Jesus was in the temple precincts when he posed a question to his audience by using a parable. A group of chief priests and elders had just interrupted his teaching. They challenged his authority to teach. “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? ” He shot them down by posing a clever question to them. He told them that he would give them an answer if they would tell him, and the crowd, if John’s baptism was of human origin or heavenly origin. This question stumped them because they had not supported John. If they said the baptism was of heavenly origin, Jesus and the people would question why the religious leaders didn’t believe in him. If they said his baptism was of human origin, they would anger the people because John was very popular among them. They declined to answer. So Jesus also declined to answer their questions. But then, looking straight at them, he asked their opinion on the parable he was about to relate about a man who had two sons.

It was a simple story. One day a man asked both of his sons to go out to work in his vineyard. The first son said, “No way!” But he had a change of heart and later went into the vineyard. The second son said, “Sure.” But he never went. Jesus ended the parable with this question to them. “Which of the two sons did the father’s will? ” The answer was a no-brainer. “The first.”

The religious leaders had no idea what Jesus was about to hit them with. “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe in him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds.” That punch wasn’t enough, though. Jesus followed his response with two more parables – the Parable of the Tenant Farmers and the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Let’s stay focused on this Parable of the Two Sons.

We have to acknowledge that neither of these sons was perfect. One gave lip service to his father’s request, but ended up disappointing him. The other son, at first, aggravated his father with a negative response, even though he eventually responded to his father’s request.

Jesus was pointing primarily at the religious leaders. They gave his Father lip service. They scrupulously followed all the religious laws but never had a conversion of heart. Jesus told the religious leaders that while sinners heeded John’s call to repent, they smugly rejected his message. In Jesus’ eyes, they were worse than the prostitutes and the tax collectors who were condemned by the “righteous” religious leaders. The “sinners” were lost but searching, and Jesus loved them for it.

As Christians trying to follow Jesus by taking on his values, it would be good for us to listen to his teachings. They’re perfectly clear when he’s fighting with the Pharisees. Matthew’s Gospel records many of these encounters, but they’re in the other Gospels as well. I’ll conclude this reflection with a few of Jesus’ statements from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus’ attitude toward those who are self-righteous and condemn others is clear and uncompromising.

“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. (Matthew 23:13)”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside you are full of plunder and self-indulgence. (Matthew 23:25)”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. (Matthew 23:27)”

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. (Matthew 9:12-13).” Jesus calls everyone to a change of heart–a change of attitude. He calls us to his loving heart.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light. (Matthew 11:28-30)”

Matthew begins chapter twenty with a parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” It’s always a good idea when reflecting on a parable to check the previous passage. It often gives an insight into what Jesus is teaching. Chapter nineteen ends with a scene in which a rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to attain eternal life. He said that he kept the commandments scrupulously but wanted to know what more he could do. Jesus shocked him by presenting him with a challenge. “If you wish to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” We’re told that the young man went away sad because he had many possessions.

Then Jesus turned to his apostles and delivered what was to be, perhaps, his most remembered comment, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the

eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Peter, shaken by Jesus’ comment, immediately asked a serious question. “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus gave this answer to Peter. “Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” He ends with an odd saying. “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

To reinforce his teaching Jesus then delivered the parable that began. This chapter twenty of Matthew’s Gospel. “The kingdom of God is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.”

The parable presents a landowner going to the marketplace at 6 am to hire day laborers to work in his vineyard. At the time there were many men who were unemployed. People were continually losing their businesses or farms because they were not able to pay the extravagant taxes the Romans levied on the population. The local marketplaces were continually filled with men looking for work. They weren’t lazy. They were desperate. They needed to work to support their families. The normal day’s wage was a denarius, which would be just about enough to buy food for one meal for a family of four.

Grape picking time was towards the end of September. The harvest was always a rushed experience. The grapes had to mature, but they also had to be picked before the annual rains came in October. The landowner started hiring at 6 am but returned again at 9 am because more men were needed. This group and the other groups he hired at noon, 3 pm and 5 pm were to be paid “whatever was right.”

6 pm came and the workday was over. The landowner called the men together to pay them. He began with the last ones who were hired. They only worked an hour but were paid a denarius! The men who worked twelve hours expected to be paid more since they worked the entire twelve-hour day, but he gave them what they had negotiated when he hired them, a denarius.

