Homilies

In the collect moments ago, we prayed, “Grant us, O Lord, we pray that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule.” For many people in harm’s way, that is their pressing need as we witness the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces this past week, not knowing what lies ahead for Europe or our country. But if peace is ever to be real in our world, we need to heed the wisdom that our Lord shares with us. Today’s readings offer us plenty to ponder.

Luke tells us, “Jesus told his disciples a parable.” Actually he delivered four pithy statements on how to behave. His lesson reads like a disconnected series of sayings, an example of the Jewish method of preaching known as charaz, which means stringing beads. To maintain the interest of his listeners, a rabbi would move quickly from one topic to another. At a glance they may appear to be disconnected but in fact, they are not. Each snippet here challenges how we should relate to others.

Jesus is pointing out the importance of seeing what is right. We cannot guide those unable to see what is right if our own vision is unclear. If we are not using Christian values to guide us, influence our decisions, and shape our lives, how can we expect others to do so? If we do not see the world with the eyes of Christ, we risk falling into the pit that Jesus is speaking of here.

If we accept those values of our secular world that are contrary to the teachings of Christ and our Church, we are allowing the blind to lead us when Jesus is expecting us to use our vision of the Good News to lead the blind. No Christian can view the world only through the eyes of non-believers and remain centered on Christ. By virtue of our baptism, we are followers of Christ but in practice are we consciously following him?

The best way to remember who we are is to keep our eyes focused on the one in whose image we are made, not some politician or contemporary star who will someday be a distant memory but on Jesus Christ who seeks to usher us into eternal life in his kingdom, where death will lose its sting. Watching what he sees, listening when he speaks, studying how he acts enables us to stay on the right path toward eternal life and guide others in that direction as well.

Practically speaking, this means we should speak out against evil and injustice even if that means being scorned by our friends, just as Jesus was. We must speak out against war, prejudice, exploitation, and the destruction of our planet. If we are to survive, we cannot let those blind to the teachings of Jesus lead us.

We find ourselves being suckered by others into being unjust when we condone cruel and inhumane acts, such as abortion, euthanasia or capital punishment or being biased when we discriminate against certain peoples, such as migrants seeking a safe haven, or tolerate sweat shops in distant lands so we can buy cheap clothes. Or having little regard for our planet by being careless with its resources.

It is so easy to be misled, which is why in his next line, Jesus cautions us against those who gossip, fueled by the need to be critical. “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?” According to the Talmud, “The gossiping tongue kills three, the victim of the gossip, the gossiper, and the one who listens to the gossiper.”

Jesus was quite serious when he said, “You hypocrite!” First deal with your own faults! “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” When we are irritated by what others are doing, we should step back and ponder what we might be doing that is irritating to them.

His concluding bit of wisdom is also based on lived experience. “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit.” We wouldn’t expect to find figs on thorny bushes or gather grapes from brambles. The final point Jesus is making is that they will know we are Christians by our love. Good people do not deliberately do evil deeds.

Actions speak louder than words. Saying that we believe in Jesus Christ but then choosing to ignore his pearls of wisdom isn’t going to save us in the end. Jesus used figurative language of splinters and beams, figs and grapes, thorn bushes and brambles to tell us that true disciples must practice what they preach; they must give evidence that they are striving to follow his example. It is not enough for us to believe that God loves us or that Jesus died on the cross to save us. Jesus is asking us, “Does your behavior reflect God’s love for you and your love for God?”

Soon we begin our Lenten journey. Ashes will be placed on our foreheads, with the warning, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” Do this and no one will have any reason to shout, “You hypocrite!” We imitate Christ when we follow his example and not that of the irreligious world in which we live. Endeavor to turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel. Do this and we will never forget that we are made in the image of God and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, empowered to resist evil and do our part to bring peace to our wounded world. Lent is a time to look into ourselves and ponder our efforts and see if indeed our actions and words demonstrate whom we claim to be.

Sometime after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a friend in Kentucky. The family showed the retired general what was left of a once majestic tree in the front of their home. The upset wife cried bitterly that the tree’s limbs and trunk had been destroyed by artillery from the Union army. She expected some sympathy for the loss of the beautiful tree or words condemning the hated Union. After a long silence, Lee said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it.”

Today’s gospel is among the most radical and difficult teachings of Jesus that we find in scripture. What he asks of us is certainly quite different from how society expects us to act. When someone wrongs us, Jesus says to forgive them; if given the opportunity to win at another person’s expense, be compassionate, which is what we found David doing in our first reading. Jesus bluntly tells us to love our enemies. “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” He doesn’t stop there. Turn the other cheek.  Treat others as you would have them treat you. Be merciful and stop judging.

