23rd Sunday of Year B September 06,2009
Touch People
Sunday April 5, 2009, 10.30 PM. It was a quiet Sunday evening in L' Aquila an old medieval city just
120 kilometres north-east of Rome. That evening, ten kilometres below the Abruzzi countryside, the
Eurasian and African plates of the earth's crust were jolting past each other. The mighty force of these
shifting tectonic plates caused an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, so strong it could be
felt as far away as Britain. L'Aquila and the surrounding villages lay in ruins, 300 people had lost their
lives, the injured numbered close to 2000 and a further 30,000 people were left homeless.
The word tectonic comes from the Greek "tekton" which means "builder". Throughout history and
before, piece by piece, earthquakes have been building the landscape we love and cherish.
In society and church too there are shifts seemingly as enormous as shifting tectonic plates. These
movements within the social fabric of human existence bring down routine ways of seeing the world.
They pull the mat out from under the feet of centuries of presumptions; and leave millions of people
feeling disorientated and at a loss - with no place to lay their heads or rest their hearts.
But these large shifts within society, religion and culture are not all bad news. They are part of the
building of something new. They provoke new freedom and creativity - especially for the followers of
Jesus in their work for a more just, loving and connected world.
If you are reading this bulletin today, you have been living through one of these large historical shifts.
You have felt the culture you grew up in moving away from you. Even the Church, once so familiar, has
changed its shape. The human landscape has changed.
In the 6th century BC the people of Judah were suffering much at the hands of the Edomites, the new
bullies on the block. The prophetic writer of today's first reading warned Edom that God would stand
with his people. He then went on to list the blessings that God would bring to his people in spite of the
oppressive times. "The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed, the lame will
leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy" (Isaiah 35:5).
Just as the people of Judah survived, so will the followers of Christ today. But today's liturgy invites us
to something greater than survival. It seeks to give us new heart and all we need for a fresh start.
The challenges that today come from the tectonic movements within society, culture and religion, are
paving the way to the Church of the future. The followers of Jesus must continue on their way, even in
disturbed times. Jesus fulfilled the prophet's promise by reaching out, touching the deaf man and healing
him (see Mark 7:33). The Church today is called to do likewise - leave the old behind, step out onto the
shifting plates of the present age and to make contact with people, especially the poor. The rest we
leave up to God.
Finally, to all fathers and grandfathers - a happy Father's Day!
Edmond Nixon CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
Touch People
Sunday April 5, 2009, 10.30 PM. It was a quiet Sunday evening in L' Aquila an old medieval city just
120 kilometres north-east of Rome. That evening, ten kilometres below the Abruzzi countryside, the
Eurasian and African plates of the earth's crust were jolting past each other. The mighty force of these
shifting tectonic plates caused an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, so strong it could be
felt as far away as Britain. L'Aquila and the surrounding villages lay in ruins, 300 people had lost their
lives, the injured numbered close to 2000 and a further 30,000 people were left homeless.
The word tectonic comes from the Greek "tekton" which means "builder". Throughout history and
before, piece by piece, earthquakes have been building the landscape we love and cherish.
In society and church too there are shifts seemingly as enormous as shifting tectonic plates. These
movements within the social fabric of human existence bring down routine ways of seeing the world.
They pull the mat out from under the feet of centuries of presumptions; and leave millions of people
feeling disorientated and at a loss - with no place to lay their heads or rest their hearts.
But these large shifts within society, religion and culture are not all bad news. They are part of the
building of something new. They provoke new freedom and creativity - especially for the followers of
Jesus in their work for a more just, loving and connected world.
If you are reading this bulletin today, you have been living through one of these large historical shifts.
You have felt the culture you grew up in moving away from you. Even the Church, once so familiar, has
changed its shape. The human landscape has changed.
In the 6th century BC the people of Judah were suffering much at the hands of the Edomites, the new
bullies on the block. The prophetic writer of today's first reading warned Edom that God would stand
with his people. He then went on to list the blessings that God would bring to his people in spite of the
oppressive times. "The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed, the lame will
leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy" (Isaiah 35:5).
Just as the people of Judah survived, so will the followers of Christ today. But today's liturgy invites us
to something greater than survival. It seeks to give us new heart and all we need for a fresh start.
The challenges that today come from the tectonic movements within society, culture and religion, are
paving the way to the Church of the future. The followers of Jesus must continue on their way, even in
disturbed times. Jesus fulfilled the prophet's promise by reaching out, touching the deaf man and healing
him (see Mark 7:33). The Church today is called to do likewise - leave the old behind, step out onto the
shifting plates of the present age and to make contact with people, especially the poor. The rest we
leave up to God.
Finally, to all fathers and grandfathers - a happy Father's Day!
Edmond Nixon CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
