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Advent Sunday

‘Gwisgwch yr Arglwydd Iesu Grist amdanoch’

‘But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom 13:14)

Today is Advent Sunday, the start of the season of Advent. The next four weeks are a time of waiting, of expectation: for the coming of Jesus Christ. Both as we prepare to celebrate His Birth at Christmas, and for the Second Coming of Christ as our Saviour and our Judge. The idea of Jesus’ return has not always been seen as something to look forward to. Judgement has been equated with condemnation, and fear of the coming judgement has been used to control people. Yet, as Christians, we look forward to Our Lord’s Second Coming, just as we look forward to our annual celebration of His First Coming, at Christmas.

In today’s Gospel Jesus is teaching His disciples about the end times. Our Lord draws a comparison between the Last Day and the Flood:

‘For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.’ (Mt 24:37-39)

The point is that, just like the arrival of the Great Flood, no-one knows when the Last Day is going to happen. People are carrying on with their lives as normal. It is an unexpected event. One of the reasons Noah was saved was that he was prepared. He had built an ark. Our ark is the Church, which we enter through Baptism. For us the waters bring life not death. We are ready, and preparation is the key to Jesus’ message. Whenever the Lord comes, we need to be in a fit state to meet Him. 

How do we prepare? By following the advice in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah:

‘O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.’ (Isa 2:5)

If we walk in the light of the Lord, then we are not walking in darkness. We live out our faith in our lives, and our moral characters are formed by our behaviour. We become what we do often in our actions.

About sixteen hundred years ago, one of Christianity’s great figures, St Augustine, had been struggling towards the journey of faith. One day, as he sat under a fig tree, he kept hearing a child say, ‘Pick up and read’ (Aug. Conf. 8.29). And so he opened a Bible and read in the Letter to the Romans:

‘Not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.’ (Rom 13:13-14)

Drunkenness, fornication, the sort of behaviour often associated with the Christmas Office Party in particular, and the modern society in general, can be dismissed as ‘just a bit of fun’ or of ‘no consequence in the great scheme of things’. However, what we do affects our lives: we become what we do often. The Christian Life is most definitely not a ‘fun-free zone’. Rather, it is a way of being which allows us to be fully alive; doing what we should be doing in the way we should be doing it. Today’s world is filled with examples of the behaviour which St Paul sees as problematic: people being quarrelsome and subject to baser appetites. One need only read a newspaper, look at the Internet, or turn on the television, to see a world which has got things wrong, in which we are not living decently. Our lives, our characters, are formed by what we think and do, by the decisions we make. This is a cumulative process, where we build on the choices we have made in the past. Therefore, we need to start down the right path as soon as possible, or turn back if we have gone astray.

The first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, looks forward to a Messianic Age of peace:

‘and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ (Isa 2:4)

Swords and spears will be turned into agricultural tools for ploughing fields and cultivating vines.They will no longer be used for warfare, but instead for growing grain and grapes, to make bread and wine. These are the very foodstuffs Our Lord takes at the Last Supper, when He institutes the Eucharist. This feast of thanksgiving is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, and represents the Messianic Kingdom where love will triumph over violence.

At this time of year, The Church prepares for three comings: the first is our annual commemoration of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, at Christmas, where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The second coming of Christ will be at the end of time, when He will be our Saviour and our Judge. The third coming we prepare for is even nearer. It happens day by day, and week by week, when Christ comes to us in the Eucharist, through His Body and Blood, under the outward forms of Bread and Wine. This is the Feast of the Kingdom, anticipated by the ploughshares and pruning hooks of Isaiah: tools used to help produce Bread and Wine. Isaiah’s prophecy looks forward to the peace of the Messiah and the banquet of Bread and Wine. These are the Foods of the Kingdom, which provide nourishment for our journey of faith, and give us strength and new life in Christ. Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist to fortify us, and to transform us into His likeness; to help us to live out our faith in the whole of our lives.

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us prepare to meet Our Lord by living out our faith, in all aspects of our lives , nourished with Word and Sacrament. The time is short. The time is now. How we live really matters. We need to grow in the Lord, to learn His ways and walk in His paths. As Christians, we are called to live decently and vigilantly, preferring nothing to Christ, and inviting all the world to come to the fullness of life in Him. This is how we prepare for His coming at Christmas and as Our Saviour and Judge. By following Jesus, and being fed by Him, we are restored and healed by Him. And so, on this Advent Sunday, we sing the praise of 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.

