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Ascension 2024

Ascension Day is a time for celebration. However, we are not commemorating Jesus’ departure from the earth, but instead His return to God the Father. We celebrate Christ’s abiding presence with us, and also those things that He asks of us, and promises to us. It is a day of festivity and expectation, looking forward to the future in love and hope. 

Before Jesus returns to the Father, He makes the apostles a three-part promise: Firstly that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4), secondly that they will receive power, and thirdly they will be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Through this promise Christ is looking forward to Pentecost, and to the church’s future. To the time in which we live now.

One of the most important questions in the entire Bible is found in today’s Gospel: who do you say that Jesus is? How we answer this question can tell us a lot about our own faith. Who we say Jesus is matters. In fact it is central to who and what we are as Christians.

In the Gospel, Jesus and his disciples had ventured into the District of Caesarea Philippi, an area about 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This region had tremendous religious implications. The place was littered with the temples of Syrian gods. Caesarea Philippi was where Herod the Great, father of the then-ruling Herod Antipas, had erected an elaborate marble temple. Here you could even worship the Roman Emperor as a God himself. You might say that the religions of the known world were on display in this town. It was with this multi-religious background that Jesus chose to ask the most crucial question of his ministry.

Jesus asks his disciples, ‘But who do YOU say that I am?’ ‘A chwithau pwy meddwch chwi ydwyf fi?’ (Mt 16:15) Peter answers: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God’ ‘Ti yw’r Meseia, Mab y Duw byw’ (Mt 16:16). This is a big claim to make. Saying that Jesus is divine was problematic, as these words undermined both what Jews thought about religion, and also the claims made by Romans about the Emperor. To say that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Hope of Israel, who fulfils the promises in the Prophets is a very radical statement indeed.

Peter’s answer demonstrates his faith. He believes in Jesus, and trusts Him. Because of this, Our Lord makes him the principal disciple and gives him a primary role in leading and building the Church. Christ is looking towards the future where the disciples will carry on what He has started. They are charged with sharing the Good News, and offering forgiveness in Jesus’ name.

Our Lord ascends to Heaven forty days after the Resurrection, but Christ does not leave us. Instead He takes our humanity to be with God. This process began with the breaking open of the gates of Hell at Easter. Having conquered death itself, Jesus returns to the Father, taking us with Him. This is also a prelude to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. God is generous. He saves humanity. He opens Heaven to us. He promises us the Holy Spirit, to strengthen us as we live our lives of faith. 

If we truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, the Messiah — the anointed one who delivers us from our sins, who died, rose again, and who sends us His Holy Spirit — then this faith should have a profound effect on who we are and how we live our lives. This is why we have gathered here this evening to be nourished by Word and Sacrament. We have come together to pray for the world and for each other, and to be built up in love, as we await Our Lord’s Second Coming as Judge and Ruler of all.

Jesus makes promises which are true. We can trust Him, and like the apostles we can prepare for the Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in prayer, and joyful expectation. We know that we will never be abandoned, because we are always united with, and loved by the Triune God. United with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world we give praise to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever.

Dosso Dossi – The Ascension (Private Collection)

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Easter VI

CHRISTIANITY is a religion which has at its heart a number of paradoxes. The Good News of the Kingdom of God is both simple and straightforward. But it is also difficult and complex. The basic theory is simple: ‘Love God, and love your neighbour’ ‘Câr Duw a Châr dy gymydog’. However, when we try to do this, we find that the practice is a little more complicated than the theory.

The Gospel passage for today is all about love. According to St Thomas Aquinas, ‘Love is… willing the good of the other.’ ‘Mae cariad ewyllysio y Dda o’r eraill’ [(STh I-II, q.26 a.4, CCC 1766) Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut Philosophus dicit in II Rhetoric, amare est velle alicui bonum]. To love, then, is not simply an act of passion or emotion — something which we feel — but it is also something which we choose to do. As Christians, we want to see others flourish, and we work towards that end. Love takes effort.

Jesus’ teaching is clear:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

“Dyma fy ngorchymyn i: carwch eich gilydd fel y cerais i chwi. Nid oes gan neb gariad mwy na hyn, sef bod rhywun yn rhoi ei einioes dros ei gyfeillion.” (Jn 15:12-13)

Christians are called to love one another as Christ loves us. In other words we are to love, even to the point of laying down our lives for each other. This is pertinent  as we remember those who gave their lives during the Second World War, eighty years ago. At the heart of our faith is the Cross. This is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for us: God loves us so much that He dies for us, so that we might live in Him. The Cross is not the end, it leads to the Empty Tomb, and to the Triumph of Easter. Jesus dies to break the power of death, and to offer humanity eternal life with Him in Heaven. This is why we spend time in our celebration of Easter pondering the mystery of our redemption, entering ever deeper into the experience of God’s love for us.

When Our Lord speaks to His disciples, He speaks to us as well. He does not call us servants (weision), but friends (gyfeillion). To be a Christian is to be a friend of God and to enter into an intimate and loving relationship with the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe. God wants to be our friend. He wants to be united with us in a relationship characterised by love and generosity. 

