Sincere “No” Rather Than Insincere “Yes”!

(Homily 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr-A)

     The conscience of personal responsibility seems to be central and predominant in the readings of today. To the Babylonian exiles who accused God of injustice, God says “Is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his life” (Ez. 18:25b-27). Everyone is responsible for his or her actions and inactions. Jesus teaches us in the Gospel, what true personal responsibility is, and it is manifested not merely in speaking (words), but majorly in action, as the parable reveals. In the second reading, St. Paul gives us the example of Christ, an example of responsibility and coherence, the Yes of Christ is an operative one, incarnated in actions (works) for the realization of His mission and our Redemption. The three readings set out to teach us that man is free in his choices and, therefore, he is accountable for his actions. So, the exiles of Babylon ought to have assumed responsibility and repented for their actions, instead they murmured and accused God of acting unjustly. So also, the chief priests and elders of the people because John came to show them the way of salvation, and they neither believed nor repented. Instead, the publicans and the prostitutes responded to the preaching of John with repentance and faith. For this Jesus said “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt. 21:31).  

     The first reading (Ez. 18:25-28) presents the intervention of Prophet Ezekiel in the bid to correct the erroneous conception of his contemporaries. Among the major prophets of the Old Testament, Ezekiel is known for his insistence on individual responsibility for sin. For as a matter of fact, in the history of Israel the value of communal living is a paramount cultural heritage, to the extent that a man is hardly distinguished from his community. At the heart of this cultural value was communal solidarity, and as such individual guilt was believed to have corporal consequences. For this prophet Ezekiel vehemently warned that “the soul that sins shall die” (Ez. 18:20). And speaking about individual responsibility the prophet equally foresaw the possibility of an individual turning from wickedness to righteousness and vice versa. In his words, “when the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done” (Ez.18:26). However, a person is judged by the new life to which he has turned to, and no longer by the previous life. Be that as it may, the prophet opposed this erroneous idea vigorously: God does not punish the sons for the sins of the fathers or the fathers for the sins of the sons, everybody will be held responsible for his or her actions. Everyone has the possibility to be saved, if only the person wants, God’s continuous mercy and forgiveness to repentant sinners is a proof. The Good News of Ezekiel is that we are not slaves to our past sins. He affirms that we can shake off our past and form new habits; a change of life is possible: “when the wicked man abandons wickedness…Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live, he will not die” (vv. 27-28).

     The responsorial psalm (Ps. 25) brings to light the consciousness of an individual aware of his own sins, but relying on God’s mercy. Interestingly, the first reading and the psalm view a man’s life divided into the past and the future in the present moment. While the past maybe characterized by sin, the future is filled with hope for spiritual maturity. Indeed, the refrain to the psalm “Remember your mercies, O Lord” (Ps. 25:6) calls our attention to an important biblical conception of “remembrance” (“ricordare” : bringing to heart), and when God brings to heart, when He remembers, it is not merely a recalling of an event of the past, rather He brings it out from the past and makes it effective in the present.

     In today’s Gospel (Mt.21:28-32) Jesus brought to the fore the need for the conscience of personal responsibility and responsible freedom, with the parable of the two sons. The parable exposes the Jewish leaders who pledged obedience to God but reneged on their promises, whereas the tax collectors and public sinners, who at first refused keep the commands of God are now been converted by the preaching of John the Baptist. The second son represents the High priests, the elders and the Jews, that claim to have impeccable character, but rejected God’s call to conversion, and to faith for salvation. They say “yes” in words, but in action “no”. Their act is irresponsible. But the first son, who represents the publicans, prostitutes and pagans, lived in an irresponsible way in his relation with God in the past, but even though he said “no” with his words, now with his work of adherence and conversion, has started responding “yes” to God. His previous irresponsibility has been purified through his present responsibility. And in these two categories of people we see the bisection of conventional and anonymous Christians. For in the eyes of God, the past does not count much, even though it is important and merits consideration. More important is the present, our responsible yes daily.

     This passage is equally suggestive of an appeal to repentance and conversion addressed to backsliders in faith and the so called conventional Christians. For some of us today, our situation as Christians really reflects that of the second son that said Yes, but never accomplished it, conventional and nominal Christians. Whereas the reality of the first son is reflective of the situation of those that have turned to Christ in adherence to His words, and these could be called in the parlance of Karl Rahner: anonymous Christianity. As a matter of fact, from all indications Jesus must have told this parable to vindicate his proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of heaven against those who were criticizing him, “the tax collectors and prostitutes who receive me now will enter into the Kingdom of heaven at the last judgment rather than you, who criticize me for welcoming them”. Indeed, at the heart of this parable is the proclamation of God’s mercy to sinners, His unending mercy.

