Homily 31st Sunday: The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost

Homily for 31^st Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Wisdom 11:22-12:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 and Luke 19:1-10 

Introduction

One of the accusations levied against Jesus by the Pharisees was that he ate and drank with tax-collectors and sinners (Mt. 9:11).  And this accusation was not entirely without foundation.  If you recall in last Sunday's gospel, Jesus praised the tax-collector rather than the Pharisee.  And in today's gospel he is hanging out with the chief tax-collector, Zacchaeus.  Jesus must have a good reason for behaving in this way.  And the reason is this: "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt. 9: 13); at the top of this list of sinners were the tax-collectors.

Scripture and Theology

Tax-collectors were automatically considered sinners by virtue of their occupation.  This was because they were collecting taxes for the Romans, the foreign occupying power,– much like during the colonial days in this country of taxation without representation. Moreover, many tax-collectors were corrupt, collecting more than was required and keeping the difference for themselves, or simply asking for and taking bribes.  But Zacchaeus was not just a tax-collector; he was a chief tax-collector.  If an ordinary tax-collector was considered a crook, a chief tax-collector was probably twice as crooked, since he was at the top of the corrupt food chain, stealing the most money, receiving the biggest bribes.

And yet, it is to this man's house, that Jesus invites himself saying: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” You can probably imagine the collective gasp of the disciples and the Jewish leaders asking themselves: "What is Jesus doing?  Does he not realize that this man is public and notorious sinner?"  Just imagine today, if your pastor or the bishop were to invite himself for Christmas dinner at the home of a notorious drug dealer, who gets wealthy on a product that destroys the lives of thousands of people; or for Thanksgiving at the home of the local mafia chief, who bleeds small businessmen dry through threats, extortion and murder; or for Easter at the home of the guy who owns several strip clubs on Bourbon Street.  That would be a serious scandal?

But like with everything he does, Jesus intentionally visits Zacchaeus to teach his followers a good lesson: that he has come to seek and save what was lost.  And moreover, in this particular incident, he provides us with a model of reconciliation, showing what the sinner must do to get back into  God's good graces.  This story shows us the three steps needed to achieve reconciliation with God: Contrition, Confession and Penance.

(1) Contrition is being sorry for one's sins and desiring to leave behind a life of sin; that is always the first step towards reconciliation with God.  Zacchaeus is clearly sorry and wishes to leave his life of sin behind.  Like with many people, his contrition does not come about fully developed and perfect; it started from a mere curiosity, to see this great rabbi from Nazareth, about whom he had heard many good things.  In fact his curiosity gets the better of him, so that he throws away all the dignity of a powerful government official and climbs a sycamore tree like a teenage boy looking for mangoes.  This seed of curiosity will grow into full blown contrition and sorrow for his sins, when he meets Jesus.

(2) Confession is the next step in the process of reconciliation.  Confession is naming our sins, not because God needs to hear them, but because we need to hear them and then leave them behind.  Zacchaeus confesses that he has extorted people, perhaps by charging more tax than was required.  In fact, that is why he willing to pay back four times what he extorted; for the law of Moses says: "When someone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for the one ox, and four sheep for the one sheep" (Ex. 21:37).

(3) Penance: this is the third step on the journey of reconciliation.  Penance is concrete act, which demonstrates externally the sorrow and contrition inside us.  The purpose of penance is not only to repair the damage we have caused, but also to give us some practical help to remain on the path of righteousness.  That is why Zacchaeus not only offers to make reparation, by paying back those he has cheated four times what he stole, but also he is ready to give half of his possessions to the poor.  Giving back to those he stole is certainly required by justice.  But why give half of his possessions to the poor?

Remember the story of the rich young man in the gospel?  He asked Jesus what he should do “to gain eternal life” and Jesus’ answer was: “Keep the commandments!”  And when the young man insisted that surely there must be more that he could do, Jesus told him “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  While Jesus wanted this man to put his money where his mouth was, Zacchaeus simply volunteers to do so.  This is his way of showing that he has turned a new leaf in his life; and the first order of business of that new life is almsgiving, a concrete act of charity, in which he shares with the less fortunate.

Fortunately for Zacchaeus his contrition, confession and offer to do penance is not in vain: Jesus reconciles him to God.  Jesus does this in two ways:

First, Jesus invites himself to the house of Zacchaeus.  Even today, sharing a meal with somebody, having someone over at your house, is a sign of friendship and communion.  By inviting himself to the house of Zacchaeus, entering under his roof and breaking bread with him Jesus is welcoming him back into communion.  Zacchaeus realizes that he has just been forgiven and that is why he quickly comes down from the tree and receives Jesus at his house. 

An even better of reconciliation are the magic words of absolution that Jesus says: “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham."  Zacchaeus is now back in the good graces of God.

Christian Life

Like Zacchaeus, you and I are also sinners.  Like Zacchaeus, the Lord invites himself to enter under our roof and be in communion with us.  Can we learn something from the example of Zacchaeus to get rid of our sinful life?

