23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - No longer a slave, but a brother

 During St. Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, he met a runaway slave named Onesimus and baptized him. Slaves under Roman law had no rights because they were considered property. They could be condemned to hard labor, punished with blows of the rod and otherwise tortured. Runaway slaves were treated even worse—they were to be branded with a red hot iron on the forehead with the letter F, for fugitivus, which meant runaway. A fugitivus, when recaptured, could even be crucified. 

Somehow this runaway slave, Onesimus, had found his way from Colossae, modern-day Turkey, to the crowded, busy streets of the imperial capital city of Rome. And somehow, Onesimus had come into contact with Paul, who had been imprisoned. And while visiting Paul, Onesimus requested baptism, and become a Christian. 

We know Onesimus grew quite dear to Paul. Paul writes how he wished Onesimus could stay with him in Rome, but Paul, the apostle, sends the newly baptized Onesimus back to Philemon, his master, to whom Paul writes his letter. 

And Paul sends Onesimus back to Colossae, to his master Philemon. And in his letter to Philemon, our second reading today, Paul requests that Onesimus be received not as a slave but as a brother in the Lord, to welcome him as he would welcome Paul himself. Do not brand him as a fugitivus, for in baptism, Onesimus has received the indelible mark of salvation through Christ. And we have every reason to believe that Philemon did as Paul asked.

Now, St. Paul knew that what he was asking from Philemon was counter-cultural. Slavery was an institution in the Roman Empire, there were something like 60 million slaves—from different parts of the world which Rome had conquered: asia minor and the middle east, north Africa, spain and Portugal, gaul, and northern europe. 

But Paul had great reason to believe that Philemon would adhere to his request. Philemon was a true Christian. Paul at the beginning of the letter calls Philemon his brother, his coworker in the vineyard. Philemon was a leader in the church of Colossae—a true source of refreshment and encouragement for the other Christians there, as he acknowledges in his letter. Philemon was one of the good guys. 

But this request, this third shortest new testament letter, highlights for us just what it means to be a Christian. The letter to Philemon shows how Christians who have been freed from sin and forgiven by Christ must free and forgive others. Christian Love goes far beyond justice. The law of the world said Onesimus should be branded, even killed. The new law demanded forgiveness from his brother. 

In the eyes of God, we are all Onesimus, freedom from sin by God through Christ. Like Philemon we are to receive our Christian brothers and sisters, even those who have sinned against us, with mercy.

This reading certainly challenges us to examine our hearts sincerely, thoroughly, and honestly, to see what grudges we still hold and what prejudices we bear.

Is there an individual in our life that we are not treating as a brother, but as a slave, or as an enemy? Christ died for that person. Is there a whole group of people that we resent, that makes us mad just to think about? Christ died for them too.

These barriers of resentment, anger, and prejudice are like giant weeds growing in the garden of our souls. They steal the nutrients that are meant to feed virtues like wisdom, courage, and generosity - the kind of virtues that produce interior peace and lasting happiness.

Resentment, anger, and unforgiveness grow around our hearts like vines grow around trees - sucking the Christian life out of us, to the point where we begin to justify gossiping, criticizing, and destructive attitudes of division that make this world such a valley of sorrows.

We plead to God for forgiveness for ourselves, but Christ teaches that we too must forgive others. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” we plead in the Lord’s prayer. The measure of our forgiveness is the measure we receive it. 

In Christ, all the false divisions among people dissolve, and we are made into one family. Sin divides the world, leading to war, racism, prejudice, and injustice. But Christ came to heal the wounds of sin and division. 

Forgiveness, it might feel painful to forgive. It might feel like a cross. But in the Gospel today, the Lord teaches that “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” So we must practice forgiveness.

It is difficult to forgive those who betray us—who offend, who harm us with their words and actions.  To forgive may feel like we are giving them a free pass.  When we are hurt or betrayed, there is a part of us that says, “I don’t want to talk to them, I don’t want to see them, I don’t want to be near them, I don’t even want to think about them.”  But that part of us needs to be flooded with mercy. 

A Christian must never say, “I will never forgive you.”  

