‘Before you offer your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled ‘.
These words of Jesus from St Matthews’s gospel remind us that the forgiveness of sins lies at the heart of the Christian faith.
And so, as always, the mass began today with Fr John inviting us to open our hearts and minds, and bring before God the ways in which we have failed him, our neighbour, and ourselves. In the context of the Mass, acknowledging our failings before God can be a difficult and perhaps even painful experience. But doing it privately, and kneeling beside a priest and spelling out our failings in a personal confession can be even more daunting.
When I was in my teens, as well as the general confession during the Mass, it was normal practice to make your personal confession to a priest at Christmas and Easter. I used to dread it, and found the whole experience almost as bad as going to the dentist. To help in this daunting task, the prayer book that we were given at our confirmation contained a chapter on the Sacrament of Penance, which began with these words;
‘The sacrament of penance, and reconciliation, is a sacrament in which we are sorry for our sins, confess them to a priest, receive forgiveness for them, and are reconciled with God ‘.
To help with drawing up a list of wrongdoings, the prayer book also included a list of examples of all sorts of sins. I found the process of self-examination rather like reading a medical book where you think you have all the symptoms of the diseases you are reading about! In Going through the list of potential failings it seemed as though to some extent almost everything applied to me. Here are a few examples;
- Have I been ungenerous in almsgiving? How much was I expected to give out of my pocket money to help the work of the church.
- Have I failed to help those in need? I enjoyed helping people whenever I could, but could I do more?
- Have I been eager for the praise of men. We all need a pat on the back from time to time, is that so wrong?
And so the list went on. To make matters worse it not only included wrongdoings but also sins of omission; things one had failed to do. In spite of the difficulties I found the process of self-examination a real learning experience. To receive God’s forgiveness even at the fairly tender age of 15 was an amazing experience.
As with all things in life we need a sense of proportion. It’s easy to get carried with our failings as Christians and end up with a lot of negative feelings about ourselves, which is not Gods intention at all. At our parish retreat a few years ago the priest leading the retreat made this point very simply with these words;
‘God is not looking at us, and keeping a record of our past failings. Rather he looks at us as we are, and sees, with his help, what we could be.’
So, as we strive to live our lives as followers of Jesus, often in difficult and trying circumstances, we will face all sorts of obstacles, and challenges.
In today’s gospel reading St Luke tells the story of Jesus being invited to a banquet
by the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders. Some of Jesus teaching and his actions seemed to them to go against the law of the Old Testament, and all that it, and they, stood for. There are many accounts in the gospels of the Pharisees asking Jesus awkward questions, and trying to catch him out. But there also passages in the gospels that show that some of the Pharisees admired him. Nicodemus was one, who St John tells us came to see Jesus at night, and said to him,
‘Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him’.
And so in today’s gospel reading Jesus finds himself at a banquet with the Pharisees who while keeping a careful eye on him, are jostling one another to get the most prominent positions at the table. Amidst all the hustle and bustle Jesus quietly observes their actions, and when they are seated he tells them the parable, pointing out the error of their ways. Jesus and the Pharisees have scrutinized each other, but there are two ways of looking – at the outward and superficial, or at the inward and true. Their pride, vanity, and feeling of superiority will count for nothing in Gods kingdom. We, like them can take honour for ourselves, or we can receive it as a gift, which requires patient waiting. The idea that God sees the real person, and is not taken in by pride, and outward appearances is just as much a challenge in our image-dominated era as it was to the 2000 years ago.
There is also another lesson to be learned by the Pharisees. By inviting those to the banquet who are able to return the gesture they are not really giving. It is those in need who are unable to repay the gesture that needs their generosity.
The first reading from the letter to the Hebrews reflects the same theme, that is our loving response to others especially those in need.
As followers of our Lord we are called to do likewise, but giving freely of ourselves is not always easy. It involves giving our time and resources, and giving of ourselves, our love for one another.
Now there are those who have taken Jesus teaching about giving to those in need to such an extent that they have changed the lives of countless people and been an inspiration to many others around the world. One such person is Mother Theresa. She was born in 1910 in a small town in Albania, and was the youngest of three children. Her father was a shopkeeper, and they lived in a large house with a big garden. Her parents were very caring and never turned anyone away who needed help. When Mother Theresa recalled her childhood she said, ‘We were a united and very happy family’. There is no doubt that her childhood experiences influenced the rest of her life, and she eventually became a nun living in one of the poorest areas of India. She was not rich or glamorous, yet royalty and world leaders enjoyed visiting her, and were proud to receive visits from her.
Two weeks ago, Brian our organist sent me a tribute to Mother Theresa via e-mail. Here are just two quotations from it that get to the heart of helping those in need;
‘Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat’.
‘Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So spread your love everywhere you go’.
If you would like to read these and other inspiring quotations from Mother Theresa you will find the tribute to her is on the display board at the side.
Having thought about the meaning behind today’s readings it would seem that the list of sins in my confirmation prayer book, the things that can separate us from God was right after all.
Living our lives as God intended can be difficult and sometimes almost impossible. But God understands our difficulties, and our need for forgiveness, which is why he sent his only son into the world. Through his life on earth recorded in the gospels, Jesus not only points us to Gods way, he also shows us through his actions. It is that fact that gives his words authority and meaning, and the power to direct our lives. Through his death and resurrection our sins are forgiven and we receive the hope of eternal life. But the story doesn’t end there. The newfound freedom that Gods forgiveness brings is only part of his plan for us. Because of this we are free to move on, free to change, free to grow, to become like him. To be called to be a follower of our Lord means to become like him, and responding to his teaching and example in our lives day by day.
I would like to finish with these familiar words, which also come from the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12 – they encourage us and sum up our calling as Christians;
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, and let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfector of our faith’,
Readings; Jr 2.4-13; Psalm 81; Heb 13. 1-8, 15-16, Luke 14. 1, 7-14.
© John Milbank
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