Homily from the Parish Priest for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Holiday time. Is it or not? Speaking to various people over the last few weeks some are looking forward to going away – and thank God for the relaxation of restrictions – and others not. With the continuing uncertainty about travel many are staying at home and here in the Parish it seems we are now preparing to welcome people back more fully so holidays seem far away from my, from our thoughts. It feels more like a new term than end of the year.

But whatever we’re doing over these summer months taking stock of what we’ve been through – maybe still are – is something we’re called to as a Christian community. And it’s great to see initiatives to do that around at the moment including the essays reflecting on what we’re learning from the pandemic bearing such great fruit – plenty of that in the newsletter – please do take a look – it’s an exciting project. This has been an important moment in our history and in all of our lives.

The Gospel this Sunday is very striking because here we find Jesus invites the apostles to rest awhile. Mark is in fact the only evangelist to record this invitation at this point in the Gospel story. In Matthew’s Gospel we also have an invitation to come to Jesus of course: for his yoke is easy and burden light. And we see other such invitations in various parts of the New Testament. But this place is striking because it comes as it were at the conclusion of the apostles reporting back to Our Lord on all they had done and preached – in other words this is part of the story at which they are constituted as apostles – sent out in his name – as his representatives - and so a key moment in the narrative. And rather than encouraging them to go out and proclaim the Gospel he tells them to rest, to reflect, to discern, to pray.

But this is not simply about taking a break – no: there’s a key point to this. Not a holiday; but again, Jesus doesn’t invite them to undertake any specific activities or particular things to reflect on. No: the key to this time of rest is in fact spending that with himself. Spending some time listening to what Jesus is saying, what he’s calling us to, and that is each one of us individually. And I believe one of the central messages of the Gospel we can learn today is simply that at this time, in this place – London in summer 2021 – in the light of all that’s gone before us and all that’s ahead of us – each one of us in our so varied congregations here at this amazing parish which attracts people from all over, of so many varied backgrounds and contexts, every single one of us is called to some definite service as a disciple, as a follower of Jesus called in his name. Called in his name to spend time thinking, resting, praying, reflecting on who we are and how we are called to make a difference in our world as it blinks its way out of this pandemic.

The apostles are invited to turn to him, to rest on him, to come to him – he who is the answer to all their longings and in whose name they have their mission. Not to work out what to do next; not to come up with a vision or action plan; but firstly to turn to him and reflect on what he has been about in these last weeks and months.

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot recently. Where has Jesus been in these last months of such tragedy and anxiety? Here Jesus has been clearly present as we have extended our welcome to more of the poorest in our local area. And in so many who have joined us to show Jesus’ face of care and mercy to those we have brought in from the streets, from lives of turmoil, forced into the underworld of rough sleeping and trafficking. Jesus does not need to use words. He’s not a clever teacher like the Pharisees. With those who don’t speak the language – be it in our context those who can’t communicate because they don’t speak or understand the English language, or they are forced into a subculture by lack of understanding and concern, or those who don’t understand the language of success through wealth and achievement or coming from a “quote unquote” good rather than dysfunctional family background. And Jesus has spoken to us through these encounters.

But where has Jesus shown his face to you? At such a troubled time in our lives? We cannot go back to the old normal. As Pope Francis constantly reminds us this is not an era of change. It is a change of era when we are called to listen very carefully to what Jesus is calling us to do, to how Jesus is going to be made present through our lives. And in order to begin to hear this voice we need to listen to his voice in the scriptures. To go to our quiet place and to see how he appears amidst the challenges of everyday life. How in the Gospels he brings comfort to people’s souls, proclaims true justice and integrity, how he calls us to follow in a way which confounds our understanding of leadership, authority, government, policy, vision for society. How he shows who he really is through the way he brings healing to those who are in pain, justice to those who are wronged, simply showing his mercy and love to those who are on the very peripheries, very margins of our society, those whom we write off because they aren’t one of us, uneducated, not part of polite society, not deserving of our time and care.

In the First Reading Jeremiah takes us back to the time of the corrupt kings of Israel. But he trusted in something greater, when a Messiah would embody qualities of the perfect king: The Lord Our Integrity, the one whom the Responsorial Psalm sings of as the Good Shepherd, who is with us even in the valley of darkness leading us to fair pastures of repose where a banquet awaits us, each and everyone of us, whether we are wealthy, faithful devout Catholics, high achievers, or those whose start in life has been not so blessed, and who are the lost sheep – without a shepherd. Those on the margins of our lives who might seem to be just a nuisance to us as we begin to go about our normal, our old normal. But are in need of us to shepherd, to show who Jesus is. Who are those who have fallen away from the Catholic faith during the pandemic? Who have been injured by the Church? Who feel they don’t have a place? Who have lost jobs, who are struggling to survive and are close to destitution? Those around our city who are forced to rely on the charity of food banks? Who find themselves in our city because they have lost everything – relationships, family – maybe no family anyway, jobs and livelihoods? Who will be their shepherds?

Like the apostles we are called to trust in this God – in a God Who is become human for us to be our leader to draw us to a life which pulls us out of our selfish egos and towards those we dare to love, those who need our shepherding care. The Lord who invites us to sit down and be taught by him. And who wants to feed us again now by the gift of his Body and Blood, the gift of his very self given to us in sacrificial love for us – that’s what participating in the Mass is all about. “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”.

Over the next few weeks we move into an extended reading of Gospel texts on the Eucharist itself, the gift of his Body and Blood. To take the time in this holiday season to stand back to listen, to watch, to learn who he is for us as our shepherd who gives us repose. Let us approach the altar now with renewed trust in him and the gift of allowing ourselves to be taught by him about who God is and who we are called to be as his disciples sent in his name.

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