Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
HOMILY
World Mission Sunday – October 23, 2011
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Matthew Cycle A
My friends, something unique is taking place in the Universal Church today. In churches around the globe, from the Philippines to Mexico, from Kenya to Haiti, from Scranton to Rome, our worship particularly focuses upon the missionary efforts of the entire Church. Today is World Mission Sunday.
Pope Benedict the XVI, in his message on this World Mission Sunday, offers these words: “The universal mission involves all, everything and always. The Gospel is not an exclusive good of the one who has received it, but is a gift to be shared, good news to communicate. And this gift-commitment is entrusted not only to a few, but to all the baptized.” So today, on World Mission Sunday, Catholics throughout the entire world unite at mass to recommit ourselves to our vocation, through Baptism, to be missionaries.
In that spirit, I wrote in my pastoral letter, Wounded and Loved, Regathering the Scattered, “The challenge for Catholic formation in our parishes is to make the baptized aware of the universality of Christ’s mission.” By Baptism, each of us is called to evangelize by taking part in the mission of Jesus to bring the ‘Good News’ of salvation to the ends of the Earth. The Good News we bring is that there is one God who is Father of all, who sent His Son to show us the way to true human fulfillment in love of God and neighbor.
Isn’t that what we just heard in Matthew’s Gospel—the Greatest Commandment—Love God and Love Neighbor. Once again the Pharisees asked Jesus a loaded question: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” They wanted a simple formula to rank the commandments but the answer Jesus gives is not the answer they are expecting. The scholar of the law asked for one commandment but Jesus gives him two. “You shall love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We cannot have one without the other.
Jesus’ response leads to a very logical question. While we understand who God is, what about our neighbor? Who exactly comes into this category? Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is everyone, no matter where they’re from, no matter the color of their skin or their ethnic background … and especially those who are in most need of our help. No one is left out … not even our enemies.
But we might ask: How is that possible? How is it possible to love everyone when we have been wronged and hurt by some people? How do we love those who have hurt our feelings? … I’ll tell you. Authentic love is not based on how we feel. Feelings come and go. Love is based on the truth as Jesus lived it. Love is grounded in the value of the human person – a value rooted in the belief that we are all created in the image and likeness of God – and for reason we are all deserving of love. … Love is how we treat someone no because of how we feel, but because of who we are as Christians. The last story that Jesus ever told was His parable of the final judgment. We will hear it proclaimed in just a few weeks on the last Sunday of this liturgical year right from Matthew’s Gospel. And it all has to do with deeds. Feelings are completely omitted. Jesus does not say: “I was hungry and you felt sorry for me. I was naked and you felt embarrassed for me. I was sick and you had sympathy for me.” All of that might be ’good feelings’ but Jesus did not even mention them. The only thing that counted with Him were the hungry who were fed, the naked who were clothed, the sick who were visited, and the way we loved and helped our neighbor along the way.
Jesus was the ultimate realist. He said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We may try to evade that responsibility by pointing out that some people are just unlovable but Jesus closes that loophole. In essence He says: “I know that, but I’m really not interested in how you feel about people. That is not the issue. My concern is ‘How are you treating them?’ Love is something we do. Loving our neighbor as ourselves is only possible if we can see the neighbor’s true situation; if we can see things from the neighbor’s point of view; if we can take time to walk in our neighbor’s shoes.
In the vestibule of the church is the theme poster for this year’s World Mission Sunday. It’s the procession to Sunday Mass on February 20th of this year at St. Joseph’s Church in Mutunguru, (Mu tun gu ru), Kenya. Our own Diocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Deacon Ed Kelly, was at that mass. Ed shared with me a great deal about that experience. He shared with me the hope that he saw on the faces of our African brothers and sisters. All we have to do is look at this poster to see the joy, to see the smiles. Their smiles tell the story of the theme of this year’s World Mission Sunday—The Hope That Saves—that hope is Jesus Himself.
One of the most profound truths ever spoken about Jesus came from His enemies. When he was dying on the cross, they mocked Him saying: “He saved others but He cannot save Himself.” True love does not save itself. It sacrifices itself for the sake of others. Salvation is one of the greatest words in any language. The entire New Testament is written around it and it always has a double dimension. First, Christ saves us for ourselves. By His sacrificial love, He gives us a profound awareness of who we are and how much we are worth. Second, Christ saves us from ourselves. By teaching and living the greatest commandment, Love God and Love Neighbor, He breaks the chains of selfishness and thus, sets us free to serve the whole world. That’s the hope that brings smiles to the Kenyans in that poster. That’s the hope that saves.
Deacon Kelly also shared with me that while so many in Africa are coming to Jesus, some are reluctant. But why? Why be reluctant to come to Jesus? As one African man said: “This Jesus and His message of sacrificial love, even to the point of loving our enemies, is just too good to be true.”
Is he correct? Is Jesus too good to be true? … Not for the Kenyans depicted in this poster—simple and humble—yet colorful and joyful in the hope that saves. Too good to be true? Not for our high school students who belong to the Propagation of the Faith, some of whom I sent off this past July to New Orleans on a mission trip, and I could see the joy and excitement in their faces. Too good to be true? Not for our elementary school students who belong to the Holy Childhood Association–children helping children all over the world—who know that their sacrifices have made a difference in the lives of so many poor kids. Too good to be true? Not for all the parishioners of the Diocese of Scranton who reached out in so many ways to all those affected by the recent floods and discovered that true joy comes by helping and serving others who are in real need. Too good to be true? Not for the faithful, especially those who belong to the Propagation of the Faith, who see the world as Christ sees it—free of borders and boundaries—because their hearts have been touched by the unity of their brothers and sisters in the Risen Christ. Too good to be true? Not for those who embrace the greatest commandment, Love God and Love Neighbor, and know deep in their souls that the only law of Heaven is the law of love.
The missionary work of the Church is still very far from completion. Every year, new missions are entrusted to the Propagation of the Faith. They simply could not exist without the love and help of missionaries both at home and abroad. So, in the name of the Propagation of the Faith, I thank you for your assistance in helping us maintain and nurture these missions. … More importantly, since those we serve through the Propagation of the Faith, like our Kenyan brothers and sisters in this poster, are not able to personally express their appreciation and gratitude, on their behalf, from the bottom of my heart, I say “thank you.” … Thank you for giving them hope. … And thank you for embracing the example of Jesus and serving our brothers and sisters – our neighbors – in their need.
