HOMILY WEEK 07 04 – Year I
Optional Memorial of St. Gregory of Narek,
Abbot and Doctor of the Church
(Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1; Mk 9:41-50)
******************************************
“I think I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree.”
That opening line from a famous poem by Joyce Kilmer serves as an inspiration to see a tree as a metaphor for the message of today’s readings: being rooted in contemplative prayer empowers us to genuinely love others and minister to their deepest needs.
The Book of Sirach, in the first reading, offers wise teachings that seem to focus on the integrity of our lives and genuine faith. We are to rely on God, not material things; to not tempt God by flirting with sin, and to be honest and transparent in our dealings with others.
Psalm 1, while assuring us that people with hope in God are happy, gives us the deeper meaning behind that wellness – those who delight in the Word of God and meditate on it every day will be like trees planted by streams of water, robust and yielding fruit at harvest time.
Imagine a tree whose roots spell the word prayer, whose trunk is faith in God’s love, and whose branches are all charitable deeds and actions. That would be a lovely tree indeed, one that befits us.
Pondering the Word of God, and entering into silence which is the language God speaks best, is a wonderful way to soak up God’s love, as well as the forgiveness and healing Jesus has to give us. Filled with that love of God, we can then share that love with others through genuine, selfless works of charity.
In the gospel, Jesus adds urgency to that need to be genuine. He uses Semitic hyperbole, or holy exaggeration, to drive home how important it is that we make genuine love a priority in our lives. Those who scandalize others, especially the young, would be better off having a millstone hung around their neck and thrown into the sea. Should any part of our bodies cause us to sin, it would be better that we lose them rather than risk eternal damnation.
Salt was used to preserve, purify and freshen whatever was immersed in it. We are to be to others and to this world, what salt is to food. It is tragic when we fail to live out this expectation. There is a certain timeliness to this gospel, as the Church world-wide grapples with the fall-out of the sexual abuse crisis facing it. When religious leaders of any denomination, especially in the Catholic Church, or prominent figures in any organization, abuse their authority and power and sink to sexually molesting children – those words of Jesus seem almost too mild. If the green wood acts this way, what is the dry wood to do? For so many who were supposed to be salt for others, that salt has lost it saltiness, and the question Jesus poses is very pertinent – how can we restore its saltiness?
The summit at the Vatican called by Pope Francis is one attempt to restore that saltiness to the church. There are many other noteworthy efforts being made as well. Recently the Canadian Bishops published a document entitled Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse that has garnered very positive comments from around the world.
A rabbi recently wrote an article chastising the media for picking on the Catholic Church, suggesting the problem was just as bad in other denominations and organizations – it was just easier to track a celibate Catholic priest. A friend who doubted this did some research, and found out that claim was accurate.
Not long ago, a radio reporter from the La Ronge Cree radio program called me to get my opinion on what was happening in the Church. My response surprised him. I said I was full of hope, and that God was probably using the Church to lead the way into dealing with what is a human, not a “church only,” problem – and that is how poorly we are handling our powerful, God-given gift of human sexuality. We may be actually leading the way in dealing with this issue that many other segments of society are still covering up. In the end, the safest place for a child to be in the future will be in a Catholic school and parish, because we have been through the mill on this issue. That document from the CCCB is only one example of that.
In 2009, I gave a retreat to a group of my brother Oblates and lay associates on addictions awareness, personal growth and human development. In it I touched on this powerful area of human sexuality. One of the elder Oblate priests told me it was the first time in all his Oblate life he had ever heard the words “Human sexuality” used on a retreat. I responded simply, “It’s about time!” We do need to be much more up front, honest and straightforward in talking about this elephant in the living room than we have been.
St. Gregory of Narek was a 10th century Armenian mink, poet and mystical writer and composer. His best-known literary work is a book of prayers, The Book of Lamentations. It is considered a masterpiece of Armenian literature. St. Gregory himself defined the work as an “encyclopedia of prayer for all nations” and hoped it would provide guidance in prayer for people of all walks of life. In 2021, Pope Francis inscribed St. Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, on February 27th as an Optional Memorial in the Roman Calendar. St. Gregory of Narek is recognized as a saint in both the Catholic and in the Armenian Apostolic Church, being venerated in a particular way among Catholics of the Armenian Rite.
The Eucharist is our greatest prayer that roots us ever more deeply into God’s love through Word and Sacrament.
May our celebration help us to both sink deeper roots of faith and prayer, as well as empower us to more and more genuinely love one another and live out our Christian values to the full.