     In the parable of the two sons, Jesus illustrated the importance of the personal responsibility and collaboration in one’s salvation. Jesus used this parable equally to correct the erroneous and unhealthy claims of the Jews, in particular the Pharisees, who considered themselves as the privileged people of God, the chosen people, thus holding tight to the privileges of the past, without a present effort, they are like the son that said yes to the father. There are also all others, the pagan, the publicans and sinners, those who initially said no to God but later accepted the message of salvation. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Jews for their pretentious behavior and maintained that it is not enough to be children of Abraham or to hold on to the past privileges. Salvation is a personal thing, and one makes the decision depending on the attitude he assumes before God and before the Good News of Christ.  God’s salvation is for all, it is not a patrimony of a particular set of people, but to all who accept the Word of life proclaimed by Jesus and live accordingly. Even though God’s design is for all to be saved, but there is need for a personal consistent choice, we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (cf. Phil. 2:12), unfounded familiarity cannot save. Indeed, the words of John the Baptist to  the Pharisees and Sadducees speak volume on this, “do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father,” because, I tell you God can raise children for Abraham from these stones” (Mt. 3:9). God has offered salvation for all men and women; it now depends on the free response of each person.

     Furthermore, Jesus insisted on another aspect: that is on the concreteness of one’s response. “It is not anyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 7:21). It is not the one who is contended with mere sentiments and unfounded affiliation, but he who translates daily into concrete gestures and actions his believe and adherence to God. This is why the son who said no at first and later carried out the will of their father is preferred to the one who said yes but did not fulfill his yes. Jesus calls us in our daily decisions to let our actions reflect our Christian values. It is a call to imbibe the value and principle of orthopraxy: right believing and right living. The theme of personal responsibility which is predominant in today’s readings, especially the first reading and the Gospel, emphasizes that even though our salvation is the work or the gratuitous gift of God for man, however, it requires our human collaboration and freedom. Little wonder, St Augustine will say that “the God who created you without you, will not save you without you.” The CCC puts it thus: “God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us.” Therefore, we need to express our human freedom making effort daily to convert from evil to good. No one should be blocked irremediably in his or her past life.

     This parable should inspire us to action, for a sincere examination of conscience, how true are we to our profession of faith in God? Do we accompany the Yes we say to God with concrete actions or our Yes is empty, unbelievable and devoid of obedience of faith? How are we making effort daily to maintain and concretize the Yes we have said to God at Baptism? To which of the sons do we identify ourselves more with? Brethren, the risk is grave because if we undermine the daily concrete effort of living out our calling and filial identity, our Yes will be inauthentic. In fact, as St. Peter would have it, “Instead of this, brothers, never allow your choice or calling to waver; then there will be no danger of your stumbling, for in this way you will be given the generous gift of entry to the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pt. 1:10-11). The words of Jesus: “tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you” (v.31), should spur us on to reflect deeply on our manner of life. We are therefore called to a life of synthesis between words and actions!

     In the second reading (Phil. 2:1-11) we see the great Christological hymn. The hymn presents Christ as a model and it concentrates on ethical exhortation. As such, Christ becoming our model, we are therefore expected to live as Christians distinguished by unity, love, humility and consideration for others. By so doing, we manifest the same attitude that Christ showed when he humbled himself to become man and to accept death on the cross. According some exegetes we have to be careful while interpreting this passage, so that Christ will not just be seen merely as an external example, for he is the source of redemptive life. St. Paul offers us wonderful suggestions that will help us to express authentically our free adhesion to God’s plan of salvation manifested to us in Christ. Let us make the words of the apostle a program of life this week and beyond: “be of a single mind, one in love, one in heart and one in mind. Nothing is to be done out of jealousy or vanity; instead, out of humility of mind everyone should give preference to others, ‘everyone pursuing not selfish interests but those of others” (vv.2b-4). St. Paul shows us in Jesus Christ, an eloquent example of total coherency and responsibility before God, His Father. A perfect synthesis between words and actions! His “yes” of words is never different from his “yes” in action. Little wonder, St. Paul exhausts us to have “the same sentiments that were in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5) whose life and existence were a unified “yes” to the Father’s will. In the words of Jesus “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work” (Jn.4:34; cf. Heb. 10:7).  

     In all, as it is suggestive of today’s message we cannot but remember the words of Paul VI: “the modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 41), those who are heralds and doers of what they preach. And I would like to add, that every authentic Christian should be able to synthesize these two dimensions in his or her life of faith, that is the spheres of word and actions, for sometimes, the gap between our words and actions may plunge us into spiritual and moral schizophrenia. Therefore, the story of the two sons in the Gospel calls our attention for a deeper and personal reflection, “intus legere”, to read inwardly; to read ourselves from within to know where we fall, whether within the tendencies of the first son or that of the second son. Do my words and profession of faith reflect in my actions? We manifest our love and adherence to Him when we put His words into practice. Jesus says: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). Lord Jesus we thank You for standing as a model for us, in the call to authentic Christian living. Give us abundance of your Grace to be able to live a coherent and sincere life, in adherence to your words. Help us to bridge the gap between what we say and what we do. May our existence as Christians be that of an eloquent synthesis between words and actions. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC) 

Do Not Question God’s Generosity To Others!

(Homily 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr-A)

          In the liturgy of the Word today, the theme around which revolves the paramount message is the two ways “the way of man” and “the way of God”. The way of man is manifested in the desire for justice, sometimes expressed with envy: “They were murmuring against the Master saying: The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat” (Mt. 20:11-12). Afterwards, we see the way of God: “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you” (Mt. 20:13-14). In the first reading, the prophet makes it glaring: “My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways, declares Yahweh” (Is. 55:8-9). Above all, St. Paul in the second reading, indicates what should be the way of a Christian: “I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and to be with Christ, and this is by far the stronger desire and yet for your sake to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need” (Phil. 1:23-24). The way of the Christian ought to be influenced by God’s will, as it manifests in time. The overriding message of today emanates from the Gospel and that is the fact that it’s never too late for God. God offers full wages to all, whether we have served him all our lives or we have turned to him at the eleventh hour. However, man may say it’s not fair! Is God fair?

