Homily at Bishop’s Council Meeting – Thursday 10th September 2009

 

Readings: Colossians 3: 12-17,Luke 6: 27-38 / Responsorial Psalm 139:1-9

At the end of my first year as a student, I found myself in a bit of a mess, from all sorts of points of view, and in a state of confusion as a result.  I knew what I wanted to do, but there were lots of other side issues that needed to be settled.  So I went to Taizé for a week’s retreat.  In those days it was a much smaller set up.  The Church of the Reconciliation had only just been built, and the old medieval church in the village was in regular use in the winter months.  It’s all a bit different now, with all those crowds of people. 

I sat at the feet of one of the brothers, brother Thomas, and at our first meeting, he gave me a copy of the Rule of Taizé, which is used – rather like the Rule of St. Benendict – by aficionados all over the world.  I went away and read it, and came back to him the next day with a whole series of analytical reflections on it, and I noticed that he sat there looking more and more long faced.  The next morning he came up to me with a copy of the Book of Psalms, and looking pointedly at me, he said “I want you to read Psalm 139 – and I want you to come back and tell me what it says to you”.  It was just what I needed, because he pricked the bubble at the right moment and in the right way.  In our subsequent meetings, I was able to talk about all sorts of things, about myself, and he was able to help me.  And I returned to base far more settled and far more focused. 

That is why this evening’s Responsorial Psalm strikes such a note – “O Lord you have searched me out and known me” (Psalm 139:1).  And it is in that context that I want to make a few remarks about our epistle and gospel.  They are taken from the daily Eucharistic lectionary, and by sheer coincidence they seem to strike the same sort of note about living out our discipleship.  Paul is writing to the community at Colossae, and has reached that part of the letter where, as usual, the opening thanksgiving and subsequent addressing of issues leads to an exhortation to Christian living.  There is much to ponder in it but the three words that always hit me in the face are “and be thankful” (Col.3:15).  They always remind me of the words of distribution with the cup at the Prayerbook Eucharist – “Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for thee, and be thankful.”  Thanksgiving is fundamental to the Christian faith. 

Then we turn to the gospel reading.  We are well into St Luke’s ‘Sermon on the Plain’ –

He doesn’t put Jesus on the mountain, as Matthew does, and Jesus preaches a rather shorter sermon here than the one on the Mount!  We have the ‘blessed’ and the ‘woes’, and then comes the section on Christian living.  And in it there are two characteristically Lucan touches.  One is that we should pray for those who abuse us (Luke 6:28) – just as Luke has Jesus pray for those who are crucifying him - “Father forgive them…” (Luke 23:34) And then we are told to be merciful and to forgive (Luke 6:36-38) – just as Jesus received the penitent thief before he died (Luke 23:41-43). 

Being thankful and forgiving take us right into the very heart of God. 

+ Kenneth Portsmouth