The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

To mercy, Pity, Peace and Love,
All pray in their distress:
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love,
Is God, our father dear:
And Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is Man, his child and care.
For Mercy has known a human heart,
Pity, a human face:
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

-William Blake

These words of the poet William Blake express the same type of confidence that we hear in 2 Timothy. These are words of confidence and intimate hope expressive of a fundamental trust in the mercy and justice of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. They are words borne of the fundamental trust that is possible with the Father of Jesus Christ. This God is one who is experienced as TRUSTWORTHY. This is a God that one experiences as one who identifies with those that have given themselves in service to the Reign of God. That is why Paul expresses such a confidence in his ultimate fate as one of receiving a crown!

Paul's trust stands in contrast to the Pharisee's of the parable in Luke. Paul's confidence is grounded in the faithfulness of God. The Pharisee's confidence is grounded in his own limited ability. Not only that, but he also tries to convince anyone within earshot of his great accomplishments. In effect, he is submitting his resume to God, himself and others. Why is that ? Is this because he is insecure ? Does he need "Kudos" from everyone ? Is he self-centered ? We really don't know. He probably did everything he said--quite admirable. For all we know he was a good man, moral , decent, perhaps a model citizen. A problem arises in all of this though. He points to his own accomplishments , but he does it while putting down others. He is trying to claim the religious "high ground" in his boasting. And, of course, this is done so that he may see himself above others, doing it on his own, separated from the wogs and sinners around him. Oh ! what a dreadful thing, what a mistake!

That is the great trap for religious people ! So often to be a religious

"somebody" others have to be "Nobodies". I ask myself: where do I stand ? When am I like the Pharisee in the story?

The attitude of the Pharisee is contrasted with the publican. Publicans were the scoundrels of their times. They worked for the Romans collecting taxes and often forced the people to pay more than their allotment so that they could skim off the top. In essence that were traitorous crooks!

Jesus deliberately uses this story to shock ! Rather than the upright Pharisee getting the praise its the repentant publican. And there it is ! He was repentant. he recognized his need for God's mercy, God's forgiveness, the healing suave of grace. He knows this need. He knows he needs the forgiveness of others too. Knowing his own imperfection, he knows all are imperfect too. Most people like himself are trying to figure it out, sometimes they just get lost. But they can come home when they turn to the God of Jesus in petition for clemency.

The Pharisee is the perfect illusion and delusion of the self-made religious person. Not only is he not self-made, he is not really religious ! This simple parable again strips the seemingly pious naked of religious

hypocrisy ! The religious person is the one who sees oneself as dependent on the God of Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy, the God of compassion. The religious person understand that this mercy and compassion shown to oneself must be extended to others who are in need. The compassionate one understands that we are all in this together. And in our world today, this is an essential lesson ! Those who do not know it see others as inferior, not worth the time, or as non-persons.

The religious person rebels against this. For the religious person the central concern is to reflect the compassion and mercy of God for all--no exceptions. Then we may not have to ask so often, "why don' t people come to Church like they used to?" I'm so religious, why aren't they?

Maybe some other questions may follow: What have we done or failed to do that drove them away ? I ask myself, did they leave because they did not hear the Gospel, or did I fail to live it?

There are many questions we can ask. Assigning blame is too easy either way? But I am convinced, that any community that truly commits itself to the Father of Jesus Christ, comes for forgiveness, experiences that compassion in this or any community, is truly religious and will attract those who intuitively seek this face of the Lord.

The first step is witnessing or reflecting Jesus in the world in our own appreciation for a fundamental truth-- we are in need of God's compassion, once we are open to it, we will be able to pass it on. Then our interest will be the unconditional love of God for the other--not a claim to superiority. Then those words of Blake and Paul may pass through our lips may be:

Love, Mercy, Pity and Peace;
the crown that will be mine.

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