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Christ the King 2025

‘God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.’

‘gwendid Duw yn gryfach na chryfder dynol.’ (1Cor 1:25)

On November 23rd 1927 the Mexican Jesuit priest Fr Miguel Pro SJ was arrested on false charges and placed in front of a firing squad. He refused a blindfold and spread his arms out into the shape of a cross. His last words were: ‘¡Viva Christo Rey!’ ‘Long live Christ the King!’. The Mexican regime of that time was cruel and went out of its way to persecute Christians, including thirty-six year old Miguel Pro, a twentieth century Christian martyr who died confessing Christ’s sovereignty over all things. His words are both powerful and inspiring. When we acknowledge Christ as King we are saying that He is above all human power and authority. We are affirming that God is supreme. As Christians, our primary allegiance is to God alone, and not to the things of this world. To proclaim Our Lord as King of Heaven and Earth will always challenge and trouble those who lay claim to an authority and a power which is not their own. There are plenty of examples in the world around us of those who are unwilling to recognize a power greater than themselves. 

Christians profess the sovereignty of God primarily on the basis of the Crucifixion of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We worship a Crucified God. This should strike us as something strange and disconcerting. At one level it doesn’t quite make sense, and yet it does. St Paul expresses the paradox at the heart of the Christian Faith in his First Letter to the Corinthians:

‘For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.’ (1Cor 1:25)

God is doing something amazing, which we cannot fully comprehend, or understand. This is because it is the mystery of God’s love. This is a love which we can never fully understand but it is something that we can experience in our lives.

Today’s Gospel is from St Luke’s account of the Crucifixion. It begins with Jesus being mocked by religious leaders: 

“He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” (Lk 23:35)

They demand action — that Jesus saves Himself — because they have completely misunderstand Our Lord’s mission, which is not to save Himself, but to save others. The Roman soldiers then join in and mock Christ saying:

“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Lk 23:37)

In these words, power has been conflated with self-interest. Jesus, however, is not interested in saving Himself, but rather in saving us. He is the King of the Jews, born in Bethlehem of the line and lineage of David. And here Christ, in saving humanity, is doing what a proper King does: caring for His people, even at the cost of His own life. While the soldiers are mocking Jesus, they are actually proclaiming Him as a King. 

One of the men crucified with Jesus asks:

“Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Lk 23:39)

This man has been condemned to death for acts of robbery and rebellion, and he is only able to understand the Messiah in political terms. He is looking for a revolutionary leader, who can save him. This causes the other man being crucified to rebuke the first one, saying:

“Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Lk 23:40-41)

This second man understands that Jesus is innocent. This leads to one of the most memorable interactions in Luke’s Gospel, a demonstration of faith followed by its reward:

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:42-43)

This man does not ask to be saved. He simply requests that Jesus keep him in mind, when He comes into His Kingdom. Christ immediately grants his request. The condemned man’s recognition of Jesus’ Kingship is rewarded with the promise of eternal life with God in Heaven. Here, in two sentences, we see salvation and redemption at work. Jesus’ death saves people — starting with the condemned man. That is what Christ’s kingship is all about: bringing healing and the forgiveness of sins to all who turn to Him in faith. 

We worship a Crucified God. One who suffers and dies for us, to offer us eternal life in Him. This is true kingship, shown in self-sacrificial love. Christ is the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep. He wants to save others, because He is the Messiah, and He is God saving his people. The Hebrew for Jesus is Yeshua and means ‘God saves’. Here on the Cross Jesus fulfils His destiny: this is who and what He is. God saves His people by dying for them. This is real kingship — not robes, or power, but love — dying the death of a common criminal. It doesn’t make sense, and it isn’t supposed to. God’s ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. We cannot save ourselves. Only God can do that, in an act of generous love; an extravagant and exuberant gift that we can neither earn nor repay.

In the reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, we hear both what God has done for us, and who Christ is. God has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. We are able to go to Heaven because we have been delivered from darkness, into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness. Jesus has paid the debt we owe; our sins are forgiven. We do not need to slaughter lambs and be sprinkled with their blood, because we have been sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb of God in our Baptism. We are redeemed, and our transgressions are forgiven, because of what Christ does for us on the Cross. This is the heart of our faith: Jesus died for us, because He loves us. 

In Christ we see that God loves us. He created all that is, therefore things are subject to Him. He is the head of His Body, the Church, of which we are a part through our baptism, and our participation in the Eucharist. As the firstborn from the dead, Christ, in His Resurrection, shows us that death is not the end.

This is the God we worship, and whom we hail as our true King: the God of love and healing. Christ has conquered on the Cross; Christ reigns as King of the Universe; Christ reigns in our hearts, and in our lives. May we then lift our hearts and voices to sing the praises of our Divine King: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. To whom be ascribed all might, majesty, glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

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Lent III

SOME of you may have visited the Egypt Centre on the campus of Swansea University. This small museum contains a fascinating collection of artefacts from a civilisation which is both strange and intriguing. In Ancient Egypt, gods were everywhere. Almost everything was worshipped as a god. This included the River Nile, which brought life, crops and fertility. Also there was the bull Apis in whose likeness the Israelites fashioned a Golden Calf. Another was Anubis with his black dog’s head, who was responsible for funerary rites. But in order to worship a divinity you first needed to know their name, and know who they were. 

