TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

27 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

          Those who lived in the ancient world were concerned with bringing honor to the family and avoiding shame.  Given that context, the younger son in today’s parable brings shame on his father.  His shameful response of disobedience and defiance is a blunt statement that he simply does not want to do what his father asks him.  In contrast, the second son brings honor to his father by politely responding, “Yes, sir.” (The Greek word is “Lord.”)

            However shameful the first son’s response may have been, he changes his mind later and goes to work in his father’s vineyard.  Like tax collectors and prostitutes who had heeded John the Baptist’s call to repentance, this first son repents and does what his father had asked him to do.  The second son is very pious and respectful, but he does not go into the vineyard.  He is like the chief priests and elders who had refused to listen to the challenge of John the Baptist as he pointed the way to Jesus as the Messiah.  Despite their status as religious leaders of the people, they refuse to acknowledge the truth about Jesus Christ.

            When Jesus asks the chief priests and religious leaders which of the two sons did the will of his father, they have to respond, “The first.”  Their faces surely revealed shock as they realize that Jesus is referring to them as the second son.  They are becoming angry that Jesus is putting the conversion of tax collectors and prostitutes, the lowest in terms of faith and morality, ahead of them.  Instead of listening to the parable and applying it to themselves, they begin plotting to kill this itinerant preacher from Nazareth who continues to humiliate them.

            Jesus addresses this same parable to us.  Throughout our lives, we can identify with both sons in the parables.  On the one hand, the parable is a warning.  Sometimes we resemble the second son in our external piety.  Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus warns against those who call out “Lord, Lord” but do not put their faith into action.  When we act like the second son, he challenges us to examine the integrity of our discipleship and get involved in the vineyard. 

            The parable can also become a consolation when we behave like the first son and refuse to respond to the Lord calling us.  Like the first son, we can change our minds and repent of our refusal to get involved in the work of the Lord.  Once we have repented, we can act on the Lord’s mercy, roll up our sleeves, and get involved in the Lord’s work.

            Saint Paul gives excellent advice on how to respond to the Lord’s call.  He writes to the Philippians, who have been arguing about who was more important and who was more faithful in the Lord’s service.  His magnificent hymn encourages them to have the same attitude which Christ displayed.  Even though he was in the form of God, he emptied himself, took the form of a slave, and came in human likeness.  In his obedience, he endured death on the cross, and was exalted by God and raised from the dead.

            If we embrace this attitude, we can also do the Father’s will in our lives.  If we empty ourselves of pride, arrogance, and a desire to be important, we too can imitate the example of the first son and do the Father’s will.  In this time of pandemic and social divisions, everyone has his or her own opinions about everything.  As members of the Church, Christ’s Body, we can humbly submit ourselves to the authority of our Bishop and trust that his guidance can lead us to a deeper involvement in the work of building up the kingdom of heaven.  We can work together to get through these confusing days of the pandemic.  We can enter into respectful dialogue with those with whom we disagree.  In a year when we have been unable to renew our stewardship of service, we can roll up our sleeves and become ministers of hospitality to welcome those who have the courage to join us at Mass.  The Lord is looking for discipleship in action.

 

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

20 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

          Those who heard this parable from the mouth of Jesus must have sympathized with the day laborers who had worked an entire 12 hour day under the hot sun.  It is not fair that they receive the same pay as those laborers who worked for only one hour.  And to be honest, we share that same sympathy today.  How could any employer sustain a healthy work force using these tactics?  The answer is simple:  none!

            And that is exactly the point of the parable.  As Isaiah reminds his people, God’s ways are not our ways.  The kingdom of heaven, which Jesus has been proclaiming for weeks, is very different from the kingdom in which we currently live.  In the kingdom of heaven, the essence of a person is not determined by how much he or she works or how much he or she has earned.  The essence of a person is determined by the fact that God has made us in his image.  God offers his grace, a generous share in his life, not because we have earned it or deserved it.  God invites everyone to respond.  It does not matter to God when we respond to that invitation – whether at the beginning of our lives, when we reach middle age, or just before death. 

            The fact that we are gathered in this church or participating on line indicates that we have responded to the Lord’s call.  We are working to embrace the kingdom of heaven already present in our midst.  We work to respect the dignity of all people, unborn or born, rich or poor, whether they are immigrants or citizens, and members of all races.  As the Body of Christ, we also work to be instruments of God’s gracious invitation for others to embrace the kingdom of heaven and join us in this work.

            Please watch this video for the Annual Bishop’s Appeal.  Our support of the Appeal assists Bishop Rhoades and those who work with him in the work of evangelization, of spreading the good news of the kingdom of heaven in our midst. 

 

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

13 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

          Peter’s question indicates that he has been listening to Jesus talking about the kingdom of heaven.  He is beginning to understand that mercy is at the center of this kingdom.  Based on the teaching of Jesus and his actions, Peter asks how many times he needs to forgive a brother who sins against him.  Seven times, he asks?  In the Hebrew tradition, seven is a symbolic number.  It refers to the perfection of God’s seven-day work of creation in the first chapter of Genesis.  Peter is shocked at his response:  “Not seven times, but seventy-times seven times.” Jesus refers to the perfect seven day creation another seventy times.  In the kingdom of heaven which Jesus is establishing, forgiveness will be a never ending cycle.  Those who belong to the kingdom of heaven must continue to forgive, not because the offender deserves to be forgiven, but because his Father has granted forgiveness in the first place.

