Reversing the Curse of Babel (Pentecost)

Today we come to the high point of our Easter celebration, the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost, meaning "fifty days" after the Passover -- was the feast day in which the Jewish people celebrated the Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. On Mt Sinai the different tribes of Israel entered into covenant with God and with one another and so became the people of God. God gave them the Ten Commandments as a guide to show them how to be a people, because being people of God means relating to God and to one another in a way that God Himself has mapped out, not in the way that we think is right. Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a people, but in the end it leads to death." The beginning of wisdom, the beginning of true religion, therefore, is when we realize that as humans we are limited and shortsighted, and so we ask God to show us how to be the people of God that He has created us to be.

Whenever human beings forget how limited we are and try to take the initiative in our dealings with God, what inevitably follows is disaster. An example is the story of the Tower of Babel that we are told in Gen 11 where human beings decided to build a tower that would reach to heaven. In this way they would have access to God whenever they wanted, in this way they could manipulate God. But in the process of building the human bridge to heaven God came and confused their languages. They began to speak different languages, there was no more communication, no more understanding among them, and they could no longer work together. The result was the proliferation of languages and human misunderstanding.

Does the story of Babel remind you of the story we read today from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus speaking in other languages? Actually the two stories are related. But Pentecost is not a repeat of Babel, Pentecost is a reversal of Babel, and this for three reasons:

1. At Babel human beings decided to build a tower to God by their own effort; at Pentecost it is now God who decides to build a bridge to humans by sending the Holy Spirit. Babel was a human initiative, a human effort, Pentecost is a divine initiative, a divine activity through the Holy Spirit.

Imagine this: Jesus ascends to heaven and mandates the disciples to spread the Good News from Jerusalem to all Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. But the task is too much for them. How could these twelve, uneducated, rural fishermen from Galilee go out and address the learned world of Greek philosophers and Roman poets. Moreover even their fellow Jews are hostile to them. So what do they do? They go in and pray, and wait and pray, and wait -- for God's initiative. And as soon as God gives the sign of the Holy Spirit, there they go, all out on the streets boldly and fearlessly proclaiming the Good News.

What God asks of us as believers always seems impossible. And it is indeed impossible if we rely on our own initiatives and will power alone. But if, like the disciples, we realize that godliness is above us, and so commit ourselves to waiting daily on God in prayer, God will not be found wanting. At the opportune time God will send the flame of the Holy Spirit to invigorate us, and change us from lukewarm to zealous, fervent, enthusiastic believers.

2. Babel was a requiem of misunderstanding, Pentecost is a chorus of mutual understanding. The miracle of Pentecost is very different from the miracle of Babel. At Babel, the people came together with one language, understanding themselves. After God's intervention they dispersed no longer understanding each other. At Pentecost, on the other hand, people of different ethnic backgrounds (Persians, Asians, Romans, Egyptians, Libyans, Arabs, etc) came together unable to communicate, but after the miracle of Pentecost, they said, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that we hear them, each of us in our own language?" (Acts 2:7-8).

In order words, as Peter, for example, spoke everyone from all the different language groups gathered there would hear Peter speaking in their own language. The miracle of Pentecost was a miracle of mutual understanding, a restoration of that precious gift that humanity lost at Babel. Now, someone might ask, is there such a language that one could speak and everybody would understand in their own mother tongue? The answer is yes. Ant the name of that language is LOVE. Love is the language that all women and men understand irrespective of ethnic background. Everybody understands when you smile. Love is the language of the children of God, the only language we shall speak in heaven.

3. Finally, Pentecost differs from Babel in its result. Babel resulted in the disintegration of the human family into different races and nationalities. Pentecost, on the other hand, brings all peoples together and reunifies them under one universal family. This universal family embracing all races and nationalities is called church. "Catholic" means "universal". On Pentecost we celebrate the birthday of the Church. Today is, therefore, an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to be active and faithful members of this family of God we call Church.

Fulton J. Sheen once said about the church that even though we are God's chosen people, we often behave more like God's frozen people. God's frozen people indeed: frozen in our prayer life, frozen in the way we relate with one another, frozen in the way we celebrate our faith. We don't seem to be happy to be in God's house; we are always in a hurry to get it over and done with as soon as possible. Today is a great day to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle in us the spirit of new life and enthusiasm, the fire of God's love.