In this morning’s first reading we hear that Moses is shepherding his father-in-law’s flock in the wilderness of Sinai. It is a difficult place: arid, rocky and mountainous. In the Ancient World, mountains were places for encounter with the divine. So when Moses sees a bush that is burning, but is not consumed by the fire, he wants to investigate what is going on. This leads to a meeting with God which will result in the Exodus, the journey from slavery to freedom; from Egypt to the Promised Land. 

God begins by saying who he is:

“Duw dy dadau wyf fi, Duw Abraham, Duw Isaac a Duw Jacob.”

‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ (Exod 3:6)

God has heard the cry of His people and is preparing to do something about their situation. He will lead them from Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses then tells God that if he explains to the people that the God of their Ancestors has sent him, they will ask, ‘What is his name?’ The point of addressing a divinity by name was that then they would then listen to your prayers. This leads God to reply:

“Ydwyf yr hyn ydwyf. Dywed hyn wrth bobl Israel, ‘Ydwyf sydd wedi fy anfon atoch.’”

‘I Am Who I Am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’ (Exod 3:14)

God refuses to be named. God is who God is: the Creator of all, God of all. Almighty God is not to be reduced to a name or a category. However, He loves His People and intends, through Moses, to lead them from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. This journey is the event that will establish the people of Israel, and it also will provide the template for Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection. 

Lent, at its heart, is a penitential season for Christians to prepare to celebrate the Passover which offers salvation to the whole world. This is why St Paul uses the story of the Exodus to remind the faithful of the importance of humility, and of knowing and acknowledging our need of God. As the Israelites were fed with spiritual food — manna — so Christians are fed with the Living Bread — Jesus Christ. As the Israelites were refreshed with spiritual drink, Christians drink the Blood of Christ, and are washed in the waters of Baptism. As Moses strikes the rock at Massah and Meribah, the Rock is Christ, upon whom we can build with sure foundations, against the storms of this world. Nourished by the Eucharist, we are fed by God, with God, so that He may transform us, so that we can share His Eternal Life. The Corinthians are taking this for granted, hence Paul’s warnings in the Epistle. Like the people of Corinth, we need to avoid sin, and turn back to God, and be sustained and upheld by Him, so that we can grow in faith.

Turning to this morning’s Gospel, we do not know who the Galileans that Pilate killed were. Galilee was renowned as a hotbed of political revolutionaries, full of people who wanted to free the Jewish people from Roman Rule. Forty years after Christ’s Passion, Rome will crush a revolution in Judea, and slaughter many people. Our Lord’s message to His followers is simple: repent. Repentance means changing your mind. Repentance means loving your enemies, and Repentance means living your life in a radically different way.

Once again, Jesus tells people a parable. A fig tree has not borne fruit in three years A man makes three visits to the fig tree. These visits represent the Patriarchs, the Prophets and the Gospel — the warnings given in Scripture to repent — and also the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Despite the guidance, the fig does not bear fruit, therefore it should be cut down

However, the unproductive tree is not cut down, but instead it is given a reprieve. The gardener allows the fig tree another chance. This is grace: the free gift of God, granted and not earned. Only through God’s grace can we hope to bear fruit. God, the gardener who created humanity in Paradise, will offer himself as both Priest and Victim upon the Tree of Life, to bleed and die for love of us. This gardener will meet Mary Magdalene by the empty tomb on Easter Day so that we, and all humanity, may share Christ’s risen life. The fact that we are here today is proof that for two thousand years this tree has borne fruit in the Church.

God loves humanity, which is why — like the fig tree — we are given another chance. We are granted the opportunity to repent, to turn back to the God who loves us, and who longs to see us flourish. Our lives as Christians are a continual cycle of falling short, and turning back in repentance to the source of grace, love, and mercy: God. We receive God’s gifts, even though we are not worthy of His generosity, but that’s the point. Our Heavenly Father satisfies our deepest needs and desires out of love for us, so that, enfolded in His love, we might become more lovely, and be filled with God’s infinite love and grace. Only when we are watered by God’s love can we truly bear fruit. We are all forgiven, and we are all loved. That is what the Cross demonstrates: God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. Jesus’ willing sacrifice stands for all time, and fundamentally changes our relationship with our Creator and each other. Ours is a faith rooted in love, freely given for the life of the world and for every individual human being.

So, my brothers and sisters, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the Paschal mystery so that we, and all the world, may give glory i Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. I’r hwn y priodoler pob gogoniant, arglwyddiaeth, a gallu, yn awr, ac yn oes oesoedd. Amen.

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Epiphany 2025

IN Britain there is a tradition that royal births are announced by a notice placed on an easel outside Buckingham Palace. When the present King was born in 1948 the notice read: ‘Buckingham Palace November 14th, The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh was safely delivered of a prince at nine fourteen pm today. Her Royal Highness and her son are both doing well.’ Historically, royal births were witnessed by important people. They were public occasions rather than private ones. Everyone wants to know what is happening. 

Meanwhile, out in the East, in what is now modern day Iraq and Iran, astrologers noticed something in the sky. This phenomenon possibly involved Jupiter and either Saturn, or the star Regulus in the constellation Leo. It was a significant astronomical event, which signified a royal birth. These Magi travelled to Judaea, as that was the direction that the celestial sign was pointing them towards. As they were looking for a royal birth, their first stop was, naturally, the palace. When they arrived at Herod’s palace they asked:

‘Ble mae’r hwn a anwyd yn frenin yr Iddewon? Oherwydd gwelsom ei seren ef ar ei chyfodiad, a daethom i’w addoli.’

‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ (Mt 2:2)

They make a reasonable statement, but their words have a strange effect:

‘A phan glywodd y Brenin Herod hyn, cythruddwyd ef, a Jerwsalem i gyd gydag ef. Galwodd ynghyd yr holl brif offeiriaid ac ysgrifenyddion y bobl, a holi ganddynt ble yr oedd y Meseia i gael ei eni’

‘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’ (Mt 2:3-4)

News of a royal birth is troubling to Herod, an Aramean who bought the right to be king by paying the Romans. He was very concerned by questions of legitimacy because his own claim was based on shaky ground. Herod’s religious experts then explain where the child will be born, quoting a prophecy of Micah, which we heard on the Fourth Sunday of Advent:

“Ym Methlehem Jwdea, oherwydd felly yr ysgrifennwyd gan y proffwyd: ‘A thithau Bethlehem yng ngwlad Jwda, nid y lleiaf wyt ti o lawer ymysg tywysogion Jwda, canys ohonot ti y daw allan arweinydd a fydd yn fugail ar fy mhobl Israel.'”

‘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.”’ (Mt 2:5-6)

Bethlehem, the city of David, is where a King of the lineage of David will be born. A Davidic King poses a huge threat to Herod. There could be an uprising, and regime change. Herod needs to know what is going on. Since knowledge is power, he sends the Magi off to find the child and to report back.

What looks like a simple and straightforward enquiry is actually the first part of a plan to eliminate this potential threat to Herod’s rule. This will later be carried out in the Massacre of the Innocents — the wholesale slaughter of young male children in Bethlehem. Herod certainly has no intention of relinquishing his power, his behaviour is a sham. The Wise Men then leave the royal palace and head for Bethlehem.

‘a dyma’r seren a welsent ar ei chyfodiad yn mynd o’u blaen hyd nes iddi ddod ac aros uwchlaw’r man lle’r oedd y plentyn. A phan welsant y seren, yr oeddent yn llawen dros ben.’

‘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.’ (Mt 2:9-10)

The Magi have journeyed hundreds of miles because they saw a celestial event. Now this heavenly light is above Bethlehem, and the travellers have reached the new-born King. 

‘Daethant i’r tŷ a gweld y plentyn gyda Mair ei fam; syrthiasant i lawr a’i addoli, ac wedi agor eu trysorau offrymasant iddo anrhegion, aur a thus a myrr.’

‘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.’ (Mt 2:11) 

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh seem to us unusual presents. They are, however, all expensive, costly, and precious things, and therefore suitable royal gifts. These offerings were prophesied by Isaiah: 

‘byddant i gyd yn cludo aur a thus, ac yn mynegi moliant yr Arglwydd.’

‘They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord’ (Isa 60:6)

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. Incense, from Arabia, 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. Myrrh was often a component of the ointment used for embalming bodies. These three gifts given at Jesus’ birth point to Christ’s kingly power, and His role in worship as our great High Priest, which leads to His to Death and Burial.

The Wise Men are warned by a dream not to go back to Herod, and not to tell him who Jesus is. This is because the Judean king does not want to worship Jesus, he wants to kill Him, and safeguard his own position. 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 look forward to His Death and Resurrection. The beginning of Jesus’ earthly life looks to its end, because it is all part of the outworking of salvation history.

The events that we are celebrating today were prophesied by Isaiah in the first reading this morning:

‘Cod, llewyrcha, oherwydd daeth dy oleuni; llewyrchodd gogoniant yr Arglwydd arnat.’

‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you’ (Isa 60:1)

The birth of the Messiah is a sign of God’s glory, and the salvation He will bring for all people: 

‘Fe ddaw’r cenhedloedd at dy oleuni, a brenhinoedd at ddisgleirdeb dy wawr.’

‘And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising’ (Isa 60:3)

These pilgrims are the Magi, the Wise Men, the Kings who represent the entire Gentile (non-Jewish) World. They have come to worship God born among us. The travellers recognise who it is they have come to see, and their gifts fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy. What might appear strange at first sight is, in fact, both apt and right: to worship God and honour a King, and to recognise the Saviour in their midst. Today, the World recognises the Birth of Jesus Christ, and the mystery of salvation is proclaimed to all.

Likewise, as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, we also look forward.Both to Our Lord’s Baptism in the River Jordan and to His first miracle at the Wedding at Cana. Christ, He who is without sin shows humanity how to be freed from sin and to have new life in Him.

So, today, as we continue to celebrate Jesus’ birth, let us raise our voices to join with the wise men in giving praise and honour 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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Christ the King 2024

LIVING on the edge of Western Europe it is not surprising that many British people have something of a fascination with the Roman Empire. In the first century AD, the Romans conquered Britain and ruled here for nearly four hundred years. They gave us many things: including straight roads, plumbing and under-floor heating, and founded towns many towns such as Carmarthen. Just off Priory Street in Carmarthen are the remains of a Roman amphitheatre which could hold about five thousand spectators. It isn’t quite the size of Colosseum in Rome — and it is highly unlikely that it was ever flooded to stage a mock sea-battle — but it is a reminder of how far Roman influence stretched. 

Rome was an empire, with an emperor at its head. The bad emperors are generally portrayed as cruel autocrats in films like Gladiator. However, these depictions tend to gloss over the fact that these emperors were worshipped as  being divine. One of their first acts on accession to the throne would be for the new Emperor to declare their predecessor, or father, a God. They would then be referred to as ‘DIVI FILIVS’, ‘Son of a god’, ‘Fab duw’. This feels alien to us, because we are Christians, and we are followers of Jesus, the Son of God the Father, the Creator and Sustainer of us all. 