            That is why Jesus tells this parable about an exchange between the king (called literally Kyrios or Lord in the Greek text) and his servant, who would never be able to repay his debt for the rest of his life.  The king could have ordered his servant to be thrown into prison, which would have resulted in untold pain, torture, and probably death.  Instead, he ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and his property in payment of the debt.  When the servant expresses his deep anguish, the king is moved with compassion and forgives his debt.

            When the forgiven servant runs into a fellow servant who owes him 600,000 times less than he had owed the king, he treats him with violence, refuses to forgive the debt, and throws him into the horrors of a first century prison.  Shocked by his lack of compassion, the other servants report his harsh refusal to forgive to the king.  The king (Kyrios) reminds the servant that he had given pity (eleison) to him, a gift that this servant refuses to give to a fellow servant.  That refusal to have pity and forgive will cost him his life.

            During Advent and Lent, we use those Greek words at the beginning of Mass (Kyrie eleison) to remind us of the Lord’s infinite mercy toward us.  Because we have received a mercy that we can never pay back, we are expected to forgive those who sin against us.  Forgiving another person does not imply that the sinful action was not wrong.  It remains wrong.  Nor does forgiving another person imply that we must have warm and tender feelings toward the offender.  In fact, if the offense involved abuse, the most forgiving action is to avoid that person and seek professional help to move beyond the terrible pain inflicted by the abuse.

            Having the will to move beyond the hurt and anger offers the key to genuine forgiveness.  Anger is a human emotion, given to us by God.  There is nothing wrong with expressing anger in healthy ways.  The emotion of anger lets us know that an injustice has been done.  But we cannot hold on to that anger and allow it to turn into hate.  In today’s first reading, Sirach makes an important point.  Wrath and anger can become hateful things.  If we insist on holding onto wrath and anger, we can never forgive another person from our hearts, as God has forgiven us.  Especially in cases of grave injustice, it takes a long time to let go of that wrath and anger.  Bringing wrath and anger to the Sacrament of Reconciliation allows the Lord who forgives us to strengthen our resolve to forgive someone else.  I remember a woman whose husband left her with six young children for another woman.  For years, she hugged onto that anger and wrath.  For years, her bitterness and resentment affected the way she treated everyone else.  Finally, through the grace of the Sacrament and the awareness that her anger and wrath did nothing to harm her ex-husband, she was able to let go.  Knowing the Lord’s mercy to her, she finally was able to move on.  Forgiveness works.  It is at the heart of the kingdom of heaven.

 

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

6 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

          Jesus promised that the gates of the netherworld would not prevail against his Church, built on the rock of Simon Peter’s profession of faith.  But, he did not promise that his Church would be free from conflict.  After all, the Church he founded is not made of physical buildings.  It is a community of frail human believers.

            Knowing that conflict will always be a part of his Church, Jesus gives clear guidelines for resolving conflict within the Christian community.  The first step involves confrontation.  If one member sins against another member, he or she should approach the offending person and offer fraternal correction.  Like the shepherd going after a lost sheep, this encounter needs to be both honest and loving.  This first step hopes for conversion and a change of heart.  If this first step fails, then the offended person needs to bring a couple more members who are familiar with the situation for a process of negotiation.  Hopefully, these witnesses will be able to resolve the conflict before it spreads further.  If this second step fails, the next step involves adjudication – going to the leader of the Church.  In the case of the parochial Church, this step involves me.  In the case of the local Church (the Diocese), this step involves Bishop Rhoades.  If none of these attempts fail, the rare action of excommunicating the offender is possible.  Taking these steps affects our presence in the world, because reconciliation is crucial for the mission of the Church,        This process is extremely difficult.  It is much easier to complain about an offender’s action to other people instead of actually approaching the offender with authentic love and genuine concern for the good of the other.  Taking this step often ends in failure.  That is why Jesus recommends the next step.  The intent of gathering a couple of people to approach the offender is not to form a posse to attack that person, but to make more evident the damage that has been done.  And, of course, there is always recourse to the Church (represented by the one who is charged with authority).  Fortunately, the Church excommunicates very few people these days.  If offenders do not get their way, they usually separate themselves from the community.

            At this particular time, we need to heed the Lord’s instructions on handling conflict.  Too often, parishioners want to skip the first two steps and go immediately to the Bishop to resolve their conflicts.  I know from my own experience as one of his Episcopal Vicars.  The Bishop calls on me, his Vicar, to meet with people to try to resolve their conflicts within their parishes and with their pastors.  In skipping the first two steps, they forget that the task of binding and loosing is actually entrusted to them, if they only accept their responsibility to approach offenders with love and honesty. 

To make matters worse, the dynamics of this pandemic have increased the conflicts that are already part of our parish community.  In our isolation, it is much easier to magnify the grievances and disagreements that are always part of any well intentioned Christian community.  In our divided society, everyone has his or her opinion about how the pandemic should be handled.  Today’s Gospel offers the Church as a way of resolving this conflict.  Bishop Rhoades has given us clear guidance on how to proceed.  His guidance has resulted in requiring us to wear masks, to avoid congregational singing, and to curtail our gathering together as a community in our normal ways.  Whether we agree or not with his specific instructions, our obedience will carry us through this difficult time, as well as our love of neighbor.  In the second reading, Saint Paul describes love of neighbor as fulfillment of the law.  The Lord promises that where two or three are gathered in his name, he will be in our midst in the unity that comes from the Spirit.  The Lord is in our midst, giving us courage to face and resolve our conflicts with love.