Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This homily was preached by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ

Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8; I Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26

Lourdes in France is a place which resonates with Catholics. For many of us it has been a special place in teaching us what faith and life is all about. The reported miracles following the visions of the Lord’s mother to St Bernadette in the nineteenth century though are secondary for me to the experience of being with the sick and alongside wonderful people who want to serve them. It wasn’t always the case for me. As a young adult I remember in some ways being quite shocked at what I encountered in Lourdes – the public display of strong religious faith can be overwhelming for a young person and hard to understand yet I was also fascinated, even looking back awe struck: despite being fascinated by all the organisation with the many different chiefs and the plethora of Catholic tourist shops selling their wares there was the experience of the relative silence as the sick were brought out in front of the statue at the grotto. And of pilgrims looking up at this statue of this beautiful lady clearly with great faith, hope, and in love of her - and praying the rosary in all languages, if not always contemplating the mysteries of her son’s life, death and resurrection, at least marking them, proclaiming them.

What brought them together? The Mother of the Lord, this image of gentleness, of beauty, of peace. But it was also, at the end of a long day – twenty hour days are not uncommon in Lourdes – after serving the sick, coping with egos in the teams of helpers, praying before the Blessed Sacrament, and finally gathering together in the bar, young and old, priests and faithful Catholics, those of no faith who come out to Lourdes to serve, now finally in silence bringing out those in their last hours to pray in front of Mary, there together we were brought to ask the big questions about our life. There Mary brought us to Jesus. And to ask a key question: what is it to follow Jesus? Is there something here which gives me a lead in responding to that question? In fact, in the bustle and hassle of everyday life, what is it that makes me really happy?

The Gospel passage we’re given this Sunday gives us the essence of what Jesus and his message is all about. These sayings of Jesus are the hallmark of his Kingdom – often in stark opposition to the ways of the world – and which become the blueprint for living out the Christian life in the world. Above all to see in the vulnerability of suffering, weakness, poverty, the dignity of each human being, because it’s right there we see the face of Jesus in our sisters and brothers. In their, in our neediness, our vulnerability, and our desire to be fulfilled in our lives there we discover him. And that will always be expressed in our being part of the human family as part of Christ’s Body. It will never be expressed in my simply looking into myself. Discernment of choices in life, Pope Francis reminds us, is never about myself. Discernment of my path in life is always expressed in my being called out to serve others. And especially the weakest with whom I share my weakness, my desire for fulfilment.

Respect and care for the human person as she and he is, and especially for those who suffer most, will require us to make choices in our everyday lives which draw us out of ourselves and our comfort zones and prejudices, even to embrace a counter-ethic to that of rampant competition, the domination of the wealthiest, of abuse of power, of discrimination on account of someone’s background or belief. Here the Christian life, if truly following Jesus’ teaching, becomes really tough in a world where I believe both subtle and unsubtle discrimination is still rampant and an affront to human dignity. How clear are we as a Christian community on respect for human life from conception to natural end? Do we take a stand against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, of gender, of race and background? This Sunday, Racial Justice Sunday, is a day to bring this into closer relief. And how compassionate are we to those who struggle because life has given them, given us, a raw deal, that we find ourselves on the margins, struggling? Forgiveness, Pope Francis reminded us this week, is the central Christian act of kindness. Forgiveness and compassion and respect always. The basis of the teaching on the Kingdom, the basis of human civilization. Something we all need and which we have a duty to show to others.

One question which people ask of me is “why did you become a priest?” And “how did you know you had a vocation?” And it’s never an easy one to answer briefly – at least I don’t find it so – and sometimes I wonder if it’s all too easy to complicate things. Pope Francis was asked when he first become Pope who he was? A philosophical kind of question perhaps. The Pope answered very simply. “I am a sinner, yet loved by God”. He was quoting the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in fact and this is a variation on his papal motto, but it gets to the heart of it. Above all I am a flawed, vulnerable, human being, loved by God – the God of mercy – Jesus Christ. And each one of us is called to first and foremost recognise our own vulnerability and need for God. And how in discovering that we discover our happiness, how we are loved by God as we are, not how we think we are or how the world or culture would want to pigeon-hole us. And from that discovering our own personal calling the Lord makes to each one of us to be a servant to others, especially the weakest and most in need who are always to be at the centre of any community which is truly human.

“Happy are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”. May we take this message to our hearts, each one of us personally knowing how it is in our embracing humanity in its fragility that we find our consolation. In such a way we need not explain why we come here, why we are a Christian, why we follow this or that vocation. The answer is in what we encounter together, that is the human face of God.