Fourth Sunday of Easter B - Br Andrew

Andre-Rublev's Saviour

   Homily preached by Br. Andrew at Blaxland on Sunday 26th April 2015:

Fourth Sunday of Easter B

Readings

First :  Acts. 4:5-12
Second: 1 John 3:16-24
Gospel:  John 10:11-18

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1 NIV)

Jesus begins by identifying himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Straight away we can determine that there are bad shepherds who don't lay down their Iives’  for the flock in their charge; their names are mentioned in our first reading, they were Annas, the  High Priest Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the rest of the high priest's family. They knew no one's name nor even whether there were any other converts waiting anywhere for guidance.

Politics and history aside, Spiritually the Jewish church had been entrusted into the care of the  tribe of Levi and the House of Aaron since the time of Moses until the Messiah should come. Here now, clerics hired  by God were allowing the Flock of Israel to be fed to the wolves of Rome for the sake of Mammon, and for political security, had put aside any pretenses of looking or acting like shepherds. When the master himself returned they had him crucified and the small flock scattered. Note, Jesus says that he laid down his life and he took it up again.

 Daemons and men can do whatever they will to work out their wickedness but God's will over rides everything. This was a special love between the Father and son that Jesus could willingly lay down his life because it was his to give for us.
Having given and received his life Jesus returned to his disciples where he told them to stay in Jerusalem until power from on high should come upon them. And that Power will be the Holy Spirit whose coming we celebrate at Pentecost.

Our first reading is a prime example of how true disciples of Christ, shepherds in their own right behave with compassion toward those in their care. I find Peters words hilarious "If we are being held to account today for an act of kindness to a cripple" How many of us have been in trouble with church authorities for an act kindness?

For Peter and John it proved to be a prime opportunity to witness to the Sanhedrin and to try once again to Drill truth into concrete skulls it is in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit that this man walks. You rejected Him, you crucified him and he rose from the dead and it is through His Name that is the only way under heaven by which you can be saved. Did they care at all or just at another type of sheep rustling?

I am here in this Parish because of hireling’s clerics who even breed their own wolves to keep all the sacrilege and injustice in the family, so to speak. Many of us might say that the church of today, hasn’t moved far away, in principles from the Jewish church that money and power and status, fear and prejudice all serve to caste out the weakest sheep and the weakest shepherds.    Where is the light?
The light lives in the love of Jesus, and when we feel this love we see the light that the darkness cannot extinguish. In his Epistle John speaks of this love.   Love with a capital L is that Christ laid down his life for us and that we ought to do likewise. How scary is this, I wanted light and love not self-sacrifice.

John speaks here not of the ultimate self-sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe but of the loving-kindness and concern for Christians and non-Christians alike. Fulfilling one another's needs and discovering that the Love of Christ makes all things possible!
John continues by reminding us to exercise our Christian conscience, whenever in doubt, and to remember the two great commandments.

It sounds a little simplistic and perhaps unreal when we overlay the Gospel and Epistles over the events of today's world but we need to remember that the Scriptures were given to us in a vacuum excluding the reality of the times, they are intended to be spiritual guidance to be adapted to every Era. Scripture is not complex but does have context, a little exploration of the world beyond the Scriptures helps us to find our own context.
Come to Bible Study.

Third Sunday of Easter - Br Simeon

St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour 

Homily preached at Winmalee on Sunday May 4^th 2014 

Third Sunday of Easter Br. Simeon: 

 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

“Emmaus”

May I speak in the Name of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, in this the Third Sunday of Easter, we continue with the season of Easter and today we get an Easter story for the rest of us, the rest of us who were not there on that first Easter morning, the rest of us who have not physically touched the Risen Christ, the rest of us who like these very disciples, went to the empty tomb, found it just like the women said, but didn’t find or see Jesus. This story is for the rest of us, those of us who are experiencing the story of the resurrection some two thousand years later.

