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23rd October 2022

Homily for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Sir 35: 15b-17, 20-22a; 2 Tim 4: 6-8, 16-18; Lk 18: 9-14)

REFLECT: A Just God justifies us by Justice

Dear friends, we all know what the meaning of Justice is. Justice is the morally fair and right state of everything. To have justice as a person’s character trait means that they are just and treat everyone the same. The justice of God is perfect. Justice is nothing but giving equals equally and unequals unequally. Giving the other their due is justice. Each one’s deeds are measured accordingly good or bad. There is no doubt that God is merciful and all-forgiving but we can’t deny the fact that God is a just judge too, who justifies and gives justice according to our deeds. The liturgy of the word invites each one of us to understand how the just God justifies us justly by our actions and grants us justice by an act of mercy that flows from his heart. So based on the readings of the day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1.     God, the just judge without partiality:

Merriam Webster very aptly defines what it means to be partial or favoritistic. According to him Partiality is an unfair practice of treating some people better than others or to show favoritism is to make judgments about people on the basis of their outward appearance. We all of us too have the attitude of being partial or favoritistic towards people whom we like and give preference to particular persons over everyone. But God does not show partiality in his dealings with people. Because, impartiality is an attribute of God. We have references in the bible which shows how God disapproves the act and attitude of partiality and favoritism. The following are some of the scriptural references;

“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe” (Deut. 10:17); St. Paul addresses the Jews, who wait for God’s judgment on the  world a and are convinced that they will not be condemned, since they have the true religion saying, “But God will give glory, honor and peace to whoever does good, first, the Jew, then the  Greek, because one  is not different from the other before God” (Rom. 2:11); Again St. Paul in the context of the duties and obligations of children, parents, servants and masters says “ Masters, deal with your servants in the same way and do not threaten them, since you know that they and you have the same Lord, who is in heaven and he treats all fairly,” (Eph. 6:9); Further, Peter realizes how even the non-Jews too have been in favor of God and are baptized (the baptism of Cornelius (Acts 10) and so Peter says, “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show partiality” (Acts 10:34).

Yes, something similar we find in the first reading from the book of Sirach which speaks of God as a just judge and he does not show partiality or favoritism to any. However, God would be in favor of the poor who are wronged and will hear the prayers of the oppressed, the widow and the orphan. Just as the prayers of the humble pierces the clouds the sky pours down rain, so also God would pour down blessings from above to those who are ill-treated, wronged or made to suffer. We have a just God who judges wisely and grants each one according to the deeds their due.  Yes, God is a judge and he does not only judge by vindicating the right from wrong, good from bad, righteous from the wicked but shows mercy to those who suffer, those who are poor and grants justice justly.

Today, God reminds each one of us that Judge need not necessarily mean being judgmental, argumentative or authoritative rather needs to be merciful most of all. In our day to today activities, we judge others although we are not called to judge others, as God is the only Judge. God, the just judge has both aspects as his prerogatives; the first is justice and the second is mercy. They go hand in hand with God, when He Judges us. Most of us judge others on various occasions for different issues, for their behaviors and approaches of others. Most often we forget as someone very rightly said, “When we judge others we don’t define others rather we define ourselves as who we are and what are attitudes and approaches.” Today let us not be judgmental about others acts, attitudes, behaviors rather be merciful to one another. So let us be just in our dealings with one another and use mercy as the measurement and instrument to give justice to the other.

2. God, the Judge gives the crown of righteousness:

We all of us know what it means to have a crown or to be crowned. A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. The crown is a reward given as the result of a victory or mark of honor especially the title representing the championship in a sport. It has references to a royal or imperial rule or sovereignty of kings and queens. The crown had beauty, the crown had power and the crown had authority.

Something similar, we find in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to second Timothy, Paul makes a clear reference that he would obtain his reward and award the crown of righteousness by God the righteous Judge, because Paul has accomplished what God has entrusted him. That’s why St. Paul attests clearly and confidently, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”  Further St. Paul too makes a reference that not only him but all those who longed for Jesus’ coming and fulfill the obligations as followers of Christ would be given the crown of righteousness.