“This is so unrealistic!” Was that your reaction to this gospel passage? Yet Jesus is clear and to the point, challenging us to ponder our approach to living. Life isn’t always a bed of roses. We get into skirmishes and confrontations. Some minor, others not, so what do you do when someone wrongs you?  Are you able to forgive, forget and move on? Or do you cling to the hurt, unwilling to let go as was that wife in Kentucky?  Jesus urges us to not reciprocate whenever evil is done to us. Do not return violence with violence. To be a disciple of Jesus means having the courage to “cut down” the anger, hatred, despair and distrust that block us from forgiving others, thus enabling justice, peace, and reconciliation to blossom and flourish in our midst.

Henry Ward Beecher, a renowned 19^th century preacher offered this insight to those reluctant to heal past hurts. He said, “‘I can forgive, but I cannot forget,’ is only another way of saying, ‘I will not forgive.’ A forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn in two and burned up, so that it can never be shown against the man.”

Nonetheless, some of us are still apt to protest, “There is no way I can forgive that person for what was done to me!” When we choose not to forgive, we are really hurting ourselves. When we forgive, we heal, when we let go, we grow.  Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” That line may sound like an old cliché, but for the sake of our wellbeing, we mustn’t ignore it.

For a penance, I often urge penitents to slowly say the Lord’s Prayer, and then keep the promise they just made. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those…” If that is hard to do, then ask God for the grace to do so.

The gospel passage isn’t only about forgiveness; it’s about doing the right thing for the right reason in the right way. Those who give to the less fortunate without expecting anything in return give evidence of Christian wisdom. Those who are compassionate to the rejected members of society have grasped Christian wisdom. Those who treat others in the way they want to be treated have understood the universal wisdom behind the golden rule.

For those whose lives are shaped by this wisdom, the command to love one’s enemies is possible.  Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, the command to love one’s enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist; he is a practical realist.” 

Jesus reveals that the touchstone of the true Christian is treating others the way God treats us. God is kind, merciful and forgiving “even to the ungrateful and the wicked.” We are created in God’s image and since God is love, the more we develop our capacity for love, the more we will mature into what God created us to be.

Jesus isn’t asking the impossible of us. With grace, he empowers and enables us to make what many think of heroic the norm in our approach to living. Do we dare follow his example?

Just as a mature healthy apple tree bears abundant fruit, so a mature, healthy human soul overflows with the spiritual fruits of profound joy, peace, love and enthusiasm.   This is what Jesus means when he says, “give, and gifts will be given to you…For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

The readings today bring to mind the opening and closing lines from the poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The road we take in life makes all the difference is also the point of today’s readings. Are we going down the road that leads us to God or not?

Luke’s account of the Beatitudes differs from Matthew’s version. Matthew stresses a person’s spiritual profile, the poor in spirit and those who hunger for holiness.  Luke describes one’s physical condition, those who are poor and hungry. Matthew gives us eight beatitudes, but as you just heard, Luke only mentions four, followed by four woes.

The first of his beatitudes would stun anybody living in relative comfort with a roof over their head. The notion of being poor to gain the kingdom of God makes little sense to anyone who isn’t poor. In fact, some of us may find the line repulsive if we aren’t poor.

In the fourth Eucharistic prayer is the line, “To the poor, he proclaimed the good news of salvation.” Years ago, a pastor shared with me an unsigned letter from an upset parishioner protesting, “Are you saying that those of us who are not poor aren’t saved?” Had the anonymous author given me a chance to respond, I would have replied, “That’s right!”

I would have then cited today’s gospel in which we heard Jesus say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.”  To reinforce his point, Jesus then adds, “But woe to you, who are rich, for you have received your consolation!” The woes are worth pondering if we are to better understand the beatitudes. Taken together they highlight economic, emotional and social injustices.

Jesus isn’t romanticizing poverty but he knows that wealth can be an obstacle for being in touch with God. Imagine Jesus saying to us here and now, “How lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things.” A classic substitute for God is material wealth or the accumulation of things. What we own consoles us. Like any drug, houses, property, and cars provide a joy when we first acquire them, but in due time, when the initial thrill wears off, more of the drug, whatever it is, must be acquired. Will the person who is addicted ever be satisfied with what he or she owns, much less care about those who are poor?

Jesus then continues, “Blessed are you who are weeping.” Again, that seems like such an odd claim until we consider the woe that Jesus provides, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” In modern terms, he might say, “How lucky you are if you are not addicted to good feelings.” Face it, we live in a culture that puts a premium on good feelings and attempts to deny or medicate depression.

