Fifth Sunday of the Year (A)
fr. Vivian Boland preaches on a stark choice.
With a range
of imagery the Bible speaks about a choice presented by the Word of God to
those who hear it.
According
to the Book of Deuteronomy the choice to observe the commandments of God or not
to observe them is a choice between life and death, between a blessing and a
curse. For much of the 'wisdom literature' the choice is between walking in the
way of wisdom or descending the path of foolishness, depending on how we relate
to others and to God.
In his
preaching Jesus speaks more starkly of this choice. It is between a narrow gate
opening onto a hard road and an easy and broad road which leads, however, to
perdition (Matt
This
Sunday's readings give us a physical and very concrete image for the choice we
face between two contrasting ways of living: the clenched fist and the open
hand.
Think of
the difference between being confronted with a clenched fist and being offered
an open hand. The clenched fist signifies threat, rejection, arrogance,
exclusion, refusal, anger and violence. The open hand means friendship, help,
peace, sharing, communication and connection.
Isaiah
encourages his listeners to 'do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the
wicked word', and to do it by 'sharing your bread with the hungry and clothing
the man you see to be naked'. Psalm 111 continues the theme: 'the good man
takes pity and lends … is generous, merciful and just … open-handed he gives to
the poor.'
Where the
clenched fist is ungenerous, unreceptive and closes things down, the open hand
is generous, welcoming and vulnerable.
Paul
pleads his own openness and vulnerability among the Corinthians. I was with you
in fear and trembling, he says, and in my preaching I avoided the complexities
of 'philosophy'. 'All I knew among you,' he continues, 'was Jesus as the
crucified Christ.'
The
crucified Christ opened his hands and arms and heart on the cross to give us
the definitive revelation of God. This heart open to the world contains a love
beyond all expectation and beyond any natural hope, a love beyond any singing
or telling of it. The God who opens wide his hand to satisfy the desires of all
who live (Ps 145) has now opened wide his heart to bring to eternal life all
whom He has chosen (Eph
There may
be many reasons why, at times, we choose the way of the clenched fist rather
than the open hand: hurt and disappointment, tiredness and indifference, fear
and misunderstanding, selfishness and disdain.
Whatever
the reasons, the clenched fist always involves turning from our own kin and
denying, in effect, that others are of the same kin. The open hand, however,
means turning towards others as our kin, fellow human creatures, brothers and
sisters, children of the same heavenly Father sharing a common call and a
common hope.
Just as
the presence of salt and light cannot be hidden and their absence will be
noticed, the kindness of the good person cannot be denied and the shock of the
clenched fist will stop us in our tracks. The good works of the open-handed
shine forth so that people might praise the Father for the holiness they
glimpse in His creatures. We have come to know that this is what God is like,
causing his sun to rise on bad and as well as good, and his rain to fall on
honest as on dishonest people (Matt 5:45).
In many
parts of the world the sign of peace at Mass is a simple handshake and often
its exchange is perfunctory and lazy. But it symbolises
something crucial, the difference between two ways of approaching our neighbour and of approaching life.
Are we to
turn in and close ourselves away, hardening our heart and clenching our fist?
Or are we to follow Christ by opening our hands and our hearts, by reaching out
to others in generosity and justice? What is the point in opening our hands in
prayer to God if we do not lend a hand of kindness to our brothers and sisters
in their need?
fr. Vivian Boland is Master
of Students of the English Dominicans, and lectures in theology at Saint Mary's
http://torch.op.org/preaching/sermon/620
Is it not to share your
bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you
see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then
shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up
speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall
be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall
cry, and he will say, Here I am.
"If you take away
from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking
wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of
the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as
the noonday.
When I came to you,
brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words
or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except
Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in
much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible
words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your
faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
"You are the salt of
the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under
foot by men.
"You are the light of
the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put
it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven.