My friends, I would guess that you, like me, had to wonder a bit hearing the first reading from Exodus today.  Here we have a “God” depicted through the words of Moses who is definitely lacking in one of the key components that we all would look for in a loving God—the quality of “mercy.”  In fact, Moses seems more compassionate and understanding than does God, and he has to basically talk “his God” into acting more like God. 

   We question why God is depicted this way, and all that I can come up with is that the people of Moses’ time, as we have discussed before, saw their God more as a reflection of themselves, then of the loving entity that God was.  Often, in the Old Testament, it is the prophets, like Moses, who call out the best in the people when “God” apparently falls short. It would take Jesus coming among us, to show who God truly is!

   Few of you probably remember Pope John Paul I because he was only pope for a month, dying far too soon, and as one reads about him and his life, he had much that he could have offered our beleaguered Church.  Some have even thought and wrote about the fact that this otherwise, very healthy man may have had some help in dying before his time.  Regardless, this John Paul was said to have not liked the “God” of the Old Testament! My guess is that the Old Testament God, as depicted here by Moses, was a far cry from the God depicted by our brother Jesus. 

   The remainder of the readings for today uplift the quality of mercy—in Paul’s letter to Timothy, his young convert, and also in the gospel of Luke, where in the long version that we used today, we are gifted with three versions of our merciful God:  the Good Shepherd who will always search out the lost one, the woman who turned her house upside down looking for a lost coin—which by the way, is the same story as the Good Shepherd, only giving a feminine face to our loving God.

   The final face of God given us to consider in this lengthy reading from Luke is probably, in my mind, the most beautiful depiction Jesus gave us of who our God truly is—the story of the “Prodigal Son,” but more so, the “Prodigal Parent.”  The son shows us, “over-the-top” selfishness, and disregard for the mores of his family and community, and the parent shows, “over-the-top” love, and acceptance, regardless of mores, for the errant child, and thus, we, today, get a clear view of how God will look upon us as well. 

   In order for us to truly get a view of what Jesus is saying here about God in using the story of the Prodigal, it is important for us to look at how the people in Jesus’ time and culture would have heard and understood it.

   An inheritance was given to an offspring at the death of the parent.  In this story, the son asks for it early—the first custom broken which shows disrespect for the parent, which the parent dismisses and gives the inheritance anyway. 

   Now it would have been one thing had the son gone out and used the inheritance wisely, but as the story reveals, this was not the case.  When the son, who eventually becomes penniless and is basically starving, having squandered his father’s gift, comes to his senses and returns, expecting to no longer be treated as a “son,” but as a “servant,” he discovers instead, the over-the-top love of his father. 

   It is good to look further into the cultural mores of this time, to get a better—more complete view of the parent’s action.  The story tells us that the father “runs” to meet his son.  This is important because the custom would have been for the “errant one” to be met at the city gates by a representative of the community, who would have broken a clay pot at the person’s feet, signifying that the relationship with the community had been broken, and going forward, “the sin” would always be remembered.

   The Prodigal Dad, wanting to spare the child that humiliation, runs ahead, meets him, and lovingly takes him home.  In our time, we would say, this dad “had his son’s back!” 

   And this notion of God, “as merciful” is fine nuanced in Paul’s letter to Timothy where Paul relates the sins of his former life and proclaims the “mercy” he was shown by the God of Jesus, [when he] “did not know what he was doing in his unbelief.”

   So my friends, because “mercy” is so dominant the theme today, I used some literary license in changing the psalm response to the prayer of the 23^rd psalm, “Shepherd Me O’ God and used it likewise for the Prayers of the Faithful.  Where psalm 51 indicates the first action needed, “I will rise up and return to my God,” the 2^nd response is the on-going prayer of one who wants God to always show them the way.

   In conclusion then, the heartfelt words of Paul to Timothy, “that he did not know what he was doing in his unbelief,” seem perhaps, a response to much that is wrong in our Church and world today.  We must all pray that the God who loves us so much will show us—shepherd us, into the best ways of being for ourselves and for others.  Amen?