We experience God’s love most fully in the Eucharist, where Christ continues to give Himself to, and for, us. Out of love, He continues to heal our wounds, to restore our relationship with God and each other, and gives us a foretaste of Heaven in the here and now. There is no other thing on earth as precious as this love. Nothing is more wondrous than this sign and token of God’s love for us. To dwell in Christ’s love is to be united with Him in physical and spiritual communion, so that God’s grace can transform us more and more into His likeness.

At this point in John’s Gospel Our Lord is in the Upper Room with His disciples. He has washed their feet and celebrated the Eucharist. Jesus has also talked about His Passion and Death in order to explain to His followers, including us, what He is about to do and why it matters. Christ is putting everything in place for there to be a Church to continue His work on Earth. This is why he addresses His disciples as follows:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

“Nid chwi a’m dewisodd i, ond myfi a’ch dewisodd chwi, a’ch penodi i fynd allan a dwyn ffrwyth, ffrwyth sy’n aros. Ac yna, fe rydd y Tad i chwi beth bynnag a ofynnwch ganddo yn fy enw i.” (Jn 15:16)

We did not choose Jesus. He chose us. The Church is a vine which bears fruit. This is how it has continued for two thousand years. The Good News of the Kingdom has been proclaimed, and, throughout the world, people have grown and been nurtured in their faith. We have had a relationship with Jesus, which unites us with all Christians through both space and time, making us brothers and sisters in Christ, part of a family. Because of this relationship, with our Creator and each other, we are able to ask things of God in prayer. God listens to our prayer, and is generous in granting our requests. He gives his only Son to die for us and to rise again so that we might be certain of eternal life in Him. 

Finally, Jesus reminds His disciples of the need to love one another:

“These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

“Dyma’r gorchymyn yr wyf yn ei roi i chwi: carwch eich gilydd.” (Jn 15:17)

Our Lord tells us what to do, so that we may bring about the will of God: that we love each other and flourish. God loves us, and wishes us to remain in a relationship with Him, and each other, that is characterised by generosity, and which takes as its model the Son of God, Our Risen Saviour. This conviction inspires the argument of the First Letter of John:

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

“Yn hyn y mae cariad: nid ein bod ni’n caru Duw, ond ei fod ef wedi ein caru ni, ac wedi anfon ei Fab i fod yn aberth cymod dros ein pechodau.” (1Jn 4:10)

Jesus, through His self-sacrifice, makes up for all that we have done wrong. He offers Himself — the Righteous for the unrighteous — to restore our relationship with God and with each other. Jesus reconciles God and humanity, bringing back together what sin has thrust apart. This is the heart of the Good News. As well as dying for us, Christ also rose again. Our Lord reunites God and humanity, by laying down His life for His friends, and also gives us the hope of Heaven. We cannot earn our way there, but the generous love of our Creator offers us the opportunity to be united with Him forever.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to celebrate Our Lord’s resurrection, may we rejoice in the abundance of divine generosity. May God’s grace transform us more and more into His likeness. Let us join with all our Christian brethren in rejoicing and singing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

James Tissot: The Last Sermon of Our Lord  (Brooklyn Museum)
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Easter V – The True Vine

I know that many of you gathered here this morning are keen gardeners. One of the main gardening tasks in winter is to prune those plants which need to be pruned. At one level it is easy to think that having planted and watered a plant, it can be left to do its own thing, However, in order to both maximise the number and quality of blooms of, for example your roses, as well as encouraging strong healthy growth, then pruning is a must. Cutting off part of a living plant sounds brutal, but in fact it helps that plant to grow and produce fruit and flowers. I shall return to the theme of pruning in a short while.

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we begin with a very human picture. The disciples of Jesus are afraid. They have good reason to be so. Saul was a sworn enemy of the Church, and he played a part in the martyrdom of the deacon Stephen. Could it be that Saul’s new-formed desire to join the disciples was just a trap? Then we see something wonderful: the power of a personal relationship. Barnabas vouches for Saul. The disciple explains both the former persecutor’s conversion on the road to Damascus, and his powerful preaching about how the risen Jesus had turned his life around. Later, when Saul tries to share his faith with fellow Jews they threaten to kill him. The disciples protect him and get him to the coast on a on a ship bound for his home town of Tarsus.  Having been afraid, the apostles have come to trust Saul as a fellow Christian. Their former enemy has become someone they now love, trust, accept, and care for. The situation can be summed up in the following verse:

‘So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.’

‘Yr oedd yr eglwys yn awr, drwy holl Jwdea a Galilea a Samaria, yn cael heddwch. Yr oedd yn cryfhau, a thrwy rodio yn ofn yr Arglwydd ac yn niddanwch yr Ysbryd Glân yn mynd ar gynnydd.’ (Acts 9:31)

Barnabas’ name means ‘Son of Consolation’, someone who acts like the Holy Spirit. Living up to his name, this disciple comforts the other disciples, strengthening their belief, and helping the Church to grow.

Barnabas puts his faith into action, and this is the advice given in our second reading from the First Letter of John:

‘let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.’

‘gadewch inni garu, nid ar air nac ar dafod ond mewn gweithred a gwirionedd’ (1Jn 3:18)

The Christian Faith is not something we just talk about, it is something which affects our lives and our actions. We are called to live out our beliefs, and thus become an example that people want to emulate. Our deeds as Christians are arguably the most effective witness we have.