The first group of laborers protested to the landowner saying that it wasn’t fair for everyone to be paid the same. Here comes the challenge of the parable. “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same usual wage? Or am I not free to do as I want with my money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”

If we link this parable to the story of the rich young man, we can understand better what mes-

2 sage Jesus was imparting to his apostles. Jesus’ invitation to follow him was demanding. One’s heart had to be free. The reminder that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God was a call for detachment. If worldly possessions were unimportant for the disciples, then the whole world would be theirs. This detachment included, however, the desire for power. Jesus knew that the apostles would have the temptation to see themselves as superior because they were the first to be invited to the kingdom of God. Call to mind the times the apostles argued among themselves about who would be first in this kingdom. When he heard them arguing Jesus was harsh with them. He reminded them that they were to be servants and not masters.

After his conversation with the rich young man, Jesus gave a pointed directive to his apostles. “Many who are first will be last and the last will be first.” Everyone is equal in the kingdom. Everyone is a servant. Jesus ended the parable of the workers in the vineyard in the same way. “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” No one is better than anyone else. Everyone is equal in God’s eyes. No one has a right to exercise power over another.

Saint Paul spelled out this teaching in a powerful statement. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)” God is the master of the vineyard, and his generosity extends equally to everyone. This parable reminds us that we’ve been called to labor in the vineyard of the Lord, to be joyful servants without any prejudice.

It’s a challenge to follow Jesus because we can no longer think as the world thinks. We have to be free to clothe ourselves with Christ.

I’m not going to reflect on the gospel we’ll hear at mass this Sunday. I’ve chosen to think about September 11, 2001 instead. It was nine o’clock in the morning.
I was walking across One Police Plaza to buy a bagel from a vendor. I looked up and saw thick black smoke billowing from one of the towers. A policeman was standing there so I asked him what happened. He told me that a plane had just hit the tower. He masked his feelings, but I knew he was shaken. My first thought was that everyone above the fire line would never make it to safety. I didn’t buy a bagel; I hurried back to the rectory. As soon as I entered another plane struck the second tower. It was clear what was happening.

The months after the attack, while our government forces began a campaign of retaliation and destruction that continues, sadly, to this day, New Yorkers touched the divine light. There was shock and deep sorrow, but throughout the city people spontaneously reached out to each other. The daily subway ride became an opportunity to be kind to someone. People gave up their seats to first responders. The elderly and the infirm were helped into their seats. People called out “thank you” to firemen and policemen. There was a wonderful sense of kindness and community. We were working with and for each other. We didn’t take each other for granted. And it felt so good! Really good! The financial capital of the world became, for many months following 911, the city of compassion and caring. The city of light.

It has been 25 years since that terrible day. Let’s wake up again. Let’s look at the people around us and see our brothers and sisters. Let’s heal our world with God’s forgiving and healing light. Let’s reach out with love and compassion not only to our fellow New Yorkers but to all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. We don’t have to wait for a catastrophe to let our light shine. We did it during the months after 911. Why can’t we shine every day? After all, we’ve been called to be light for the world.

A LITTLE PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope; and where there is darkness only light. (The Prayer of St. Francis)

We’re going to reflect on a fascinating passage from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 18, verses 15-20. It’s fascinating because it’s filled with problems.

Its opening statement is direct and simple. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” If someone does something to you that’s offensive or hurtful, the best thing to do is to bring it up to him. Try to talk it out. “If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.” This is a wise, practical approach to a not uncommon situation. Friendships can actually grow when difficult situations that may arise between friends are confronted and talked out. It’s not good to let hurts fester because they tend to be fed by silence and grow. If tensions are not spoken about, the offended party often slips into deeper anger and resentment. The opening statement of the passage is good, simple advice.

Now, suppose my brother won’t talk out the problem, what can I do? Here’s where the problem in the passage begins to surface. “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” This can be interpreted as a kind of intervention, similar to the interventions used when a friend or family member has an alcohol or drug problem. We gather close friends and family members to confront the person with the problem he has. We gather to confront him because we love him, and we are concerned for his well-being. In the case of the alcoholic or drug addict this is a caring and often successful approach to the problem. Yes, the drugs and alcohol are physically harmful for the person using them, but because the drugs or alcohol rule his life they become more important than his family and friends. His actions have most probably caused deep hurts and resentments. But love can conquer all. The intervention is meant to look beyond the hurts and to focus on the person we care for, not the person who has hurt us.

