27 January 2024 – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) (Sunset Mass) | Catechetical Sunday

by Fr Fabian Dicom

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

I was told that I missed the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass. My apologies but I assure you that this Mass is valid.

I want to attribute the insights that I will share to Father Richard Rohr, one of my favourite authors, favourite priest, a Franciscan priest and a writer on spirituality. So let us look at the Readings today, especially the First Reading and the Gospel. The Reading from the book of Deuteronomy marks the beginning of the prophetic tradition with Moses speaking. Now let us put this in context.

In Judaism, as in many religions, there are two prominent spiritual teacher roles or should I say two defining spiritual traditions. We have the priestly strain which upholds the tradition and keeps the system together and basically does the maintenance work, something like my role here, though I would get bad marks for starting the Mass without the sign of the cross but nevertheless.

And the one that we are less familiar with is the prophetic strain. And that has not been quite as accepted as we all know. Prophets are critical at the very system that the priests maintain. Now we can see that if we have both, we have both the priest and the prophet, then we have a certain kind of wholeness or integrity. 

Now just a note before I continue. If you think this is only confined to us priests and whoever the prophets are, referring to significantly to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1241 (CCC1241), when we are baptised, we are incorporated into Christ. We are anointed with the three charisms of the priest: Priest, Prophet and King. The baptised serve as priests through their sacrificial efforts to bring people to God, they serve as Prophets through their witness to the truth and word and deed and they serve as Kings in their effort to lead others, again through word and deed. So ‘We’, not only me, not only Father Joachim, we are all priest, prophet and king. And today I will just focus on the role of priest and prophet.

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, if you have the priestly perspective only, it is about repeating the party line, as Father Richard Rohr says, which means stick to the tradition, emphasising loyalty, conformity and rule falling which in a way gives the appearance of religion. Gives the appearance of religion. However, when you have both the priest and the prophet, the system is in a constant state of self-refinement and self-correction. It is what today we call a check and balance. Rarely does this combination occur. Truly. 

But think of Moses. Moses who led the people, led Israel, worshipped with them and critically challenged his own people.

Jesus, no better example, who loved His people unconditionally but fiercely criticise hypocrisy, illusion and deceit. 

Now in our time, we witness a unique convergence of this in Pope Francis. He embodies both roles, a priest conserving tradition and a prophet critically challenging it. Very rarely you get someone who is a pope and a prophet. If you listen to some of what he says to bishops and priests, he is often quite critical of us as he well should be. 

It is a delicate balance that not many leaders can achieve as seen in the tensions he faces for speaking out against certain practices within the church. There are many who are not comfortable with him. Many who are here, many of us priests, the bishops in the world. And you know when we read, we have so much criticism because of how he challenges the system. But that is the truth.

Now let us turn to the Gospel reading which recounts the first exorcism or the recognition of a dark spirit. Now my dear brothers and sisters, what is intriguing is that this confrontation does not happen in the marketplace. It does not happen in a brothel. It does not happen among tax collectors but within the synagogue itself. This symbolism is very, very significant. I want to show you how significant it is by telling you, just imagine. Akin to saying that the devil of Penang is in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, you would not like that, would you? So that is how symbolic the statement is.

That is what prophets do. That is what prophets say. (I was giving an example okay, if I get reported).

Jesus, as portrayed in Mark’s Gospel, enters the synagogue and the evil forces are exposed. Here is a key insight. Evil often disguises itself as good and one of the best disguises is religion. Just going through the motion of attending church, reciting creeds, leading pray meets, praising God and appearing devout can cover, can camouflage racism, can camouflage dislike for the poor or the migrant, can camouflage slander and gossip, can camouflage the dislike for persons who are different from us, can even camouflage or cover corruption.

This is a powerful reminder of the prophetic role to call out hypocrisy, to call out illusion, especially within religious settings. Prophets however are not as popular as priests. Priests tend to repeat the established narrative and there is little reason to challenge them. The blend of both roles, honouring tradition and critically examining it, is a complex position that often garners resistance from various quarters. It is like combining the best of conservative (for lack of a better word) and the liberal values. A stance that may not win popularity but seeks spiritual intelligence.

