(Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (Sanskrit: वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम. from “vasudha”, the earth; “iva”, is ; and “kutumbakam”, family) is a Sanskrit phrase that means that the whole world is one single family.
The concept originates in the Vedic scripture Maha Upanishad (Chapter 6, Verse 72):
अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसां उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकंMichel DeVerteuil
ayam bandhurayam neti ganana laghuchetasam udaracharitanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam
Only small men discriminate saying: One is a relative; the other is a stranger. For those who live magnanimously the entire world constitutes but a family. - TK)
General Comments
Like last Sunday’s, today’s passage is built around a saying of Jesus. I would say about it what I said about last Sunday’s: it is a wisdom saying which the passage invites us to enter into with our feelings. Its truth should touch us so deeply that we are filled with gratitude, and also with humility as we realise that we do not live up to it – as individuals, as a Church and as communities. The saying then becomes a call to repentance.
The two sayings are similar in that they are both teachings on wholeness:
– last Sunday’s spoke of the wholeness which comes from recognising the sacredness of certain values – “giving to God what belongs to him”;
– this Sunday it is the wholeness which comes from recognising right priorities among our various obligations – “which is the greatest of the commandments”.
The passage is addressed to us as individuals in our various vocations – parents, community leaders, ministers of Church communities, spiritual guides and counselors; it is also addressed to us as the Church of our time.
As always we read Jesus’ saying, not merely as theory, but as testimony also. This was how he looked on life at this crucial stage of his journey, when he was in Jerusalem, facing the wrath of “the chief priests and elders” (mentioned explicitly on two previous Sundays), arrest and crucifixion. A good approach to interpreting the passage is to start with Jesus – what was in his mind when he said this? So too a sign that we have made a good meditation is that we celebrate Jesus (and all the people like him) who have touched our lives.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees represent the fragmentation which Jesus rejected – and calls us to reject – in favour of wholeness. As we saw last week, a sign that we have made a good meditation is that we feel compassion for them – we know where they are coming from.
The passage traces the journey to wholeness as a movement from a solid foundation (“the greatest commandment”) which leads to three consequences. The foundation is to put God in the first place, laying claim to our whole selves (“heart, soul and mind”). Once the foundation is set, three things fall into place:
– the neighbour
– ourselves– the “law and the prophets”.
Let us look at each stage of the movement.
– The foundation – God
We often find ourselves stressed by our many obligations. One day we realise our root problem: we have allowed obligations to become important in themselves, whereas they are important only because they are linked to a basic obligation – our commitment to God, the centre of all our lives. We celebrate that moment of insight.
In our meditation we must make sure to interpret “love” concretely. In our culture it has become vague – meaning many things and therefore nothing very precise. We need then to give it some “body” – meaning such things as “surrender ourselves to”, “put our trust in”, “choose to please”.
“All your heart, all your soul, all your mind”: we do not have to give each of these a separate meaning. A cumulative effect is intended – “your whole self”. The real stress is on “all” which means in the concrete “more than to any person, thing or cause”.
In fact, a good approach to the saying is to start by asking ourselves the question: “who (or what) do I love (surrender myself to, put my trust in, choose to please) more than any other?” That is God for me. The further question now is, “is this the true God, the Father of Jesus?”
– First consequence – the neighbor We then work our way “downwards”. Once God is first for us we will find that love of our neighbour becomes our “greatest commandment”. The two obligations “resemble each other”, meaning that we
now choose to give our whole selves to our neighbour,– spouse– children– community
– the human family.
We celebrate the Jesus (person, community, event, bible text, natural phenomenon) who led us to this wholeness.
– Second consequence – neighbour and self become one
An important area of fragmentation in our modern Western culture is individualism. This concept, which is at the heart of most modern institutions, says that our first obligation as human beings is to look after ourselves. Individualism affects the whole gamut of human relationships – between individuals, nations, ethnic groups, religions etc. It has even affected the life of our church.
Jesus, however, (like all Jesus-like people) totally rejects individualism and upholds solidarity instead. His position is that we and our neighbor are one person – our destinies are inextricably intertwined. As the passage says, when we love our neighbour we are loving ourselves. This integration is another secret of wholeness and we celebrate the Jesus who teaches it by word and example.– Third consequence – “the whole law and the prophets” fall into place
In Jesus’ time “the law and the prophets” referred to the Jewish ancestral tradition. We interpret it today of our own cultural traditions. The saying celebrates a time when we experience them as perfectly fulfilled (“hanging together”) in Jesus. This saying then rejects another source of fragmentation in our modern world (one which our Church has contributed to) – the concept that Western culture is superior to others. A sign that the people of Africa, Asia and Latin and Native America have come to “love” the Father of Jesus is that they reverence their “whole law” and their “prophets”.
Like last Sunday’s saying, this one is presented in the context of a story and identifying with the different characters can help bring the story to life for us – always on condition that we don’t look down on them but identify with them.As we have seen, the Pharisees and Sadducees represent us at the beginning of our journey to wholeness. We can however focus on the fact that they “got together” for the purpose of “disconcerting” Jesus; this is significant because the Pharisees and Sadducees were usually at odds. They therefore represent us when we are afraid to make the journey to wholeness and ally ourselves with anyone who will collaborate with us in running away from it.
We can also consider each separately as representing us when, like the invitees to the wedding feast, we reject the call to wholeness;
– the Pharisees’ learning had made them arrogant and complacent;
– the Sadducees were conscious of their standing in society and wanted to preserve it at all costs. Confronted with them, Jesus remains clear and focused because his priorities are right.