But take a look at the statement again. “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” It seems to me that this isn’t really a loving intervention. The terminology is legal. Facts have to be established. There are “witnesses.” The statement implies that there will be a winner and a loser in the case. When that type of situation develops there’s never a reconciliation. There’s one brother who has been proven right, and one brother who has been proven wrong. There’s no kiss and make up here. Would Jesus have taught this? I wonder.

The situation goes further. “If he refuses to listen to them tell the church.” Now we’re moving into a court-like setting. It’s no secret that court cases never bring parties together. The court decides who’s right and who’s wrong, and awards a settlement to one and a penalty to the other. There’s definitely no reconciliation here. Would Jesus have taught this? Again, I wonder.

But there’s another big problem with this statement. There is no “church.” It didn’t exist when Jesus was teaching. It was the post resurrection communities that began to call themselves “the church.” We read Saint Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth or the church in Rome. The word Paul chose to describe the various communities of Christians was “ecclesia,” a Greek word meaning convocation or political assembly. No such Christian structure existed at the time of Jesus. In fact Christians didn’t exist yet. The disciples of Jesus were Jews who followed the teachings of the rabbi/healer/miracle worker, Jesus. They didn’t join his “church.” My conclusion is that Jesus would not have said this.

The passage moves into even more problematic territory. “If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” I can’t imagine this statement coming out of the mouth of Jesus. He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman, and the slave of the Roman centurion. He invited himself to the house of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho. The Scribes and Pharisees attacked Jesus for eating in the homes of tax collectors. Jesus even invited the tax collector Matthew into his inner circle of disciples. I don’t wonder about this statement. Jesus didn’t say it.

The passage immediately following this one reports that Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus’ answer is quick and very clear. “I say to you not seven times but seventyseven times.” There’s no treating someone like a Gentile or tax collector. No one is ostracized here! Jesus is teaching that on our side, the Christian side, no one can ever stop trying to reconcile. Forgiveness has to be my middle name. One of the last things Jesus ever said was, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34).”

The passage continues with what seems to reflect an authentic image of Jesus and what he might teach. “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This is so true of relationships. A broken and unsettled relationship will follow us to the grave as will a reconciled and healed relationship. One will continue to torment us. The other will be part of our joy.

2 Finally, Jesus reinforces his teaching on reconciliation. “Amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When we struggle to reconcile with a brother and bring it to prayer, God will heal the relationship because Jesus has entered the process acting as a mediator.

Now where do we go with all this information? We have portions of a passage in Matthew’s Gospel that doesn’t correctly reflect the person of Jesus and his teachings. There are elements of the passage that I feel comfortable ascribing to Jesus. But I’m sure that Jesus wouldn’t have taught everything that this passage contains. They are either later additions to the Gospel, or the church at the time of the Gospel’s writing already had a process in place to deal with dissonance within the community. Either way, the ecclesia, the church, was already, so shortly after Jesus life, straying from his teachings by introducing a legal approach to deal with problems within the community. This approach is exactly what Jesus fought against during his life.

Where can we go with this information? We need to turn to Jesus for a resolution. He gave Peter an answer to the problem of reconciliation. “He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.’ (Matthew 16:23)” We can’t think as the world thinks. We have to think in a new way if we’re going to be able to reconcile with our brother.

The passage we’re reading shows us the path to the new way. It contains Jesus’ spirituality of forgiveness. “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst. (Matthew 18:19-20)” If all parties pray for reconciliation Jesus is promising that he’ll be there to heal the dissonance, and bring harmony back into our relationship.

This is the Christian way. The legal way is the way of the world. Is there any wonder why there are so many antagonistic relationships in the world? Brother struggling with brother. Country struggling with country. Forgiveness is the divine energy that heals relationships. Take a good look at our world. Look at the pain and suffering caused by disharmony. Look at the pain that exists between friends and within families. And The communal pain caused when one nation can’t reconcile with another. We can’t live without forgiveness. Authentic forgiveness comes only when we invite God into the hurt we are experiencing. Only then can Jesus can bring healing and resolution to me and you, and our world.

Jesus had just praised Simon for his answer to the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon had declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus was so impressed by him and his answer that he changed Simon’s name to Peter, and gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Strangely, however, Jesus strictly “ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.” By observing what took place immediately following this dramatic moment we can understand why Jesus demanded that his disciples tell no one that he was the Messiah.

