Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 27 September 2020

Marc Chagall

Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Maybe I am naïve, but I have yet to find anyone who seriously tries to search for God and wrestle with their belief, who can be said to have an easy time! There are people of course, and blessings on them, who seem to walk gently in the way of the commandments without too much trouble - I envy them, in a good way, because they do seem to have the Good Shepherd's care and are often an enormous help to those of us who really have struggles with many aspects of our Christian lives, but I suspect for many of us their answers to questions do not help us move on, instead they act as a comforter at a point on our journey. They soothe and calm, but the journey for us still has to go on.

I write this not to denigrate anybody you or I know who has that kind of deep, sincere, and simple faith, this is the Spirit's gift to them, but alas it certainly isn't mine; the words of Ezekiel resonate much more with me, and I suspect with some of you: 'You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"* Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Are not your ways unfair?' (Ez 18:25) The Prophet of course goes on to explore this grievance, pointing out in this instance, that we may be looking at things through the wrong end of a microscope-our sinfulness and rejection of righteous behaviour might be the problem!

That is fine if I can see my failures and failings as a cause of my ennui with God, but there are times when we do try, really make that effort to follow the Good News, and find no answer! We read so beautifully in Philippians 2, that we should strive hard to: "Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others.' (Phil 2:3,4) But does humility work, can we get that insight of wider equanimity?

This kind of discipline has been drilled into me: as a small child growing up in a big faith family, one that kept values we discover are unfashionable at the moment; as a schoolboy in Catholic educational establishments including many years educated by the Jesuits; as a monk and a priest, but above all by that inner call to grapple with being a theologian and a putative friend of Christ, who, in that phrase of St Anselm, leads me into a dialogue in friendship of ; 'Faith seeking understanding, 'fides quarens intellectum'! A friendship which has been to discover the unfolding meanings of God in the all circumstances of my life, not just through intellect and reason.

Too often though, that call to see any inner goodness in others has dimmed and fluttered like a very fragile candle flame, especially when faced with the inevitability of people's self-interest. And who can blame us these days? Dominating politics, celebrity culture, the need to keep abreast of so many rights we all seem to have, and the evolution of this phenomenon of 'Woke' culture, the Christian virtue of humility is seen as weak, possibly antithetical to pursuing life, liberty and happiness, yet this more ego driven way is not the answer, is it?

I would share with you a deeper insight, not mine I hasten to add, but the kenosis of `Christ, his emptying out to reach down to our standards, so starkly described by Paul:

' Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,

he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.' ( Phil 2:7,8)

There it is, our fragility and the limitations of temporal life, are brought into eternity by Christ. What we see and perhaps glimpse in understanding now, is not the end of a story but our part of it being written. Somehow hope comes out of the struggle, because it shows me, and I hope you, that there is a real relationship growing through our religious struggles. We have to move on, because the Divine One is inviting us deeper into a loving relationship that includes God's gift of merciful compassion for our human situation. Like any friendship, love the connection between us grows but also changes, as St John Henry Newman put it, to become perfect is to change often! Be of courage, let the Holy One know how you feel, but do not give up, humility is really about the dirt of our lives, which like good compost loves makes good things grow!

Lectio Divina

Psalm 25

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul,
my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me.

No one is disgraced who waits for you,
but only those who are treacherous without cause.
Make known to me your ways, LORD;
teach me your paths.

Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
for you are God my saviour,
for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD,
for they are ages old.
Remember no more the sins of my youth;
remember me according to your mercy,
because of your goodness, LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD,
therefore he shows sinners the way,
He guides the humble in righteousness,
and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
toward those who honour his covenant and decrees.

For the sake of your name, LORD,
pardon my guilt, though it is great.

Who is the one who fears the LORD?
God shows him the way he should choose.
He will abide in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.

The counsel of the LORD belongs to those who fear him;
and his covenant instructs them.
My eyes are ever upon the LORD,
who frees my feet from the snare.

Remembering our ancestors in faith and our Jewish brothers and sisters

'Kol Nidre' - the introductory prayer that is recited before sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur ( Sunday 27th 2020)

Chazzan recites whilst the Congregation says quietly in an undertone

In the tribunal of heaven and the tribunal of earth, by the permission of God-blessed be He-and by the permission of this holy congregation, we hold it lawful to pray with the transgressors."

'Kol Nidre':

"All vows, obligations, oaths, and anathemas, whether called 'ḳonam,' 'ḳonas,' or by any other name, which we may vow, or swear, or pledge, or whereby we may be bound, from this Day of Atonement until the next (whose happy coming we await), we do repent. May they be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, and void, and made of no effect; they shall not bind us nor have power over us. The vows shall not be reckoned vows; the obligations shall not be obligatory; nor the oaths be oaths."

The leader and the congregation then say together:
(Num. xv. 26).

"And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourns amongst them, seeing all the people were in ignorance."

The Cḥazzan then closes with the benediction : "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast preserved us and hast brought us to enjoy this season."

Fr Robin is an Eastern Rite Catholic Chaplain for Melkites in the UK. He is also an Ecumenical Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. You can follow him on Twitter: @RobinGibbons2