Buzzword - Leadership
In one way or another the majority of people are cast in the role of being leaders. Leadership is very definitely integral to a Christian response to life's situations. Today's liturgy focuses our thoughts on Christ as Leader and Exemplar, and a pattern for our attempts to be leaders.
Daniel 7: 13-14: The thoughts expressed in the Book of Daniel take us another step forward in the history of religious thought the trials and tribulations suffered by the Chosen People would unfold with the appearance of a leader who, in later years, would be identified as the Christ the Anointed One.
Hebrews 10: 11-14,18: The unknown author of the Letter to the Hebrews clearly identifies Christ as redeemer and mediator - God speaking through His Son to all who would listen.
Mark 13:24-32: Here Christ again states the ultimate purpose of His ministry salvation - and concludes with encouraging words - the parable of the fig tree; and a warning that people need to be vigilant because no one knows the day or the hour.
Point 1: - The title "King" does not register too well with today's democratic, republican mindset; for that reason I think a better image of today's Feast is achieved by presenting it as the Feast of Christ the Leader. Leadership is the theme of today's Mass, as we have seen in the different readings. And it is an important theme for us, as Christians, to consider. All of us, in one or another, like to think of ourselves as leaders. Listen to the average conversation and we find that there is little done by others that we could not have done better! - our national leaders are fools, or worse; our sporting heroes make shocking errors of judgement; our civic fathers would be dangerous if they were endowed with brains; and if only our Bishops knew half as much as the average assistant priest, the Church could be so much better!
Point 2: Seriously! What is it that makes a good leader? The first quality of leadership is not asking people to do what one is not prepared to do oneself. In other words, leadership equates with being an Exemplar, one showing the way by example; or, to use a much used phrase - to practise what one preaches! In other words, leadership must reflect conviction. The autocrat, shouting instructions and threats is not necessarily exercising leadership; just as a parent who is constantly shouting and threatening to bring into line an unwilling family is not showing good leadership.
For our purposes, probably, it is within the family that this role of leadership needs to be reviewed regularly. Responsible parenthood demands qualities of leadership over and beyond the ordinary. It is strange that we receive training, or are prepared in other ways, for almost anything else, but not for parenthood. Giving life to a child and being responsible for shaping its life is one of the more important roles an adult can have. A baby, when born, is a cute bundle of unknown, untapped potential. What it develops into, for the most part, is the responsibility of its parents and other adult role models. From the moment its eyes are able to take things in, they continually feed information into the child's brain. The values and standards that the child observes and the experiences it has in early life will largely determine the type of adult it will grow into.
Conclusion: Of course, there is no guarantee that good example will always produce a desired result; but it can be safely argued that, with good example, there is more chance of a good result being achieved than there is without such example. No wonder, the Christian ethic lays such importance on this role of leadership for its followers, and asks that our approach to leadership be based on conviction. Our liturgy today focuses on the leadership of Christ and how it was based on conviction. Let our prayer be that our own sense of leadership should be inspired by similar conviction.
Scriptural reference: "Behold, I made him a witness to the people, a leader and commander of the peoples" (Isaiah 55:4)
Buzzword - Final Values
What lies ahead of us? As we come to the end of the liturgical year, the readings today focus our thoughts upon this ever present question. We are told that there will be an end to human history, but we need to understand that the language used is a style of rhetoric employed and understood in biblical times by religious writers and orators when speaking on the end of time.
Daniel 12:1-3. This passage is fundamentally similar in style and language to the gospel message. It begins with a prediction of bad times ahead and is intended to comfort and to encourage the Israelites who, at the time, were being fiercely persecuted by Antiochus Epihpanes. It explicitly affirms the resurrection of the dead and final judgement.
Hebrews 10: 11-14 Here the unknown author continues the theme that Christ is the Supreme Priest in whom all can find a link between the "here and now" and the "then".
Mark 13: 24-32 Christ uses language common to his time and familiar to those listening to him to state that the life we have will not last forever. In time, the Kingdom of God will prevail and we need to understand that the time we have is a time given to prepare for that transformation.