          In the Scriptures, we see some passages that manifest explicitly the divine logic, the way and thought of God. We can see it in the episode of the sacrifice of Cain and Abel, the one who found favour in God’s sight was not the first born Cain, but Abel the second son (Gen.4:1-16). We see it equally in the context of the anointing of David, David the youngest of the sons of Jesse was chosen to be the King of Israel (1 Sam 16). Also for the Incarnation of Jesus, a small and insignificant village was chosen, Nazareth where no good thing was expected (John 1:46). God’s thought and way is really different from our ways. In the divine logic and parlance God often chooses the weak to make them strong, or to say it with our Mother Mary: “you pulled down the mighty from their seats and raised the lowly” (Lk. 1:51-52). And in another passage Jesus says something very emblematic: “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt.21:31). God’s ways and thoughts are indeed different from man’s. We cannot but remember that experience of St Thomas Aquinas, on his deathbed, when he was caught up with the realities of human finitude and the density of the divine mystery, he kindly begged that all his writings on the nature of God be destroyed, because he was convinced of their limitations and inadequacy. Even though this request of his was never carried out, but this remains as a reminder to us that the reality and the logic of God transcend the human mind and logic. Perhaps, God is indeed infinitely greater than any concept of him the human mind can form or speculate. St. Paul upon having a dint of the uniqueness, density and diversity of the thoughts and ways of God exclaimed: “How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of his decisions or his ways. Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser?” (Rm. 11:33-34).

          The first reading (Isaiah 55:6-9) starts with the invitation to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call him while he is near. God invites us through the prophet to enter into communion with him, assuring us of his unfathomable mercy. He therefore invites the wicked to forsake his ways, and to the unrighteous his thoughts. It is God himself who speaks to us, and says “my thoughts are not your thoughts; my ways are not your ways”. The prophet cautioned the community of the chosen people for operating on purely human scales and standards. He therefore insisted that God's ways and thoughts were not to be determined by Israel's ways and thoughts. The words of prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways” (vv.8-9) underline the teaching of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. The psalmist on his part confesses that “God is great and worthy of all praise… how good is the Lord… the Lord is just and holy”. This serves as a preparation of our minds to what is to come in the Gospel.    

          Today Jesus begins the Gospel (Mt. 20:1-6a) with a story that beats the human imagination, a story that apparently seems unjust. In that passage, Jesus narrates a story of God’s justice or rather of his mercy and generosity, a man went out in different times to call labourers for his vineyard and he bargained with all at the same amount. Later he paid all of them as they agreed, the same amount, but starting from those that started late. This gave rise to jealousy, and when the first hired workers complained, he reminded them of their earlier agreement “did you not agree with me for a denarius?” “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” The Psalmist once said that “God is in heaven and does whatever He wills” (Psalm 115:3), and that seems to manifest here in the gesture of the Owner of the vineyard. With this parable, Matthew intends to portray the nature of belonging to Christian community and the Kingdom of heaven. Thus, he acknowledged the leaders and other exemplary Christians in the community. He however, pointed out the eleventh-hour members of the Christian community who did not possess the credibility like those others. He thus advised all to emphasize on God's capacity to give, not humankind's tendency to restrict and control. Mathew proposed a Jesus who transcended purely human parameters and standards of reward. He presented Jesus in the image of his Father: a giver of gifts. In this passage, we see the thoughts of man, the first arrived workers began to murmur. They were jealous of God’s generosity. Jesus narrated this parable because of the Pharisees who were scandalized of his attitude towards those at the margins of their religion, or outsiders like publicans and sinners. This parable was born out of this negative reaction of the Pharisees, and thus Jesus intends to let the Pharisees understand that the Kingdom of heaven is open to all even those they have written off by their own standards. In God’s standard the last workers automatically were made partakers of the Kingdom like the old chosen people (cf. Eph. 3:6).

          In the passage of the Gospel, is as if God calls our attention and says: “Be careful, for my relation with man is not that of a Boss and his worker or employee”. For man tends to apply the categories of a contract, of merit, of reward and of commutative justice to his relation with God. Little wonder, in the prophecy of Isaiah, Yahweh says: “For the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is. 55:9). With this, it suffices to say that man has not entered into the reality of God’s way, the way of freedom and goodness of the Father. This way of God keeps the “just” man uncomfortable. But that is why, man has to pass from the mentality and state of the “just” to that of the “justified”. In Mathew’s Gospel, Jesus used this parable of the laborers in the vineyard as an invitation to Christians not to crave for rewards. Even though rewards are not denied, but they are by no means the aim of toiling for Christ and for the Kingdom of heaven.  