HE ALWAYS THINKS OF US (7 SUNDAY OF EASTER)

The 1973 movie, Message to My Daughter, is the moving story of Miranda, a completely disoriented teenage girl who saw the world as “meaningless, cruel and stupid.” Miranda did not know her mother. She died when Miranda was only two years old. Miranda felt unloved and was incapable of loving anyone. Then she discovered some tapes on which her dying mother had recorded a “message” for her. As she listened to the words of her long-dead mother, she realized that she was not the unloved child she thought she was. Her mother had thought of her and had loved her very tenderly. This discovery brought about in her a complete change in the way she saw herself and the world around her. She was finally able to acceptance herself and put her life together again.

When we read the gospels and the promises of Jesus to his disciples, do we not sometimes wonder whether Jesus actually thought of us, or whether he only had in mind his disciples who were right there before him. Today’s gospel passage is unique in the sense that this is the only place in the gospels where we get the assurance that Jesus thought not only of his immediate disciples but of us as well. The rendering of John 17:20 in the International Children’s Bible brings out more clearly the point we are making: “I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people who will believe in me because of the teaching of these men.”

It makes a lot of difference for us to know that Jesus thought of us, that he had us in mind as he died and gave his life for the salvation of the world, that he actually prayed for us. We know that God always hears the prayer of Jesus. So, if Jesus prayed for us we would like to know what it was that he prayed for us about. What Jesus asked the Father in our behalf is basically one thing: unity.

Father, I pray that all people who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me (John 17:21 ICB).

Jesus’ prayer for Christian unity is much more relevant to the church in the modern world than it was to the church of the early Christians. The church of the early Christians knew nothing about the great walls of division separating Christians from Christians today. The fragmentation of the Christian church in our time has been described as a scandal to the world. How can Christians preach love and forgiveness to the world when they cannot love and forgive one another? How can Christians preach reconciliation and peace in the world when they cannot be reconciled and live in peace with one another? Lack of unity among Christians remains one of the greatest obstacles in the way of Christian witnessing to an unbelieving world. No wonder Jesus prayed that we all may be one “so that the world will believe.”

Jesus went on to say, “I have given these people the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, the same as you and I are one” (John 17:22 ICB). In other words, Jesus has bequeathed glory to the church. But this glory can only manifest itself when the unity among Christians reflects the unity between Jesus and the Father. Lack of unity takes away from the glory which Jesus intended for the body of believers.

Finally Jesus prayed for us so that the love with which the Father has loved him may be in us (verse 26). The unity for which Jesus prayed is a unity based on divine love. It is a unity that is possible only with the love of God in us. It is not a unity based on human wisdom, on power or on diplomacy. It is not a unity of uniformity or a unity which deprives others of their individuality but a unity in the essentials, that makes room for diversity. The famous saying that goes back to St Augustine is a good guide for the church as it works it way slowly toward the unity for which Jesus prayed: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty; in all things, charity.”

As we wait and pray for a rekindling of the fire of divine love in the hearts of the faithful at Pentecost, let us all resolve, in our own little ways, to work for the realisation of the full unity of all Christians for which Jesus prayed. And the best way to work for this unity is to live in the love of God and our neighbour.

CHRIST THE ETERNAL PRIEST ENTERS HEAVEN (ASCENSION DAY)

