A REAL STATESMAN MUST BE A MAN OF GOD

B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, founder of the Scout Movement and first Chief Scout of The Boy Scouts Association. Though he died in 1941, he must have read the Holy Bible, especially the pages which we are reading during these days, at the beginning of the Liturgical Year.

Had he lived in the days of Jesus he would certainly have been a popular follower of the Rabbi from Nazareth. Why do I say so? Because of the motto he applied for the Boy Scouts Movement. ‘Be Prepared’ is a maxim which applies to all alike; being a Boy Scout, a Girl Guide, a Cub and what not.

It surely applies to us all; to each and every believer and non-believer in God. BUT, here’s a special message to all world leaders; political leaders all round the world, ministers, senators presidents or the like; be they leading countries as powerful as China, the U.S.A., Russia, and others, and be they as small as S.Marino, Malta or Dark Sky Island.

This is the message. This Text (Matthew 13: 28 – 37) tells us, that only the man of God can see into the secrets of history. Jesus saw the fate of Jerusalem, although others were blind to it. A real statesman must be a man of God … (repeat) A REAL STATESMAN MUST BE A MAN OF GOD.
To guide his country a man must be himself God-guided. Only the man who knows God can enter into something of the Plan of God. (W.Barclay)

It tells us that it contains a fact we forget or DISREGARD … at our peril. The imagery in which it is clothed is the imagery of Jesus’ own time, and that to speculate on it is useless, when Jesus Himself was content not to know. The one thing of which we can be sure is, that history is going somewhere; there is a consummation to come.

It tells us one last message. That the wise man is he who never forgets that he must be ready when the summons comes. If he lives in that memory, for him the end will not be eternal terror and damnation, but eternal joy. BE PREPARED.

One last point to think about. When we are ‘face to face’ with the Divine Judge, we shall be alone; no lawyers to help us, no husband or wife, no children, no political leaders, for whom we have fought to defend, absolutely ‘no one’. I, myself, unaided, have to give account for all my misdoings. Food for Thought.

A friendly TIP to ALL world leaders … DO read and DIGEST today’s Reading (Thursday) from Revelations 18, 1-2, 21-23; 19: 1-3, 9a. Do not disregard a friendly tip, one day you have to answer to the Almighty Judge why you have ignored such an advice. You are the ‘agents’ who have rendered, changed the world (including Europe) into a Babel. To sin it’s human but to repent it’s divine.

GOD SAVE OUR GRACIOUS KING / QUEEN

How often are these, or similar words sung out, loudly and clearly, during the year, by one and all, throughout the world? “God save our gracious king, send him (her) victorious and glorious.” We hope in God they are victorious and glorious … and ultimately ‘saved’.

Yet, though kings and queens do come and go, life for their subjects remains the same. Important things do not change; sickness, ailments remain, the poor are always with us, those who suffer injustice still cry out. Why? Because those, to whom we give this ‘honour’, are human beings just like us, they are not infallible. They themselves depend on ‘someone’ else who is above human nature.
Was it not that Jewish Rabbi who lived over 2000 years in Palestine, who gave the really ‘good news’ to the all who wanted to follow Him? He called ‘blessed’ the poor, those who mourn, the humble, those who suffer injustice, those who love and work for peace. He gave them the true solution… yet!

He also gave us His assurance on what He had promised, because He did in fact give ‘proof’ that He had meant business. The wonderful thing about Him is that His promises, offers, are still ‘valid’ today, for those who want to follow Him. He never published any programme, no political manifesto full of lies and gimmicks simply to impress people to make them follow Him. He certainly gave us ample, solid proof of His love, of His sincerity.

As a true ‘leader’ he gave up his life for His subjects; for those who followed Him, and for those who did not; even for His enemies. He gave up His life as a Sacrifice on the high altar of Golgotha. Love was sacrificed, and its ashes were blown away with the winds to the four corners of the world. But, where they settled, abundant, luscious fruit abounded.

How stupid, how ’naïve’ we must be to believe all those who offer us wealth, health, stability, jobs for all; be they, any world leaders; politicians, presidents, senators especially those who say they represent the ‘people’. Have we ever read in the annals of History of any world leader who gave up his life for his subjects? A far cry.

It has happened, only once in History; by a humble, lowly carpenter from a remote part of Israel, Nazareth to be exact, an outcast of the Roman occupation. He changed World History. Though he was of royal lineage, from the House of David, yet He never called Himself king.
What in fact constitutes a ‘king’? What are the terms of reference? In any dictionary we read the definition of ‘king’: ‘ a person invested with supreme authority over a nation’. Yes, by popular acclaim which, by time, was inherited by the children. BUT, Christ is not the ‘King of kings’. Certainly not of this class of kings. He is THE King of the universe. I consider ‘King of kings’ as an offence, a grievous offence.

For why should we relegate Christ’s kingship to the human level, by popular consent? Christ IS KING, because He was invested as such by the supreme authority of God, from eternity … and certainly not by popular acclaim. That oft-used phrase, King of kings, should be eliminated once and for all. Christ is our King because He is our loving, merciful Creator, our Redeemer.

