A Blare of Trumpets for the Lord

 I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan, and I was elated that we finally won the Europa League Cup after a somewhat disappointing season in the Champions League. What followed was a sense of relief and elation that gathered tens of thousands of people to witness the cup being carried back to the home ground. Set against this background, we also saw Liverpool fans gather in the City centre to celebrate winning the Champions League. Yet, into the midst of this reality, from a point of having our spirits elevated, we are plunged back into confronting the evils of the world after we witness the events that saw a person drive into celebrating fans, with many people injured. Into the midst of this elevation, we start to see the reality of devastation.

We can see this played out in many circumstances worldwide. Success on the soccer field can blunt our senses and make us confront the reality of suffering in the world with the message of good news. We don’t want something that can just blunt our pain or numb us from how our lives can make a difference in the world. This is why the human heart cries out for mercy and compassion. We see this in many conflict areas in Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Congo. Often, we can feel that the reporting of the news can just desensitise us to the misery that others live with daily. Closer to home, we witness the floods in Taree and the North Coast of New South Wales, and people are still recovering from previous traumatic events in Queensland. The reality is that a simple trip to the shops in Bondi or North Melbourne can turn into a horror.  This is where our hearts are rendered, sometimes looking into the sky for answers and glimpses of hope in hopeless situations.

This is where the scripture speaks to us of people who seek to witness the reality of salvation and not just redemption from sin. This is where Hebrews speaks to us of being sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience. This is where our lives are called to bear witness to the hope we profess because of the one we follow. Our faithfulness calls us to a repentance from sin and the spirit that can deaden our lives. Instead, we are called to be people who prepare to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, filled with joy, and lifted in following our God.

So, this is where we are called to be people who acknowledge how the Spirit of Jesus calls us to be filled with the Holy Spirit that is witnessed by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fortitude, gentleness, faith, modesty, self-control and chastity. These are not just seen as a checklist but signs of how the Holy Spirit is called to abide with us in our community. In a world that seeks to divide us and disfigure us with words of violence and hatred, we are called to be people who proclaim these fruits with our lives. In our prayer, reflections, and actions, we are called to witness the truth of Jesus, who does not leave us orphans. He calls us to be people who radiate Easter joy, especially in the times when we feel most beset by the troubles of our current day. We witness God mount his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. 

Being at home

 When we consider the difference between a house and a home, we must remember that it is not just a place where we unpack our stuff. We are called to see that our place reveals something of our personality and priorities. It helps us discover our identity and who we are called to become. This is where we can notice what brings us life and blessing.

In the scriptures, we read how God makes his home with us. This is not just tidying up our place in anticipation of a vital visitor, but rather a God who walks into the mess and disorder of our lives. This visitation allows us to discover how God seeks out the pearl of great price within us and reorders how we live from the inside out. No longer is our faith shaped by looking good to others, but by an interior conversion of heart.

This allows us to become people who seek to welcome the Word of God into our own hearts. That we might discover the homeliness that transforms us into people of thanksgiving. This Eucharistic heart prepares us to be people who can be at home with God, who invites us to the table of life. May we be at peace with God who dwells deep within. 

Pruning

 The seasons seem to be out of order. We have skipped winter and gone straight into Spring. Daffodils are starting to put forward their new growth at least two months early. Those who are more attentive to their gardens would also notice subtle changes in the climate and how this can confuse plants, no less than ourselves. Yet this weekend we talk about the importance of pruning and tidying up the garden of our lives. There is a need to be aware of where new growth is starting to emerge and what impedes it. 

Unlike Lent, this is not just a time to focus on the adverse effects of sin but to notice how we resist meeting the risen Christ in this new springtime of our lives, even as we prepare for winter. This is where we no longer focus on what causes death but on what brings life. This takes a willingness to work in harmony with the Holy Spirit and find ways to share the gifts entrusted to us for the good of others. We start to notice how we are called to resist the temptation to hoard what we have been given for a rainy day or become like bears who hibernate in winter. There can be a secret fear that we will become less if we give anything away. We can start to measure our lives by what we own rather than what we are worth.

This is the gentle encouragement of Easter when we discover the risen Christ in the reality of daily life. God does not wait until we have it, but meets us where we most need to be met. We are not called to wait for the perfect opportunity for this to happen, but to be embraced by God's love that enriches and emboldens us to be present to the whole of God's creation. We are Easter people who proclaim that our mission is to meet Jesus each day, as we are not as we think we should be.

Listen to my voice

 Good Shepherd Sunday is an appropriate time when the Cardinals in Conclave consider a Pope to succeed Pope Francis. It allows us to reflect on our journey of faith, where we are called to listen, follow and seek the Kingdom of God. This is at the heart of a person in leadership. They need to be people who listen to the voice of God and discern what gathers us into one flock. This way of being present does not assume authority equates with power. Their office is at the service of others so that they can be people of Faith who proclaim the Gospel to our current age. They call us to a wholeness and holiness of life.

They then lead us by witnessing what is central to the Christian life. They teach not just in the words that they preach but in the life that they live. In our own age, they need to proclaim who they follow and how that encourages us to walk beside them on the journey. They walk amid the flock. This approach allows them to be more than a sheep dog yapping at our heels or a figurehead who appears remote from daily life. By being in our midst, we discover how the Good News of Jesus Christ transforms our way of living. We become people of Hope. 

By seeking ways to be present to others, we start to discover that this is not simply about making plans or setting agendas, but rather a way of being present. This allows the opportunity to have a God's eye view on how we order our lives to live the Gospel more easily. We become people motivated by the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy to manifest the grace of God. We become people of Charity.

This threefold office of Sanctifying, Teaching, and Governance is at the heart of the Good Shepherd. Our new Pope must be a person of Prayer who embodies the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We hope he will be a living witness to the teaching of our faith that can be understood in our own time. We seek ways that lead us to be charitable with our whole lives.