Like Zacchaeus we start by responding to God's grace, which coming to us in many different ways, moves us to regret our sin and wish to leave it behind.  Perhaps we hear a homily that convicts us, or a friend says something to us about our behaviour, or we just come to a point and say, "I must stop this."

This sorrow for our sins then leads us to confession, where we name our sins framing in our own words, the kinds of things that offend God and our neighbour and we admit that we have done them.

The priest then gives us a penance to do, sometimes a prayer to say, or a bible passage to read, or an action to perform like an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbour, self-denial and sacrifices.  These penances are not primarily meant to be punishment, since there is no punishment adequate to offending God, except eternal death itself.  But these penances, like they did for Zacchaeus serve the purpose of repairing the damage we have done as well as the purpose of keeping us on the straight and narrow path of righteousness.

At the end of this process, the priest says to us: "I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  And like Zacchaeus we are allowed back into communion with God.

Conclusion

But these words are not said just to you and me; they are said to many others, even the worst sinners.  For as Jesus says to them also:  “Today salvation has come to this house because this man [this woman] too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Homilia de Domingo 30 Año C 2016: Humildad en el templo y fuera del templo,

Homilía para Domingo 30 de TO Año C 2016

Eclesiástico (Sirácide) 35, 12-17. 20-22; 2 Tm 4, 6-8. 16-18; Lc 18, 9-14

Introducción

"Todo el que se enaltece será humillado, y el que se humilla será enaltecido." Jesús concluye la parábola de hoy con estas palabras, palabras que también había dicho antes en el mismo Evangelio, cuando hablaba cómo sentarse en un banquete. Al repetir estas palabras, parece que Jesús quiere que sus discípulos se pongan realmente el mensaje de evitar el orgullo y en su lugar adoptar la humildad.

Escritura y Teología

Y así Jesús explica este punto de la parábola, invirtiendo las expectativas del santo y del pecador. En la parábola, el piadoso fariseo es el hombre malo, mientras que el publicano obviamente un pecador es el héroe de la historia, que se fue a su casa justificado, es decir, teniendo una relación correcta con Dios.

Para entender esta parábola, debemos darnos cuenta de que aquel tiempo, el fariseo era la típica persona buena, honorable y ejemplar.

• Los fariseos eran conocidos por ser gente santa, porque observaban la ley de Moisés de forma muy estricta. Cuando este fariseo particula, dijo: "Yo no soy como los demás hombres: ladrones, injustos y adúlteros," decía la verdad.
•  Incluso, él pagaba el diezmo de todos sus ingresos al templo, otro signo de fidelidad.
•  Sobre todo este fariseo hacía un esfuerzo adicional, ayunaba dos veces por semana, y no sólo unas pocas veces al año, como fue requerido.

Sin duda, el fariseo era un buen hombre.

El publicano por el contrario era un personaje bastante desagradable.

• No lo hizo ayuno, ni dar un diezmo de su dinero para el templo.
•  Por el contrario, fue el recaudador de impuestos; pocas personas aman el recaudador de impuestos, y mucho menos los recaudadores que recogen dinero para un gobierno extranjero como los Romanos!
• Además, muchos publicanos eran deshonestos, cobrando más de lo que se necesitaba, con la diferencia por sí mismos, y también aceptaban sobornos.

Sin equívoco, el publicano era un hombre malo.

¿Por qué entonces Jesús cambia las cosas al revés, alabando al publicano y no el fariseo, soportando el pecador para la imitación y no el santo?

Lucas da una pista al principio del pasaje, cuando dice: "Jesús dijo esta parábola sobre algunos que se tenían por justos y despreciaban a los demás.”

• Jesús no culpa del fariseo por su virtud, sino por su orgullo. El fariseo pensaba que la salvación vino de la mera observación de la ley, en lugar de tener una relación con Dios. Es por eso que cuando vino a orar, recuerda a Dios acerca de su propia santidad, por si acaso Dios no había podido notar sus buenas obras! Él dice: "Dios, tu debes estar profundamente agradecido de que tienes alguien como yo (y no hay muchos de nosotros), alguien que es tan fiel en el seguimiento de los mandamientos." Este orgullo, Jesús condena.
•  Por otro lado, Jesús no alaba el publicano por su vida pecaminosa, pero por su humildad en la conversión. Al darse cuenta de su pecado, este hombre vino a Dios en completa humildad. Cuando vino a orar, se puso de pie a cierta distancia, y ni siquiera a levantar los ojos al cielo. Más bien, se golpeaba el pecho llorando: "Dios mío, apiádate de mí, que soy un pecador."  Él era muy consciente de su pecado; era consciente de que sin Dios no es nada; que realmente necesitaba a Dios en su vida. Es por eso que se acerca a Dios pidiendo por él para restablecer su relación perdonándole.

Y así, la razón por que el publicano debe ser admirado más que el fariseo es, "Todo el que se enaltece será humillado, y el que se humilla será enaltecido."

La vida cristiana

Es claro entonces que la humildad más bien que de orgullo es el camino del cristiano. Afortunadamente, la Iglesia ha tratado de promover la humildad, tanto dentro del nuestro templo como fuera.

