TWELFTH SUNDAY OF YEAR "A"

TWELFTH SUNDAY OF the YEAR

Cycle “A”: Mt.10, 26 – 33 “Fear not…let go”

Introduction: Jesus made promises to his disciples to encourage them to persevere in following him. But he reminded them to remain faithful to him. The disciples remain faithful by relying on Jesus’ promise that good would triumph over evil, however difficult or unfair things may be for us. Even death will not have the last word. Whether in life or in death, we are under God’s care. Jesus our Lord gives us hope, strength and confidence. So we stand steadfast in the Lord. And we shall confess to Jesus that we trust his promises, for his words are life.

The Homily: Let me begin by telling you the story of the hermit Abba Macarius. Abba Macarius was a camel driver, trading in nitrate or saltpetre, which was used as a fertiliser. He died in A.D. 390 at the age of 90. In his younger days he lived a solitary life near a village until he was falsely accused in a paternity case. After he was exonerated, he fled to the desert to avoid the admiration of the villagers. One fine day a young aspirant came to him for advice. Abba Macarius told the young man to walk to the local graveyard and praise the dead people. When the lad did as advised, Abba Macarius told him to return to the cemetery and insult and revile the dead people, which the young fellow did as well. Feeling quite stupid, he returned to the old man to make his report. Macarius asked the fellow, “Did the dead say anything in reply to your praises and insults?” He answered, “No.” Then Macarius told him: “Just like the dead, take no account of the scorn of men or their praises, and you can be saved.”

Difficult advice, since we do feel hurt when people are rude, and feel great when complimented.

The story helps us to have an attitude. This is the whole lesson of the way of non-attachment.

Sooner or later, everyone you know will disappoint you in some way. They'll say something or fail to say something that will hurt you. And they'll do something or fail to do something that will anger you. It's inevitable.

Unfortunately, you make things worse when you stew over someone's words and deeds. When you dwell on a rude remark or an insensitive action made by another person, you're headed for deeper problems.

In fact, the more you dwell on these things, the more bitter you'll get.

You'll find your joy, peace and happiness slipping away. And you'll find your efficiency slowing down as you spend more and more time thinking about the slight or telling others about it. Eventually, if you don't stop doing it, you'll even get sick.

 

So what should you do the next time someone betrays you? Take responsibility for your feelings. Even though the other person may be at fault, even though the other person wronged you, you are still responsible for your own feelings. As long as you blame other people for your feelings, as long as you believe other people caused your feelings, you're stuck. You're a helpless victim.

But if you recognize the fact that you choose your feelings and you are responsible for your feelings, there's hope. You can take some time to think about your feelings. And you can decide what is the best thing to say or do.

Then, you've got to learn to WALK AWAY FROM DISAPPOINTMENT. It's difficult to do, but it's possible.

In other words, other people do not "cause" your feelings. You choose them.

Once we get into the practice of non-attachment, which is another way of way of saying, “Let them go”, all kinds of personal back-logged stuff appears. We let go of the comforting fiction about ourselves. We let go of the lie about ourselves, and we feel a relief.

 We sit lightly to our possessions, since our hearts belong elsewhere. And since we have nothing to lose, we have no fear. Fear is due to attachment. “Do not be afraid.” That’s not merely an advice, it’s a command, so that to fear would be committing a sin.

Trying to keep a special quality of a relationship, pleasant experiences, a sense of security, youth, or anything else from their natural rhythms is disruptive and detrimental to ourselves and to others. Anything that we hold on to will throw us off balance. Take your breath, for example. You cannot be attached to a breath and live. You must let your breath go, let your lungs empty out, in order to be refreshed by the next breath. Non-attachment honours the rhythm of life. It frees us to experience this passing life on its own terms. It’s not a matter of changing our likes or dislikes, with wanting and not wanting. It has everything to do with the “I want” and the “I don’t want.”

 It is letting go of the “I” in the wanting and not wanting. In the words of St. Thomas More, it means not taking seriously “this bothersome thing I call myself.”

 Non-attachment does not mean that we give up things or reputation or people. It means we give up the self.

Finally, you need to FORGIVE. It's difficult, especially when the other person doesn't deserve your forgiveness or doesn't even seek it. It's difficult when the other person is clearly in the wrong.

Part of the difficulty comes from a common misunderstanding of forgiveness.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that the other person's behaviour is okay. And forgiveness doesn't mean that the other person is off the hook. He's still responsible for his misbehaviour.

Forgiveness is about letting yourself off the emotional hook. It's about releasing your negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviours. It's about letting go of the past so you can go forward to the future.

Everyone in your life, everyone on and off the job is going to disappoint you. If you know how to respond to those situations, you'll be way ahead of most people. You'll be able to live above and beyond your circumstances.

“Fear not”, commanded Jesus. Our fundamental fear tells us that we are deficient and incomplete, and that we must look for something (or someone) to achieve wholeness. So our whole identity shrinks down to the size of our fear, the insecurity about ourselves. And taking seriously this shrunken self is simply to lie to ourselves. Nobody does things right, even most of the time. Most people do the best they can, and it’s not good enough. If that’s the case with you, then welcome to humanity. And what’s the secret. It’s the punch line of the Man from Nazareth: “Whoever saves his life, loses it, while he who loses his life for my sake discovers who he really is.”  “So, what’s the problem, when you know that I your Lord who loves you am still around.”

 

PRAYER (Alison Pepper)

Lord of my darkest place, let in your light.

Lord of my greatest fear, let in your peace.

Lord of my most bitter shame, let in your word of grace.

Lord of my oldest grudge, let in your forgiveness.

Lord of my deepest anger, let it out.

Lord of my loneliest moment, let in your presence.

Lord of my truest self  - my all, let in your wholeness.