In the Gospel, Jesus once again illustrates his teaching by using an image which would have been very familiar to His audience. Vines were common throughout the entire Mediterranean World, producing grapes which could be eaten or made into wine. Jesus uses the concept of Himself as the Vine, with the disciples as the branches. It is a powerful vision of what the Church is: people who are grafted onto and into Christ, connected to Him, and in a relationship with Him. We entered into that relationship in our baptism, and it is a relationship which will continue throughout, and after, our life on earth. 

When we were baptised, we were grafted onto the vine, which is Christ. It is His will that we, as Christians, bear much fruit. This means that we must live out our faith in our lives, so that it affects who and what we are, and all that we say and do. We do this because it is what God expects of us, as we read in the First Letter of John: 

‘The love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him’ (1Jn 4:9).

Because we are grafted into Christ we are in communion with Him. Jesus gives Himself to us in the Eucharist, His Body and Blood, so that we can have life in Him. He gives Himself to us out of love, so that we might have life in Him, and have it forever. The Eucharist is a pledge of eternal life with Christ, united in this world and the next. It is given to strengthen us on the journey of faith. Partaking in the Eucharist, physically or spiritually, helps us to live out our faith in our lives. Fed by and with Christ, we live in Him and for Him. 

Our Lord says:

‘Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.’

‘Y mae’r sawl sydd yn aros ynof fi, a minnau ynddo yntau, yn dwyn llawer o ffrwyth, oherwydd ar wahân i mi ni allwch wneud dim.’ (Jn 15:5)

Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. When we rely solely on our own strength, our own talents, we inevitably fail. We must not forget that everything is God-given in the first place. To thrive we need to abide in Him. Without this connection to Our Heavenly Father we wither and die, cut off from the source of life and hope. 

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to rejoice in Our Lord’s Resurrection, may we take to heart the words of Our Lord:

‘By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.’

‘Dyma sut y gogoneddir fy Nhad: trwy i chwi ddwyn llawer o ffrwyth a bod yn ddisgyblion i mi.’ (Jn 15:8)

May we bear fruit in our lives, and, like Barnabas and Paul, become worthy witnesses to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all, glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

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Easter IV – The Good Shepherd

Living in Pembrokeshire, many of us know people who keep sheep. We are also aware of how difficult it has been for them, and all farmers, in the recent months with fields waterlogged due to unprecedented levels of rainfall. Sheep farming is a vital part of our rural life and so the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is something we find easy to identify with, unlike those who live in large cities.

Shepherds played an important part in Jesus’ life. Angels told them about the birth and they came down from the hills to worship Him in  the stable in Bethlehem. Not wishing to leave their animals behind, Nativity scenes depict the shepherds bringing sheep to the manger. This may be why Our Lord has an affinity with those who look after sheep and care for them. Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd, the one who lays down His life for His sheep. Christ dies so that we may have eternal life in Him. This model of self-sacrificial love lies at the heart of the Christian faith, and because of it, we are able to live the new life of Easter.

Jesus says, ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ ‘Myfi yw’r bugail da’ (Jn 10:11). This is straightforward: He cares for His flock. But then He says, ‘The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’ ‘Y mae’r bugail da yn rhoi ei einioes dros y defaid’ (Jn 10:11). This goes above and beyond what we would expect of a shepherd, even a very good one! Jesus is using the image of the Good Shepherd to explain what will happen on Good Friday. He will suffer and die to protect us, His flock. 

Protect us from what? From Sin and Death. By dying for us, and rising from the dead, Jesus offers humanity freedom in Him. The Christian faith offers salvation, through faith. As St Peter puts it in this morning’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles: 

‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’

‘Ac nid oes iachawdwriaeth yn neb arall, oblegid nid oes enw arall dan y nef, wedi ei roi i’r ddynolryw, y mae’n rhaid i ni gael ein hachub drwyddo.’ (Acts 4:12)

Jesus offers what no-one else can: salvation and eternal life to those who believe in Him, and follow Him. Eccentric American millionaires employ bizarre methods in an attempt to defy the ageing process, but they are still going to die. Each and every human being is. That is the fate of all living things. But, because of who Christ is — namely true God and true man — and what He has done on the Cross and at the empty tomb, death is no longer something to be feared. Instead, it can be embraced, as the entry to eternal life, with God, forever. 

This way of looking at life and death is profoundly different from the world around us, because Christians are not bound by the primal human fear that our life is finite. Our Lord has opened to us the gates of Heaven, and shown us once and for all that God loves us.

At the heart of our faith as Christians is the profound conviction that we are people who are loved by God. As Archbishop Michael Ramsay said, ‘God is Christlike, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all’ [God, Christ & the World: A Study in Contemporary Theology, London 1969, p.98]. When we see Jesus, we see God; when we hear Him speak, we hear the voice of God. We can know who God is, the Creator and Redeemer of the universe, through His Son, Jesus Christ. God is not a distant bearded man on a cloud. He is a loving Father, as illustrated in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He loves us so much that He suffers and dies for us, to give us life in Him. This is the God who searches for lost sheep; who longs to love, restore, and reconcile; who can heal our wounds if we let Him. This is abundant life, offered to us by Our Lord, the Good Shepherd.