“From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day raised again.” Peter and the disciples were glowing with joy when Jesus announced that he was the Messiah, but now he was putting a damper on their excitement by talking about suffering and death! The Messiah was to enter Jerusalem as Israel’s conquering hero. He would crush the Romans. Israel would rise again, strong and independent. He would inaugurate a golden age! What’s this talk about suffering and death? Again, Peter was the first to speak.

“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Peter was such a good guy. He was telling Jesus that he, and all of Jesus’ followers, would never allow that to happen to him. He would be safe with them. He would, indeed, enter Jerusalem as a victorious hero. What a reaction he received! “Get behind me, Satan!”

Poor Peter. His heart was in the right place. He loved Jesus. He didn’t want anything to happen to him. He had to try to stop Jesus’ negative thinking. But he wasn’t listening; he was reacting. Jesus was unveiling his God-given destiny. “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Jesus wasn’t angry with Peter. He was heart-broken. This was another temptation Jesus experienced, the temptation to abandon his mission and to take on the role of the conquering hero. His colleagues were his tempters.

Jesus experienced three powerful temptations during his ministry. The first took place immediately after his baptism in the Jordan River. The Spirit descended upon him and his Father proclaimed him “beloved” in a voice from heaven that everyone present could hear. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” That moment of affirmation lasted only a short time. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the Devil.” In the desert he confronted the demons within him.

The first demon arose from his physical hunger. “If you are the Son of God turn these stones into loaves of bread.” No, his bodily needs would never override his deeper hunger for “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The second demon took the form of adulation from an adoring crowd. The temptation came as he stood on the parapet of the temple. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” The angels would protect him from any harm, and the people would go wild over this incredible feat. No, he would never heal or perform miracles as an ostentatious show of his abilities. “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

The third demon was the darkest of all the demons, the temptation of power, absolute power. Standing on a high mountain he saw all the kingdoms of the world. “All these I shall give you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” His response to the demon of power was clear and stern. “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord your God shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” His inner demons conquered, “behold, angels came and ministered to him.”

Now, Peter initiated a second round of temptations. Jesus had revealed that he was indeed the Messiah. But no one ever dreamed what it would mean to take on that mission. His mission involved his rejection by the religious leaders and a terrible, violent death. I can picture Peter, hearing Jesus prophesy his own death, running over to him, putting his arms around him like a father trying to comfort his crying child after a nightmare. No, no. This is just a dream. “No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

Jesus needed Peter to get his back. He didn’t need another temptation. He needed to hear, “How can I support you?” His mission wasn’t easy. He wanted friends and colleagues to give him strength. It may seem cruel, but Jesus couldn’t let Peter continue with his delusion. “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.”

The third and most difficult temptation would take place after he had eaten his last supper with his disciples. They all followed him to Gethsemane. There he separate his special friends, Peter, James and John, from the others to support him while he prayed. He opened his heart to them. “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He left them, fell to the ground and prayed to his Father suffering his last temptation. “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” It was the moment to meet his destiny. Judas had betrayed him to the religious leaders. Peter had just declared, “‘Even though I should have to die, I will not deny you.’ And all the disciples spoke likewise.” But twice Peter, James and John were asleep when he returned from his prayer. Soon they would all flee. Abandoned, he would enter the crucible.

When Jesus begged Peter to “Get behind me,” he was inviting Peter and the others to share his mission. It wasn’t easy for him, and it wouldn’t be easy for them. It won’t be easy for us. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

A final thought. I’ve always interpreted this statement of Jesus’ metaphorically. A cross was any burden that I might carry. It could be illness, my own or a family member’s. It could be problems in my family. It could be a financial crisis. But I never imagined that I would hear reports of Christians being crucified in Syria. I never imagined that I would see a video of Coptic Christians being marched to a beach in Libya and beheaded.

The birthplace of Christianity is crying out the prayer of Jesus, “My God, why have you abandoned me?” The martyrs have taken up the cross. They’ve followed him. Their witness is a gift to us. They’re pleading with us to follow them, to strengthen our faith, our commitment. We must not remain asleep. They’re crying out to us, “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.”

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)

These words of Jesus are the traditional starting point for the Church’s teaching regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A second New Testament passage focuses and interprets this power of binding and loosing. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (John 20:22-23). In the passage from John’s Gospel Jesus clearly gives his power to forgive sin to the apostles. We continue to celebrate this gift in our Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Extraordinary as this gift is, Jesus was entrusting more than the power and authority to forgive sins when he gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Let’s examine this passage closely. We begin by noting the setting for this event.