Amen!

Friends, I feel called to begin this homily with a couple of lines from Psalm 90 in today’s Scriptures which address the passage of time through the virtue of wisdom.  “In every age, O’ God, you have been our refuge…make us realize the shortness of life that we may gain wisdom of heart.”  I find myself thinking this way because in the next two months, September and October, our family remembers the passage of time in three birthdays and three wedding anniversaries.  “In every age, O’ God, you have been our refuge.” 

   With the passage of time, as made obvious by the increasing years in both birthdays and anniversaries, reflection upon what the years have been is appropriate and necessary to keep moving ahead.  This past week, the president of our United States of America felt compelled to speak to our nation, challenging each of us, regardless of political party, to strive toward being our best as people in order that we can protect our democracy, a dream that we haven’t yet realized, but one that is currently being threatened by violent extremists intent on their own selfish agenda of having what they want, when they want, regardless of whom is hurt in the process.  He basically told the nation, our nation, that violence is never, ever the way to anything worth having. 

   In the New Testament letter to Philemon, Paul, writing from prison, appeals to his convert in the faith, Philemon, a slaveholder, to give up his old ways.  “I …appeal [to you] in the name of love.”  In other words, just like President Biden stating that violence against the rule of law and its’ defenders has no place in a democracy, Paul in writing to Philemon, clearly says that Christianity and “slaveholding” are incompatible. 

   The first reading from the book of Wisdom today perhaps sheds some more light on the difficulty we humans have at times, doing the right thing, what is, as our president said in his speech, “the work of our better angels.”  The Wisdom writer gives us the following: “For a perishable body presses down the soul and a clay house weighs down the restless mind.” 

   Each of us friends, comes into our human experience hard-wired to love and live out, to the best of our abilities what we have been gifted with by our God.  And into this mix comes that “perishable body,” described as a “clay house” that through our free wills, egos, and self-preservation get in the way “of the good we would do,” as Paul speaks of it, in another place. 

   Continuing in the Wisdom reading for today, the Spirit, that walked with our brother Jesus all the days of his earthly life, has this to say: “The paths on earth have been straightened…”  In other words, as our brother said before leaving this earth, “I will be with you all days.” 

   So friends, it would seem that we, each one of us have all that we need to become our best selves—and not just for ourselves, but for others.  Our gospel today from Luke gives us a hint about what this might look like.  These words from our brother Jesus through the pen of Luke, at first glance, seem rather tough and hard to shallow, and we wonder, can Jesus really be saying that in order to follow him, we must turn our backs on our families—to abandon them? 

   As with all of Jesus’ teachings, we have to remember to not take his meaning literally.  Also, we have to keep in mind that Jesus was operating under a bit of a time crunch, so to speak—he knew his days of life here were short.  We, like our president in this past week’s speech, must realize the urgency of getting the message across. 

   When it comes to being Jesus’ followers, and today, for us, in “forming a more perfect union,” reflecting President Biden’s plea to us in 2022, that does reflect striving toward, “justice for all,” the time to do these grand deeds, both for Jesus and for our president, seems short!

   We know from everything else that Jesus said and did in his earthly life, that he would not advocate for leaving our parents behind and in need.  His point, I believe, is to stress that we get ourselves clear, once we have decided to follow him, there is no turning back—we must strive to do justice wherever and whenever possible, for all or most of the people—we must always do the most loving thing. 

   Practically speaking, we will most likely take care of our families while we are accomplishing the works of peace, justice, mercy, and love.  Amen? Amen!

   My friends, this week’s Scriptures call each of us to a concerted reflection of ourselves and to a renewed vision of who God is for us.  In the 14 years of my priesthood and as your pastor, it seems to me that I have constantly called us, through the Scriptures, “to know ourselves” and, “to walk with our God” who really wants nothing more than that we would enjoy our human experience here, by becoming our best selves, for ourselves, and for others.