         The passage can be divided thus into two: ●first part presents a generous and sensible man who shows compassion to the needy: that is the thought of God. ●second part presents the thought of man, expressed in the complaint of the “first arrived workers”. They were envy of God’s goodness. The landowner narrated by Jesus represents God, the God that cares for all men, especially those in need. God calls all, all the times, in different situations, what is needed is to respond to His love. In the case of the workers of the last hour, the master had compassion on them. It reveals that God looks at our needs and not on our merits or on our faults. In the history of the chosen people one of the names of God is the “Just”, but God does not choose this way in His relation with man.  More so, the divine revelation speaks of “God’s justice”, however, not in commutative terms, but in salvific terms. God is just in that He justifies us, He saves us from our sins, and He redeems us through His Son. His justice is imprinted with love and goodness. His justice is not a contract justice or a justice based on merit or what is ones due. The last phrase of the Gospel passage is discomforting for the “just”: “Thus the last will be first, and the first, last” (Mt. 20:16). For the justice and way of God are distant and distinct from man’s.

          The first workers complained and came up against one of life’s realities and perturbing assertion: It’s not fair, life is not fair. So many times and in different circumstances life leaves us feeling cheated. In fact, think about the couple who pray for a child, spend thousands on fertility specialists and drugs, still they have no baby of their own. Then even as they try to adopt they enter into a long waiting list, maybe all to no avail. Meanwhile, a young boy and a young girl make one mistake and one-time, the girl ends up pregnant. Then the couples lament, it’s not fair. In all, the truth is that life is not meant to be fair. Some people are battling with cancer or heart disease for instance, while others no. Some are rich while others are poor. In fact, an existential lesson we learn early in life is that life is not fair. Then here comes the question of questions: Is God fair? I will answer in the negative, No, God is not fair, God is generous. God is merciful, loving and forgiving. God goes beyond being fair, He is a Giver of gifts.

          The passage ends with the intervention of the owner of the vineyard: why should you be envious because i am generous? The question of Jesus and the entire episode reveals that while justice measures merit, goodness and generosity measure the need. The Landowner was generous to the last hour workers because the wages of one hour work will not be able to take care of their families; upon this consideration he paid them the full salary of the day. The parable is therefore not a description of an act of arbitrariness, but the gesture of a man animated by goodness, generosity and full of sensibility towards the poor. That’s how God is! This is what Jesus was intending to communicate by means of this parable, that God is so good that He even makes publicans and prostitutes participants of His Kingdom.

           In all, the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading underlines the teaching of the Parable of the laborers in the vineyard. And therein, God’s justice is characterized by mercy and love. We humans are always in search of justice and fairness, but today Jesus shows us the other side of the coin. Jesus shows us the divine justice that transcends the human justice. Mercy and love are immanent in divine justice, while merit and fairness are immanent in human justice. In Hebrew “tsedeka” stands for both justice and mercy, and it could be interpreted that in God Mercy and Justice are interwoven. We should therefore, learn from God, how not to allow anybody to put a limit to our goodness and generosity and to treat people not as they deserve, but with love and kindness. Sometimes we may get angry and ask why things work well even for the person we know that does wrong, rather the right attitude is to thank God for his mercy and goodness, for who are you to question God’s generosity? Sometimes, we act like the “first arrived workers”, who murmur and lament when things are working out for others, rather we should learn how to appreciate God’s goodness to others.

          The second reading (Phil. 1:20-24; 27a) presents St. Paul as a man who later in his life comprehended a bit God’s ways and thoughts, and decidedly followed in His path, even while in prison. Today we shift from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, which we have been reading for several Sundays now, to his letter to the Philippians, which was written the time Paul was imprisoned. In our present passage, Paul faces the thoughts of a possible martyrdom. Indeed, the passage presents the apostle’s meditation on the prospects of life and death. He found himself in a state of confusion. However, whether he dies or lives Paul was convinced that Christ will be honoured in his body, either by his labors for the Gospel or by actual martyrdom. St. Paul believed that his martyrdom will perhaps contribute more effectively than his apostolic labors, to the fulfillment of God’s designs in the salvation history. Going back to our earlier reflection on reward, we can as well link Paul’s reflection on martyrdom with the parable of the Gospel. For like the disciples in Mathew, Paul left all and followed Jesus, bearing his apostolic witnesses in and through suffering. As such, it could be tempting for the apostle to crave for reward when he suffers martyrdom. Although, one may argue that his longing “to be with Christ” is reward oriented, but Paul resisted that temptation. In the end St. Paul tells us the only necessary thing: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (v.27a).

          Above all, in the first reading, we heard God say: “My ways are not your ways.” And the event that took place in the Gospel evidenced that fact. The men who worked all day long were paid a day’s wage, and the last hired worked an hour and received the same full day’s wage. Each of them was paid not what he earned but what he needed to feed his family. God is a Giver of gifts, He is generous. We need to imitate God’s generosity and loving kindness. Today in this Eucharistic celebration we have gathered around the altar of our Lord Jesus Christ and with humility like those last arrived workers of the parable, we are going to receive unmerited and undeserved blessings and favors, and we shall go home full of joy because of God’s generosity and kindness towards us. Jesus our Brother and Savior help us to worship you with a sincere heart and a generous spirit. And May the power of your Word dispel from our minds and hearts the tendency of the “first arrived workers”. Help us O Lord to be less of self and more of God. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC) 

Forgiveness Without Borders!

