YEAR A Homily for 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

It occurs to me that our first Reading today – Isaiah – is the opposite of what we heard a few weeks ago about discipleship.  At that time we said that God calls us, we answer God, and then God works through us to do good things. But today in Isaiah, it is we who do the calling to God: “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.” This reversal, having us being the ones to call God and his responding “Here I am” shows the reciprocity of our relationship with God.  God can call on us and we can call on him. But this comes at a price in Isaiah – in order for God to hear us we have to do certain things for the Lord to see our light and hear our call. In Isaiah’s words, we have to “break every yoke”, to break those things which oppress people, like hunger, homelessness and lack of clothing. God wants certain things from us if we want certain things from God.

Certainly the opportunities abound. Certainly our “Stop Hunger Now” campaign and the many charities that need our assistance are one way of ‘breaking every yoke’. The writer of Isaiah would be pleased to know we are doing these things, and know that we can call on God in our turn. In today’s Psalm we hear the line: One who has distributed freely, who has given to the poor, their righteousness endures forever, their name is exalted in honor.” The Hebrew thought is very much – You give me what I want and I will give you what you want.

At the core of Isaiah’s message today is a social, not a religious idea. We are to care for the community, a part of living a good life and having the good things that come with that life. Those good things which are listed in the psalm today include well-being, economic security, being remembered after we die and praise from others while we live.

In the Gospel today, though, the emphasis is a little different.  A good Jew himself, Jesus would have known and followed the ideas of Isaiah and the psalmist.  He even uses the imagery of light which is so predominate in both of the Hebrew Scripture readings we have had today. As part of the Sermon on the Mount, which we continue to read and study from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus, too, demands that we do good works, but the motivation is a little different than Isaiah’s. For Jesus, in today’s reading, wants us to do good works in the name of God and to show the world that we are doing them for the glory of God.  It is not to ask for anything in return, but it is in order to give witness, to inspire others to do the same, and it is for the glorification of God who wants to establish a new just order, a new kingdom. The light image is very clear.  He wants our good deeds to shine forth and light the way for others. Similarly in the other taste image Jesus uses – he wants us to retain and show our saltiness, so that others can taste it as well.

It occurs to me that this is perhaps in opposition to other things we have heard Jesus say – for example, his criticism of the Pharisees who parade their good deeds and their status – and his praise of the poor people who almost secretly put money into the collection box. But it is all in the motive. The Pharisees he explained do things to look better in people’s eyes, not because they want justice or to be part of the new order. Christians need to do good works because it is the right thing to do, it helps the movement towards justice and equality for all, and it is not about self. So Jesus in today’s reading has added a new dimension to Isaiah’s teaching, and while it is true that God will be pleased with our good works, we also know that grace is a free gift of God to all, and is not dependent on reciprocity. How we respond to that gift is for each of us to come to terms with. I mentioned a few weeks ago that ours was an historical religion and that it developed in thought.  I think we can see here how Jesus’ thought is a development of the Hebrew thought.

In our reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians today we also can see Paul being a light to the world.Paul tells them that he comes to them in all humility, that he is nothing in himself, but that the light of Christ shines through him because he only proclaims Jesus and the crucifixion.  Paul’s preaching of the Good News is his way of doing what God has called him to do, not for his own glory, but so others may see the Spirit and the power of God.  He too is trying to establish the new kingdom, but not by using the charisma of one person, but by letting the Gospel speak for itself.

Lastly, I want to say just a few words about Jesus’ choice of metaphors in this reading. I want to dwell on the first one -salt – because we spoke about the image of light so recently. As you know, we cannot live without salt. But it was also an important item in Jesus’ time because it was used to preserve food, to purify food in a religious sense, to add flavor to other food and to fertilize soil to grow better food. When Jesus tells his apostles that they are the salt of the earth, all these meanings can take hold and be applied. The Apostles need to preserve what is good in Jesus’ teachings, they need to purify others through the sacraments and through communal gathering, they need to be mixed with others to change the flavor of what people do – losing their own identities in the process, and to prepare the community so that the seeds may be planted in fertile soil. It is a very rich image that is still so applicable to us today as disciples. In our culture we take salt for granted, and often see it as a villain now due to the overuse of it.  But maybe that is part of the metaphor as well. Too much salt can be a bad thing – for one’s health, of course, but it can also ruin the flavor of a meal. Perhaps we need to look at this extreme as well when we are dealing with other people.

What can this all mean to us today? We are continuing in trying to understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and we can see today a close connection between what we do as a disciple and what we are. If we are truly living the faith ourselves and doing what we can to bring justice and the new kingdom into the world, we don’t have to concern ourselves with what we appear to be, a concern so strong in our world today. By ‘being’ a good Christian, we can light the way for others, we can be salt, and change the mix and flavor of the world. Ordinary people can change the world. Paul saw himself that way, and so can we. In our ordinary, sometimes bland and boring lives, we can, by being aware of others and their needs, make a difference in the world. Do we have neighbors that could use a little help? Do we know people who have had deaths recently that could use our support? Do we know any people that need help accomplishing a task? Do we have family that could use a little of our time and support? Little things can change the flavor of a whole situation, and our light can shine, if even for a few.

