It would be quite fitting for the first reading to be the homily itself because it is filled with the affection we have for you and the joy that we are gathered in mission to carry out the work the Lord has entrusted to us. We have missed you. Today is also the Memorial of Augustine, whose views subsequently strongly influenced Western theology, and we honor a disciple who wrestled with the moral life until God settled his restless heart and he became a Christian. Augustine believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom. When the Roman Empire began to disintegrate, Augustine imagined the Church as a spiritual City of God distinct from the material earthly City. A contemporary disciple, Jerome, who translated Scripture into Latin, remarked the Augustine “established anew the ancient Faith.”
What does this have to do with us? Well, Pope Francis is establishing anew the faith similarly to Augustine, and updating brings about resistance to mission. For so many, the Church has been attractive since it endured solidly for over two thousand years while other kingdoms and nations have perished. Catholicism in Europe guided by Augustine and Aquinas is now moving beyond its European roots as it becomes a global, internationalist, and cosmopolitan representation of God’s reign. As we think of church, we can no longer think of a parish-based reality or even to think the U.S. version of Church is the only way or the right way. The faith is vibrant across the globe, and it is now listening from the voices on the periphery, not only geographically, but to those voices who have felt disregarded or left out. The church is experiencing a major shift in self-understanding, with regards to the development of theological thought, pluralization within the religious world, its exploration of moral issues such as marriage, gender, biopolitics, a feminist theology of empowerment, and identity politics. We don’t own Jesus. Jesus is not only the Jesus of Catholics, but of other Christian denominations. The church is examining its relationship with the world with its emphasis of pluralism of cultures and overcoming the model of medieval Christendom.
Pope Francis rejects Catholic traditionalism and clericalism, even among the laity, and he focuses his work on the poor, especially the migrants and refugees who are in a process of global resettlement. He is concerned for the displaced of all types where his language is one of dialogue and mercy rather than force, judgment, and exclusion. We are in a worldwide village that is like a global city – complex, multifaceted, multicultural, and multireligious. We now see Protestants as siblings; we have a new relationship with our Islamic cousins, and we see goodwill in other faiths. Secular society is seen as a place where God is at work amid its many challenges and where people are suffering. The church of its European roots is giving way to a vibrant pluralistic church, and I think Augustine would be pleased with its self-understanding.
But as a dutiful preacher, I must turn to the Gospel passage filled with woes. Woe to us if we do not open our hearts, minds, and imaginations to the curious work of God at hand. We are at an exciting time filled with rich opportunities, and we need new solutions for new challenges. The mission is more enjoyable and with less friction if we simply say “yes,” “yes to new creative possibilities,” “yes to the promptings that we do not yet recognize as Christ’s invitations.” Woe to us if we do not live up the sentiments we heard in Thessalonians. Christ chose us for this mission and has given us the care of tender souls who are in search of God, in search of what is lasting and meaningful, in search of positive examples of discipleship to help them become the saints and righteous ones we were created to be. Woe to us if we do not heed to call to serve the living God, who calls us into friendship, and helps us to discern complicated choices to find God’s greater glory.
However, we know that God does not operate through threats or coercion, so let us be free to say “yes” to mystery, to dialogue, to inclusivity, to partnership, to active engagement, and to appreciation. St. Paul’s heart was filled with joy and gratitude as he wrote to the Thessalonians. May our hearts swell with this same tenderness as we greet one another again, or for the first time, as we recognize the awesome privilege granted to us – the work of saving souls. May we lead the church in its mission of bringing souls to Christ. May we take this moment to realize how deeply we are loved by God, truly admired, the God who is sincerely proud of who we are and who we are becoming, and this God is one who wants to spend each minute of this new academic year with us. It is right that we begin with this moment of praise and worship.
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