Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons - 18 June 2023

Smiling Angel of Reims

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Necessity of Truth

I am sure that I will not be the only person who, on reading the following sentence from today's gospel, might link it to the general situation in politics and world events where truth and justice seem to be casualties of big ego and devious political strategy! Here it is: 'At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,* like sheep without a shepherd'.(Mt 9: 36)

Times are troubling and the capacity for those in power to demonstrate a precarious grasp on truth is often overwhelming. Maybe I am, as a relation told me, 'on the spectrum ' because I tend to go on and on about justice and demand truthful answers, but like many of you, I was brought up to understand that telling the truth, looking for the truth matters, we find it in the Decalogue: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour". (Ex 20:16) and I seem to remember that the Ten Commandments are still an important guide, but there is more, for Jesus tells us he is the truth, the way and life (Jn 14:6). He also places before us a distinctive vocation to be people of truth: ''If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Jn 8:31) Truth matters, and yet in media, political speech, academic life and even in our religious activities, truth has become casualty, that phrase so often heard, 'this is my truth' is not a precept we should abide by! Faced with this kind of mess, it is no wonder people feel troubled and abandoned.

A Starting Point

How then do we, who perhaps reach out in our hearts to those who feel distressed and lost, achieve anything positive for them and ourselves in today's world? The way forward is in our gospel, for a phrase of Jesus' gives us the first step, it is through prayer, petitionary and intercessory that we kick starts change: "so ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest."(Mt 9:37) Note that Jesus does not suggest miracles or works of power and wonder, to help others requires a greater miracle, that of believing in the Good News he brings, and in the capacity of the Spirit to transform us through our cooperation. Then we become the agents of transformation in our world, for we become the living Christ at work, but this is not a position of power or superiority. The calling of the twelve illustrates a hotch-potch of characters that are to follow him in mission, and they will make mistakes, fools of themselves and have to learn the hard way, for to follow Jesus will always to be a 'work in progress', something that should hearten each of us!

The Task Ahead

The task before us, as it was for those first disciples, is multifaceted and many layered, to reach out to the abandoned and lost starts with ourselves, for if we do not know who we are, are unable to face things, then how can we help others?

I think this is one way we can interpret Jesus statement to go to the' lost of the House of `Israel' first, for me it seems another way of saying "charity begins at home''. I had cause to think about this in real time recently, as often happens people can and do say very silly and stupid things about each other. Clergy are no exception, and one who (for some reason as yet to be discovered) decided that I was a Freemason and then told others proof would be forthcoming. Anybody who knows me would laugh at this, its not in character-but also just not what I would do, for one thing it's forbidden, another thing it's a world I do not wish to enter, but there we are! I discovered this, so to nip what might become a really stupid rumour in the bud, I decided to stick to the facts, demand evidence and proof and also making explicit my laughter at such a ridiculous accusation.

Why bother about this you might ask ? Well it's no worse, but certainly not much better than many ill considered remarks from those who ought to know how to act and behave, but it is to indulge in idle gossip, ill considered remarks about others that we often hear aimed at people who might not be able to answer back, and we are called to challenge this kind of behaviour! Who amongst any of us has not been at the wrong end of the stick at one time or another? But that does not mean we just let it pass with out some form of restorative justice, there are certain basic standards to being a Christian and a Catholic in life, and the basic is that great commandment which subsumes all others.

We are tasked to be people of the way the truth and the light, we are bidden as wounded healers to heal, we are called as sinners to bring sinners back to know forgiveness in Christ's love and mercy, we are vulnerable but must also be compassionate to the vulnerable, we must not render evil for evil.

Must we not do as the Christ teaches? "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."(Mt 10:8) Amen!

Lectio divina

On attentiveness

Basil the Great

God who created us has given us the use of language, that we may reveal the plans of our heart to each other... Accordingly, since when our thought takes meaningful voice, as if carried in a ferry by our discourse, crossing the air it passes from the speaker to the hearer; and if it finds the sea calm and quiet, the discourse comes to anchor in the ears of the students as if in a tranquil harbours untroubled by storms; but if as a kind of rough upsurge the clamour of the hearers blows adversely, it will be dissolved as it is shipwrecked in the air. Therefore make it calm for the discourse through silence.... The word of truth is hard to catch

Richard Rolle

Advice to an anchoress in his work

Form of Living

Love is a virtue which is the most proper affection for the soul of man. Truth may exist without love, but it cannot be of any use without it. Love is the perfection of scholarship, the strength of prophecy, the fruit of truth, the spiritual strength of sacraments, the confirming of intellectual knowledge, the wealthy of the poor, and the life of the dying.

St Thomas More

Give me Thy grace, good Lord,

To set the world at naught; to set my mind fast upon Thee; and not to hang upon the blast of men's mouths.