Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel reading, we hear about justice. Jesus is proclaiming justice and bringing justice to victory. What is the justice that Jesus is bringing to our world, and how are we called to follow Him in living out this justice today?
Jesus is healing people, reaching out to those in need and proclaiming the Good News. Despite the good work that He is performing, the Pharisees are plotting to put Jesus to death. Jesus does not stop doing the works of mercy and love, but He tries to perform these acts “below the radar” in order to continue the work of the Father. A quote from Isaiah is used to describe Jesus’ ministry: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.” The Spirit of God is with Jesus, and the Father sends Him forth to do His will. But God does not reserve His peace and justice for just the Jewish people. Jesus is sent to bring these same blessings to the Gentiles, and it is Jesus that brings them hope.
As disciples of Jesus, we are also called to proclaim and bring justice to others. What does that mean for us, and how are we called to live this in our lives? To live out Christian justice, we must first recognize and rely on the work of the Spirit in our lives. Without the direction of God’s grace we are unable to be Christ-like to others. Then we must look to Jesus to understand how we can bring justice and peace to the world around us.
Jesus does not perform miracles to gain prestige or attention. Even when he cures the sick, Jesus asks those who are healed not to make Him known. Jesus shares His message in words, but it is through how He lives His life that boldly proclaims the truths of the kingdom. Jesus reaches out to those who are marginalized (the Gentiles) and gives them reason for hope. His message is one of acceptance, love, mercy and non-violence.
We are called to live in the same way. As Christian disciples we are called to love others- those that are different from us, those who may not like us, and those who may be difficult to love. We are called to reach out to those in need- those who may be lacking in material needs or those who may need human connection and care. And we are called to bring peace. In this age of gun violence, I wonder if Jesus is calling us to make changes in how we perceive the right to “bear arms” as a necessary part of our society. Jesus did not bear weapons and did not condone the use of violence in bringing about justice. Unfortunately, Christians have used weapons and force to share God’s message of love. It seems we have lost sight of God’s original plan and Jesus’ message of communion and love.
Pope Francis describes the challenges of living out this radical lifestyle. "In our complex and violent world, it is truly a formidable undertaking to work for peace by living the practice of nonviolence. Equally daunting is the aim of achieving full disarmament 'by reaching people’s very souls', building bridges, fighting fear and pursuing open and sincere dialogue. The practice of dialogue is in fact difficult. We must be prepared for give and take. We must not assume that the others are wrong. Instead, accepting our differences and remaining true to our positions, we must seek the good of all; and, after having finally found agreement, we must firmly maintain it." This is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ- with the grace of God’s Spirit- may it be so!
Loving God, Jesus shows us how we are called to live a life of peace, justice and mercy. Pour down Your Spirit so we will have the courage, wisdom and love to guide our thoughts, words and actions. May we bring Your justice and peace to all of the world. We pray this in Christ’s name. AMEN.
-Marylynn Herchline