We need spiritual intelligence, a deeper sense of the transcendent. To be quiet, to be able to ask the right questions. We need spiritual intelligence to be able to appreciate and embrace this.

In the Gospel reading, it is highlighted where Jesus taught with authority. Different from their own scribes and teachers. The usual way to prove authority was by quoting the past, where the scriptures for the protestants or the teaching of the popes or saints and mystics for the Catholics. Yet Jesus, not a formal priest, not a formal prophet, operates as both, speaking. where did his authority come from, His own inner authority. Inner authority as a lay person like you.

This challenges the norm as expressed in the remark we heard in the Gospel about a new teaching but with authority. While institutional authority often relies on quoting the past, Jesus speaks from personal experience. It is a powerful reminder that true prophets, true prophets, often emerge from unexpected places and may not be immediately accepted.

The difficulty of being a prophet lies in not being ordained as such. It is about expressing personal experiences and perspectives which may resonate as truth or sometimes dismissed as false. The essence of what Mark’s Gospel addresses is discerning the authenticity of one’s experience and message.

The final point emphasises the challenge of being a prophet. Critiquing power, be it political, be it economic, be it governmental or even hierarchical church power, prophets speak truth to power, challenging untruths and lies. But this path is rarely a popular one. In fact, history shows that prophets often face opposition, imprisonment and even death, especially in the Jewish tradition. That is what happened to Jesus.

As we reflect on these Readings, my dear brothers and sisters, it is a call for you and for me to balance between honouring traditions with recognising when it deviates from the truth. It can. It even happens here.  The need for prophets is emphasised especially in times where untruths become a regular operation as seen in the various power structures today. While aspiring to be a prophet may be daunting, the necessity for truth tellers persists in challenging times.

In conclusion, as we reflect on the intertwining messages from Deuteronomy and Mark’s Gospel, we recognise the delicate balance between the priestly and prophetic roles in spiritual leadership. The call is to honour tradition while critically examining it, to be stewards of truth even when it challenges established norms.

Allow me a few more minutes.

Now I want to turn our attention to the upcoming commissioning of catechists in our parish. Let us remember the profound theme set out by the Malaysian Catholic Commission for this year: We are stewards of God’s creation. The theme rooted in 1 Peter 4:10 speaks to the responsibility of using our individual gifts in the service of others. So to all those involved in this catechetical programme, the church in Malaysia urges a preferential option for the poor, recognising the unjust distribution of God’s gifts. This goes beyond the spiritual realm and touches upon the very fabric of our socio-economic system.

The call is to be stewards and this extends to the environment, emphasising equal resource distribution and eliminating wasteful usage. Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ emphasises the interconnectedness of justice and environmental responsibility. So this is something he is urging and the whole church urges you, catechists. It may not be the norm, not be who is God, who made you, it may not be about God is watching you, it may not be about sinning, etc, how to stand, how to sit. It is deeper than that.

As catechists, you are called to be prophets in addressing these challenges. Your role involves rising above current crisis, choosing what is good and inspiring a new start: Care for creation, which is the focus this year. It is not just for the environment’s sake but for the well-being of humanity and you need to bring it into your room, your classroom, your center. In the face of this intertwined concerns, your mission as catechist is clear. Educate and inspire others to be stewards of God’s creation, fostering justice and recognising the connectedness of environmental and social issues.

You need to do it for yourselves first. You know, if a doctor does not keep in touch with the latest development, with the latest advance of medical science, the procedures, etc, he is culpable. And if you don’t do that, then you are not being responsible to this role that you have taken on. You have done great work in this parish. The Lord blesses you for that. The prophetic call that echoes through the pages of our sacred text resonates in the challenges of our times.

As you are commissioned later, may you embrace the prophetic role with courage and conviction. It is not an easy path as prophets throughout history have faced opposition and challenges. Yet it is a vital path for the well-being of our world and the dignity of every human person. In your hands, brothers and sisters, the theme of stewardship becomes a lived reality, a testament to the transformative power of faith in action. And that is how you empower the young people especially.

May your journey as catechists be one of prophetic witness and unwavering commitment to the stewardship of God’s creation.

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