September 5, 2016
Editor’s note: Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C) on September 7 and 8, 2013, at then-Blessed John XXIII University Parish and Holy Ghost Parish, both in Knoxville, TN. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Wisdom 9:13-18b; Psalm 90; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33.
This homily was originally delivered on September 7, 2013.
This is one of those days when the Scripture readings seem especially relevant to our current events. As most of you know, the country of Syria has been wracked by violence for the past two years as rebel groups try to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian military has apparently used chemical weapons against the rebels, and the Geneva Convention of 1925 declared that chemical weapons are unacceptable even in situations of war, because they kill all people in their path, including civilians. The United States Congress is set to vote in the next day or two on whether to authorize a military strike to try to deter Syria from using chemical weapons again. Nobody expects these airstrikes to change the political situation on the ground, but leaders in both political parties are arguing that such a heinous crime cannot go unanswered.
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus uses an analogy that sounds eerily related to the current debate: “What king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.”
In Syria, we face a problem in which there appears to be no solution. In our second reading today, St. Paul also faces a problem without an easy solution: he wants Philemon to treat his returning runaway slave Onesimus as a Christian brother, but Paul doesn’t want to bring unnecessary scrutiny on the Christians of Colossae for disregarding the social norms of how masters typically treat their slaves.
What should we do when there’s no clear solution to a vexing problem? The answer lies in our first reading and our psalm: realize that our refuge is in the Lord, and we must await the Lord’s wisdom.
As we await the Lord’s wisdom, let us ask God to shower mercy upon all the people of the world.
Wait a minute. Is Jesus literally asking us to hate our parents, siblings, spouses, and children? No. Scripture scholars say two things about this troubling use of the word “hate” by Jesus. The first is that Jesus is using hyperbole. He is exaggerating something to grab our attention. The second is that the passage as a whole makes clear that Jesus does not want other things to get in our way of being disciples. “You cannot be my disciple,” says Jesus, “if you do not take up your cross. You cannot be my disciple if your material possessions and family relationships distract you from following me.”
Jesus has now been on his way to Jerusalem for five chapters of the gospel of Luke. At this point, it must be clear to those traveling with Jesus that they have to relinquish control of their schedules and plans if they are to literally follow Jesus. And this is a good weekend to talk about letting go of control.
First of all, Thursday was the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The order that she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, cares for refugees, ex-prostitutes, the mentally ill, sick children, abandoned children, lepers, people with AIDS, the aged, and the dying in some of the poorest places in the world. But when you get down to it, what did Mother Teresa do to change the world? She didn’t eradicate any of the causes of poverty and neglect in society: the poor are still dying in the gutters of Calcutta. And yet she had a profound impact on the entire world. When I was growing up, people from all walks of life would compare and contrast their own lives to the life of Mother Teresa in casual conversations. She was the standard that people used for the human capacity to love, to work tirelessly for the poor, to be… saintly. She recognized that her gift was not to eliminate poverty, but to care for the people caught in the ravages of poverty. She lived what she said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa recognized what was beyond her control.
Thursday was the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death, but Friday was an exciting new beginning for the Paulist Fathers. Jimmy Hsu, a young Taiwanese man from Plano, Texas, made his profession for life to the Paulists. He was ordained a transitional deacon yesterday, and he’ll be ordained a priest next May. On one level, a lot of people ask why a young man would become a religious priest today, to live a life of simplicity, to be moved around the country every few years, to sacrifice the opportunity to raise a family. And yet I am convinced that God has great plans for Jimmy for decades to come. Jimmy is willing to let go of control, to let himself be an instrument of the gospel wherever God sends him.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and Jimmy Hsu of Plano exhibit the wisdom of today’s first reading and psalm. They recognize that the world is full of situations beyond their control, and that they do not have the skills and insights to fix the problems of the world. Nevertheless, they take refuge in the LORD. They hope, by trying to live out God’s mission, that they will receive counsel from the LORD so that, quote, “the paths of those on earth [are] made straight.”
And so, we come to the situation in Syria. The most concise explanation I’ve seen of what the United States can do to influence the outcome of the conflict comes from Max Fisher of The Washington Post. A few days ago, he wrote:
“The military options are all bad. Shipping arms to rebels… would ultimately empower jihadists and worsen rebel in-fighting, probably leading to lots of chaos and possibly a second civil war. Taking out [President] Assad somehow would probably do the same, opening up a dangerous power vacuum. Launching airstrikes or a “no-fly zone”… probably wouldn’t make much difference on the ground. An Iraq-style ground invasion would, in the very best outcome, accelerate the killing… and would require the United States to impose order for years across a country full of people trying to kill each other.… [T]here’s no indication that either [the Assad regime or the rebels are] interested in [a peace deal], or that there’s even a viable unified rebel movement with which to negotiate.”
Even though most of the nations of the world abhor the use of chemical weapons, the international community is skeptical that U. S. military action will advance the cause of peace. Christian leaders inside Syria are pleading that the U. S. not intervene militarily, but offer humanitarian assistance instead. The situation is beyond the control of the United States, but leaders in both political parties are afraid to admit that. What do we do?
Pope Francis has devoted as much energy to the Syrian crisis this week as the Obama administration. But in the face of a situation beyond our control, he has a different course of action. He has called on all people of the world to fast and to pray for peace in Syria. He has spoken forcefully to a wide array of political leaders – including Syrians, Russians, and Americans – deploring the use of violence as a way to try to stop an already atrociously violent situation. We must not be distracted from our Christian discipleship. We cannot do great things, but we can follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, with great love. Our refuge is in God, not in military superiority. Or, as Francis powerfully preached yesterday at the Vatican:
“Is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God…, I say: Yes, it is possible for everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it! My Christian faith urges me to look to the Cross. How I wish that all men and women of good will would look to the Cross if only for a moment! There, we can see God’s reply: violence is not answered with violence, death is not answered with the language of death. In the silence of the Cross, the uproar of weapons ceases and the language of reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace is spoken. This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions, and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: violence and war are never the way to peace! Let everyone be moved to look into the depths of his or her conscience and listen to that word which says: … stay your hand, rebuild the harmony that has been shattered; and all this achieved not by conflict but by encounter!”
In the past two years, over one hundred thousand people have been killed in Syria, and there are now two millions refugees, half of whom are children. Military action will not help them. Until a feasible diplomatic solution appears, our best course of action is to await the counsel of God. And to allow prayer to work, we as Christians have an obligation to stop the United States military action. Please take a few minutes today to contact the offices of President Obama, Senators Corker and Alexander, and Congressman Duncan, or by Monday morning at the very latest, expressing your opposition to military intervention.
Mother Teresa, the tiny woman from Albania who worked in the slums of Calcutta, changed the world. There are now forty-five hundred Missionaries of Charity caring for the poorest of the poor in one hundred thirty-three countries. When asked how she was able to accomplish so much good, Mother Teresa replied, “My secret is very simple: I pray.”
So, let us pray, in the words Pope Francis used yesterday:
Almighty eternal God, source of all compassion,
the promise of your mercy and saving help fills our hearts with hope.
Hear the cries of the people of Syria;
bring healing to those suffering from the violence,
and comfort to those mourning the dead.
Empower and encourage Syria’s neighbors
in their care and welcome for refugees.
Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms,
and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.
O God of hope and Father of mercy,
your Holy Spirit inspires us to look beyond ourselves and our own needs.
Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence
and to seek reconciliation with enemies.
Inspire the Church around the world
with compassion for the people of Syria,
and fill us with hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the World,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
May peace prevail on earth!