Homily for Tuesday, 19 November 2013– Ferial

Tuesday of the 33rd week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Luke 19:1-10

Who among us has ever admired another person for her or his courage? Has this person’s courage shone forth particularly in a time of crisis; a time during which other people were anything but courageous; a time during which some abandoned what they knew to be right and true, or tried to play the role of the hero?

Today’s readings present us with dramatic examples of courage in times of crisis: that of Eleazar in the Second Book of Maccabees, and that of Zacchaeus in our Gospel reading from Luke.

The aged and “noble” Eleazar is more explicitly an exemplar of courage than is Zacchaeus; our first reading commemorates him as “a model of courage… not only for the young but for the whole nation.” He submits to torture and death instead of abandoning the Jewish faith in the face of the tyranny of the occupying Greek forces of Antiochus IV. Antiochus called himself “Epiphanes,” or the manifestation of the divine itself! But Eleazar knew who the true God is and acted, lived, and died for this truth. This is true courage.

Zacchaeus also knows God; he boldly identifies God in Jesus Christ. This, too, is true courage. Zacchaeus is not afraid to stand out from the crowds who have prejudged him as a traitor and a sinner, and Jesus as one who “has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”

Zacchaeus is not a hero, but one who is guilty as the people have charged him: a sinner; a tax collector. Then, he repents dramatically of his sin, again drawing the ridicule of the crowds upon himself. This is not heroism tinged with any measure of pride, but Zacchaeus’ repentance is an example to us of true courage.

Whether or not we are faced with crisis, or the unlikely event of having to give our lives for our faith, or called to everyday simple acts of acknowledging our God and acting in a God-like manner befitting our own human dignity, or to serve especially those most in need, or to repent of our sin, we are all called as Christians to courage.

We are not called to be heroes. By his cross and resurrection, Christ has already redeemed the world. Our calling is simply to co-operate with Christ in our own redemption and salvation. Our calling as Christians is to exercise the gift of the Holy Spirit that we receive in baptism and confirmation; the gift that enables us to know God and to discern and to act in God’s ways. This is true courage.