HOMILY WEEK 15 06 – Year II
Relational, Transformative Justice:
Optional Memorial of St. Apollinaris
(Micah 2:1-5; Ps 10; Mt 12:14-21)
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“He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles, and bring justice to victory.”
This promise in the gospel of Matthew today puts our focus on justice as central to following Jesus and our faith life. That should not be surprising, as social justice was a main concern of Jesus and should be an important focus of our lives and ministry.
Injustice is what the first reading is all about. The prophet Micah has God speaking harsh words to God’s people who were consistently unfaithful to the covenant relationship God had established with them – falling constantly for a pseudo-relationship with the false gods of possessions, prestige and power. Those false gods are the same today – always tempting us away from a humble trust in God’s love and caring.
Sister of Social Service Simone Campbell, famously known as “the nun on the bus,” is a passionate and compassionate engaged faith leader. Her faith impels her into the public square. She offers an example of how these false gods insinuate themselves into our society and politics. To her it is abundantly clear Pope Francis is correct when he says faith has real consequences in the world . . . and these consequences involve politics. She currently leads NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, based in Washington, DC. They lobby on Capitol Hill to shape federal legislation on issues of income and wealth disparity in that nation.
When she was lobbying a Republican Senator on healthcare legislation, she commented on the story of a constituent and asked her how she and her colleagues could turn their eyes away from the suffering and fear of their people. The Senator responded many of her colleagues did not get close to the candid stories of their people. In fact, some did not see these constituents as “their people.” Tears sprang to Campbell’s eyes at that candor and the pain that keeps us sealed off from each other because of political partisanship.
It breaks her heart that some of these same politicians want to dismantle healthcare and force millions off the healthcare they receive through the Affordable Care Act. Pope Francis is again correct when he says “health is not a consumer good, but a universal right, so access to health services cannot be a privilege.” Some in Congress want to take away healthcare coverage in order to make a partisan point. For Campbell, trying to not vilify or divide into “them” and “us” in today’s federal politics goes against current custom so much that, like Jesus who in todays’ gospel “withdraws” when confronted by the Pharisees, her contemplative practice is attempting to sit open-handed and listen to the “wee small voice” that sometimes whispers ideas and ways forward.
The psalm response today brings to mind the election of Pope Francis. As it became evident he had been elected pope at the conclave, the archbishop emeritus of Sao Paulo told him, “Do not forget the poor.” That is why he chose the name Francis, as Francis of Assisi was a man of poverty, simplicity and closeness to nature.
In the gospel, we see Jesus, the Just One, sent by God to reveal God’s love, mercy and justice to the world, continuing to love in the face of resistance and hostility – responding to the needs of the poor, teaching and healing them all, bringing justice and hope to both Jews and Gentiles.
My favourite definition of justice is a right relationship with God, others, ourselves and all of God’s creation. We have received God’s forgiveness for our sins, healing of our painful emotions and negative attitudes, and have an intimate relationship with God nurtured by worship and contemplative prayer. We have been reconciled with all the people in our lives, having forgiven all who hurt us from the heart, and apologized to all whom we have hurt – so we are mellow and ready to leave this life at any moment. We have also forgiven ourselves our mistakes, have accepted ourselves as we are and have a strong sense of self-worth. And finally, we have a close relationship with the earth, and are very committed to doing what we can do to preserve our planet. With all these in place, we are living a life of relational, transformative justice.
Brother Tom Novak OMI of Winnipeg was involved in a theatre group called Just Theatre. They chose a social justice issue of the day such as immigration, and created a play around that issue, drawing attention to the injustices involved with the issue and suggesting positive ways forwards to greater justice.
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement, in its own way, strives to bring relational, transformative justice into the lives of married couples, strengthening their relationship with God who has called them into the sacrament of marriage, giving them skills to deepen their intimate relationship with each other, and challenging them to greater self-knowledge in the process, thus making the world a better place for all, especially their families.
Today, the Church honours St. Apollinaris, who is a suitable saint for the readings today. Although not well known, his life was remarkable. A commentary in the Living With Christ states he lived in the first century and according to tradition, was chosen the first bishop of Ravenna by St Peter. He was also one of the first great martyrs. During the reigns of emperors Claudius and Vespasian, he was repeatedly exiled and tortured but continued to evangelize and work miracles until his martyrdom.
The Eucharist is actually a community meal celebrating justice in that all who participate are equal – no one person is more important than any other, regardless of walk of life. It is a great equalizer. Former prime minister Paul Martin, when attending the Oblate parish in Ottawa, is just a regular parishioner like anyone else.
May our celebration strengthen our faith and empower us, like Sr. Simone Campbell, to make relational, transformative justice central to our lives.