Jesus brought the apostles to Caesarea Philippi, a place sacred to the religions of the pagan world because it was believed to be the birthplace of the Greek god Pan. It also was the site of a magnificent temple to the divine Roman emperor. Inside a cave in the hillside there flowed a spring. This was one of the sources of the Jordan River. Jewish memory associated the river with Joshua and the entrance of the Israelites into the Promised Land. In this place sacred to Romans, Jews and Gentiles, the entire world one might say, Jesus asked his core group of disciples a transcendental question, “Who do you say that the Son of Man is?”

The answer came quickly. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” Jesus’ eyes lit up when he heard this answer. His heavenly Father had given this insight to Simon, not “flesh and blood,” not mere observation. This answer, this insight, was so profound that it initiated a dramatic response from Jesus. Immediately he changed Simon’s name to Peter rock. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” By changing his name Je-

sus was declaring that Peter was a new person.

Peter saw the inner reality of the Jesus event. Jesus was the Messiah, but not the conquering hero people expected. The Messiah was “the Son of God.” Something radically new had begun to evolve on earth – the kingdom of heaven.

It’s important to note that Simon didn’t receive the keys of the kingdom, Peter did. “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so, I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

The phrase “blessed are you” should ring a bell. Matthew begins chapter five of his Gospel with nine acclamations that we’ve come to call the Beatitudes. Blessed are you who are poor in spirit! Blessed are you who mourn! Blessed are you who are meek! Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness! Blessed are you who are merciful! Blessed are you who are clean of heart! Blessed are you who are peacemakers! Blessed are you who are persecuted! Blessed are you who are insulted and persecuted because of me! These are the marks of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Peter’s recognition of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God earned him the acclamation of the kingdom. “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah.” When Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter he sealed a transformation in him – he was to be the first stone of the new edifice Jesus was building. He then gave the new man, Peter, a mission. He entrusted the keys to the kingdom to him.

The symbolism of the keys comes from a Jewish tradition. The Scribes were considered stewards of the treasury of divine wisdom. When they were granted the title, “Scribe” they were given a symbolic key meant to open and close the door to that treasury. They were commissioned to interpret the Law, the body of divine wisdom.

Jesus awarded the keys to the kingdom of

2 heaven not only to Peter, but, through him, to everyone who is born again – who takes on the life of the Beatitudes. Through us, the kingdom of heaven is being built one stone at a time. By our being living examples of the kingdom – by being humble and poor of spirit, by mourning with those suffering loss, by living simply and unselfishly, by interacting with pure and honest hearts, by laboring for peace, by willingly suffering persecution and insult for the kingdom of heaven we extend Jesus’ invitation to enter the kingdom community. What an exalted and demanding mission we have accepted!

I began writing this reflection in the days following the events at Charlottesville and Barcelona. I rested my head in my hands as my mind grappled with the tremendous upheaval going on. I wanted to weep as I thought of the suffering the human family is inflicting on itself. It’s a dark time not only for our country, but for our world.

With these events resounding in my mind and heart, I felt challenged by the account of Peter’s confession of faith in a way I have never been before. I felt that this passage had a powerful message for today. I knew it wasn’t merely a passage about the Church’s power to forgive personal sins. I struggled to understand the meaning of the keys. After days of reflection I realized that the keys were the Beatitudes – the new commandments Jesus gave us. They don’t tell us what to do or not do. They tell us what to be. They challenge us to be reborn just as Simon was reborn as Peter – the rock.

ROCK! What a powerful image of the kingdom! Think about how many times Jesus told his disciples not to be afraid. They were to be as solid as a rock. Their mission was to transform the world through the way they lived through the Beatitudes.

It’s a tremendous challenge for us to live a kingdom life – a life energized by the power of the Beatitudes. We must be careful not to sink back into the chaos of the world. We have to have tremendous courage. We can’t be afraid. Remember always what Jesus promised. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew reports that Jesus “withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.” This was outside Jewish territory. It’s the area we call Lebanon, the land of the Phoenicians. Jesus may have needed a break. Traveling into Gentile territory could hopefully give him some peace and quiet. The religious leaders had been stalking him taking note of everything he said and did. He was in open and hostile conflict with them. On the other hand, his popularity with the people was growing. They followed him hoping for healing and hungry for his preaching. Going into Gentile territory would give him a break from the harassment of the religious authorities, and a bit of rest from the crowds. However, the peace and quiet was short-lived. A Canaanite woman began calling after him.