In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus is in Pilate’s headquarters, being questioned, before He is condemned to death on the Cross. Since Our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem a few days earlier, He has been hailed as the Davidic King, the Messiah. This is viewed as a clear challenge to Herod, and thus to the Roman occupation. Pilate is afraid of an insurrection leading to a rebellion and a change of government, all of which could mean his own death. So he asks Jesus:

“Ai ti yw Brenin yr Iddewon?”

“Are you the King of the Jews?” (Jn 18:33)

Our Lord does not answer, but instead asks Pilate a question:

“Ai ohonot dy hun yr wyt ti’n dweud hyn, ai ynteu eraill a ddywedodd hyn wrthyt amdanaf fi?”

“Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” (Jn 18:34)

Pilate then replies:

“Dy genedl dy hun a’i phrif offeiriaid sydd wedi dy drosglwyddo di i mi. Beth wnaethost ti?”

“Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” (Jn 18:35)

The back and forth is an attempt by the Roman Governor to see if there is substance to the charges, and to see whether Jesus will confess, or whether evidence can be gleaned, which would substantiate the accusation against Him. This leads Our Lord to make the following declaration:

“Nid yw fy nheyrnas i o’r byd hwn. Pe bai fy nheyrnas i o’r byd hwn, byddai fy ngwasanaethwyr i yn ymladd, rhag imi gael fy nhrosglwyddo i’r Iddewon. Ond y gwir yw, nid dyma darddle fy nheyrnas i.”

“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (Jn 18:36)

Jesus Christ is not an earthly king, concerned with power, honour, wealth, and prestige, but rather a heavenly one, seeking to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts and minds of men, women, and children. He seeks to build a kingdom of peace, love, and joy, and of healing and reconciliation. Pilate fails to grasp the nuance of Jesus’ proclamation, and instead focuses on what Jesus says, rather than what He means.

‘Yna meddai Pilat wrtho, “Yr wyt ti yn frenin, ynteu?”’

‘Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”’ (Jn 18:37)

The Roman Governor is concerned with law, and not theology. He takes Our Lord’s words as a statement that Christ considers Himself a King, and that the charges against Him are true. So Jesus makes the following reply:

“Ti sy’n dweud fy mod yn frenin,” atebodd Iesu. “Er mwyn hyn yr wyf fi wedi cael fy ngeni, ac er mwyn hyn y deuthum i’r byd, i dystiolaethu i’r gwirionedd. Y mae pawb sy’n perthyn i’r gwirionedd yn gwrando ar fy llais i.”

“You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (Jn 18:37)

Christ’s purpose is to bear witness to the truth, that He is God, and is calling people to repent and believe in Him. Pilate, however, is not listening to Jesus. The Governor focuses on the surface meaning, ignoring the truth beneath Christ’s words. And yet the truth will out in the end. A few hours later Our Lord will be crucified and the title fixed to the Cross will read: ‘Iesu o Nasareth, Brenin yr Iddewon’, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’, in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. In this way Pilate will proclaim Christ’s Kingship to the whole world. Because of this all people can see and know what a true King looks like; not robed in splendour in a palace, but nailed to a Cross, and dying the death ascribed to a criminal. In His Passion and Death, Christ bears witness to the truth, namely that:

‘Do, carodd Duw y byd gymaint nes iddo roi ei unig Fab, er mwyn i bob sy’n credu ynddo ef beidio â mynd i ddistryw ond cael bywyd tragwyddol. Oherwydd nid i gondemnio’r byd yr anfonodd Duw ei Fab i’r byd, ond er mwyn i’r byd gael ei achud trwyddo ef.’

‘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 sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.’ (Jn 3:16-17) 

This is what real kingship looks like: selfless love and sacrifice. This is what Jesus offers the world in the Eucharist — His self-giving love with the power to transform the world. God gives Himself to us, so the world can share Eternal Life in Him. It is not about acquiring and displaying wealth, power, or privilege — things of this world. Instead, as Christians, we look to God and Heaven, as both the source of our being and as our eternal home.

To acknowledge Christ’s kingship is to do something truly radical. It is to say to those with worldly power, ‘We recognize something far greater and more powerful than you!’ This is a profound political act, which terrifies those who are insecure, just as it terrified Pilate and Herod. As followers of Jesus we have built the house of our faith on the rock which is Christ, and not the shifting sands of this world. 

So, my brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge Christ as our King. Let us serve Him, filled with His love for us, and for all people. Let this love form a Kingdom with God as its head. And as citizens of God’s Kingdom let us give praise and honour 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.

James Tissot: Jesus before Pilate (First interview) Brooklyn Museum
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Remembrance Sunday 2024

When I was at school we had an educational trip to Normandy and stayed at Arramanches. The hotel was near the beach which formed a section of ‘Gold Beach’, part of the Normandy Landings. One of the temporary Mulberry Harbours, built by the Allies could still be seen in the sea. A highlight of the trip was a visit to Bayeux, both to see the tapestry and also to visit the British Military Cemetery. Bayeux War Cemetery contains the graves of nearly five thousand British and Commonwealth soldiers who died on the beaches of Normandy, some eighty years ago. There is something deeply profound and moving about being confronted with the scale of death and sacrifice made during the Normandy Campaign and in other theatres of war. It makes us realise that the freedom, peace, and security we now enjoy comes at a huge cost.

Today we give our thanks to Almighty God for all who have served and died for our country, and also for the peace in which we currently live. We give thanks for those who continue to serve and protect us, putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. We also give thanks for the work of the Royal British Legion, who, for over a hundred years, have raised money to support veterans, and to keep alive the memory of those who died. We wish them continued success in their important work.

