29th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year A

Isaiah 45:1.4-6; 1Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21

The Sunday Missal is a combination of two books really - the Sunday Lectionary, this big book right here in front of me on the pulpit, which contains all the readings from Scripture used each Sunday - and the Roman Missal, which contains all the prayers said at Mass each day. It is lying over there on the altar.

A Sunday Missal costs about $50 or $60, depending on which version you get, and it's a very useful thing to own because it enables you to read in advance the Scriptures to be read on Sunday. For those of you who go to Mass during the week there is also a Weekday Missal available.

Each week it is the task of the priest to preach on the set readings; this is not always an easy task. Some people call preaching 'breaking the bread of the word'. This is a bit like when you make your small child a sandwich and you cut it into manageable bite sizes. In the same way the priest is supposed to 'break' the bread of God's word into digestible portions, so that it can be more easily received and understood. Naturally, this requires the priest to do his 'homework'.

This week again I sat down in my comfortable recliner and put the legs up. I put my Sunday Missal on the StediTray on my lap and asked God to give me a heart capable of receiving his word and handing it on to others. I generally start with the Gospel which always sets the theme. Next I read the First Reading which usually relates in some way to the theme of the Gospel and, finally, the Second Reading. This part of the process, this first step, is called lectio, which is a Latin word for reading.

At this point I want to make a confession. Years ago, when I first began preaching, I occasionally came to the end of the week and found I had not read the Sunday readings. So what I used to do was consult a whole series of 'homily books' I used to have. I would go through my collection until I found one I liked and give that homily on Sunday. (Of course I changed a few words here and there so I didn't feel quite so guilty.) Today, I guess, priests can do the same thing on the internet; there are truckloads of good homilies out there, just waiting to be stolen, and it means you don't even have to read the Readings!

Well, thank God, I've wised up a bit. Since I've started reading Scripture for myself, as part of my prayer routine each day, I've come to see how there is no substitue for lectio; it all starts there.

Having read the readings once or twice some simple questions will arise. 'Who are the Herodians? - Who was Cyrus? - Where is Thessalonika?' These questions are easily answered if you have the right book. My New American Bible has a very useful Biblical Dictionary at the back and answered my questions straight away.

From lectio I naturally moved into meditatio (that is, meditation). Over the years I've found that the longer I stay with the reading of the passage the more fruitful and interesting my meditation will be. You just can't hurry the process; I have learned this from my little jaunts to the bush.

You jump in the car, drive to a quiet place in the bush, take your director's chair from the boot and sit in a quiet spot. At first nothing happens. You see the trees round you, the leaves on the ground, the bushes and weeds, the sunlight through the leaves overhead. For maybe 10 minutes you sit there in peace - just looking and listening. In fact, you are doing lectio - reading Mother Nature's book.

Suddenly a noise, a little flutter at your feet, among the leaf litter - a lizard. You can see his face peering at something - a small beetle making its way across a twig. The lizard is beautiful - gleaming blue and purple - and you can see his breathing and his tail twitching every now and then.

Now you are distracted by a sound overhead. It's a wren looking for food. She flies to a branch 10 feet away and stares you in the face. What an amazing little creature! She flits from branch to branch moving around you, getting a good look from every angle - fascinated and fascinating. You know, without a word of a lie, I once had a wren come and sit on my hand which was resting on my knee, and then she flew up onto my shoulder and then my head. I felt so privileged - meditatio at its best.

Meditatio is when the readings begin to speak to you. Give them time and they always begin to speak to you.

Sitting in my recliner with my Sunday Missal I was drawn to how the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus. I could see their cunning faces and hear their malicious whispers. Like the little lizard they had no idea they were being looked at. I thought to myself, 'You nasty, sneaky things!'

What a contrast the flattering words of those they sent to Jesus to trap him: Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way , and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man's rank means nothing to you.

No wonder Jesus replied without hesitation: You hypocrites!

In meditatio we think about these things, we reflect on them, and quite naturally they lead us into the third phase - oratio (prayer).

Lord Jesus, I'm feeling so self-righteous right now, watching those shifty Pharisees plotting your downfall. I find myself condemning them. And yet, as I look at them in their secret huddle I'm somehow reminded of myself and the times I've joined a nasty little group talking about someone, destroying their good name. I see my hypocrisy in theirs as they speak evil behind Jesus' back and then imagine they can flatter him to his face. How sorry I am, Lord! Forgive me! Heal me of all that is hypocritical in me.

Reading leads to reflection which leads to prayer. This is the usual dynamic of what is called lectio divina or sacred reading. There is a final movement in this prayer which follows as gift from God; we call it contemplatio (contemplation). This is basically a cessation of all our activity and a time in which awareness of the God we have been seeking becomes so real for us that we are almost 'paralysed' by it in a peace and joy and rest so real we know it comes from him. The saints tell us that it is during these moments that God does his greatest work in us.

My final word? Get yourself a Sunday Missal.

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year A

Isaiah 25:6-10; 4:12-14.19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

Let's continue our reflection on prayer.