This life, this love is offered to us in the Eucharist, where we can touch and taste God’s profound love for us. In the bread and the wine we are given a foretaste of the heavenly banquet and a pledge of eternal life in Christ. Here today, as on a hundred thousand successive Sundays, we meet to be fed by Christ, and fed with Christ. To be healed, and to know His love. We are the sheep cared for by the Good Shepherd, who provides for all our needs. Who gives Himself so that we might have life.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to rejoice In Our Lord’s triumph over death, may we emulate His example and live the new life of Easter. Following Our Good Shepherd, who longs for us to be safe with Him forever in Heaven, let us share the Good News of His Kingdom with others. Let us pray that that all may come to know and love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all, glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

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Good Friday 2024

The Practice of Crucifixion as a punishment was designed to be both as painful and as shameful as possible. Public torture was dressed up as execution, with the condemned having to struggle for each breath, before finally succumbing to asphyxiation. People could potentially hang there for days until exhaustion took its toll. It is possibly the most horrific and gruesome means to end a human life devised by humanity. A public crucifixion is also one of the central moments of the Christian Faith. This is how much God loves us. Jesus willingly undergoes a shameful death, and acts of brutal torture, for our sake. 

There are two Old Testament texts which are key to understanding this Good Friday Service. The first is Psalm 22, whose opening words are spoken by Jesus before He dies: ‘Fy Nuw, fy Nuw pam yr wyt wedi fy ngadael’ ‘My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me’ (in Hebrew Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani). The second is the passage from Isaiah Chapters 52 and 53 which was today’s first reading. In Isaiah we see all of Christ’s suffering and death both foretold, and interpreted:

‘he bore the sin of many’ ‘with his stripes we are healed’ ‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is lead to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.’ ‘he makes himself an offering for sin’. (Isa 53:12, 5, 7, 10)

The meaning is clear. The wounds of human sin, which cry out for healing, are healed in Christ. Such is God’s love for us. What disobedience has destroyed, love restores. Here we see the glory of God. In willingly accepting His death on the Cross, Our Lord fulfils Isaiah’s prophecy — the suffering servant is the Messiah, the Christ, God’s anointed. At the time when the Passover lambs are slaughtered in the Temple, Christ, as both priest and victim, offers himself upon the Altar of the Cross as the true lamb to take away the sins of the whole world. When Jesus dies the veil of the Temple is torn in two — the barrier between heaven and earth is taken away, and God is reconciled to humanity. This sacred drama takes place on a hill outside Jerusalem, close to where Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac.  Then a ram was sacrificed in the boy’s place, but now God sends His Son to die for us.

Two people are present at Calvary as witnesses. These are Mary, Jesus’ Mother, and John, the Beloved disciple. Thirty-three years before this day, the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God. Now she stands at the foot of the Cross to see her beloved Son suffer and die. Simeon had once told her that a sword would pierce her soul, and now that prophecy comes true. But before He dies, Jesus does something wonderful:

‘When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.’ 

‘Pan welodd Iesu ei fam, felly, a’r disgybl yr oedd yn ei garu yn sefyll yn ei hymyl, meddai wrth ei fam, “Wraig, dyma dy fab di.” Yna dywedodd wrth y disgybl, “Dyma dy fam di.” Ac o’r awr honno, cymerodd y disgybl hi i mewn i’w gartref.’ (Jn 19:26-27)

Here we see a new family being formed. One not based on ties of blood, but of love. This is what the Church is, a family of love, and it starts here, at the foot of the Cross, where Christ, our great High Priest, offers Himself as both priest and victim. The Christian Church begins with three people on a hill outside Jerusalem. One of these three is about to die, condemned as a blasphemer and trouble-maker. Despite this less-than auspicious beginning we are gathered here today, nearly twenty centuries later. Christ’s Church starts as a failure in worldly terms. However it is a divine institution: it isn’t supposed to make sense in human terms. The Church’s mission is to draw us into the mystery of God’s love. Today we see that love made real in Jesus. This is love we can touch and taste, on the Cross, and in the Sacrament of the Altar. 

Let every one of us, today and every day, cling to the Cross, and find there all the grace we need. Let us rejoice that we have been redeemed at so great a cost. Let us glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection, through whom each and every one of us is saved and set free. Amen

Diego Velazquez – Christ Crucified (Museo del Prado, Madrid)
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Lent V: Sir, we want to see Jesus!

THERE are some texts in the Bible which just stick in your head. The Gospel today contains one of them: ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus’ ‘Syr, fe hoffem weld Iesu’ (Jn 12:21). It is a text often placed on pulpits to remind preachers of their primary task. This sounds simple enough, but, at one level, when I hear these words they remind me of my own shortcomings. Have other people seen Jesus in what I say and do? We are our own harshest critics in this regard — it is far easier to see our own faults and failings, than what God might be doing through us. 

In today’s Gospel we are in Jerusalem. It is just before the Passover, the most important religious festival, commemorating the journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. There are some Greeks, who may or may not be Jewish converts, that approach Philip, who has a Greek name. He, along with Simon Peter and Andrew, was first a disciple of John the Baptist, before following Jesus. These Greeks ask Philip a simple question:

“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

‘Syr, fe hoffem weld Iesu’ (Jn 12:21)

These Greeks are well-disposed and interested, and they desire an encounter with Our Lord. At a fundamental level human beings long for communion with the Divine. It is what we are made for. So the disciples tell Jesus, who makes the following reply:

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.”