(Homily 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr-A)

     The readings of today center on the necessity of forgiveness in our rapport with God and with our brothers and sisters. The call and emphasis on forgiveness is grounded upon the fact that we are recipients of God’s mercy, and that we live under the forgiveness of God. The word “forgiveness” abounds in the readings of this Sunday. First of all, it talked about the forgiveness that God gives: “And the servant’s Master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt” (Mt. 18:27). Interestingly, the first reading talks of fraternal forgiveness, as a necessary condition for divine forgiveness: “pardon your neighbor any wrongs done to you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven” (Sir. 28:2). Thirdly, the evangelist talks about forgiveness without limits: “Then Peter went up to him and said, Lord, how often I must forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times? Jesus answered, Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times” (Mt. 18:21-22). Thus, we may well affirm that the measure of forgiveness is to forgive without measure. Above all, St. Paul in the second reading presents the motive of forgiveness, which is nothing but our belongingness to the Lord, for this he says: “For none of us lives for himself…while we are alive, we are living for the Lord” (Rm. 14:7-8). Indeed, forgiveness makes the impossible possible, it transcends the human logic. It is the life of heaven on earth. 

     The teaching of the first reading (Sir. 27:30-28-7) on the theme of forgiveness is close to the New Testament’s parlance on forgiveness. In this passage the sacred author not only placed the forgiveness of one’s neighbour as a necessary condition for God’s forgiveness, but he equally led bare the human condition of createdness: “remember the end of your life, and cease from enmity”. This is a reminder that we are pilgrims on earth and as such hatred and enmity are obstacles in our journey to the Promised Land. In synthesis, the central message of this passage is that it is in pardoning that we are pardoned. With the various questions the author raised on the reason we have to forgive others he led us to true introspection. Just like the Psalmist we cannot but say: “If you O Lord should mark our guilt who would survive (Ps. 130:3). Elsewhere, the Psalmist entered into a spiritual bargain with God, for he does not want to be only a recipient of God’s forgiveness he wanted to be a teacher too (object and subject): “Give me back the joy of your salvation; sustain in me a generous spirit. I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you” (Ps. 51:12-13).

     In the Gospel passage (Mt. 18:21-35) on the parable of the unforgiving servant, which is only found in the Gospel of Mathew, we see the typical phrase of St. Mathew: “My heavenly Father” (v. 35). At the heart of the parable is the rebuke of the refusal to show mercy on the part of those who have received mercy from God. The radicality of the moral of the Gospel is measured on the word pardon or forgiveness. It is a divine invitation that surpassed and overcome the famous lex talionis (law of retaliation) of the Old Testament: “Anyone who injures a neighbor shall receive the same in return, broken limb for broken limb, eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. As the injury inflicted, so will be the injury suffered” (Lv. 24:19-20). But Jesus brought about a revolution with his novelty on forgiveness. “You have heard how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer no resistance to the wicked. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well” (Mt. 5:38-39). The Gospels are full of stories of the forgiving attitude of Jesus: on the cross (Lk. 23:34); to the penitent thief (Lk. 23:43). Peter, having seen Jesus forgive others, and having experienced it in his own life, asks if there can be any limit to forgiveness. Jesus gives an answer to emphasize God's total love for his people. Jesus narrated the parable of the two debtors not just to illustrate the modalities of forgiveness, but instead to affirm its urgency and necessity. Therein we have three contexts: the master and the servant, the servant and his fellow servant, and again, the master and the servant. The master cancelled the debts of that servant, the debt of ten thousand talents. This reveals the enormity of man’s debt before God. Then what has man to give God in return? We have to show forgiveness to others as we have experienced it from God. For this the master said: “Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I have pity on you? (v. 33). I think this is the pivot of this passage. We are to pardon or forgive because we have been forgiven by God.

     Furthermore, in that passage Jesus teaches us in concrete terms, that we are all debtors before God, and this debt exceeds all the human possibility of payment. It is a debt we cannot pay. I remember the popular lyrics by Ellis J. Crum:

He paid a debt He did not owe

I owed a debt I could not pay

I needed someone to wash my sins away

And now I sing a brand new song

Amazing Grace

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

In God there is always space for pardon, acceptance and re-acceptance, and that is how he pays our impossible debt. Jesus gives us wonderful example of forgiveness in and with the figure of the Master in the Parable. And Jesus Christ is in person, the concrete expression of that parabolic Master, He says “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34). The most grievous debt of man before God is that of sin, the spiritual and moral retrogression and stagnancy before God’s designs and abandonment of God. God out of justice can leave man in his sinful actions, but He does not; rather He approaches man with mercy and forgiveness instead of justice. As in that parable, He “felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt” (Mt. 18:27). However, in the parlance of God, pardon begets pardon, the one who has experienced pardon from God, is called to carry out this divine gesture. Here, the person becomes an object and a subject of God’s forgiveness; in the measure he or she is able to give to others what he has received from God. In the passage of today’s Gospel more than any other place, man is called to be a collaborator and a dispenser of Divine Mercy and forgiveness. To pardon those that offended us and to receive pardon from the ones we have offended is the attitude that God expects from us. Interestingly, if God calls us to become subjects of his forgiveness and mercy, it suffices to say that the Church has to be a house of Pardon and a house of Mercy. The Church is the house and the instrument of God’s Mercy, and the sacrament of reconciliation is an existential experience of it.

