Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons - 31 January 2021

Icon by Fr Robin Gibbons

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ....

Anxiety is one of the unpleasant side effects of our situation in this peculiar shifting time of Pandemic, and we have reason to remain on our own inner high alert, mainly to help others keep safe and help our service industries and medical supports.

I don't expect that we will ever go back to what we thought of as normal in January 2020, and I am certain that in time we as a Church community are going to have to really get to grips with the not so hidden message of this time and the call to real transformation in the world, in order that our earth may not collapse and future generations of life (all life!!) enjoy God's creation in a better society. Well that is my vision and hope. I shall certainly come back to this prophetic viewpoint more often in the future

It is in this sense of looking forwards that I reflected on these few words of Deuteronomy: "Anyone who will not listen to my words which the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will hold accountable for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die". (Dt 18: 19,20) They are tough, rightly so, because at this stage in our human journey the `Christian Community has a real task to proclaim Christ's healing and forgiveness and shed a light on the injustice of our behaviour towards so many, it needs good prophets, called out by the Most High to call us back and point our way. What it does not need, and unfortunately there are far too many in our religious communities and those who speak for themselves, not for God, but claim to do so.

These false prophets exist everywhere, yes even in the Church. As Pope Francis said in his homily at the Mass on St peter and Paul this year: "prophecy is born whenever we allow ourselves to be challenged by God, not when we are concerned to keep everything quiet and under control. When the Gospel overturns certainties, prophecy arises. Only someone who is open to God's surprises can become a prophet."

But back to our anxiety! All of us have this at some point, I envy those who are able to keep a sunny view of life and what it brings, but from early years I have been one of the worriers, as with all things it has its negative and positive side, though knowing just how appalling panic attacks are, my hope as `I get older is to be able to cope, just cope with it, and find ways of calming things right down, yet I have also found that by dealing honestly with my own anxieties, I have often been 'surprised' by new ways, new horizons that emerge, but the key is very much in that quote of Pope Francis, even in anxiety I seek the answer in the challenge it brings, not by trying to suppress it, but to understand it!

This leads me to the passage from Paul that is the second reading of the Sunday Liturgy from I Corinthians (4th in Ordinary Time). Frankly it annoys me, it might have worked once upon a time, but it sounds odd to play off married people distracted and anxious about the world as against single state as focussed on the Lords dealings! It is simply not true! Think about people you know anybody can be anxious about anything. Of course Paul is driving a point home about living focussed on God, but we cannot do that unless we also live, love, and support our neighbour on the only planet home we know. This is one of those readings that need and deserve context and also some debate, critiquing and arguing is not inimical to God's way, the Scriptures are riddled with such examples, so be of hope, know that it is the direction of your heart that matters and that anxiety, all anxiety is understood by Christ, to whom through the Spirit we must turn for help.

But finally our Gospel, if ever there is a passage that shows us how good and evil exist even in our religious communities, we have it before us here, an unclean man with an evil Spirit challenges Jesus, who rebuking that which was in him, not the man himself, heals the problem. So too for us, we need to be more radical in turning to Christ, opening to him, being surprised by him, and say this prayer from the liturgy: 'Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lectio Divina

Pope Francis - June 29th 2020

Extract from his homily on SS Peter and Paul.

The Apostles were challenged by Jesus. Peter heard Jesus' question: "Who do you say I am?" (cf. Mt 16:15). At that moment he realized that the Lord was not interested in what others thought, but in Peter's personal decision to follow him. Paul's life changed after a similar challenge from Jesus: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). The Lord shook Paul to the core: more than just knocking him to the ground on the road to Damascus, he shattered Paul's illusion of being respectably religious. As a result, the proud Saul turned into Paul. Paul, a name that means "small". These challenges and reversals are followed by prophecies: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church" (Mt 16:18); and, for Paul: "He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Prophecy is born whenever we allow ourselves to be challenged by God, not when we are concerned to keep everything quiet and under control. It doesn't come from my thoughts, it doesn't come from my closed heart. It is born if we allow ourselves to be challenged by God. When the Gospel overturns certainties, prophecy arises. Only someone who is open to God's surprises can become a prophet. And there they are: Peter and Paul, prophets who look to the future. Peter is the first to proclaim that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16). Paul, who considers his impending death: "From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord will award to me" (2 Tim 4:8).

Prayer of Frere Roger of Taize

Jesus Christ, Love of all loving, you were always in me and I did not know it. You were there, and I kept on forgetting you. You were in my heart of hearts and I was looking elsewhere. Even when I remained far from you, you kept on waiting for me. And the day is coming when I can tell you: Risen Christ, you are my life: I belong to Christ, I am Christ's.

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