Lord, forgive us Christians that we have complicated your very simple message. Like the Pharisees, we have become very learned:
* we know canon law and all the laws of the Church;
* we have listened to all the wise people, both ancient and modern;
* we have studied the background to the books of the bible.
Like the Sadducees, we have influence in society and know how to exercise power.
But the upshot of it all is that we are never sure what we are to do
because one commandment is always in conflict with another,
and there is always some expert who disagrees with what we decide to do.
Thank you, Lord, for sending us Jesus.
In one instant he cleared away all the undergrowth we had allowed to cover up the truth
and we remembered that there is really only one commandment:
* that pleasing you is the only important thing in life;
* that if we seek your will only, we end up loving others and doing what is best for ourselves.
Then suddenly all the many laws and prophets fall into place.
Lord, we thank you for the great teachers who have touched our lives,
they were not learned like the Pharisees,
nor high class like the Sadducees,
but they taught us the basic lessons of life,
and ever since we have been able to put laws and prophets into proper perspective.
Lord, according to the philosophy of individualismthe greatest commandment is to look after ourselves,
to seek prosperity for our immediate families and for our countries.
To defend that commandment,
we quote scientists and doctors and lawyers,
allying ourselves with all sorts of people
with whom we do not normally associate.
Help us to be simple and uncompromising, like Jesus, showing that loving others is the same as worshipping you
as well as the only sure way of loving ourselves,
and that all laws and prophets must fall into line with this teaching.
*********************************************************
Thomas O’Loughlin
Introduction to the Celebration
Why have we gathered here? One answer is to assemble together to show our love for God and for one another – because the whole of the Christian way can be summed up in these two commandments. But let us pause and recall that we do not always love God with our whole hearts nor our neighbours as ourselves.
Homily Notes
1. How do we learn to be Christians? The answer is that we have to learn to behave in a particular way: the way of love. It was to establish the community that would live in this way that Jesus was sent to us by the Father; and it is to be the people who live in this way that we are called to belong to the church today.
2. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
3. This is what is commanded to each of us; but it is given as the greatest commandment of ‘The Law’ – and The Law was the most valuable possession of a community, a people. We are each called to love God and neighbour, but we do this not as loners but as part of a community. Then, with each practising love of God and neighbour, the community will be like a transmitter showing the love of God and the new way of life he calls us to live to all around us.
4. People should be able to spot us as Christians by the way we live long before they have found out what beliefs distinguish us.
****************************************************************
John Litteton
Gospel Reflection
It is always difficult when people ask us to put a list of items in order of preference. For example, deciding whether we like chocolate more than mints, or apples more than oranges, could take hours. Often in arguments, our opponents might pose a range of options which is almost impossible to answer, such as: Which is greater, your love for your spouse or your love for your children?
This is what the Pharisees thought they were doing when one of them, a doctor of the law, asked Jesus: ‘Which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ (Mt 22:36). We learn that, in asking this question, the Pharisee was trying to disconcert Jesus. So the Pharisees were hoping that, somehow, Jesus would make a mistake and say something that was incompatible with and offensive to the Jewish religion. Then they could use that against him.
They were jealous of his popularity with the crowds and they knew that they were dealing with a formidable teacher who could quote and explain the scriptures expertly. Surely now, they were thinking, Jesus would fall into the error of belittling at least some of God’s commandments by exalting one over another? We have probably all been in situations like this in discussions and debates, when we have been hard pressed to offer a satisfactory answer without compromising the faith or moral teaching in some way.
Jesus’ reply was simple and direct. First, he emphasized the first and greatest commandment to love God with our whole heart, soul and mind. Nobody could argue against that. The Pharisees must then have been waiting, hoping that a mistake was imminent. Then Jesus added that the second commandment is like the first: ‘You must love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mt 22:39). Next Jesus achieved a masterstroke. Instead of leaving it at that and, perhaps, allowing the criticism that the other commandments (forbidding theft, murder and adultery) are not so important, he added: ‘On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets too’ (Mt 22:40).
The cunning Pharisees must have been dejected. Not only did Jesus refute in advance any potential claim that he had diminished the importance of any of the commandments, but hc had included all the sayings of the prophets in his reply. The greatest of the commandments, which is to love God and neighbour, is the basis for every other law and every exhortation of the prophets who, over many centuries, had spoken about fidelity to God’s will.
The challenge for us is to reflect carefully on Jesus’ defence ol the truth. He did not shy away from the questions posed by the Pharisees, although he knew that they were being mischievous and trying to trap him. Let us resolve to answer honestly and thoughtfully the questions about our faith that are asked by family, friends and colleagues.
For meditation
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. You must love your neighbour as yourself. (Mt 22:37, 39)
*******************************************
Donal Neary SJ
The energy of true religion
‘To love God and love your neighbour7 – this is one of the most attractive of the sayings of Jesus. It is an encouragement to live fully with what brings the greatest joy in life – true love of God and the neighbour. It is at the heart of good religion, and what attracts many to Jesus.
Bad religion puts law above love. Bad religion fights for the partial truth of religion. We risk being victims of bad religion, just as we can be victims of bad nationalism, bad psychology or any other bad way of living. Jesus’ life was to propose good religion and to live by it. The religion of some of the Pharisees was bad, in that it was incomplete in its scope.We admire those who give energy in love and service. We are proud of people we know whose lives make a great and good difference to others. We know that our family and neighbourhood, parish and school, workplace and leisure time have been enriched by the self-sacrificing love of many people, young and old.