Oddly enough, I find it comforting that the authors of the Gospels include stories like this one for us post- first Easter people. These stories that let us know that we are not alone in our doubt, in our uncertainty, in our frustration, in our need to actually experience the Risen Christ, in our need to have something more ; something real; something tangible rather than let the resurrection be an experience that someone else tells us about.

I also find it oddly comforting that just like these very disciples, the Risen Christ can be in my very midst and I miss the signs. Well, that’s not quite right. I guess I should say that in spite of the fact that I can get so caught up in my needs and wants and miss the Risen Christ, I find it comforting to know and to hold on to the assurance that this is not the end of the story. What I really should say is that

the comforting part of the post-first Easter story is that even when I get caught up in my own needs and wants, the Risen Lord meets me and shakes me out of my tunnel vision until my eyes are opened and I experience the Risen Lord right in front of me.  That’s the good news for me and for all of us as believers.

Luke shares this wonderful story about two disciples who were so disappointed, so disorientated, and so frustrated on that very Easter day when others were celebrating that they decided to leave town. They had heard the story from the women but to be honest their story sounded more like a cruel joke than anything they could really believe or find hope and comfort in. They had just lost their friend, their teacher, the one that they hoped would be the Messiah, who had come to make everything right and restore Israel once more, and now these ladies, these joyous, excited women were saying that Jesus had appeared to them, that Jesus was raised from the dead, that Jesus was alive.

It was all too much to take in. In fact, a group of them were so confused and shocked by the news that they went to the tomb themselves but when they got to the tomb, Jesus wasn’t there like the women had said. Sure the stone was rolled away. Sure the grave clothes were laying there but no Jesus. Surely, if Jesus had been raised from the dead, surely if Jesus had been resurrected, he would want to speak to all his disciples, those ones who were with him from the very beginning, those ones who had been with him from the start.

Surely, if Jesus was alive, he would have wanted to see all of his followers, not just a special few. What made these ladies so special that Jesus came to them and not all the disciples? Why did Jesus choose to see just these few and not see everyone? Why didn’t Jesus hang around the empty tomb until all the disciples could be there to find him and to see him once more?

All of it was just too much: the stories, the joy, the frustration, the doubt, the hurt, the anger. So these two disciples decided to leave because it was all just too much. And with each passing step, with each hurt emotion, their hearts and their minds become more closed off to the good news, the hopeful news that was just shared with them by their fellow disciples.

But along their journey to Emmaus, a place of safety, a place of refuge, a place where they just didn’t have to hear any more about this hurtful news and cruel joke that Jesus was alive, they encounter a stranger.

There was something oddly familiar about him but they just couldn't quite put their fingers on what it was. And then he began to speak and again, there was something oddly familiar about his words. His words remind them of things that Jesus used to say...but then all of a sudden, they remembered Jesus was gone. But still there was something familiar about what he was saying. Jesus used to say things like that. He used to talk about God’s saving acts from the very beginning...but then they remembered that Jesus was gone. As the night fell and these two disciples got close to their refuge in Emmaus, they invited this oddly familiar stranger to stay with them. And a funny thing happened...the Risen Christ broke through all of their hurt, all of their doubt, broke through their frustration, and opened their hearts. He met them in that very moment and welcomed them as his very own.

Jesus took a loaf of bread, blessed it, and broke and gave it to them...

And their eyes were opened and their hearts were healed. Through those few simple words, they experienced the Risen Christ and they remembered. They remembered the promises that Jesus gave to them that he would never let them be alone. They remembered Jesus’ words of comfort and hope that even after he was gone, whenever two or three were gathered, Jesus would be there as well. They remembered how Jesus would tell them about the unconditional love of God through the stories of God’s saving acts, testifying to God’s grace and God’s mercy now and for evermore.

Through the simple acts of breaking bread and sharing and remembering their stories with Jesus, remembering The Story of God’s goodness and grace, these two disciples realised in that moment that their Lord and Saviour had come to them once more. He had come to them just like he promised he would. He had broken through their doubt, their frustration, their hurt, through their tunnel vision clouded by their own wants and needs to show them that he was there all along. They had just missed the signs.

