HOMILY SUNDAY 31-C
Repentance and Justice
(Wisdom 11:23-12:2; Psalm 145; 2 Thes 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10)
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Would you climb a tree to see a famous person?
That famous person, Jesus himself, asks us in today’s liturgy to climb down from our tree of sin and self-righteousness, to repent and work for greater justice.
That Zacchaeus was a senior rich tax collector means he skimmed off the top and basically stole from many people. As such, his fellow Jews would see him as a notorious sinner. They were helpless to stop his collaboration with the Romans who were an occupying force.
To his credit, however, he was eager to see “what kind of man” Jesus was. By running and climbing a tree, he went beyond the propriety and protocol of Jewish society and broke all social norms. Essentially, he was willing to humble himself to see Jesus, a humility that was key to his healing and transformation.
The repentance of Zacchaeus was pure charity and making amends. He was able to let go of his attachment to wealth, turning that around to gain salvation. That repentance was so striking that Jesus was able to say “that salvation has indeed come to this house that day”.
In this significant story, we see how Jesus’ mandate is to go to the lost. That is what Jesus did in reaching out to Zacchaeus, who was lost, and now was found, much like the prodigal son.
The first reading from the Book of Wisdom develops the theme of repentance further. Within the context of an utterly transcendent God, we are told that this God is nevertheless merciful, wanting only our repentance, much like Jesus relating to Zacchaeus. More than that, we are told that our Creator God holds everything together and that God’s spirit is in all things, a reflection that echoes the stance that St. Francis had towards creation. Given that our Pope has asked the church, indeed all humanity, to embrace St. Francis, we should take special note of this.
In that light, our repentance should include our relationship with all of God’s creation. We need to repent for when we have failed to walk in harmony with all of creation, for the many ways that we have pillaged and plundered the earth with no thought to viability and sustainability.
We know that God disciplines those he loves. Is it not reasonable, then, to think that we will suffer some consequences of this mindless plundering of the earth’s resources, such as pollution of the air, clear-cutting logging and extreme climate change?
Thankfully, the Church has put forward a wealth of teachings on social justice to guide us, and is beginning to put forward teachings on the environment. The recent publication by the Canadian bishops is one such effort. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate have a ministry called Peace, Justice and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC), as do many other religious orders. These initiatives can guide us into this challenging area of eco-learning and greater justice in our world. Laudato Si by Pope Francis, the first papal encyclical on the environment, is a providential initiative.
In the meantime, it is up to us to repent, to enter into metanoia (a turning around of 180 degrees from the path that we are one), in short to change our ways. We must seek to walk in harmony with our God; with each other, with ourselves and all of God’s creation. Then we will be living the teaching of St. Paul about the reign of God, which he describes as not a matter of eating or drinking, but only peace, joy and right relationships.
Mark Pizandawatc, co-founder of the Returning to Spirit movement for the healing of the negative side of the Indian residential school legacy, teaches that an apology without a declaration to change is almost meaningless. We can pick up from that teaching, and resolve to not just change, but to change our ways in a way that will persist despite obstacles and resistance to that change.
When we finally begin to live life as a society that is in harmony with each other and with the cosmos, we will truly experience peace, which is more than a passing emotion. It is a gift of the Spirit. We will also experience joy, another gift of the Holy Spirit and more than a fleeting emotion. In the end, we will be in a right and just relationship, as St. Paul puts it, with God, with others, with ourselves, and all of God’s creation.
Psalm 145 for today’s liturgy reminds us that God is kind, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, and good to all his creatures who shall thank him. This is similar to the revelation that was given to Moses on the mountain when he desired to see the face of God. That revelation transformed Moses from a lawgiver ready to respond to infidelity with violence, to one who would respond to infidelity with compassion, patience, forgiveness and love.
The late Oscar Romero would certainly add his voice to this effort to be more just with each other and more eco-friendly with creation. Even in death, his words proclaim a message that is loud and clear, as he says, “Let us put an end to the domination of the Salvadoran oligarchy, afraid of losing control over investments, agricultural exportation and their monopoly of the land. They defend their interests not using the reason of popular support, but with the only thing they have: money. This money allows them to buy weapons and pay mercenaries that kill the people and destroy all calls for justice and freedom.”
In another message to his people, he states, “Structural violence takes concrete form in the unjust distribution of wealth and property – especially insofar as it includes landownership – and, more generally, in that amalgam of economic and political structures by which the few grow rich and powerful, while the remainder grow increasingly poor and weak.”
The Eucharist is a celebration that levels the playing field. Here there are no favorites – we are all equal, and humble gifts of the earth, bread and wine, are used to nourish us all and empower us to be a force for change in our society towards greater justice for all, including the world we have been given to care for.
May our liturgy today help transform us into a people who will, in the words of the prophet Micah, walk humbly with our God, love tenderly, work for justice and live in harmony with all of God’s creation.