Let us offer a gift to Christ the King, in appreciation of His redeeming us, especially on the Feast Day of Christ the King. What better gift could there be than offering ourselves, our actions, our words and thoughts, our strength, our ‘all’? That, in other words is the meaning of ‘full participation in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist’, the Mass. That means we have to live Mass every single second of our life.

COME FILL THE CUP  (33rd. Sunday)

What is the difference between a genius, like Leonardo and John, my gardener, who all he can do is turn up the soil and take care of the garden? It seems a silly question.  Or, is it? I wish I were a Leonardo, so does John, and, so many people round the world. Many do envy him; a scientist, a painter, an inventor … just to mention some. John might feel so insignificant, compared to him … and so would I. But comparisons are odious.

No, I don’t feel insignificant, because I know that what I do, though my work will not be recorded in History, like Leonardo’s, yet, I know that whatever I strive to do, I do it with love. It’s the effort that counts. John knows this as well. Even Leonardo might have known this, and I believe he has. The great Renaissance master must have been given many talents, a huge container and I was given a ‘tot’. 

But the test comes in the effort we put in to fill our container, irrespective of the size, as long as we fill it to the brim. The chap who is entrusted with the huge container carries such a great responsibility on his shoulder. The Lord in His good judgement knows the ability of each and every one of us. He knows John’s, mine and Leonardo’s. He knows how much I can contribute and that with great love and effort, I can fill my tumbler, my tot.

God is the universal Lord of all, He distributes His talents amongst us all (otherwise He would not be just) according to His good pleasure and judgement, because He knows our worth. We have nothing, except what He gave us. Irrespective to the amount we receive, our reward will be equal, if we make proper use of them.

That is why the Lord gave each and every one of us different talents, different containers … even a tot, or less. The chap in the Parable ‘who knew how strict the Lord felt so terrified that he could not act, he seemed helpless. I’m not excusing him, but he certainly lacked the love and effort to fill his share, to do his bit.

But that shows lack of trust in the Lord; in His mercy, in His help, in His compassion, and in His planning. This servant’s idea of the Master was that he was perfectly just and strict, but he has overlooked the fact that the Master must have been also perfectly merciful and compassionate. His inability to use his talents served as a condemnation to himself. He missed being one with the universal, eternal incomprehensible Good.

MENDELSSOHN’S WEDDING MARCH / HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Pa–pa-pa-pam, pa-pa-pa-pam, pa-pa-papa-pa-pam-pam … so goes the tempo of the opening theme accompanied by the organ swell of the magnificent church organ, as the organist interprets Mendelssohn’s  Wedding March. The signal has been given. The bride is entering the church in the company of her father. Emotions run high at that moment. I remember leading my only daughter to be given in marriage.

But I don’t remember who was present because my eyes were soaked with tears; of joy and partial loss. Yet, these are treasured moments for the bride and the groom, and their respective families.

There were no Mendelssohn or Wagner Bridal Tunes in the days of Jesus, and even if there were, traditions and customs were so different in those days. To begin with the groom would send word to one and all that he is to going to meet his bride to lead the bridal procession. But no specific day and time was given. In our culture we receive the wedding invitation three weeks before the occasion.

In those days you have to be on the ‘alert’ for when the ‘groom’ arrives; it could be late at night, early in the morning, at any queer moment. You had to ‘be prepared’. And that goes for the bride herself, for all the close friends, for the guests, and for all the people of the village.

This was the culture 2,000 years ago, and it still is in certain parts of Israel. So Christ’ parable was not completely fictitious, it was based on actual happenings. Each and every guest had to carry a light; an oil-filled lamp and a wick, or a stick with a rag dipped in oil tied to it. But when the oil ran out, it had to be replaced.

The important thing was that they had to be ‘on the alert’ and ‘prepared with a light’ to meet ‘the groom’ on his arrival. Why were ten virgins mentioned and not six, nine, thirteen, or …?  Because ‘ten’ is a symbol of God’s Laws, and those called by Him are expected to follow God’s Laws. And why five? Because five in the Bible is a symbol of ‘grace’. So, notwithstanding ‘that many are called’, but ‘few are chosen.’

Symbols are always used in story-telling or in parables, that is the oriental culture in folk and classical literature. That is why Jesus used symbols in parables. In this case the ‘groom’ is Jesus Himself, Who might arrive at any moment of the day. That is why we have to be always ‘on the alert’. The ‘light’ represents the Word of God (Psalms), which has to replenish us and encourage us on the way forward.

Once He arrives He expects us, for our sake, to be ready, waiting. Once we are in the ‘doors are shut’. Miserable is the man who will be left out, through his own fault. And worse still is the fact that the ‘groom’ will tell him ‘I do not know you’. He will then be thrown into eternal fires where there will be tears and gnashing of teeth.

Hope in God to see you all at the Wedding Feast even though there will be no fanfare of the Bridal Theme.