In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little girl, Mary, who needed a blood transfusion. Her little brother, Johnny, had suffered from the same disease that she had and had recovered two years earlier. Since her best chance of recovery was a transfusion from someone who had recovered from the disease, her little brother was identified as the ideal donor. "Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister." Soon the two kids were wheeled into the hospital room. Neither of them spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. Johnny watched his blood flow through the tube. When the ordeal was over, Johnny's shaky voice broke the silence. "Doctor, when do I die?" It was only then that the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. When he agreed to give the blood, Johnny had agreed to die so that his sister would live. Fortunately, Johnny did not have to die to save his sister. Blood was a crucial commodity in the temple worship in Jerusalem. Much of the work of the priests involved slaughtering animals and shedding their blood to make atonement for sin, and sprinkling the people with blood to cleanse them from guilt. The reason for this was because, as the author of Hebrews explains, "Under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The most important institution in the covenant relationship of the Jewish people with God was not the king who ruled in God's name, or the prophet who spoke the word of God, but the priest who offered the sacrifice of blood that took away the sins of the people and restored them to God's favour. In the people's dealings with God, the priest was seen as the number one mediator, since "Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1)." Jesus did not identify himself as a priest or describe the role of his disciples as that of priesthood. The earliest Christians still worshiped in the temple and benefitted from the ministry of temple priests. When the temple was destroyed in 70 a.d. and the people had no more sacrifice, Jewish Christians began to understand that the sacrifice of animals in the temple was no longer necessary because Jesus has made once-and-for-all the only sacrifice of blood that pleased God. By the time Hebrews was written, Jewish Christians had come to see Jesus as the priest par excellence. Compared to the priesthood of Jesus, the priesthood of the temple was only a shadow. The ascension of Christ into heaven where he sits at God's right hand making intercession for God's people is compared to the temple priest going up the steps into the sanctuary (the holy place) to offer sacrifice. But the sacrifice of Christ in infinitely superior. Today's 2nd reading shows us three ways in which Christ's sacrifice is superior to that of the temple priest. Firstly, unlike the case of the temple priesthood, "Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf"(9:24). Secondly, the temple sacrifice was limited in its effect, hence it was offered constantly year after year. Christ's sacrifice was once and for all (verses 25- 26). Finally, the temple priest offered the blood of lambs, but Christ has offered "the sacrifice of himself"(verse 26). The blood of the Son of God is infinitely more powerful than the blood of lambs to take away our sins and cleanse us in such a way that we appear unblemished in God's sight. As today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, let us not mourn the disappearance of Christ. Let us rather celebrate his going up into the eternal holy place, God's very presence, to make atonement for us. "And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful"(10:21-23).

  

The gift we want is enclosed in the package we need (Sixth Sunday of Easter)

Pepe, a young man and only son from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give their graduating child an automobile. Pepe and his Daddy had spent months looking at cars, and at last a week before the graduation, they found one that Pepe liked so much, and the Dad promised to buy him the car.

On the day of the graduation, Pepe was expecting to receive a car key from the father but instead, he handed him a Bible wrapped in a beautiful souvenir paper The young man was so angry that he threw the Bible down, spat on it and broke a couple of glasses as stormed out of the house in sadness. He never wanted to see the Dad again. But it was the news of his father's death that brought him home.

As he sat one night going through his father's possessions that he was to inherit, he came across the Bible his father had given him on his day of graduation. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier's check, dated the day of his graduation – it has the exact amount of the car the Dad promised to give him as graduation gift. Pepe was stunned and sat there with his mind shattered. His father had kept his promise but had it enclosed in the Word of God. By doing this, he wanted his son to know that more beautiful things and great blessings will come his way if he pays more attention to the Word of God. Besides, if we realize what we need, we shall find what we want. Pepe needs God in order not just to have a car he likes but to live the kind of live he needs – life more meaningful, happy and fulfilled..

We are already at the sixth Sunday of Easter and a few days away from the Ascension of Christ into Heaven. In his farewell address, he made us a promise like Pepe’s father did, “…The Advocate/Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you.” God gives us what we want in life but encloses it in what we need; we only have to be a little bit more matured and patience to discover it. We may be eloquent preachers, we may have beautiful cathedrals/Churches, we may have wonderful youth and adult program in our parish community; we may also have wonderful jobs, the marriage partner of our choice, and we may have the children we desire. Probably we may have been ordained as priests by the Pope surrounded by many cardinals and archbishops, or it was the Papal Nuncio that presided at our first and final professions as religious women and men. All these are like the gift on the day of our graduation but enclosed in the Word of God, which gives meaning and greatest value to whoever we are, and whatever we have and do. Like an 18 years old person (especially here in Europe and in America) is expected to start looking after him/herself, so Jesus Christ is preparing to ascend to heaven that we may take more responsibility to continue his mission of creating a better world, healthy families and ennobling environment for peace and progress in a world divided by war and violence of all kinds. He promises to be with us always even when we do not see him face to face; he lives in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the courage and enthusiasm that keep us going even in the most difficult situations in our lives. He is the source of consolation in time of sorrow, our reason for joy in the midst of suffering, our point of unity in place of division, and our desire to love even people we don’t really know. He is that fire that burns within us and make us accept enormous challenges and sacrifices for the good of others.