Fra Angelico The Conversion of St Augustine, [Musée Thomas-Henry, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France]
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All Saints: Living the Beatitudes

I have an important message for you all this morning: God has a plan for your life! Now, you may well have heard these words before, possibly from someone preaching a sermon, but they contain a profound truth. They are found in the Bible, in words that God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Oherwydd myfi sy’n gwybod fy mwriadau a drefnaf ar eich cyfer, medd yr Arglwydd, bwriadau o heddwch nid niwed, i roi ichwi ddyfodol gobeithiol. (Jer 29:11)

It can be hard to hold onto such a promise, especially when times are difficult and the outlook is bleak. We need to ask ourselves the question, ‘Do we trust God?’ If the answer is ‘Yes’ then, whatever difficulties or hardships may come our way, we know that our future is in safe hands.

Fundamentally, the point of being a Christian is to reside in Heaven. Such a destination is possible because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, out of love. This is the plan God has for our life, and this is why Jesus became man, lived, died, and rose from the dead. God shows us both how to live, and what He desires for us. We can have faith, and put our trust in the God who loves us, in the clear hope that, after our earthly life is over, we may enjoy eternity with God and the Saints in Heaven. Most of all, in this hope, we can live earthly lives of love, loving both God and each other, foreshadowing the eternal joys of Heaven. 

In our current culture we are not used to hearing such a message. There is a tendency to think that holiness is for other people, certainly not for us. But God wants each and every one of us to become a saint. He wants us to live in a world full of people trying to be saints. The Church is ‘a school for saints’ (which is peopled by sinners), in which Christians try to live out their faith, cooperating with the grace of God. We do this when we let Christ live in us, so that we can say with the Apostle Paul:

‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’

‘a mwyach, nid myfi sy’n byw, ond Crist sy’n byw ynof fi.’ (Gal 2:20)

There is a paradox at work here. For when we truly let Christ live in us, we do not lose ourselves, but instead we discover who we really are. This enables us to become the people God wants us to be; the people we were created to be. As Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel:

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Oherwydd pwy bynnag a fyn gadw ei fywyd, fe’i cyll, ond pwy bynnag a gyll ei fywyd er fy mwyn i, fe’i caiff. (Mt 16:25)

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints. On this day, in the eighth century ad, Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel to All Saints in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and now there are many Churches with this dedication. It is a good thing to celebrate the fact that Heaven is full of saints. They are the Church Triumphant, who spend eternity praising God and praying for us. Just as we pray for our friends here on earth, it stands to reason that our friends in Heaven pray for us as well. It is reassuring to understand that we are not alone in our quest to reach Heaven, and to know that those who are already there long for us to join them. 

If Heaven is our goal, how then should we live our lives on earth? Thankfully today’s Gospel gives us a template to follow, an example of what a Christian life looks like. 

We constantly hear how the world around us values success and confidence, and looks up to the rich, and the powerful. In contrast to this, Jesus says to the gathered crowd:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai sy’n dlodion yn yr ysbryd, oherwydd eiddynt hwy yw teyrnas nefoedd.” (Mt 5:3)

‘Poor in spirit’ is not a term we are used to using today, but it means the exact opposite of pride. Jesus places humility as key to living a Christian life: knowing who we are, and our need for God. Only if we rely upon God, and not ourselves, and ask Him to work through us, can we truly live out the Christian life. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai sy’n galaru, oherwydd cânt hwy eu cysuro.” (Mt 5:4)

We mourn those we love, those whom we see no longer in this life. We do so because we love them, we miss them, we want to see them, and hold them, and talk to them. Our parting, while temporary, is still very painful. Thankfully the Kingdom of God, which Christ comes to bring, is a place of healing and comfort with the promise of eternal life. 

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai addfwyn, oherwydd cânt hwy etifeddu’r ddaear.” (Mt 5:5)

Gentle people are not weak: they know how to use their strength, and how not to use it. As Jesus will later say in Matthew’s Gospel: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ‘Cymerwch fy iau arnoch a dysgwch gennyf, oherwydd addfwyn ydwyf a gostyngedig o galon, ac fe gewch orffwystra i’ch eneidiau.’ (Mt 11:29). This is how God wants us to live as human beings. Christ is the example of gentleness we must follow. Once again, God’s vision of the future turns human expectations upside down. 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai sy’n newynu a sychedu am gyfiawnder, oherwydd cânt hwy eu digon.” (Mt 5:6)

