Signs of the Godly: Integrity, Justice and Faith
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 20th August, 2017
Is 56: 1-6,7 ; Rom 11: 13-15, 29-32; Mt 15: 21-28
Is 56: 1-6,7 ; Rom 11: 13-15, 29-32; Mt 15: 21-28
A couple of days ago, I was sharing a few personal minutes with a person from an Asian country, staying here with us - a priest. Sharing about his own life he said he was ordained a priest just 2 years back. And I asked him, 'were you ordained here?' meaning to say in Italy. To my horror, he darted direct at me, 'here? among these pagans? never! ordination is too sacred to have it here!' I was really disturbed when he said this. He could have said it simply, that he had it back home. But that kind of a statement... still working on this shock, here we have today a strong reflection on that very word, Pagan!
Pagan is a word that St. Paul uses so strongly and Jesus refers to in the Gospel. What does that word mean? Going into the etymology, it derives from the latin word, paganus which means one who lives in a village or a rustic person. Later it came to mean a 'civilian' that is one who is not conscripted into the Roman Army. When the Christian society began to use this they began to refer figuratively to those who are not enlisted into the Army of Christ. However, taking the semitic background, that is from the Jewish, Christian and Islamic history, it means those who are Godless. The essential difference is those who believe in One God and those who do not! In a final analysis if at all we want to use this word today, we could use it for those who are Godless as against those who are Godly.
As in that horrendous example that I gave, there are Christians who consider others pagans; there are Muslims who call us Christians 'Infidels'; there are these pentecostals who look at the Catholics practically as if they were 'pagans'...now the question that we are left with is... Who is a Pagan? Infact the first reading and the Gospel clarify that term with such precision. They delineate three qualities of a Godly person, thus telling us who is really not a pagan.
Integrity: That is the first sign of a Godly person. Integrity is being true to yourself, being true to the absolute truth, being true notwithstanding in which situation you find yourself. This is the rapport that you have with yourself. If it is healthy, true, sincere, noble and critical - you will measure up to be a Godly person. If not you will find yourself far from it, though you may be claiming so before the world.
Justice: The second sign of a Godly person is Justice. Justice is giving the other what is his or her due, without grudging it. Greed and avarice, violence and corruption, exploitation and manipulation are directly against justice. Those who are the causes of it and those who are silent witnesses to it are equally perpetrators of the same. They can never be enlisted as Godly! This is all about your rapport with the others. If it is true, sincere, just and mutually upbuilding, then you are Godly, if not you are far from that category.
Faith: The third sign that the Word today gives us for the Godly is Faith. Faith is the unassailable trust we have in God arising from a strong personal relationship with God. It is the fruit of a recognition of God's goodness and God's unfailing presence with us. Unless I have a personal and intimate relationship with God, I cannot truly claim myself to be Godly. Hence this is about the rapport you have with God, true, loving, personal, humble and reasonable. If that is absent your religious practices remain mere rituals and superstitions.
So finally, dear Christian brothers and sisters, a pagan is not a non christian. Dear so-called believers, a pagan is not a non believer. So who is a pagan?
Taking the signs offered in the readings today seriously, if I ask myself these questions today: Am I really integral? Am I truly Just? Do I have a strong personal faith? ...I would be very close to understanding myself and my spirituality. If I miserably fail in these measures, won't I have a question within me: Am I a pagan, by the way?
Pagan is a word that St. Paul uses so strongly and Jesus refers to in the Gospel. What does that word mean? Going into the etymology, it derives from the latin word, paganus which means one who lives in a village or a rustic person. Later it came to mean a 'civilian' that is one who is not conscripted into the Roman Army. When the Christian society began to use this they began to refer figuratively to those who are not enlisted into the Army of Christ. However, taking the semitic background, that is from the Jewish, Christian and Islamic history, it means those who are Godless. The essential difference is those who believe in One God and those who do not! In a final analysis if at all we want to use this word today, we could use it for those who are Godless as against those who are Godly.
As in that horrendous example that I gave, there are Christians who consider others pagans; there are Muslims who call us Christians 'Infidels'; there are these pentecostals who look at the Catholics practically as if they were 'pagans'...now the question that we are left with is... Who is a Pagan? Infact the first reading and the Gospel clarify that term with such precision. They delineate three qualities of a Godly person, thus telling us who is really not a pagan.
Integrity: That is the first sign of a Godly person. Integrity is being true to yourself, being true to the absolute truth, being true notwithstanding in which situation you find yourself. This is the rapport that you have with yourself. If it is healthy, true, sincere, noble and critical - you will measure up to be a Godly person. If not you will find yourself far from it, though you may be claiming so before the world.
Justice: The second sign of a Godly person is Justice. Justice is giving the other what is his or her due, without grudging it. Greed and avarice, violence and corruption, exploitation and manipulation are directly against justice. Those who are the causes of it and those who are silent witnesses to it are equally perpetrators of the same. They can never be enlisted as Godly! This is all about your rapport with the others. If it is true, sincere, just and mutually upbuilding, then you are Godly, if not you are far from that category.
Faith: The third sign that the Word today gives us for the Godly is Faith. Faith is the unassailable trust we have in God arising from a strong personal relationship with God. It is the fruit of a recognition of God's goodness and God's unfailing presence with us. Unless I have a personal and intimate relationship with God, I cannot truly claim myself to be Godly. Hence this is about the rapport you have with God, true, loving, personal, humble and reasonable. If that is absent your religious practices remain mere rituals and superstitions.
So finally, dear Christian brothers and sisters, a pagan is not a non christian. Dear so-called believers, a pagan is not a non believer. So who is a pagan?
Taking the signs offered in the readings today seriously, if I ask myself these questions today: Am I really integral? Am I truly Just? Do I have a strong personal faith? ...I would be very close to understanding myself and my spirituality. If I miserably fail in these measures, won't I have a question within me: Am I a pagan, by the way?