Para nosotros los cristianos, nuestro templo es nuestro culto y la liturgia, que sigue el tipo de oración del publicano y no del fariseo.

• Es por eso que empezamos la misa con el rito penitencial, en el que no sólo confesamos que somos pecadores, pero también pidamos a Dios por misericordia. De hecho, en la oración "Yo confieso", imitamos el publicano al golpear nuestro pecho tres veces diciendo: "por mi culpa, por mi culpa, por mi gran culpa."
•  Más adelante, en la misa, justo antes de recibir la comunión, de nuevo admitimos nuestra indignidad diciendo: "Señor, no soy digno de que entres en mi casa, pero una palabra tuya bastará para sanarme."
•  También existe la famosa Oración de Jesús, que se utiliza sobre todo en el cristianismo oriental que dice: "Señor Jesucristo, Hijo de Dios, ten misericordia de mí, pecador." Esta oración se dice varias veces para resaltar una y otra vez nuestra indignidad esencial antes de Dios.

Pero nuestra humildad debe ir más allá de las palabras de nuestra oración. Por eso, la Iglesia también promueve la humildad fuera del templo, en nuestra vida diaria.  Es por ello que la enseñanza social católica da preferencia a los humildes y pobres. Como hemos escuchado en el salmo responsorial, "El Señor no está lejos de sus fieles y levanta a las almas abatidas.”  El Señor escucha el grito de los pobres.

¿Quiénes son estos pobres del Señor, cuyo grito oye, cuyo grito debemos escuchar? Estos son los no nacidos y los niños, los enfermos y los ancianos, los deprimidos y los suicidios, los hambrientos y los sedientos, los sin techo y los extranjeros, los prisioneros y los condenados, los oprimidos y los cautivos, los refugiados y los inmigrantes, las viudas y los huérfanos, y por supuesto los pecadores. No es de extrañar que en el documento de los obispos para formar las conciencias de los católicos para la elección, estos son algunos de los temas que los obispos presenten a nuestra consideración. Como el Señor escucha el grito de todos los pobres, de los no nacidos a los moribundos y todo en el medio, también mostramos nuestra humildad cuando hacemos el mismo.

Conclusión

Por último, esta doble propuesta de la Iglesia para vivir la humildad, en la oración humilde y en el alcance a los humildes, debemos traducir en nuestra vida personal.

• Y así, cuando cada uno de nosotros venimos al templo, oramos con la humildad del publicano, poniéndonos ante la misericordia de Dios? Una forma particular de hacerlo es ir a confesarse al menos una vez al año, el requisito mínimo de la Iglesia. Porque en la confesión, examinamos nuestras conciencias, para ver la salud de nuestra relación con Dios y el prójimo.  Y cuando buscamos de lo que carece de alguna manera, nos acercamos a Dios a quien el sacerdote representa y decimos las palabras del publicano: "Dios mío, apiádate de mí, que soy un pecador.”  Por eso, cuando se le preguntó Papa Francisco quién era, él dijo, "esencialmente soy un pecador."
• Aún más importante es nuestra actitud fuera del templo, en nuestra vida diaria. Oímos el grito de los pobres, cualquier clase que sean, o como el fariseo despreciamos ellos? Nuestra humildad debe expresarse no sólo delante al Señor, porque él es Dios, sino también ante nuestros hermanos y hermanas. Porque el que se enaltece (ante Dios y ante sus prójimos) será humillado, y el que se humilla (ante Dios y ante sus prójimos), será enaltecido."

Homily 30th Ordinary Sunday: Be merciful to me O Lord, I am a sinful man!

Homily for 30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Sirach 35:12-14, 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18 and Luke 18:9-14

Introduction

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."  Jesus concludes today's parable with these words, words he had also said earlier in the same gospel, when speaking about how to seat oneself at a banquet.  By repeating these words, it seems like Jesus wants his disciples to really get the message about avoiding pride and instead adopting humility.

Scripture and Theology

And so Jesus makes this point in the parable, by reversing the roles and expectations of saint and sinner. The apparently saintly Pharisee comes off badly, while the obviously sinful tax-collector is the hero of the story, who went home justified, in other words, having a right relationship with God.

To understand this parable, we must realize that at the time of Jesus, the Pharisee was the stereotype of a good, honourable and exemplary person.

·        Pharisees were known to be holy people, because they observed the Law of Moses very strictly.  When this particular Pharisee said: “I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous,” that was really true.

·        He even paid tithes, that is, 10% on all his income, to the temple, another sign of fidelity.

·        To top it off, this Pharisee even went the extra mile, fasting twice a week, when he was required to fast perhaps only a couple of times a year.

Hands down, the Pharisee was a good man, a boy scout, as we might say today.

The tax-collector on the other hand is quite a disagreeable character.

·        He didn't fast at all, nor did he give 10% of his money to the temple.

·        On the contrary, he was collecting taxes; few people like tax-collectors, much less those collecting money for a foreign power like the Romans!