Should we be devoted to God? Absolutely! Should we pray that His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven? Definitely! Jesus taught us to pray this way. Clearly God wants to see our world transformed and has invited us to help in the process; and doing so gives us fulfilment.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai trugarog, oherwydd cânt hwy dderbyn trugaredd.” (Mt 5:7)

We see what God’s mercy looks like in Christ’s death for us on the Cross. In following Christ’s example, we both ask for forgiveness for our own sins, and forgive those who sin against us. This forgiveness can transform us and the world around us, and it is how the healing and reconciliation of God’s Kingdom functions. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai pur eu calon, oherwydd cânt hwy weld Duw.” (Mt 5:8)

To be pure in heart is to want what God wants: to align our will with the will of God. It is to be saintly, and thus have the promise of Heaven, which is less of a place or a time, and much more a relationship. To see God is know Him, and to know His love for us. This is the very thing that Christ comes to restore to humanity, and it is our hope. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” 

“Gwyn eu byd y tangnefeddwyr, oherwydd cânt hwy eu galw’n feibion i Dduw.”(Mt 5:9)

First and foremost, we know that Christ is the Son of God because He made ‘peace by the blood of his cross’ ‘ar ôl gwneud heddwch trwy ei waed ar y groes’ (Col 1:20). We too are called to follow Christ’s example to take up our Cross, and work for peace. We are called to strive for peace in our own hearts and lives, in our families and communities, and in our world.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

“Gwyn eu byd y rhai a erlidiwyd yn achos cyfiawnder, oherwydd eiddynt hwy yw teyrnas nefoedd. Gwyn eich byd pan fydd pobl yn eich gwaradwyddo a’ch erlid, ac yn dweud pob math o ddrygair celwyddog yn eich erbyn, o’m hachos i.” (Mt 5:10-11)

Following Jesus will not, by default, make us popular. Often people’s response is quite the opposite. If, however, we want to see God’s Kingdom as a reality in this life and the next, then we must be prepared to be shunned, or even ridiculed by others. To follow Christ is to take up the Cross, and to expect persecution. But we are not alone in this. Christ has gone before us, showing us that the story does not end with Death on a Cross, but with the glory of the Resurrection and Eternal life. 

If we want to become saints, then we have to be like Christ. We have to share in His suffering and death, and we have to be prepared to be rejected by the world. We may not face imprisonment, torture and death in this country, but many Christians around the world do. However, we may be scorned, ignored, or criticised. What do we do in such circumstances? We are called to be loving, generous, and forgiving, because that is what Jesus has shown us. We can be different to the world around us because we belong to a new community — the Kingdom — a community of faith, built on our relationship with Jesus Christ, who came to save humanity from itself. Our Lord came so that we might have life in all its fullness.This is what the Beatitudes mean. By living the life of God’s Kingdom in this place and at this time, we can live the life of Heaven (here and now) on earth. This is what God wants us to do. It is the way Jesus has showed us how to live. It is what the Saints have done before us.

So, on this feast of All Saints, let us be filled with faith and joy, and let us be ready to conform our lives to God’s will. May we live the life of the Kingdom together, and encourage others, so that all may join the choirs of Heaven to sing the praise of 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 glory, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen

James Tissot, The Sermon on the Mount, Brooklyn Museum
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Trinity XI: Come to the Banquet

Organising seating plans for a banquet is not something most of us have a great deal of experience doing. Most of our dining nowadays is not that formal. The closest we might come is organising the seating at a Wedding Breakfast. So it is difficult for us to understand quite how important seating arrangements at dinner were in the Ancient World. Where you sat mattered. Where you were seated was signified by your rank in society, with the most important placed next to the host. This morning’s Gospel begins with Jesus having been invited to a Friday night dinner, the most important meal in the Jewish week, by a senior Pharisee. Luke’s comment is instructive:

‘ac yr oeddent hwy â’u llygaid arno’

‘they were watching him closely’ (Lk 14:1)

Jesus is on display. He is being studied by all those present at the dinner — presumably other leading Pharisees. They want to see if Our Lord will do, or say, something that they can find fault with. They are keen to catch Him out, in order to criticise Him. Jesus uses this experience as a teaching opportunity:

‘Yna adroddodd ddameg wrth y gwesteion, wrth iddo sylwi sut yr oeddent yn dewis y seddau anrhydedd’

‘Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honour’ (Lk 14:7)

The self-important dinner guests are all trying to get as close to the host as possible. They want the best places, the best food, and to be seen as being superior. So Jesus tells the following parable:

