SEVENTH SUNDAY (A) 20 February 2011Cantonese translation of the homily
For the last few weeks our Sunday Gospel readings have come from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This particular part of Jesus’ teaching is regarded as the core of all that he said. If you want the message of Christianity in a nutshell then read the Sermon on the Mount. You’ll remember that it began with the Beatitudes, a series of statements about those who will be blessed in the kingdom of heaven. It focused on the poor in spirit and those who mourn, the meek and those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart and the peacemakers. Of course, in pointing to these people Jesus was pointing to the attitude that should characterise the life of any of his followers.
We also heard a couple of weeks ago the encouraging words that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this saying, Jesus took his teaching a step further by telling his listeners that as his followers they were blessed in a particular way, and called to be of service to others. They shouldn’t hide their light under a bushel, but they should put it on a lamp stand where it would light up the whole room so that others could see. This is an important statement about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Yes, we do receive graces and blessings, but we receive them not just for ourselves but so that others might benefit and be encouraged.
This idea is taken further in today’s teaching from Jesus. He is calling us to a life of holiness. We need to think carefully about what a life of holiness might look like. It is easy to have an image of it as a life that is somewhat removed from the world, or a life where there are no problems or temptations, or perhaps even a life that is spent in deep prayer throughout the whole day. These are not necessarily the best images of holiness – nor do they fit with what Jesus described as a life of holiness. As we heard him today, a life of holiness comes about through a process of conversion. Often this means changing our attitude to certain things or behaving in a different way. He gives some examples.
The first example is revenge, and the system of payback. If we think about it, payback is not such an uncommon response. Often it is the response of a young child – it is a primitive response, almost instinctive. I’m sure we’ve all seen young children playing and suddenly one of them hits another one. The usual response is for the one who has been hit to lash out and hit back. We all know that this type of response is not confined to children and can also be evident in adult people and even in whole cultures. It is the law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus says we are capable of something better than this. But it requires a spiritual maturity to hold the attitude that Jesus calls for.
A second example is to walk an extra mile with someone who needs your help. It seems that the point here is that when we help someone else we should not do so grudgingly, but out of a sincere heart. I think we were all amazed last month during the floods in Brisbane to see the spontaneous outpouring of donations and aid to the victims. The news reports suggested that in Brisbane itself once the flooding had stopped and the clean-up started there were more volunteers willingly to go out to help the needy than it was possible to coordinate. This is surely an example of going the extra mile.
Jesus also gives a third example, namely to love your enemies. Just think of the confusion this must have caused among those who were listening to him. Often their whole identity had been described in terms of being the enemies of some other people of nation. Jesus challenges this. It is important to note what he is saying. Did you notice that he told them to pray for their enemies rather than hate them? Of course, when you pray for someone you turn to God and ask God to draw them into his righteousness.
This particular instruction to pray for enemies takes us right to the heart of all that Jesus has been saying in this teaching. The question we no doubt want to ask is why should we turn the other cheek or walk the extra mile or love our enemies. The basic answer is: because God has created all people. But more than this, Jesus is saying that no matter what happens God will remain faithful to his people. To seek revenge or to hate your enemies is ultimately to lose our faith in God and God’s promises. God has created them, like us, in God’s own image. We all have the capacity to love like God loves – to be holy like God is holy, to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
I think we should never pretend that these sayings of Jesus are easy. We can only fulfil them by becoming more like God. In fact, this is our life project; this is why we are on this earth. Yes, it is possible to grow in holiness! We’ll do it by listening carefully to Jesus and his teaching, and by opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit who pours into us the love of God. Above all, we need to be patient with ourselves, and know that God supports us in our endeavours to be perfect as he is perfect.
Fr. Gerard Kelly
