Maidstone, 7th August 2011

 

Dear Catholics of St. Francis Parish in Maidstone.
We have holidays so I’d like to say only two words. 

The first about success.
Last Sunday Jesus made a huge success. He has fed the five thousand.
Bo what did he do after that?
Did he say: „Does anybody want my autograph?”
Did he say: „We won. Let’s celebrate!”?
Did he say: „Come to me to shake my hand!”?
Not. Not at all.
“After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone”.
The winner alone. The miracle-worker only with God. 

The real success never moves away from God.
The real success never moves away from family.
Never moves away from friends.
If your success moves you away from God, people or values you are not worthy to be successful.
The success was made for man not man for the success.

We say: “When in fear, God is dear”.
With today’s Gospel we should say:
“When in luck, God is back”. 

The second word is about a ghost.
“When the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. It’s a ghost, they said and cried out in fear.”
It’s a ghost… 

What does God look like?
What kind  of  face shall we look out?”
How does God reveal himself?
The questions are crucial.
Because how can I pray if I don’t know who I pray to?
How can I be faithful to him, If I’m not sure who should I be faithful to?
Who are you, my God?  Who are you, our Father? 

In Elijah’s meeting with God, God came with the sound of the gentle breeze. In today’s gospel he came as a ghost. Yesterday we read that his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. On Easter Sunday Jesus came through the closed door. In the Book of Revelation we read about  “a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed”.
Does God have many faces? Probably he does. So how can we be sure about him?
When Jesus said: “It is I. Do not be afraid”, Peter wasn’t sure about him. He said: “If it is you, tell me to come to you”. “If it is” doesn’t mean “it is”. And only Jesus word made him sure, so he got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus.  Only Jesus word made him sure. 

Dear Christians,
The Bible says:
“Seek out the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near”.
We are made not to wait for God but to look for him.
Let us go out of the boat! May we follow Jesus’ words, seek God and look for Him.
It is he who said: “Everyone who searches finds”.