Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester David offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Friday 19 March 2021, during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24. NB: Please read the text.

Today is a day of great joy for the Archdiocese of Cape Town. Dcn Rui Henriques will be ordained priest. We ask that all keep him in prayer – that his priesthood will bring much joy and fulfilment to him, to his family, to those he will serve and to the Church. 

And now for our text: In the brief gospel passage for today, the name Joseph is used five times while references to Mary and to Jesus occur three times each. According to the laws which presided over the composition of ancient texts this is significant. Repetition is the mother of all rhetoric and the repetition of the name Joseph is strategic in this text as it will be in Matthew 2:13-23. In both cases the emphasis is on the election of Joseph by God to fulfil a precise function and the obedience of Joseph even against cultural norms and societal expectations. In both cases Joseph does exactly what he was commanded to do. Doing the will of God was paramount in his life. Peer pressure does not weaken a just man’s resolve. Later on Jesus was to say: “my food is to do the will of the one who sent me” (John 4:34).

Joseph shows us what obedience is all about. It does not have to make sense. It is an aspect of faith. In the family context, as in the case of any situation where children are involved, it is about celebrating innocence and protecting the vulnerable. Today we commemorate Joseph as husband of Mary. He is the one who took her home “as his wife” (cf. Matthew 1:20). The function of every husband is to collaborate with his wife in nurturing the life given to them by God. The Bible is clear – Joseph has to name the Child. In the Hebrew tradition that role was reserved for the father. But here, God gives Joseph the name by which the Child will be known. So it is God who is the Father, but fatherhood in the Bible is not only reserved for the one who generates life – it is also relational. Anyone doing for the Child what God will have him do is de facto father to that child. And so Joseph is allowed to pronounce the name Jesus when the time came. To him was entrusted the task of taking care of God’s Word.

Today’s feast seriously challenges present day attitudes to masculinity. Masculinity in our time is associated with physical attributes such as sheer strength and an unrelenting show of victorious escapades. We have not yet learnt that bravery is not about not having fear – it is more about coping with fear, and in the face of fear of doing the right thing. Strength is not about not having weakness – it is more about having the strength to show one’s weakness. We still need to learn to salute the soldier in us whose strength is not to fight. God’s recipe for war-like attitudes is found in Isaiah 2:4 where we are encouraged to turn swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks. Imagine if we could convert our instruments of war into mechanisms which produce food. Imagine if national budgets are measured not by defence spending but by caring for the vulnerable. Yes indeed – the feast of Joseph is important if civilisation is to make progress.

Let us pray: Lord teach us the gentleness of strength and strength of gentleness. Help us to build a just and humane society where innocence is honoured and the vulnerable are protected. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. [Blessing].

Archbishop Stephen Brislin offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Wednesday 17 March 2021, during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Patrick, co-patron of the Archdiocese of Cape Town. I wish you all God’s blessings as we celebrate this great saint, of whom we know very little. What we do know is that he changed the world through his missionary work in Ireland which, over the centuries, has sent thousands and thousands of missionaries throughout the world. Today we pray not only for our Archdiocese, but also for all missionaries and the country of Ireland. I’ve taken the Scripture verse from today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 96): 

Proclaim his salvation day by day. Tell among the nations his glory, and his wonders among all the peoples. Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in holy splendour…” 

We will take the prayer from the collect of today’s Mass. Let us pray:

O God, who chose the Bishop St Patrick to preach your glory to the peoples of Ireland, grant through his merits and intercession, that those who glory in the name of Christian may never cease to proclaim your wondrous deeds to all. We make this prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever, amen.

St Patrick proclaimed the glory and wonders of God to the people of Ireland. He found in them receptive hearts who received the word and who gave the Lord glory and power. The fruits of the work of St Patrick and the response of the people have produced fruits beyond measure throughout the world. How blessed are we to be recipients of the proclamation of the Word every time we attend Holy Mass. With open hearts, may we allow that Word to work through us and bear abundant spiritual riches.

