Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Deaf To Justice

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                  September 5, 2021
Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette

Judgement. Discrimination. These words are sort of taboo nowadays. A history of injustice and prejudice in our country and even the warnings of scripture give some reason for that. Jesus says not to judge. In our series on the letter of St. James we today are told by him to “show no partiality.” Yet, it can be confusing because to be a rational human being requires you to make judgments. Having a functioning society requires discrimination.

Before he was healed, the deaf man in the gospel never discriminated between one sound or another. He never judged other people’s words because he never even heard them. To recognize differences and make decisions based on them is part of what it means to live in this world. Our laws discriminate all the time. We discriminate against children, the blind, and the aged by not letting them drive. Bishops have to judge whether or not a man is fit to be a priest and their refusal to do so in the past has caused grave problems in the Church.

Judgment and discrimination are a part of life because that’s what it means to think and to reason. What it does not mean, however, is that we have to be rash in our judgment or unjust in our discrimination. Not letting a blind man drive is one thing, but refusing to sell tires to a woman because she’s a woman is something different altogether. One is just, the other is not. Refusing to pray for someone because they are not Catholic… that is wrong. Refusing a sacrament to someone because they are not Catholic, well that’s just part of how a sacrament works and what it means. Catholic sacraments are for Catholics.

What we don’t allow, however, is for Catholics to discriminate against each other for superficial and unjust reasons. That’s what St. James means by “show no partiality.” In the community James is addressing, the wealthy and influential people got the good seats and the poor and unimportant people were left to stand in the back or sit on the floor. Of course, most Churches now don’t have assigned seating, and Catholics might argue that the back is the best spot. Regardless, when we gather for Mass, we enter into sacred worship as a single body.

The problem isn’t that there are differences between people in the congregation – there are always differences and some of those differences matter. The problem is that members of the same Church are being treated as better or worse for superficial reasons. This is a place of self-examination for us, do I – consciously or subconsciously – look down on people who come to Mass based on how well off they seem? Do I care if they show up in a new corvette or a 20 year old corolla?

Perhaps we can shift it to a more contemporary issue. What about the color of their skin? Do you feel uncomfortable when a Black person walks into this Church? Do you get disgruntled when an Asian person walks in? If you overhear a snippet of Spanish conversation at Church, does that make you defensive towards the one speaking it?

Culture is an important thing in our world and the differences between them can make for serious challenges and opportunities. But, I ask all of you – and myself – what is more important? That a person is white or black? Rich or poor? Or that they are Catholic? In Mass, what matters most is that we are united in the same faith, worshipping the same God in the way God himself asks us to worship him. If I fail to welcome my neighbor in that worship because of differences in race, class, or language, then I have failed to love either God or my neighbor. When you see a stranger in the Church, do you make a face at them? If someone new sits in your usual spot, how do you speak to them?

And yes, this applies to things outside the Church building. Racism is wrong. Wealth does not make a person better than another. Men and women are equal in dignity. How we conduct our personal lives, our businesses, our social lives should reflect the fundamental truth that human beings are made in God’s image and that Christ died for them.

If we are to be taken seriously as witnesses of Jesus Christ, we must stand against unjust discrimination and rash judgment. “God chose those who are poor in the world.” That includes the lowly, the downtrodden, the minority, those rejected by society or abused by those in power. God offers his kingdom to them all. Especially if we are the ones with money or privilege or power, we must be careful not to be deaf to the cries of those who lack them. Yes, your hard work is probably a major factor in the benefits you enjoy, but even the ability to work hard depends on physical and psychological health that is not always guaranteed… that is often rarer among those who inherit generations of disadvantage and prejudice.

At the same time, we do no favors to lowly of this world if we deny them the truth or patronize them. That is why I began a homily against discrimination by distinguishing between different kinds of discrimination. Unjust discrimination is wrong. Discrimination is unjust if it is based on arbitrary or unrelated qualities. Skin color is not really relevant to marriage, religion, or voting, so those shouldn’t be factors in those activities. It might be relevant to how we treat various health conditions, which is why doctors still need to know your ethnic heritage. Your biology – male or female – is relevant to marriage and priesthood, but it should not determine whether you can be educated or vote.

“Show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, show no partiality in your love of each person for whom Christ died. The fact that you love them should not be based on anything but their dignity and on the command of Jesus. The way you love them will depend on their need and circumstance.

Jesus in the Gospel loves the deaf man because he is human, just as he loves you and I. No partiality. Because of his circumstances, however, he gets attention and healing that many others do not. Jesus “has done all things well.” Be like Jesus. Make the effort to notice and love those who have no voice, those easily overlooked or excluded. Make them hear Christ in your words and actions. By your kindness, by your rejection of unjust discrimination, by the impartial, sincere, and constant love you show them, make them have a reason to join you, me, and believers of every generation in proclaiming “praise the Lord!”