Point 1: Philosophers, Theologians and your every day man and woman throughout history have sought an answer to the question that we are asking today - is time merely a succession of unrelated events? Of all the answers given down through the centuries, the majority have favoured the belief that the deeds of life culminate in life after death. Saint Augustine summed up the Christian belief with his statement - "our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, Lord". This would seem to reflect our nature - we are never satisfied. Regardless of how we try to reduce the dimensions of life to this planet, we find ourselves groping and straining towards that which is beyond it, physically and psychically. For that reason, time, far from being a succession of unrelated events, is seen to involve the past, the present and the future, which, for the religious person, is, ultimately, eternity. Morality, for such people, sets an ideal towards which they strive; they seek to regulate their lives by it. For the Christian, that ideal centres around the choice that Christ offers - the choice to respond to the love that God has offered; or, to turn away from it. To experience, ultimately, total transformation through final union with God - life in its fullness; or, total devastation through eternal separation.
Point 2: Of course, this belief in "final values" has its critics. There are those who dismiss it as "pie in the sky"; others see it as a devious attempt by priests to hoodwink people so as to control them! And the imaginative language used to present this belief lays itself open to ridicule by today's sceptics. However, the question still remains. Will there be an end of the world? Will there be a judgement? Will the time come when that which Jesus began will eventually be brought to fulfilment?
Conclusion: At this point, I am prompted to recall the lyrics of a popular song of a good many years back -"Promises! Promises! Promises!" People promise without end! Children promise that they will be more obedient and truthful. Husbands promise that they will be more considerate and punctual, among other things! Wives promise that they will be more understanding and less temperamental! Young love is built on promise, whilst old love has accepted the reality that one loves in spite of promises made and not kept. But a promise by Christ is different. He has promised that He will come for us when our time has run its course, and we believe Him. Details of how that will be accomplished are beyond our knowledge, and they are relatively unimportant. The core of that promise is not a great assembly of people in the valley of Armageddon and a judge riding in on the clouds to pronounce sentence. The core of the message is that what Jesus began will eventually be brought to conclusion. God's love, as revealed in Jesus, will eventually triumph over sin and death. And we can be part of that triumph. The choice is ours.
Scriptural reference: [John 5:24] Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life
Buzzword - Two Small coins
Christian discipleship has always represented a challenge to those claiming the title; it demands a generosity of spirit inspiring us to do the best we can at all times. An impossible dream? Christ did not think so! The readings today provide us with examples of those who excelled.
1 Kings 17:10-16 Here we have the example of a poor widow prepared to share her last measure of flour and oil with the Prophet Elijah. He had been forced to seek refuge from Queen Jezabel who had vowed to exterminate all the prophets of Yahweh. She worshipped Baal. The widow's generosity did not go unrewarded.
Hebrews 9:24-28 The unknown author continues to boost the morale of the discouraged community of Jewish converts by extolling the perfect priesthood of Christ, comparing His sacrifice with those offered under the Old Law.
Mark 12:38-44 St. Mark tells two separate stories in today's passage; both are aimed at the mean spirited behaviour of the rich and the powerful compared with that of the poor widow who gave of her best.
Point 1: Many of us can remember the days when the Parish Priest would regularly publish lists of those who had contributed to different appeals, and the amounts that each had given. One such presentation comes to mind! In my home town in NSW, the parish was fortunate in having several wealthy families in it. On the occasion that comes to mind, the PP proceeded to read the list of Christmas Dues -"Mr. & Mrs. Jack .....? - $10. Mrs. & Mrs. Doug ....? - $10. Mr. & Mrs Tom ....? $10 ... and I expected another $10!" It was a nasty form of blackmail. Fortunately the practice has been discontinued. However, generosity of spirit is still very much part and parcel of a Christian response. And I am not talking only of generosity in money matters. More importantly, the generosity I am speaking of is reflected in our over-all attitudes to living.
The majority of us, I believe, recognise the difference between a mean spirited person and the one who is generous in his or her attitudes. It is a difference which shows itself in those who live "on" society and those who live "for" society; it is the difference that shows itself in those who consistently take more from living than they put into it. President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address in 1961, put it well when he challenged his country "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".
