Today’s readings: Jeremiah 38,4-6.8-10; Hebrews 12, 1-4; Luke 12,49-53.

Very often we lament that life as we live it today has become devoid of ideals. History is marked by outstanding people who believed in ideals in politics, religion, culture, and sports. An ideal is something you believe in, something you uphold whatever the cost, for which it is worth even surrendering your life.

In the Christian faith, taking up one’s cross does not mean simply accepting the crosses we come across, but following till the end the way Jesus traced for us. His way, as declared in today’s gospel, is not a way of peace as we habitually perceive and promote it.

Jesus is challenging, provoking, non-complacent, non-conformist. With words and deeds, far from being simply diplomatic or prudent, he knew how to put into question the establishment, both political and religious. Like him and much before him, the prophet Jeremiah was accused of “not having the welfare of the people at heart”. He was pungent and he made people, even in power, feel uncomfortable.

If no risk is involved in living the faith, then probably that is no faith at all. This seems to be a basic warning that transpires from today’s readings which very clearly leave no space for further nuances. Faith cannot be a cover- up, it cannot be elusive. Faith is not about a well-being that is superficial.

There was a time when Jesus asked Peter to put his sword back in its place. But we can gather from Jesus’ words today that there are times when we need to take it out, even if metaphorically.

We have too often in our church circles invoked obedience in the name of faith, imposed silence, defended the status quo. That can also be a misuse of faith.

In a heavily secularised time, we are called to discern carefully what is the public role of religion. Both Jeremiah and Jesus provoked considerable tension in their respective social and religious contexts. Their faith did not serve to legitimise the existent and false balances of religion and society.

We would be simply legitimising hypocrisy when we insist on saving publicly the face of a Catholic nation by liturgically marking the official openings of Parliament, the academic and forensic environments, and respecting other official appointments, without then having the minimal courage to put into question the way justice is administered, the management of politics and finances, and the safeguarding of the true welfare of the people.

All this undoubtedly applies also to the internal management of the Church, which calls for more transparency and accountability given that, like any other institution, the Church itself is also subject to all forms of distortions and corruptions. Without undermining the significance of public signs of the Christian faith that still persist in our culture, like the crucifix in public offices, let it be clear to all that it is not from this that the Christian identity is measurable.

Where the public role of faith is concerned in this day and age, the major issues may not be atheism, or the bioethical issues, or the issues related to sexual morals.

The issue that should irk us profoundly is rather how we manage to make peacefully co-exist side by side the relatively high level of practice of the faith where numbers are concerned with the ever-increasing incidence of violence, including domestic violence, drug trafficking that seems to have run out of hand, the insensitivity towards immigrants, and the scandalous mismanagement of public funds and public offices, just to mention some aspects of the level of public morals.

Back to the public role of religion, we may be failing miserably in our mission considering how easily we speak to people about their private sins, and at the same time how reluctant we still are to speak out prophetically to our culture of public and social sins.

From the letter to the Hebrews today we read that we cannot give up for want of courage. As long as courage is lacking, faith will die out, and the Church itself, rather than evangelising, would be accelerating the phasing out of any relevance faith may still have today.