20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

A bit of background to this unusual gospel: Jesus withdrew to a region outside of Israel, where he met a Canaanite woman who pleads for help. At first, he ignores her with the excuse that he was sent “only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the mother persisted. “Lord, help me.” She and Jesus then enter into a colorful dialogue. His harsh response sounds like a put down but her snappy reply prompts Jesus to commend her, “O woman, great is your faith!”

Maybe the words of Isaiah went through his mind. “Observe what is right, do what is just, for my salvation is about to come, my justice about to be revealed.” Those who seek to be God’s people must act justly and do the right thing. Jesus realized that the Lord’s house would be called a house of prayer for all peoples, including this Canaanite woman.

Jesus’ initial attitude toward this woman was a classic example of bigotry and prejudice. The Canaanites were ancient enemies of the Israelites. What has occurred in our country this summer since the untimely death of George Floyd in Minneapolis is a stark reminder that the threads of bigotry, prejudice and racism are still woven into the fabric of our society despite the progress we have made since the days when segregation prevailed in the Deep South.

At birth, we have no choice about our race, ethnicity, or gender. No one is biased at birth. That isn’t in our genes. Racism, prejudice and bigotry are learned and they can be unlearned just as a file can be deleted from a computer

Charles Chaput, a Native American who recently retired as the Archbishop of Philadelphia, once noted, “Racism is a poison of the soul and sadly it is the ugly original sin of our country, an illness that never has fully healed.” Despite the belief we hold that all peoples are created equal, not everyone is treated equally in our country with respect. 

Two weeks ago, I allowed 50 black crosses to be displayed as a sad reminder of that truth. Had any of these young people been Caucasian, I doubt they would have met such a fate. I never expressed support for any protest movement although that is how some parishioners viewed the display. Their negative knee jerk reaction suggests to me that some Christians have yet to honestly live up to the precept God demands of us to love and respect one’s neighbor and view all life as being sacred from birth to natural death.

We have a choice when it comes to treating one another. We can do so civilly or rudely. The manner in which some reacted rudely to the display of crosses with threats to leave the parish did not alter my stance. Those who argue that the church is no place for political issues are sidestepping the real issue, namely, our obligation to treat one another with respect. For me, being political means speaking up for the well being of all peoples. That isn’t the same as politics, which so often fails to do so.

The late Nelson Mandela of South Africa suffered much from the racial tensions that existed there under apartheid. He noted, “ No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

The world will certainly be a better place if everyone kept in mind the greatest commandment: we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. From that commandment springs forth the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

As pope, St. Paul VI often advised, “If you want peace, work for justice.” Peace will only exist when we properly address the injustice and causes of racism. In his recent statement on racism, Archbishop Etienne noted, “The senseless taking of life defies the fundamental principles of justice, every notion of dignity and the fact that all of our lives are connected. As human beings, we are responsible for each other…. We cannot stand by and not respond to incidents of racism and inhuman treatment of our black brothers and sisters, or anyone else.”

The gospel confronts our tendency to cause conflict by promoting exclusiveness rather than inclusivity. We fail to remember that no seats are reserved in heaven for any particular clientele. Isaiah quoted God, “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  If we are hoping to get to God’s house, we must rely on his mercy. Unlike us, God does not discriminate. Instead, God welcomes all who seek his mercy, believe in him, and strive to do his will, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender. God will judge us someday by the content of our character, not the color of our skin. We should with open minds follow Jesus’ example as we journey toward our final judgment.

Meanwhile, faith in Jesus Christ calls us to remove our barriers of prejudice. The fathers at Vatican II noted, “With respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, societal conditions, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” The prophet Micah sums up God’s hope for us in this way, “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”

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