Point 2: Every society is divided between the "haves" and the "have nots"; and it was no different in Christ's time. The Scribes were the possessors and transmitters of all learning in the ancient world. As such they exerted great authority and influence. But, they abused their position. What contributions they made were not proportionate to their position and were largely made for show. They paraded themselves as religious people, praying long hours in public and, at other times, causing great hardship and impoverishment among those who had no power to stand up for themselves. Christ challenged them for being less than they should be. Because of their privileged position, more was expected of them. [Luke 12:48] From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded"
Conclusion: On the other hand, the widow, with her pittance of two small coins revealed a generosity of spirit far exceeding that of the Scribe who could have done more. She had done the best she could. No one can expect more than that one gives of one's best. Her story represents a challenge to all who regard themselves as religious people. It is expected of each of us that we give of our best - our attitudes within the family; our work relationships; our recreational relationship. Our readings today are not stories from the past. They make an urgent appeal to all to examine our attitudes and, where necessary, to lift our game.
Scriptural reference: We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. [Rom 12:6-8]
Buzzword - Motivation
What motivates us? Money, Power, Security? Whatever intermediate force drives us, the experts tell us that the dominant power of motivation is love. Even when driven by "hate", these same experts tell us that "hate" is the absence of love. Religious thinking has always drawn upon "love of God" as the main driving force for creation. The readings today deal with this belief.
Deuteronomy 6:2-8 - One frequently hears the accusation that religious thinking is, of necessity, governed by "fear". Our reading today disposes of this fallacy. The first imperative given to the Chosen People was to "love the Lord your God".
Hebrews 7: 23-28 - By presenting Christ as the perfect model of priesthood, the unknown author of this Letter wanted to boost the morale of the discouraged community of Jewish converts gripped by doubts over their conversion to Christianity.
Mark 12: 28-34 - This exchange between Christ and the Jewish Religious leader strikes a new note in religious practice - meeting human need is shown as a deeper way of honouring God. Ritual observance is all very good; but, human need takes precedence.
Point 1: As the confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders deepened, it became apparent that Jesus' concept of religious practice differed from that of his contemporaries. The Jewish leaders had great reverence for the Law. For them it was the way to honor God. Obedience to the Law was the absolute test of fidelity; hence the insistence on the Sabbath rest. Christ's claim that He had not come to destroy the Law, only to perfect it, left them unimpressed. But for Jesus, the process of perfecting the Law was to have it consider human needs; to have it accepted that meeting these needs represented a deeper way of fulfilling the Law. Every Jew worth his salt knew that the Law was summed up in the two Commandments - firstly, Love the Lord Your God and, secondly, Love your neighbour. What Christ did was to link the two; to show that they were intrinsically connected. So much so that St. John writing on this subject later on stated that either one could not exist without the other -"[1 John 4:20] Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen".
Point 2: And who is my brother and sister? Our world is filled with appeals to become involved - whole populations threatened by famine, disease, war, natural disaster and the victims of human ineptitude. There are forests to be saved, threatened species to be saved, river systems to be regenerated, desalination programs to be initiated... as the King in the musical "The King and I" would say etcetera! etcetera! etcetera! To meet all these needs, volunteers come from all walks of life. World wide organisations are formed, providing cushy jobs for numerous people. In many instances, much of their efforts can be seen as being inspired by concern for people and sometimes they reflect "love of God". But not always! We all know persons who are obsessed with causes, many of whom do little other than to tell other people what to do, whilst doing precious little themselves.
Some years ago, the late Mother Teresa visited the United States. At a press conference she was asked "What could the Catholics of the United States do for the suffering people in India and the Third World?" Her reply nonplussed the gathering. "Well", she said, "you might begin by trying to be more patient, more loving, more generous with your own families, friends and those with whom you work!" Her point was - Charity begins at home; and if it does, then it will spread, much like a stone dropped into a pool. To quote St. John again -"[1 John 4:21] The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Conclusion: For those who claim the title Christian, the ultimate motivation comes from "love of God". Whatever we do that is good reflects that love. It inspires our generosity, our tenderness, our kindness, gentleness, patience, compassion, warmth and reassurance. God knows these qualities are needed in the slums of Calcutta as they are in the depressed communities of the world; but they are also needed in our own neighbourhoods, our own suburbs, our own homes. If they are not here first, there is no lasting hope for us to export them further afield. "No one gives what he does not have".