As we recall the sacrifice made by people from the villages in which we live, from this country, and from all over the world, our remembrance must be an active one which has an effect on our lives. We remember the generosity of those who gave their lives to ensure that we can live free from warfare and suffering. Such generosity must leave a mark on our lives, and help us to learn from the mistakes of the past, and do all that we can to prevent them from being repeated in the future.

The concept of peace is not simply the absence of war, but rather the right ordering of the world around us. It means living the way God wants us to live. That stands for living in harmony, and love, one with another, and forgiving each other. In this morning’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel, Our Lord says:

‘Gwyn eu byd y tangnefeddwyr: oherwydd cânt hwy eu galw’n feibion Duw’

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God’ (Mt 5:9)

Peacemaking is costly and difficult. That is because it is rooted in sacrifice and forgiveness. However, there is no other way to bring about the peace for which we long. The greatest example we have of such forgiveness and sacrifice is the Cross. Here Jesus demonstrates to humanity how much we are loved by God, and the lengths to which the Son of God is prepared to go to show the world love, and to reconcile people both to God and to each other. 

The story does not end there. Jesus’ Death is followed by His Resurrection, on Easter Day, Sul y Pasg. Christ offers humanity the gift of eternal life, so that in Him our lives are changed and not ended. Christians believe that our earthly life is a prelude to our hope of eternity in Heaven, in the close presence of God.

This is how we should understand our life on earth: as a preparation for the life to come. When we listen to Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, we find in Our Lord’s words a template for how we should live, as people of love and generosity. Such a lifestyle is consistent with the vision of the prophet Isaiah. He looks forward to a time when the wolf will lay with the lamb, and when swords will be beaten into ploughshares. God is ultimately responsible for such things, but we have our part to play as well — helping to make the Kingdom of God a reality. God’s Kingdom is a place of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. A place where wounds are healed, and humanity is restored by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Who offered Himself so that we might live, and enjoy life in all its fulness.

My brothers and sisters, we are all called to cooperate with God and with each other, so that our lives are characterised by the love and service we see in Christ. This same love and service is shown by those who gave their lives so that we might enjoy the peace and freedom for which they longed. We are grateful, and we gather to remember them, and the peace which they won at so great a cost. We take time to reflect upon their example and dedicate ourselves to continuing what they started — bringing comfort to those who mourn, and striving for a world characterised by justice and peace. We do so together, knowing that our efforts honour the injured and the fallen. 

Therefore, let all of us gathered here today follow Jesus to the Cross and beyond. Let us live out God’s love, mercy, and service in our own lives. Let us take care of each other, and honour the memory of those who have gone before us.

We will remember them.

Ni â’u cofiwn hwy. 

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Trinity xxiii – Love Actually

IN the 2003 film Bruce Almighty, Jim Carey’s character, Bruce, feels like his life is falling apart. As he drives in the dark, he begs God to tell him what to do, to give him a sign, or a signal. Immediately, a truck appears in front of him loaded with road signs saying, ‘Wrong way’, ‘Do not enter’, and ‘Stop!’. Bruce ignores the signs, overtakes the truck and then crashes his car into a lamppost. He is not hurt, but he is angry with God for not listening to his peas for guidance. This comedic scene brings home the message that sometimes we ask for God’s help in our lives and then fail to listen to what God is telling us to do.

In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus is in Jerusalem, engaging in some theological discussions in the Temple. He has just been talking to a group of Sadducees about the Resurrection. Their conversation gains to the attention of a Scribe, a legal expert, who asks Our Lord:

“Prun yw’r gorchymyn cyntaf o’r cwbl?”

“Which commandment is the most important of all?” (Mk 12:28)

Jesus answers, as we would expect, with words which also form part of this morning’s first reading from Deuteronomy:

“Y cyntaf yw, ‘Gwrando, O Israel, yr Arglwydd ein Duw yw’r unig Arglwydd, a châr yr Arglwydd dy Dduw â’th holl galon ac â’th holl enaid ac â’th holl feddwl ac â’th holl nerth.’” 

“The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” (Mk 12:29-30)

These words form the Shema, are a prayer recited three times a day by Jews. They are a declaration of faith in God, and represent how each person is called to love God with all of our being. To this Our Lord adds: 

“Yr ail yw hwn, ‘Câr dy gymydog fel ti dy hun.’ Nid oes gorchymyn arall mwy na’r rhain.”

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:31)

Christ quotes from Leviticus (19:18) to show our duty towards our neighbour. Christians are commanded both to love, and to will the good of others, as St Thomas Aquinas said in the Summa Theologiae: ‘Love is to will the good of another, Mae cariad ewyllysio y Dda o’r eraill’. 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 followers of Christ, we desire to see others flourish, and we work towards that end. Love takes effort. To choose someone else’s good reminds us that we do not exist for our own sake, and that our lives are lived in community and relationship with others. We are called to be loving and generous, just as God has been loving and generous towards us in Christ. We seek to cooperate with God in promoting human flourishing. 

Our Lord’s teaching meets with the Scribe’s approval

“Da y dywedaist, Athro; gwir mai un ydyw ac nad oes Duw arall ond ef. Ac y mae ei garu ef â’r holl galon ac â’r holl ddeall ac â’r holl nerth, a charu dy gymydog fel ti dy hun, yn rhagorach na’r holl boethoffrymau a’r aberthau.”