     Again, what we are called to embrace is a generous pardon, without limits and measures, remember the word of God says “seventy times seven”. It therefore, has to be a pardon that has its inspiration from the pardon received from God. For this, the parabolic master asked: “Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?” (Mt. 18:33). As we read in the first reading, it is pardon or forgiveness that God wanted as a condition for us to be pardoned, “pardon your neighbor any wrongs done to you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven” (Sir. 28:2). The pardon or forgiveness we are talking about here has to be motivated by the filial sentiment that a Christian does not belong to himself, rather he belongs to the Lord. For this we have to hearken to the voice of St. Paul in the second reading, to know how to pardon from the heart (Rom. 14: 5-9). As such, it is a pardon that endures in time, leaving out every form of rancor, retaliation and resentment. For “if anyone nurses anger against another, can one then demand compassion from the Lord?” (Sir. 28:3).

     Forgiveness in the human eyes and logic is scandalous, because it requires conversion from the one who suffered the pain and not from the one who committed it. Notwithstanding, we must admit that forgiveness drains the poison and heals the wounds that rancor and hatred create in the human heart, it brings peace. It creates new hearts and new minds. We need to forgive and ask for forgiveness, for we hurt others and others hurt us. Forgiveness is necessary to maintain a healthy relationship and sincere love, be it, in the family, in the Church, in the work or business places and in our society at large. When forgiveness is sincere, it renews and becomes a factor for growth in love. Jesus himself observed this in the house of Simon: “There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he let them both off. Which of them will love him more? Simon answered, the one who was let off more, I suppose” (Lk.7:41-43).

     Humanly speaking, sometimes we find out that pardon or forgiveness is indeed tasking, difficult, and to some even impossible, for at times you hear expressions like: “over my dead body”, “I will never”. Of course, there is no gainsaying the fact that pardoning sincerely from the heart is sometimes very difficult, but not impossible. Once again, as we have seen in the readings of today, pardon is repeated like a refrain, as a condition to receive God’s pardon. And each time I or we pray the Lord’s Prayer, it reminds me of this evangelical truth. The Gospel with that parable of the two servant-debtors exemplified this. To the question of Peter: how many times will my brother offend me, seven times? In the parlance of Peter (the human parlance) seven times is already much. But Jesus responded No; I tell you seventy times seven, which entails forgiving always. For a true Christian there should be no limit, no measure and no condition to pardon or forgiveness. To forgive does not necessary mean to forget. One can pardon, but does not succeed in removing it from his or her memory. To forget or to cancel a wrong received from one’s memory is not within our power. But to forgive, Yes! To bear grudges, Yes! Because they depend on our will. To pardon, also does not mean keeping quiet to injustice and overlooking wicked and evil actions, we have to continue to fight for justice.

     On the other hand, one can argue that if we pardon in order to be pardoned by God, then we pardon because of our own interest, even though one may say that it is an egoistic interest. But this type of question springs from the human logic. But the most profound motive is found in the responsorial psalm: “He (God) forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases. He redeems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness… He (God) does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor repay us as befits our offences. As the height of heaven above the earth, so strong is his faithful love for those who fear him. As the distance of east from west, so far from us does he put our faults” (Ps. 103:2-4; 10-12). This instead should be the real profound reason and interest for pardon and mercy, the imitation of our heavenly Father, for this St. Mathew says “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). And St. Luke treading the same line of Mathew admonished, “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” (Lk. 6:36). The Beatitudes equally resonates the fact: “Blessed are the merciful, they shall have mercy shown them” (Mt.5:7). In the words of St. Augustine, we pardon in order to imitate the goodness and the mercy of God, to imitate his divine benevolence and comprehension, being conscious of the fact that like us, our brothers who offend us or err are poor, miserable, conditioned by many human factors and limitations. Secondly, in the parlance of St. Paul, the motive of this pardon is our belongingness to the Lord: “For none of us lives for himself…while we are alive, we are living for the Lord” (Rm. 14:7-8).

     The virtue and value of forgiveness were so much important and necessary in the preaching of Jesus that he presented a case where reconciliation and forgiveness worth more than our sacrifices or offerings: “If you are bringing your offering to the alter and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering” (Mt. 5:23-24). We must admit that forgiveness is a hard virtue to gain and maintain, and the difficulty can be felt in the question of Peter: “How many times must I forgive?” Forgiveness is not merely a question of how often or how many times, rather it reflects God's unending readiness to pardon us. There are no limits to His forgiveness. Today, as we hear these words of Jesus, we are like those who are bringing their offerings to the altar, to us therefore, the words of Jesus resounds and re-echoes: “go and be reconciled”. May these words accompany us as we go back home this morning and may Jesus give us the grace to be able to practice it. Lord Jesus enlighten our minds and enlarge our hearts, give us a big and a generous heart, that is ready to forgive always, in imitation of You, the manifestation of the Father’s Merciful Love. Amen!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

 

  

Brotherly Correction: A Show Of Love, Not Self-Righteousness!