“Pan wahoddir di gan rywun i wledd briodas, paid â chymryd y lle anrhydedd, rhag ofn ei fod wedi gwahodd rhywun amlycach na thi; oherwydd os felly, daw’r sawl a’ch gwahoddodd chwi’ch dau a dweud wrthyt, ‘Rho dy le i hwn’, ac yna byddi dithau mewn cywilydd yn cymryd y lle isaf. Yn hytrach, pan wahoddir di, dos a chymer y lle isaf, fel pan ddaw’r gwahoddwr y dywed wrthyt, ‘Gyfaill, tyrd yn uwch’; yna dangosir parch iti yng ngŵydd dy holl gyd-westeion.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honour, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person’, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at table with you.” (Lk 14:8-1o)

In practical terms, what Jesus is advising is sensible, and wise, because it removes the possibility of losing face. To this day in the Middle East, and elsewhere, the situation envisaged in the parable would be seen as a source of shame, or honour, depending on whether you were promoted to a place near the host, or demoted to a more distant seat. We tend not to be so aware of such considerations, and many people instinctively gravitate towards the back. Christ’s parable makes the point that humility is better than pride: 

“Oherwydd darostyngir pob un sy’n ei ddyrchafu ei hun, a dyrchefir pob un sy’n ei ddarostwng ei hun.”

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 14:11)

To have an attitude which does not seek out the place of honour contrasts strongly with the guests who have done exactly that. Our Lord is pointing out that humility is the better way.

Christianity is a religion of humility. It starts from the premise that we have to rely upon God’s grace to save us, through faith. God takes the initiative, and we respond. We do not save ourselves. The point of salvation is that God is the host who says: ‘Friend come up higher’. We do not deserve a seat of honour, nor have we thought ourselves worthy of it. Yet a loving and generous God says to all who turn to Him: ‘Friend come up higher’. This is the Good News of the Kingdom, and it turns our human expectations on their head. Jesus then develops His teaching: 

Meddai hefyd wrth ei wahoddwr, “Pan fyddi’n trefnu cinio neu swper, paid â gwahodd dy gyfeillion na’th frodyr na’th berthnasau na’th gymdogion cyfoethog, rhag ofn iddynt hwythau yn eu tro dy wahodd di, ac iti gael dy ad-dalu. Pan fyddi’n trefnu gwledd, gwahodd yn hytrach y tlodion, yr anafusion, y cloffion, a’r deillion; a gwyn fydd dy fyd, am nad oes ganddynt fodd i dalu’n ôl iti; cei dy dalu’n ôl yn atgyfodiad y cyfiawn.”

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Lk 14: 12-14)

People were having parties to display their wealth, social status, and connections. This still happens today. But God has a different understanding of hospitality. In His vision it is not about what you get, but what you can give to others. Generosity is what really matters. By inviting those who cannot invite you back in return, you are being generous to those who are in no position to repay you. Jesus’ teaching here is also about the banquet of the Kingdom of God, the Eucharist. Jesus, as God, invites the poor, those in need of healing — in other words all of humanity, you and me — to the feast of the Kingdom. The purpose of the Eucharist is so that God can feed us, with His Body and Blood, to heal us. In this divine banquet God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and gives us a foretaste of Heaven. We cannot repay God, but we can be thankful, and accept what is offered, allowing it to transform us. 

Christ has an important and strong message for His host and his fellow diners. We see Our Lord advising them to be generous and not to seek any reward. Human Society is complex. The giving and receiving of gifts has always been a crucial part of how society works. It creates networks of obligation: if you give someone something, they may feel obliged to return the favour. That is fine in human terms, but when we transfer it to the divine realm we are faced with a problem. What can we give God? Does Our Heavenly Father need or want anything? No! Because God is by nature, perfect, complete, and self-sufficient. Almighty God cannot want or need anything. As a result of this God is able to give the purest form of gift, which does not require anything in return. There can be no obligation, because humanity cannot give Our Creator anything. God is able give without expecting anything in return. This is what happens in the Incarnation when Our Lord is given to and for us. Throughout His life and ministry, to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection all He is and does is for our benefit. God is generous to us, not so that we can be generous in return, but simply for our own good. Likewise our sacrifice of praise is not for God’s benefit, but ours, demonstrating that we are living the way we should: flourishing by being loving, generous, and thankful. 

Instead of the norms of human interaction and obligation, Christ presents us with a completely different paradigm. The dinner invitations in the Kingdom are for the ‘poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind’ (Lk 14:13). That means us! God longs to lavish His riches upon us; to heal our wounds, and to restore our sight. In turn, by our care for those who are weak, outcast, or deemed socially undesirable, we proclaim the Kingdom of God in our actions. Each one of us is called to the banquet here and now, in order that our souls may be nourished with Word and Sacrament. The Eucharist is the banquet of the Kingdom, which heals us, and transforms us more and more into God’s likeness.