“You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mk 12:32-33)

Our duty towards God and our neighbour — namely to love them — is foundational to how we practise our religion and how we live our lives. This responsibility informs all that we are, and all that we do, and also promotes human flourishing. The scribe recognises this, and rather than tying to catch Jesus out, he is genuinely interested in seeing the world become a better place.

Such a positive response elicits a similar one from Jesus:

A phan welodd Iesu ei fod wedi ateb yn feddylgar, dywedodd wrtho, “Nid wyt ymhell oddi wrth deyrnas Dduw.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mk 12: 34)

The scribe is not far from following the signs and becoming a follower of ‘The Way’. However, while he agrees with Jesus’ teaching, the scribe still does not recognise Jesus as the Messiah, which Bartimaeus, in last Sunday’s Gospel, was able to do despite being blind.

As Christians we believe that Jesus is our great high priest, who gives Himself, on our behalf, as an offering to God the Father, out of love. This is what takes place on the Cross at Calvary. God, in Christ, gives everything. The life of the Son of God is offered freely, to reconcile what sin has thrust apart. Jesus is the greatest example of generosity that exists. This is the heart of the Christian Faith: Christ dies for us and rises again to heal the wounds of sin and division and to open up the way to Heaven for those who believe in Him. At its heart the message of the Gospel is love: love of God and neighbour. This is what Our Lord demonstrates on the Cross. The greatest expression of God’s love for humanity, which is made present in the Eucharist. Each and every time the Eucharist is celebrated, we, the people of God, are fed with Christ’s Body and Blood, to be built up in love. The love of God becomes something which we can touch and taste. Jesus gives Himself to us, so that we can grow in the love of God and of each other.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be nourished by Him in Word and Sacrament. Let us be filled with the love of God and love of our neighbours, so that this love forms who we are and what we do. Let us also give praise and honour 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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Trinity XII: The Bread of Life

THE poet Robert Browning once wrote: ‘If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens’. This connection between bread and Heaven is the subject of today’s Gospel.

Our Lord has been teaching His followers about the Bread of Life. This is a topic which He returns to at the Last Supper. Seated with His disciples, Jesus says, ‘This is My Body’ ‘hwn yw nghorff’ and ‘This is My Blood’ ‘hwn yw fy ngwaed i’. He means what He says. For a hundred thousand successive Sundays the Church has followed Christ’s instruction to ‘do this in memory of me’. Not simply as a memorial, but to feed God’s people with God Himself: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. To transform us, and prepare us for Heaven.

During the Roman Empire, when the Church was persecuted, followers of Jesus were accused of three false things. Firstly, atheism, because of their refusal to believe in, or worship pagan gods. Secondly, incest, because Christians called each other brother and sister, and loved each other. Thirdly, cannibalism — Christians were accused of eating human flesh. These last two charges are rooted in a misunderstanding of Christian worship. They are also evidence that, from the beginning, Christians were gathering for worship and consuming the Body and Blood of Christ.

Christ is being controversial when He teaches the people,

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

“Myfi yw’r bara bywiol hwn a ddisgynnodd o’r nef. Caiff pwy bynnag sy’n bwyta o’r bara hwn fyw am byth. A’r bara sydd gennyf fi i’w roi yw fy nghnawd; a’i roi a wnaf dros fywyd y byd.” (Jn 6:51)

Our Lord is greater than the manna which God sent down to the Israelites during their wanderings in the desert. He is living bread. He is the bread which gives eternal life. God shares Himself with us, so that we might live in Him. But Christ’s teaching is deeply problematic for His audience. Jewish law prohibited the consumption of blood and human flesh. So what Jesus is proposing is impossible for His followers to accept. It is something that they cannot do, and yet they are told that they must. 

Jesus then repeats His teaching. He explains that anyone who wants to have life, needs to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood. Christ invites believers to the Eucharist and, in doing so, pledges to them that they will share in His Resurrection:

‘Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’

‘Y mae gan y sawl sy’n bwyta fy nghnawd i ac yn yfed fy ngwaed i fywyd tragwyddol, a byddaf fi’n ei atgyfodi yn y dydd olaf.’ (Jn 6:54)

The purpose of the Eucharist is to transform us, to give us Eternal Life in Christ, so that we are part of Him. United with God and incorporated with Him forever.  As the bread is broken, and the wine is poured, so Jesus suffers and dies on the Cross. Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection are the core of our faith as Christians. In them we see how much God loves us. God’s love is freely given. We do not earn it, we do not deserve it; yet it is given to us. It is through Divine love that we may grow into something better, something greater, something more Christ-like. Such is the power of God’s sacrificial love at work in our lives. This is the treasure which we have come here to receive today. If it were ordinary food then we would eat it, and remain unchanged. But, instead, we who eat the Bread of Heaven are united with Christ. This is strong food! 

The Book of Proverbs speaks of Wisdom, which in the Christian tradition is identified with Christ, the Word made Flesh. Wisdom issues an invitation. She has constructed a house — the Church — and she has built seven pillars — the sacraments of the Church — the means of God’s grace to be active in our lives. The people of God are called to eat and drink, to live, and to walk in the way of wisdom, by following Jesus Christ. The message of New Testament is prefigured in the Hebrew Scriptures, which point to — and find their fulfilment in — Jesus Christ. He is the Wisdom of God, and the Word made Flesh. Christ’s invitation is an echo of the words of the Book of Proverbs:

“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

“Dewch, bwytewch gyda mi, ac yfwch y gwin a gymysgais. Gadewch eich gwiriondeb, ichwi gael byw; rhodiwch yn ffordd deall.” (Prov 9:5-6)

Throughout the Scriptures God issues an invitation to His people to be nourished, and walk in the way of truth. So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us come to the banquet of the Lord, the feast of the Kingdom. May God’s grace transform us more and more into His likeness, and give us eternal life in Him. In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Lent III – Cleansing the Temple

One of the truths about humanity is that we are amazingly good at doing the wrong thing. Corruption and greed beset us, and religious organisations are no exception. We need to be vigilant, constantly on our guard, lest we fall into the scandalous behaviour typified by the traders and money-changers in this morning’s Gospel. 

