Homily for Week 23 in Ordinary Time (based on 2nd Reading, Letter of St James)

Once there was a little old man. His eyes blinked and his hands trembled; when he ate he clattered the silverware distressingly, missed his mouth with the spoon as often as not, and dribbled a bit of his food on the tablecloth. Now he lived with his married son, having nowhere else to live, and his son’s wife didn’t like the arrangement.
“I can’t have this,” she said. “It interferes with my right to happiness.” So she and her husband took the old man gently but firmly by the arm and led him to the corner of the kitchen. There they set him on a stool and gave him his food in a clay bowl. From then on he always ate in the corner, blinking at the table with wistful eyes.
These people had a seven-year-old son of whom they were very fond. One evening the young man noticed his boy playing intently with some clay and asked what he was doing. “I’m making a bowl,” he said, smiling up for approval, “to feed you and Mamma out of when I get big.”

This is one of Grimm’s fairy tales. It brings out the evil of overlooking the fact the fact that every human being, irrespective of age, health or wealth, needs to be treated with dignity and respect. Today’s second reading from the Letter of Saint James, condemns treating people differently based on their social status or wealth.

Christians are warned not to allow yourself to be unduly influenced by a person's position, status or prestige or power or wealth or the lack of these things. Favouritism can take either one of two forms: looking up to the rich and powerful or looking down on the weak and vulnerable. In Grimm’s tale it is the case of looking down on the weak and vulnerable little old man.

When we were celebrating the opening of our Padre Pio Church, some people were in favour of reserving seats for so-called ‘dignitaries’ who were coming to the celebration. I opposed this opinion based on Christian equality. When David Bradbury, our Federal Member of Parliament came up and introduced himself he asked, “Where do you want me to seat?” I suppose he expected a reserved seat at the front of the church as he would be used to at most special occasions where he is the guest of honour. I told him, “You can sit where ever you can find a spot” as I pointed to the rapidly filling church.

Let us hear what James, the apostle of practical Christianity, tells us about the favouritism. “My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?” (James 2:1). James begins with a rhetorical question in which he makes the point that favouritism is inconsistent with the Christian faith. One cannot claim to be a believer in our Lord, Jesus Christ and still be a respecter of persons. Why is that? It is because Jesus was not a respecter of persons. Even his enemies, the Pharisees, gave Him credit for that when they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality” (Matthew 22:16).
Faith tells us that every human being on earth bears the image and likeness of God. This comes before the obvious differences of social class, culture, gender or lifestyle. Basically, all human beings are equal and should be treated as such. God’s children must shun all favouritism, “for God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11).

St. James then goes on to give us a concrete example of favouritism in the Christian assembly.

For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:2-4).

What is wrong with the ushers in this church? Are they wrong in finding a seat for the wealthy man? No. What then is their problem? Their problem is that they did not equally find a seat for the dirty, poor man but asked him to stand or sit on the floor. James is not asking us to give persons of distinction in the Christian assembly the cold shoulder in the name of equality. In discussing what should be the attitude of believers to secular authority, Paul encourages us to pay “respect to whom respect is due, and honour to whom honour is due” (Romans 13:7). The fault of the worshipping assembly in James’ example is that they treated the poor man with snobbery. We should respect the rich, but then, so also should we respect the poor. This is summarised for us 1 Peter 2:17, “Have respect for everyone and love for your fellow-believers; fear God and honour the emperor.”
The passage ends with a difficult verse. “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5). This verse is saying that God prefers the poor and, consequently, so should the church. It is a difficult verse because some people may conclude from this that James is advocating reverse favouritism or looking down on the rich. But this is not what James is teaching. James is teaching that our obligation to pay honour and respect to all should start with our brothers and sisters in the faith. In his days, it was the poor people who embraced the faith. Therefore, he argues, the church should have a preferential option for the poor. The poor who is “rich in faith” is entitled to our care and concern before the rich who is without faith.

Our prayer today is that God may open our eyes of faith to see Him and serve Him in all people, especially in the poor, the weak and the vulnerable.