Homily for Tuesday, 15 July 2014– Memorial of St. Bonaventure

Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: Isaiah 7:1-9; Psalm 48:2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8; Matthew 11:20-24

Which are some cities we know that have notable or maybe even humourous nicknames or reputations? Paris is the City of Light; Rome the Eternal City; New York the Big Apple; New Orleans the Big Easy. Las Vegas is Sin City: “Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” I have served as a Basilian in Colombia, whose capital, Bogotá, the third-highest-altitude national capital city in the world at about ten thousand feet, is said to be “2 600 metres closer to the heavens.” My native city of Edmonton is nicknamed “City of Champions” for its proud history in professional sports. We live here in Rochester, the Flour or Flower City, depending on whom we ask.

Our Gospel reading today speaks of two small Galilean fishing towns, Chorazin and Bethsaida, which had gained a bad reputation by Jesus’ time. Why they earned Jesus’ condemnation is not exactly known. The Gospel of Matthew only says that, although that “most of” Jesus’ “mighty deeds had been done” there, Chorazin and Bethsaida “had not repented.” And so Jesus condemns these towns for their lack of faith; lack of repentance in response to his miracles.

Once a bad reputation is acquired, it is hard to shake off. Today, Chorazin and Bethsaida are archaeological sites. At the entrance to one of one of the archaeological digs at Chorazin, Israel’s Department of Tourism plaque reads: “Welcome to Chorazin. This is the town that Jesus cursed.”

How two little fishing towns earned a reputation as the towns “that Jesus cursed” is unclear, except that they had a chance to witness Jesus’ miracles and the very presence and power of the Son of God among them had little effect on how they were living; how they failed to believe in Jesus; how they failed to repent. Sodom and Gomorrah, two larger and more infamous cities destroyed in the Old Testament, had not had the same opportunity to witness Jesus at work, and yet Jesus says that if they had had this chance, they would have repented and believed in him.

We as Christians have a chance to build a reputation for ourselves. We have known God’s presence among us in the Eucharist; in the other sacraments of the Church; in one another. In light of this, what will our reputation be as Christian faithful?

I doubt that we will ever have a plaque outside our city or parish that says “this is the place that Jesus cursed.” We might say of ourselves instead: Welcome to St. Kateri Parish. This is the community that Jesus has blessed. This is the community founded on love, responsibility, and service. This is a community of God’s people; a faithful and generous people; a people who cares for the disadvantaged; the suffering; the alienated; a people living in unity and charity.

What will our reputation be? We do not have Jesus performing miracles before our very eyes, but we still have a choice to make. Jesus is present among us nonetheless. How might we respond in faith as sisters and brothers in Christ?