What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in our country? This is a question that is bound to elicit a variety of answers depending on whom you ask. Possible answers would include: the mass media, popular culture, materialism, bad government policies, other religions, etc.

A missionary had the occasion to put this very question to the great Mahatma Gandhi, “What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in India?” His answer was swift and decisive: “Christians.” It is said that the world would be a more Christian place today were it not for the Christians.

The Christians that constitute a hindrance to Christianity are not the real and committed ones, of course, but those who bear the name Christian but, judging from the way they talk and behave, no one would suspect they have anything to do with Christ.

In today’s gospel Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). But elsewhere in John 8:12 Jesus says of himself, “I am the light of the world.” Who then is the light of the world, Jesus or his followers? This apparent contradiction is resolved by another passage in John 9:5 where Jesus modifies the statement about himself: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” This shows that Jesus is talking about the flesh and blood embodiment of the light. As long as he is physically present in the world he is the light of the world, but when he is no longer physically present his followers now assume the role of being the light of the world.

The role of the Christian in the world is defined by two words in today’s gospel: salt and light. Now what do these mean? Do you know that the word “sugar” never occurs in the Bible? In ancient times salt was the ultimate seasoning that gave taste to food. Without salt food would be tasteless. Jesus is saying that as salt (or sugar, if you like) is to food, so are Christians to the world. Christians are in the world to make it a sweeter place. How can we make the world a sweeter place? We find the answer in the parallel passage in Mark: “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).

As salt we are called to be sweet disciples, friendly and kind, living at peace with everybody. As light we are called to show the way. Without light we bump into each another and fall into the ditch. But light says: “Here is the road, take it; here is danger, avoid it.” Without light and salt the world would be in a very bad shape, uninteresting and impossible to live in. With light and salt the world becomes a safer and better place. It is our duty as Christians to make the world a better place.

But how do we do that? The same way that salt and light do it. First, salt must be different from the food before it can be of use. If salt loses its taste then it is useless and can no longer make a difference. Light must be different from darkness in order to be of help. A flashlight with dead batteries is no good for someone in the dark. So being salt and light of the world means being different from the world. If believers have nothing that distinguishes them from unbelievers, then they are like salt that has lost its saltiness and therefore cannot make a difference. And what distinguishes us from non-believers should be not so much what we claim to be or the badges and pins we wear but the life we live. As Jesus says in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is the distinctive mark by which you can tell the true Christian from the false.

Secondly, both salt and light operate by associating with the thing that they want to change. Salt cannot improve the food unless it goes into the food and changes it from within. Light cannot show the way unless it encounters the darkness. Sometimes Christians think that the way to go is to keep away from getting involved with society and popular culture. But by shying away from the realities of our society and our world we might indeed be hiding our lamp under the bushel basket. To make a difference we must get up and get involved.

Today’s gospel is frightening. It says, in effect, that if there is so much darkness and bitterness in the world today it is because we as Christians have failed in our job to be salt and light in the world. But we can decide to make a difference starting from today. We can decide to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. Even the smallest candle helps in a world of darkness.

A certain man who used to live a life of gambling and drinking got converted to Christ. His workmates, who used to hang out with him, tried to tease him. "Surely a sensible man like you cannot believe in the miracles that the Bible tells about. You cannot, for instance, believe that this Jesus of yours turned water into wine." The man’s reply was, "Whether he turned water into wine or not I do not know, but in my own house I have seen him turn beer into furniture." The strongest argument in defence of the Christian faith can be made not in so many words but by showing the practical difference faith makes in people’s lives. No one can argue against the proof of a changed life.

In today’s 2^nd reading Paul recalls his ministry among the Corinthians. “My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). As a Jewish rabbi, Paul had been trained in the art of making religious speeches and debates. His skill in public speaking can be seen in his presentation of the faith to the learned society of Athens gathered in the Areopagus (Acts 17). There, Paul, in a very creative manner, broke down the Christian faith in philosophical terms in order to impress his learned audience. But the result he achieved was disappointing. His sophisticated and logical presentation of the faith could not convince his audience. Instead, they made fun of him and said “We will hear you again about this” (Acts 17:32). Paul must have resolved and said to himself, “Never again!”

“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth” (Acts 18:1). Paul did not come to Corinth “proclaiming the mystery of God ... in lofty words or wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:1) as he had tried to do in Athens. Instead he kept to simply telling the story of Jesus Christ, and him crucified (verse 2). The crucified Lord whom Paul did not mention even once in his speech to the philosophers in Athens now becomes the central theme of Paul’s preaching. He stopped preaching about something and began preaching about someone.