‘He gave it his all‘ – we say that of a good player at the end of a match. We say of parents that they “were always there for the children. May we give all we have in our lives, giving in love, knowing that all we give is itself a gift from God, the giver of all good gifts.
****
From The Connections:
THE WORD:
In this Sunday’s Gospel, as in last Sunday’s, the Jewish leaders seek to trip Jesus up. The question the lawyer poses was much discussed in rabbinical circles: Which is the greatest commandment? The Pharisees’ intention in posing the question was to force Jesus into a single rabbinical school, thereby opening him up to criticism from all other sides. Jesus’ answer, however, proves his fidelity to both the Jewish tradition and to a spirituality that transcends the legal interpretations of the commandments: the “second” commandment is the manifestation of the first. If we love the Lord God with our whole being, that love will manifest itself in our feeding of the hungry, our sheltering of the homeless and our liberating the oppressed.
HOMILY POINTS:
Jesus’ command to love our neighbor means seeing one another as we see ourselves: realizing that our hopes and dreams for ourselves and our families are the same dreams others have for themselves and their families.
Every one of us, at one time or other, is an alien, outsider, foreigner and stranger. The commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” is not confined to our “own” people or to a list of specific situations, but should affect every relationship we have and every decision we make.
As our society becomes more and more diverse, as science continues to make once unimaginable advances in all forms of technology, the ethical and moral questions we face become more complicated, difficult and challenging. The Great Commandment gives us the starting point for dealing with such issues: to love as God loves us – without limit, without condition, without counting the cost, completely and selflessly.
In our e-connected existence, the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel are especially challenging: to love with our whole heart and soul and mind requires us to “unplug” and be present to one another, to engage one another as our loving God is engaged with us, to seek not just images and perceptions of compassion but behold compassion and experience love in one another.
An eight-year-old boy had a younger sister who was dying of leukemia. His parents explained to him that she needed a blood transfusion and that his blood was probably compatible. They asked if they could test his blood. Sure, he said. The results showed that his blood would be a good match. Then they asked the boy if he would give his sister a pint of blood, that it could be her only chance at living. He said he would like to think about overnight.
The next day he went to his parents and said he was willing to donate his blood to his sister. So they took him to the hospital where he was put on a gurney beside his sister. Both of them were hooked up to IVs. A nurse withdrew a pint of blood from the boy, which was then put into the girl’s IV. The boy lay on his gurney in silence while the blood dripped into his sister.
The doctor came over to see how he was doing. The boy opened his eyes and asked, “How soon I until I start to die?”
****
ILLUSTRATIONS:
1: The inspiring six-word sermon: There is a
legend handed down from the early Church about John, the beloved disciple of
Jesus. Of the twelve original apostles, only John lived to a ripe old age. In
his later years, not only his body but also his eyesight and his mind began to
fail him. Eventually, according to the legend, John’s mind had deteriorated to
the point that he could only speak five words, one sentence, which he would
repeat over and over. You can imagine the high regard in which the early Church
must have held the last surviving apostle of Jesus. The legend says that every
Lord’s Day, John would be carried into the midst of the congregation that had
assembled for worship in the Church at Ephesus, where John spent the last years
of his life. Total silence would fall over the congregation, even though they
already knew what John was going to say. Then the old man would speak the
words, “My little children, love one another.” Over and over, he
would repeat them until he grew tired from talking, and no one yawned or looked
at his watch or gazed off into space absentmindedly. They listened as John
preached his five-word sermon over and over: “My little children, love
one another.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2: “Christians love one another.” In the second
century AD, a non-Christian named Aristides wrote to the Emperor Hadrian about
the Christians. He said, “Christians love one another. They never fail to help
widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If one of them has
something, he gives freely to those who have nothing. If they see a stranger,
Christians take him home and are as happy as though he were a real brother.
They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers
through the Spirit, in God. And if they hear that one of them is in jail or
persecuted for professing the name of their Redeemer, they give him all he
needs. This is really a new kind of person. There is something Divine in them.”
No wonder the non-Christians of the first century used tell one another, “See
how these Christians love one another.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
3: Love them anyway: In Calcutta, India, there
is a children’s home named Shishu Bhavan (Children’s Home), founded by Mother
Teresa. The home continues to be operated by her community, the Missionaries of
Charity. On the wall of the home hangs a sign which reads:
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
LOVE THEM ANYWAY.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
SUCCEED ANYWAY.
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow’
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.
BUILD ANYWAY.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.
Mother Teresa counsels her young charges that the challenges
offered by this sign can be met only if human beings are motivated by a love
and a respect for one another which looks beyond faults, differences, ulterior
motives, success and failure. Mother Teresa once said of herself, “By blood and
origin, I am all Albanian. My citizenship is Indian. I am a Catholic nun. As to
my calling, I belong to the whole world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to
the heart of Jesus.” (A Simple Path, Ballantine Books, New York: 1995).
It is this relationship of belonging and the loving service which grows out of
that belonging which the Scriptural authors called Covenant. (Sánchez Files)
Fr. Tony
4:Spousal love: One Sunday the pastor was finishing
up a series on marriage. At the end of the service he was giving out small
wooden crosses to each married couple. He said, “Place this cross in the room
in which you fight the most and you will be reminded of God’s commandment of
love and you won’t argue as much.” One woman came up after the service and
said, “You’d better give me five crosses.”
5: “How much would you give me not to love my big
sister?” A pastor was speaking to a Sunday school class about
the things money can’t buy. “It can’t buy laughter and it can’t buy love” he
told them. Driving his point home, he said, “What would you do if I offered you
$1000 not to love your mother and father?” Stunned silence ensued. Finally, a
small voice queried, “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?”
