Our own Biblical worldview is so familiar to us that I don’t think we always realize how truly extraordinary it is. Throughout most of human history and human societies, powerful men have pretty much been able to take advantage of anonymous people with little challenge or consequence. Yet in today’s reading from the Book of Kings, King Ahab – who, though not a good man, still at least initially seems guided by God’s principles for Israel – feels powerless to force Naboth to do his will. It’s only when Ahab’s foreign, pagan queen Jezebel -- who represents the ungodly views of the world -- gets involved that Ahab embraces the notion of his absolute entitlement as king. But, as we will hear tomorrow, Ahab and Jezebel suffer dire consequences for his act of violence. And Naboth himself is not relegated to being some anonymous victim, lost to history. Three thousand years later, we as God’s people still remember his name and mourn the injustice he suffered.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers a critique of power and violence even more stunning and counter-cultural, with his commands to turn the other cheek and to go the extra mile when pressed into service. Now we might worry that Jesus’ words here invite us simply to revert to becoming anonymous victims at the hands of the powerful. But Jesus understands the mysterious reality that there is actually power in this total commitment to non-violence. After all, He is the One who conquered the whole world by offering Himself on the Cross. And, wondrously, we can see the echoes of His victory among His followers throughout the centuries, even in our own American story.
Giving Thanks
As we approach our 250th birthday as a nation, we do well to give thanks for key moments of victory for justice and freedom. In the memory of most of us still alive and gathered here, the greatest of these moments probably is the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This movement was profoundly Christian, led by ministers and powered by dozens of churches. This movement was committed to non-violence, with participants remaining peaceful as they suffered the blows of nightsticks, attacks from police dogs, and the rush of firehoses. And this movement accomplished what even the violent intervention of the Civil War one hundred years earlier could not: freedom and equality under the law for Americans of all races.
We give thanks for the ways in which God’s action in Israel and in the Church has made our world and our country more just. We ask forgiveness for the many ways that we as individuals, as Christian institutions, and as nations have failed to heed God’s call to justice and peace. We pray for strength and inspiration to be more faithful in this mission.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Charles's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
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