Aug 28 2011

Pastor Judes prædiken til d. 22. alm. søndag i året 2011

Helligåndskirken Frederikshavn

Prædiken 22. almindelige søndag 2011. 28. august

En sommer var en dansk præst i Frankrig på ferie. Han fejrede messen en søndag og fordi det var ferietid var han kommet lidt sent op. Hurtigt gjorde han sig klar og satte sig ind i bilen, og da han kom frem til kirken var rigtig mange fra menigheden allerede kommet. De havde taget enhver ledig parkeringsplads i hele byen så præsten kørte rundt og rundt for at finde en plads, men forgæves. Så mødte han en politibetjent, og fik den idé at spørge ham til råds. Præsten spurgte betjenten: ’Må jeg godt parkere her selvom det er ulovligt?’ ’Joo’ svarede betjenten ’bare læg dit vievand og en rosenkrans på forsædet så sker der ingenting’. Således løb præsten ind i kirken og fejrede messen. Tilbage i Danmark skete der noget nær det samme. Præsten var kommet for sent af sted og valgte igen en ulovlig parkeringsplads. Også her lagde han vievand og rosenkrans på forsædet, og skyndte sig til kirken. Efter messen kom han tilbage til bilen. Der stod en parkeringsvagt og kiggede på hans bil, og præsten blev nu rigtig glad for at han havde lagt tingene på forsædet. Parkeringsvagten kiggede da også på ham og sagde: ’Goddag pastor, jeg ser at De er katolsk præst!’ ’Det er korrekt’ svarede præsten stolt. Betjenten fortsatte med hånden rakt frem: ’Min kone er også katolik, og her har De deres bøde’.

Ja, nu er en parkeringsbøde jo ikke noget særligt tungt kors at bære, selvom enhver der har fået en sådan sikkert har ærgret sig over de 510 kroner den koster. Alligevel er der en pointe med det, som præsten gør i min lille historie. Han synes nemlig at han er noget ganske særligt, et menneske som der skal tages et specielt hensyn til fordi han er en hellig præst. – Og sådan gælder det nok for os alle. Af en eller anden grund føler vi ofte gennem livet at de kors vi bliver givet slet ikke er noget for os, for disse kors kommer uventet, ubelejligt og ganske ufortjent.

Jesus giver os en anden opfattelse i dag. Han siger nærmest til præsten: ’Undgå ikke en parkeringsbøde ved at bruge din titel. Nej, tag din parkeringsbøde – tag dit kors og glem hvad du selv er. Tag dit kors og følg mig.’ Jesus siger til os alle, hvis formål her på jorden ikke er at vinde hele verden, for så at miste vores liv. Det nytter altså ikke noget at ville hvad mennesker ville. De spørgsmål vi bliver stillet overfor er forskellige fra menneske til menneske. Nogen vil blive fristet til at bruge deres autoritet som præsten på parkeringspladsen, andre vil blive stillet overfor store dilemmaer når de som magthavere har mulighed for at påvirke menneskers meninger, og andre igen vil stå overfor spørgsmålet hundredvis af gange gennem livet: ’Hvad vil mennesker? Hvad vil Gud?’

Det kan være svært for os at finde det rigtige svar, og derfor har vi brug for Guds hjælp. I bøn og med stor tålmodighed vil vi blive vist svaret, og når vi finder det svar så vil vi være salige – altså lykkelige fordi vi går Guds vej – måske bærer vi på tunge kors, for Guds vej handler tit op at samle vores kors op og tage det med os. At tage vores sygdom med os, tage vores fattigdom med os – alle vores bekymringer og sorg er der plads til på dette kors vi bærer gennem livet. Smider vi korset fra os og går menneskets vej så vil vi bringes til fald – derfor svarer Jesus som han gør til Peter: ’Vig bag mig Satan’. Peter prøver nemlig helt ubevidst at lokke Jesus til at gå menneskets vej.