6: “I’m tired of you too.” An old couple was sitting
by the fireside. He looked over at her, had a romantic thought, and said,
“After fifty years, I’ve found you tried and true.”
The wife’s hearing wasn’t very good, so she said, “What?”
He repeated, “After fifty years, I’ve found you tried and true.”
“After fifty years, I’m tired of you too,” she replied.
24-Additional anecdotes
1) “Yes,” said God, “but not in My lifetime.” You
may not know it, but years ago Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy and Golda
Meir had a summit meeting with God. Each of them was allowed to ask one
question. “God,” asked Nikita Khrushchev, “do you think the U.S. and Russia
will ever have peace?” “Yes,” answered God, “but not in your lifetime.” Then
Kennedy spoke. “God, do you think there will be peace between blacks and whites
in our land and around the world?” “Yes,” replied God, “but not in your
lifetime.” Then it was the Israeli leader’s turn. “God,” she asked, “do you
think there will ever be peace between the Jews and the Arabs?” “Yes,” said
God, “but not in My lifetime.” Do you get the feeling, sometimes, that if there
is a third World War, it will not be over politics or over economics? Rather,
it will be over religion as it was in the Middle Ages when much of the killing
and torture and hatred in this world was done in the name of religion. Today’s
Gospel describes a confrontation between Jesus and the religious fanatics of
his day. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A HOLY WAR. The two words are a
contradiction in terms. Love of God and love for neighbor are oars of the same
boat. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2) “How can you say you love me?” Hasidic Rabbi
Levi Yitzhak of the Ukraine was fond of saying that he had learned the true
meaning of love from a drunken peasant. While visiting the owner of a tavern in
the Polish countryside, the rabbi overheard the conversation of two men seated
at a nearby table. Both had had a fair amount to drink and both were feeling
quite mellow. With their arms around one another, they were professing how much
each loved the other. Suddenly, the older of the two, Ivan, looked at his
friend and asked, “Peter, tell me, what hurts me?” Bleary-eyed but slightly
sobered by such a question, Peter looked at Ivan and answered with a question
of his own: “How do I know what hurts you?” Ivan’s response came quickly. “If
you don’t know what hurts me, how can you say you love me?” In today’s Gospel
Jesus teaches us that the most important commandment is to love God living in
others. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
3) Love God living in your neighbor: “In the
most striking finding, Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University Medical Center has
calculated that, with regard to any mainstream Faith, ‘lack of religious
involvement has an effect on mortality that is equivalent to 40 years of
smoking one pack of cigarettes per day.’” Further, “Another new study,
conducted mainly by researchers at the University of Texas, found that those
who regularly attended worship services lived an average of seven years longer
than those who never attended.” (The New Republic (July 19 &
26, 1999). Cited at tim@cybersalt.org (Tim Davis).) What can I say? Listening
to me each week is good for you! A healthy bank account and a healthy body will
take you a long way in our society. And if you have both, you are blessed
indeed. But neither will bring you any comfort if your own children hate you.
Neither will suffice for companionship if your neighbors avoid you. There are
plenty of lonely, rich, old people in this world who would give anything to be
loved. YOU AND I WERE CREATED FOR RELATIONSHIPS. It is built into every fiber
of our being. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
4) “Did you ask a good question today?” Isidor Isaac
Rabi, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, and one of the developers of the atomic
bomb, was once asked how he became a scientist. Rabi replied that every day
after school his mother would talk to him about his school day. She wasn’t so
much interested in what he had learned that day, but how he conducted himself
in his studies. She always inquired, “Did you ask a good question today?”
“Asking good questions,” Rabi said, “made me become a scientist.” In order to
ask a good question I think you need to have noble motives behind the question.
You have to want to know the truth. The Pharisees, by contrast, already had the
answers to their questions. They felt they already knew the truth. The
Pharisees come to Jesus once again with a question designed to do damage to the
reputation of Jesus. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
5) “I am not much of a judge of religion.” In
our nation’s archives there is an account of two ladies from Tennessee who came
before President Abraham Lincoln at the conclusion of the Civil War. They were
asking for the release of their husbands, held as prisoners of war at Johnson’s
Island. Lincoln put them off until Friday, when they came again. Again the
President put them off until Saturday. At each of the interviews one of the
ladies stressed to Lincoln that her husband was a religious man. After the
Saturday interview the President ordered the release of the prisoners. Then he
turned to this lady and said, “You say your husband is a religious man. Tell
him when you meet him, that I say I am not much of a judge of religion. In my
opinion, however, the religion that sets men to rebel and fight against their
government is not the sort of religion upon which people can get to Heaven!” I
think Abe was a pretty good judge of religion. Any religion that tells me that
I can hate or exploit or mistreat any person regardless of their race,
nationality or religion is not the kind of religion upon which people can get
into Heaven. Love for God, love for neighbor. They must forever be one (Gerard
Fuller in Stories for all Seasons). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
6) “You’re still you, and I love you.” “Actor
Christopher Reeves had everything–wealth, fame, fabulous health. He was one of
the most handsome, physically fit men in Hollywood. Then he fell from a horse.
And suddenly he was a quadriplegic. When he awoke from his accident, his first
thought was that maybe he should go ahead and die. But one thing stopped him
and gave him the will to live. His wife, Dana, spoke to him firmly, yet gently.
