24 August 2024 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) (Sunset Mass)

by Fr Fabian Dicom

My dear brothers and sisters,

Life with all its demands and distractions is a constant series of choices. Some of these choices seem small, almost insignificant, while others define who we are and shape our future.

Now today’s Readings bring us close to the heart of these choices. Choices that reflect our commitment to God. Choices that reflect our relationships with one another and our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ.

In the First Reading, Joshua gathers the tribes of Israel at Shechem to a covenant renewing ceremony, asking them to choose whom they will serve, whether the Gods of their ancestors or the Lord who brought them out of Egypt. Now the context is they just entered the Promised Land.

The people, remembering all that God has done for them, respond with a firm commitment: We will serve the Lord for He is our God.

This moment, a significant moment in the history of Israel, resonates deeply with us because like them, we too are confronted with challenges of choosing God amid a world filled with distractions and competing loyalties. The struggle is real. We face the pressures of work. We face the pursuit of success and we do not want to be left behind. The desire for comfort and the constant pull of consumerism.

Now it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. How often do we find ourselves making choices that pull us away from God even without realising it?

But Joshua’s call is also an invitation, an invitation to remember. To remember the moments in our lives when God who has always been faithful guided us, blessed us and brought us through our trials.

As Henry Nouwen writes: Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening our consciousness that you are not an accident but a divine choice.

We need to be grateful because the Lord is with us. In our struggles, it is easy to feel lost or overwhelmed but remembering God’s faithfulness helps us to choose Him anew each day, empowering us to walk in His ways, no matter the obstacles we face. Even in my experience.

My problem is I tend to analyse things quite a bit. If you really know me. And I am partial to logic at the expense of being mindful of the working of God in my life. And that has been my struggle all through life, even though here I am preaching to you about the workings of God.

I can think of many experiences but lately there was a moment, a couple of weeks ago, I have been struggling, both spiritually and physically. Of things that I needed to get sorted out and I had this serious pain that I could not get rid of. But my experience was this:

I had healing. I had this assurance one after another and because of that, I felt empowered when I really, really needed it in my life to move on, to continue to being faithful to God who has always been faithful to me.

And I believe that many of you have had similar experiences all through your life. And today, we need to acknowledge that because that will keep us going. 

Now the Second Reading from Ephesians often raises eyebrows especially when we hear the word ‘submission’. I often dread preaching at weddings when couples choose this particular reading. Because I have had reactions from those who are not in the Catholic faith who had been at the wedding who says: Hey you guys! This is the 21st century. Why are you talking about wives submitting to their husbands?

Now, we need to raise above the literal interpretation of it. This passage is about mutual love and respect that should characterise every Christian relationship, particularly marriage. Now Paul speaks of a love that is willing to sacrifice, a love that places the needs of the other before our own.

And this is not about domination. This is not about control. It is about an intense unity that mirrors Christ’s love for the church.

In a world where relationships can be transactional or driven by self-interest, Paul’s words challenge us to a deeper and more radical way of loving. It is not just about spouses. It is about all our relationships. The call to be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ in Ephesians 5:31 is a call to humility more than anything else. A call to service. A call to genuine care for others.

And this is especially relevant in a society where power dynamics often dominate. Where people are valued for what they can offer rather than who they are.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta saw the face of Christ in the poorest of the poor. Her life was a testament to this radical love, where she chose to serve those whom society had forgotten. She once said: If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

In every person she served, she recognised the image of God. And her life was a revolutionary example of living out Paul’s teachings, the message of Jesus.

So we come to the Gospel. I know I am taking a little longer time than my usual. So bear with me. The Gospel presents us with a moment of crisis among Jesus’ followers. If you have been following the readings from all the Sundays before this, it is about the Eucharist, the bread of life.

After hearing Jesus speak about the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood, many disciples find this teaching too hard to accept and turned away. Jesus knowing their struggles asked the twelve:
Do you also want to leave? Do you want to leave?

Peter’s response is a profound declaration of faith:
Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the message of eternal life.

This statement challenges and encourages us to reflect on what it truly means to go to Jesus, to go to Jesus means making Him the centre of our lives which involves prayers, of course. It involves receiving the sacraments. It involves engaging with scripture, participating in community and serving others. But it goes beyond that. We live in a time when Christ’s teaching, His message of eternal life, often seem counter-cultural and difficult to embrace. We are tempted to turn away when following Christ’s demands too much, especially when it requires us to stand up for the truth. To stand up for justice and for love in a world that often values the opposite.

Living out our faith in our country, Malaysia, today means fully embracing Christ’s teaching, Christ’s message, Christ’s words, even when they challenge the prevailing culture. Or even when they call us to change.

It calls us to be prophetic, a prophetic church. You and I, one that speaks of for justice, bridges division and embodies the radical love of Jesus in every aspect of life.

Within the church, there is often reluctance to address social justice issues, particularly those that are politically sensitive or controversial. Whether it is issues of corruption, environmental degradation or the treatment of refugees and migrant workers, there can be a temptation to remain silent, either out of fear of backlash or because we lack courage or just mere apathy, indifference.

However, the Gospel calls us to a counter-cultural response, to stand up for truth, to stand up for justice and the dignity of every human person. Jesus himself was unafraid to challenge the injustices of His time.

As His followers, we are called to do the same. We all can do this. It is not for the select few. You and I can. This might mean advocating for the rights of the poor, speaking out against corruption in small ways even. Or taking a stand on environmental issues, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. Our faith must be lived our in concrete actions that promote the common good and give a voice to the voiceless.

As CS Lewis said in his book ‘Mere Christianity’: If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.

The path of following Jesus is not always easy but it is the path through life. When we choose to stay with Jesus, even when His words challenge us, we are choosing the path that leads to eternal life, to a deeper relationship with God and to the fulfillment of the true purpose.

I want to conclude. At the heart of our journey with Jesus is the Eucharist, the bread of life. It is in the Eucharist that we find the strength to make the right choices. To love as Christ loves, to remain steadfast in our faith even when the path is difficult. And I pray all of you here come receive the Lord this evening. Every single person. 

In the Eucharist, we are nourished, we are transformed, we are empowered to live out our faith in the world. And we need to be conscious of this when we come forward. It is the ongoing miracle in our lives, the tangible presence of Jesus Christ that sustains us and keep us connected to the source of eternal life.

Today let us be encouraged by the faith of those who have gone before us, by the examples of the Saints, by the words of Peter who reminds us that there is no where else to go but to Jesus. And in doing so, let us find true joy and peace that comes from living in the light of His love.

Amen.

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