·        Besides, many tax-collectors were dishonest, charging more than was required, pocketing the difference for themselves, and taking bribes.

Make no mistake about it; the tax-collector was a bad man.

Why then does Jesus turn things upside down, praising the tax-collector and not the Pharisee, holding up the sinner for imitation and not the saint?

Luke gives a clue at the beginning of the passage, when he says: "Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else."

·        Jesus does not fault the Pharisee for his virtue, but for his pride.  The Pharisee thought that salvation came from merely observing the law rather than from having a relationship with God.  That is why when he came to pray, he came to remind God about his own holiness, just in case God had failed to notice his good deeds!  “God, you should be deeply grateful that you have someone like me (and there are not many of us), someone who is so faithful in following your commands,” he says!  It is that pride and self-conceitedness that Jesus condemns.

·        On the other hand, Jesus does not praise the tax-collector for his sinful life, but for his humility in conversion.  On realizing his sin, this man came to God in complete humility.  When he came to pray, he stood off at a distance, and would not even raise his eyes to heaven.  Rather, he beat his breast praying: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  He was keenly aware of his sinfulness; he was aware that without God he is nothing; he really needed God in his life.  That is why he comes to God begging for him to re-establish their relationship by forgiving him.

And so, the reason the repentant tax-collector is to be admired more than the righteous Pharisee is because, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Christian Life

Clearly then humility rather than pride is the way of the Christian.  Fortunately the Church has tried to promote humility both inside and outside our temple.

For us Christians, our temple is our worship and liturgy, which tries to promote the kind of prayer of the tax-collector, rather than that of the Pharisee. 

·        That is why we begin mass with the penitential rite, in which we not only confess that we are sinners, but we also ask God for mercy.  In fact, in the “I confess”, we imitate the tax-collector by beating our chest three times saying, "through my fault, through my fault, though my most grievous fault."

·        Later in the Mass, just before we receive communion, again we admit our unworthiness saying: "Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."

·        There is also the famous Jesus Prayer, used mostly in Eastern Christianity which says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  This prayer is said repeatedly to highlight over and over again our essential unworthiness before God.

But our humility must go beyond words of our prayer.  That is why the Church also promotes humility outside the temple, in our day to day life.  That is why Catholic Social teaching gives a preference to the humble and lowly.  As we heard in the Responsorial Psalm, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.  The Lord hears the cry of the poor."

Who are these poor of the Lord, whose cry he hears, whose cry we must hear?  These are the unborn and children, the sick and the elderly, the depressed and the suicidal, the hungry and thirsty, the homeless and the stranger, the prisoner and the condemned, the oppressed and the captive, the refugee and the immigrant, the widow and the orphan, and of course the sinner.  It is no wonder that the bishops' document forming the consciences of Catholics for the election, presents these issues for our consideration. We are asked to show our humility by hearing the cry of the poor, from the unborn to the dying and all in between.

Conclusion

Finally, this twofold approach of the Church, of humble prayer and outreach to the lowly, we must translate into our own personal lives.

·        And so, when we each come to the temple, do we pray with the humility of the tax-collector, placing ourselves before God's mercy?  One particular way to do this is to go to confession at least once a year, the minimum requirement of the Church.  For in confession, we examine our consciences, check the health of our relationship with God and our neighbour, and on finding it lacking in some way, we come to God whom the priest represents and paraphrasing the words of the tax-collector we say: "Forgive me Father for I have sinned."  That is why when Pope Francis was asked who he was, he said, “essentially I am a sinner.”

·        Even more important is our attitude outside the temple, in our daily lives.  Do we hear the cry of the poor around us, whatever kind they might be, or do we, like the Pharisee look down upon them with contempt?  Our humility must be expressed not only before the Lord, because he is God, but also before our fellow man.  For whoever exalts himself (before God and before his fellow man) will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself (before God and before his fellow man) will be exalted.”

Homily Ordinary 29 Year C: Pray and pray persistently

Homily for 29^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Exodus 17:8-13, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 and Luke 18:1-8

Introduction

Today's gospel story is one of those rare occasions when Jesus not only tells a parable, but he also clearly states its meaning.  It is like giving someone a  crossword puzzle already filled, or a test with the answers side by side or a riddle with the key to it.

To introduce the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, Luke says: "Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary."  In other words, the message of this parable is about prayer and persistence in prayer.

Scripture and Theology

But despite the prior announcement of its meaning, this parable presents a small problem.  It appears that Jesus is comparing or even equating God to the unjust judge, a corrupt, merciless, irreligious man, one who grants justice to the widow only out of sheer exhaustion from her persistence.  In his own words, the judge says: "I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.”  Is that the kind of God that Jesus Christ is revealing to us?

And yet if we reflect further on this parable, we realize that Jesus is NOT equating God to this unjust judge; he is contrasting him against the judge.  Any woman in the audience, on hearing this parable, would have understood immediately the desperation of the widow, in the unjust judicial system of the time.  More importantly, they would have understood the persistence needed to receive any justice.  The point of Jesus therefore is this: if a totally corrupt person who cares neither for God nor man can be made to yield to the pestering of a totally defenceless widow, a penniless widow with no money to offer a bribe, how much more will a loving and caring God take care of his children?

