The following Homily is provided by Friar Sidney as a way
     of enriching the ministry of the Word as presented through
     this web site.  Friar Sidney, who has spent much of his
     ministry in India, is currently a Professor of Philosophy
     in Rome.  He can be reached at smascarenhas@ofm.org.  The texts
     used by Friar Sydney come from the Roman Lectionary - which in
     most points agrees with the Revised Common Lectionary.

  
  READINGS:  
  Isaiah 45:1.4-6;  Thessalonians  1:1-5;  Matthew 22:15-21.
  
  
  INTRODUCTION:
  Let us today meditate on our task as Christians in a world
  that is a Pluriverse.
  
  
  HOMILY:
  We are so used to speak about a Universe.  Yet, today we
  live in a plural world.  We live in a pluriverse.  We live
  in a culture that uses different languages and scripts.  We
  live in milieus where diverse religions exist.  We live in
  nations that more and more want to identify themselves as
  secular.  We live in a world where Internet and Email let us
  communicate with people whom we have not seen even once.  
  Where do we Christians stand amidst all this diversity and
  pluriversality?
  
  In the first reading we see that a pagan king, Cyrus, is
  God's worthy instrument for His People.  This pagan is even
  called God's anointed.  God even leads him by his right
  hand.  In other words, God is working through the power
  which Cyrus, a pagan, exercises.
  
  In the Gospel, we find a terrible contrast.  The people who
  consider themselves God's own Chosen Ones, plot evil against
  God's only Son and Anointed One, Jesus Christ.  But Christ
  cleverly uses their own trap to confound them.
  
  In both readings we therefore get this message loud and
  clear: The Trinitarian God is supreme! The Power of God, His
  Action and His Love is supreme!
  
  That is what St Paul tries to drill into the Thessalonians.  
  Paul knows very well that their faith in action, their work
  of love and their perseverence through hope in our Lord
  Jesus Christ is all due to the Infinite and Supreme Power,
  Action and Love of the Trinitarian God.
  
  Dear friends, do we share this vision of St. Paul in the
  Pluriverse of today?  Do we show faith in God's action, do
  we work for His Love to be manifest to all, and do we
  persevere through hope in our Trinitarian God's Name. 
  
  Shalom! 


copyright - Friar Sydney Mascarenhas and  Rev. Richard J. Fairchild 1999 - 2005
            please acknowledge the appropriate author if citing these sermons.