Weekly HOMILY for February 12, 2012: “With Malice Toward None; with Charity for All”

6^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

St. John’s Frederick All Masses

February 12, 2012

 

“With Malice Toward None; with Charity for All”

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Today is the 203^rd birthday of Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth and perhaps our greatest president.

Lincoln is revered for his steady commitment to the anti-slavery cause.  And, of course, he is revered for bringing together factions during the Civil war.

Lincoln had an extraordinary ability to bridge political chasms.  He appointed to his cabinet three of his opponents for the Republican nomination.

The most notable of these was Edwin Stanton who was a fierce opponent of Lincoln and whom Lincoln appointed as Secretary of War.  Lincoln explained to a reporter that that he needed the strongest and best people in his cabinet and could not deprive the country of their service.

And then, as the Civil War drew to an end, Lincoln outlined a plan for Reconstruction.  His plan was built on reconciliation and restoration. It was not built on retribution and reparation that many people in the North wanted.

Lincoln clearly did not want to destroy or alienate the rebel states any further, and he did want to reunite them to the Union.

He spoke of this reconciliation in the famous words of his second inaugural address and he spoke more like a prophet than a politician.

Those words are very familiar to us today: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace…”

 

 

LINCOLN MAKING CLEAN

Abraham Lincoln continues to live on as a great example for us as Americans and he is also a good example of living out today’s Gospel.

In this passage, a leper comes up to Jesus and says, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”  In Jesus’ time people were called lepers if they had any kind of skin condition, even if it was not contagious.

The hardest part of being labeled a leper was that these people had to live in isolation, apart from the community.  Jesus heals this man of whatever the skin condition is and even more importantly, by telling him to show himself to the priests, he restores him to the community.

This is what it means for the leper to be made clean – to be restored to the community.  Abraham Lincoln did this very same thing.

He made clean, he restored to community his political opponents.  And he made clean, he restored to community those who had been his Confederate enemies, against whom he has waged war.

Lincoln wished to make clean.  He brought healing and reconciliation and in doing so made a great contribution to our country.

OUR MAKING CLEAN

The question for us here and now is: “Who are today’s lepers and do we wish to make them clean?”

On a personal level, is there a family member or a friend whom we have not talked to for months or years?  Has this happened because of some disagreement or hurtful exchange?

Can we reach out and try to make the relationship clean?  Can we do what we can to restore this person to family or friendship?

On a Church level, are there persons or groups who feel distanced or alienated from this parish community or the Catholic Church?  Has this happened because we cannot approve of their moral position or their lifestyle?

Again, can we as a Church make this relationship clean by inviting them back and restoring them to community?  Can’t we remain “right” with our faith, righteous in the gospel sense, and not be self-righteous and in this way allow Jesus to touch them with his love as he does with the leper in the Gospel?

Or on a national level, are there individuals or groups that we treat as lepers?  Perhaps this has come about because of significant policy or political disagreements.

Again, can we will to make this situation clean by refraining from degrading and demonizing words?  Can’t we hold fast to our convictions and at the same time be respectful and in that way produce the best environment for healing and growth in insight?

CONCLUSION

So, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

And Jesus makes the leper clean by healing him and restoring him to the community.

Where are we being called right now to do the same?