July 14, 2019 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"We are the Innkeeper"

Audio Clip

"One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor of New York City turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. Fiorella LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It's a bad neighborhood, your Honor," the man told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson." LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said, "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions --- ten dollars or ten days in jail." But even as he pronounced his sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero, saying, "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

So the following day the NYC newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving children, fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner, while some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and NYC policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation.

In today's first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells us to live according to our Lord's commandments and to return to God with all your heart and all your soul. So, HOW do we return to the Lord? In Moses' era, this meant strict observance to the Ten Commandments, and a life which would often be motivated by fear and punishment. But, the birth, the life and the death of Jesus has revealed God's great love for us --- this is who I AM, says the Lord, and this should change everything in our eyes. If we are willing to accept it, we Christians are given a spiritual optimism to avoid condemning others and ourselves, and the hope to reach for God's infinite mercy. Thanks to the compassion of Mayor LaGuardia, all who were present in that courtroom witnessed a scene in which a moment of retribution was transformed into a moment of mercy and charity. Ultimately, this is Christianity and the message of the cross --- and it's the Holy Spirit who seeks to open our minds and our hearts so we may understand that scripture is most powerful when it is not simply taken literally, but when we find the deeper purpose and the answer to the question, "What would Jesus do?"

In our New Testament reading, St. Paul shares that Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead and the head of the church --- Jesus is the model for us to follow. Are we able to answer His call and share in Jesus' mission? Are we willing to follow His path of love and forgiveness and as Paul says, to "reconcile all things for him", to set things right and to be an instrument of God's healing presence?

If you're like me, you know how difficult it can be to maintain a generous spirit, all-day, every- day. Sometimes when I feel I've been wronged, I can get a "slow-burn" feeling deep inside and I say to myself, "I'm not going to let him/her off the hook so easily, I'm going to let him/her sweat this one out a little bit longer."

Does this sound familiar? How often do we hold a grudge for what we believe is someone else's sin? Do we realize that in the eyes of God, our willingness to forgive may actually serve as penance for our own sins and the sins of others? --- sort of a spiritual form of "paying it forward."

If we allow ourselves to leave the judgment of others and ourselves in the hands of God, we enter a world of freedom which allows us to focus on charity. As theologian Basil Maturin shares, "those who have not yet entered into this view of life experience little of Christian liberty and joy . . . . There is no confidence in God or in the power of His grace."

In our Gospel passage, we hear the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus shares the story in response to a follower whose faith was trapped within the boundaries of the written word. Their conversation really begins not when Jesus asks his follower, "What is written in the law?, but when his follower asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" The Good Samaritan parable transforms Jesus' answer from strict, ink-written words on parchment, to loving, blood-written words on the cross. But this week, I heard Jesus' message a little differently than I've heard it in previous years. It's Jesus, not you or me, that is the Good Samaritan. Jesus is the servant who is always moved with compassion at the sight of our suffering and sin. He is the One who has paid the price, the silver coins representing His passion and death, for the healing of our souls. And, Jesus is the one who invites us to be the innkeepers, to provide hospitality and comfort to the needy --- Jesus says to us, "Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back." This reminds us of the beauty of LaGuardia's court room scene, not only did the mayor contribute the most to the widow's healing, but all who were in attendance gratefully shared, as St. Paul said, in "setting things right."

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit upon us so our relationship with you may be one rooted in mutual love and not fear. So, united with You, we will be better able to hear what You are calling us to do. And may our relationships with our brothers and sisters follow the model of compassion which you have for each of us, so whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever position we take, will be a sign of your Divine love which we share. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.