Just in case men might feel left out, seven chapters earlier in chapter 11 of Luke's gospel, Jesus had made the same point in another parable geared to men.  You might remember the parable about the friend who knocks at the door at midnight, asking for bread for an unexpected guest from a reluctant, sleepy neighbour (Lk. 11:5-8).  In that case too, Jesus says "I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence."   In this case too Jesus contrasts the behaviour of God against the behaviour of this friend, who acts not out of friendship but merely to stop his friend from nagging him.

And Jesus concluded that parable by comparing God to a decent, caring parent (Lk. 11:9-13). Would such a parent give a child a snake when he asked for a fish?  Would a parent give a scorpion to a child who asked for an egg? If such parents who are only weak and wicked human beings give their children what they need, how much more will a loving God see to the needs of his children? 

And so in all three examples, the unjust judge, the reluctant friend or even the caring parent, are given as examples not of what God does, but as poor imitations of the great things that God can actually do, when we pray to him.

Christian Life

That is why prayer is an integral part of the Christian life.

1. We pray together as a parish community every Sunday and on many other occasions.

2. We also pray together in small groups like the Legion of Mary, the "Come Lord Jesus" group and other devotional groups.

3. But we must also pray privately, lifting up our minds and hearts, our thoughts and feelings to God.

As the saying goes, "the family that prays together stays together."  This is the family that prays at meals, or prays the rosary or prays morning prayer or night prayer.  We each must pray and we must pray constantly.

The disciples of Jesus were very much aware of this need and of their unworthiness that they ask the Lord: "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John the Baptist taught his disciples."  The Lord responded to their request and taught them a model prayer, what we know as the Lord's prayer.  This prayer models for us all prayer, so that we must pray not only for what we want, but what God wants, like "May his will be done, may his kingdom come."  It is also a prayer that stakes our requests on our own willingness to grant others the same favours we ask, like when we ask God to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Perhaps some of us today want to ask Jesus: "Jesus, You have told us to pray and to pray constantly, but we do not know how to pray; Lord, teach us to pray just as you taught your disciples."  There is a program at St. Anthony's Church in New Orleans that does exactly that.  You can find more information at their website, whose title is rather imaginatively called www.lordteachmetopray.com.  And like Jesus, they offer programs for men and for women.  Would you perhaps consider contacting them or some other way, to learn a little more how to pray and how to pray constantly?

Perhaps some of us might say, this teaching about prayer and persistence in prayer sounds all beautiful.  But I pray every day and don't receive what I ask for. 

1. This could be prayer for healing for ourselves or for a loved one.

2. Or we are praying that our son or daughter return to Church.

3. Or especially in these difficult times we are praying for a job for ourselves or for someone else.

We pray and we pray, but we do not get what we ask for.  Is that because God is acting like the unjust judge and refusing to grant our prayer, and even worse refusing to do so despite our persistence?

We don't know exactly why God decides to grant some prayers, while he defers the granting of others, and some he does not grant at all.  But again how can any of us human beings know, while we are still on this side of heaven, how God works, how he thinks, what his plans are?  We only have an inkling into who God is, through that small window that Jesus has opened for us.

But we can trust that God, like any good parent, grants only what we need and not necessarily what from our limited human perspective we want.  We must have faith that when we meet God, he will fully and clearly reveal his plan for us and for the world.  That is probably why Jesus concludes the parable of today's gospel with the question: "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” He is asking that we have faith in God, not only when we are asking for favours, but also as we wait for them to be granted.

Conclusion

One final thought.  We have seen that in this parable, God is not the unjust judge, but one who would act far better than that.  Who then is that unjust judge?

What if we are the unfair judge and God is the widow? We, like the judge, are basically unjust, sometimes have no fear of God, often no fear of man.  Like the judge we persist in refusing to listen to the cries of the poor all around us.

But God is the persistent widow who will not go away. God keeps badgering us, refusing to accept as final our 'No' to loving him and loving our neighbour.

And so now, not only must we pray and must we pray persistently, we must also hold out the hope that God too will be persistent in pestering us until we render a just judgement against the adversary, that is, until we choose to always love him and to always love our neighbour.

Homily 27th Ordinary Year C 2016: Lord I am not worthy . . . but only say the Word

Homily for 27^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Habakuk 1:2-3;2:2-4, 2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14 and Luke 17:5-10

Introduction

The 9^th grade was not a good year for me.  I did not do well in school; I dropped from the top quarter down to the bottom quarter in my performance.  And so my mother and our pastor sat me down for a “Come to Jesus” meeting; that is an experience I never wanted to repeat.  So when I returned to school I was determined to do well.  And my new attitude paid off, so that at the end of the year, I came top of my class.  When I returned home and showed my report card to my mom, she was very pleased with my efforts and rewarded me handsomely with my first brand new pair of shoes and a small party.