Scriptural reference: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. [Col 3:17]
Buzzword - Immortality!
Fact or fiction! This is the ever present question all people ask. There is no doubt that all forms of life die; only the human form knows, from an early age, that it is destined to die. This gives rise to that most fundamental religious question - is death the end? Christ says NO! Today's Feast and readings all centre on this hope of immortality that inspires Christian effort.
Apocalypse 7:2-14 With imagery bordering on the fantastic, St. John seeks to encourage the early Christian community during a time of fierce persecution. The hope of eternal union with God is as valid for us as it was for those suffering because of their commitment to Christ.
John 3: 1-3 In this first letter of St. John speaks of the real relationship that exists between God and people. This relationship is acknowledged by the performance of good works leading to becoming permanent citizens in the eternal City of God.
Matthew 5:1-12 Few passages are as well known, or quoted as frequently, as this passage known universally as the Sermon on the Mount, or the Beatitudes. However, because of poor translations and the fact that words have different meanings in different languages and in different social environments, one needs to look closely at the original meanings to understand Christ's words .
Point 1: Of all the paradoxical statements that Christ made during his public ministry, few are more paradoxical that those that we have just heard. They represent a moral teaching that was out of kilter with conventional standards accepted then and, even, today is not totally accepted.. The great bulk of the people in Christ's time were poor. Wealth and power were possessed by a minority. But Christ wanted His words to be heard and understood by all - wealthy or poor. So, let us look a little more closely at what it is that Christ is saying; because there has to be a deeper significance that that which first meets the eye.
The greeting "Blessed" or "Happy" was a congratulatory statement and was used in the sense of a promise of reward for virtue practised. In English, "Blessed" comes closer to the original meaning. Looking now at the eight declarations, we see:-
1. Poor in spirit - Anyone, wealthy, powerful, poor or weak, has need to recognise a spiritual dimension to living. Those who recognise this are 'blessed', because they are admitting that, without such a dimension, life is impoverished.
2. Gentle - As distinct from being proud, arrogant or assertive. Admitting that one needs guidance as to how life should be lived.
3. Mourn - those who are discouraged or depressed by the evil in the world and who regret their own sinfulness.
4. Hunger and Thirst - a desire for a good relationship with God and a recognition that righteousness comes from personal effort combined with God's help.
5. Merciful - Compassion, a constant theme in the Scriptures, involving almsgiving and forgiveness.
6. Pure in Heart - Sincerity in word and action. Not living behind a facade.
7. Peacemakers - Those who make up after quarrels - reconciliation
8. Persecution - Already, a pattern of opposition to Christ was emerging and already his disciples were being persecuted. This pattern of behaviour has continued down through the centuries. Fidelity in the face of such opposition merits reward. In these statements, one sees a pattern of Christian practise that can only be understood in terms of eternal union with the Creator. Today's Feast and Liturgy are powerful reminders of this aspect of our Faith.
Scriptural reference: [Wis 3:1] But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.
Buzzword - "Blind as bats"
Physical blindness is universally recognised as one of the worst forms of human affliction. But, spiritual blindness is even more devastating because, frequently, one so afflicted does not always know it. Today's readings deal with both kinds of blindness.
Jeremiah 31:7-9 -The years of captivity in Mesopotamia were the darkest hours for the Israelites; during this time they lost sight of their God as their salvation, and they were gripped by despair. Jeremiah seeks to encourage his people with his optimism that the time of dark despair will give way to the light of liberation and restoration.
Hebrews 5:1-6 - The unknown author of the Letter to the Hebrews knew the difficulties this small community of Jewish converts was experiencing and the doubts they were having concerning their conversion to Christianity. He wants to reassure them that in Christ they have the Supreme High Priest to mediate for them as Priest and Prophet.
Mark 10:46-52 - Mark continues to show Christ challenging the spiritual blindness of those who saw Him only as a miracle worker - a travelling showman. Christ takes the blind Bartimaeus and uses him as an example of one who saw beyond the physical miracle to recognise Christ as the True Messiah, one worthy to be heard and to follow.
