My friends, this week’s Scriptures speak to us very clearly about what it means to be “in relationship” with our Loving God, and additionally, what it means to truly follow our brother Jesus.  Let’s take a cursory look and then, as always, we will try and dive deeper into just what these Scriptures might mean for us today, because as you know, these readings are just “words on the page,” unless we are willing to act upon them. 

   First off, if we were looking for a general theme for today, the psalmist in #33 gives us a good one, “The Creator loves justice and right.”  And very quickly we see that through our “relationship with God,” as we read from the Old, or First Testament, “God will be God for us, and we will be God’s people, that relationship comes with duties. 

   In the Genesis reading today, we see our forebears in the faith, Abram and Sarai, later to become, Sarah and Abraham, are called by God to do their part, and it is no small part at that! God asks them to “go forth from their kinfolk and [what is] familiar to [them]. God continues, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you.”

   On first glance, this might sound pretty straight forward, so let’s look closer.  For Abram and Sarai, and the Israelite people in general, their families and homes were everything to them and they are being asked to leave both, family and home, so in many ways, this is a “big deal.” And it is such a big deal that as a covenant or promise between God and them is made, “I will be your God, and you will be my people,” the deal is sealed, as it were, by each taking a new name – Sarai becomes Sarah, and Abram becomes Abraham.

   Before leaving Genesis, we might wonder out loud, what gave these two forebears in the faith the strength to do what they did? We call them, “our forebears in the faith” for one very important reason – “they left all they knew, walking ‘in faith,’ not knowing what would come next” – we friends are called many times, to the same.

   We get added good counsel from Paul in his letter to Timothy today: “Do not be ashamed of me” – or to testify about God.” I think most of us who admit to having a good conscience, have been challenged from time to time in our lives to do the “right thing,” speak the word that no one else will speak, but that needs to be spoken. And of course, the easier thing is to remain, “silent with the crowd” because we want to be liked and loved by family and friends.  But, the “rubber does really meet the road” when we find ourselves disagreeing at “heart level” with family and close friends. 

   Trying to live as Jesus did, always choosing what is best for all, reminds me of a class via zoom that I had the good fortune to take recently, entitled, Leo XIII – Leo XIV.   It was presented by theologian, Sister Dawn Nothwehr, Rochester Franciscan. 

   The class was intended to help us see how being involved in social justice has long, if not always, been a part of Catholic Social Teaching, whether it is consistently acted upon or not.  You will recall that Pope Leo XIII, in 1891 wrote the encyclical, Rerum Novarum, more commonly known as, the encyclical for “the Workers.”

   Catholic social teaching has always instructed that persons look at the conditions of life around them and try and match that up with what we know of God’s plan for all through the Scriptures, and also through the wisdom of others that comes from the Spirit of God.  The answers that come to those so engaged are never easy – we might say, “black and white.” 

   If we look to Pope Leo XIII, we see this dilemma.   During the time he composed, Rerum Novarum, 1891, capitalism and socialism were vying for prominent places in society.  Each had some good things to offer, but neither was a complete answer with regard to what Leo thought was, “being a good Christian.”

   With capitalism, individual rights were uplifted, which in and of itself was good, but that notion carried to the extreme worked against the Christian ethic of caring for the poor.  Socialism, while having a tenet of caring for the poor in conjunction with Christian principles, was too involved in individual lives, Leo thought, basically taking many personal rights away. 

   Thus, Rerum Novarum seemed “to fall” as a balance to both social ideas: It encouraged a just wage for workers, shorter workdays (common was 12-15 hours a day), protections for workers, safer work environments, days off, and so on…He also advocated for the right of individuals to own property, and this too, within balance. 

   I believe our present Pope Leo chose his new name to make clear that he would follow in his predecessor Leo’s footsteps being aware of the great imbalance in our world between the “haves and have-nots.” 

   So, my friends, I think from this example, we can clearly see that “doing what is right,” including all, is never easy.  Our 3^rd reading today from Matthew’s gospel gives us perhaps, the tone we should use in our Christian-like endeavors.  Peter, the impetuous one, responds from his heart in the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus with Moses and Elijah, “Teacher, how good that we are here!”  This particular line from Scripture has always been one of my favorites.  The times in which we live are, if truth be told, so discouraging in many ways – much that is going on in our country through lack of leadership, lying, selfishness, meanness, and likewise in our world, deflates our best desires for peace and goodwill for all.  But, my friends, at the end of the day, I can say with Peter, “It is good that we are here!”  I can say this because I know that each of you is here too – each of you working against those lowest denominator qualities, striving for peace, lovingkindness, justice, mercy and love. And a final comment from our brother Jesus, that gives me great hope, “Don’t be afraid, because I am with you always!” Amen? Amen!