“I am only going to say this once,” she said. “I will support whatever you want
to do, because this is your life and your decision. But I want you to know that
I’ll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You’re still you, and I
love you.” Those words gave Christopher Reeves the strength to go on. [Jack
Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Mark & Chrissy Donnelly, and Barbara
DeAngelis, Ph.D. Chicken Soup for the Couple’s Soul (Deerfield
Beach, FL.: Health Communications, Inc., 1999), pp. 104-105.] There are times
in life when all of us wonder where we will find the strength to go on. Maybe
it will come from a spouse, or our offspring, or a friend. Other people are a
great source of consolation and comfort. But there will come a time when all of
us will have to lean on our ultimate Friend, God. There will be no one else who
can help. And why shouldn’t we turn to God? This is that for which He created
us –relationships. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
7) “No longer was Jesus only the handsome man.” One
day Ron was serving a hot meal at a soup kitchen. They were serving chili with
two pieces of buttered bread on that particular day. A man came through the
line who looked even more scruffy and broken than the others. Ron was
overwhelmed by his stench. “Like the pull of a magnet,” Ron recalls, “my gaze
went to the dirt and dried blood on his hands.” Before he realized what was
happening, the man clasped Ron’s hand in both of his. “Brother,” said the
scruffy man, “I love you. Thanks for being here.” “I’m glad you came,” Ron
replied after swallowing hard. Ron tried to smile as the man shuffled over to
one of the tables with his meal. The next man stepped up. As Ron handed him a
bowl of chili, a little of the chili spilled on Ron’s hand. Without thinking he
licked it off. Then it hit him. That was the hand the other man had just
clasped! Ron momentarily froze, repelled to think that he had licked something
that smelly, dirty man had just touched. It was a moment of revelation for Ron.
“The light of awareness changed my vision and my heart warmed with new
understanding,” Ron says. “No longer was Jesus only the handsome man I had
pictured in my mind and seen in paintings,” he continued. “Now he had a
scarred, stubbled face and fingers stained yellow; he was dirty, he smelled
bad, and he wore cast-off clothes. I had just served him chili and bread.” [Ron
DelBene, From the Heart (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1991), pp.
32-33.] There’s a reason we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we love
God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves, we
experience the risen Christ. v
8) “He is going to get his hand blown off.” Charles
L. Allen, in God’s Psychiatry, tells about a scene from Amos
and Andy. “There was a big man who would slap Andy across the chest whenever
they met. Finally, Andy got enough of it and said to Amos, ‘I’m fixed for him.
I put a stick of dynamite in my vest pocket, and the next time he slaps me, he
is going to get his hand blown off.’ Andy had not reasoned that at the same
time he would get his heart blown out.” When we refuse to love our neighbor, we
blow out our own heart. It all goes together. The brotherhood of people can
become a reality only when we have the fatherhood of God. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
9) Self-hate leading to suicide: In an average
year in the United States, 22,000 people kill themselves, and 100,000 more try.
The real cause for such attempts, say the psychiatrists, is a sense of guilt
and a desire to punish oneself. G. K. Chesterton says the great lesson of
“beauty and the beast” is that a thing must be loved before it is loveable. If
we are God’s creation, and if we are created like God because He loves us, we
must think well of ourselves. We are well-made, we are God’s handiwork and we are
created like our Creator. There is an important message here – we are to love
ourselves. In a day when self-worth is low, in a time when so much
introspection is encouraged, and when human nature is looked at with suspicion,
we need to say boldly – we are God-made! And let’s remember, God makes us well.
It would be blasphemy to hate ourselves, since God is our Creator. Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
10) “That was John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” The story is
told of an East Coast fishing village that was nearly destitute. The
townspeople decided to hold a meeting in an attempt to resolve their
complicated problems. A stranger showed up to the meeting, and he tried several
times to speak. But there was a bit of community prejudice in that town, and
the visitor was interrupted each time he opened his mouth. The locals didn’t
care for an outsider to become involved. A latecomer to the meeting showed up
just as the visitor was leaving, and they passed each other in the entrance.
The latecomer asked, “What was he doing here? Did he offer help? Is he going to
aid us?” Not knowing what to make of this, the members of the assembly asked if
he knew who the stranger was. The latecomer replied, “I saw his boat docked in
the harbor. That was John D. Rockefeller, Sr.!” They ignored the one person who
had the resources to help them. How often God comes to us, but we do not
recognize Him or receive Him! Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
11) That’s loving God. An old Russian woman lay
on a sofa. Multiple sclerosis had twisted her body almost beyond recognition.
The simplest tasks had become almost impossible for her. Corrie Ten Boom
visited her at night, using the cover of darkness to escape detection by the
Lithuanian authorities. Corrie kissed the woman’s wrinkled cheek. The old woman
could respond only by rolling her eyes and smiling because the atrophied
muscles in her neck would no longer allow her to move her head. The only part
of her body she could still control was her right hand. With her gnarled
knuckles she stroked Corrie’s face. Corrie reached up to take her hand, and
kissed her index finger–for a special reason.
The routine was the same every morning as the old lady’s husband propped her
into a sitting position on the sofa. A battered old typewriter was placed on a
little table in front of her. Every day the old woman would begin to type. She
could only use that one index finger to peck out the letters. This woman served
God by translating Christian books into Russian. It was slow going–sometimes
only typing a page or two a day but this was her way of loving God. She typed
portions of the Bible as well as some of the books of Billy Graham and other
Christian witnesses. The woman’s attitude was extraordinary. She saw her
sickness as a prerequisite, not a detriment, for the work she did. Every other
Christian in the city was watched by the secret police. But because she had
been sick for so long the police took no interest in her, and she could work
undetected spreading the Good News of Jesus to a people who were starving for
good news.
