Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

MATTHEW 15:1-28

EARLY IN MY CAREER AS A DEACON, I WAS ACCOSTED BY AN ELDERLY PARISHIONER AT THE END OF MASS. “DO YOU SEE THAT KID OVER THERE?” HE ASKED. “GO TELL HIM IT'S WRONG TO WEAR A HAT IN CHURCH!” HE THEN STOOD BY GLOWERING AT ME. THE KID IN QUESTION WAS A TEENAGER WHO WAS INDEED WEARING A HAT IN CHURCH, ONE OF THOSE BASEBALL CAPS TURNED BACKWARDS. OTHER THAN THAT HE HAD ON SHORTS AND ONE OF THOSE SHIRTS THAT EXPOSES THE WHOLE ARM. IN SHORT, TYPICAL TEENAGER CLOTHES FOR THAT TIME. THE ELDERLY PARISHIONER FINALLY TURNED ON HIS HEEL AND LEFT. AS THE CONGREGATION LEFT, THE YOUNG MAN CONTINUED TO SIT IN THE PEW, HIS EYES DOWNCAST. FINALLY HE GOT UP TO LEAVE. I HAD SOME SYMPATHY FOR THE POSITION OF THE ELDERLY PARISHIONER, HAVING BEEN RAISED IN THE SAME ERA, SO I WENT OVER TO THE TEENAGER AND AS GENTLY AS I COULD, I THANKED HIM FOR COMING TO MASS, SINCE FEW OF HIS AGE ACTUALLY DO, AND TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS A CUSTOM AND A SIGN OF RESPECT TO NOT WEAR A HAT DURING MASS. I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN.

THERE IS A BOOK CALLED “MAKING INTENTIONAL DISCIPLES” IN WHICH THE AUTHORS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A GREAT DEAL OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AROUND THE TOPIC, WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO JOIN THE CHURCH OR RETURN TO THE CHURCH? APPARENTLY, THERE ARE FIVE STAGES PEOPLE GO THROUGH. I INTEND TO WRITE ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE STAGES IS CALLED, “CURIOSITY”. PEOPLE WONDER ABOUT SOMETHING THEY SEE IN CATHOLICISM. THIS IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WANTING TO REALLY LEARN THE FAITH – A LATER STAGE. A PERSON MAY WONDER WHY THE POPE WEARS WHITE, OR WHY CATHOLICS PROHIBIT DIVORCE. SOMEONE MAY WONDER WHY WE HAVE STATUES OF THE SAINTS, OR THE BLESSED MOTHER. IF SUCH QUESTIONS COME UP, THE PERSON IS NOT ASKING TO BE CATECHIZED; REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST CURIOSITY, AND THE ANSWER NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE AND LOGICAL. THE POINT, HOWEVER, IS THAT FREQUENTLY WHEN QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF A KNOWLEDGEABLE CATHOLIC, NOT ONLY IS THE ANSWER GIVEN, BUT CRITICISM OF CATHOLICS WHO THINK OTHERWISE IS THROWN IN AS WELL.

YOU CAN THINK OF EXAMPLES YOURSELF. SOMEONE EXPRESSES A LIKING FOR POPE FRANCIS; THE CATHOLIC GIVES HIS OPINION THAT FRANCIS IS A LOT BETTER THAN BENEDICT – OR VICE VERSA. SOMEONE MENTIONS THE PRIEST SCANDAL. THE CATHOLIC INSISTS THAT IT'S ALL A CREATION OF A HOSTILE PRESS. IN THE STUDY THAT WAS DONE, APPARENTLY THE BIGGEST DANGER TO SOMEONE WHO IS CURIOUS ABOUT THE CHURCH IS TO DISCUSS HIS CURIOSITY WITH A CATHOLIC. BECAUSE CATHOLICS GENERALLY CAN'T GIVE VERY GOOD ANSWERS, AND IF THEY ACTUALLY DO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES, THEY OFTEN HAVE OPINIONS QUITE THE CONTRARY, WHICH THEY ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO EXPRESS.

