Back On The Road

August 13th was the last day I drove my car, until tonight.

Two years ago I began going without a car for a month each year. While impractical at first, I quickly got used to life without a car, so much so that I decided this year to go without a car for 10 weeks.

That 10 week period ended today.

This afternoon after work I dropped in on the insurance company just around the corner from my apartment and reinsured my car.

So, I'm back on the road, just in time for the wet and rainy Vancouver winter.

But I only insured my car until the end of March 2009. Next year I want to go without a car for 6 months, from end of March until end of September. Based on my lifestyle, there's really no need to have a car during the summer.

More Leaves

A few days ago I posted some pictures of Fall in Vancouver. The focus was mainly on the magnificent colours our city's trees have clothed themselves in.

Here are some more pictures. This time the focus is still the same - colours - but as they present themselves to our eyes in their particular context: neighbourhoods, streets, and houses. I've also added a few other random (and not so random) sights.

Leaves

It's that time of the year again: Fall. All the leaves of the trees turn into a wild blend of oranges, browns, yellows, even reds. Jen and I went out with our cameras to take a first-hand look . Here's what we saw (these pictures were taken between 10th and 16th Ave, and Main and Cambie:

Wow, You Sure Know How To Talk

That's what Jen told me tonight. At first I didn't know how to take it, but then she said it's a good thing I'm a talker because she isn't. That's true. She's rather quiet, a responder, rather than initiator.

She also said that she's starting to understand why I am considering ordination to the priesthood. Priests tend to talk. They talk a lot.

But I'm still not sure I take it as a compliment. I don't want to be known as a talker. I sense that with talking comes pride, the root of all evil.

My 2 Favourite Restaurants In Vancouver

This weekend was a good weekend indeed, for the simple reason that I visited my two favourite restaurants in Vancouver: Al Watan (Pakistani, 45th and Fraser), and Doña Cata's (Mexican, 35th and Victoria).

Saturday late afternoon I went to Doña Cata's for dinner with Jen. Together, we ordered 3 items on the menu, and shared our meal: Original tacos (4), something along the lines of fajita tacos (2, but I can't remember the exact name of the item on the menu), and a soup dish (ditto). I put a peanut sauce on all my tacos and the result was very good: very tasty with a spicy kick.

Then yesterday, Sunday, I went to Al Watan with James. I hadn't seen him in ages, so it was really good to catch up. I ordered the usual, the "Lunch Special", for $6.99, while James had the "Chicken Tikka Kharai." Afterwards, we both had 2 cups of their special tea. There's a reason this is my favourite restaurant in Vancouver: the food is tasty, the ambience is quiet and simple, the staff (Noor the waiter, and Khalid the cook) are friendly (in fact, Khalid comes out from the kitchen everytime we visit and talks with us for a good 5-10 minutes), and the price is very very reasonable.

I'm thankful to be working: not everyone has a job. However, what I miss most from my seminary days (besides studying, reading, writing, and discussing theology), is going "home" for lunch or dinner at Al Watan.

Kiss

I kissed Jen this evening.

We were supposed to get together for an evening of reading, tea, and conversation, but we came up with another alternative that was equally entertaining.

Cold

Today was the first time in a long time that I was cold. Very cold.

I went to Doña Cata's for some great Mexican food with Jen today, around 5pm. It'd been a sunny day, and I'd dressed semi-warm, meaning, warm enough for a sunny Fall-day, but not nearly warm enough for a cool evening.

I missed my longjohns.

So I've made the decision that until further notice, I'll be wearing longjohns in the evening.

Very soon I'll likely wear longjohns during the day too (especially at work), but for now, the policy includes only evening: anytime I go out in the evenings, longjohns are a must.

I oughta write up a "How to dress properly" manual. It would help me each year transitioning from one season to another.

Truly You Are The Son Of God

Matthew 14:13-33 achieves two things: One, the reading reveals the identity of Jesus as the Son of God; and two, it teaches the nature and privilege of discipleship.1 These two points, the identity of Jesus, and faith in Jesus, merge in verse 33: “And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’’ (14:33).

We’ve probably heard both stories before. Jesus and the disciples are surrounded by a large crowd (14:14). It’s evening (14:15), and there’s little food. Rather than send people to fend for themselves, Jesus asks his disciples to gather what little food is available. Then he blesses God for his provision, and in an astonishing miracle feeds everyone with five loaves and two fish (14:16-19).

In the second story, Jesus sends the disciples away on boat, while he retreats for a time of prayer. Late at night, Jesus walks on the water to reach his disciples who are struggling to maneuver the boat in the wind (14:23-25). Not surprisingly, his disciples are terrified: “It is a ghost” (14:26), they cry out of fear. Jesus responds: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear” (14:27).

