Social Justice
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on September 19, 1993
Readings: Isaiah 55: 6-9; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20: 1-16
In the second reading, we hear Paul say that he “prefers to be freed from this life and to be with Christ..” We are supposed to be on our way to the vision of Jesus. May we be getting our thoughts, attitudes, and priorities ever more in harmony with God’s so that our ways are more like His ways. In this week’s Gospel we hear the parable of the vineyard owner who pays those hired at the end of the day, the same wage as those workers that labor all day. We are challenged, in the context of this Gospel, to think about those among us who don’t receive a fair day’s wage, immigration, national health insurance, and trade policy.
This entry was posted in Cycle A and tagged Social Justice.
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on September 9, 1990
Readings: Ezekial 33: 7-9; Romans 13: 8-10; Matthew 18: 15-20
In today’s readings, we are called to be loving critics. Although it is difficult, it is a responsibility that we cannot escape. We must be committed to tearing down arrangements that give unfair advantages to some but not all. We cannot elude our responsibility to offer our loving criticism. As Ezekial tells us today, if we speak out and the wicked man doesn’t listen, then we are not responsible for his demise. It’s always easier to not share our criticism, but today we are reminded that we are required to share our critical voices.
This entry was posted in Cycle A and tagged Social Justice.
Christ the King
Originally delivered on November 20, 1994
Readings: Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37
At the end of this liturgical year, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. We are reminded that Jesus is Lord and King of Kings so that everything that we do must be in harmony with Christ’s Kingdom. Fr. Healy reminds us that any form of government, such as a monarchy, is only meant to help organize people in order to enable each individual person to live and use God’s unique gifts in a way that benefits the Kingdom. He tells us that Jesus was very clear in today’s Gospel when he said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” We must not exaggerate some over others and should look to how Jesus lived when we determine how to live today. And yet, we live in a society where many injustices exist in governments and within the church. We are called to work to call out those injustices to help bring us closer to God’s Kingdom.
This entry was posted in Cycle B and tagged Kingdom of God, Social Justice.
3rd Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 6, 1988
Readings: Exodus 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17; Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25
In today’s first reading, we hear the ten commandments and in the Gospel we hear of Jesus’ anger about the marketplace in the temple. But in this homily, Fr. Healy explains that Jesus wasn’t angry with the fact that they were selling things. Rather, Jesus was angry because those selling things were over-charging the patrons, perhaps even at the expense of their dignity, security, and peace of mind. In this homily, we are challenged to look at the unjust arrangements that still exist in our current day. More importantly, if we see unjust structures, we are called to do something about it, individually but also collectively.
This entry was posted in Cycle B and tagged Calling, Social Justice.
3rd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptizer says to us that we must change our ways because Jesus is coming. We might do well to be as fervent in our preparations for Jesus in our lives as John the Baptizer is. At the very least, we must use only what we need, be just toward others, and make the world a little bit better for our sisters and brothers through simple acts of kindness and joy.
This entry was posted in Cycle C and tagged Social Justice.
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