Homily, 5-6-24; Monday of the 6th Week of Easter:
Jesus tells the disciples in today’s gospel passage: “They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.” As I read this passage, my first thought was of Saul. He persecuted the Christians not to be cruel, but because he was trying to defend God as he knew and understood God to be. In his eyes he was offering a form of worship to God by his persecution. This was because, in reality, he did not truly know God the Father, and definitely didn’t know Jesus.
We can reflect on how well we know Jesus and the Father. How good is our understanding of how they want us to act? We can consider whether we sometimes act in pharisaical ways when we try to defend our faith. If we get caught up arguing about man-made Church laws, we can end up driving people away instead of drawing them closer. It is important to remember that we cannot argue people into the faith.
Saul changed after Jesus spoke to him. He came to know Him. He became Paul, a new man, and his writings tell of a different view, a different approach. The translation of Romans 15:1 in the Liturgy of the Hours reads: “We who are strong in faith should be patient with the scruples of those whose faith is weak; we must not be selfish.” And we read in chapter four of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them. Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed against the day of redemption.”
We should not let ourselves fall into the trap of scrupulosity, especially in our dealings with those whose faith is weak. If we try to know Jesus and the Father better, we can help others know them better as well. We will be guided by the Holy Spirit to say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them.
If we retain any Saul-like tendencies within us, let us also put on the new man, or woman. Let us change and be more like Paul by asking Jesus to reveal Himself to us more each day.