Don’t leave Church today without having decided that you will welcome the Onesimuses in your lives as brothers. Ask Jesus to give you a heart like his, a heart like Paul's, to welcome the fugitive—to make your peace with those who have wronged you. I can think of few things that would please our Lord more than that...for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

22nd Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - When prejudices are challenged

 During Ordinary Time, we read on weekdays from the three Synoptic Gospels: first the Gospel of Mark for the first 10 weeks of Ordinary Time, then from Matthew for a good chunk of the year, and finally from St. Luke, which we begin today, on this Monday of the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. Notice, though, we begin a few chapters into Luke’s Gospel, skipping the infancy narratives and commencing with the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry around the age of 30, after his baptism and time in the Galilean desert. Filled with the Spirit, the Lord returns to his hometown, where he is rejected.

There in the synagogue of Nazareth, the Lord explains how the time is at hand for the Messiah to begin ushering in the new ear of human history, which the poor and downtrodden of God’s people will be raised up; the new and ultimate era of human history, where God’s people will radiate God’s glory to all nations is about to begin.

Initially, the Lord’s words are met with approval, but then when does it turn from approval to rejection? The Lord begins to explain that not only the Jews will be included in God’s kingdom, but Gentiles, like Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Zarephath as well. And this inclusion of the Gentiles filled with people of Nazareth with fury.

Their fury is something of a surprise because there were plenty of Old Testament texts that promised that the Gentiles would be included in God’s plan of salvation, and even that Israel’s restoration would occur with the help of Gentiles. Why were they so furious at this? Why did approval turn to rejection, in fact, an attempt to murder the messenger? 

Perhaps, it was due to Roman’s occupation of Israel at the time. Gentiles were the oppressor. In the not too distant past, Gentiles like the Greeks imposed harsh restrictions on Jewish life. Whatever the reason, this episode is a sort of preview for the Lord’s public ministry as a whole.

Most people will approve of large portions of the Lord’s message. But the whole message, especially the parts of the message that challenge my prejudices, that’s another story. The parts of the message that challenge me to change, the parts of the message that are critical of my vices and errors and biases, the parts of the message that call me to conversion, the parts of the message that claim our enemies aren’t as bad as we make them out to be,  we must be careful not to reject because we find them difficult. For to reject the message, we reject Him, and treat him like the citizens of Nazareth, running him out of town, ready to hurl him over a cliff.

Today and always may we accept and heed the whole Gospel, the whole Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word..  

For an end to indifference to the Gospel, to God and human dignity in our government & educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For resolution to the atrocities in Afghanistan, for the safety of innocent bystanders, for captive Christians, and for an end to all terrorism, for those effected by hurricane Ida, and for those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s deliverance, strength and peace 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

32nd Sunday in OT 2019 - Courage in the face of suffering

I attended a prayer group recently, and the group began with an icebreaker question: what is your favorite inspirational movie? A fun, yet poignant question! The first person his favorite inspirational movie is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” though he had to admit that some of the graphic violence is hard to watch. The second person mentioned a movie I had never heard of, called “Glory” about the U.S. Civil War’s first all-black volunteer company, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, detailing the prejudices they faced from both their own Union Army and the Confederates, and the sacrifice they made for the cause of freedom and national unity. The third member of our group mentioned the movie “Unplanned”, the story of Abby Johnson, a former director for planned parenthood, who is confronted with the grizzly evil of abortion, joins the ranks of the pro-life movement and the ensuing backlash she experienced.

I have a hard time with the topic of “favorite movies” because I really do enjoy a good film, but I immediately thought of the movie “A Man for All Seasons” the story of St. Thomas More who stood up to King Henry VII when the King rejected the authority of the Catholic Church’s teaching on divorce. Sir Thomas More, as you might know, was Chancellor of England and a good friend of the Kings. The movie wonderfully depicts St. Thomas More’s jovial personality, his cunning mind, strong family life and devout faith. But when the King demanded that Catholics, clergy and laity alike, bow to his claim that he was the head of the Church in England and therefore able to refashion Church doctrine, Thomas More refused to acknowledge the king’s claim. For this he was stripped of his office, arrested, separated from his family, imprisoned in the tower of London, and eventually beheaded. Here’s a man who refused to compromise his faith when faced with the pressures of family, friends, and political authorities. He is certainly an inspiration to Christians of every age.