These two disciples who had closed themselves off from God’s gift of good news were now experiencing the Risen Christ in new and comforting but oddly familiar ways; they were experiencing the good news now as people brought back to hope once more through acts of discipleship that all believers are invited to experience. They were experiencing the Risen Christ by remembering and sharing the Word of God and through the breaking of bread: gifts of God’s love for all of God’s children.

Even when Jesus vanished, the hurt, the frustration and the doubt didn’t come flooding back in. Because in that moment, these two disciples understood that Jesus is alive always, that Jesus is with us always because we are called to remember, because we are called to come to the table and share; because we are called to celebrate the story of how God has acted in the past, celebrate the story of how God continues to act in this world still, celebrate the story of how God has promised to work in this world always through the promise and the power of the resurrection by  bringing new life to all of God’s children.

It was in those moments of hope and fellowship that these two disciples realised that their Lord and Saviour would always be with them now and forever more because they understood that we have been given the Word of God to comfort us, to strength us, to inspire us, to guide us, and to lead us along our journeys. It was in those moments of recognition and realisation at the table that these

two disciples accepted the promise that their Lord and Saviour would always be with them now and forever more because every time they would gathered  around the table, they would remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of his disciples, past, present and future.

And that my friends, is the good news and the blessings that are available to the rest of us this morning. We have the wonderful knowledge that just because we weren’t at the empty tomb on that first Easter morning, that we didn’t miss our chance to experience the Risen Christ. We are given that opportunity every time we engage in studying, in remembering, in reflecting, in sharing the Word of God. We are given the opportunity to experience the Risen Christ every time we break bread together as Disciples of Christ.

The Good News for us, this morning, is that the Risen Christ meets us where we are through the acts of engaging the Word of God and breaking bread together. The Good News for us is that our journeys of faith are opportunities for us to meet the Risen Christ. No matter where we are in our journeys, we have the promise that the Risen Christ will meet us where we are and shake us up and break us out of tunnel vision to really see and experience him. The Good News for us is that we have the promise that wherever two or three are gathered, the Risen Christ is with us, guiding us, leading us, and renewing us for our journeys.

Amen.

Homily 4th in Advent by Br Simeon

St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour

Holy Redeemer In the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order

Homily, 29th December 2013, Fourth Sunday in Advent, delivered by Br Simeon EFO.

Gospel:  Mt 1: 18-24

" Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it"

Advent is running out of time and Christmas is almost upon us. The readings invite us to step aside for a while from the hustle and bustle of the world to reflect on the events leading up to that first night in Bethlehem some two thousand years ago. Matthew views the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Joseph and gives us a remarkable insight into his personality. The ideal that Jesus expressed when he said ‘Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it’ was deeply challenged when Joseph learned the news that Mary, his betrothed, was pregnant. There was nothing straightforward about this situation since they had not been living together as husband and wife. It was traumatic news and Joseph wondered how this could be. Faced with such a real dilemma and a crisis of intimacy, he felt cheated, embarrassed, hurt, and left out. As he struggled with this extraordinary happening, his heart must have been heavy and his dreams shattered. However he did not act rashly but responded to the situation with a generous and open heart.

Afraid, confused and unsure he prepared his course of action and made a lonely decision. Being an honourable and upright man of God, he planned to act quietly and chose a way that would shield Mary from scorn and save her from public embarrassment. But before he put his plan into action Joseph was taken into confidence by the appearance of God’s messenger who came in a dream to explain Mary’s uprightness and the divine origin of the baby. Joseph listened to God’s word and through the angel’s message allowed his life to be influenced and directed to God’s will and acted accordingly. As head of the household Joseph had the specific role of naming the child. Moved by God’s inner prompting, he accepted Mary as his wife and adopted her child as his own.

