33rd Sunday Year B - Homily 3

Homily 3 - 2015

We look at Syria and the rise of terrorism, not only there, but in other places, too, around the globe. Our world experiences with increasing frequency and tragic effect natural disaster after natural disaster. As the result of both, thousands of people are uncontrollably on the move around the world. 

Can our present political structures of self-interested national states and global corporations agree even to approach the problems realistically and resolve them effectively? Does our current economic system allow such solutions? Effectively, do politicians and bankers have the vision or the will needed? Can they save themselves?

That is the issue that today’s Gospel passage addresses. For a start, it seems at least to be saying, in highly graphic and original imagery, that the world as we know it won’t always be as things are now. In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. The passage leaves open whether that is good news or bad news. It also leaves it to us to work out whether the ones responsible are ourselves, or God. 

It continues: And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds… The passage is referring to what is often called the Final Judgment. That raises a couple of extremely important issues in my mind. The first is this. Is the Son of Man about Judgment? Is there an element there of threat? Or at least of uncertain outcome? My answer is ‘No!’ He comes to reassure forgiveness to a certainly guilty humanity. The God whom Jesus reveals is a God who loves.

My second issue arises from where the passage states that the Son of Man will gather his elect from the four winds. Who are they? Only some, or everyone? I believe the answer must be ‘Everyone’. I believe that, primarily, because divine love is neither arbitrary nor conditional. But there is another reason. I am sure there is so much of my sin, of my destructiveness, that I am not aware of. The culture I am part of, the community among whom I live, has an enormous influence on what I simply assume to be right or wrong. That goes for all of us. Inevitably we are all complicit in each other’s blindness. 

And then, there is the matter of freedom and responsibility. I was given a good start in life. I was loved. But I often wonder about those who never really knew love as children? What chance have they had to assess the meaning of much of what they do? We all live in a culture where competitiveness, envy and hostility are endemic. There is not much love out there beyond family and close friends. Again, we are all complicit. To condemn one fairly would be to condemn everyone. As he was being crucified, Jesus said of his murderers, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. If in Jesus’ mind they qualify for forgiveness, who might possibly be excluded?

There is no doubt about God’s love. But there is about ours. And it is the world’s lack of love, empathy and compassion that undergird our political structures and economic systems – that are now finally revealing their inability to save us. Yet we were created in the image of God.  We are made for love. We can love. Because no one is an island, and we are all children of our culture, we have the mission to call it to conversion; to mirror and to bring love, respect, compassion  and generosity to our political structures and to our economy. 

We need conversion ourselves. Pope Francis believes that conversion will deepen from a deliberately contemplative approach to our God and our world.