God gives Himself, so the we might live in Him. This is true generosity — a generosity which expects nothing in return. Christ is the model of humility and loving service that we should imitate. Jesus takes the lowest place, bearing the weight of our sin, on the Cross. There He dies that we might live. There He dies to make us free.

Therefore, may we, in humility, recognise our need of God, and respond to His invitation to the Divine banquet. We pray that God will heal us, restore us and strengthen us to live lives of humility and love. In response we give thanks and sing the praises of God, Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I’r hwn y priodoler pob gogoniant, arglwyddiaeth, a gallu, yn awr, ac yn oes oesoedd. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen

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Quinquagesima 2025

LIVING in the Welsh countryside we are surrounded by trees (coed). At this time of year we notice changes in them as catkins and buds appear. Spring is arriving, a new season, and the trees prepare for the transformations they will undergo during the months ahead. Likewise, we too need to prepare to enter a new season: Lent. The time of preparation for the transformation of Easter, when death turns to life through the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In our first reading this morning we are given a criterion for judgement:

‘Fel y mae ffrwyth pren yn dangos y driniaeth a gafodd, felly y mae mynegiant rhywun o’i feddyliau yn dangos ei ddiwylliant’

‘The fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree; so the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a person’s mind.’ (Eccles. 27:6)

However, mention of trees and fruit makes us look both backwards and forwards. Back to Genesis, where humanity falls through eating forbidden fruit, and forward to Calvary, where the Cross becomes the tree of salvation. Christ is the fruit that hangs upon this tree, who heals our wounds, and who offers us eternal life.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins by telling a parable which seeks to criticise the Pharisees, and Religious Authorities of His day. 

“Adroddodd Iesu ddameg wrth ei ddisgyblion: “A fedr y dall arwain y dall? Onid syrthio i bydew a wna’r ddau? Nid yw disgybl yn well na’i athro; ond wedi ei lwyr gymhwyso bydd pob un fel ei athro.”

“Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. ”(Lk 6:39-40)

The Pharisees are described as the blind leading the blind; teachers leading people the wrong way, oblivious to their own faults and shortcomings, yet judging others. They appear as hypocrites, as the teaching goes on to explain:

“Pam yr wyt yn edrych ar y brycheuyn sydd yn llygad dy gyfaill, a thithau heb sylwi ar y trawst sydd yn dy lygad dy hun? Sut y gelli ddweud wrth dy gyfaill, ‘Gyfaill, gad imi dynnu allan y brycheuyn sydd yn dy lygad di’, a thi dy hun heb weld y trawst sydd yn dy lygad di? Ragrithiwr, yn gyntaf tyn y trawst allan o’th lygad dy hun, ac yna fe weli yn ddigon eglur i dynnu’r brycheuyn sydd yn llygad dy gyfaill.”

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye’, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” (Lk 6:41-42)

To recognise that you have ‘a log in your own eye’ requires both self-examination and the humility to recognise your own failures and shortcomings before making any criticism of others. Here Jesus is clearly telling His followers not to be judgemental. Logs and splinters are made of wood, which comes from trees. With a beam in our own eyes we cannot see anything, let alone assist someone with a splinter in their eye. Making the world a better place starts with each of us as individuals, and not with someone else.

Our Lord then goes on to point out the need to bear good fruit, using an analogy from the natural world:

“Oherwydd nid yw coeden dda yn dwyn ffrwyth gwael, ac nid yw coeden wael chwaith yn dwyn ffrwyth da. Wrth ei ffrwyth ei hun y mae pob coeden yn cael ei hadnabod; nid oddi ar ddrain y mae casglu ffigys, ac nid oddi ar lwyni mieri y mae tynnu grawnwin.”

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.” (Lk 6:43-44)

This vivid imagery is simple and straightforward. If we as Christians are to bear good fruit, then we need to live good lives. The Pharisees are trees bearing bad fruit, whereas Our Lord has come to offer humanity life in all its fulness. But for this, He will be rejected and hung on a tree. However, this fruit is the greatest that there is. God gives himself for us and to us, so that we may have life in Him. So that we may grow and flourish.

Our taking part in and receiving of the Eucharist is the way in which we are strengthened as Christians. It is the medicine for our souls. If we are nourished by Jesus then we can be built up in love and faith, and strengthened to bear witness to Christ. We need God’s grace to be at work in us, to fortify, and sustain us. 