‘Daeth yr awr y gogonedder Mab y dyn. Yn wir, yn wir, meddaf i chwi, Oni syrth y gronyn gwenith i’r ddaear, a marw, hwnnw a erys yn unig: eithr os bydd efe marw, efe a ddwg ffrwyth lawer. Yr hwn sydd yn caru ei einioes, a’i cyll hi; a’r hwn sydd yn casáu ei einioes yn y byd hwn, a’i ceidw hi i fywyd tragwyddol. Os gwasanaetha neb fi, dilyned fi: a lle yr wyf fi, yno y bydd fy ngweinidog hefyd: ac os gwasanaetha neb fi, y Tad a’i hanrhydedda ef’ (Jn 12:23-26)

This is a strange response: Our Lord doesn’t say, ‘Of course, bring them here’, or ‘I’d be delighted to meet them’. Instead He starts talking about His forthcoming Death. Jesus does so by using an image from the Parable of the Sower to make the point that life comes through death, freedom through service. These are paradoxes, the exact opposite of what one might expect Him to say, and yet they are true. Christ then experiences something of a moment of doubt, at which point God the Fathers speaks of future glory, and then Our Lord goes back to talking about His death:

“Now is the judgement of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

‘Yn awr y mae barn y byd hwn: yn awr y bwrir allan dywysog y byd hwn. A minnau, os dyrchefir fi oddi ar y ddaear, a dynnaf bawb ataf fy hun.’ (Jn 12:31-32)

Because of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, the Church, Christ’s Body exists to save people and to offer eternal life through Him. God shows the world the fullness of glory, the most profound expression of self-giving love in the events of His Passion. This is why we celebrate it: week by week and year by year. We prepare ourselves during Lent to walk with Christ to Calvary and beyond. We see how much God loves us, how much God gives himself for us. This message of salvation comes to us from the prophets. God makes His intentions clear:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,”

‘Wele y dyddiau yn dyfod, medd yr Arglwydd, y gwnaf gyfamod newydd â thŷ Israel, ac â thŷ Jwda’ (Jer 31:31)

God renews the covenant with humanity, writing it on our hearts, forgiving us our iniquities. The Law of Love, which God makes real in Jesus Christ has genuine transformative power, because it is rooted in forgiveness and healing, something which only God can provide. Our loving Father does this on the Cross, where He gives His Son to die for us, to heal our wounds, and to offer eternal salvation to all who believe in Him. This is God’s glory, the glorification of His Son, dying the death of a slave, to save humanity and free us. If we want to share in Christ’s glory, then we need to follow the same path of suffering love which takes Him to His Cross, and will take us to ours.

To follow Christ means embracing the Cross as the mystery of God’s love. If we let God’s love transform us, then wonderful things can happen. There will be pain and suffering along the way, but this is far outweighed by the promise of future glory. So then, as we continue our journey through Lent our journey to the Cross and beyond to the empty tomb of Easter, let us lose our lives in love and service of him who died for us, who bore our sins, who shows us how to live most fully, to be close to God, and filled with his love. Let us encourage one another, strengthen one another, and help each other to live lives which proclaim the truth of God’s saving love. To offer the world the hope of Heaven, where we may sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

James Tissot : The Gentiles Ask to See Jesus  (Brooklyn Museum)
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Lent IV

IF you have ever been unwell while on holiday you probably sought out a Pharmacy. They are quite straightforward to locate as they tend to either have a cross on their sign, or a snake or two around a pole. This was the symbol of the Greek God of healing Aesculapius whose major shrine was at Epidaurus. Christians tend to associate the snake with the tempting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but it is not this creature’s only occurrence in the Bible. 

This morning’s Gospel begins with Jesus explaining His forthcoming Crucifixion with a reference to Israel’s wanderings after the Exodus:

‘And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.’ 

‘A dywedodd yr Arglwydd wrth Moses, Gwna i ti sarff danllyd, a gosod ar drostan: a phawb a frather, ac a edrycho ar honno, fydd byw. A gwnaeth Moses sarff bres, ac a’i gosododd ar drostan: yna os brathai sarff ŵr, ac edrych ohono ef ar y sarff bres, byw fyddai.’ (Numbers 21:8-9)

The people of Israel had been complaining about the journey, the lack of food and water, and that God has led them out into the desert to die, so God sent fiery serpents which killed them. The people then relented, and asked Moses to pray to God to take the serpents away. God listened to Moses, and provided a means for Israel to be saved. Jesus uses this example to explain why the Son of Man must be lifted up. Just as the bronze serpent saved people long ago, Jesus’ being lifted up on the Cross will save those who believe in Him. Our Lord’s death will occur at Passover, the festival which celebrates the people of Israel’s journey from slavery in Egypt, to the Promised Land. So Christ will deliver humanity from the slavery of sin and offer us eternal life in Him. He bears our burden, and reconciles us to the Father, and each other.