“Not only does she translate these books,” her husband told Corrie, “but she
prays while she types. Sometimes it takes a long time for her finger to hit the
key, or for her to get the paper in the machine, but all the time she is
praying for those whose books she is working on.” [Annie Chapman, Smart
Women Keep It Simple (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1992),
pp. 151-152.] That’s loving God. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
12) “Don’t be foolish! You were my guest.” There
is a Jewish story about a Mr. Kleinman who finds himself alone in a strange
town on the Sabbath. He goes to the local synagogue. After services, a Mr.
Putterman comes over and invites Mr. Kleinman to be his guest for the evening.
They go to Mr. Putterman’s home. Mr. Kleinman takes a beautiful hot bath with
scented soap, and dries himself with fluffy towels. They have a delicious meal.
Afterwards Mr. Kleinman falls asleep on a comfy bed with fresh sheets. In
short, for the entire Sabbath the Puttermans treat Mr. Kleinman like royalty.
Now, it’s time to go. Mr. Kleinman says, “This was a delightful Sabbath. Thank
you so much. What can I do to repay you?” And Mr. Putterman presents Mr.
Kleinman a bit of paper on which is written: “Warm bath, six dollars. Two cakes
of soap, four dollars. Clean towels, three dollars. Full dinner, twenty dollars.
Overnight lodging, forty dollars. Fresh sheets, three dollars. Total:
Seventy-six dollars.” “You’re charging me?” asks the incredulous Mr. Kleinman.
“Certainly,” replies Putterman. “But you invited me!” Kleinman protests. ” I
was your guest! I’ve never heard of such a thing! This is outrageous!”
“Nevertheless, if you could just settle up,” says Putterman. “I will do no such
thing!” Kleinman responds. “All right,” sighs Mr. Putterman. “Let’s not argue.
Let’s take this case to the rabbi and let him decide.” “That suits me fine,”
says Kleinman and off they went to the local rabbi. In the Rabbi’s study
Kleinman lays out his case. The rabbi listens and strokes his beard. When
Kleinman finishes he asks Putterman, “Do you have anything to add?” “No,” says
Putterman, “It happened exactly as Mr. Kleinman described.” “In that case,”
says the rabbi, “based on numerous Talmudic precedents and on similar cases
found in the Reposa, it is my decision that Mr. Kleinman should pay Mr.
Putterman.” Kleinman is dumbfounded. Still a rabbi had heard, a rabbi had
considered and a rabbi had reached a decision. The two men thanked the rabbi
and left. Outside, Mr. Kleinman begins counting out his money. “What are you
doing?” asks Putterman. “I’m going to pay you,” says Kleinman. “Don’t be
foolish,” says Putterman. “You were my guest. I was honored to have you spend
the Sabbath with me. I hope you’ll come again.” “But you gave me a bill,” says
the confused Kleinman. “We had a dispute; a decision was rendered.” “Oh, that!”
says Putterman. “I just wanted you to see what kind of schmuck we have for a
rabbi.” (The Jewish Humor List, 5, pp. 140-41) The lawyer who came to
Jesus probably didn’t really want to know Jesus’ views on the great
Commandment. He simply wanted to show him up as a schmuck, as a fraud. Imagine
how surprised the lawyer was when Jesus answered his question in such a way
that Jesus’ authority could not be denied. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
13) “That’s how God works.” There is a story about a young
woman who was in great distress because she had lost a sense of God in her
life. She complained to her elderly grandmother, “Why doesn’t God let me
feel His presence? If only I could feel Him and know that He has touched
me.” Her grandmother said, “Pray to God, right now. Close your eyes
and pray to him. Ask Him to put out his hand and touch you.” The
girl closed her eyes and prayed fervently. Then she felt a hand on her
hand. “He touched me. He touched me,” she cried out. Then she
said, “You know, his hand felt just like your hand.” “Of course it was my
hand,” her grandmother said. “That’s how God works. He takes the
hand that is nearest and uses that.” (Fr. Pellegrino). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
14) “The fire, Lord, not the scrap heap”: Arthur
Godfrey, the radio and early TV star, used to keep a sign that read: ‘”The
fire, Lord, not the scrap heap.” He said the sign reminded him of a story about
a blacksmith who suffered much illness but still maintained a strong Faith in
God. When an unbeliever asked the blacksmith how he could keep trusting God in
spite of his illness, he replied: “When I make a tool, I take a piece of
iron and put it into the fire. Then I strike it on the anvil to see if it can
take temper. If it does, I can make a useful article out of it. If not, I toss
it on the scrap heap.” When we suffer because of love, we can rejoice because
we know that God is using us (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
15) “You must be related to Him!” Just before
Christmas, there was a boy who was wandering through a shopping complex. He was
admiring the colorful display of the Christmas gifts. A lady closely watched
him moving from one shop to another. Realizing the poverty of the boy, she took
him inside the shop and showed him the Christmas tree and explained him about
the meaning of Christmas. “God loves us,” she said, “And to save us from our
sins. He was born in a manager as little babe.” Then she bought him a set of
new clothes and a pair of shoes, along with some Christmas gifts and a candy
and some refreshments. The little boy was thrilled. As she led him out of the
shop, he looked at her and asked her, “Are you God?” “No,” she replied, “I am
only one of His children.” “Ah! Said the boy, “I knew that somehow you were
related to Him.” (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by
Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
16) “I have broken the commandment of men…” In
the time of the desert monks, there was an abbot by the name of Moses who had a
great reputation for holiness. Easter was approaching, so the monks met and
decided to fast the entire length of Holy Week. Having come to this decision,
each monk went off to his cell to fast and pray. However, about the middle of
the week, two wandering monks came to visit the cell of Abbot Moses. Seeing
