salvation. His own people had been privileged for centuries but each new generation found new ways to break their covenant with IAMIAM. 

Jesus warned us of the pains we would suffer if we did harm to children; he even encouraged us to  turn to IAMFATHERSONHOLYSPIRIT with the trusting faith that a child has in his Father. But he also condemns in today's Gospel the childishness of his generation of Israelis who still cannot maintain consistency in their response to the Prophets.

The Apostles preached the Resurrection and made it crystal clear that the Son of God had sealed for ever God's revelation of himself to humanity by the only acceptable Sacrifice to permanently eradicate sin from our beings. Each individual in all subsequent generations has the responsibility to live the life revealed by the way and the truth, we have to strive to keep God's Love alive in our hearts. 

There is nothing evil in our world that does not come from the individual wills acting alone or in a joint-enterprise (millions of us) of the only being which has been created as the "image and likeness" of he who taught us that the only way to live righteously is to never put our self before our neighbour. We have to become the caring family founded on Calvary.

We have to know that "God's unblinking gaze" is that of the Love that "passeth all understanding" and will always carry the lost sheep back to the fold; we have to do more than just wait for the Spirit to move us but actively seek out ways to keep ourselves free from the contamination that is Mammon, the triviality of the kingdom condemned and yet the abode that is saved by the Cross of Jesus. 

Dear Lord, Come again to save us from ourselves as we are still finding new ways to kill each other and in no way living the life of Love for others as you showed us how. The Covenants were replaced by your Sacraments created out of your human death on Calvary. Let the Church of Peter pull itself out of the things of this world and unite itself with Church of Love that is the Communion of Saints founded as a New Holy Family and also present  although hidden by lace, aesthetics and wealth, in the hearts of some institutional clergy. I remember that St Paul was a Pharisee. I can only be myself in this generation and know that all the "good" about my life comes from you whom I have in my sins oftentimes ignored and defied. May I retain the Grace freely given to me and may your loving mercy be channeled through the Prayers of Mary and all the saints to all sinners on Earth and in Purgatory. Amen.