Saturday, February 19, 2011

Homily for 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb 20, 2011

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…And I, I took the one less traveled. And that has made all the difference!

These few lines are from the famous poem by Robert Frost, the Road Not Taken, also known as the Road Less Traveled. Sometimes we are called to take the road less traveled.

We have taken the road less traveled. We jump off the interstate and seek the scenic path; a wilderness trail, the coast highway, the long way around; the road less traveled. And many, many times, the road less traveled results in breathtaking scenery, peace and tranquility and a memory that lasts a lifetime.

As people of faith, do we take the road less traveled; the one the world does not always travel, but the one that follows Jesus?

The road less traveled is the road that St. Matthew has beautifully captured in his 5th chapter. Over these past four weeks we have traveled this road, hearing every word of every verse; all 48 of them! Jesus challenges us to take the road that goes beyond the law; beyond the rules; past the minimum requirements of discipleship. Yet the road less traveled fulfills the law and obeys the rules but is also richly scenic and beautiful and invites us to service. With the Beatitudes as the foundation of this journey we are called to love radically; love rooted in compassion, forgiveness and mercy. This road less traveled is radically different from the more frequently traveled roads.

This road less traveled calls us to turn the other cheek, hand over our cloak, serve for two miles not one, give to the one who asks and love your enemy and pray for them. This road less traveled calls us to be perfect just as God our Father is perfect.

Jesus challenges us to consider if we still have an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth mentality? If we do, our world then will be one big blind toothless wonder. Jesus says no; turn the other cheek, love one another and serve each other. Love radically; to the point of consciously loving the unlovable.
Forgive others; be generous in compassion and mercy. Is this easy? Nothing so worthwhile, nothing so beautiful, nothing so Christ-like is easy. But it can be done. I learned firsthand about compassion and forgiveness from my own daughter. Parents, don’t you just love when we learn something wonderful from one of our own children? A quiet peaceful December night was interrupted by a frantic chilling phone call from Elizabeth; her voice full of fright; quivering. Dad, she said, come to Baton Rouge and get me; I was robbed at gunpoint. I can’t begin to explain my emotions, my own fears and the frustration at not being able to simply reach out and console her right there, right now. As soon as we could, we reached her in Baton Rouge surrounded by policemen and investigators but she was safe and unhurt. But her mom and I shuddered at the details of a gun pressed to her temple, forced to empty a cash register, ordered about while under duress and then forced into an industrial freezer with two young customers. Never expressing anger or hate, she was scared and changed. But the men were arrested and Elizabeth was called to return to Baton Rouge and identify the young man who committed this criminal act. She positively identified him, helping to seal his fate for sometime, still devoid of anger and hate. Learning from the detective of the young man’s broken life, his poor choices and his lack of self respect and self love, my daughter was filled with compassion for him. All we could do for him was pray for him and ask that God give him healing and peace. My little girl refused to go down the well worn road of hate and revenge. She traveled the road less taken as she forgave him and prayed for him. And for me; lesson learned.

How do we, the Body of Christ, respond to this Gospel message? How do we leave here and follow Him on the road less traveled? Can I suggest we all pray and reflect carefully this week on Matthew chapter 5? From start to finish, spend time in this rich Gospel message. Pay attention to the radical response Jesus calls us to; telling us to be perfect. Not perfect like we think of perfect; perfect in traveling and progressing in our call to be his disciple.
We are called this week to stay on the road less traveled. We are called to examine our own attitude about forgiveness, reconciliation, love and mercy. Can we think of just one relationship that we can repair this week? Someone out there is hurting, or has hurt us. Offer them your cheek, your cloak, your love. Can we examine just one long held belief or attitude that keeps us from fully following Jesus and journeying on the road less traveled? And can we ask ourselves, how long since we have been to reconciliation? His mercy in the confessional is located on the road less traveled.

Two roads converge, not in a yellow wood; they converge at the intersection of our very heart and soul. Which road will we take; who will we choose to follow?

Follow Jesus and take the road less traveled and that will make all the difference.

And at the end of this road less traveled we find “perfect”; as our Heavenly Father is perfect!

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