There then follows one of the most well-known verses in the Bible:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

‘Canys felly y carodd Duw y byd fel y rhoddodd efe ei unig‐anedig Fab, fel na choller pwy bynnag a gredo ynddo ef, ond caffael ohono fywyd tragwyddol. Oblegid ni ddanfonodd Duw ei Fab i’r byd i ddamnio’r byd, ond fel yr achubid y byd trwyddo ef.’ (Jn 3:16-17) 

This is the heart of our faith as Christians. Christ was born for us, lived and died for us, and was raised to new life, so that we might have the promise of eternal life in Him. This is why we follow Christ into the desert of Lent for forty days, so that through prayer, fasting and charity we may be prepared in body and soul to celebrate the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter are the ultimate embodiment of God’s generous Love towards humanity. God loves us, you and me, each one of us, so much that He gave His only Son to die for us, on the Cross.

God does not condemn humanity for falling short, instead He saves us. God is a God of love and generosity, who offers Himself to reconcile us to Him, and to each other. This generosity is at the heart of our faith as Christians. We worship a generous, loving God, and invite others to receive the free gift of God’s grace, and enter a relationship with the God who made us and who loves us. 

This relationship explains the joyful hope which St Paul has when he writes to the Church in Ephesus in our second reading this morning. Paul’s central message is that:

‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,’ 

‘Canys trwy ras yr ydych yn gadwedig, trwy ffydd; a hynny nid ohonoch eich hunain: rhodd Duw ydyw’ (Eph 2:8)

Grace is unmerited kindness, something which we do not deserve, or earn. It is by the grace of God that we are saved, through faith, believing and trusting in Jesus Christ, who was born for us, died and rose again for us. We can put our trust in the God who loves us, and who shows us that love in His Son. It is not about what we can do, but about what God can do for us. Our relationship with God is the result of a gift, which we can accept and which can change our lives, if we only let go, and let God transform us, more and more into the likeness of His Son. 

Through prayer, the reading and study of scripture, living out our faith, and the sacraments of the Church, God brings about the work of transformation in us. As He gave Himself on the Cross for us, He gives us Himself in the Eucharist. During Communion we are fed with the Body and Blood of Christ, God’s very self, so that we can become what He is. Prepared by Lenten penitence we may look forward to sharing the new life of Easter, and singing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

Diego Velázquez – Christ Crucified (Museo del Prado, Madrid)
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Sexagesima

Recently we have begun to talk about the idea of work-life balance, due to an awareness that people in the modern world are spending more time at work, and need to make sure that their patterns of life and work are healthy. Clearly spending too much time at work and not enough at rest will be detrimental to our physical, mental and spiritual health. 

Our Gospel this morning follows on directly from last week. After teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum and healing the possessed man, Jesus and His disciples go back to the family home of Simon and Andrew. After what had been a draining experience, they were no doubt in need of both rest and nourishment. But before this can happen, there is a situation which requires Our Lord’s immediate attention:

‘Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.’ (Mk 1:30-31)

It’s serious, and it’s life-threatening. He takes her by the hand, lifts her up, and she is immediately restored to full health: she gets up and looks after them. Mark’s account is simple and straightforward, and goes along at a tremendous breathless pace. The healing is miraculous and instantaneous. It takes your breath away. It is a powerful demonstration of the reality of God’s love for us: if we let God be at work in our lives then wonderful things are possible, but we have to trust Him. I know that I really struggle with that, and I suspect that I’m not alone in feeling that way. 

Once the Sabbath was over at sundown, the people of Capernaum bring people to Him who are sick, and in need of healing, and he heals them. The Kingdom of God has become a reality in the person and actions of Jesus. And then early the next morning, before dawn Jesus goes away to pray. He finds a deserted place, a place where He can be alone with God to pray. It reminds us of the need for prayer and quiet in our own lives — we need time to be with God, to talk to Him, and to listen to what He has to say to us. We live in a world filled with noise and distraction, where social media and mobile phones vibrate and flash to get our attention to draw us in. Instead, if we want to be close to God and let His power be at work in us, we need to be silent and find a deserted place, if only for a few minutes, to let a healing encounter take place. God meets us when we are alone, when we are silent, when we are vulnerable, when we no longer rely on our own strength but hand ourselves over completely to Him. This is not an easy thing to do, but it is the only way for God to be at work in us: we need to make space for Him. 

And then it is over, Simon and the other disciples find Jesus and call Him back to the people who need Him. But rather than simply staying where He is, He moves them on to the next towns, so that He may preach there, for that is why He came out. As well as healing the sick Jesus has a message to proclaim: repent and believe the Good News (Mk 1:15). He calls people to turn away from sin, to turn back to God, and to know that the Kingdom is near. The disciples can only see people’s needs, they need to understand that there is a wider context too. So Jesus preaches, He explains the Scriptures so that people can understand that prophecies are being fulfilled in Him, and He casts out demons so that people can see the Healing which the kingdom promises is a reality there and then. 

Which of us can say that we don’t need Christ’s healing in our lives? I know that I do, the truth is that we all do. If we are close to Him in prayer, if we listen to Him, if we have the humility which says, ‘I need God’s help’ then we can be open to the transforming power of His Love. Here this morning, in the Eucharist, at the Altar, Christ will give Himself for us, His Body and His Blood, so that we can feed on Him, be fed by Him, and be fed with Him, so that our souls can be healed. What greater medicine could there be for us, than God’s very self? What gift more precious or more wonderful? Our soul’s true food. We eat Christ’s Body and drink His Blood so that we might share His Divine life, that we might be given a foretaste of Heaven here on earth. For two thousand years, on a hundred thousand successive Sundays, the Church has done THIS, to obey Christ’s command, and so that the healing work begun in Galilee might be continued here, now, among us. 