A few weeks ago we considered the proposition that the Christian has only one problem and that is prayer. We considered the need to give time to prayer - significant time, prime time - and the difficulties associated with doing this.

When I suggested we all wanted to 'get ourselves a prayer life' many of you nodded your heads energetically in agreement. So having come to agreement on the need to pray we next ask: How do I pray?

We all seem to be able to pray from time to time, when the mood grabs us, or when we have something serious to pray about, but how do I pray every day? How do I keep going? What should I do?

Without prejudicing any other form of prayer I want to speak on that way of praying called Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading. I'll try to give a glimpse of this ancient method of prayer which, coincidentally, solves many of the problems associated with daily prayer - like the question of distractions, routine, what do I do? what do I say? etc.

This book I'm waving at you is a Bible! It's the word of God; we begin our reflection from this basic fact - it's the word of God.

The whole universe was created by the word of God. God said: Let there be light, and behold, there was light. He didn't use a hammer and chisel or a saw, he made us by commanding it with his word. Let the waters be divided ... let life teem on the earth ... let the sea be filled with fish.

To us humans he gave life with his breath. I wonder if he spoke a word at that moment. Maybe he said 'Love!'

How did Adam and Eve fall? They disobeyed his word. He told them not to - but they did.

Then God spoke a word of promise - a Redeemer.

On Mount Sinai God gave us a word to live by, the Ten Commandments. The prophets reminded us of this word of God and constantly exhorted us to live by it.

Finally God sent the Redeemer. Who was he? He was the Word of God - made flesh - and his name was Jesus.

The word of God is all that Jesus is - loving, forgiving, creative, healing, strengthening, correcting, comforting, disturbing, powerful, irresistible - and lots more.

The word of God is not to be taken lightly - it is also, and at the same time, the action of God. Everywhere we read: God said ... and so it was!

This is true of Jesus too. Jesus says to the leper: Be cured ... and he was cured.

Well, the word of God is found also in the Bible. It goes on creating, healing, loving, strengthening, forming, comforting, correcting and disturbing us. And where the word of God is - living, active, powerful - God himself is not far away; in fact he is truly present.

So what about Lectio Divina?

Let me firstly give you an image. You're on a railway platform waiting for the train. Are you really waiting for the train? No, you are really waiting for the arrival of the person who is on the train. It would be silly if the train pulled in and we all stood around admiring the train and ignored the passengers.

Admiring the train is what's called Bible Study. Lectio Divina is searching for the passenger.

And you know which passenger I mean, don't you - it's God himself - the God of love - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It's easy to slip from Lectio Divina into Bible Study and its a dangerous confusion. For Lectio Divina you really only need a good Bible with some good footnotes. You can always do some Bible Study at another time. It's important not to confuse the two.

Lectio Divina, as someone once said, is not studying the bible, it's letting the bible study you.

So now we are ready to open our Bible. I always like to begin on page one of any book and so I open to Genesis. In many ways the Bible is like the door belonging to a house. This door has no lock and can be opened any time we like. And when we open this door we find a huge house occupied by a vast number of the most interesting and wonderful (for the most part) people you could ever meet.

In this house live Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Sarah, Joshua, Saul, David, Rebecca, Esther, prophets, kings, judges, men and women and lots of children - AND GOD HIMSELF - and JESUS, our Lord and Master.

Do you know these people? You should. They are the ones who preceded us in the faith and as we watch them living out their faith, with all their difficulties and trials and human weaknesses and fears we quickly come to realise that their lives are our lives - they are our elder brothers and sisters - that we are really looking at ourselves. As they learn about God, so do we. As they experience his love and mercy, so do we. As they hear the word of correction, so do we.

Have you ever been with Adam and Eve under the tree being tempted by the serpent? Have you ever stood with the People at the Red Sea trapped between the waters and the angry Egyptians? Have you ever celebrated the second Passover - in the desert of Sinai in the twilight of the evening?

Have you ever hidden with David in the cave as King Saul, who was trying to kill him, came in to relieve himself? Did you also whisper to David, 'Go on, kill him, he's at your mercy' - or did you thrill at David's glorious words, 'I will not lay my hand on the Lord's anointed one?'

In Lectio Divina there are four movements - we read, we meditate, we pray, and then, if God has been gracious to us, and we have been generous in our prayer, we contemplate.

Contemplation is a gift. It's when the Lord himself comes to meet us in this marvellous house. Suddenly he is there and we stop reading, thinking, and praying - we just sit resting, growing, being put back together - in his presence.

There is just so much more to say about this topic but there is no substitute for grabbing your Bible, finding a quiet, prayerful place, opening up and beginning. We should do Lectio every day, without fail, especially on the days we are too busy and on the days we don't feel like doing it.

Let me finish with a thought from Psalm 1:

Happy the man who ... finds his pleasure in the Law of Yahweh, and meditates on his law day and night. He is like a tree that is planted by water streams, yielding its fruit in season, its leaves never fading ...