   Let’s look first at what today’s Scriptures have to say about who God is.  The writer to the Hebrews seems to be, “setting the record straight” where God is concerned.  The people, in this writer’s mind have the story on God, all wrong as he/she denies that God is “untouchable” or a being of “gloomy darkness.” Further, the writer states that, our God does not speak words that we would rather not hear.

   No, the writer to the Hebrews says, “our God is one of celebration,” a God who has come in the person of Jesus, who, “mediates a new covenant” with us.  So where did the Hebrew people get a view of God as “untouchable” or consisting of “gloomy darkness?” 

   Before I attempt to answer this question, a look at the Wisdom literature of Sirach, which serves as our 1^st reading today, is perhaps helpful.  The Sirach writer tells us to, “be gentle in caring out [our] business” and that, “the greater you are, the more you should behave humbly.”  Now if you were looking for a pattern on which to frame your life, you could certainly do worse. 

   This Old Testament wisdom is paired well today with the wisdom of our brother, Jesus.  Through a parable depicting guests at a wedding feast choosing the best seats for themselves, only to later be asked to give up the coveted seat to someone of more importance, Jesus wisely says, “For they who exalt themselves will be humbled” and the opposite is true as well. 

   So friends, it would seem that our basic stance in life should be that of “humility.”  It would seem that if we as humans could better realize who we are and who we are not, coming to know who God is would be so much easier.  I believe that any God worth following would be one who “shows us the way,” as opposed to being one who tells us that we must act in a certain way and that this same God doesn’t act likewise. 

   Jesus, the face of God in human form certainly never asked us to be or do anything that he was not also willing to do himself.  In fact, while with us, he said, “When you see me, you see my Abba God too!”  So again the question, why did the Hebrew people have such a skewed view of who God might be? Why would they need to be told that their God was not “untouchable” and “gloomy” and perhaps one to fear unless they themselves were this way? I believe, my friends, and this is often true for us as well, the Hebrews framed their God in their own image, expecting “less” rather than “more” because if God is “untouchable” and “gloomy,” then they don’t have to expect anymore from themselves.  But, if as Jesus told us again and again throughout his earthly life, our God loves and cares for us in “an over-the-top” way, in stories like the Prodigal and the Good Shepherd, then much more is expected of us as well. 

   The psalmist today seems to understand this too, praying, “God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.”  The psalmist continues, [our God is] “a protector of the weak,” and “in your goodness, you provided for the needy.” 

   So friends, not only do we hear confirmation from the psalmist that our God is good and caring, but that our God has a special interest in the poor and the downtrodden.  Our mission becomes clear then—we cannot be “gloomy” or “untouchable” ourselves, because God is not; and further, we must face our world as Jesus, our brother did his, with love, mercy, and justice.

   And finally, we can’t just hear these Scriptures as “nice stories” about our “loving God” and in particular about Jesus, but must hear them as our call, to do the same. 

   Friends, we live in different times than that of the Hebrews, the psalmist and of Jesus, but the needs are basically the same.  People are still, “poor”—hungry and discriminated against, truth doesn’t stand for much in our present day—mistrust of government, the press, and of each other is more rampant than ever.

   And into this mix we find ourselves and we are called to do our part—to speak our truth when we hear lies, to call for humility in those who want to lead us, whether in Church or State and to demand morality in those same leaders.  Within ourselves, we have to believe that hope and goodness are stronger than lies and selfishness and all the rest of “the gloom,” because if we don’t, then we can never attain a better world. 

   I will end with a wonderful message that was given to our grandson Elliot and his third-grade classmates this past week by their teacher, Mrs. Ratz, as a bit of hope and encouragement for us all, and I will paraphrase.  When you think, “I can’t do this, I don’t want to do this—or in groups, we can’t, they won’t—any of these negative, defeatist words, invite in the word, “yet” to help bring growth.  So, when you feel like, “I can’t make a difference in all that is wrong in our world, think, “yet!”   We are always called to more and together, can do it!  Amen? Amen!