There was no love lost between Canaanites and Jews. Upon entering the Promised Land, the Jewish people were confronted with the populations already living there. They were pagans and racially different.

It’s not clear from the account whether the woman was alone and following Jesus and his disciples, or if there was a small crowd of people who had heard of Jesus following them and this woman called out from within the crowd. However, this Canaanite woman began shouting to get Jesus’ attention. She used a very special phrase. “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!” The phrase acknowledged him as the Messiah, Son of David, and as Lord. The disciples are embarrassed by her shouts and plead with Jesus to send her away.

Jesus answered them in a strange way. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If he was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, why didn’t he dismiss her? He didn’t send her away because he needed to have her join him in a most profound teaching. His answer to the disciples was what they would have expected to hear. Remember, there was a wall between Jews and Gentiles. The disciples believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the savior of the Jewish people. The Gentiles would not part be a part of Jesus’ mission.

“But the woman came and did Jesus homage.” She had already shouted that her daughter was “tormented by a demon,” and that she needed his help. She pleaded with him a second time, “Lord, help me.” What he said to her shocks us. But it shocked the disciples and the woman in another, way. “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”

Referring to someone as a dog was a terrible insult. Jesus and the disciples would have been most familiar with the term “Gentile dog” because it used commonly. Years later the disciples would hear the term “Christian dog” spit at them. This is how we hear what Jesus said. However, Jesus didn’t use the ordinary word for dog. In Jesus’ time dogs often ran wild. They wandered the streets, rummaging through garbage. They were often rabid. We sometimes see this situation in developing countries. But Jesus didn’t use the term for that kind of dog. That’s what shocked the disciples and the woman. The word he used referred to “a cute little lap dog.”

When he used that word the disciples must have taken a second look, and the woman must have broken into a child-like smile. She moved right in with a playful response. “Please, Lord, for even the little lap dogs eat the scraps that fall form the table of their masters.” Jesus must have been smiling when he acknowledged the tremendous love and faith she had. “O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish.”

This woman’s heart-felt plea was the catalyst that broke down the Gentile/Jewish divide. She fully expected to be sent away. She expected to be dismissed as a rabid street dog. But Jesus was everything she had hoped he would be. He connected with her heart. He applauded her faith. He healed her daughter. There was no religious/racial wall separating her and Jesus.

I can never read this passage without thinking of the opening line of Robert Frost’s poem, Mending Wall. “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”

We’ve been building walls since the beginning of humankind. We try to keep people in with them. We try to keep people out with them. They’re not always made of stone. Sometimes we put up a psychological wall to separate us from some people who are different from us. We may not know how to integrate them into our world. So, we try to shut them out. Sometimes class is the wall separating us. Social stigma separates us and is sometimes the most horrible and cruel wall that we build and maintain.

I was once in a subway car when a truly wretched man came in. His clothes were ripped and filthy. He had messed himself. He held a cup in his dirty hand and began to ask for money. Not one person responded to his plea. In fact, one woman, with great aplomb, jumped up from her seat and, holding her nose, ran to the other end of the car.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” As Jesus so often said, “Let those who have ears to hear, hear.

We’re going to reflect on Matthew’s account of the storm at sea. He begins his narrative with a quick introduction. “After he had fed the people, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowd”. Look closely at this introductory statement. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracle. He fed five thousand men, not counting the women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fish and, after everyone had eaten, there was enough food to fill twelve baskets with what was left over. But immediately after the leftover food had been collected Jesus MADE his disciples leave the scene. He directed them to get into a boat and go to the opposite side of the lake. He remained behind to dismiss the crowd. Why would Jesus want to separate himself from his disciples?

If we look to another account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish we can come up with an interesting answer. “When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.’ Since Jesus knew that they were going to carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone” (John 6:14-15).

We have to remember that the Jewish population was not happy under Roman rule. Periodic insurrections occurred and were brutally suppressed. The feeding of the five thousand could have stoked up the people’s hope that Jesus was indeed the Messiah who would lead Israel to independence. Matthew reported an incident involving James and John. Their mother came to

Jesus pleading that they be placed in the two top positions of his kingdom. The other Gospels also report the disciples bickering over which one of them would take a place of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. They, along with the people, expected Jesus to set up a Jewish kingdom that would be free of Roman domination. This miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish could have become dangerously political.