Let us listen to His words. Let us be close to Him in prayer. Let us come to Him, to the One who loves us, who heals us, who gives Himself upon the Cross to die for us. To the One who rises again to give us the promise of eternal life in Him. Let us come to be healed, to the table of the Lord to be fed with Him, so that He might heal us, and restore us, so that we might have life, and life to the full in and through Him.

Let us proclaim to a world, which longs for healing and wholeness, the love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

James Tissot – The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law (Brooklyn Museum)
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Epiphany 2023

Every year the Oxford English Dictionary creates a shortlist of eight words,  which are ‘chosen to reflect the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of the past year.’ The words are then put to a public vote. In 2023 the word selected to be the Oxford Word of the Year was ‘rizz’. This is a colloquial word meaning ‘style, charm, or attractiveness’, and is a shortened form of the word ‘charisma’. I would like to propose a word of the year for 2024: ‘hope’. Each one of us longs, from the very core of our being, to hear a message of hope. Hope for the future, something to inspire us. Today we continue to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas, as we mark the Solemn Feast of the Lord’s Epiphany: His coming into the world to bring hope. Wise men recognise who Jesus is and why He is important. As Christians, we continue to place our hope in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, born among us, and now made manifest to the world as its saviour. 

The Feast of Epiphany celebrates the coming of Wise Men from the East who followed a star, looking for a baby, who has been born king of the Jews. They go to Jerusalem, to see King Herod, as they assume that a king will be born to a royal family, in a palace. You cannot fault their reasoning. The Magi see a sign prefiguring a royal birth and go to the place where they think it will occur. Their arrival, however, does not quite have the effect they were expecting:

‘When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them where the Christ was to be born.’ 

‘Ond pan glybu Herod frenin, efe a gyffrowyd, a holl Jerwsalem gydag ef. A chwedi dwyn ynghyd yr holl archoffeiriaid ac ysgrifenyddion y bobl, efe a ymofynnodd â hwynt pa le y genid Crist.’ (Mt 2:3-4)

The wise men assume that the birth of a royal baby is a cause for celebration, but is certainly isn’t for Herod! His family bribed the Romans to gain the throne. They were not related to King David, and they were not even from Israel. So, on hearing the news from the wise men, Herod assembles all the religious and legal experts he can find. He is terrified that his position as king is under serious threat. The child could have a legitimate claim. There could be a revolution and regime change. Herod needs to know where this child will be born.

They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 

‘A hwy a ddywedasant wrtho, Ym Methlehem Jwdea: canys felly yr ysgrifennwyd trwy’r proffwyd; A thithau, Bethlehem, tir Jwda, nid lleiaf wyt ymhlith tywysogion Jwda: canys ohonot ti y daw Tywysog, yr hwn a fugeilia fy mhobl Israel.’(Mt 2:5-6)

Once Herod knows where the child is expected to be born, the next thing is to find out when the birth will take place, and finally to establish who this royal baby is. Bethlehem is the birthplace of the Davidic monarchy: King David was born there, and so was Jesus. The Gospel quotes a prophecy of Micah ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ (Micah 5:2) to support the claim. 

‘Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way.’ 

‘Yna Herod, wedi galw y doethion yn ddirgel, a’u holodd hwynt yn fanwl am yr amser yr ymddangosasai y seren. Ac wedi eu danfon hwy i Fethlehem, efe a ddywedodd, Ewch, ac ymofynnwch yn fanwl am y mab bychan; a phan gaffoch ef, mynegwch i mi, fel y gallwyf finnau ddyfod a’i addoli ef. Hwythau, wedi clywed y brenin, a aethant;’(Mt 2:7-9)

Herod claims that he wants to know when the baby was born, so that he may come and worship the infant king. However, he has no intention of relinquishing his power, his behaviour is a sham. The Wise Men leave the royal palace and head for Bethlehem.

‘And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.’ 

‘ac wele, y seren a welsent yn y dwyrain a aeth o’u blaen hwy, hyd oni ddaeth hi a sefyll goruwch y lle yr oedd y mab bychan. A phan welsant y seren, llawenychasant â llawenydd mawr dros ben’ (Mt 2:9-10)

The Magi have travelled hundreds of miles because they saw a star in the heavens. Now it is above Bethlehem, and they have reached the new-born King. 

‘And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.’ 

‘A phan ddaethant i’r tŷ, hwy a welsant y mab bychan gyda Mair ei fam; a hwy a syrthiasant i lawr, ac a’i haddolasant ef: ac wedi agoryd eu trysorau, a offrymasant iddo anrhegion; aur, a thus, a myrr.’ (Mt 2:11) 

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are unusual gifts for a baby, even a royal one. They are, however, all precious and expensive. The first gift, gold, is a precious metal, which is pure and does not tarnish. It is a gift fit for a king. Gold’s purity points to a life of perfect obedience, the pattern of how life should be lived. The second gift is frankincense from Arabia, which was offered to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. As the sweet-smelling smoke rose, it looked like prayers rising to God. Frankincense is a sign of worship, and honour, representing how humanity should respond to God. The final gift, Myrrh, was an ointment, used for embalming. It speaks of death. Even in Jesus’ birth, we see Christ’s kingly power, and His obedience to the will of the Father. We see His role in worship as our great High Priest, which leads Him to Death and Burial.

