Freedom To Be Like Christ

Eighteenth Sunday in Course 2024

While looking over my old homilies in preparation for today, I noted that these same readings, as they will do, came up back in 2018. Keying on the lesson from Exodus about the Israelites constantly griping about the time since God, with a “mighty hand and outstretched arm,” had rescued them from Egyptian slavery, I asked if we were doing any better today. The only conclusion I could attain was a short “no, we are not.” God has laid down rules for us to follow that would lead us to a happy and productive, and holy life, with an eternity of joy to follow. But as individuals and as a culture we have turned away from them. The two simple rules, love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself, have proven too challenging. More likely, we have proven ourselves too lazy, self-centered and sensuality enslaved to listen to God and act on His Word.

Still, we can never give up hope. That would be itself the sin of despair, just the opposite of the attitudes of esperanza and gratitude that we were baptized into. Paul’s letter to Ephesus holds no place with despair. Despair is a Gentile attitude, an attitude that has no hope because it does not look forward after death to a glorified existence with Christ, a godlike, resurrected body and soul. Paul tells us our enemy is our own “deceitful lusts.” He tells us to examine our “outdated nature” and, with a tip of the hat to the late Bob Newhart, “stop it!” Instead, we must be “renewed in the spirit of our minds and “and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Do we have a model for that? Absolutely. It is Jesus Christ Himself, who was the perfect likeness of God because He was and is Got the Son, who assumed a human nature. Now, by grace alone available through faith and sacramental participation, just as He became human, He allows and encourages us to little by little “become divine.”

And, in other words, we are no longer, if we live as Christians, able to do wrong and hurt others and then plead “but I’m only human.” If we consider ourselves only human, then we are betraying our divine call.

There are steps we must take to put off our sinful nature, and Paul, in the next lines we did not hear today, outlines those actions: 1) put away falsehoods and speak the truth to each other, since we are members of each other. Lying to our neighbor is like lying to ourselves. 2) It’s ok to feel anger, but not to sin. Work out your differences quickly, or the devil has an entry 3) those who have gotten used to living on others’ property need to get jobs to support themselves, and then give alms to the needy 4) substitute edifying conversations for habits of evil talk. That means no more cursing and telling salacious stories and jokes. That does not build up the community. We’ll hear the conclusion of those suggestions next Sunday.

Our psalmist today has reminded us of one other responsibility. Just like the Jews, telling the tale of their escape from Pharaoh, we have a responsibility to pass on to younger generations the story of Christ’s redemption, of our own escape from slavery to sin and addiction. Look at our current situation in the U.S. and Canada. Younger generations are falling away from religious practice, or never got in the habit with their parents. That’s on us. We need to act right now to set things right. That may mean taking our grandchildren to Church and religious instruction, if their parents won’t. We have to pass on the reasons for our hope in Christ, or both younger generations will fall into despair.

John’s story of the multiplication of loaves and fish, which began last week, today leads into Christ’s sermon on the Bread of Life. We might ask, “What is Jesus talking about when He says He is the Bread of Life? Is it His teaching or the communion Bread?” And, of course, the answer Catholics give, as usual, is “Both.” Each Sunday we gather around the table, which is also an altar, to be fed, first with the Word of God, and then with the Bread of Life. For both we must be grateful, because that is how we can be transformed into the People of God that Jesus calls to be like Him, full of joy and hope.