Reflection for Sunday 29th August

Peripheries

Between 16-20 August I attended and chaired a ‘virtual’ Provincial Assembly for the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Fathers and Brothers) in Oceania which includes Australia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. 

One of the themes we looked at was ‘am I willing to go beyond my comfort zone and move out to the peripheries and serve others?’ I was quite struck by the work being done by our students in Fiji and our Director there in preparing, cooking, and taking food out to those families who are in the ‘red zones’ in Suva. I was heartened to hear of the work done by our men in the Solomon Islands in offering material assistance to families when they come to the Parish asking for help. 

These situations came to my mind as I was reflecting upon the Second Reading from St James this week. He was basically saying that pure unspoiled religions in the eyes of God our Father is seeing the needs of others and then helping them in practical ways. It is not enough to listen to the Word of God. The Word of God must then be applied. 

In the First Reading Moses directed the attention of the people about the importance of following the law closely. However, the law was not to be an end in itself. Rather it would be through following the law that the people would discover a profound link between law and life. In turn the people would discover a profound level of happiness which only God can give. This happiness would be found in keeping the Commandments which by their nature are a call to serve both God and neighbour.

All of this was something that the Scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day had lost sight of. They thought that pure unspoilt religion in the eyes of God consisted solely as to how well they observed all the laws and customs to the letter. By over-emphasising material interpretation of the law, they had strangled the dynamism out of it. It was inevitable that Jesus would clash with such an attitude because for him religion was always about the person. He regarded loving God through serving others as being more important than cultic practice.

Our Readings this week remind us of what lies at the core of our faith. Our faith must be released by serving others. It is our willingness to move beyond our comfort zones and go out to the peripheries that we show our God how much we truly love him. Decisions like this are not dependent upon physical location. It comes down to a disposition of the heart. We can make this choice no matter where we find ourselves. 

Fr. Alan