Homily Ordinary 3C: Going back to the sources

Homily for 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2019 

Nehemiah 8:2-6,8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Introduction 

The catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina remains forever etched in the minds of many New Orleanians.  I bring up this tragic event of our history because it has some similarities with what is happening in our first reading today. 

Scripture and Theology 

The book of Nehemiah, from which our reading comes tells the story of the restoration of the Jewish nation after their exile in Babylon, when they returned home and found a total devastation of their homeland. This story is told by two books, that of Nehemiah and that of Ezra, the two principal figures behind this restoration.  I can see some similarities with the post-Katrina situation. 

• First, the Jewish people when they returned found their Holy City of Jerusalem destroyed by its conquerors, much like the hurricane destroyed New Orleans. 
• Second, their sacred temple was destroyed, much like our secular temple the Superdome was left in tatters after the hurricane. 
• Thirdly, the walls of the Jerusalem were also destroyed, again like our levees that had been breached. 
• But  most of all, besides these physical structures that were in ruins, the spirit of the community, what it meant to be a Jew was no longer there, much like the spirit of New Orleans was lost.   

And so, these two men, Nehemiah a lay man who served as the political leader, and Ezra, the priest who served as the religious leader, worked to restore the nation.  They restored both the physical structures and the religious identity of the nation.  Today we reflect on the restoration of the religious spirit of the Jews. 

Now while for New Orleans, what helped restore our spirit was our great food, our music, and the return of our beloved Football team, the Saints, for the people of Judah, they turned to the Bible.  Yes, they read the Bible.  They went back to their origins, which in the years of the exile had been lost.  They chose to go back to the Book of the Law that described who they were and what their obligations to God were.  We heard that everybody assembled to hear the priest Ezra read the Word of God, "men, women, and those children old enough to understand."  And how long was this reading?  "He read out of the book from daybreak till midday."  So, I hope you realize how good you have it that my homilies are only ten minutes long, and that you are sitting, not standing in the sun for the Mass which also lasts no more than an hour. 

But why go back to read an old book, containing old instructions?  Every nation worth its name has its founding documents.  For example, when the founding Fathers of the United States of America founded the nation in 1776, they laid down certain fundamental principles to guide the nation.  These principles are written in the Constitution.  To this original document has been added over the years other foundational principles.  For example, in 1865 the thirteenth amendment was enacted to abolish slavery and in 1920 the nineteenth amendment expanded voting rights to women.  The Constitution is very sacred to Americans, because it lays out what it means to be an American nation. 

That too is the reason why when Nehemiah and Ezra wanted to rebuild their nation, they turned to the Source, the Law of God as given to them in the Bible.  For while they could build all the physical structures they needed, without a spiritual foundation, they would not be a Holy people of God again.   

The initial reaction of the people to the reading was very powerful.  We heard that "all the people, their hands raised high, answered, 'Amen, amen!'" essentially agreeing with what Ezra had just read, since Amen means, "let it be so."  But in addition, "all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law."  Perhaps they were touched when they heard, some perhaps for the very first time, who they were, how much God had loved them, how much he cared about them, how all he asked was for them to be faithful to him, to follow his laws and dictates.  For they had been in exile and perhaps thought that God had gone back on his promises.  The Book of the Law renews their hope. 

Similarly today's gospel also tells us about the power of God's word.  Luke begins his gospel by explaining why he is writing down these things. After admitting that others have written gospels, he writes: "I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received."  Luke wants this man Theophilus, probably a Roman official or a prominent person of the time, to whom he dedicates his writings, to know the foundations of the Church in the life of Jesus Christ. 

Today's gospel went on also to describe the beginning of Jesus' ministry. When asked to do the reading and preach at the synagogue on the Sabbath he reads from the prophet Isaiah, which says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."  Jesus then borrows these words of Isaiah, which the prophet had used to give hope to the exiled people of Israel to introduce himself and his mission.  And then he concludes: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Christian Life 

My friends, do we also know our origin story, as African, Irish, Italian, Cajun, Vietnamese, Mexican, Filipino, and of course most of all our origin story as Americans?  Do we occasionally go back to the sources and read them again to remind ourselves, but mostly to be inspired anew by what our foregathers gave us?  Do we pass on these origin stories, ideas and truths on to our children, so that they can know where we have come from, where we are going, and who we are?  I remember growing up as a child in Uganda and not always having light at home, our evenings were mostly spent with mom or grandma telling us stories, most of whose details I frankly don't remember, but most of whose valuable lessons have stayed with me, for example that hard work pays, that honesty, kindness, generosity, respect are virtues to live by and many more. 

As Catholics do we know our origin story?  When we are asking ourselves who we are, what our obligations to God, to family, to our nation, to others are, where do we turn?  Like Ezra has shown us, like Jesus does, like I always tell my students, we must go to the sources, to the horse's mouth, the Scripture, the Catechism and other documents that have the foundational principles of Jesus and should lay the foundations for our lives. 

Conclusion 

We have an opportunity to return to the origins, to our roots, every Sunday at Mass.  In the first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, we listen to the readings and the gospel, we sing the Psalm and listen to the homily and so are like the "men, women, and those children old enough to understand" who listened to Ezra for six hours.  But we are better off, since we are listening not just to the Old Law, but also to the New Law now fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And then we go on to receive the Lord in the Eucharist, having been prepared by listening to the Word of God again. 

Do we respond to both his Word and Sacrament, saying "Amen" in our hearts and with tears of joy like the Jews did?  Do we realize that in the Eucharist and in our lives, like they did for Jesus, the Scriptures are being fulfilled today?