(Homily 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr-A)

     The message of this Sunday presents two gems of fraternal correction and love within the context of a community or at the interpersonal level. The three readings above all else, are concerned with the obligations those within the believing community owe to each other. In that bid, we see that the first reading and the Gospel passage lay emphasis on fraternal correction, although from different dimensions. We may say that the first reading is about fraternal correction from the outside, while the Gospel is from the inside. In the first reading, fraternal correction from the outside, it is a member of the community (Ezekiel) who corrects the faults of others, which has nothing to do with him, it is part of the prophetic calling as commissioned by God. Then, the other dimension of correction as seen in the Gospel, from the inside, springs up as the result of the interpersonal or faith relationships and rapport between two persons and as such, has to lead to reciprocal forgiveness. As a matter of fact, brotherly or fraternal correction is a product of love, springing up from the quest for reconciliation and union. In the second reading, St. Paul addressing the Christians of Rome, affirms vigorously that “love is the fullness of the law”. Be that as it may, it is love that sets in motion the correction, forgiveness and reconciliation demanded by the other two readings.

     Our first reading (Ez. 33:7-9) emanates from a chapter in which Prophet Ezekiel sets down the prophetic responsibilities, as he envisaged after the restoration from the exilic experience. And in doing this he employed the use of images, and one of the images that he used to define the role of a prophet is that of a Watchman. Contextually, this was a familiar figure in the defense system of the Palestinians, at that time, there watchmen were posted on the hills against foreign invaders. A closer look at the chapter reveals that (vs.1-6) is a parable, while (vs. 7-9) as we read today is a sort of application of it in the prophetic role. Ezekiel preached as a prisoner in the territory of enemies and as such, he could warn that the real enemy is the enemy within and not the one outside. The enemy within is the real threat to life, and that enemy is sin, the abandonment of God. For this, using the image of a watchman or sentry he spells out duty of the sentry taking example from the figure of a watchman in the defense system of his people. A watchman stands apart on a tower and from there he notices everything and makes effort to understand the meaning of every movement around him, in order to identify signs of danger for his community. Similarly, the Christian community today must stand out as a sentry, thus she must be concerned about others and the dangers that threaten them and it is from this consideration we understand better the link between the first reading and the Gospel.

     Be that as it may, the prophet’s choice of the image of a watchman is in line with the Gospel which speaks of fraternal love, a task of a watchman. This image entails therefore that a prophet is commissioned by God to give brotherly correction to the people. For the word of God says “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me” (Ez. 33:7). On the other hand, he was also warned by God not to shy away from preaching and announcing the truth “if I tell the wicked man that he shall surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death” (Ez. 33:8). 

    The passage of today’s Gospel (Mt. 18:15-20) is taken from the context of Mathew’s discourse on the Church. Interestingly, at the beginning of that 18^th chapter of his Gospel, St. Mathew presents the response of Jesus to his disciples’ interrogation on who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? (Mt. 18:1) and concludes with the theme of fraternal correction introduced with the parable of the lost sheep (Mt. 18:12-14). It is important to note that “lost” or disorientation here evokes going out of the track, which is a characteristic of sin; thus, the lost sheep is a sinful member of the Christian community. To him or her we owe fraternal love and correction, not as an expression of superiority, but as sign of love for one’s neighbor as the book of Leviticus reminds us: “You will not harbor hatred for your brother. You will reprove your fellow-countryman firmly and thus avoid burdening yourself with a sin. You will not exact vengeance on, or bear any sort of grudge against, the members of your race, but will love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:17-18). This quotation indicates the quality of fraternal correction in the community of brothers. It is not simply about reproaching, revealing the errors or sins of the other, rather, it is about being the “brother’s keeper”. St. Mathew indicates two practical ways of practicing mutual love and healing wounds in the community, and among brothers: fraternal correction and common prayer.

     ●Fraternal Correction: Jesus says “if your brother does something, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves”. Thus, it takes place in private. The rule of Jesus is also valid in the family, between friends and in an atmosphere of work. “If your brother”, it could be if your wife, if your husband, if your son, if your daughter, if your employer, if your fellow worker, if your friend or if your fellow Christian does something wrong. In that bid, the “something wrong” may not be just an error against an individual, it could be against the community, something grave that can compromise the common good and welfare. And in such case, it is a disservice to keep silent; it is necessary to correct the brother or sister that errs. Fraternal correction is a true act of fraternal love. Although Jesus invites us to correct our brother who errs, it is not by any way an excuse or occasion to go in search of the sins or errors of others or to expose the defects of others in the public. However, the Gospel gives suggestions of the graduality and steps of and for correction: 1) It has to be done in private, with discretion in order to avoid defamation: “if he listens to you, you have won back your brother” (v.16). Here, Mathew used the verb “to win/gain” which indicates that truly your brother is a treasure. But if he does not listen… 2) The correction has to be repeated before one or two witnesses always in private. 3) If after the presence of witnesses he does not listen, then the case has to be entrusted to the Church or community. 4) And if he fails to listen to the community, he cannot be recognized as a brother in the faith, but as a “pagan” or a “publican”, as such, he is no longer in communion with the community.

