Homily Points
15th Sunday C
General.
God is constantly enlightening the sinner and giving him the grace to convert to Him. God wants man to be aware of the spirit of slavery within him and to recognize that He wants him back to enjoy His divine sonship. The Eucharist gives us the foresight of a new order of things on earth if we only recognize that victory lies in making a sacrifice of oneself, like Jesus did when he gave himself up for us on the Cross, and in giving up all ideas of primacy and superiority.Deuteronomy.
The story of God’s chosen people has not been always built on a steadfast faithfulness to God and His mercy for them in difficult times. It is one of constant wavering between faithfulnes and abandonment, notwithstanding all the wonders the people had seen. Moses is now exhorting the people he leads to go back to Scripture and follow God’s biddings which certainly are not difficult to keep.Epistle to the Colossians.
St Paul writes with great verve on the primacy of Jesus which, in Christian and Church life, should only belong to him and not be usurped in any way from him. Having seen him, we have seen the Father, and so we need not hesitate to consider Jesus, together with the Holy Spirit, as one with the Father in the Holy Trinity. It was the blood of Jesus, shed on the Cross for us, which brought redemption to us and united heaven (peace) and earth (the laws of matter, survival of the strongest force) together.St Luke.
Throughout the history of the Jewish people, Hashem (God of mercy) was an appellative given to God. Today, it might also be a link with one of the appellatives given by Moslems to God. Reading the Scripture (The Law = Torah) is essential, but visible acts, especially towards one’s enemy, are equally important. This is what Jesus actually did on the Cross, by dying for humanity when this was in a state of sin and so his and his Father’s enemy. It was a Samaritan, a professed enemy, who helped the Jew on the way to Jericho. In like manner, the Christian should help his enemies.