It’s good and right to be amazed in wonder at the powerful signs that Jesus performs. He multiplies food, he walks on water. He does the things that God does. Not only that, he says the things that God says too. His response to Peter and the disciples, “it is I” (14:27), identifies Jesus as the one who “reveals the God of Israel and is uniquely related to that God.”2

But we must not neglect the spiritual sustenance these stories point towards. There’s a rich symbolism here that points to Christ as our spiritual sustenance. Let’s illustrate this in three ways, using the story where Jesus feeds the multitude. This story is symbolic of a banquet. It’s theme is of a banquet feast, where Jesus is at the head of the table.3

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Matthew placed this story immediately after the “flashback” about the death of John the Baptist.4 And he offers a powerful juxtaposition of two banquets, two kings, and two kingdoms: Herod’s banquet takes place in the royal court, and there’s “pride and arrogance, scheming, and even murder.” Jesus’ banquet, however, takes place in a deserted and “lonely” place, the wilderness, and there’s “healing, trust, and sharing.”5

More symbolism takes place in verse 19. Jesus, “taking” the loaves and fish, “looked up”, “blessed”, and “gave...to the disciples” (14:19). Surely this points to the Last Supper, where Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples..., 'Take, eat; this is my body. . . . Drink...for this is my blood'” (26:26). Both, the feeding of the multitude, and the Lord’s Supper, are banquets that point to Christ as the supreme provider of spiritual sustenance.

And finally, the feeding of the multitude also points to the heavenly feast, the Messianic banquet yet to come, at the consummation of God’s kingdom. Here, the people of God will be gathered in unity and community. Here, no one will be sent away to fend for themselves.

Indeed, the feeding of the multitude points to far more than the provision of physical sustenance, as important as that is. It points to Jesus as the provider of spiritual nourishment and salvation.

So, what should the response of a disciple be? What are we to do? I think Peter provides us with a great example in the second story.

He asks Jesus if he too can walk on water. Jesus says “Come” (14:29). Peter goes out, he takes a risk, but then doubt sets in and he begins to sink. He says “Lord, save me” (14:30). Jesus reaches out his hand and saves him: “O man of little faith . . .”, he says (14:31).

What’s important here for us is that Peter places his faith in Jesus. His faith is inadequate, weak, and “little” (14:31) but he has faith. He calls Jesus by his rightful name: “Lord”, and he asks for the right thing: “Save me” (14:30).

Peter’s faith is a consolation to me, and perhaps to you also, for I too am most often found to have “little faith.”

His response, and indeed the response of the disciples, and by God’s grace, our response too, is worship, and the following words: “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Thanks be to God.

Amen ✠

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1 R. T. France, The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 237.

2 Daniel J. Harrington (S. J) The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 224.

3 R. T. France, The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 235.

4 Daniel J. Harrington (S. J) The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 220-221.

5 Daniel J. Harrington (S. J) The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 221.

The Kingdom Of Heaven: A Secret And A Mystery

In today’s gospel reading we encounter for the first time Jesus teaching in parables, simple stories that illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. There are eight in total in this chapter. We’ll briefly deal with the last four: Matthew 13:44-58.

The focus is on the kingdom of God, and specifically, these parables “illustrate the divisions among [people] in their attitude to Jesus” and the preaching of his kingdom.

On the one side are those who accept Jesus as the Son of God. They are the true disciples, his true family. Their future is glorious: “they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”, says Jesus (13:43).

And on the other hand are those who reject Jesus. They choose pain, torment, and separation from God instead of fellowship with him (13:49-50).

So we begin then, with two parables about the value of the kingdom of God, verse 44. Jesus says here, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.”

And then verse 45: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

The kingdom of God is “like a treasure hidden in a field”, it’s “like” a most valuable pearl. It is worth much much more than any and all of our current material possessions. Indeed, taking hold of it fills us with joy. The man who sells his possessions in the parable does so out of sheer joy for the treasure in the field (13:44). Giving up his personal toys is suddenly the least of his concerns. The value of the the kingdom of heaven is priceless.

The next parable deals head on with the nature of the kingdom: the kingdom of God is divisive. Verses 47-48: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.”

Earlier parables in the chapter illustrated the division between fruitful soil and unproductive soil, and good grain and weeds; here, division lies between good fish and bad fish. The good are kept, the bad are thrown away. They are not thrown back into the water (13:48).

That’s what the kingdom of heaven is like. “At the close of the age” (13:49), the righteous will be separated from the wicked. The righteous will enjoy fellowship with the Father, while the wicked are “thrown away” (13:48).

These are hard words to hear, in a city such as ours. The kingdom of heaven is not a “spiritual Switzerland”, as someone said recently. We can’t walk the fence, there’s no neutral ground. We must decide what to do with the Christ.

The final parable is of a household owner who “brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (13:52). This parable seems a little more obscure, but essentially it can be boiled down to the following: the true disciple is one who treasures “the old” (the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith), and “the new” (that which has happened in and through Jesus the Messiah). “Both new and old are valued; the new does not make the old useless.”2

In the end, brothers and sisters, the kingdom of heaven is both, a secret and a mystery. It’s a secret that has been revealed - and continues to be revealed - to men and women everywhere. That’s why we gather week after week: to celebrate this revelation.

But the kingdom of heaven is also a mystery, because even as the most powerful agent at work in the world, people remain unresponsive and unaffected by it. The response then, as now, is often the same: initial amazement, followed by doubt, and finally, rejection (13:54-57).

May God in his mercy continue to reveal to us, to our families, to our friends, coworkers, and loved ones, the secret of the kingdom of heaven. And may God - again, in his mercy - spur us on in faith and works even amidst rejection.

Thanks be to God.

Amen ✠

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1 R. T. France, The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 215.

2 Daniel J. Harrington (S. J) The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 208.

Jennifer

I had dinner with Jen again tonight. I've been spending a lot of time with her the past few months.

I'm beginning to develop feelings for her I think. Actually, I know I am. And I'm almost certain the feeling's mutual.