Homily of Seventh Sunday in
Ordinary Time Year A
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday
which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The readings of this Sunday
prepare us for the Lenten Season.
First reading: “The Lord said to
Moses, ‘Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I
the Lord, your God, am holy.’” Second reading: St. Paul wrote to the
Corinthians: “Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Gospel reading: Jesus said to
his disciples: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
In the Book of Genesis is the
account of how our all holy and all perfect God made human being in his image
and likeness. God breathed into human being his Spirit (Genesis 2:7). From
then, human being became the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in
human being. As the image of God and the temple of God, we are challenged to
live life that shows that we possess God’s Spirit, and that we are his dwelling
place. Since it is practically impossible to be holy and perfect as God, we are
invited to participate in God’s holiness and perfection. As the Collect of
Sixth Week prays, “That we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a
dwelling pleasing to you.” Let us briefly examine some of the challenges and
invitations in the readings.
“You shall bear no hatred for
your brother or sister in your heart” (first reading). St. John says, “Anyone
who hates a brother or a sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer
has eternal life residing in him” (1John 3:15). Just like anyone who looks
lustfully has committed fornication or adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28);
also, anyone who hates his brother or sister has murdered the brother or sister
in his or her heart. Hate which is an intense feeling or passionate dislike for
someone poisons the heart and leads to various evil and murderous behaviors.
The Spirit of God flees from a person who hates.
“Though you may reprove your
fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him” (first reading). St. Paul
advises us to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). St. Paul also says, “Teach
and correct each other wisely” (Colossians 3:16). It is no longer reprove or
admonishment when there is abuse and violence.
“Take no revenge and cherish no
grudges against any of your people” (first reading). Jesus does not limit this
command to one’s people but everyone. Jesus goes as far as nullifying the
Mosaic Law that permitted a protective and proportional vengeance or punishment
on an offender, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus
21:24), and the people’s practice of hating their enemy. Jesus says, “Offer no
resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you
over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into
service for one mile, go with him for two miles. … Love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you…” Jesus’ teachings such as these make
Christianity a very radical religion different from many other religions.
Sometimes, we have a hard time in
understanding what it means to offer no resistance, turn the other cheek, hand
over one’s cloak, and go the extra mile. We can understand the teaching in the
following five ways: (1) We are not to take the path of
violence. (2) We are not to take the path of revenge and retaliation
by repaying evil with evil, but treat those who hate us
kindly. (3) We are to take the path of peace and
reconciliation. (4) We are to forgive our offenders. (5) We
are to pray for our offenders.
Living out the radical teachings
of Jesus in our world infested with dishonesty, corruption, oppression and
violence, and where bad people do every imaginable and unimaginable evil to get
what they want is a big challenge to us. Does Jesus teach his followers to
surrender, succumb and submit to forces of evil and evil people in the name of
love, peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, and prayer? No.
At the beginning of this
reflection, we acknowledged that we are the temple of God and the Spirit
of God dwells in us. The Spirit of God in us is not “a spirit of fear, but one
of power, love and sound judgement” (2 Timothy 1:7). It is based on the sound
judgement that the Catholic Church states in Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes,
no. 79, “As long as the danger of war persists and there is no international
authority with necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the
right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.” Based on
lawful self-defense Jesus says, “One who does not have a sword should sell his
cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36). Jesus also says, “Behold, I am sending you
like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as
doves” (Matthew 10:16).
St. Paul encourages us, “Finally,
draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the
armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the
devil …, that you may be able to resist [and] hold your ground. So
stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a
breastplate, … And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17). Fortified in these
ways, we will be able to obey Jesus’ commandments of turning the other cheek,
offering one's cloak, and going the extra mile; but also able to contend with
the world infested with evil.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP
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