There wasn't much that was comfortable and cosy about Joseph’s decision to hear and obey the word of God. He was what we would describe as an ordinary working class man called on to respond to God’s extraordinary plan. Like any parent he had to cope with the same fears, worries and bitter disappointments that come to every home. His relationship with God must have been close because in this time of crisis he trusted God’s word and co-operated with God in a decisive manner. Anguished he may have been and he may not have understood all that was happening, but he had come to realise that the hand of God was in everything, taking care of all things and he put his trust in this power. He was open to the Spirit at work in his soul and ready to turn his life upside down each time he heard God’s call.

We can learn from this aspect of his character how to respond to God who communicates with us in the challenging situations of life. Nowadays, the vast majority of people are unaware of the religious significance of Christmas. They view it as a break from work in the wilds of mid-winter. It is our destiny to live in a world of unbelief and confusion where difficulties arise at every turn. With God’s help Joseph got it right and so will we. Once we believe like Joseph and humbly surrender to God, there is no limit to what he can achieve in our own very ordinary lives. Christmas is a time for remembering and showing gratitude to those people who helped us out during the year. Let’s not forget to show them the recognition that they deserve.

The basis of our Christmas hope is that not only is there a God who made the heavens and the earth but he is here with us now in the flesh offering us peace and reconciliation. We all have something unresolved in our lives that quietly eats away at us, disturbing our peace and our ability to show true love for others. As we approach this great feast of Christmas can we say like Joseph that we are ready to rely on God’s help and guidance when we sorely need to be reconciled to another family member? Joseph’s silent presence in the gospel is a testimony of God’s great love for all the poor, humble and just people down through the ages, who are quietly faithful to trusting and relying on God in good times and in bad. As Jesus said ‘Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’

Amen.

Homily, 2nd Advent by Br Luke EFO.

St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour

Holy Redeemer

In the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order

Homily, 8th December 2013, 2nd Sunday in Advent, delivered by Br Luke EFO.



There are times, aren’t there, when what we read in the Scriptures just seems to shout at us? They just seem to confirm that the task we have before us is the right one. Today I think is one of these times. The Gospel reading today is about John baptising people. He is giving them a new start in the faith journey.
For us Christian’s baptism, is the start of our faith journey as followers of Christ. For Pentecostals, it is the full immersion in the water of baptism that signifies their being “born again”; and is the necessary precursor for them to receive the Holy Spirit. For the traditionalists, baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity is enough. But in either, or both scenarios the act of baptism is an act of faith and results from, and leads to, commitment. And it is from that act of faith that a journey starts. So today we are staring something new. We have stepped out in faith, much like a baptism and we are starting to walk a path we believe Christ set before us. And like the faith journey that stars with baptism, so too must this new beginning today be a start not an end.
John warns those coming to be baptised that the simple act of baptism is/was not enough. The act must be followed by commitment. If we are simply baptised and then do nothing to walk as a Christian, then we may as well not have been baptised in the first place. Jesus tells us there are two great commandments: The first, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength and with all your soul”. That is hard enough, but then he adds the second. “Love your neighbour and yourself”. For some of us it is hard enough to love ourselves let alone the persons next door, or the person we know to be our neighbour. Yet this is exactly what Jesus asks of us. That act of love, starts with our faith journey and doesn’t stop.
Now, you know, I have no doubt that the next time we read this passage of scripture the Holy Spirit will focus us on a different part of the passage. Or perhaps give us a different perspective on the same words we have just heard. For some of us this may be uncomfortable, but I think this should not alarm nor surprise us. This is the nature and purpose of the Scriptures. They are there to inspire, guide, encourage and challenge, confront and shock us and that won’t happen if every time we read them, we have the same response.
So while we start something new today, it is not enough for us just to be here today. We need to ensure we walk the path we have been shown and so we need to be here each week. To show both the commitment and the love that Jesus asks and calls us to. It won’t be easy, but then nothing of real worth ever is.