Last week, in speaking of the Liturgy of the Word, I spoke about the beauty of the psalms. On a solemnity (such as Sunday) the psalm is followed by a Second Reading and, after that, we are invited to welcome the Gospel through the “Alleluia” (or, in Lent, “Glory and praise to you O Christ”) and a short Scriptural verse. The deacon requests the blessing from the celebrating priest, who says softly to him, May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. If there is no deacon present the Gospel will be proclaimed by a priest, who says quietly in his heart,  Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel. The people are greeted with the words “The Lord be with you”, expressing the desire that God’s spirit be given to the people of God to enable them to do the work of transforming the world, to which they respond with the ancient response dating back at least to the 3^rdcentury, “and with your Spirit”. We are then informed as to the Evangelist who authored the particular Gospel, to which we respond “Glory to you, Lord”, while tracing the sign of the Cross on our foreheads, lips and heart – a sign that indicates our desire to understand with our minds, to confess with our lips, and to receive into our hearts. Signing with the Cross is always a reminder that redemption has come into the world through the Cross. It also reminds us of the seal that has been placed on us through Baptism and Confirmation. The Gospel is then proclaimed to those gathered.

It is worth reminding ourselves of the prayerfulness of the Liturgy of the Word. After we listen to the Readings with open ears and hearts, we express our gratitude to God by saying “Thanks be to God” or, in the case of the Gospel, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ”. God is the focus and we direct our thoughts and prayers to him.

The deacon or priest will then deliver the homily or, on a weekday, he will give a brief reflection. The purpose is to elaborate on one or two aspects of the Scripture Readings, or on the particular feast day, and how we can practically apply what we have heard to our daily lives and activities. It is meant to encourage us, to strengthen our faith, so that we will persevere in hope and act in charity to our neighbour.

On a solemnity, after the homily, we are invited to profess our faith. This is a slight anomaly because, as I have said, the Mass is prayer directed to God, but the Profession of Faith is an inserted statement of what we believe, rather than prayer. The Creed is meant to re-affirm us in our faith, as well as express our unity in faith. We say “I believe…” rather than “we believe…” because it must be a personal acknowledgement of my belief. Usually we use the Nicene Creed, dating back to the Council of Nicea in the year 325, which was composed to clarify our Christian faith through clear formulae and to avoid the heresies and falsehoods that had arisen. In Lent or the Easter Season we can use the “Apostles Creed” which is the fundamental basics of our belief. On certain occasions we renew our baptismal promises in place of the Creed.

On a Sunday the general intercessions will then follow. There is a particular order that should be followed for the Prayers of the Faithful, namely, a) for the needs of the Church; b) for public authorities and the salvation of the whole world; c) for those burdened by any kind of difficulty;
d) for the local community. Part of our Christian vocation is to pray for the world and to pray for others – we do so personally, and together, as we bring our faith-filled prayers before God.

The Prayers of the Faithful bring to a conclusion the Liturgy of the Word. Now, having begun Mass in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, having been welcomed by the celebrant with words of grace and love, having expressed repentance for our sinfulness and, having been nourished and strengthened by listening to the Word of God, we are now ready to enter into the second part of Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We will now encounter the living Christ in a much deeper, profound and personal way, through the memorial of his passion, death and resurrection – we will also receive his Body and Blood in Communion.

Let us now pray for God’s blessing:

The Lord be with you R/ And with your Spirit

Bow down for the blessing:

O God, protector of all who hope in you, bless your people, keep them safe, defend them, prepare them, that, free from sin and safe from the enemy, they may persevere always in your love. Through Christ Our Lord, amen.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (+), amen.

Please find below a statement issued by Bishop Victor Phalana, Chairperson of SACBC Justice and Peace Commission on the senseless killing of Mthokozisi Ntumba.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin and Fr Charles Prince took part in a meeting yesterday with the Mayor of Cape Town, members of the Western Cape Religious Leaders’ Forum and South African Council of Churches, Western Cape. 

Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester David offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Friday 12 March 2021, during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

The following is an extract from the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 80) for today’s Mass.

“Let there be no foreign god among you,
no worship of an alien god.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you from the land of Egypt”.