JESUS GIVES US A STRIKING EXAMPLE TODAY. HIS DISCIPLES TRY TO DRIVE THE WOMAN AWAY, AND JESUS SEEMS TO AGREE – HE SAYS “I WAS SENT ONLY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL”. BUT THEN THERE IS THE EXCHANGE, AND JESUS SURPRISES EVERYONE BY SAYING THAT HER FAITH IS GREAT. HOW CAN HER FAITH BE GREAT WHEN SHE ISN'T EVEN JEWISH, WHEN SHE WORSHIPS GOD KNOWS WHO, GOD KNOWS WHAT? AND JESUS WORKS A MIRACLE OF. HEALING FOR HER EVERY BIT AS SPECTACULAR AS ANYTHING HE'S DONE FOR THE JEWS. IN JESUS TIME, PEOPLE DIDN'T OFTEN CONVERT TO JUDAISM. HOWEVER, THE JEWS BELIEVED THAT EVERYONE WAS CALLED TO WORSHIP THE ONE TRUE GOD, AND THEY ENCOURAGED PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT JEWISH TO WORSHIP WITH THEM. AND THERE WERE MANY SUCH PEOPLE – WE MEET A FEW IN SCRIPTURE, LIKE THE CENTURION WHOSE SERVANT JESUS HEALS. AND CERTAINLY THE CAANANITE WOMAN IS A CANDIDATE FOR BECOMING A “RIGHTEOUS GENTILE”. BUT WHICH WAY WAS BETTER – TO TURN HER AWAY, AS THE APOSTLES WANTED TO DO, BECAUSE SHE HAD NO BUSINESS ASKING ANYTHING OF JESUS; OR TO ACCEPT HER AND ATTEND TO HER DEEPEST NEED, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A STRANGER?

IF WE ARE REALLY LIVING CATHOLIC LIVES, WE WILL HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS WHICH COME FROM CURIOUS PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM MAY BE OUR RELATIVES, EVEN OUR CHILDREN. WE CAN TAKE THESE OCCASIONS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CRITICIZE THE CHURCH OR ITS TEACHINGS. WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE REALLY DETERIORATED IN THE DIOCESE SINCE ALL THE CHURCHES WERE CLOSED. WE CAN COMPARE PRIESTS WE HAVE MET. WE CAN GIVE OUR STRONG OPINION ABOUT WHAT TO WEAR IN CHURCH OR HOW TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST. AND GOD HELP US IF WE ARE ASKED ABOUT WHY THE CHURCH IS AGAINST “BIRTH CONTROL”.

AND IF THE PERSON HAS REACHED THE STAGE OF CURIOSITY, IF SHE IS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE ACTUALLY CONSIDER JOINING THE CHURCH OR RETURNING TO IT, WHAT WE SAY MAY VERY WELL INCREASE THE CURIOSITY AND AROUSE THE DESIRE TO LEARN MORE, TO BE CATECHIZED; OR WHAT WE SAY MIGHT TURN THAT PERSON AWAY FROM THE CHURCH FOREVER.

I HOPE THAT THE YOUNG MAN WHO DID NOT REMOVE HIS HAT IN CHURCH HAS NOT DRIFTED AWAY AS MOST OF OUR TEENAGERS DO. I HOPE I DIDN'T PUT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN BY SUGGESTING THAT WEARING OR NOT WEARING A HAT IN CHURCH WAS A GAME-CHANGER. IN ANY EVENT, I HOPE HE STILL GOES TO CHURCH AND BY NOW IS PROBABLY MARRIED AND HAS A FEW CHILDREN – I HOPE THEY ARE BEING RAISED CATHOLIC. I PRAY ABOUT THIS.

AND I HOPE I HAVE LEARNED THAT WHEN WE DRAW LINES, WE ARE ALWAYS IN DANGER OF DIVIDING THE BODY OF CHRIST – NOVUS ORDO VERSUS TRIDENTINE RITE; COMMUNION IN THE HAND VS. COMMUNION ON THE TONGUE; FOLK MUSIC AT MASS VS. GREGORIAN CHANT.

MY ATTITUDE AND YOURS SHOULD BE THAT SOMEONE WHO PROFESSES HIS FAITH AND PARTICIPATES IN OUR LITURGY IS ONE OF US, AND THAT SHOULD AROUSE IN US A FIERCE ONE-NESS – BECAUSE THROUGH THE EUCHARIST WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND CHILDREN OF THE SAME FATHER.

AND IF WE REALLY WANT TO CARRY OUT JESUS' COMMAND TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, YOU AND I NEED TO WATCH HOW WE SPEAK OF OUR CHURCH, ITS MINISTERS, ITS CUSTOMS, ITS HISTORY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE SPEAKING TO CURIOUS OUTSIDERS. LET US NEVER BE THE REASON SOMEONE DECIDES THAT THE CHURCH HAS NOTHING TO OFFER HIM.