Saturday, October 20, 2018

Mission Sunday, Year B, 21.10.2018

Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20
It can be presumed that if someone wears a cross, that person could be a Christian or at least know the meaning of the cross.

But of course, that presumption does not apply to those who wear the cross like some kind of ornament or decoration and say and do things that do not reflect or have no connection of being a Christian.

No doubt about it, the cross is the profound sign of Christianity and of being a Christian.

But apart from the Christians, we would be able to pick out the Catholics quite easily. Because more than just the cross, some Catholics would wear rosary bracelets, rosary rings and also medals.

And talking about medals, there is a variety to choose from: Jesus, Mary, St. Christopher…

One popular medal is the St Benedict’s medal. Not only the religious article shops would have it, even the goldsmith shops have it. It goes to show how popular the St Benedict’s medal is, and we can see why.
The two sides of the medal are quite elaborate. One side has the cross with Latin inscriptions that are invocations for protection against evil. Maybe that’s why it is so popular.

The other side has a figure of St Benedict, in which he holds the book of the monastic rule on one hand and the cross on the other.

Then there are two other minor but interesting details. On one side of the figure of St Benedict, there is a raven carrying off a loaf of bread. On the other side of the figure of St Benedict is a cracked cup with a snake coming out of it.

The story is that some evil people wanted to kill St. Benedict so they poisoned his bread and wine. But when St Benedict made the sign of cross over the poisoned bread and wine that he was about to consume, a raven flew in and carried off the bread and the cup cracked. Then he realized that his food was poisoned.

That story brings us to what Jesus said in the gospel when He summoned His disciples to go out to the whole world to proclaim the Good News to all creation.

He talked about the signs that will be associated with believers – they will cast out devils, have the gift of tongues, pick up snakes in their hands, be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, lay their hands on the sick who will recover.

What Jesus said can be taken literally or figuratively as well as spiritually. But in whichever way we want to take it, the emphasis is on the signs that will be associated with believers.

In short, as Jesus sent His disciples to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News, He is also saying that there will be snares and dangers, but there also will be signs and wonders.

The purpose of these signs and wonders is to confirm the message of the Good News. Though there are snares and dangers, but Jesus is the Saviour and His saving power will prevail over evil.

But if we are wondering where are these signs and wonders today, then maybe it is also an occasion to ask ourselves, if we are proclaiming the Good News actively and courageously.

Because we are the most profound sign of the Good News. The purpose of Mission Sunday is to awaken us to our mission to be the Good News even in the face of indifference and opposition, and then we will see the signs.

Earlier on we heard about St. Benedict who led a holy life and led people to God, and though evil people tried to kill him, God protected him from harm.

Another interesting story is about Pope Leo the Great and Attila the Hun. One of the greatest threats to Europe during the 5th Century came from Eastern Asia. The Huns led by Attila had swept through Asia and in the year 452 was on the verge of invading Italy. 

The Huns were savage and barbaric in every aspect, killing men, women and children, plundering, sacking and destroying. Attila the Hun was especially and utterly cruel in inflicting torture, greedy in plundering and famous for ripping apart his enemies and drinking their blood.

Rome which was then the seat of the crumbling Roman empire waited in helpless terror for utter destruction. The pope at that time, Pope Leo, knew he had to defend his flock and so he decided to go and meet Attila the Hun at the risk of his life and try to negotiate for peace.

Before he set off, Pope Leo prayed to Jesus for help in this desperate and dangerous situation. And with that, the venerable and simple old man went forth to meet the merciless young destroyer who only knew how to kill and plunder.

It was a tense meeting as the Pope pleaded with Attila to stop the bloodshed and spare Rome and the innocent people, and at the same time wondering when he was going to lose his life.

Then in a spectacular and surprising turn of events, Attila ordered his army to stop attacking and return to their base camp.

Many speculations were offered for this sudden and unexpected change in Attila the Hun. Could it be that a sum of money was given to him to stop him from attacking? Or could it be that his army was short of supplies and worn out, and also there was a famine and plague in Italy at that time?

But another story has it that when Attila’s servants asked him why he suddenly changed his mind, he told them this: While the Pope was talking to him, there appeared above the Pope’s head, two figures with drawn swords, and they seemed to threatened to kill Attila unless he consented to do as Pope Leo had requested. Those two figures were said to be St. Peter and St. Paul.

Well, the fact was that Attila and his savage hordes turned back and Rome was saved at the mitigation of Pope Leo. The interesting point in all this is that although Pope Leo knew that he could lose his life, he also believed in the power of prayer and the saving power of Jesus. And that was enough for Pope Leo to stop Attila the Hun.

The month of October is a dedicated month of prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary, and Pope Francis has called for a “Special Prayer Campaign for the Church” for protection from the attacks of the devil and for forgiveness and healing for the sins of the Church.

Let prayer be our mission and let prayer also lead us into mission. May we also be signs of the Good News and may we also be the signs and wonders of the saving love of Jesus.