This is none other than an invitation to smash our idols. What are idols? They are more than mere statues and have in them a power which takes us away from God’s vision for his people. An idol is anyone or anything that claims more of our attention and allegiance than does the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. An idol could be a demagogue, an ideology, a political party, or a celebrity. It could even be the self in the case of a narcissist. 

A famous idol in the Bible is Baal – a word with means “husband”, “ruler” or “master”. There is a play on words here as Israel was intended to be espoused to the Lord but married herself off to the wrong husband. We see this image in the prophet Hosea for example.

Baal was associated with fertility and among ancient peoples there used to be certain rituals which included temple prostitution. The offspring from these unions were sacrificed on the altars of Baal. Baal therefore became associated with the death of the innocent. But is this far removed from us in terms of idolatry? Perhaps in our time Baal is not worshipped in person but “Baal-ism” exists wherever the innocent are sacrificed. We see this in the sin of abortion. Innocence is also sacrificed on the altars of lustful, reckless and indecent lifestyles where child abuse is practised. Sadly we live in a world that cannot tolerate innocence. 

Baal-ism also exists in places where liquor or drugs are embraced. Who suffers most when a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Is it not the innocent who suffer? I have many happy memories of pastoral involvement with God’s people but there are also some events which stick in my memory for the wrong reason. I remember walking to do a few home visits in a parish I was assigned to. Schools had just closed for the Easter break and the children were playing on the street, happily greeting me as I walked past. I remember asking one group: “Are you happy that school is now closed?” Most said “yes” but one little girl said “no”. I got closer and asked why. What she told me made me want to weep. She said that when it is holiday time, her parents drink and fight and she and her siblings have to run away from home until it was safe to go back. This was a clear case of Baal having raised his ugly head again. In all this the message of the Psalm for today is clear: Smash the idols! Those behaviours that cause grief to the innocents must be removed.

Let us pray: Lord help us to deal meaningfully with the idols which claim our allegiance in today’s world. Help us to counteract the Baal-ism of our time by behaviours which make life meaningful for others – especially the little ones. We ask this Christ our Lord. Amen. [Blessing].

Bishop Sylvester David OMI
VG: Archdiocese of Cape Town.

Why is this visit so important? Fr Christopher Clohessy, a priest of the archdiocese of Cape Town who is a lecturer at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies joins America editor Ricardo da Silva, S.J., for a detailed look at what some people are calling the ‘papal visit of the century.’

Archbishop Stephen Brislin offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Wednesday 10 March 2021, during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

Welcome to today’s reflection. We are in the third week of Lent and I hope that your Lenten observance is going well. If you have slipped up, start again and pray for the grace to persevere.

In the psalm of today’s Mass (Psalm 147:12-13.15-16.19-20) we hear these words:

He reveals his word to Jacob; to Israel his decrees and judgements. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his judgements.

Let us pray:

May your grace not forsake us, O Lord, we pray, but make us dedicated to your holy service and at all times obtain for us your help. We make this prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever, amen.

It is a blessing to have the Word of God revealed to us. It is a privilege to know God’s decrees and judgements. To be given the commandments of God is not a punishment or curtailing our freedom – they are given to guide us on the path to eternal life, to guide us in how we make our decisions and to be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 105). God’s Word is a blessing and not a curse, it instructs us and enriches us. What is pivotal though, is to have the desire and willingness to listen – to listen not only with our ears and head, but importantly with our heart. Our hearts should be a well-prepared seed bed through prayer and a sincere searching for God, so that when the seed is sown it will take root in us, and grow, and bear fruit in abundance (cf. Matthew 13:1-13).  A desire (thirsting) for God’s Word, an attitude of listening, an openness to accept his Word even when it is challenging and uncomfortable and the commitment to integrate the word into our lives are fundamental to it taking root and bearing fruit. As the psalmist says,  Blessed is the one who does not walk with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night (Psalm 1:1). What a shame that so often the Readings at Mass pass over our heads and we do not take time to ponder on them. The beauty of the Lectionary (the compilation of Biblical Readings for Mass) is not only that it unites as Catholics as we all hear the same message around the world, but that it gives us a comprehensive balance of the Word of God. We do not ‘pick and choose” only those readings that we like or that are comforting to us – we listen also to those that challenge us and that should turf us out of our comfort zone. Allowing this to happen, by being attentive to the proclaimed Word of God, takes us out of the superficiality and mediocrity in our faith, and provides us with a faith that is built on rock (cf. Matthew 7:24-27).