And reflecting on the four movies shared by members of our prayer group, I don’t think it is a coincidence that all four movies share a common theme: “self-sacrifice”. The self-sacrifice of Christ of course in the passion movie, the self-sacrifice of the black infantrymen willing to fight against prejudice and even to die for those who hated them in “Glory”. The self-sacrifice of Abby Johnson, having her name dragged through the mud, receiving death-threats for exposing the evils of planned parenthood and the abortion industry. Movie Theater owners in fact have received death threats for showing her movie. And the self-sacrifice of Thomas More, a martyr for the truth of the Christian Gospel. Stories of self-sacrifice are most inspirational.

Our first reading from Second Maccabees certainly recounts an inspiring tale of self-sacrifice. Around two-hundred years before the birth of Christ, Greek culture had spread to Israel. Many of Israel’s leaders had allowed Greek cultural values and the promise of political power to replace their faith. The Greek King ruling over the Jews had tried to eradicate Judaism. If you were caught practicing the tenets of Judaism, you would be put to death. And in our reading today, seven brothers with their dear mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges because they refused an order of the Greek King inducing the Jews to eat pork in violation of Jewish law.

This family courageously refused to betray their faith even to the point of physical maiming and death. Why? Why didn’t they just give in?

Well, listen again to what one of the sons says to his executioner: “you accursed fiend,” he says, “you are depriving us of this present life, but the king of the world will raise us up to live again forever.” Yes, you are killing us, but the Lord will raise us up! 

They understood that the choices we make in this life affect our eternity. Our faith matters. The practice of our faith matters. Faith leads to eternal life, disobedience to death.

The next son, holds out his hands to his executioner who is going to cut them off.  He says, “it was from heaven that I received these…from God I hope to receive them again.”  This cruel executioner is going to cut off his hands, and the son says, fine, God gave them to me, and one day, God will give them back to me.  He believes that that even this present body is less important than eternal life.

The last brother, as he dies, says, “it is my choice to die at the hands of men, that God who gives life will raise me up.”

This family of faithful Jews foreshadow the self-sacrifice of Christ; they are certainly proto-martyrs, embodying what the Lord taught a few Sundays ago, “Those who lose their life for my sake, will gain it.” To be faithful to Christ is to do what these young men did, to keep our minds and hearts fixed on God and on his promises especially in the face of trial.

There are moments when our relationship with God will cost us. Depriving ourselves of some bodily pleasure because pursuing it would be sinful costs us something. Depriving ourselves of material gain because pursuing it would be to cheat or to steal costs us something. Deprive ourselves of some position of power because pursuing it would involve lying or exaggerating the faults of others costs us something. Refraining from sinful gossip when it would bolster our social status costs us something.  Going to mass every week, even when my family or my hobbies make demands on my time costs us something. Contributing to your financial needs of the parish, the needs of our neighborhood poor, committing time to prayer, all costs us something. And don’t we gain so much more, when we are generous with God and trust his plan?

When we speak of inspiring movies or inspiring scripture passages or inspiring stories from the lives of the saints, what are they inspiring us for? The inspire us for those moments when we have to make the choice. Will we do what is right, even when it brings us suffering, or not? Will we witness to our belief that God’s promises are real, that there is something beyond this earthly life, or not? The veterans our nation honors on Monday, veterans day, are so inspiring to us because they were willing to put their lives on the line for us, they we might enjoy freedom and peace.

There are many people who dismiss God as a distant cosmic force that has little bearing on every day life. But Christians, by living out our faith when it is costly to us, shows that God is more real than anything else.

Our own parish patron Saint, Ignatius of Antioch, realized this truth. When Bishop Ignatius had to choose between faith and escaping suffering and death, he chose faith. Ignatius wrote: “All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing. It is better for me to die on behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth. ‘For what shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?’ Him I seek, who died for us: Him I desire, who rose again for our sake.”

Ignatius understood, as has every martyr, that if we are only concerned with this prospering in this world something in us is already dead. Rather, the Christian is to witness that the life to come is to be obtained by those who love God more than this present life.

May we witness to that faith in everything we say and do today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.