The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Jn. 6:51-58

" It is time that European Americans honored Native Americans by inviting them to teach us; and men to honor women; and adults honor the young; and all honor our elders; and the northern wealthy one third of the human race honor the southern, poor 2/3. Then we will learn to ground our struggle for justice, rights and responsibilities in the most common ground of all: our shared experiences of the awe of God's mediated beauty and wisdom"

These words echo a central truth for every human being, that is, true wisdom comes in awe of the Lord. Wisdom's school is open to all those who will sit at her banquet table and feast upon the beauty of God's wisdom in awe and wonder. It is this wonderment, this recognition, that only in such an act can we come to know true Wisdom--God's pattern for what makes for good and human living--human fulfillment. God's wisdom nourishes us to be and what the world ought to be and are destined to be.

In the ancient world wisdom was the most treasured of life's pursuits. It is that which leads to a good and just human life and society. It is wisdom which is the principle of the entire creation. Through wisdom God created all, hold all in being, will complete all. In John's gospel, Jesus is that personified wisdom of the Father. Jesus is that through which the Father will bring all to completion ! In Jesus we see what it means to be a real human being, and what it means to be truly and fully divine ! So when we partake of the body and the blood of Jesus we open ourselves to that transforming power that will bring all and oneself to completion--fullness. In Jesus, in his humanity the fullness of the divine dwells. Now, it is clear, more than ever, that our humanity is the special abode of God in the world. That is why John stresses the words flesh and blood. He wants us to understand that the transforming presence of the Lord is to show itself in concrete deeds, lifestyles that nourish others and world around us. That is what it means to have life, eternal life within us !

The implications are far-reaching. In the words of Julius Nyere, president of Tanzania: "We say the human being was created in the image of God. I refuse to imagine a God who is miserable, poor, ignorant, superstitious, fearful, oppressed and wretched. If a human being is really the temple of God, we have to do something about the flies in the eyes of a child, as those flies our ruining God's temple."

This insight differs significantly from the wisdom of the present day situation. Often a person's worth is based on what they look like, what they produce, or what they contribute or drain from the society. Perhaps the following quote captures something of this type of wisdom:

" We have seen more than once that the public welfare may call upon the best citizens for their lives. It would be strange if it could not call upon those who already sap the strength of the State for these lesser sacrifices, often not felt to be such to those concerned, in order to prevent our being swamped with incompetence. It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind by sterilization. Three generations of imbeciles are enough."

These are the words of the great Supreme Court Chief Justice, Oliver Wendall Holmes. They are words that are disturbing in their meaning, and horrifying because they came form a man many considered very wise!  It is clear then, if we do not eat of the flesh and drink of the blood of the Lord we as individuals and a society may not have the life of God's wisdom inside us. That is, if we do not allow the Lord into our lives and world then we and our world will never come to what they ought to be.This is at issue in Ephesians. For those who partake in the Lord conduct that enhances life, build up others and the community must be the effect of Eucharist. It is the effect that partakes and shares the sacrificial love of God--that which completes all, and sharing with others!  Eternal life is not found in potions, grails, incantations--but in the wisdom of God's unconditional Love. This is the principle of the created order that the Father embodies in the Son, given fullest expression on the cross!  Therefore, any person, community, and society that feeds on the Lord will have life and give life. The hungry child, the homeless mother, the orphan, the AIDS victim, the poor campesino, and rich and the poor will see each other as brothers and sisters. And in doing so, will build a world with God and each other, that honors every person as God's Temple. The earth, crying out from human abuse, will again be radiant with life-giving oxygen and nourishment for all. Nations armed to the teeth will repent of threat and waste and work to build a world of justice--where conflict will be less likely.

This is the wisdom of God--that in the wonder of love can we, and our world come to reflect and honor the wisdom of God mediated through the human person and creation. This wisdom which nourishes us is summed up most effectively by the early Church father Iraeneus, when he stated: " The glory of God is a person fully alive; the life of humanity is the vision of God."

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded January 14, 2000