In the Liturgy of the Word, we should not forget the psalms. The psalms hold a very special place in the Scriptures. Traditionally we believe that King David wrote many of the Psalms and some believe that certain psalms were written by Moses and Solomon, among others. The psalms are hymns and, if at all possible, the psalm should be sung during Mass. The psalms hold a special place because they are written by humans, inspired by God, directed to God and were certainly used by Jesus in prayer, both privately and in communal temple/synagogue worship. He quoted from the psalms, most notably on the Cross, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), a quotation from Psalm 22:21. There are other examples. Thus, when we pray the psalms, we are praying to God with words that have been inspired by the Holy Spirit, and using the same prayers that Jesus used.

There are different genres of psalms – individual or communal, psalms of praise, of thanksgiving, of lamentation, the royal psalms, the psalms of wisdom and so on. It can be difficult to pray a psalm of thanksgiving when emotionally we are lamenting about something, or to pray a psalm lamentation when we are filled with joy and thanksgiving. There again, the psalms provide balance to the cycles we go through in life, and they also remind us that while we rejoice there are others in tears and vice versa. In short, the psalms are wonderful and beautiful prayers, songs sung to the Lord, that express our faith and confidence in him, even in the darkest times. Even Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted in torment on the Cross goes on to express confidence in God, For to God, ruler of the nations, belongs kingly power! All who prosper on earth will bow before him, all who go down to the dust will do reverence before him…(verses 28-29). Be aware that in some Bibles the numbering of the psalms will be slightly different, due to a historical difference in translation. Occasionally, in place of the psalm at Mass, a canticle from one of the Books of the Bible will be used, for example the Magnificat.

 I will talk a little more on this next week and on the remaining part of the Liturgy of the Word.

Let us now pray for God’s blessing:

The Lord be with you                                      R/ And with your Spirit

Bow down for the blessing:
Give to your people, O God, a resolve that is pleasing to you, for by conforming them to your teachings you bestow on them every favour.  We Make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, amen.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (+), amen.

Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester David offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Friday 5 March 2021, during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

Friday 5 March 2021: The innocent are vulnerable

Both readings for the Mass of today – the story of Joseph from Genesis 37 and the killing of the Landlord’s servants and his son from Matthew 21 are stark reminders that goodness and virtue are vulnerable at the hands of merciless people. The plotting of evil and then carrying it out show just how insensitive the human spirit can be. This happens when we become self-centred and fail to see the other as a neighbour, brother or sister. 

The main purpose in killing off the innocent in both texts appears to be that goodness, while not being a physical threat, can expose the hidden motives of cruel and uncaring people and can become an even bigger threat. These attitudes are not buried in time but are evident even in today’s world. The story of the jealousy against Joseph seems to find its way into many homes and families of today. This is evident when the giftedness of a sibling cannot be accepted. We see this in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-16 just as we will see it in the New Testament in the well known story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. 

There are many homes where the “good” siblings fail to understand the special love the parent will show towards the one who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, brings trouble to the home, and possibly has a life of crime. At times we fail to understand that the fact that when the other is loved more does not in any way mean that I am loved less. Listen to the appeal of the merciful Father in Luke 15:31 and you will see what I mean. Goodness, for those who really love, does not reside in outward glamour and exhibitions of decency, but in the showing of mercy and compassion to those who need it most. Last week’s reflection showed that God does not desire to punish the wicked but wants to see them convert. We can so easily fail to see that the perfect sibling, parent, spouse or child does not exist simply because God has not yet created such a person. We are all pilgrims on the way to salvation. What I am meant to do when I see someone in an unfortunate position is to recall the famous expression: “There but for the grace of God go I” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:10).

