Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 26 October 2014
Shared Homily Starter
First Reading:
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Exodus 22.21-27
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Second Reading:
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1 Thessalonians 1.5c-10
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Gospel:
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Matthew 22.34-40
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Today's
Gospel sums up the Exodus chapters on the Law, which include today's
reading. In the First Reading, the author of Exodus presents just a
few ways we show love for our neighbour. If I were to contemporize
the first two, it would go something like this.
You
shall not exploit, oppress or make life difficult for immigrants and
refugees. Remember you or your ancestors were also once strangers to
this land. You shall not refuse the necessities of life to anyone.
Everyone should have security when it comes to their sustenance and
health, especially single mothers, children, the disabled and the
elderly.
In
Ecclesiastes (4.1), the author writes that he, “observed
all the oppression that goes on under the sun: the tears of the
oppressed, with none to comfort them; and the power of their
oppressorswith
none to comfort them.”
Now one biblical commentator translates the last part of this verse
as, “and
power rests in the hands of the oppressor, and there is no one to
comfort the poor.”1
However, elsewhere in the text the author of Ecclesiastes author
suggests that power and riches don't necessarily bring happiness or
even satisfaction. So I suggest what the scripture writer is saying
is that although power rests with the oppressors, it brings them no
comfort. More importantly, since by their oppression they have
probably alienated everyone, “there is no one to comfort them”.
This
brings us to the connections. If we love God with all our heart, and
with all our soul, and with all our mind, we act in concert with God.
We too, hear the cries of which, the author of Exodus speaks. When
Jesus says we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. It means were
are meant to comfort the powerful along with the poor. You might
say, why do the powerful need comfort. We have all heard the phrase
“power corrupts.” Those with power who oppress lend truth to the
phrase. Pope Francis said, “The corrupt one does not perceive his
own corruption. It is a little like what happens with bad breath:
someone who has it hardly ever realizes it; other people notice and
have to tell him.” The Pope continues saying “Corruption is an
evil greater than sin. More than forgiveness, this evil needs to be
cured." So we can look at comfort for the powerful in terms of
bringing them back to health. If they resist invitations to heal and
persist in their death promoting ways, they ultimately learn that the
single-minded pursuit of money and power is a lonely one. Therefore,
it is not God who smites them. They themselves commit spiritual and
emotional suicide.
Let's not forget that we are to love ourselves. Right relationships with God, our neighbour and ourselves; community prayer and liturgy and communal play, all help us to live the Great Commandment of today's Gospel. An excerpt from the Message of the Hopi Elders of Oraibi, Arizona, encapsulates what I've been saying.
There
is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that
there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the
shore. They will feel like they are being torn apart, and
they will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The
elders say we must let go of the shore, push off toward the middle of
the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See
who is there with you and celebrate.
At
this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all
ourselves! For the moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey
comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather
yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and
vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and
in celebration. We are the ones we have been waiting for.2
I
leave you with this question to ponder and if you would like to
please share your response. How
does celebration and communal play help you live the Gospel?
1Shapiro,
Rami. Ecclesiastes
Annotated and Explained.
Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Illuminations, 2010, p.39]
2The
Elders. “A Message from the Hopi Elders”. Oraibi, Arizona: Hopi
Nation
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