The Temple in Jerusalem remains to this day the most important place in the world for Jews. At its centre was the Holy of Holies which contained the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark were the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments, some of the manna from the desert, and Aaron’s staff. That is why, to this day, Jews continue to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. This is all that remains of the Temple after its destruction by the Romans in ad 70. At the time of Jesus, Passover was the busiest time of year in Jerusalem. As the central festival of Judaism, Passover marks the journey from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land, Israel. 

In our first reading this morning from the Book of Exodus, God gives the law to Moses on Mount Sinai in the desert. It describes both how to honour God, and how humanity should live. Our duty towards God and our neighbour is clearly shown. When Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God, the first is:

‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.’

‘Myfi yw yr Arglwydd dy Dduw, yr hwn a’th ddug di allan o wlad yr Aifft, o dŷ y caethiwed. Na fydded i ti dduwiau eraill ger fy mron i’ (Exod 20:2-3)

The temple traders, in their desire to profit from people’s religious observance, have broken this first and most important commandment. Their desire for making money and profit has got in the way of what the Temple is supposed to be about: namely, worshipping God. It has become a racket, a money-making scheme to fleece pilgrims who have come from far away and who do not have the right money or the correct sacrificial animals with them. This is no way to worship God, a God who loves us, and who showed that love by delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt, and who will deliver humanity by His Son.

Our Lord is doing the right thing, cleansing the Temple from those who use religion as an opportunity to grow rich through the piety of others. What started as something good has become corrupt, and needs to be reformed. God is not honoured when He is used as an opportunity for people to get rich. The Temple is supposed to be a house of prayer for all the nations (Isaiah 56:7 & Mark 11:7), but the Court of the Gentiles has been filled with stalls for money-changers and animal-sellers. By clearing them out Jesus has made room for the pilgrims, and upset the religious establishment, something which will eventually lead to His Death, at Passover, which we celebrate on Good Friday. He will be crucified and die at the time when the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in the Temple. This is a sacrifice which will not need to be repeated, as Jesus will die once, for the sins of the whole world.

The Jews ask Jesus, 

“What sign do you show us for doing these things?”

‘Pa arwydd yr wyt ti yn ei ddangos i ni, gan dy fod yn gwneuthur y pethau hyn?’ (Jn 2:18)

Our Lord makes a cryptic reply:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 

‘Dinistriwch y deml hon, ac mewn tridiau y cyfodaf hi.’ (Jn 2:19)

His audience cannot understand what Jesus means. It took almost fifty years to build the Temple after the return from Babylon. The idea of destroying it and rebuilding it in three days is crazy. However, Christ is talking about His own Death and Resurrection. Once this has happened, the disciples can understand what Our Lord meant, but currently they do not. They are confused by this inspiring, miracle-working rabbi, who keeps talking about His own Death and Resurrection. 

For those of us who have the benefit of two thousand years of tradition behind us, Jesus makes perfect sense. Christ mentions His Death and Resurrection so often because it is the most important moment in human history. Nothing else really matters compared to these few days around Passover. They are the core of our faith, the reason for our hope, and the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen.

Our Lord is the True Temple, the place where God dwells, His presence among the people of Israel. He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:28). As both Priest and Victim He will offer the sacrifice which restores humanity’s relationship with God and each other. The Jews demand a sign, and Christ prophesies that if they destroy this temple then he will raise it up in three days. He looks to His death and resurrection to show them where true worship lies — in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, ‘I have come not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them’ ‘Peidiwch â thybio i mi ddod i ddileu’r Gyfraith na’r proffwydi; ni ddeuthum i ddileu ond i gyflawni’ (Matthew 5:17). The Ten Commandments are not abolished by Christ, or set aside, but rather His proclamation of the Kingdom and Repentance show us that we still need to live the Law of Moses out in our lives: to show that we honour God and live our lives accordingly. In His cleansing of the Temple, Christ looks to the Cross and to the Resurrection, as the way that God will restore our relationship with Him. The Cross is a stumbling-block to Jews, who are obsessed with the worship of the Temple, and it is foolishness to Gentiles who cannot believe that God could display such weakness, such powerlessness. Instead the Cross, the supreme demonstration of God’s love for us, shocking and scandalous though it is, is a demonstration of the utter, complete, self-giving love of God. Here, love and mercy are offered to heal each and every one of us. Here we are restored. 

It is a shock to learn that God loves us enough to do this, to suffer dreadfully and die for us, to save us from our sins. We do not deserve this generosity, and that is the point. Through Christ we are offered the opportunity to become something other and greater than we are. By putting away the ways of the world, of power and money, selfishness and sin, we can have new life in and through Him.

As we continue our Lenten pilgrimage, may we cleanse the temples of our hearts, and ask God for forgiveness. Let us prepare to celebrate with joy the Paschal feast, freed from sin. Let us rejoice in Our Lord’s victory on the Cross and in His Resurrection, which has opened to us the gates of everlasting life. Where we hope to 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.