What happens when we lift Jesus up in our ministry? What happens is that Jesus himself begins to act. Jesus himself said, “When I am lifted up ... I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). This is what happened with Paul in Corinth. Because he lifted Jesus up in his preaching, Jesus began to draw all people to himself. Jesus began to move mightily among the people of Corinth such that the people of Corinth came to believe not on account of Paul’s eloquence but on the strength of the power of the living God moving in their midst and acting in their lives. As Paul says, he adopted a Christ-centred way of presenting the faith in Corinth “so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Paul’s ministry in Corinth became a resounding success, as opposed to his ministry in Athens.

Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone? How did you go about it? Did you go about it by trying to convince them that your beliefs are correct and theirs wrong? Such a logical defence of the faith is called apologetics. Apologetics is sometimes necessary in presenting the faith, especially to those who attack the faith with intellectual arguments. It often reassures the believer but does not always convert the unbeliever. A more effective way of presenting the faith is to tell the simple story of Jesus dying for us and to share your story of the amazing blessings that faith has brought into your life. This is called giving testimony or bearing witness.

What Paul is sharing with us today is that giving personal testimony or telling our own stories of what Jesus means for us in our lives is a more effective way of sharing the faith with others than bookish arguments. Everyone can tell stories. You do not need a special training to be able to tell your own story of the faith. By nature we are story-tellers. Let us use our story-telling abilities to spread the good news of the kingdom of God as Paul did.

By Bishop Kasomo Daniel

Bishop Kasomo is the Bishop of The Society of St. Peter and Paul (SSPP)

Homily for the Presentation of the Lord

A scholar was conducting a study of an Amish village. The Amish are a branch of the Mennonite church who live in traditional rural villages far from industrialization and technology: no computers, televisions, refrigerators and telephones. In his study of the Amish village school, the researcher noticed that Amish children never screamed or yelled. That surprised him. So he decided to check it out with the schoolteacher. He told the teacher that he had not once heard an Amish child yell, and asked him why that was so. The teacher replied, “Well, have you ever heard an Amish parent yell?” The inference is clear: Like the parents, so the children!

We are all familiar with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day which we celebrate every year. Why is there not a Parents’ Day where we celebrate father and mother together as a couple? Today should be a good day to focus on both parents together, as we see both parents of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, together make the long journey to Jerusalem to present their firstborn child in the Temple as the law of God required. In the image of Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus in the Temple, we have a wonderful model of husband and wife united in practicing the faith and in raising their child in the faith.

We read that “When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (2:22) There is a confusion of detail here because, according to Jewish law, purification was for the mother alone while presentation was for the child. The story appears to be speaking of the two ceremonies as if they were one. Luke stresses the fact that they are doing it “as it is written in the law of the Lord” (verse 23). Joseph and Mary are presented as people who keep God’s laws. Moreover, they are presented as doing it together. It is easier to walk in the ways of God when husband and wife walk it together and encourage each other along the way. The author of Ecclesiastes had something like this in mind when he wrote: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Husband and wife are companions in the journey of life, especially in the journey to our ultimate destination. We see this as we contemplate Joseph and Mary together in the Temple in obedience to God’s law.

The aspect of today’s celebration that some people have a problem with is this: why would the baby Jesus, who is not in a position to say yes or no, be initiated into the Jewish religion without his consent? This is a problem especially for those of us who question the value of infant baptism. Some Christians today feel that baptism has no value until a child reaches the age of reason and then is able to decide for oneself. But this is not the example that Mary and Joseph are giving us today. The concern about the value of infant baptism is a concern that is born out of the exaggerated individualism of the modern society. In the biblical era, people saw the whole family as one entity. The question of husband, wife and child belonging to different religions was unthinkable because religion was supposed to play a role in cementing the family unity. Thus we hear in Acts of the Apostles that when certain men and women were converted, they were baptised together with all their household (Acts 16:15, 31; 18:18).

If parents are supposed to provide their children with the basic necessities of life, what is more basic than one’s faith in God. No parents would think of allowing their children to decide whether they want to go to school or not, whether they want to learn the common language or not, whether they want to be a citizen of their country or not. We make these decisions for them, knowing fully well that when they grow up, they may decide to continue with what we gave them or abandon it. But only a foolish parent would refuse to send a child to school or teach a child their language and tradition in the name of respecting the child’s freedom to choose. Similarly parents have a responsibility to initiate their children into their faith traditions. This is what we see today in the feast of presentation as Joseph and Mary present Baby Jesus in the Jewish Temple.

As parents, we have the duty and privilege of raising our children in such a way that they grow up to become good and responsible citizens as well as committed children of God. The example of Joseph and Mary, and the example of the Amish community, show us that the best way to achieve this is not just by talking and shouting at them but by leading the way and showing them by the example of our own lives.

By Rt.Rev.Prof. Kasomo Daniel

Bishop Kasomo is the Bishop of The Society of St. Peter and Paul (SSPP)