Homily – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

A few years ago, after celebrating a weekday Eucharist, I walked to the sacristy at the back of the church to change.  While the majority of people were leaving, a few stayed behind to pray.  As I was changing, the sacristan started a little conversation with me and drew my attention to a gentleman who was kneeling and praying in the church.  Furtively pointing her finger at the man, she whispered in my ear: “Father, do you see that man over there?  He’s never missed Mass during the week or the weekend.  He always spends a lot of time praying after Mass and has joined many activities in our parish.  He is such a pious man.  But do you know, Father, he has a mother in a nursing home nearby, and I’ve heard that he hasn’t been to visit her once in many years.  I know this because I am a communion minister to the sick in that facility.”

As I listened to her, a couple of thoughts ran through my mind.  The first was: “STOP gossiping about others.”  However, I continued to listen attentively.  I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and gently thanked her for sharing.  The second thought, whether I wanted it or not, was: “REALLY?  A very religious and pious man, yet he lacked a close relationship with his own mother.”

It was indeed, deep within, a negative judgment on my part toward him, and occasionally I’ve felt tempted to use this as an example of how people can seem very religious, spiritual, or pious in appearance, but fail to show kindness and compassion in the way they treat others.

However, as the years have passed, there have been more opportunities in ministry for me to listen to many life stories from people.  I have come to realize and acknowledge that life and relationships are complex, and we should not be too quick to judge.  In the case of that man, we do not know exactly what happened in the relationship between him and his mother.  If it was broken, we do not know whether he had made an effort to reconcile with her but had been rejected.

Perhaps what we do know is that there was a certain distance in the relationship between mother and son, and their bond was weakened; the happiness, joy, and love naturally desired in such a relationship were missing.  If that was the case, it is a sad reality as it is not what God intends for our relationships.

Right and loving human relationships bring us a great sense of happiness and fulfilment and they are an expression of our love for God himself.

Reflecting on the Gospel for this 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we find in Jesus’ response to one of the Pharisees that love for our neighbour is no less important than the love we have for God: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second resembles it (or, in another translation, ‘A second is like it’): You must love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22:36–40).

Our love for God cannot be complete without our love for those around us, let alone those who are our own flesh and blood.  Placing this important commandment to love our neighbour in the context of this week’s first reading, Exodus 22:20–26, may help us understand why.

In the reading, the Lord instructs Moses to tell the children of Israel not to harm or oppress strangers, not to be harsh towards widows and orphans; to be kind and merciful to the poor when lending them money, and to be fair to their fellow human beings in their dealings with them.  This warning is given for a simple reason: “for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).

In other words, the Israelites had once faced the same difficulties that others now face.  Their experiences and memories should have reminded them that it was God who had delivered them from bondage in the land of Egypt, and that it was God who had shown them care, love, and mercy amid their suffering and hardships.  Now, in turn, they were called to show the same love and mercy to those in need.

In the language of the commandments, loving our neighbour is both a duty and a responsibility.  We are called to love others because God has loved us first and has set an example for us all to follow through the image of the Israelite people.

May we be reminded of these two most important commandments, to love God and our neighbour, which uphold the whole Law and the Prophets.  May this reminder help us become more aware of our relationships with others and find ways to nurture and restore them according to God’s will, so that we may reveal the loving and merciful face of God to the world.

By Fr Sang Ho