Encouraged by my reward I returned to school the next year, eager to do even better.  And do well I did.  When I returned home with an even better report card, I expected the same royal treatment that I had received the previous year.  But to my great disappointment, this time round, there was no party, no new shoes.

Perhaps this was my mother's way of saying to me what Jesus says to the disciples in today's gospel: “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Scripture and Theology

Like I found my mother's second response disappointing, perhaps we might find these words of Jesus rather harsh.  Is he suggesting that employers don't thank their employees, the oppress them?  Thankfully Jesus is speaking here, not about relations between human beings, but between human beings and God.

After all, that is how Jesus himself relates to God the Father.

• Jesus says that the Father is greater than him (Jn. 14:28). 
• Jesus always does the will of the Father who sent him (Jn. 6:38).
• And at Calvary Jesus cries out in humility: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Lk. 22:42).
• Finally, just before he dies, Jesus obeys the will of the Father saying, “Into your hands I commend my Spirit.” (Lk. 23:46).

And so, if Jesus himself relates to the Father in this self-deprecating way, it is no wonder then that he expects his followers to do the same.  He expects complete obedience to God, who is like the Master and we the disciples like the servants.

But Jesus is not suggesting that God is dictatorial and oppressive, and that we must be blindly obedient and subservient!

·        In all the parables a master and servants, the masters are always kind and fair.  Yes, they are demanding, even strict, but they are never tyrants.  Their high expectations of the servants are matched by the equally generous love and patience which they shower on them.

·        Similarly in the same parables, the servants are not mere robots. They are free agents of their actions.  They choose whether or not to follow the master’s directives.  Of course when they don't, they face just consequences.  The servants, like Jesus himself, have a close and intimate relationship with their masters.

Christian Life

With today's parable and with all the parables about masters and servants Jesus is proposing a way of relating with God that avoid two extremes: the extreme of fear and the extreme of familiarity.

On the one hand a Christian who acts like the robotic servant does so, not out of love and obedience, but merely out of fear and obligation.

• This way of relating with God reminds me of Sheldon in the TV show, The Big Bang Theory.  If you have watched this show, you will recall that Sheldon does not like receiving gifts at birthdays or Christmas.  He is worried that accepting a gift from someone puts him under an obligation to reciprocate.  On one occasion when Penny gives him a gift, he realizes that his own gift to her was worth $13 dollars less than the value of the gift she gave him.  So, he gives her $13 dollars to even things out.
• Unfortunately we can have the same attitude, when for example, we come to Mass, out of mere obligation, rather than because we love God.  The reason for coming to Mass should be, as the saying goes, "on the road between the houses of friends, grass does not grow."  And so we visit the Lord's house regularly, to commune with him in his Word and Sacrament.
• Every now and then, I will see a Facebook posting, asking me to repost something, like a particular image of the Blessed Mother, within 24 hours, otherwise something bad will happen.  This is another example of relating to God out of fear rather than out of love.  Yes, God has some high expectations of Christian behaviour.  But like a good parent, he does not dish out his benefits only after having us jump through hoops or counting how many times we have punched the time card.

The God of Jesus Christ is not the kind of master who demands a pound of flesh.

On the other hand, the other extreme is when we relate to God in such a familiar manner, that we forget he is the Master and we are the servants.

• This is when, for example, we think we can do it all without God's help. We think that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, without any help from God.  But Jesus reminds us that we are unprofitable servants, not in the sense that we have no part to play in our relationship with God, but in the sense that the part we play is not decisive by itself, but always relies on the help of God.
• This wrong way of relating with God also happens when because of our familiarity with him we expect him to put on the apron, sit us at table and wait on us.  This can happen when in our prayer we expect God to do our bidding, demanding that he must do this or that for us, after all we have done well in school, we have come back with a good report card.  We expect that because of our goodness, God owes us a big party or a new pair of shoes.  We must remember that we are creatures, we are servants of God, God owes us absolutely nothing.  What he gives us, especially our salvation, he gives us because he loves us, not because we twist his arm or we bribe him with our awesomeness.  We have to be good and to do good, for goodness' sake, simply because we love our God.
• Consider a married couple.  Does the husband whip out the calculator or note pad at the end of the week and count how many times he has been good to his wife, so that he can demand that she can reciprocate in equal measure?  No.  Each husband gives himself completely to his wife in love and friendship.

So must it be with us in our relationship with God: complete trust and faith, total love and commitment, without counting the cost, without any expectations.

Conclusion

In his famous inauguration speech President Kennedy told Americans to ask, not what their country can do for them, but what they can do for their country.  If I may slightly modify Kennedy's advice, I would say that it is perfectly okay for you and me, to ask God what he can do for us, as we also ask what we can do for him.  But when we ask God, let us not expect that he is going to grant our wishes in exact proportion to what we have done for him.

For we are unprofitable servants, who say: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the Word, and my soul shall be healed."

