Holy Week Home Page + 2012 Year of Social Justice + HOME
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-7 -- John 12:1-11
I have called you for the victory of justice, says the Lord
through the pen of Isaiah, speaking of the Suffering Servant.
This is the one who will open the eyes of the blind, release the
prison, and bring light to the darkness.
In today's Gospel, the Suffering Servant is at a dinner in
Bethany and Mary anoints him with a costly scented oil.
Judas, who as we shall see has a lot of room to talk about
anyone else, criticizes this gesture, claiming the money
would be better spent helping the poor. Jesus replies with his
famous statement, "The poor will always be with you."
How often have we heard this statement quoted to justify
opposition to our work of evangelizing economic and social
structures?
People think that Jesus' prophetic understanding of the nature
of sinful humanity and the structures of sin we create with our
sin
somehow justifies the exploitation and oppression of the modern
world. Of all the possible explanations for these words, that
one isn't even close.
Because the poor are always with us, Jesus' explicit
commands regarding our social relationships take on even greater
urgency.
There is much to be done. But is Congress listening to God's
word? Is the President? Are the various state legislatures in
the US,
and parliaments and congresses in other countries, paying any
attention?
For that matter, what about the Church? How well do we
listen to God's word when it comes to our social and community
relationships, rights, duties, and responsibilities? Yes, I dare
to use the "d" and "r" words. Duties. Responsibilities. Not
"when we get around to it" or "if we have time" or "if there is
any money left over." We have duties and responsibilities to the
poor.
Non-optional duties and responsibilities -- for Church,
family, individual, state, nation, world.
Sadly, the Church has much to answer for in this
regard. The silence of our bishops in the face of unjust
war is a scandal before the world.
The conspiracy of our bishops and the Vatican to hide the evil
of clerical sexual abuse continues to tarnish the ministry of
the Church. The worldly
lives and attitudes of so many of our bishops are nails holding
the hands and feet of Christ to the Cross. Dorothy Day
said that the Church
is a Cross on which Christ is crucified every day.
Jesus Christ was not tortured and murdered so that
2000 years later, rich First World Catholics could have lives of
luxury
while giving a pittance of the personal, parish and diocesan
revenues to satisfy the duties and responsibilities of justice.
Time?
We should donate time too? Time, treasure, and more.
We are called for the victory of Justice, a victory that
begins in the Passion of Christ and covers all time and all
people -- a Passion
that does not justify our eagerness for war.
+ For those who share the responsibility and duty of
teaching Catholic doctrine, that they will break
open the riches of God's Word regarding our social and community
relationships, so that the call to the people is clear,
compelling, and without ambiguity.