Jesus dismissed his disciples demanding that they meet him on the other side of the lake because he most likely feared that they would become intoxicated by the people’s excitement. His kingdom wasn’t an earthly kingdom at all. There would be no conquering armies. There would be no first or second in command.

Jesus’ kingdom, the new Israel, would be built on the foundation of the old Israel, and would continue to be nurtured by God. More profoundly, perhaps, the twelve baskets of bread and fish that were left overrepresented God’s first gift to all those who would internalize the kingdom, Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus’ kingdom would conquer the world through self-sacrifice and loving hearts.

While Jesus walked along the shore of the lake to meet with the disciples, they were making little headway because of the powerful wind of a sudden storm. Jesus had sent them away from the political storm, but another and more powerful storm struck them. It was a crisis of faith.

It was the fourth watch of the night when the storm was at its strongest. The night was divided into four watches. The fourth watch was between 3 am and 6 am. This was considered the “darkest” time of the night. Even today, that night shift in a hospital is called the “death” shift.

Though the kingdom was to be built on selfgiving and loving hearts, it didn’t mean that Jesus’ disciples would cruise through life continually enjoying the sun and fine weather. The disciple had to have a deep faith in Jesus. This incident at sea testified that he would continue to journey with them even through the darkest of times and the strongest of storms.

Consumed by their fear, the disciples couldn’t believe that Jesus was walking toward them oblivious of the strong wind and the rough sea. Instead of being joyful upon seeing him they feared him, thinking that he was a ghost. But he broke through their fear by encouraging Peter to walk on the water with him. Peter did walk on the water until his faith weakened and the sea began to swallow him. But Jesus reached out to him. A mere touch of his hand was enough to save him.

John’s Gospel relates a powerful teaching that Jesus presented at the Last Supper, one we must never forget. “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33b). We will all face storms. Not one of us will go through life without experiencing upheavals and crises. Sometimes even our lives or the lives of people we love may be in danger of being swallowed up by the dark waters of the world. Our faith is the only thing that will save us. We must always look beyond the storms that will come. We must, as true and committed disciples, keep our eyes focused on the kingdom Jesus promised because our faith is the leaven that Jesus mixes into the darkness of the world. Eventually it will grow. Eventually it will conquer the world transforming it into the kingdom “so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28b).

In the New Testament there are six accounts of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Matthew and Mark each recount two separate miracles; Luke and John each report one. The account we’re reading today is from chapter 14 of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus feeds 5,000 men. In chapter 15 Matthew recounts another incident where Jesus feeds 4,000 men. It’s interesting to compare the six accounts. They’re similar, but none are exactly the same. Though it’s tempting to study the differences, I’m going to focus solely on the account we read today from the 14 th chapter. Let’s put this account into the context of events that had been unfolding around Jesus.

Chapter 13 ends by recounting a visit Jesus made to his hometown. Because of his powerful preaching and ability to heal, he was well known and had some celebrity status. He came to Nazareth and went immediately to the community center, the local synagogue, where he began to preach. The people reacted strangely to him. “They were astonished and said, ‘Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Are not all his sisters with us. Where did this man get all this?’” The commentary follows, “And they took offense at him.” I often wonder what the people of the town were feeling? If he had remarkable wisdom, and was able to perform mighty deeds why did they reject him? I would think that Jesus “came home” to share God’s Good News with the people he grew up with and knew so well. It must have been heartbreaking for him to have been rejected by them.

This event was followed by another emotional blow, the beheading of John the Baptist. To give an account of this event immediately before Matthew’s first account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish was no accident. Matthew was setting the stage for two contrasting meals.

John was beheaded during a birthday banquet for Herod at which the daughter of his wife, Herodias, performed a dance that delighted Herod and all his guests. So much did he enjoy it that he promised to “give her whatever she might ask for.” Herodias hated John because he had declared her marriage to Herod unlawful because she had been married previously to Philip, Herod’s brother. So she instructed her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Though distressed by the request, Herod commanded him to be beheaded. “His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.”