Vi inviteres i dag til at reflektere over hvilken vej vi går. Sætter vi os selv i centrum og går menneskets vej for at redde det liv vi har her på jorden, eller går vi Guds vej og glemmer livet her på jorden for i stedet at samle vores kors op, for til sidst at miste livet i Guds navn? Da vil vi nemlig finde livet – et evigt liv. Gå derfor ud i dag og gå ikke længere menneskets vej – gå Guds vej og husk at også i Guds rige er der mange veje. Der er en vej til enhver som vil samle sit kors op, betale sin parkeringsbøde og bruge sin tale til at være Guds tale, og ikke menneskets.

English Version

Sermon for the 22nd. Ordinary Sunday In The Year 2011

Over the gospel according to St. Mathew ch. 16, v. 21 – 27

One summer a Danish priest was on holiday inFrance. He should celebrate the Mass on the Sunday and, because he was on holiday, had got up rather late. He quickly got dressed, shaved and got into his car. Unfortunately when he arrived at church quite a few people had already arrived and had taken every available parking place all around the church. The priest started to drive around in the hope of finding a parking place but had to give up. Then he met a policeman and had the idea to ask for his advice. The priest asked the officer, ‘May I park here even though it’s illegal?’ ‘Mmmm, alright then. Just leave a bottle of holy water and a rosary on the front seat and nothing will happen’. Much relieved the priest left the car and hurried into the church and celebrated theMass.

Back again inDenmarkmore or less the same thing happened. He had started too late and again chose an illegal parking place. Also this time he put a bottle of holy water and a Rosary on the front seat and hurried into the church. After Mass he came back to his car and there stood a parking attendant and looked at his car. The priest was glad he had left the two things on the front seat. The parking attendant looked at him and said, ‘Good day Pastor. I can see that you are a catholic priest’. ‘That is correct’, answered the priest proudly. With outstretched hand the attendant continued, ’My wife is also a Catholic and here is your fine’.

 Well, I suppose a parking fine is not a very heavy cross to bear though most of us have been annoyed about the 510 crowns it costs. Nevertheless there is a point about the priest in the little story. He seems to think that he’s something quite special, someone who must receive special attention because he is a holy priest; and that’s something we all feel now and again. For one reason or another we often feel, through out our lives, that the cross we have been given to bear is nothing at all for us, because it comes unexpectedly, at the wrong time and quite undeserved.

Jesus gives us another perspective today. He almost says to the priest, ‘Don’t use your position to avoid a fine. No, take the parking fine – take your cross and forget whom you are. Take your cross and follow me’. Jesus tells us that our purpose here on earth is not to gain the whole world and thereby loose our lives. It doesn’t help to do what people want you to do. The question with which we are confronted is different from person to person. Some will be tempted to use their authority as a priest at the parking place. Others will be faced with greater dilemmas when they, as representatives of authority, have the possibilities affect other peoples’ meanings. Yet others will be faced, hundreds of times, with the questions: ’What is a human being? What is God?

It can be difficult for us to find the right answer and therefore we have use for God’s help. Through prayer and with great patience an answer will be shown and, when we find the answer, we will become blessed; that is happy because we walk along God’s way. Maybe we might bear a heavy cross because God’s ways often deal with taking up our crosses and taking them along with us: To take our illnesses with us, take our poverty with us, all our worries and sorrows, because there’s a place for them on the cross we bear through life. If we throw the cross away and go the way of humans then we shall be brought to a fall. Therefore Jesus answers Peter as he does, ‘Get behind me Satan!’ Peter tries, quite unawares, to tempt Jesus to go the way of humans.

 We are invited to reflect about which way we ought to go. If we ought to put ourselves in the centre and go the way of humans to save the life we have here on earth, or ought we to go God’s way and forget the life here on earth and, instead, pick up our cross where, at last, we loose our lives in the name of God? Thus we will find life itself – eternal life.

Go out today and no longer follow the way of humans but take God’s and remember that in God’s kingdom there are many ways. There is a way for all who will take up their crosses, pay their parking fine and use their talk to be the words of God and not that of humans.

FatherJude.

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