HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
THEME: FOR ALL PEOPLES.
BY: Fr Andrew Ekpenyong,
1. All Peoples. As we continue to support the survivors of the catastrophic fires of August 8-9 in Maui, Hawaii, as we mourn the loss of lives there and everywhere else on the planet at this time, as we join in sheltering those who have lost over 2000 homes in a matter of hours, it is understandable that some consider it a miracle, that Maria Lanakila Catholic Church emerged untouched by the Maui fires, every other building around it burned down. For me, it is not a miracle. It is at least, a reminder of Divine providence even in the worst of circumstances. That church, a “house of prayer for all peoples”, using the words of today’s 1st reading (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7), has literally become a shelter for all peoples in that community. Surprisingly, even very good people, find it challenging to actually see the church as a “house of prayer for all peoples”. St Paul, in today’s 2nd reading (Rom 11:13-15, 29-32) only slowly realized his special role as an apostle to the gentiles, to bring God’s salvation to all peoples. The disciples of our Lord in today’s Gospel reading (Mt 15:21-28) asked Him to send the gentile woman away, but our Lord taught them that He is ultimately the Savior of all peoples. Why? Because all peoples have the same human nature, the same basic needs, the same need for salvation. Here is a real life story of how a friend of mine, Dr Guy Consolmagno, realized it.
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2. Same Needs. He is a Jesuit astronomer and the current Director of the Vatican Observatory. Years ago, he became conflicted in his mind after his long training in math, physics and astronomy in elite institutions including MIT. He asked himself what he was doing studying stars when people in Africa and other parts of the world were dying of hunger and diseases. He joined the Peace Corps and went to Kenya 1983-85. The Peace Corp directors persuaded him to use his training in teaching astronomy at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. But he still wanted to be in contact with the hungry in African villages. To get to them he took his telescope with him to visit those fellow American Peace Corps members working with the poor so that he would interact with the villagers while his fellow Americans would have some urban leisure viewing the telescope. He was shocked over what followed. In his words: “…everybody in the village would show up to look through my telescope. And they would show exactly the same “oohs” and “aahhs” looking at the craters of the moon or the rings of Saturn, exactly the same as when I would set this up back in Michigan, USA. And it suddenly dawned on me … It’s only human beings that have this curiosity to understand: What’s that up in the sky? And this is a hunger that is as deep and as important as a hunger for food because if you starve a person in that sense, you’re depriving them of their humanity.” Thank God our friend Dr Guy did not send the hungry villagers away from his telescope.
3. Salvation. Sisters and brothers, beyond the hunger for food, shelter…., there is the deepest human desire for meaning, for lasting happiness, for salvation. Today’s Scripture readings remind us that God’s salvation is for all. The Psalmist recognized this and prayed: O God, let all the nations praise you! (Ps 67:4). In today’s 1st Reading (Is 56:1,6-7), God used the Prophet Isaiah to teach the Israelites about other nations: “The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord… will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Moreover, God raised up and sent apostles like St Paul, to non-Jews, to Gentiles as we heard in the 2nd Reading (Rom 11:13-15,29-32): “Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles…” See the progress in salvation history! Not only are non-Jews tolerated, but they are invited to the banquet of salvation. It was not easy even for our Lord Jesus Christ to get his disciples to welcome everyone instead of trying to send some away.
4. Don’t Send Her Away. A Canaanite woman approached Him for help in today’s Gospel reading (Mt 15:21-28). Of course, He knew what He would do but kept silent to allow a common scenario to play out: bias, stereotypes, restrictive interpretations, etc. Then His disciples came and asked Him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” Our Lord had an implicit response: Don’t send her away. He then gave her the opportunity to prove her faith. Our Lord fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in today’s 1st reading: “The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord… will be acceptable on my altar….” He praised her faith: “O woman, great is your faith!” and obviously held her up as an example for His disciples who were sometimes “men of little faith” (Mt 8:26). This is our chance to become women and men of great faith, as we seek solutions to current local and global challenges, like the Canaanite woman, who sought solutions to her daughter’s ill-health. What a privilege, to worship together in this “house of prayer for all peoples”!
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