Father Bob's Weekly Homily

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time – A – 2008

      Look at the 1st reading for this weekend and hear one more time the words of Zechariah the prophet.  Remember a prophet speaks the words of God:  “See, you king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass.”  Is that your image of a king to you?  Is that your image of your king?  A meek king?  One who rides on an ass – a beast of burden? 
        Well, folks, if we are a follower of Jesus Christ – that’s a description of our king – that’s who he is!  And look at what he teaches:  “He shall banish the chariot and the horse; the warrior’s bow shall be banished.”  He shall proclaim peace to the nations.  We could translate that into modern terms:  “He shall banish the jet fighter and the tank; the rockets and bombs shall be banished.”  The summation is the same though:  “He shall proclaim peace to the nations.” 
        This Fourth of July weekend raises difficult issues in light of these readings this weekend.  After six years of war with no clear end in sight, it may be hard to find the elusive balance between love of one’s country and the promise of Jesus who speaks only truth.  We’re at war but Jesus proclaims peace.  Look, the prophet Amos ran into the same problem when God told him to preach at the royal sanctuary.  This is hard to just get right.
        So what do we do?  Jesus can proclaim peace but if peace is going to happen, it starts with us.  Yes, we will be responsible and shape our consciences, and vote in November as we believe best.  We will pray frequently our prayer for peace.  We can continue to write our elected representatives.  We can work for peace, if so inclined, through gatherings downtown.  We can gather in small discussion groups and respectfully debate our positions.  However, following St. Paul this weekend, where he reminds us that we are not to be of the flesh but the Spirit, I would like to suggest that we work to stop the deeds of the body that jeopardize and kill peace in our own lives. 
        Maybe I am wrong, but I do not feel I have much control over the war in Iraq or Afghanistan.  In fact, if I dwell on it and let these conflicts affect my Spirit, I become frustrated and sad and feel very out of control.  But what I can do is bring this burden to Jesus and yoke myself to Him, for His yoke is one that guides me in and to peace.  So I have to die to those behaviors in my life that are contentious and dividing and rise with Jesus to proclaim peace.  Of course, my first tendency is to sin.  So I must seek the Holy Spirit to yoke me closer to Jesus and I must not grow weary.  It is a process of integration, but I believe in the promise that our king, our Savior will establish a lasting peace and destroy all weapons.  
        But it starts with me.  It starts with me eliminating actions and words of violence from by life.  Words and actions that would burden others.  Words and actions like negative gossip, harboring ill thoughts about another person – having those inner dialogues, yelling at someone on the street who isn’t quite moving, forgetting that everyone is God’s creation and degrading an elected official rather than their ideas.  Not speaking up or moving away out of fear when a conversation turns south.  Basically “Zipping it”.  It is me not letting into my heart burdens that I don’t need to hold on to.  We can decide for peace even if a circumstance we don’t ask for. 
        With our children – it’s not allowing them to hit each other; not to point toy guns on another person – or are those toys necessary; to teach them about bullying that can not just be physical but also emotional – often today through the internet; to censor the violence that comes through video games and media.  And on and on.  You know the drill. 
        It takes a tremendous amount of personal vigilance to be a peacemaker – as an individual, as a parent, as a member of the community. That’s why in the Beatitudes, peacemakers are called the children of God – because we can only bring peace to our immediate world with God.  I believe it also takes a whole lot of bravery, courage, and strength to be a person of peace in our world.  We sometimes get the wrong notion when we hear the word meek in relation to Jesus.  Meek doesn’t mean door mat, but means that we have the courage to stand for the truth of what we believe in, within the world that we can influence.
        While gone, I read a book on practicing peace, and one quote really has stuck with me, and I would like to leave it with you:  “If we want there to be peace in the world, we have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid in our hearts, to find the soft spot and stay with it.  We have to have that kind of courage and take that kind of responsibility.  That’s the true practice of peace.”