Point 1: The well-known proverb, "Physician, heal yourself" reminds us of the insidious nature of spiritual blindness. Most of us readily recognise other people's faults; the over strict parents who, because of their rigidity, drive their children to rebellion and, finally, to leave the family home; or, the other side of the coin, where parents are so slack that the children are growing up without any sense of discipline. Then there are the husband and wife who needle each other constantly and end up destroying the fabric of their marriage. The man or woman with a serious drinking problem or substance addiction who are completely blind to what is happening to their lives. But whilst we are seeing all of this, it is worth asking "what are others seeing in us?" Is it possible that we fall into that category of people Christ had in mind when he spoke these words "[Luke 6:42] Or how can you say to your neighbour, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour's eye".
Point 2: St. Mark, more so than the other gospel authors, concentrates on the "spiritual blindness" that afflicted so many of those who came to see and to hear Christ. The image of "wonder worker" attracted them more than the message to which the miracles were designed to draw attention . Seeing dead people restored to life, the lame leaping to their feet, the blind suddenly having their sight restored - all of this was good fun! Better than the circus! They were like people ordering a "cappucino" coffee and only spooning off the chocolate coated froth, leaving the substance untouched. The message of the "Suffering Servant" proclaiming the two fold commandment of love of God proven by the respect shown to others went over their heads. They were quite happy the way they were - blind to the deeper truths proclaimed by Christ.
Conclusion: It is possible for each of us to be affected by similar "spiritual blindness". Having been introduced to an early understanding of Christ's teaching, many are content to rest easy with that elementary understanding. There, although not completely blind, they remain. They resemble a person who is suffering from cataracts. Their vision is impaired; but, if unchecked, total blindness may result.
Today's readings speak to us of this spiritual blindness and an antidote for it - never lose hope in our Christian vocation. Continue to deepen our knowledge of the call that has been given to us. Even in their darkest hour, the Israelites rallied to Jeremiah's call; the early Christian Jewish community persevered as they deepened their understanding of Christ; and, in Bartimaeus, we see a model of Christian discipleship - a recognition of Christ's power to heal and to lead -" and he followed him along the road".
Scriptural reference: Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. [Mark 10:51- 52]
Buzzword - Authority
The question of authority touches every human life. For many, the power to command is the ultimate goal in life - to be # 1 - oftentimes unmindful of the fact that "a little power corrupts a little; total power corrupts entirely". Christ was a man of authority, but His ideas of how authority should be exercised differed greatly from normal standards. Today's reading touch on this subject of authority.
Isaiah 53:10-11 So much of Isaiah's writing deal with the image of a Messiah who would lead His people through service to them. The Messiah would be a 'suffering servant'; Jesus represents the perfect image of that style of leadership.
Hebrews 4: 14-16 The small community of Jewish converts were discouraged and stagnant wondering whether they had made the right decision to become Christians. The unknown author of the letter to this community reminds them that Christ, too, suffered temptation and discouragement but persevered in His mission.
Mark 10:35-45 The type of leadership Christ expected from His disciples was not to be compared with standard models of leadership. Any authority that they would exercise would be because of the service that they rendered.
Point 1: One would not be revealing any state secret by saying that at all levels of our community, there is a crisis of authority. The legislative, the executive, the judicial branches of government at all levels, business, labour, education and the churches all have suffered serious declines in confidence. Within the family, attitudes to parental authority also have changed dramatically. There are many reasons for this. At governmental levels, at times, it is because of the venality of those entrusted with power - "snouts in the trough" image, Swiss bank a/cs, excessive remuneration and retirement provisions; also the 'rorting' - abuse of travel entitlements, padded expense accounts, phone cards and so on.
Point 2: But, probably more than any other factor, and this would be true of the family and the church, it is the arbitrary use of authority that has brought it into disrepute. The "do as I say, not as I do" attitude has given rise to many of the challenges experienced by authority in today's society. There was a time, and not so long ago, when authority took obedience for granted; an instruction was given and it was obeyed. Not any longer! Now people, from the young to the not so young, want to know why! They want to discuss, argue, disagree, even to say 'No'! We find this spirit of challenge at all levels, and parents, police, teachers, politicians are all learning, in some instances, the hard way, that people can be led, but they will not be driven. The well known axiom comes to mind - "If I don't want to you can't make me; but you can always make me want to!"