As soon as Jesus heard the news he “withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” This set the stage for the event, the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Jesus crossed the lake to a deserted place. He needed to be alone. He had just experienced rejection by the community he had known since his birth. The corrupt and hostile power of the state had just executed John, God’s messenger. He needed to think about his mission and to pray. But it wasn’t meant to be. The crowd followed him and met him on the opposite shore. “His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.”

Darkness began to fall, so the disciples encouraged Jesus to dismiss the crowd so that they could go to the surrounding villages to buy food for themselves. Jesus looked at them, and presented them with a challenge “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” The disciples told him that they only had five loaves and two fish. He took the food from them, and then ordered the crowd to sit down on the grass.

Let’s focus on this event. Many people followed Jesus to listen to his message and to be cured, but at the same time, the powers of darkness had begun to mobilize around him. The hearts of the people of Nazareth had turned against him. John the Baptist, the voice announcing the coming of the kingdom of God, had been silenced by the treachery of Herod’s “royal family.”

By pairing the story of Herod’s banquet with the account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, Matthew was teaching by way of contrast. The powers of darkness revealed themselves in the glisten- ing splendor of a banquet in the royal palace with the head of the Baptist grotesquely displayed on a serving platter. By contrast, Matthew told us that the event took place in a deserted place as the darkness was falling. The crowd sat on the grass. This detail subtly invoked Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze…You set a table before me as my enemies watch.”

Jesus was ready to celebrate the banquet of the kingdom of God. But first, he wanted to establish a spiritual foundation for the event. His challenge to the disciples “to give them some food yourselves,” was to be that spiritual foundation. They were asked to give away all the food they had brought for themselves – five loaves and two fish. Once they had freely given away what they had, they were free to assist Jesus in addressing the hunger of the crowd.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied.”

In describing how Jesus distributed the bread and fish, Matthew was presenting a short description of the early Eucharistic celebration. A prayer was lifted up. The bread was broken, and then shared among the group. No one was excluded. Everyone was satisfied. At each Eucharistic celebration Jesus is always the Lord of the banquet. He continues to bless the bread and give it to his disciples who in turn distribute it to those hungering for a deeper life.

At the same time, Matthew was contrasting the perverted banquet at Herod’s palace with the heavenly banquet of the Eucharist. Herod’s banquet was polluted with court intrigue, revenge and murder. Jesus’ banquet was celebrated in a most simple way in a deserted place, but it was a miracle of self-giving, compassion, and healing. Where Herod’s banquet brought death, the banquet of the kingdom of God brought life, healing and community.

In our celebrations of the Eucharist Jesus, continues to look with compassion on all who gather to hear his word and seek his healing. He still instructs us, his disciples, to look beyond our needs so that we can give ourselves totally in service to one another. Even in the most dark and deserted place, Jesus will feed the multitude with the bread of life. There is always enough for everyone. No one will be sent away unsatisfied.

A LETTER FROM THE PASTOR

Dear Friends, In two weeks, we’ll begin the celebration of the 144th Annual Novena to Saint Anne. This will be the 26th time I’ve conducted the Novena, and I can personally attest that it’s a very powerful time of prayer and spiritual renewal.

It’s serendipitous that in today’s gospel reading Jesus personally invites us to begin a spiritual journey. “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give your rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Hopefully, you can take part in the Novena this year. It begins on July 17th and concludes on St. Anne’s Feast Day, July 26th. We celebrate two Novena Masses every weekday for your convenience, 7:30 am and Noon. We also celebrate a special Blessing of Children and Grandparents on Sunday, July 19th and a Communal Anointing of the Sick on Saturday on July 25th.

Contemplative prayer has an important role during the Novena. At Saint Jean’s, we afford the opportunity to adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament every day from 9:00am until 5:30pm. On St. Anne’s feast day, July 26th we celebrate with a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament at the 7:30pm Mass. It’s during this procession that we’re invited to commit ourselves to continue our spiritual journey, walking with Jesus the Risen Lord.

If you can’t join us, you’re invited to send us your intentions. We’ll place them at the Shrine of St. Anne and encourage everyone in attendance to keep them in their prayers. During the novena we pray for healing not only for ourselves, friends, and relatives, but also for the world. So we reach out and pray for global healing and universal peace and prosperity for all people.

St. Anne has interceded for us for many years, bringing healing and blessings to us. Join us for all or part of the Novena to St. Anne. God bless you, your families and your friends.

Rev. John A. Kamas, SSS Pastor