The end of the second reading gives us a glimpse that to obtain the crown of righteousness is not that easy. That’s why St. Paul clearly mentions that in his first hearing in court no one supported but deserted him. It was God who was with him and gave him strength to proclaim the goodness and rescued me from every evil that hindered me to obtain heavenly Kingdom.  Yes, the crown of righteousness from God involves hardships, hard paths but God will not disown us or dishearten us when we work righteously for the sake of righteousness.

Today in a secular or religious circle, to obtain a degree from college or university we work hard and are hard pressed at times and celebrate grandly the ceremonies of degrees. There is a lot of delight and sense of security is assured after getting degrees in a secular or religious field of study. Similarly, if we want to celebrate grandly the eternal life, we need to seek the righteousness of God, righteous ways of living and dealing with others. This will give us the crown from God as crown of righteousness for being right and doing right with the things of God. The crown that the world gives is temporary but the crown that God gives us or God calls us to obtain is everlasting. That crown of righteousness will be obtained by everyone whosoever works for the kingdom of God, supports justices, promotes good and works for the welfare and well-being of one another. So let us work for the crown of righteousness from God to be crowned as his sons and daughters.

3. God, the Just judge justifies us by justice and mercy:

The chapter of Lk 18 begins with a parable of the persistent widow who seeks justice.  In Lk 18:7 we hear Jesus saying, “Will God not to do justice for his chosen one, who cries to him day and night, even if he delays in answering them? So we see the assurance of God’s justice. The Gospel reading of the day narrates to us the parable of a Pharisee and a tax-collector in the temple praying, in line with the previous section (Lk 18: 1-8), which speaks about God’s justice to humankind. The contrast between both is seen in Lk 18:9 which states that the Pharisee was fully convinced of his own righteousness and the tax-collector in Lk 18:14 that he went home justified. It implies that the tax-collector was convinced of the righteousness of God and that’s why he seeks the mercy of God.

We know both of them pray, but more than the Pharisee the prayer of a tax-collector and his act sounds good, gentle and acceptable. Because, he humbled himself and acknowledged himself as a sinner but the Pharisee was proud-hearted, compared with others and felt that he was better than the other. This act of Pharisee makes us consider him as one who is selfish, showy, proud and not so an appealing character. In general, the Pharisees were very determined to fulfill God’s law; they often fasted and engaged in pious practices and charitable acts, but they took credit for such a model of life in themselves and not in God. They had a feel in themselves that their good act will automatically force God to be merciful. Yes, similar characteristic features we find in the Pharisee who failed to acknowledge God’s work more than his pharisaic profession; the Pharisee relied on his own merciful act than the mercy of God, but the tax-collector acknowledges as sinners and seeks the mercy of God.

Most of us think that faith in God is merely justified by words we utter and not the deeds that we do but God our judge does not justify us on the basis of words we speak and use rather our works and actions that manifest and please God and one another. The manifestation and dispositions of life will justify our acts to grant justice. The Pharisee perhaps gave a declamation of what he is and what he does by the utterances of many words like considering himself as self-righteous, feeling  proud of his spiritual practices of penance, fasting and of giving tithes he gets but a tax-collector humbles and acknowledges himself a sinner and seeks the mercy of God. Yes, we are called to be like the tax-collector who humbled, acknowledged and sought the mercy of God.

Today, we all of us too have this attitude of justifying ourselves with series of episodes and litany of pseudo acts and unnecessary explanations, comparisons, divisions, compromise, like that I do this and that about praying, fasting, alms-giving etc. The just ones are those who humble and acknowledge God and his presence; the humility in life and the dispositions of each according to our living would be the justice granted by God, the Just Judge.

RESPOND:

Do I fail to do justice to the other by being partial and favoritistic and failing to be merciful towards the other?

Do I seek and work for the crown of the world that is temporary or the crown of righteousness that God gives us for eternal life?

Do we justify others works by their mere words or deeds or by words deeds of justice?

Let us be just and merciful to one another in our dealings with another, work for crown of righteousness from God and promote justice in our world. Amen.

“Nothing indeed can humble us so much before the mercy of God as the multitude of his benefits, and nothing can humble us so deeply before his justice as the multitude of our misdeeds.”  (St. Francis De Sales, IDL, Part III, Chapter – 5, p.152)

God bless you all…

Live Jesus