Homily

There are 34 Sundays after Pentecost in our liturgical calendar, meaning there are 34 sets of epistle and Gospel readings for the Sundays between Pentecost and Meatfare Sunday that comes just before Lent. But there is a problem. If Lent comes later all is well, but if Lent begins earlier in the year then there are too many Sundays after Pentecost. So what do we do with the extra Sundays and their readings? It would seem natural to just continue on and stop the Sundays after Pentecost whenever you get to Meatfare Sunday. BUT! The Gospels on these last Sundays after Pentecost have some of the most popular and Lenten-friendly Gospels, such as the story of Zacchaeus, Publican and Pharisee, and the 34th Sunday after Pentecost is the story of the Prodigal Son. So if we only have 33 Sundays after Pentecost, as we do this year, we don't cut out the 34th Sunday, but we make the adjustment in September after the Exaltation of the Cross and we cut out as many Gospel readings as is needed, and we begin the cycle of readings from Luke's Gospel, which begins on the 18th Sunday. Who figures all this out? People who can count better than I, they tell me what to do and I blindly follow them in faith, rather than count for myself.

So this year there are only 33 Sundays after Pentecost, and because we have 34 Sundays of readings, and it's after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, it is necessary to drop one of the Gospels of Matthew and begin the Gospels of Luke so we get to Meatfare Sunday on time. But I'm not going to do that today. Even though the calendar and bulletin show the correct Gospel that should be read today, because I do not want to leave any physical evidence of my liturgical treachery, I really wanted to read the Gospel of the 17th Sunday, Matthew 15:21-28. I'll get back on track next Sunday.

So, for reasons I've mentioned, this Gospel often gets cut out of the cycle many years. But here is why I thought I'd read it today.

Matthew wrote his Gospel with a specific Church community in mind. And that group had Gentile Christians but it was largely made up of Jewish Christians, and he always keeps that in mind. So today when the pagan woman comes to Jesus asking Him to cure her daughter, Jesus says that He has come for the lost sheep of Israel, not for non-Israelite pagans. This shrewd, clever, and absolutely determined woman shouts back, "Even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." She acknowledges Jesus as her master and pays Him reverence.

St. Matthew, in his Gospel makes some changes to the way this story is told from the way Mark's Gospel tells it, probably because he wants to emphasize the correct understanding that should exist among his gentile Christians and his largely Jewish Christian readers. God called the Jews to be His chosen people, starting with the call of Abraham. When He sends His only-begotten son, Jesus, the Israelites are called first, once again to believe in Him and follow Him. Then the Gentiles will also be called into the Church He establishes. But how does that work out?

You're a Jewish Christian. You believe in Jesus Christ risen from the dead and Son of God the Father. But you're also Jewish. Do you still follow the law, or some of the law, and if it's some of the law which parts do you obey? Generation after generation after generation we have practiced circumcision as commanded by the Law of Moses. Should we still do that? Do we have to do that? Is it okay if we want to still do that? And what about all the laws regarding kosher foods that we were raised with? Do we still follow them, and if we want to, can we still do that? And what about the feast days all of our ancestors celebrated? Can or should we keep those? We sit and eat with our fellow Christians of course, but are we allowed to eat with Gentiles who are not Christians? Is it permitted to marry a Gentile? What about marrying a Jew who is not a Christian? These are just some of the many problems that had to be solved in the early Church, and as we know St. Paul writes about them in many of His letters. Jesus didn't leave us a guidebook with 55,000 pages to cover the answers to all these questions and problems. Instead, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church into the path of truth and salvation. And through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the difficulties faced by a Church made up of Jews and Gentiles were gradually overcome by the Gospel of Christ.

Today it is obvious that in many places in the Western world we have two kinds of Catholics: those who are committed to the teachings of Christ as it has been handed down to us from the time of St. Matthew and St. Paul, and those who are committed to the teaching of Christ as they interpret it and understand it, without any need to rely on the Catechism, the teaching office of the Church, the direction of the bishop, the writings of the Fathers or any other authority outside of their own opinion. They see themselves as the only final and genuine authority for their life in faith. When Protestants gave up the authority of the Church, at least they still gave full authority to the Bible. But there are many in the Church today who won't even go that far. Their personal judgment is the only authority they recognize in faith. Following this kind of response to faith when the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life, Jesus would answer, "Do whatever works for you."

When people hold a faith like that, it is impossible to call them disciples, followers of Jesus. I think a better description would be "Consumer Christians" because they "buy" what they like and are only willing to pay out so much for what they will "buy." A disciple will recognize that he or she has fallen short of the mark and must struggle sometimes to live up to Gospel-TRUTH. "Consumer Christians" will only buy into those elements of the Gospel that they like. A disciple of Christ accepts the teaching authority of the Church. "Consumer Christians" look to no religious authority greater than their own opinion. A disciple follows the Master. Consumer Christians follow their personal tastes, which may change from season to season, or year to year.

One of our current difficulties is not how to deal with Gentile and Jewish Christian identities as it was in Matthew's day, but how to deal with those who accept Christ's authority especially as lived in the Church, and those who live by what they consider to be their own greater truth.

I just want to say that no matter how great of sinners we might be or think we are, we shall never be lost if we only do two things: 1. Always have the profound humility of the woman in today's Gospel, and calling Jesus "Lord," that we too will be happy to even accept just the crumbs from His table; 2. And, at the same time to always be aware that we also come to His table to receive not crumbs, but His Body and Blood, and may our thanks and gratitude for that carry us into everlasting life.