Homily 25th Sunday Year C: Wise, trustworthy, detached stewardship

Homily for 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Amos 8:4-7; 1Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13

Introduction

It might surprise us, it should shock us, that the hero of today’s gospel parable is the thieving, lying and conniving steward.  How can that be?  Surely Jesus could not possibly condone theft, lies and dishonesty!

Thankfully, the meaning of this parable can be found at the end of the gospel story, in the three conclusions about stewardship that Jesus makes.

Scripture and Theology

The first conclusion is about wise stewardship.  He says: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  With these words, Jesus commends the steward, not for his theft and lies, but for his decision to use his position to secure his future; faced with a crisis of losing his job, the steward employed the tools at his disposal, his ability to treat his master’s debtors kindly, and so secure friends.

Jesus is hereby urging his disciples to be equally enterprising in their use of the world's goods for a much loftier goal than earthly happiness – they should use their wisdom and cunning to establish the Kingdom of God and to secure their place in it.  Like the steward and even business people today use ingenuity to secure a passing advantage, the followers of Jesus must be ingenuous in how they use material resources, so as to secure a lasting advantage with God.   In short, Christians must exercise wisdom in our stewardship of material goods.

Besides ingenuity, in the second conclusion Jesus calls for trustworthiness in our stewardship.  He says: “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?”  It is exactly the lack of trustworthiness that landed the steward in trouble in the first place: he was squandering his master’s goods.  And it might be argued that lowering the amounts of the master’s debtors is another example of being untrustworthy.  But according to Bible Scholars, it is likely that the amounts by which the steward lowered the debts were simply his commission and not the master’s principal amount.  That is why the Master on learning this does not further condemn the steward but rather commends him for his prudence.

Similarly we Christians are stewards of what God has given us. We do not own it. In the kingdom, rewards will be given to those who demonstrate faithfulness in their earthly stewardship, using well what they had been given; that in fact is the very definition of a steward, one who takes care of another's property, like a supervisor of an apartment complex or a nanny of children, or an executor of a will.  Earthly things are basically dishonest wealth in the sense that they pale in value when compared to heavenly things.  That is why Jesus is adamant that unless we make good use of something that does not really have much value, we cannot hope to be given that which is really valuable, namely, eternal life.  Our trustworthy use of material things is a kind of dress rehearsal of our appreciation for the real gift of life with God.

Besides exercising wisdom and trustworthiness in our stewardship, in the third conclusion Jesus calls for detachment.  He says: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon."  This statement calls for the kind of letting go that the steward exercised when he gave up his commission, by lowering the debts of his master’s debtors.  He let go of one thing – his cut – so that he could secure another – his future.

Similarly for Christians, Jesus teaches that there is a fundamental incompatibility between serving God fully and being a slave to material things. Using material things is one thing, being a slave to them is another.  In our wise and trustworthy use of material goods, we must see them only as instruments or means to a greater end, see them as servants and not as our masters.  To be completely dependent upon wealth is opposed to the vision of Jesus who taught complete dependence on the Father as one of the characteristics of the Christian disciple.

Christian Life

And so Jesus does not condemn earthly riches and money in themselves; he only condemns their abuse and misuse.  For example, many of us have smartphones, which are very useful in communicating with each other, even seeing the video of people who are so far away, like some you do with your grandchildren or I do with my mother who is all the way back in Africa – smartphones are essentially good things.  But we can also misuse these good things, like when we use them to play games or send text message while at table or in company or worse still, when driving, and God forbid, in Church.

Like we don't stop using smartphones because they can be abused, Jesus too does not throw the baby out with the bath water, when it comes to material goods.  Rather, he encourages the wise, trustworthy and detached use of material goods, for building the Kingdom of God, something most us already do.

We do use material things wisely, trustworthily and detachedly when we work hard to feed our families, send our kids to school, and even give them a treat or a holiday every now and then.  This use of material things is certainly a sign of taking seriously our responsibility as Christian parents, and thus preparing the way for us and our children for the Kingdom.

We use money wisely, trustworthily and detachedly when we faithfully pay our fair taxes for the good of our society, when we contribute to other community causes, and take care of the needy. Using our resources for the benefit of the community and especially the hungry and thirsty, the sick and imprisoned, the stranger and the naked, is certainly a way to secure our entrance into heaven, as Jesus promises in the parable of the Last Judgement.

We use our money wisely, trustworthily and detachedly when we give to the Church, both local and missionary, for the work of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There can be no surer way to secure the Kingdom of God and our membership in it, than by making sure that Kingdom becomes a reality in the first place.

Conclusion

During our working lives we set aside some money in investments and 401ks, to ensure that we shall have a pension or social security to care for our needs when we retire.  Similarly during our earthly lives, we should use what we have wisely, to ensure that at the end of this earthly life, we shall have an everlasting pension.

A story is told of a young girl who earned some money, helping around the house with various chores.  She then went to the dollar store and found some fake jewellery, which she really liked, because she had bought it with her very own money.  She used to wear that necklace all the time; to church and to school, to visit friends and even to bed.

Now one night, several months after she had bought her fake pearls, just before he read her a bedtime story, the dad asked her to give him the necklace as a sign of her love for him.  She said: "No daddy, not the necklace.  Perhaps you can take the Barbie."

