Homilies

4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: THE CHALLENGE OF TRUTH

 
THERE IS A proverb that says “the truth hurts.” Experience tells us that this saying is true especially if the truth about ourselves comes from the people whom we know and who are closer to us, like friends and family.
 
In the Gospel today, Jesus, who himself was a Jew, exposes the truth within the Jewish community. What is this truth?  That the Jewish prophets, Elijah and Elisha, were rejected by the Jews themselves. Consequently, they were not able to perform miracles in their own place because their own people did not believe them. By telling the truth, Jesus puts himself in conflict with His people.
 
Nowadays, finding the truth is very hard and problematic. Many times, we don’t know anymore who is telling the truth and who is telling lies.
 
What are the problems for truth?
 
First, we are not trained to tell the truth. We manipulate truth to serve our own intentions.  We use disguise and style to suppress it.
 
Second, we fear rejection. Truth-bearers are afraid to tell the truth because they might offend others. For example, in their homilies, priests at times are more interested in cracking jokes, which have very little connection to the faith, instead of telling the truth of the Gospel because they might lose benefactors and supporters in the parish.
 
The third, the most difficult problem is misunderstanding the relationship of truth to tolerance. Since we live in a pluralistic society, if truth is invoked, other groups cry out about bias, racial/sexual discrimination, religious superiority, etc. George Weigel in his commentary, ‘Europe’s Two Culture Wars’, said, “(the) Postmodern European conceives only ‘your truth, my truth’ but not the truth.” In its search for truth, modern society has put man first before God, the source and author of truth.  Modern men’s search for truth is my way, your way, but not God’s way, which in turn creates a lot of problems for both individuals and societies. In line with this, as Catholics we must understand clearly the difference between respect and approval. Yes, we should respect everybody’s opinion of truth, who are we anyway to judge them? But using the standard of Christ and His Church doesn’t mean we necessarily approve of them. Neither my standard nor the standard of others, rather Christ’s standard should be followed in pursuit of the truth because Christ possesses the fullness of truth.
 
To end this reflection, I quote Dr. Donald DeMarco in one of his reflections about truth. In his writing, DeMarco remembered a Roman philosopher named Marcus Tullius Cicero [44 BC] who said that “religion without truth is merely superstition.” Cicero’s reason is worth reflecting on this Sunday, especially for us who claim that our Catholic faith came from Jesus, the only source of Eternal Truth.

                                      [FR. ROMMEL CRUZ MSP
                                       Diocese of Naha, Japan]

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