Let us pray: Lord, help us to celebrate the giftedness of our neighbours and to rejoice in their blessings. Help us to be less judgemental, more compassionate and ready to extend your goodness to those whom we meet along our pilgrim way. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. [Blessing].

Archbishop Stephen Brislin offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Wednesday 3 March 2021, during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

We are living in tough times. Many have been infected by the Corona Virus and many are struggling to come to terms with the death of a loved one, financially or for some other consequence of the virus. Lent inspires us not to cease pleading to God to look mercifully on the world and to bring the present suffering to an end. Let us now listen to an excerpt from the Gospel of today’s Mass, from St Matthew 20:17-28. 

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day”.

Let us pray:

God of might and compassion, you sent your Word into the world, a watchman to announce to us the dawn of salvation. Do not leave us in the depths of our mistakes and sins, but listen to your Church pleading with you. Respond to her trust, and pour out in her the fullness of your redeeming grace. We make this prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever, amen.

One of the most remarkable things about today’s Gospel reading is that the disciples of Jesus did not seem to hear what Jesus was saying to them. He spoke these startling and frightening words, not only about his death, but also giving details of horrific suffering that he would have to endure at the hands of men. After he had said this, the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons and asked that one would sit on his right hand, the other on his left, in his kingdom. This does not only come across as being totally insensitive in the light of Jesus’ description of his coming death, but also selfish in wanting privilege over and above the other apostles who, as we hear in the Gospel, were rather indignant at this request.

Had the mother and her sons heard Jesus? Had they listened, did they understand? We do know that often we hear without really listening and sometimes, we listen without understanding. This is true also of the Word of God when we do not take time to read the Scriptures carefully and to prayerfully reflect on what we have read. It is imperative to understand that without Scripture there is no faith. This is how St Paul puts it: “ …for all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then are they to call on him if they have not come to believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard of him? And how will they hear of him unless there is a preacher for them?” (Romans 10:13-14). Scripture is God’s living word, it is God speaking to us in the here and now. It is not reading from a history book. That is why we refer to the Scripture readings as being proclaimed at Mass. We are invited to listen attentively, not only to hear the words that are proclaimed but to listen and understand what God is saying to us in our particular life-situation. How sad that it can happen that we become distracted and the message passes over our heads, rather than enter into our hearts and minds. We go home without any memory or pondering on God’s Word that was given to us at Mass.

At the celebration of Mass on a Sunday there is a First Reading, usually from the Old Testament, the Psalm, the Second Reading and the Gospel Reading. During the week, unless there is a special feast, there is no second Reading. On a Sunday, the First Reading and Gospel Reading are usually linked by a common theme. We should remember that the Old Testament is interpreted in the light of the teaching, life, passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus – the events of Jesus’ life help us to understand that the Old Testament is the preparation for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Liturgy of the Word at Mass is pivotal to the Celebration of the Eucharist as well as to our lives of faith. The Eucharist itself arises from the Word. The Word of God nourishes our faith and spiritual life, it gives us understanding of the meaning of our existence, as well as acceptance of life’s events for we see the hand of God in them.

Proclaimers of the Word at Mass should be well prepared. In the days and time before Mass they should have read and re-read many times the Reading that has been entrusted to them. They should open their hearts to understanding the message of the texts, and they should proclaim the Word in an audible and dignified way, avoiding the temptation to over-dramatize while they are proclaiming. They should read at a pace that is conducive to enabling the congregation to hear and to understand.

It is not only the proclaimers who should prepare themselves for the Liturgy of the Word. All of us, during the week, or before Mass, should make time to read the Readings. Many have the Sunday or Weekday missal. Even if you don’t, the Mass Readings for different days are easily accessible (internet or parish bulletins). Sadly, not only do some fail to prepare themselves for the Liturgy of the Word but also leave their Bibles to gather dust on the book shelf. Scripture is God speaking to us and we need the light of his word to guide and to lead us, to help us understand, and to live a life of true discipleship integrating the teachings of Jesus into our daily lives and practices. It is wonderful when the family can gather from time to time, to read a passage from the Bible together and to share on how they understand and interpret the reading and the practical implications it has for life. Living with the word of God means that the Liturgy of the Word at Mass will become alive for us and will nourish us spiritually, heal us and will give us peace.