     Here, we have a paramount question to grapple with: what does Jesus mean by a publican or a pagan? Or even better, is a publican or a pagan here, someone to be excluded and isolated? NO! Jesus’ praxis has to be a rule for us here, towards him or her you have to do as Jesus did, who sits and eats with the publicans (Mt. 9:10; Mk. 2:13-17), in order to announce the Good News of God’s tenderness. Jesus gave them gifts, as in the episode with the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:5-26), He called them and made them his disciples, remember the story of Mathew the tax collector (Mt. 10:3; Lk. 5:27). Remember also, the centurion whose servant was paralyzed (Mt. 8:5-13), with compassion Jesus healed the Gentile’s servant. That’s how Jesus treated pagans and publicans, we have to do the same. Forgiveness actually in Jesus’ parlance has no limit, indeed, forgiving your brother or sister, gaining him back is an act of eternity that is insinuated in an instant, in time. Forgiveness does not consist in a burst of emotion, but it is a decision. It does not come about as a sudden event, rather it is a journey. However, we have to practice this rule, not only in extreme cases, but also in our daily experiences of being together and co-existing. For this, the prophet reminds us in the first reading that we are “watchmen”, “Sentry” to each other. In all, it is necessary to note that fraternal correction has to be done with and in love, not with arrogance and disrespect or as a show of self-righteousness. Fraternal correction has to spring from the desire to do good to one’s brother or sister and bring him or her back to the community, not as a result of jealousy and hatred, with the desire to dominate and humiliate. The brother at the receiving end has to appreciate and welcome the courage of the brother, with humility, serenity and gratitude, instead of feeling offended, humiliated or wounded. If authentically practiced, fraternal correction can be a veritable way or medium of regenerating dialogue, trust and reciprocal love.

     ●Common Prayer: This is another way of practicing mutual love. A community of Christ’s faithful, as such, an assembly convoked by the same Voice, God Himself, cannot but gather together to put their voices together in response to the Greater Voice that calls. For in this gathering of the faithful for this purpose, faith is transformed into prayer. And for this prayer said or offered in the communion of brothers, Christ promises an extraordinary assurance “if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in Heaven” (v.19). He goes on to give reason for that: “for where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them” (v.20). A deeper reflection on the words of Jesus above reveals that his emphasis is not just on community prayer, but on a prayer offered in communion of mind and heart. It is a prayer of a reconciled community that lives in harmony and acceptance of each other.

     Furthermore, in today’s Gospel, we see the appearance of the word “ekklesia”, and this is the only place it appeared in Mathew’s Gospel, and Mathew’s tradition identified it with the word Church, ecclesial community. But in actual fact, when we talk about the Church, what do we mean? Indeed, what readily comes to mind is the concept of community. Church as a community of the faithful, Body of Christ etc., another expression is that of “communion”, the Church as a communion of brothers in faith, and this indicates a strong bond that unites believers in Christ, and as such their vocation is that of sharing and participation in the life of the Church. Still on the concept of Church, I would like to link it to the concept of “assembly”, which in Hebrew is connected with the word “qahal”, it comes from a root word “convoked” and it indicates a voice (that calls or convokes). This entails that the Church is an assembly convoked or called together by a voice (God himself).

     In today’s Gospel the phrase of evangelical empowerment is repeated: “binding and loosing”. In the original form, this tradition was obviously a saying of the Risen Lord, empowering his apostles. However, as it occurs in our passage today, by combining it to the concern for fraternal correction, Mathew’s tradition converted it to a Church rule, or better, rule for the ecclesial community. “In truth I tell you whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (v.18). Here, once again we take a leaf from Jesus’ praxis, we have to lose as Jesus loosed Lazarus from death (Jn. 11: 43-44), and Zacheaus from sin (Lk. 19:1-10), and whatever you bind, as He binds man and woman of every race and color to Himself.

     Furthermore, the concluding sentence of the Gospel is indeed worth reflecting on, as we have gathered today, Jesus says: “In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them” (vv.19-20). Now we are gathered in his name, He is therefore here in our midst. We also know that He will be with us in a special way through the Eucharistic consecration which will transform bread to His Body. However, this is not the presence we are talking about, but of another presence that we are experiencing here already, for the very fact that we have gathered in His name, to speak of Him, to the Father. In each one of us, Jesus makes himself present to the other. This is another presence we have to recognize and make it a reality in our daily life. So, if the Master is here and it is He who speaks to us, we have to assume a profound listening attitude before His words. Today, He speaks to us of fraternal correction, that is, how and what to do to win back a brother. The verb “to win” a brother here entails that he is a gain and a treasure and therefore the act of wining is an act of investing in the bond of fraternity and freedom.

     In the second reading (Rm. 13:8-10) St. Paul proposes the unique possible way for overcoming every eventual conflict between obedience and resistance, “The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is to fulfill the law” (v.8). This is equally valid in the fraternal correction between brothers. He went on to enlist some vices that wound true fraternal love: adultery, killing, stealing and covetousness. In the words of St. Augustine: “If you keep silent, keep silent by love: if you speak, speak by love; if you correct, correct by love; if you pardon, pardon by love; let love be rooted in you, and from the root nothing but good can grow. Love and do what you will”. Love is all!

     Above all else, the readings of today confront us with important prospects for our spiritual welfare: the need for a sense of individual responsibility in the journey of conversion. And the need for the consciousness that reconciliation with one another and with God is not entirely an individual concern, even though it concerns each individual, however, it takes place in and through the Christian community. My brothers and sisters, the clarion call by the psalmist as regards adherence to God’s word finds a fitting place in the context of today’s readings: “if today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”, and this voice here as it is suggestive of today’s message can come from your brother, sister, neighbor or the community. In all, the Ever-Present God continues to call us to heal the wounds hatred and division have created in our hearts and communities. May He heal our wounds so that we can heal the wounds of others. Amen!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)