Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 2 March 2014

Fr Gibbons

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 March 2014

If you ever wanted a clear expression of what it means to be a Christian in the world then Paul comes up trumps; he tells us that we are ‘servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God’. What does that mean, you might ask? The servant metaphor is easy to pick up - Jesus frequently weaves that into his teaching - he came to serve others, not to be served. So for us who follow him, love and humbleness are the key to our service of our people, our world and its creatures. But what do we understand by being stewards of the mysteries of God?

I think that is a wonderful statement, to be a steward requires that we be honest and true, trustworthy in what we do and are. What we have care of are the mysteries of God and that is something we need to handle with care. Jesus, seen through Matthews eyes, gives us the task of handling that mystery, for in Him, the Risen Christ, the hidden mystery is now revealed. That is something we proclaim in word and sacrament.

One of the great treasures of the Churches of the East is their deeply liturgical spirituality, for our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters, the liturgy is really the meeting of heaven and earth and the sacraments are called the ‘mysteries’, those close encounters with God in Christ. There in word and symbol God is revealed to us and is found with us through the power of the life giving Spirit.

That is also true of the Western Church. The renewal of our liturgy has helped many experience that encounter anew. The mysteries of God are not mysterious, they are there to be handled, touched, eaten, received, in word, in oil, in water, in bread and wine!

In the end it is all very simple, we are told very succinctly to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,’ this is the vocation of the pilgrim people of God. Matthew collects the teachings of Jesus in order to impress on us that as servants and stewards we are not to be anxious disciples or worry too much about things, yes be prudent, but also be open to God’s love at work in creation.

Then says Jesus, ‘all these things will be given you besides’.

Fr Robin Gibbons is an Eastern Rite Chaplain for the Melkite Greek Catholics in Britain.