I will continue to reflect on the Liturgy of the Word next week.

Let us now pray for God’s blessing:

The Lord be with you R/ And with your Spirit

Bow down for the blessing:

Look with favour on your people, O Lord, that what their Lenten observance outwardly declares it may inwardly bring about. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, amen.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (+), amen.

Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester David offers his prayer and reflection for the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town for today, Friday 26 February 2021, during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please also see below the text of his reflection, primarily for the deaf.

I prefer to see the wicked man renounce his wickedness and live. Ezekiel 18:21-28

“Thus says the Lord: ‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?’ …”

This text is about accountability – an element which is crucial to decent living, truthfulness and on-going conversion. It is the mechanism which helps us to put an end to double standards and the blame game that creep into so many aspects of life. Lack of accountability is not new – it is as old as creation. God asks Adam the questions: “Where are you?” and “who told you that you are naked?” (Genesis 3:9-11). These are classical expressions in the Hebrew bible which start the process of God’s justice where the aim is not to punish the guilty but to get the perpetrator to repent. This is the theme Ezekiel takes up in our first reading of today’s Mass. In the Genesis account God gives Adam a chance to reflect on what he had done and to make amends but Adam failed the accountability test. He blamed Eve and she in turn blamed the serpent. 

In the time of the exile there was a well worn phrase: “The parents ate sour grapes and the children’s teeth are on edge” (Ezekiel 18:2; Jeremiah 31:29-30). In the next verse (Ezekiel 18:3) the prophet, using formal prophetic language which shows divine insistence, is emphatic that this saying about “sour grapes” is no longer to be used in Israel. Why is the Bible so insistent on this? The exile undermined truthfulness and personal responsibility, but the prophet shows that a new relationship with God is open to all the faithful – a relationship based on trust and truth telling. Our passage is a development of this call of the prophet to put an end to poor excuses, to accept responsibility and to trust in God’s merciful love. This is nothing else but a call to greater intimacy with God, and to trust God like a child trusting that its parent will never do anything to cause harm to him or her but will seek what is best for the child. When Jeremiah bans the use of the “sour grapes” proverb, he immediately follows it up with the solemn announcement of the new covenant which will usher in knowledge of God based on personal intimacy (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Why is it so important to accept responsibility? It is important because without it there can be no change and no growth. Why do I need to change if I am never wrong? In South Africa today we have an unusual attitude to morality. For so many, as revealed by evidence at the on-going commission of enquiry, an action is only wrong if one gets found out. And even there, who is wrong? For some, the person who makes the discovery or who blows the whistle is wrong. It is never my fault – someone else has to take the blame. South Africa is not unique in this – denial, shifting the blame, and misinformation seem so embedded in some places that new and destructive precedents are being set. So called leaders and media networks eat sour grapes and successive generations and even the ecology will have their teeth on edge. God’s call for truthfulness has fallen on deaf ears. 

Lent is an ideal time to rediscover the truth and to celebrate our proper relationship with God. We are not meant to hide from God as did Adam and Eve, but we have been created to enjoy intimacy with our God. In a recent reflection, Archbishop Brislin very meaningfully reminded us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Let us do so during this season of conversion. Notice that Ezekiel and Jeremiah were addressing people still in exile. We do not have to wait for the end of the pandemic to seek God, but even in the difficult circumstances in which we find ourselves we can make an effort to grow in truthfulness, accountability and greater intimacy with God. Union with God is, after all, the aim of all authentic spirituality.

Let us pray: Lord your word calls us to a radical honesty of our need for redemption. Send your Holy Spirit into our lives so that we may make good and wholesome choices based on truthfulness and in so doing deepen our intimacy with you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen [Blessing].