Holding God’s Priceless Kindness, Forbearance, and Patience In Highest Esteem, 28th Wednesday (I), October 13, 2021

Fr. Roger J. Landry
Visitation Mission of the Sisters of Life, Manhattan
Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
October 13, 2021
Rom 2:1-11, Ps 62, Lk 11:42-46

To listen to an audio recording of this homily, please click here: 

The following points were attempted in the homily:

• Today St. Paul tells the Jews and Christians in Rome, who were influenced by many of the thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees from the very large Jewish community in the city, that they would be held to no less a standard than the pagans when it comes to conforming themselves to what God has revealed through nature and through revelation. In yesterday’s passage, St. Paul dissected the fallen logic among various of the pagans in Rome, who were suppressing the truth through their wickedness, foolishly exchanging the glory of God for pagan idols, the truth for lies and love for the lust of their hearts and the degradation of their bodies. Today he stresses that God “has no partiality,” plays no favorites and “will repay everyone according to his works.” He reminds both Jews and Christians in Rome that “the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself since you, the judge, do the very same things.” They condemn themselves when they condemn others and yet, like them, worship idols, live lies, and give into sinful desires — in short when they selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness. He tells them that God’s “priceless kindness, forbearance and patience,” should not be held in “low esteem,” but was meant to lead them to repentance so that they, converted, would “seek glory, honor and immortality through perseverance in good works.” The most important of all of the good works is to receive God’s “priceless kindness, forbearance and patience” in the highest esteem, in a fruitful way, converting wholeheartedly and then seeking to imitate God in mercy.
• In the Gospel, Jesus is calling the Pharisees and Scribes to a similar conversion from having one standard for others and a different one for themselves, from living as if God is partial and that they are exempt from what everyone will be judged by on account of their rigorous adhesion to their external practices. These groups, which often overlapped, payed tithes, said prayers three times a day, fasted and observed the feasts, but neglected the weightier things of the law, “judgment and love of God.” Even though they claimed they were living the way God wanted them to live, even though they thought they were doing the works of the law, Jesus was reminding them that they were not paying attention to what was most important and the failure to do these works was leading to their not being right with God. He uses “woes” with them, communicating that unless they change they’re doomed because while they pay tithes on the smallest of garden herbs they “pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.” They focus on the most conspicuous seats and the greetings of others, but are spiritually dead “like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”  They impose burdens on others hard to carry without lifting a finger to help them, the exact opposite of a Good Samaritan. On the outside they seemed to be doing the works of God, Jesus was saying, but on the inside they were not loving God and loving neighbor and taking a positive verdict at the judgment for granted. With priceless kindness, forbearance and patience God had been treating his people, but they could not use it as an excuse to continue to sin. They needed to change from their hypocrisy and externalism and keep to judgment, the love of God and mercy toward others.
• Today the Church marks the 104th anniversary of the last of the apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima, where Our Lady, as an ambassador of God’s kindness, forbearance and patience, summoned us to penance, to prayer for the conversion of sinners, and to consecration to her immaculate heart, which is a heart that loves what God loves, says yes to his mercy, and leads to “glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good.” Saints Jacinta and Francisco and the Servant of God Lucia all responded to Mary’s petition and focused on the weightier things and persevered in good works in their youth and, for Lucia, beyond. Unlike the Pharisees whom Jesus said “impose on people burdens hard to carry, but … do not lift one finger to touch them,” the shepherd children prayed and fasted to remove the burden of sin from others. Our Lady is praying for us now that we, consecrated to her heart, might continue their work and collaborate with Mary and the Blessed Fruit of her womb, collaborate with Paul, in helping people choose the path of God.
• Today as we celebrate this Mass, we turn to Jesus in his mercy, we ask him to make our hearts like his and his mother’s — kind, forbearing, patient, persevering, and loving — so that we may persevere in the works he has given us to do, both on the inside and the outside, and live in such a way that gives him honor and glory and bring us to immortality in that kingdom where St. Paul, SS. Jacinta and Francisco and all the saints rejoice and pray for us to share.

The readings for the Mass were: 

Reading 1
ROM 2:1-11

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