El Greco – Christ driving the traders from the Temple [National Gallery, London]
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Lent II – The Transfiguration

One of the perils of driving in autumn or winter is the low Sun. Because of its angle and closeness to the Earth, we find ourselves dazzled by its brilliance. You have to avert your gaze or use a sun visor or sunglasses in order to drive. This can be inconvenient, but the brightness of our closet star is as nothing compared with the presence of God. Last week we heard the voice of God the Father at Jesus’ Baptism and we will hear Him again this week. 

Our first reading from Genesis, the story of Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac, is both well-known, and deeply shocking. The concept of human sacrifice was widespread in the Ancient World. It was not a common occurrence, but it did take place. It seems abhorrent to us, and so it should. In the passage God speaks to Abraham and says,

“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

‘Cymer yr awr hon dy fab, sef dy unig fab Isaac, yr hwn a hoffaist, a dos rhagot i dir Moreia, ac offryma ef yno yn boethoffrwm ar un o’r mynyddoedd yr hwn a ddywedwyf wrthyt.’ (Genesis 22:2)

Thankfully, just as Abraham is about to offer Isaac, God tells him to stop, as Abraham has demonstrated his complete devotion to God:

“Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 

‘Na ddod dy law ar y llanc, ac na wna ddim iddo: oherwydd gwn weithian i ti ofni Duw, gan nad ateliaist dy fab, dy unig fab, oddi wrthyf fi.’ (Genesis 22: 12)

Abraham sees a ram with its horns caught in a thicket, and offers it to God instead. The ram symbolises Christ. It looks forward to Jesus, recognised by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. The ram also points to the Passover Lamb in Exodus, which again prefigures Jesus, the fulfilment of the Paschal Sacrifice. Because Abraham has not withheld his son, he is blessed by God, and through his offspring, all people will be blessed. For Christians the Easter story is important because in it God, like Abraham, does not withhold His Only Son, but gives Him, to die for us. This narrative demands contemplation because it is the demonstration of the mystery of God’s love for humanity. The fact that God loves us that much is totally awesome, especially when we do not deserve it. The mystery of God’s love is that we are not loved because we are loveable. We are often quite the opposite! But God loves us anyway and His steadfast love transforms us. 

St Paul pondered such questions as he wrote to the Church in Rome:

‘He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all’

‘Yr hwn nid arbedodd ei briod Fab, ond a’i traddododd ef trosom ni ol’ (Rom 8:32)

Christ’s death on the Cross is a demonstration of divine generosity, and the reason for our hope as Christians. God’s love for humanity is truly amazing. We should pause for a moment as we read or hear this. God loves me enough to die for me. If God can do this for us, what can we, in return, do for Him? During the Lenten Season we focus on the Cross and the Empty Tomb as the centre of our faith, three days which explain who we are, what we are, and why we are Christians. 

The Transfiguration, described in today’s Gospel, is strange because in it we see something of who Jesus really is: God. We have a brief glimpse of Divine glory as a prelude to Our Lord’s Passion and Death. The two are linked, as they both allow us to understand both who God is, and what He is doing. When God speaks from the cloud He tells us three things about Jesus. Firstly that Jesus is the Son of God, secondly that He is loved, and thirdly that we should listen to Him. What Jesus says and does should affect us and our lives. Like the disciples, we have to be open to the possibility of being radically changed by God. The opportunity of divine transformation is offered to us, so that we might come and share the Divine life of love.

Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone about their experience on the mountain until after He has risen from the dead. Jesus has another mountain He must climb: the hill of Calvary, where He will suffer and die upon the Cross. There He takes our sins upon Himself, restoring our relationship with God and each other. This then is real glory, not worldly glory, but the glory of God’s sacrificial love poured out on the world to heal and restore all humanity. The theologian Fulton Sheen spoke about the importance of mountains in Jesus’ life. He said:

“Three important scenes of Our Lord’s life took place on mountains. On one, He preached the Beatitudes, the practice of which would bring a Cross from the world; on the second, He showed the glory that lay beyond the Cross; and on the third, He offered Himself in death as a prelude to His glory and that of all who would believe in His name”

(Fulton Sheen, The Life of Christ, 1970 p.158)

The Transfiguration shows us the glory of heaven, the glory of the Resurrection at Easter, the glory that lies beyond the Cross. God’s love and God’s glory are intertwined, and cannot be separated because they given freely. God’s very nature is generous, beyond our understanding, and characterised by total self-gift. Our Heavenly Father does not hold anything back, and whereas Isaac is replaced at the last minute by a ram, there is no substitution for Jesus. God gives His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, and to rise again, so that we might enjoy eternity with Him in Heaven. The Transfiguration is a promise of our future heavenly glory. Through signs and glimpses, God shows us what future awaits us. He longs to heal and restore us, so that we might enjoy eternity with Him. 

The Transfiguration, therefore, looks to the Cross to help us to prepare ourselves to live the life of faith. It helps us to comprehend true majesty, true love and true glory. The wonderful glory that can change the world and which lasts forever, for eternity, unlike the fading glory of the world, which is here today but gone tomorrow.

So my brothers and sisters, as we celebrate God’s love and glory, let us prepare to  ascend the mountain ourselves and have an encounter with the living God in Holy Communion. Let us come to the source of healing and fount of love which is God’s very self. Let us touch and taste Our Lord and Saviour, given for us, so that we might live in Him. Let us be transformed by Him and enjoy the glories of Heaven 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.