that they were starving, he cooked a little vegetable stew for them. To make
them feel at ease he took a little of it himself. Meanwhile the other monks had
seen the smoke rising from the abbot’s cell. It could mean only one thing –he
had lit a fire to cook some food. In other words, he had broken the solemn
fast. They were shocked. And in the eyes of many of them, he fell from his
pinnacle of sanctity. In a body they went over to confront him. Seeing judgment
in their eyes, he asked, “What crime have I committed that makes you look at me
like this?” “You’ve broken the solemn fast,” they answered. “So I have,” he
replied. “I have broken the commandment of men, but in sharing my food with
these brothers of ours, I have kept the Commandment of God, that we should love
one another.” On hearing this, the monks grew silent, and went away, humbled
and wiser. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies;
quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17) Greater love than this…There was an article
written in Time magazine years ago, about an airplane suddenly
crashing into the sea. The writer claimed that it was one of America’s
worst tragedies because of the large number of lives that were lost. It was
also America’s hour of heroism. Immediately on hearing of the crash,
several rescue operations were set into motion and the rescue workers, saved
many survivors. There were several heroes who distinguished themselves that day
by their life-saving action. The first heroes were the rescue workers, and when
they were later interviewed on TV, they were asked one question: “Why did you
risk your life?” They said that it was their job, and they were expected to do.
These rescue workers perhaps symbolize people who will do things if it is their
job. “If it is not my job then I will not lift a finger to help.” The second
hero was one of the passengers, who was rescued and was being taken to the
lifeboats. He noticed a lady drowning, dived into the waters, and
pulled her to the safety of the lifeboat. When asked later why he had risked
his life he replied: “She called out to me and asked for help so I had to
help.” The hero could perhaps represent people who will do things if they are
asked. “If you want my help, ask for it!” The third hero was also one of the
passengers of the ill-fated plane. After the tragedy struck, he found himself
floating among the debris. Fortunately, one of the rescue helicopters noticed
him and lowered a halter, which he grabbed and held on to. He could easily have
saved himself but he saw a young lady drowning and he quickly put the halter
around her and the helicopter was able to rescue her. Soon the helicopter came
again and once again the man grabbed the lifeline. Instead of helping himself,
he looked around and noticed another old lady struggling and got the halter
around her and she was rescued. Six times the man had a chance to save himself
but six times he gave the lifeline to another, who, he felt, had a greater
need. The seventh time when the helicopter came to the spot where the man had
been floating, he was gone! History will never know who exactly this heroic
passenger was, but he symbolized what Christ meant when he said: “Greater love
than this no man has, than that he lays down his life for a
friend!” (Quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) Film: Father Damien: The Leper Priest: Father
Damien: The Leper Priest is a movie made for television. The program
dramatizes the story of Fr. Damien who came from Belgium to the
Hawaiian island of Molokai in 1873 to serve the lepers
there until he too contracted leprosy and died in 1889. At that time in
history, the colony of Molokai was a dumping ground for lepers and it
was like a death sentence to be put there. There was little law and order,
medical help and supplies were non-existent, and housing and sanitation were so
bad that the island seemed like a sewer. At first Fr. Damien found the lepers
repulsive. But as he suffered with them, struggled with them and served them,
he overcame his revulsion towards the lepers and developed deep feelings of
love for them. Fr. Damien dedicated almost two decades of his life to the
lepers because he believed that in doing so he was demonstrating both his love
for God and for his neighbour. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted
by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19) On Hospitality: A man
attending a crowded Church service refused to take his hat off when asked to do
so by the ushers. The preacher was perturbed too, and after the service told
the man that the Church was quite happy to have him as guest, and invited him
to join the Church, but he explained the traditional decorum regarding men’s
hats and said, “I hope you will confirm to that practice in the future.” “Thank
you,” said the man. “And thank you for taking time to talk to me. It was good
of you to ask me to join the congregation. In fact, I joined it three years ago
and have been coming regularly ever since, but today is the first day anyone
ever paid attention to me. After being an unknown for three years, today, by
simply keeping on my hat, I had the pleasure of talking to the ushers. And now
I have a conversation with you, who have always appeared too busy to talk to me
before!” –- What do we do to make strangers welcome? Are we too busy that we
have no time to keep the greatest commandment? (Anonymous; quoted
by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20) Topping the List: There is an immortal
song written by an English poet, Leigh Hunt about a man named Abou Ben Adhem.
Abou Ben Adhem woke from his sleep one night and saw in his room an angel
writing in a book of gold the names of those who love God. “Is my name one of
those in your book?” inquired Abou. “No, Not so,” replied the angel. “I pray
you, then,” said Abou, “Write me as one who loves God’s fellowmen.” The
following day the angel came again and displayed the names of those who love
God, and Abou Ben Adhem’s name topped the list. This story makes the point that
true love of God and true love of our fellowmen are two sides of the same coin.
One cannot exist apart from the other. That is what we find in today’s Gospel.
