20th Sunday Year A (Matthew 15:21-28) Love of neighbor is what will convince

A few years ago, a young man who said to me, ‘Isn’t it a bit arrogant of you Catholics to think that you’re right and everyone else is wrong?’ He wasn’t trying to be nasty, he was quite genuine. I said to him that I didn’t see it as a matter of us being right and others being wrong. I said that we believe that God made himself known to the human race in different ways, but especially through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to live a particular way, to love God and those around us, to have respect for all people. He taught us that he is the Son of God and that all who want to come to the Father must go through him. Anyone who follows this particular way of life is a Christian, and we believe as Catholics that we are trying to follow this way that he pointed out to us. It is not a question of others being wrong, but it does mean that for us this is the way we believe is right to follow. We try to live the teachings of Christ as best we can.

We also believe that the teachings of the Apostles were very important, because Jesus gave them his authority to teach and that is why we try and listen to the teachings of the Church, because we believe that they come from God. We struggle with them, and there is no harm with that, but we believe that God’s teaching is in them, and that’s why we don’t just replace them with ‘human’ wisdom.

It’s very important for us, as we try and live our faith, to have respect for people of other faiths, other Christians and non-Christians as well, even if we totally disagree with them, and this is what the Lord says to us in the readings as well. 

Always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have.  But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience so that those who slander your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their accusations (1 Pet 3:15-16). 

Those who don’t believe as we do, are also very much part of God’s family. Jesus frequently spoke to people who would have been considered complete pagans to the Jews. In this Gospel he heals the daughter of a woman, who was a pagan. Perhaps it was to teach the Apostles and us, that God doesn’t discriminate. Initially Jesus seemed to ignore her, but it was to draw out her faith and to let the Apostles see this. 

What converts people is witness of life, not preaching, not telling others what to do. We will only convince other people of the ‘rightness’ or ‘goodness’ of our faith by the way we love them. That is the only thing that convinces people.

It is interesting that the Missonaries of Charity—the order started by Mother Theresa—never try to convert the people they help. In India much of their work is bringing very poor people in off the streets, people who are dying and allowing them to die with dignity. Most of these people would be Hindu and Muslim, not Christian, but they don’t try to convert them. They simply love them, show them that they are wanted, that they are important and they do more to preach the teachings of Jesus this way, than by anything you could ever say. This is the greatest way to preach the Gospel. This teaches people about God more than anything else.

I can stand up here and argue for hours about all the reasons why others are wrong, or how we are right, but it won’t convince anyone. If I do not love the people I meet and try to respect those around me, then I am wasting my time trying to preach, because people will only be convinced by the way I live, first.

I heard a story about a priest who went to stay with his niece and her husband. Now this couple had no time for the Church and in fact were into the occult and various practices which would be quite anti-Christian and of course they were nervous about how it would go, but when the priest came he just stayed for the few days and showed them great respect and love and never said a word to them about the various things they were into. When he left they were so moved by the fact that he never said anything to them, never criticized them, but just loved them, that they actually began to rethink about their approach to the Church. Love is the only true witness to God.

Always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have.  But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience so that those who slander your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their accusations (1 Pet 3:15-16).