Feeling happy is just as much a false god as wealth or possessions or power. Feeling happy is an emotional state, a fleeting psychological condition that cannot possibly satisfy the deepest yearning of the soul, yet it is sought with as much compulsive frenzy as any other drug. We feel the rush of pleasure and then as the thrill subsides, we try to reproduce that good feeling at whatever the cost. To feel good, we pursue the addictive use of drugs, alcohol, food, or stimulants such as pornography, gambling or video games.  When we hit rock bottom, we will grieve and weep, realizing that such a road will never fully satisfy us.

Jesus concludes his beatitudes with “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and denounce you on account of the Son of Man.” This sounds like a rather dismal pronouncement, so unlike anything he would say, so what is Jesus getting at here? Is he wishing us to feel miserable for believing in him?

Like the previous beatitudes, Jesus is applauding those who find themselves living a spirit of detachment, rather than attachment. In this instance, imagine him saying, “How lucky you are if you are not addicted to the approval of others.” Status, attention, and fame are among the most powerful and cunning of the false gods who entice us. Many of us delighted in the praise that our parents and teachers offered because of our work. What motivates us now to do our best? Has your life become an unceasing quest for applause and approval in order to love yourself?

Often we find ourselves looking down two roads, deciding which one to take. The road less traveled is the one that leads us to God and lasting happiness. As we heard moments ago, blessed are they who hope in the Lord and follow not the counsel of the wicked nor the way of sinners for they are like trees planted near running water whose leaves never fade.  Indeed, blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord rather than their possessions, addictions or false gods. They know that the road they have taken has made all the difference in their lives and the lives of others whom they love.

One thing we all have in common, unless unbeknownst to me there is a deaf person here, is that we can all hear. But not everyone listens. How often do we listen to someone without interjecting our opinion? If we do, we aren’t listening to what the other person is saying. Consequently, we could miss hearing something profound that could be life altering.

In all three readings, we encounter men who listened to God and responded. First, we find Isaiah mourning the death of King Uzziah who had ruled Israel for 50 years. Isaiah knew the king personally and he is filled with grief. He went to the temple to pray and had a religious experience. Overwhelmed by the presence of God, he said, “I am a man of unclean lips.” Regretting that he had persecuted the church, Paul considered himself the least of the apostles. In the gospel, Peter laments, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

In every instance, God called on them to do something special with their lives. Isaiah responds, “Here I am, send me!” Knowing his life will never be the same again he gives up his life of privilege and becomes a prophet. Despite his many setbacks, challenges and trials, Paul spreads the Good News near and far between Jerusalem and Rome.

In the gospel, we find three friends (two of them brothers) doing what they do best. They could have continued that trade for many more years but like Isaiah and Paul they had a profound holy experience. That day, returning ashore with empty nets, Simon Peter reluctantly listens to Jesus and puts out into deep water one more time to lower his nets. The catch was so incredible he signaled the others to help him. That bountiful catch prompts him to plead, “Leave me, Lord, I’m a sinner.” His catch wasn’t just a net full of fish; he hauled in God’s love, compassion, mercy, wisdom, healing and forgiveness.

Jesus told him not to be afraid. From then on their lives were radically changed. Instead of catching fish for a livelihood, they would be catching men, women and children. Along with Isaiah and Paul, they grew in their faith in ways never anticipated because they listened to God.

Each day we are all growing a bit at a time physically. We are a day older than we were yesterday. We grow in other ways as well; such as outgrowing the past along with its pain and loss. We move forward toward a future that promises eternal life but to do that we also need to grow in faith, taking time to not just hear God but also to listen to what the Lord is saying to us through scripture and prophets.

By virtue of our baptism, we are called to do our part in building God’s kingdom. Perhaps you feel as Isaiah and Peter did; too unworthy for the mission being handed to you, yet we are all called to do something special with our lives. You might be ignoring God’s call yet you never know until you take the first step where a journey will take you and the difference you could make in doing so. A calling from God can pull us in a direction we didn’t anticipate.

Years ago, a girl in Tennessee was born prematurely. As an infant she caught pneumonia, then scarlet fever and finally polio. At the age of 5 she hobbled about in braces while other children ran and skipped ropes.

When she turned 11, she secretly practiced walking without braces. While doing that, she added periods of prayer. She eventually threw the braces away and then began to run. She ran and ran. At age 16, she qualified for the Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and won a bronze medal in one race. Four years later at the 1960 Olympics in Rome she won three gold medals. Her name was Wilma Rudolph. 

She was a living example of perseverance, a tribute to the power and potential of the human spirit. No handicap is a match for perseverance and prayer.

The readings invite us to do what Peter, Paul, Isaiah and Wilma Rudolph did; persevere in our efforts to live the Christian life and the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of whatever obstacles we encounter. Ms. Rudolph once stated, “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time.”