The next night he asked her again, but she still said no.

On the third night when he came into her room, she was already seated on the side of the bed, with the necklace in her hands.  She told him: “Daddy, I have been thinking.  I love you so much.  Please take the necklace.”

The dad was so touched and broke down in tears.  And then he did what he had been planning all along; he took a necklace with real pearls from his pocket and gave it to her in exchange for the fake one.

Are we using wisely, trustworthily and detachedly what we have here, in exchange for something even better on the side?

Homily 24th Sunday Year C: We have a Loving Father

Homily for 24^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Exodus 32:7-11,13-14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32

Introduction

Six months ago, during the Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we read the same gospel that we have just heard, the three parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son.

·        During Lent this gospel was given to encourage us on our penitential journey, assuring us that our penance and conversion would be rewarded with God’s forgiveness and pardon.

·        The same gospel is now proposed for us, to remind us of God’s mercy. 

·        During Lent, these parables inspired us to sing the popular hymn "Amazing Grace" and say "I once was lost, but now I am found."

·        Today, these same parable might inspire us to sing another hymn, which says: "There's a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea; there's a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty."

Scripture and Theology

And so, we can reflect on the wideness God's mercy in two ways: first there is the mercy of forgiveness and second the mercy of concern.

Do you remember when as a teenager perhaps you stayed out late at night past the curfew your parents had set for you?  Perhaps you came home terrified at the punishment you would receive.  But when you arrived home, not only did your parents forgive you, they had stayed up late waiting for you, after calling all your friends' parents, concerned about your safety and welfare.

The gospel also shows us that God is merciful, not only because he forgives the sinner, but also because he cares about the sinner's welfare.  And Jesus teaches the message by telling three parables, because each parable speaks to a different audience about who God is.

The first parable of the Good Shepherd or the Lost Sheep was particularly suited to men who were shepherds.  They would understand immediately what looking for a lost sheep entailed: walking for many miles under the blazing sun in very dry conditions; slipping and sliding down on rocks; stumbling upon wild animals or ruthless rustlers.  And so when they heard Jesus suggest that God is this relentless shepherd, going to such great lengths to save a lost sheep, they understood the tremendous love God has for sinners and the lengths to which he goes to secure the sinner’s return.

The second parable of the Responsible Housewife or Lost Coin was most suited to women who at that time controlled the household check-book.  Every woman in the crowd would at once understand the desperation at the loss of the coin and the energy needed to find it.  Every woman in the audience would know how she would have to tear the house apart in a frantic search for the coin, which might mean the difference between the family having food for the day and going to bed hungry.  Hearing that God is like this woman, who goes to all these lengths to find a lost coin, they understood the tremendous love that God has for sinners and the lengths he goes to reclaim a sinner.

We are probably most familiar with the third parable, commonly called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, because it speaks to the children.  But a more accurate title should be, the Parable of the Loving Father.  You see, the father in that parable was loving, not just to the younger son, but to the older son as well.

·        We heard that "While he [the younger son] was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him."  Like the parent who waits up at night for the wayward teenager to return home, the father in the parable, and God our Father is anxiously waiting for the sinner to return to him.  Even better, when the son returned, the Father decked him out in the finest clothing and jewellery and ordered a festival in his honour with the fattened calf as the main entré.

·        As for the older son, the one who refused to come in and join the feast, we heard that the father went out there to seek him and plead with him, because this son too was lost, he was filled with envy and perhaps a little anger at his father.  That is why the Father tells him: "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours."

And so, the message of all three parables is this: God the Father that Jesus has come to reveal does not only forgive sinners who come back to him; he is also anxiously waiting for their return and often goes out to seek them.  The Pharisees and scribes especially needed to hear this message, because as we heard at the beginning of the gospel, they were complaining that Jesus was spending way too much time with tax collectors and sinners.  They said: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Christian Life

We too need to hear this message, not only for ourselves but for others.  That is why since he became pope, Pope Francis has made God's mercy a central plank of his teaching.  He continues to teach us that yes, like any good parent, our God is demanding; he wants us to obey his laws.  But again like any good parent he knows that sometimes we fail.  And if we return to him in sorrow and contrition, especially when we want to renew our lives, he will gladly have us back.

One of the ways the Pope has propagated this message is by calling this Jubilee Year of Mercy, whose many activities should help us experience God's mercy.  One of these activities is confession.  Pope Francis has invited us to go confession more frequently and share in God's mercy.  Here in New Orleans, our Archbishop has asked parishes and priests to provide confession throughout the Archdiocese always, but in a special way this coming Wednesday, the Feast of the Holy Cross.  We all need to experience this mercy of God, so that we can then go and share it with others.

Conclusion

Let us not let this Jubilee Year of Mercy go by without leaving an impact on us.  May our reflection on these parables and our own participation in confession, help us to realize more and more of God's mercy.

When at last we return to God, we shall experience the fullness of his mercy, when he will say to us: “Let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine, this daughter of mine, was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.”