Sermons
August 20, 2017
I would like to concentrate on the woman presented in the Gospel we just heard (Mt 15,21-28). A Canaanite woman dares to approach Jesus. She is a woman and a Gentile (that means she is not Jewish). She has a sick daughter. Maybe she is a single parent. By the custom and practice of the time, she should not dare to approach Jesus. Culturally, she has no right to expect to share in the ministry of Jesus. Or even to profit from Jesus’ ministry. She should “remain invisible and say nothing.” There are two aspects in her approach to Jesus: On one level, the Canaanite woman is like many people in our world today. She is like all the women who are denied an equal place at the table. She represents those who are struggling to care for others. Often women struggle to care for their children, their family, their parents and often they do not have the means to do as they would like. She is like all parents who cannot get good health care for their children. She represents those who are left out because of their national or ethnic background. She reminds us of those of us who are intimidated by religious, political, or economic authority. On another level, the Canaanite woman reminds us of those who take the courage to speak up. There are those who speak up despite all the cultural messages to keep quiet and just accept their suffering. She models a woman who is willing to speak up to authority. She represents those who keep on speaking out for their own needs, for the needs of others. In a more political language, the Canaanite woman is one of those women who speak out for justice and basic human rights. She represents those who do not give up. So, on one level, the woman in our Gospel is a kind of underdog, left out, excluded; on the other level, she speaks out and does not give up. Jesus is touched by this amazing encounter. He praises her faith. Her daughter is cured. The experience of Jesus seems to point to the possibility of conversion and the possibility of help coming to those who are in need. Jesus is kind of converted; the encounter changes him. The Gospel inspires people who have the freedom and courage, to speak up and take action for their rights. The Gospel is about liberation and transformation. The woman speaks up. Her daughter is healed. Both she and Jesus are changed. Let us ask ourselves, if this woman represents something we would like to be or like to become…
Fr. Wolfgang Felber, SJ
August 13, 2017
Today's scriptures are centered on the experience of God and the invitation to believe. When we read the newspapers, we see worldwide crisis: the tension between the US and North Korea, between two men: president Trump and North Korean leader King Jong Un. We see the catastrophes in the Mediterranean - people dying of thirst or drowning in the Mediterranean. Fires in inhabited areas caused by humans, or caused by lack of rain. We suffer from climate change, negated by many factors. The situation in Venezuela, in Kenya – tensions, killings… The racist attack in Charlottesville, Virginia. Could these events also be experiences of God, experiences of faith? Faith is not about finding the right formula for prayer, finding the right words and the liturgically correct celebration, but it is about living our faith. Our faith, our experience of God always has a social dimension. Faith is about our world. Our world with its social and economic situation challenges our faith. We are confronted with the existence of war and violence and terror. We witness the prevalence of injustice and poverty and conflict and struggle. We might experience a certain apathy about all these things. The sheer volume of issues and needs can feel like the storm in the Gospel (Mt 14,22-33), can be compared to the winds, the earthquake and the fire in the first reading (Kings 19,11-13). And as we come to know these Bible readings, we must put what happens in the world in relation to our faith. Often our goodness is demanded. This can rightly make us want to get away from it all, like Jesus who dismisses the crowd and goes off to pray. However, somehow in the midst of all the storms, God can be experienced. In the midst of all the storms, we can even grow in our faith, and we can move into action to do something. We might even "walk on water" for a little while. Getting away from it all can be a good thing. The wish to get away from it all is certainly legitimate – at certain times. Jesus in his prayer on the mountain reminds us of the need we have to get away, the need we have to connect with God, and the need to take care of our spirit as we struggle in the world that surrounds us … the world that demands action. If our reflection and prayer is rooted in real experience, then it is automatically critical. We all need time and resources to take care of ourselves; we need time and resources to nurture our life and our solidarity with God and others. Elijah (Kings 19) in his prayer on the mountain reminds us that our faith is not to be based on religious excitement or fireworks. We don't need the spectacular to find God. Getting fixated on special religious phenomena can keep us from finding God. Real faith is a much different thing. Real faith is involved with the issues of the world. It is something more than a "spiritual high." It involves humble service and solidarity with those in need. Real faith sometimes even involves feeling "great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart." This is how Paul describes it in his letter to the Romans in today’s second reading (Rom 9,1-5). Such solidarity can be empowering for us and for all those we are with. Then, we might experience anew, the God in the "tiny whispering sound" as Elijah describes it in the first reading. Let me finish with two questions and let us take some moments to reflect about them: Did you ever have a significant experience of God? Did this affect the way you live and treat others?
Fr. Wolfgang Felber, SJ
July 30, 2017
The three scripture passages today seem to have a strong “counter-cultural” message. They challenge us to look at our world and The first reading (1st book of Kings 3:5.7-12): King Solomon, who was probably an historic figure, is presented as a wise ruler. Still today, his wisdom is proverbial. Solomon was the son of David and he became king although he was not the elder son of David. His mother and the prophet Nathan conspired to have Solomon made king. According to the Bible, he reigned for forty years – which does not necessarily mean “40 years” in our sense, but it means “for a very long time, for a generation”. Solomon’s reign was peaceful; he had the first temple in Jerusalem built. He modernized the kingdom. After his death, the kingdom split in two. In the center of the reading we find the sentence: “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge, to govern your people and to distinguish right from wrong - Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people.“ (1 Kings 3,9) This is typical for a wise person – he or she knows that everything is the fruit of this wisdom; there is no need to ask for power or material goods. In Solomon’s case, his focus is his people. “If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours” he continues. God had said: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you“. This might recall the question where someone is asked: “Which three things would you take with you on a lonely island?” or “If you had three wishes what would you wish?” Maybe we would have our own answers to these questions. What I like in Solomon’s answer is his unselfishness. He does not ask anything for himself. He asks for something which he can put at the service of others. Would we also give a similar answer if we were asked? Or in relation to today’s Gospel (Mt 13,44-46) if asked what we would take with us on an island, would we take the “treasure from the field” or “the pearl” we heard of in the Gospel? Solomon was a king, a ruler. Let’s have a look at the rulers of today – in the US, in Europe, and elsewhere. Do we see personalities like Solomon? Do we see politicians and people in the economy put the common good before particular interests? Do we find politicians who are interested in “the big project of a just society”? If I speak of politics, I cannot ignore our Church and its leaders. Searching for power, promoting personal interests and the lobbying of different groups – they all play an important role. Can we still see the “pearl” the Gospel presents to us, the “treasure from the field”? Or is the pearl hidden behind ecclesial lobbies and particular interests within the Church? It is holiday time – so I would like to be brief and end with some questions: am I unselfish and uninterested enough to desire gifts or talents for me that can be put at the service of others? In today’s passage from the letter to the Romans Paul says: “God has always known who his chosen ones would be. God had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children.” (Rom 8 29) What is my relation to God? Do I try to become a brother, a sister to others? And finally: where do I invest my energies? Do I look for the “treasure in the field” or do I resign myself to be “thrown away with the bad fish” as the Gospel says (Mt 13 48)?
Fr. Wolfgang Felber, SJ