Sunday, October 29, 2023

Homily for 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Oct. 29, 2023
Ex 22: 20-26
Matt 22: 34-40
Villa Maria, Bronx
Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

“You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt” (Ex 22: 20).

Panoramic view from summit of Mt. Sinai

So the Lord commands Israel as part of his covenant with them at Mt. Sinai.  He commands them further to be just to widows and orphans, and compassionate toward the poor.  In other words, he wishes his people, the people he redeemed from slavery in Egypt and made his very own favorite people, to be as compassionate toward their neighbors as he is compassionate toward his people.

That’s the heritage by which Jesus can command us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

When Pope Francis speaks up for migrants—the aliens among us—or for those afflicted by violence, poverty, or any kind of discrimination—sometimes he’s accused of being political.  It was that way also for St. John XXIII, St. Paul VI, and St. John Paul II.  But this is the politics of the God’s covenant with Israel, the politics of the Gospel, the politics of Jesus.  We are to be concerned for the welfare of everyone, not just our fellow citizens, not just people who are like us; concerned not only as individuals but as a society, by our laws and policies.

Lord knows, the wealthy and the powerful take care of themselves very well and don’t need our help.  Our prayers, yes—that’s a form of compassion we can show the wealthy and powerful, lest they go to hell like the rich man in Jesus’ parable who had ignored the beggar at his gate (Luke 16:19-31).  Their souls may need our prayers more than the poor, the homeless, the immigrant, and the refugee need us to intercede with God for them.

In today’s collect we asked God, “Increase our faith, hope, and charity and make us love what you command.”  Our faith is in Jesus Christ, who saves us; our charity leads us to be compassionate as he is toward sinners and toward the poor, the sick, the abandoned, the desperate.  We can carry out Jesus’ teaching about love of God and of neighbor by praying for those whose stories in the news of suffering strike us—victims of war, natural disaster, economic hardship, domestic violence, or crime—and by involving ourselves in our parish outreach services to the needy and by contributing to Catholic Charities according to our means.


If we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matt 22:37), we have to love all God’s children too.

Most of you remember Lucy Van Pelt, one of Charlie Brown’s friends (loosely speaking).  She’s known for proclaiming, “I love mankind; it’s people I can’t stand.”  She has a hard time turning mankind in general into the particular people in her life.  It’s important that we apply our charity to particular people.  Charity begins at home.  The 1st people to know our compassion must be those in our own household and our own relatives—our patience, understanding, gentleness, assistance, and forgiveness.

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