‘And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.’ 

‘Ac wedi eu rhybuddio hwy gan Dduw trwy freuddwyd, na ddychwelent at Herod, hwy a aethant drachefn i’w gwlad ar hyd ffordd arall.’ (Mt 2:12)

The Wise Men are warned to neither go back to Herod, nor to tell him who Jesus is. This is because Herod does not want to worship Jesus, he wants to kill Him, in order to safeguard his own position on the throne. And so the unexpected visitors leave as mysteriously as they arrived. These pilgrims from afar gave Our Lord gifts which celebrate His Humanity and Divinity, and which point towards His Death and Burial. The beginning of Jesus’ earthly life looks to its end, because it is all part of the outworking of salvation history.

The Wise Men recognise the baby as the Messiah, the one who brings hope. They are gentiles from a distant land and show that the hope that Jesus brings is for all the peoples of the earth. The Magi recognise that the star points to a royal baby, of the House of David. Jesus is the true king, who will give hope and freedom to His people, and all the earth, through His life, death, and Resurrection. Here at the beginning of Christ’s earthly life we can see where it leads. Jesus gives us hope, hope in God who keeps His promises and offers salvation to His people.

So in 2024 let us be filled with the hope, joy and love. Let us give thanks for the Saviour made manifest, and may we proclaim the Good News of Our Salvation. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

James Tissot – The Magi journeying (Brooklyn Museum)
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Advent IV – Trust!

Those of you who are fans of The Sound of Music will know that to begin at the beginning is a very good place to start. This morning’s Gospel does exactly that, by going back to the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the beginning of the story of Christmas. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth this evening and tomorrow, it is only natural to return to the point of Our Lord’s Conception to help us to ponder the wonderful mystery which God accomplishes for our sake. 

At its heart, Christianity is a religion which declares that God becomes a human being, so that humanity can share in the life of God. This is what we believe as Christians, and why we proclaim this truth to the world. The greatest news in human history is a teenage pregnancy — something that is shocking and scandalous, is how God saves us. This is why St Paul can write to the Romans:

the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations (Rom 16:25-26)

This is the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It starts with an encounter in Nazareth. A young woman is engaged to be married and receives a visitor, who says:

“Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!” (Lk 1:28)

Mary is confused, she cannot understand what is going on. Biblical accounts of the interaction between God and humanity show us that ours is a God who takes risks. Mary could refuse, she could say no, and human history would be profoundly different. So the angel Gabriel says, ‘Paid ag ofni, Do not be afraid’. Mary does not need to be afraid because God is doing something wonderful. She will bear a son and call him Jesus, which means ‘God saves’. Jesus the Son of God will save God’s people from their sins, and will fulfil the promise made to David, which we heard in our first reading. 

Mary cannot understand how this will happen. The Holy Spirit, God active in the world, and the bond of love between God the Father and God the Son, will overshadow her. God will take flesh in her womb and be born as one of us. So Mary replies:

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38)

Mary says ‘Yes’ to God. This is a ‘Yes’ which undoes the ‘No’ of Eve. It brings about the salvation of humanity, through the Life, Death, and Resurrection of her Son. Mary’s obedience to the will of God, ‘the obedience of faith’ (Rom 16:26), both trusts God to be at work, and makes it possible. We can be joyful because of Mary’s ‘yes’ to God. In her we have a pattern of obedience to the will of God which all Christians are to follow.

In the first reading this morning King David is worried. He says to Nathan the prophet:

“See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” (2 Samuel 7:2)

Since the Exodus from Egypt, the Ark of the Covenant has resided in a  tabernacle, a tent, a temporary dwelling. This worries David, but God is not concerned whether he lives in a tent or a temple. It does not matter. God’s response is not to accept David’s offer, but instead to make David an amazing counter-offer:

Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom…  I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me. Your throne shall be established for ever.’” (2 Samuel 7:11-12, 14, 16)

God offers David a family, a Royal House. This is a promise which bears fruit with the coming of Jesus, born of the House of David, and the Son of God. Jesus’ mother Mary will be the living Ark of the New Covenant. This will be a covenant that is not made in stone, but rather in flesh; the flesh of the Son of God, who is born for us, and who dies for us. Mary’s womb will be the place where the Son of God will begin to dwell with us:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isa 7:14)

Immanuel in Hebrew means ‘God (is) with us’ and this is what we are preparing to celebrate at Christmas: God being among us. Let us then follow Mary’s example of obedience, listen to God, and trust Him to be at work in us. Let us welcome Jesus both in Bethlehem and here upon the altar, where God, who became flesh and blood in the womb of Mary, offers us His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, so that we might share His Life. Let us, like Mary, say, ‘Yes’ to God, welcome him into our hearts. Let us be beacons in the world, shining with God’s love. May all this Christmas come to believe and trust in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

Sr. Grace Remington OCSO, Mary and Eve, crayon and pencil, 2005