Homily for Wednesday, 17 August 2016– Ferial

Wednesday of the 20th week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Matthew 20:1-16

This homily was given at the chapel of Kateri House Women's Residence of St. Joseph's College, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

What is justice? In our lives as Catholics; as Christians, how might we live in a way that is most just? How does God show himself to us as just?

Our readings today provide us with two key images of justice: That of the shepherd and, especially in our Gospel reading from Matthew, that of the vineyard owner. The prophet Ezekiel directly scolds the elites of Israel of the time who have kept the land’s wealth and resources for themselves instead of ensuring that the needs of the people, particularly the most vulnerable, are met.

What is justice, then, according to Ezekiel? He urges the “shepherds,” the powerful political and religious figures “of Israel” to “feed the sheep,” and rebukes them for not having done so: “You do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not bound up the strayed, you have not sought the lost, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.”

I find the closeness between Ezekiel’s marks of a good shepherd (actions the elites of ancient Israel were not taking) and many of what we call the corporal and spiritual works of mercy remarkable: Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked. Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick and the imprisoned. Bury the dead. Instruct the ignorant. Counsel the doubtful. Admonish sinners. Bear wrongs patiently and forgive offenses willingly. Comfort the afflicted. Pray for the living and the dead.

This connection between Ezekiel’s description of a good shepherd (or not) and works of mercy suggests to me an important connection between justice and mercy. I am reminded of Psalm 85: “Love [sometimes translated as “loving mercy” or “loving kindness”] and truth will meet. Justice and peace will embrace.”

Love, mercy, truth, peace and justice are all interconnected. They find their perfect meeting point, at which they “embrace” one another, in God, the Good Shepherd. And yet we, too, are called to connect these virtues in our own lives; to lead one another to God by our works of love; of mercy; of truth; of peace; of justice.

Might it seem, though, that the vineyard owner in Jesus parable we hear from Matthew’s Gospel today does not quite exemplify the best; the interconnection of these virtues? After all, the vineyard owner pays the workers who arrive latest to work the same daily wage as those who arrive at work first. But if we think of the vineyard owner’s wage policy as unjust, I think we miss the central point of this parable about God’s justice, which we are invited to emulate. This central point about justice, God’s or ours, is that justice must mean that nobody has need of anything. Justice does not mean that wealth is good or evil in and of itself. Justice does not stipulate a fair wage for workers, which depends on many economic, geographic, social, and other factors. But, in a just society; a just world; a just Church, nobody has need of anything.

And so, if we are acting justly, we are leading one another to God, the Good Shepherd so that, as we pray in our Psalm today, we “shall not want” for anything.