Compassion, Mercy, and Justice

Homily for Friday in the Twenty-Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

In the Gospel text for today, Jesus warns the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their apathic response to his mission. He names to Gentile cities as a better example of people who have paid attention to what is right before their eyes. He then goes on to criticize Capernaum where he had been actively rejected and threatened. Jesus forces us to ask the question how often we have heard the Gospel proclaimed and ignored the call to holiness to which it calls us.

The prophet Baruch and Psalm 79 both feature lamentations in which people accuse themselves of sin even as they realize that God is a God of justice. But this is followed by a heartfelt plea for God’s mercy. “Let your compassion come speedily to meet us.” The psalmist calls out not in despair but in hope, for the people have experienced God’s mercy and deliverance in the past.

We who have heard the Word of God proclaimed day after day must realize that with greater opportunities comes greater responsibility. We cannot simply sit in apathy and ignore the realities that are proclaimed to us every day. St. Theodore Guerin stands an example of someone who has placed great trust in God’s compassion, justice, and mercy, the same compassion, justice, and mercy that are evident in our daily celebration of the Eucharist.