Homily on the 18th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 7: 11-16.
Recently at school, I have been taking my students through a unit that looks at the factor that come together to affect a person’s wellbeing. In the course of this unit, I have shown my students many short videos that explore the day to day, reality of life for many different people. The other day I showed them a video looking at the challenges Japan’s aging population face in their everyday lives – in that many of them are now left alone to fend for themselves. Whilst I was showing my students this video, I noticed that they were really engaged with what the clip was presenting. In the end, we had a class discussion around the issues that the elderly face, and all agreed that as a community, we must all play an active role in helping those elderly around us.
In today’s Gospel, Christ raises the son of the widow. In this Gospel, our Lord and saviour is showing us that His mission was to come and heal our broken relationship with the All-Holy Trinity – which the Levitical law was so powerless to heal. Christ is also showing us in the healing of the widow’s son, that He has come to heal the little ones, and requires that we as His Body, do our utmost to help these little ones. Now it is true that the Church is not a social justice agency, for there is more to Her mission than feeding the poor. We are, however, called to nurture the faith of the poor ones, and the easiest way we can do this is through faith backed up by deeds! How many times have we heard said of clerics, ‘do what they say, but not what they do.’ We must then make our actions become like light to the world. How many times has it been said of a bishop that they live like a king with the best money can buy?
In many ways, the Christian missionaries of old knew this well for they knew that in the first place, they had to help the peoples with their most basic problems before they could tackle their spiritual needs. Indeed, these missionaries, like the great Saint Herman of Alaska, knew that to truly build up a man they needed to not just give out food but rather, teach the man to fish as it were. This is why it is better to support charities that build up people’s economic independence, for by doing so, one helps them fulfill their human dignity and builds up their esteem. Once this has been achieved then one can effectively tackle the many spiritual problems that people face in their lives.
One thing that has been on my mind for quite some time is that we live in an age where despite all our technology people have become more and more disconnected - one from the other. How has happened? Were these new technologies not designed to connect people more easily? Whilst it is true in some ways they have- yet, for the most part, many people are still alone. Why is it that we have millions of elderly left to their own devices? Why are the old age homes filling up with lonely old souls with no one caring to visit them? It seems that we have forgotten that it is our duty as the Church to go out there and be Christ’s hands and feet in this world. We need to show people by our actions and love that we are of Christ (John 13: 34-35). Unfortunately, many Christians have sought to pontificate over who is Orthodox or not rather than getting their hands dirty, and interacting with real people whose suffering cares not for who is Canonical or not! Whilst it is important that one keeps the canons and faith of the Church – a church without love is no better than the Pharisees of Christ’s day bickering over who more faithfully follows the rules of the Levitical Law!
Finally, as members of Christ’s Body, let us reflect on how we can be Christ’s hands and feet in this world. Remember, one cannot possibly do everything that needs to be done. However, one can do small things that can further the spread of Christ’s Gospel of Truth in the world. Let us be known as the Church that spreads the love of Christ. Men respond to love, and it is through deeds that build love that men are caught in the net of love that is the Truth of the Gospel of Christ. Remember, a wise person once said,’ one does not attract flies with vinegar.’ Therefore, let us moderate what we say and only speak with concern and love for those we speak to. There is much at stake here, for if we act lovingly, we can bring men to Christ, for in so doing, they can have the opportunity to become part of His Body the Church. Only once they have become a member of Christ’s Body can they, ‘taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 33:9). Only in the Church can they taste the sweetness of Christ - which is presented in the form of the Holy Mysteries of the Eucharist. It is in the Eucharist that man is brought into the fullness of communion with the All-Holy Trinity and can be made whole as the All-Holy Trinity originally made man before the fall. Therefore, what we do in the world –Christ’s Vineyard- is of utmost importance, for it can have an impact on whether people accept or reject the All-Holy Trinity. Let us pray this week that we may always act with love and that the Lord will bless our efforts with our fellow men.
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