Week 25 Thursday (Year 1)

Readings: Haggai 1.1-8; Psalm 149; Luke 9.7-9

One thing coming through in the readings these days is how the chosen people are helped by foreigners, first Cyrus and now Darius, to return and rebuild the land, the city and the temple. They are given back to themselves through the actions of these outsiders. The great French Dominican theologian Yves Congar applied the same principle to the Church - sometimes the Church will need 'the world', an outside voice, to call it back to itself.

A recent example is the sexual abuse crisis in the Church in so many countries. This is being addressed not because of any initiative taken first from within the Church but primarily because of the work of journalists who bring the truth to light. (For as many people who might be cynical about journalists there are as many, if not more, who are now cynical about clergy.)

Another thing coming through is how a basic structure in the organization of God's people survives through all the vicissitudes they experience. This is the structure of priests, prophets and kings (or governors, commissioners, some political leadership). In difficult and confusing times it is the prophet's voice that interprets the situation, warns against the wrong path, and points out the right path. It is why we speak about the need for the prophetic voice in the Church. They are not so much people who foresee the future as they are people who are so imbued, so filled, with the Word of God that they can speak authoritatively about what is happening in the present and see what is to be done. The light of God's Word shining through them illuminates things for the people.

We have two examples today of the respect for the prophetic voice in Israel. One is Haggai who challenges the people to get on with re-building the temple. You are thinking first of your own comfort and security, he says. His job is to call them back to their fundamental relationship, with God: have you forgotten that again, so soon? What depth or meaning will your lives have if you are simply concerned about yourselves and forget the presence of God which is your real glory as a people? Your surrender to consumerism, Haggai concludes, leaves you sated and unfulfilled at the same time. Reflect carefully how things have gone for you: they should be able to work it out for themselves.

The second example is in the gospel reading where we hear about a Jewish King, Herod, who wants to see Jesus. He has heard about Jesus's preaching and actions and immediately recognises that this is a prophetic voice. What will it mean for Herod? Good news or bad? He is perplexed and anxious which is exactly how a ruler ought to feel in the presence of a prophet. Everyone knows now that Jesus is a prophet even if some of them are suggesting that he is one of the former prophets risen from the dead. We can imagine that a risen John the Baptist would be the last person Herod would want to meet.

So he wanted to see Jesus: this is how the gospel reading ends. We can put the question to ourselves: how anxious am I that the prophetic word should illuminate my life? Good news or bad? The light of truth in the first place - what will it show me about myself? - but always also the light of God's love because, as we now know so well, the Word of God is a Word that breathes Love just as it is a Word that radiates Truth. So this Prophet speaks words that are always both truthful and loving.

Jesus is priest, prophet and king, all in one. He continues to call people to follow him, to live by his Truth and to grow in his Love. Sometimes that call reaches us in ways that leave us perplexed, along roads we did not expect. That is not important. What is important is to live in the truth no matter by whom it is addressed to us, to receive God's love no matter by whom it is carried to us.