8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend’s gospel text is Mark 2:13-22. What follows is my homliy:

A traditional Hebrew story has it that Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw coming towards him an old man tired and dirty from travelling. Abraham sprang up and invited the old man in, washed his feet, and gave him food and drink. The old man immediately began eating without saying a blessing. So Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship the Lord?” The old man replied, “I worship only fire and no other god.” On hearing this, Abraham became angry, grabbed the old man and threw him out into the cold and dark night. Later that night God called his friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, “I threw him out because he doesn’t worship you.” God answered, “I have put up with that man all these eighty years. Could you not put up with him for just one night?”

Religious people sometimes have a problem accepting differences in other people. The disciples of John and the Pharisees in today’s gospel are a good example. They couldn’t understand why the disciples of Jesus could feast when they themselves were fasting. Why would Jesus’ disciples not conform to the rule of conduct that the other disciples of John and the Pharisees followed? Why should they be different?

Remember I said that it is “religious” people who have a problem with accepting differences. Spiritual people don’t. The question before us today, then, is: am I a religious or a spiritual person? If I find myself wondering why others don’t seem to see the importance of certain devotions and practices which I find so beneficial, today is the day to listen to these words of wisdom attributed to St Augustine: “Unity in what is essential, freedom in what is not, but charity in all things.”