There are important signs of the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit in the readings of today. The first is that he makes understand that the practice of faith is not meant to be a heavy burden on people and that religion is not supposed to bring disunity, acrimony, jealousy and fear. Hence in the Gospel Jesus noted that The Holy Spirit – The Advocate, will instruct us (when we gather as a Church) in everything, and remind us what he teaches us about forgiveness, love, unity, service, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, faith, humility, judging others by our personal standards, mercy, generosity and hospitality. Secondly, we see the early Church resolve the strife or dispute that started in a local Christian Community. They sought the direction of the Holy Spirit. They first gathered in deep prayer after which they allowed everyone to speak freely as the Spirit directs. They say, “the decision of the Holy Spirit and ours too.” Thirdly, John describes how he was carried by the same spirit to see the grandeur and resplendence of God in creation. Why do we have many Christian Churches, each claiming to have, I guess, the same Holy Spirit, but yet contradictory answers to the same question? Such things happen when individuals claim to have the presence of the Holy Spirit more than the Community of Believers. Our prayer today should be “May the face of God shine on us so that all nations may know his saving power and praise him in their language, using whatever cultural symbols they may have.”

FITH SUNDAY OF EASTER : LOVE, THE IDENTITY OF CHRISTIANS

The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore once lost his passport while travelling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skilfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His action confirmed his identity.

Christians have always had the problem of how to tell the world who they are. At some periods in history and still in some places in the world, uniforms have played a very important role in announcing our identity to the world. Think of the various uniforms of the various Christian societies of consecrated life, which distinguish consecrated people not only from ordinary Christians but also from one another according to their institutes. In the African Independent churches members usually wear uniforms to distinguish them from non-members. This usually takes the form of white flowing gowns, with headgear and sashes of different colours distinguishing members according to their various ranks. In the mainline churches, however, the use of uniforms or habits has become less popular. In these churches the words of Shakespeare in Measure for Measure, "Cucullus non facit monachum (the hood does not make a monk)" have been taken more seriously.

The quest for uniforms, habits, badges, banners and pinups designed to distinguish believers from non-believers does indeed have its place in the celebration of who are. We are symbolic beings who need to express our faith in symbolic ways. Jesus himself wrestled with the question of how to distinguish his followers from the non-believers around them. But his prescription goes much farther than external habits and uniforms. For Jesus the essential mark of distinction between Christians and non-Christians is not in the way we dress but in the way we live.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-5).

Love is the Christian identity. Love is the Christian uniform. Love is the Christian habit. If you are wearing the habit of love, you are in. If you are not wearing love as a habit, you are out.

Jesus wants the world to recognize us as Christians. We need to evangelize and witness to people around us. But effective evangelisation and witnessing has less to do with how fluently we speak and more to do with how faithfully we live. In the evangelisation of Africa, many missionary groups came early and focused on making converts. Others came later but focused on service to the people, providing needed medicare and integral education. These latter groups succeeded where the former groups failed. Words are only a small part of our witnessing for Christ. As St Francis of Assisi told his friars, "Preach the gospel at all times and use words if necessary."

The great Mahatma Gandhi was asked about his view of Christianity. What he said could show us what probably is keeping two-thirds of the world away from the Good News of Christianity:

I have a great respect for Christianity. I often read the Sermon on the Mount and have gained much from it. I know of no one who has done more for humanity than Jesus. In fact, there is nothing wrong with Christianity, but the trouble is with you Christians. You do not begin to live up to your own teachings.

The greatest homage we can pay to the Christian faith is to live in such a way that through us people begin to have a glimpse of the unbounded and unconditional love that God has shown us in Christ.

VOCATION SUNDAY

Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God’s call and to pray for vocations.  When I was studying philosophy in Nigeria, I was assigned to work with the Vocation Director of our congregation. I was once asked to give a conference to some young men who were aspiring to join the congregation. In the conference, I decided to sample their opinion on why they wanted to join us. One was very frank with me; he said ‘I normally perceive the aroma of chicken from your kitchen each time I visit, so I was moved to join you people.’’ It was funny though but that was what made him feel called to religious life. This young man was admitted, and he is doing so well. We all have our vocation histories and stories. To help us reflect on the meaning of the priestly vocation, the church presents to us in today’s gospel the figure of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Last Sunday we saw Our Lord three times giving Peter the charge to “feed my sheep.” In that way he made Peter a shepherd, a pastor. Our Lord continued his work of shepherding his people through Peter and his co-workers: the apostles and disciples, and through their successors: the Pope, the bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, and committed lay people.

Peter was like the captain of a team; by entrusting the work of feeding his sheep to Peter, Jesus was entrusting it to us all. Today we see that this work which Jesus has confided to the church is in danger. In the past forty years many priest have left the priesthood, and vocation to the priesthood is now at an all time low. There are many contributing factors to this crisis but one of them, I believe, is a loss of understanding among the people of God of what the priesthood is supposed to be. That is why on a day like this we will do well to reflect on Jesus the Good Shepherd, because in him we see what a pastor, a shepherd, should be.

In biblical times there were two kinds of shepherds. There was the hired hand for whom keeping the sheep was just the available job. He could move from one flock to the other depending on the conditions of service, but he would not risk his life for them. Seeing the wolves or thieves coming he would flee for dear life and leave the flock at the mercy of the invaders. Jesus said that he is not that kind of shepherd.

Then there is the shepherd-owner of the flock who grows up with the flock and stays with the same flock all his life. He knows each and every sheep in the flock individually. He calls each one by name and could tell you the personal story of each of the sheep, when and where it were born, the problems it has had in life, its personal characteristics, etc. He gives personal attention to each and every one of the sheep. He knows which one is likely to lag behind after a long walk and he would go and carry that one in his arms. He knows which one was likely to stray from the flock and he would keep an eye on that one when they get to dangerous places. He knows which ones are pregnant and need a special kind of food. When attacked by wolves or thieves he would fight to the death to defend even one of his sheep. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

By the way, the expression "laying down one's life" comes from the fact that the sheep were kept in an enclosed space with only an opening for the sheep to go in and out. At night the shepherd usually lay down across the opening so that the sheep would not wander out and wolves would not get in. The good shepherd accepts personal inconveniences like this for the good of his sheep. If any got lost he would climb mountains and hills looking for it and calling out its name. And whether the lost sheep had fallen into a pit or was trapped in a bush of thorns, as soon as it heard the voice of its master it would bleat and the shepherd would go and rescue it.

By calling himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus shows the kind of leadership that should obtain in the community of his followers. It should be a leadership where each person is called by name. In today’s computerized society we are no longer called by name. We are known by numbers: your cheque book number, your driver's license number, your social security numbers, your credit card number. You are simply number so-and-so. But the Good Shepherd today reminds us that we must not allow that to happen in the church. Each one of us is a distinct personality, with a distinct history and a distinct set of abilities and needs. Like the Good Shepherd, we must show this personal touch in the way we relate to one another. This is the way God relates to us, this is the way priests and all church ministers, including parish secretaries, should relate to the people of God. When people begin to see that we are not just doing a job but a service to God and God’s people, then they will be able to see the meaning of Christian vocation and be more willing to join in this ministry. We pray today for all in pastoral ministry that they may display in their work the qualities of the good shepherd and not those of the hired hand, and we make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

LAUGH TO RELEASE TENSION

A man died and went to The Judgment. St. Peter met him at the Gates of Heaven
and said, "Before you meet with God, I thought I should tell you—we've looked at
your life, and you really didn't do anything particularly good or bad. We're not
at all sure what to do with you. Can you tell us anything you did that can help
us make a decision?"

The newly arrived soul thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah, once I was
driving along and came upon a woman who was being harassed by a group of bikers.
So I pulled over, got out my tire iron, and went up to the leader of the bikers.
He was a big, muscular, hairy guy with tattoos all over his body and a ring
pierced through his nose. Well, I tore the nose ring out of his nose, and told
him he and his gang had better stop bothering the woman or they would have to
deal with me!"

"I'm impressed," St. Peter responded. "When did this happen?"

"About two minutes ago," came the reply.


May the risen Lord abundantly shower his blessings on us.
May he bless us with peace, joy and health of mind and body.
May the glory of his resurrection illumine our faces and our lives.
May we be richly blessed this Eastertide and forevermore. Amen.