HOMILY WEEK 12 02 – Year I
The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate:
Optional Memorial of St. Thomas More
(Gen 13:2-18; Ps 15; Mt 7:6-14)
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Two phrases from today’s gospel, “Golden Rule” and “Narrow Gate” call us to humble faith and sincere love.
The Golden Rule is common to all the major religions of the world – so much so that a poster filled with them has been published. The Christian version appears in today’s gospel as spoken by Jesus: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.”
It is interesting that Jesus adds on to this rule a statement, “For this is the law and the prophets,” similar to the one he adds on to the Great Commandment to love God with our whole being and to love one another as we love ourselves, “On these two laws hang all the law and the prophets.”
So for Christians, the best way to keep and live the Golden Rule is to love God with our whole being through prayer and worship, and to love one another as we love ourselves, through compassion, mercy, forgiveness and great caring.
The narrow gate poses a greater challenge, especially the words “there are few who find it.” I think that this narrow gate refers to the virtue of humility. God cannot work in proud hearts – it is only the humble and the lowly who can truly experience the Spirit working within them, forgiving and healing, and enter into the reign of God in this life, here and now.
One image that might help is that of a bird trying to get out of a cage, flying everywhere and hitting the top and the sides, while a small door is open at the bottom of the cage all the while. So many of us are like that little bird, flying around in a spiritual cage of our own making, trying to save ourselves by our own efforts, and often turning to the false gods of possessions, prestige and power to make ourselves feel better.
It seems that in our present day society, people as young as twelve and as old as ninety are taking their lives either through suicide, physician assisted suicide, violent or risky behavior and opioid overdoses. How sad and unfortunate when all they would need to do is have humble faith in a God who loves them, and learn to love themselves more so that they could then love others.
A temptation we face is to be either cynical on the one hand, or not caring on the other. As followers of Jesus, we are called to first of all believe in God’s love for ourselves and respond to that love with prayer and worship, then try as best we can to share that love with others, providing them with hope and affirmation.
We don’t need to change the world nor do we need to think or feel that the task is too great. All we need to be is a small candle flaming with a brightness that all the darkness in the world cannot overpower, and a small drop of water that when it hits the ocean, the ocean is changed.
St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta had it right. When she was asked how she could continue working without being discouraged in the terrible poverty and squalor of Calcutta, she replied that God asked her only to be faithful, not successful. Fr. Bertrand Mathieu OMI in La Loche years ago, when asked the same question after a series of violent stabbings and crimes, said simply, “The more these kind of things happen here, all the more reason I have to be here as an Oblate missionary.”
Today we honor St. Thomas More, who was born in London in 1478. At age 18, he was sent to study law and was called to the bar in 1501. Three years later he entered parliament. An enlightened man, he insisted that his three daughters receive the same education as his son. Thomas’ diverse achievements were recognized, and both Cardinal Wolsey and the king wanted his services at court. In 1532, Wolsey was disgraced and Thomas replaced him as Lord Chancellor. He resigned three years later, openly opposing the king, as did John Fisher. With the passing of the Act of Succession in 1543, he was sought out and required to accept it. He refused twice and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. There he wrote the best of his spiritual works. Nine days after the death of John Fisher, Sir Thomas met the same death at the age of 57, claiming to be “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” He is patron of lawyers, statesmen and politicians.
The Eucharist is a powerful act of faith that is also the source of our hope and ability to love. May it empower us to go out as bright flames and small drops of water, full of light and hope, to live the Golden Rule and to help our struggling brothers and sisters find the narrow gate of humility.