Conclusion: One would have to be rather obtuse not to see that this is the model of leadership that Christ proposes for those who would be His followers - Lead by example. Lead from in front. Recognise that respect for authority can no longer be demanded; it must be earned. One of the many titles given to the Pope down through the centuries is " Servant of the Servants of God" It was formulated by Pope Gregory 1, whose great compassion and concern for the people of Rome, earned him the title of Pope Gregory the Great, one of three Popes to be so remembered. The other two, Pope Leo the Great and Pope Nicholas the Great. No doubt in his use of the title, Servant of the Servants, he would have had in mind the image projected by Isaiah and by Christ - the suffering servant of Yahweh. John and James wanted to be able to lord it over all and sundry including their fellow apostles. Jesus makes it clear that among His followers there simply was not going to be that type of authority. It is a lesson that has not been completely learned within and outside the Church. It is worthwhile for each of us to look at the manner in which he or she exercises the authority entrusted to them.
Scriptural reference:[ Mat 7:29] for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Buzzword - Priorities
As people grow older, the majority of them mature. They find themselves reassessing values they considered either important, or unimportant, in their youth. Today's reading touch on this process of values.
Wisdom 7: 7-11: The author draws attention to the fact that, in life, the most important thing is to know what life means. Such knowledge outweighs material wealth in making a person happy.
Hebrews 4: 12-13: Those to whom this letter was written were leading lives of dull, moderate mediocrity and they needed to appreciate more clearly the challenge involved in their vocation.
Mark 10: 17-30: For Christ the challenge was clear cut - to live a life motivated by the love of God; separated from that, nothing mattered whether it be the commandments, the giving up of material wealth or its aggrandisement.
Point 1 - One of my most 'unfavourite' words in common use today is "prioritise". However, if one can't beat them, then one must join them. And so, for our purposes today, "to prioritise" is what we are about as followers of Christ - getting our values straight. And, as with all evaluation programmes, the process will involve honesty as we examine our attitudes to life and the way we are living it and compare our conclusions with the standards proposed by our Christian calling.
From time to time, I hear the comment -"how can one be sure of the Christian interpretation of life"? The inference is that it would be a pity to deny oneself the so-called good things of life and then find that there is no prize! The fallacy of this thinking is in the presumption that everything about the Christian challenge is negative. Unfortunately, the positive aspects of a Christian response to life's situations receive scant attention in a society so given over to "greed and the good times". G. K. Chesterton, English author and convert to Catholicism, had this comment to make on this subject -"He did not know anyone who, on his death-bed, regretted having been a practising Christian". His reason was that such a person, regardless of whether there was a God and eternal reward for goodness, already had the satisfaction of a good life well spent.
Point 2: Tthe challenge offered by religion is frequently not taken up because of perceived contradictions stemming from science. Some of these apparent contradiction have arisen from a too literal interpretation of the Scriptures; at other times it is because Science makes an unjustified claim to be Wisdom in its totality.
One of the great names in the history of Science, Blaise Pascal was one of the more eminent mathematicians and physicists of his day and one of the great mystical writers in Christian literature. His religious works are personal in their speculation on matters beyond human understanding.
Most widely known as a mathematician, scientist, and author, Blaise Pascal embraced religion late in his short life. Pascal drew on the principle of probability; he argued that faith is reasonable; although no one can prove God's existence or non existence, the benefits of believing in God, if God in fact exists, far outweigh the harm of such a belief if it is in fact false. In other words, for Pascal, science cannot prove the existence of God; but neither can it disprove the existence of such a Being.
Conclusion: It is this wisdom that is spoken of in our first reading, - knowing what life means, and knowing how to get the most out of it. There will be times when one has to make choices enabling each person to recognise his or her vocation. And, as the author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, such wisdom - " can judge the secret emotions and thoughts.... everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account of ourselves". It is this wisdom that enables us to seize the opportunities that come, not only at the key turning points in our lives, but also in the little ways that present themselves each day of our lives. Such is the challenge of today's Gospel; it echoes the challenge given in the Book of Proverbs
Scriptural reference: Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good repute in the sight of God and of people. [Prov 3:3-4]