The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Though Terry was only fifteen and inexperienced, he was made a "work boy." He was stationed in a second-floor hallway, where his task was to sell small capsules of cocaine, at ten dollars apiece, to customers directed to him by other stationed on the streets. Because he handled money he was paid better that the others, who are hired less for their intelligence or probity than for their willingness to use force against competitors and would-be thieves. For a twelve hour shift, six days a week, Terry was paid one thousand dollars in cash.

The weapons confiscated from dealers showed clearly their increasing wealth and seriousness: .38s and 45s had been replaced by AK-47 assault rifles and 9mm semiautomatic pistols.

Terry Jackson knows the "mean streets" of life. From the ,moment he was born he lived in a realm of violence. It is a realm of verbal pain, neglect, a nagging sense of nobodiness, and the predatory streets of the drug dealers. It is the realm of dive-by shootings and murder--a seemingly bottomless pit of despair.

The prophet Habbakuk raised his voice in complaint to the Lord and the people about the violence all around him. We could also say that the prophet's voice was God's own decrying the wasteland of violence that some of humanity seems determined to create for itself. Yet this cry of the prophet, one that trusts that the Lord will hear it and act upon it is also the cry of the Lord, that calls us to act. Based on the biblical witness we know the Lord acts, through those willing and faithful ones that hear the Lord's Word and act upon it.

This is the focus of the Lord's comments concerning faith. the apostles want more faith. Jesus attaches this request to the ministry of servanthood. "If you wish to have more faith, act as if you had faith, and it will be given to you," as the old adage goes. That is similar to what our Lord is getting at. Be faithful servants only desirous of living the Gospel, and faith will be yours ! Yet living this gospel of life in a world so often enamored of violence and death takes commitment and courage.

In 2 Timothy we are reminded that such a ministry is possible because the Spirit of the crucified and Risen Lord, which has been given to all of us, is no cowardly spirit ! Once we act on this gospel we choose to be Jesus' followers. That is the crux of the issue. We come to know the Lord and to trust the Lord, as we live the gospel of life in this world. Knowing the Lord is walking with the Lord, and dying with the Lord.

This respect for life Sunday challenges all believers to bring this Gospel of life to every corner of life. The persistent issues of the death penalty, abortion on demand, euthanasia, the continuance of nuclear deterrence, racism, hunger, indifference to the plight of our cities, and so many other problems of life call forth the courageous in us as Jesus' followers because to address these issues is, at times, perilous at worst, and frustrating at best.

This past Friday we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. In his letter, The Ecological Crisis, 1990, Pope John Paul II refers to St. Francis as the patron saint of the environment. If the respect for life is a Gospel imperative for Christian living, then the environment, that which makes

life possible at all, must be protected and nurtured. The witness of St. Francis and the Scriptures reminds human beings--what we do to the earth we do to ourselves.

We are summoned to the great challenge and consolation of serving in the Spirit of Christ. Getting beyond romantic notions of this service, we are confronted with a ministry that will bring us into conflict with our surroundings--and even with ourselves ! But we have no cowardly spirit--for there is too much and too many lives at stake to shrink from the commitment to the Gospel of life. We may not succeed in our endeavors to bring peace and justice despite our ingenuity and commitment as the world sees success. But what is important we are told is that we do our duty as the Lord's servants. So we may fail as the world sees failure. But as Hab. reminds us--the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint, because, as with Paul, we can agree that God's grace is stronger than sin and evil, That is the end, LIFE has the final word.

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