31st Sunday Year A

See Commentary on Matthew 23:1-12

Homily 1 - 2005

To understand today’s Gospel better, it helps to be clear about the situation of Matthew’s community.  After the Jewish temple had been destroyed (twenty years before Matthew put his Gospel together), the priests (who up till then had also been the official teachers) suddenly had no relevance.  In their place the Pharisee movement and the followers of Jesus, both lay movements, competed for the soul of Israel.  In fact both movements were quite similar in most things, but their struggle led them to emphasise their differences and to send up their opponents (as so often the politicians in parliament do).

In today’s reading, Matthew drew on Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees for not practising what they preached, for being far too legalistic, and for always wanting to be in the limelight.  On their part though this is not mentioned in the Gospel) the Pharisees accused the Christian movement of betraying Judaism precisely at a crisis time for their very survival as a religious group, precisely because they were too lax (and not just in theory but in their considered practice), and because they sought to influence opinion in the synagogues spread throughout the Empire.

Both groups were half-right.  There were some Pharisees who were inconsistent, legalistic and proud, just as there were some Christians with similar weaknesses.  As we listen today, what might the Spirit be saying to us?  Probably we’re all a bit guilty of those same weaknesses that our forebears were uilty of.  It goes with being human.  Ask some adolescents what they think of adults – or what some non-believers think of Catholics.  “They’re all hypocrites!”  Some of you might remember that book by JD Salinger “Catcher in the Rye”, popular in the 60s: The hero (or was it anti-hero?), Holden Caulfield’s, favourite word to describe adults was “phoney”.

Within our present Catholic community there are groups struggling for the soul of the middle-ground, the extremes accusing each other of either fundamentalism or liberalism – “They bind burdens!” – Sounds familiar?  Though usually sharing the same precious concerns, they emphasise the differences and make life difficult for each other.

It is interesting to note what the Matthean community remembered of the teaching of Jesus: firstly, the need  to be consistent and to act in line with what we claim to believe; then, the need to mature in our exercise of conscience, “lifting the burden” from ourselves and others precisely by discovering our true and deepest heart desires and living from there, responsive to the gentle call of God’s Spirit within and moving beyond doing things because of imposition as though from outside, simply because they’re commandments.  And the third issue, the one that Matthew emphasised the most, was that instinctive drive to be honoured, to be thought more powerful, more responsible, more knowledgeable, or as Matthew put it: to be called master, father, teacher.

It is interesting how Matthew unconsciously changed the addressees of Jesus’ comments.  Instead of addressing “them”, he changed to “you”.  All along, he wasn’t so much interested in Pharisees as in the potential Pharisee tendencies in each member of the Christian community.

For Jesus, as for Matthew, as Christians, we don’t seek to “big note” ourselves and to see ourselves as somewhat special.  We are all sons and daughters of the same Father, and so we are brothers and sisters; or, as Paul so beautifully put it in today’s Second Reading, we love each other, and it is that  love - and only that love - that allows us to put ourselves in the position of servants, sharing with each other respectfully our gifts and charisms, our faith insights and whatever else God’s Spirit empowers in us.

Of recent weeks the Church as been publicly criticised once again for harbouring paedophiles in its midst.  It is important that the truth be spoken, and if the Press didn’t do it, who would?  Our own too human vulnerability reminds us of the constant struggle to practise what we preach, and to do so with profound humility.  We preach an idealistic ethic, especially in the field of sexuality, not from a position of superiority - the enlightened condemning the weak and the ignorant - but from an insight into the beauty of what could be, towards which we struggle, along with the rest of humanity.

Homily 2 – 2005 

In today’s reading, Matthew drew on Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees f or not practising what they preached, for imposing moralistic burdens on others and doing nothing to lighten them, and for always wanting to be respected.

Of recent weeks the Church has been publicly criticised once again for harbouring paedophiles in its midst.  The revelations, made locally and overseas, though mostly involving crimes committed many years ago, tell a terrible story of devastated victims.  The Church’s desire to keep its reputation  led it in turn to cover-up.

The direct victims were, of course, those most deeply, sometimes irrevocably, wounded.  There were also their families and their friends, too, struggling to cope with the victims, their own sometimes conflicting loyalties, and their pain, anger and disillusionment.  Their problems are so often on-going.  And beyond that range the rest of us, parishioners and others: confused, hurting, angry.

I realise, of course, that paedophilia is only one expression of a much broader problem of sexual violence.  Apparently sexual abuse and violence occur in numerous homes, families and beyond.  It is not just Pharisees who fail to practise what they preach and who like to parade behind a facade of respectability.  It seems endemic to the human nature we share.  It all speaks of so much suffering, such deep wounds.  Who, and how far, can you trust?  Somewhere between no trust and total trust, the mature person has to draw a line – difficult but necessary.

The recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist spoke of the “precious jewel of celibacy” required of priests of the Latin Rite.  To my knowledge, paedophilia has no direct relationship to celibacy, but it does have a lot to do with the lack of adequate formation for a mature living of celibacy.  I have a suspicion that there is a fair amount of psychological denial operating.  Celibacy isn’t lived well inevitably.  And when we deny our shadow, look out for trouble!  Where celibacy is maturely lived, it may well be “a precious jewel” – just as faithful married love can also be “a precious jewel”.  But chastity is one thing, mature love is another.  Only when chastity, whether in celibacy or marriage, is an expression of genuine human maturity and of responsible love is it in any way Christian.

This brings us to the other reason why Jesus criticised some Pharisees.  We preach an idealistic ethic, especially in the field of sexuality.  We often express it in clear commands and prohibitions, as though originating from outside ourselves, even from God.  It is important that children be socialised, and for that they need clear boundaries, set usually by their parents.  But the same approach with adults can become a case of laying burdens on people’s shoulders and doing nothing to lift them.

Our customary attitude to sexuality has often been inadequate, certainly for celibate priests, but also for married couples.  Will-power motivated by pious devotion, or by fear, is not enough.  A more realistic and effective approach is to awaken people to their own deepest heart desires, and their practical consequences.  There in our deepest heart we find the desire to love responsibly.  And when we act from there – from that depth where the Spirit of God is at work within us – then we are free.

The faithful pursuit of love and chastity has its cost – and runs contrary to our powerful superficial desires – but it is the way we grow in integrity and in virtue.  Let us discover the beauty of what could be, and we willingly pay the cost.  This growth in both self-knowledge and free commitment is gradual.  Our emphasis needs to be on acquiring virtue, on living maturely from our deepest consciences – not in simply toeing the line.

The message of today’s Gospel is important.  Our own too human vulnerability reminds us of the constant effort needed to practise what we preach, and to do so with profound humility.  Open to the grace of God, unburdened and free, not caring whether our choice  for mature love makes us popular or not, we seek to live by the truth in love.