St. Dominic Catholic Church

Homilies

8/20/17 20th Sunday Ordinary Time (A)

This story in the Gospel of Matthew that troubles me the most – and for two reasons. Three times Jesus ignores or gives this Gentile woman, desperately pleading for her daughter, reasons why he shouldn’t deal with her. That doesn’t bother me, and I’ll tell you why later. What bothers me is his second reason for ignoring her pleas. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If that’s the case, then why go to Gentile territory in the first place? His ministry and his mission were to a particular people – the Jews. God had intended the Jews to be a holy nation, and Jesus’ mission was to preach the Gospel to them, to call them to conversion, and then to send them to the rest of the world. This is what happens after the resurrection, when, as I pointed out last week, Jesus sends them to make disciples of all the nations. This was always the plan, as we heard from the prophet Isaiah. God desires that foreigners join themselves to himself, loving him, and becoming his servants, so that his house – the Temple in Jerusalem – might be a house of prayer for all peoples. The whole ministry of St. Paul became preaching Christ crucified to the Gentiles.

What troubles me is that Jesus had clarity about who he was sent to – the Jews. And normally, that is to whom he preached and ministered. The Church makes it clear whom I am supposed to serve - the members of St. Dominic’s parish. By the Church’s definition, parishioners are those who live in our parish boundaries, which is, essentially, the 90041 zip code, with a few streets in the 90065 and 90042 areas. You may say, “I’m a parishioner because I come to Mass here – and have for years.” If you don’t live in our parish boundaries, don’t panic, I’m not saying you can’t be or aren’t a parishioner – please, please, please hear me out! I’m glad you’re here – a full church is better than the alternative! What troubles me is that if Fr. Francis and I minister to people who aren’t parishioners, we aren’t available to you. Often these are people who do not have great faith, or sometimes much faith at all. I’ve gone to a local hospital at 10:30 at night to give someone last rites, only to find the man was Buddhist, and his partner who called wasn’t Catholic either, but had seen movies in which dying people were visited by a priest, so… We get calls from desperate people in hospitals far away from here because no other church is answering the phone. Local parishes and Catholic schools need priests for Mass and confessions. A month ago I met with a fallen away Catholic and her schizophrenic son because a parishioner suggested they talk with me.  They live 45 minutes away. I spent more time on the phone with her yesterday, praying and counseling her. I’m trying to get her to connect with her local parish. I wish I could heal her son with a word like Jesus.  Maybe if I had more faith I’d try.

This situation troubles me because on the one hand, these are opportunities for evangelization – but because the people live far away, and my interaction with them is momentary, I wonder if they’re effective. And every hour spent with someone who is not a parishioner is an hour taken from you, the people to whom I have been sent.

Last week I said we can treat faith like a Costco membership – something to be pulled out only when needed. There’s another parallel. With my Costco card, I can go into any Costco and they’ll let me buy stuff. In our mobile society, and in this huge metropolis, it’s easy to go to any number of parishes around us, and maybe the notion of making a commitment to a particular parish is a quaint, outmoded idea. But we’re not Costco.  The church intends that each parish care for particular people – the responsibility is shared. According to church law, I only have authority to baptize the children of parishioners, not just any Catholics parents, and to witness the marriages of parishioners, not just any Catholics. To baptize other children or officiate at other weddings I need to receive permission from the pastor of those people. And, technically, the pastor is responsible for all the souls in his parish boundaries, Catholic or not – that’s about 28,000 in the case of St. Dominic’s.

So if you consider yourself a parishioner, but don’t live in our boundaries, please register, and support this parish financially. There are many, many situations that I have encountered in the last two years in which I wished someone had taken the time to register. If you live in the parish boundaries, please register, and support the parish financially. Supporting your parish is a precept of the church, like the precept to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.The idea of giving the firstfruits of what we have received from God back to God is a part of God’s covenantal relationship with us. Register online!  Go to our website, click on the “I’m new” button which takes you to a resource page that includes a link that says, “register online”.

So one thing that troubles me about this Gospel passage is it brings up the issue of how, if at all, to minister to people who are non-parishioners.Is it a moment of evangelization?  Is it unjustly taking time away from you?  Is it feeding a priestly Messiah complex?  Is it justified if it means less time for prayer.

And this brings up the second thing that troubles me. The woman keeps interceding for her daughter, even when Jesus ignores her, even when he insults her by implying she is a dog. Perhaps Jesus went into Gentile territory so his disciples could meet this woman of great faith and powerful intercession. She troubles me, because part of my ministry has to be interceding for you, and I’m not doing that enough.

My prayer is for conversion and baptism in the Holy Spirit for all of us. But I’m not consistent, and, honestly, part of me still doubts it is possible. And part of me is afraid of what would happen if this prayer were answered. The Canaanite woman’s faith in Jesus contrasts my own weak faith. This troubles me; intercession is the greatest ministry I can offer, after the sacraments. And now I see these two troubling aspects of the Gospel are connected. If we all experience conversion, then the new life in the Spirit flowing through you will make you ministers to those who are far from the parish – and far from Jesus. So it seems clear that praying more for you has to take precedence in my life. So pray with me now and every day: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”