(John Pichappilly in The Table of the Word; quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) Savior Heroes: Years ago, there was a
movie called Little Lord Fauntleroy. It was about a seven-year-old
boy who went to live with his grandfather, a wealthy man who had many people
working under him. The old man was basically selfish and mean. But the little
boy idolized him so much that he couldn’t see this. He thought his grandfather
was generous and kind. Over and over he would say to him, “Grandfather! How
people must love you! I’ll bet they love you almost as much as I do.” The
little boy’s love gradually softened the old man’s heart, and he became the
kind of person his grandson thought him to be. This story is like a parable of
Jesus. It shows how his love for us can change us and give us the power to
become the kind of loving people he sees we can be. -Arthur Godfrey, the early
TV star, used to keep a sign that read: ‘The fire, Lord, not the scrap heap’.
He said the sign reminded him of a story about a blacksmith who suffered much
illness but still maintained a strong faith in God. When an unbeliever asked
the blacksmith how he could keep trusting God in spite of his illness, he
replied: “When I make a tool, I take a piece of iron and put it into the
fire. Then I strike it on the anvil to see if it can take temper. If it does, I
can make a useful article out of it. If not, I toss it on the scrap heap.” When
we suffer because of love, we can rejoice because we know that God is using us. (Mark
Link in Sunday Homilies). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
22) Neighbor and self: God’s way of saying thank you? Bill
was the head of an engraving firm in New York City. He and his wife, Billie,
wanted very much to have a family. Several years after their marriage, when it
seemed as though God intended them to be childless, they adopted a baby boy.
After a while they decided that they should adopt a girl, too. Among those
available for adoption, there was one sweet child who had a cardiac disorder.
Because of the ailment, the physician who examined the little girl advised
against taking her. To the doctor’s amazement, Bill disagreed. “No,” he said,
“we’ll adopt her anyhow. A daughter of ours might have been born with the same
condition.” After sixteen years of marriage, Bill and Billie welcomed a third
child into their family circle. This baby was their own flesh and blood…. God’s
way of saying thank you? The second commandment is like the first: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39. Gospel of the day). (Father
Robert F. McNamara) Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
23) “Love me, love my rag dolls.” There
is a natural, logical kind of loving that loves lovely things and lovely
people. That’s logical. But there is another kind of loving that doesn’t
look for value in what it loves, but that creates value in what it
loves. Like Rosemary’s rag doll. When Rosemary was three years old, she was
given a beautiful little rag doll, which quickly became an inseparable
companion. She had other toys that were intrinsically far more expensive, but
none that she loved like she loved the rag doll. Soon, the rag doll became more
and more rag and less and less doll. It also became more and more dirty. If you
tried to clean the rag doll, it became more ragged still. And if you didn’t try
to clean the rag doll, it became dirtier still. The sensible thing to do was to
trash the rag doll. But that was unthinkable for anyone who loved Rosemary. If
you loved Rosemary, you loved the rag doll too — it was part of the
package. “Love me, love my rag dolls,” says God, “including the
one you see when you look in the mirror. This is the first and the greatest
commandment.” ( Fr. Lakra). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
24) “I wouldn’t do that for £1,000.” Once a
British journalist visited Kolkata, India to see the works of the Sisters of
the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. He went to their old-age
house at Kali-ghat Temple and watched an attractive young Nun dressing the
wounds on a man with gangrene in his leg. The journalist was appalled by the
very sight of the wound, but at the same time he was full of admiration for the
young nun who seemed to show no disgust as she was cleaning the suppurating
wound. “I wouldn’t do that for £1,000,” said the
journalist. “Neither would I,” said the Nun, “I do it
for love.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) (L/20)
“Scriptural Homilies” Cycle
A (No. 56) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com
Visit my website by clicking on http://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed
or previous Cycle A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult
Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question
of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies under
CBCI or Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican
Radio website- http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which
completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020) Fr. Anthony
Kadavil, Chaplain, Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor,
1655 McGill Ave, Mobile, AL 36604
In order to ask a good question I think you need to have noble motives behind the question. You have to want to know the truth. The Pharisees, by contrast, already had the answers to their questions. They felt they already knew the truth. How many times have we had it in for someone, asking a question designed to trap them? We do it to our loved ones all the time. In a moment like this we are not trying to learn; we are trying to injure.
The Pharisees come to Jesus once again with a question designed to do damage to the reputation of Jesus. And once again Jesus proves he is equal to the task. Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Now, even though this question was used to test Jesus, it is nonetheless an important question. Perhaps in the life of Israel at that time it was THE most important question. But Jesus had a question of his own. A question, which signified that the times were changing; a new theological season had come. He put this question to the same Pharisees who had tested him: "What do you think of the Messiah. Whose son is he?"
These were the two most important questions of that era and my friends they are the two most important questions of our time. Let us consider...
2. What Do You Think of the Messiah?
Two Hands
We like things short and sweet. Network television news has time only to hit the high spots and to show us a few pictures, but it gives us the big picture in a few minutes. We like that.
I used to have to sit through weekly staff meetings. Sometimes they would go on for two hours, because everyone wanted to have their say. Then we got a new boss who limited each of us to one overhead slide. Each slide had about ten lines, so each person could show us the status of ten programs -- max. We had to code each program green, yellow, or red. Green meant that everything was o.k. Yellow meant that there was a problem. Red meant, "The sky is falling!" Furthermore, we weren't to ramble. Stand up! Speak up! Shut up! Sit down! I loved it, because we got through the meetings quickly, and I could get back to work.
That's what the lawyer said to Jesus -- Give it to me in a nutshell. At least, we think that's what he meant. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Do you know, or should I call Pew Research?"
Richard Niell Donovan, In a Nutshell
______________________________________
The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing--to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints.
***