Just think, Peter could have told Jesus to get lost after such a futile night of fishing but he didn’t. He ventured out into deep waters one more time with his empty net and that made all the difference in his life and the lives of many ever since.  His example is an invitation for us to listen to Jesus, especially when he or his prophets challenge what we hold dear.

These biblical call stories are directed at us. They invite us to involve Jesus in our efforts in life. When Peter listened, he succeeded. The same was true for Isaiah, Paul, and Wilma Rudolph. They not only succeeded, they exceeded their wildest dream. That can be the same for us when we take the time and effort to venture into the deep water of prayer to listen to God.

A test was presented to us in the readings today. Do we want to hear the Good News? Do we accept the good news that comes to us? Will we share the good news? I imagine nearly everyone accepts the passage we heard from Paul. His description of love is one of his most beloved passages.  We hear it often at weddings and we are touched by his words that love is kind and patient.

But there are times when the love we claim to have isn’t kind or patient. The manner in which we might treat some people, even those close to us, is not what Paul defines as love. When our attitude toward someone is pompous, jealous, rude, self-serving, or quick-tempered, it certainly isn’t love.

In the first reading and the gospel, we find people resisting God’s words of grace and kindness. God tells Jeremiah to say to the people exactly what God tells him to speak. The line, “gird your loins,” means something like, “Get ready to do battle.” The lectionary doesn’t tell us that Jeremiah protested. “Lord, I do not know how to speak.” But God assures him that he would be fortified for the task.

After being applauded by the people in his hometown synagogue for his initial homily, Jesus said that no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Then he tells them that God’s love extends to all peoples. Once they heard this, they were filled with fury and drove Jesus out of town, intent on killing him. “Who does he think he is? He’s only a carpenter!” That once appreciative audience had become a lynch mob from whom Jesus escapes.

Rejection is what both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced. Rejection is what we experience when we share God’s challenging message to those who don’t want to hear it.

Identifying himself as the anointed one of God didn’t upset those listening to Jesus. What irked them was learning that God’s love and concern was extended to all peoples, even those whom they despised. By mentioning the widow in Sidon and Naaman the Syrian, Jesus shattered their notion of privilege and challenged them to see that all peoples are dear to God and would benefit from his ministry.

Before passing judgment on the people in the synagogue for overreacting, consider your reaction to God’s truth when you hear something that confronts your personal preferences and values. Might you also be as closed-minded to what God has said to you through the prophets of today?

Prophets are not found only in scripture. They are found in every generation. A prophet looks at the reality others refuse to see in order to tell us what will happen if we don’t change. A prophet is one who reveals the presence of God by his words, deeds and life. That task is given to all the baptized, not just a homilist. God is counting on us to proclaim the Good News, which isn’t an easy task at times.

God’s timely message cannot be proclaimed if at the same time, we condone prejudice, evil and /or violence, which unfortunately many people do, as evidenced for example by their tolerance for abortion, segregation, racism or the holocaust. They caused harm because they chose not to protest evil. Had they dared to speak prophetically, the lives of many will have been greatly impacted by love not hatred.

If we are to proclaim God’s message of goodness and love, then we have to live that message ourselves. Our message of love will only be heard if it is accompanied by deeds of mercy, love, forgiveness and joy. As Pope Francis noted, “You can’t spread the gospel if you are a sourpuss.”  

Do we accept the prophets of our times? Not just the major well-known saintly prophets like Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul but our home town prophets, those ordinary people who constantly reveal the presence of God to us? How often do we notice Christ in our midst by what people say and do? How often do we notice the person whose greeting made us see what a wonderful day God has given us? How willing are we to examine our preferences and values to see if they conflict with the will of God?

God places prophets in our midst to challenge us to do our part toward building the kingdom here and now. Speaking prophetically at times, I have ruffled feathers, as the saying goes, when I speak out against the evil in our midst because what I said wasn’t what some people want to hear. When we do not get the things we hope for or the message we want to hear, we lash out. Jesus’ audience in Nazareth did and so do some of us years later.

You who listen must know that we who preach do not like the discomfort the gospel brings any better than you do.

The challenge placed before us is not to peddle a message of sweetness but to proclaim God’s righteousness. Like Jesus and Jeremiah were admonished to do, we must speak the truth, even at the risk of being rejected by those who are not willing to listen. A prophet’s mission is not to win a popularity contest but to speak the truth and make known the righteousness of God in the face of an unjust social order that thwarts the existence of God’s kingdom.  As the readings point out, there will always be the certainty of human resistance but it’s a mission that those who love patiently and kindly will carry on.