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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Most of us are aware of the amount of violence that appears on TV and in today’s movies, and the way it seems to pervade our culture. It is important to note, however, that the vocabulary of violence is also prevalent in the first reading and gospel we just heard a few moments ago. Extreme violence is how the prophet Isaiah describes the vineyard owner’s response to the wild grapes that grew in his vineyard after all his hard work. There is even more violence in the Gospel parable. Not only do the tenants inflict violence, but the chief priests and elders to whom Jesus addresses the parable call for a wretched death for those wretched men. They respond to violence with more violence.This is not a serene scene.

Yet both of these readings provide an appropriate context as we assemble here for Mass in October, a month that is known as both “Respect Life” month, and “Domestic Violence Prevention” month. The late Pope John Paul II often talked about how the “culture of death” sometimes seems to overwhelm the “culture of life” in our contemporary world. Domestic violence, especially toward women, is one everyday way that human life is not respected all around the globe-- in all cultures, in all countries. You may have no personal experience with domestic violence, but the statistics for our own country are mind-boggling. Just think about this:

  • One out of every four women in the United States will suffer some kind of violence at the hands of their husband or boyfriend during the course of their lives. One out of four…
  • A woman is beaten every fifteen seconds somewhere in the United States of America. Every fifteen seconds…
  • Six million American women are beaten each year by husbands or boyfriends, and four thousand of them are killed. Four thousand….
  • Domestic violence—violence that takes place at the hands of those closest to us-- is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
  • Between 1.5 and 3 million children witness domestic violence annually and thereby become victims themselves. A child’s exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.

Several years ago the bishops of the United States wrote a document entitled: “When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women”. They defined violence in any form as sinful. They discussed the problems associated with justifying violence through the misinterpretation of Scripture, and stated, “We condemn the use of the Bible to support abusive behavior in any form. A correct reading of Scripture leads people to an understanding of the equal dignity of men and women and to relationships based on mutuality and love”. Unfortunately, Scripture and religion sometimes continue to be used to justify and prolong relationships of abuse.

There is not always a facility for battered women in every community, but we are blessed here in Frederick to have Heartly House. All through this month we are collecting donated items at the Gift Card table requested by the clients at Heartly House—the list is on our website. Another possible action step is to stop telling jokes and stories that belittle women, as this supports a certain approach between genders which is not respectful of human life. We should also not be afraid to talk with someone we have reason to believe is being abused and give whatever support we can to that person.

Violence takes different forms in our world. Just over a week ago, Pope Francis launched a 2-year campaign to reach out to the refugees and migrants of the world. He is calling on Catholics, Christians, people of other religions and people of goodwill to work together for the good of our sisters and brothers throughout the world who have fled their homes in desperation. In Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central America, and right here in the United States, there are millions of people who have fled their homes, their countries, their whole way of life— to find safety from violence. For them, violence is not a biblical story from the past, such as we just heard. It is an ever-present reality, overwhelming their lives.

They flee for all sorts of reasons: to get away from civil wars, to avoid having their daughters seized for the sex trade and their sons taken to serve as laborers or soldiers in tribal armies. They flee multi-year droughts that leave them without food and hope for their families. They flee ethnic and religious oppression. They flee to find work to support their families. They flee environmental disasters and lawlessness. Often their children have not been to school for years.They are exposed to brutality daily. They long to return to their homes-- but until these are safe places, they know they need to go elsewhere. Whether they have fled to another part of their own country or to another country altogether, they are at the mercy of strangers, who often speak a different language. They live with fear in their hearts. Who will take them in? And how will they be received, if they do find a new home?

Because of the many conflicts in the world, we are sometimes inclined to see the world around us with fear for our own safety and security. All too often we see threats. Pope Francis is asking us to reconsider our ways of thinking about and of responding to refugees and migrants. Back in January, Pope Francis said, “Each person is precious; persons are more important than things, and the worth of an institution is measured by the way it treats the life and dignity of human beings, particularly when they are vulnerable…” These words are particularly relevant for us now, during Respect Life Month, as we remember that our faith upholds the life and dignity of all people.

The Eucharist we share is the best place for all of us to renew our dedication to protect and respect the dignity and value of every human being from conception to natural death. Saint Paul said it so beautifully in the second reading today, when he urged us to focus on “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is gracious.” If that was indeed the focus of our lives each day, we could hardly show a lack of respect for human life at whatever stage it exists. In fact, Saint Paul assures us that if we make what is “true, and honorable, and just” our focus, then the “God of peace” will be with us.

I pray that you know the fullness of the God of peace in your hearts today.