At its heart Christianity is a religion of transformation. In the Incarnation Christ became what we are, so that we might share His Divine Life. God does not want us to stay as we are. When we encounter Him in prayer, in reading Holy Scripture, and in the Sacraments, we are changed by that experience. We become something which we were not before. Our faith is deepened, we grow in holiness, and we reflect more fully the light of Him in whose image we were created.

So, let us prepare to deepen our encounter with God as we approach the season of Lent. Let us use self-examination, and prayer, so that we may grow in holiness. Let us become firmly rooted in Christ, living out our faith to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, so that the world may believe and 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.

Posted on by atfurse

Advent Sunday 2024: Be Alert: Preparing for Christ’s Return

WHEN I was a young boy I was given a bookmark, on which was printed, ‘BE ALERT: The world needs all the lerts it can get!’ This pun amused me greatly, and it still does. However, it contains a serious message. As Christians we are called to be watchful and aware: both of the world around us, and of the signs of God’s Kingdom. We must also be watchful for Our Lord’s Return. There are two things of which we can be sure. Firstly, that our earthly lives are finite, and secondly, that Christ will come to judge the World. People often find both of these concepts somewhat off-putting, which is understandable. However, they are a reality which we need to face, and understand. Christians believe in God. We trust that we are loved by Our Heavenly Father, who is a God of love and mercy. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us to Himself and with each other. This is why we can have hope, and prepare to meet Christ with joyful hearts.

The prophet Jeremiah, in our first reading this morning, speaks of prophecy being fulfilled:

‘“Y mae’r dyddiau’n dod,” medd yr Arglwydd, “y cyflawnaf y gair daionus a addewais i dŷ Israel ac i dŷ Jwda.”’

‘Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.’ (Jer 33:14)

God promises to fulfil prophecy and to send His people a Saviour. This promise, made to the House of David, is fulfilled both by Jesus’ birth and His return in judgement. God promises to save His people and to rule in a way that is far beyond any human idea of justice. Earthly rulers and politicians will, and do, disappoint us: they always fall short of our expectations. They are human beings, and are therefore fallible. Instead, we call upon God to intervene, and make things right. Only our Heavenly Father can save us, we cannot save ourselves.

However, waiting for Jesus’ Return is not without its problems. St Paul writes to Christians in northern Greece who are expecting Christ’s Second Coming to be imminent. Their expectations need to be managed, and they need help to live out their faith, so that they grow in love together. Our time on earth is limited, so we need to take every opportunity to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Jesus’ description of the end times is in agreement with the apocalyptic passages found in the prophets. In other words, when that day comes it will be clear. If we are alert, then we will know what is going on. We should look forward to this day, and not be afraid: 

“A’r pryd hwnnw gwelant Fab y Dyn yn dyfod mewn cwmwl gyda nerth a gogoniant mawr. Pan ddechreua’r pethau hyn ddigwydd, ymunionwch a chodwch eich pennau, oherwydd y mae eich rhyddhad yn agosáu.”

‘And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ (Lk 21:27-28)

Christ’s return is a sign of the Kingdom of God. He will welcome us to our eternal Heavenly home. Mindful of our destiny, we should use this season of Advent as a time for preparation. We should make these four weeks leading to Christmas a time when we turn away from everything which separates us from God and each other. As Our Lord says in the Gospel:

“Cymerwch ofal, rhag i’ch meddyliau gael eu pylu gan ddiota a meddwi a gofalon bydol, ac i’r dydd hwnnw ddod arnoch yn ddisymwth fel magl; oherwydd fe ddaw ar bawb sy’n trigo ar wyneb y ddaear gyfan.”

‘But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth’ (Lk 21:34-35)

These words are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. Human nature has not changed, nor has our propensity for doing the wrong things — squandering our time, energy, and resources. Instead, we should listen to Jesus and obey His commands:

“Byddwch effro bob amser, gan ddeisyf am nerth i ddianc rhag yr holl bethau hyn sydd ar ddigwydd, ac i sefyll yng ngŵydd Mab y Dyn.”

‘But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ (Lk 21:36)

Vigilance, prayer, and complete reliance upon God are the weapons of our spiritual armoury with which to combat the darkness of this world. 

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be alert and watchful. Let us serve Christ our King who will return, filled with His love for us, and for all people. Let this love form a Kingdom with God as its head. And as we await the Christ’s Second Coming, 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.

Christos Pantokrator, St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai