By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily during a Mass with the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, celebrated Sept. 22, 2024, at St. Mary Cathedral in Miami.
Today at this Mass are gathered the Knights and Dames of the Most Holy Sepulchre. These men and women help support the mission of the Church in the Holy Land, in particular the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem which includes Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and Palestine (that is the West Bank and Gaza.)
Their charity helps keep Catholic schools open in a country and a region where Catholics endure great pressure both from Jewish authorities and from their Muslim neighbors who, like most of the Catholics in the Holy Land, are Arabs.
The most recent war, which began almost a year ago, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack killing thousands of innocent Israeli civilians has escalated in recent days and no viable, no just, no enduring peace is in sight.
Last month, on the feast of the Assumption, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said: “All that remains is for us to pray.” “Let us pray that in this long night that we are living through the intercession of the most holy Mary will open a glimpse of light for all of us and for the whole world.”
And so, besides their charitable work, the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre and all of us, as well, are called to pray for peace in the Holy Land, for peace and a just social order throughout the Middle East.
And in a special way, at this Mass, we invoke Mary, Our Lady of Palestine, to intercede for us and to win for the peoples of the Middle East and for the Israelis and Arabs in the Holy Land the gift of a just and lasting peace. Since 1994, Our Lady of Palestine has been the patroness of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre – and the actual date of her feast is October 25th was added to the Patriarchy’s calendar about 100 years ago – and today, halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there is a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Palestine. And of course, 100 years ago, the word “Palestine” did not describe a political reality, an ideology or a “dream” – but simply referred to the geographical region that was the earthly homeland of Jesus and his mother Mary.
And so, in invoking the intercession of Our Lady of Palestine, we pray for all the peoples who today live in the Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians, Christians, Jews, and Muslims. We pray for those who were born there, those who have immigrated there, and those who, like many of us, have traveled there as pilgrims. And our prayer is always a prayer for peace in the Holy Land.
As St. James tells us in today’s second reading: “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.”
Where do wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? James asks. And he gives us the answer: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.”
Jealousy is a feeling of anger or unhappiness that can be caused by wanting something that someone else has, or by the belief that someone you love is liked by someone else.
Selfish ambition is a focus on what one can get from a situation, person, or place, rather than what one can give.
St. James says, where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. That is true if we’re talking international politics, or if we’re talking about office politics, if its true in international relations, it is true in our family relations, in our relations with our neighbors and our coworkers. Sin has a corrosive effect on all human relationships.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he would be handed over and killed in the manner described in today’s first reading. Apparently, the lesson went way over their heads, because as they were returning to Capernaum, they were arguing who was the greatest among them. Jealousy and selfish ambition were alive and well in their midst.
Because of jealousy and selfish ambition, we claim for ourselves a false sense of autonomy, the original sin of Adam and Eve, an autonomy that today that even would justify the killing of a baby in her mother’s womb. But Jesus takes a little child, a vulnerable child, the weakest form of human existence, who by its very nature calls out for care and acceptance, and he makes that child a symbol of God, who is accepted when one picks up a child, when one accepts Jesus who is to be handed over to be killed.
In embracing that child, Jesus puts forth another model of life, a life lived outside of selfish ambition or jealous claims to human autonomy, but within the providence of God: “Whoever receives one child such as this receives me.” And, if you want to be first, be the last of all, be the servant of all.
Jesus proposes the way of humility – which doesn’t mean that we should think “less of ourselves,” but rather that we should think “of ourselves less”. In this way, we can learn to imitate Christ in his selfless gift of himself for our salvation.
Jesus leads his disciples towards Jerusalem. No earthly power will save Jesus from death; but his Father will save him from being left for dead. On the third day he will rise.
While much in the world today seems to speak of death and endless hatred, we must never grow weary in praying for peace in our hearts, in our homes, among our neighbors and among the nations of the world; and let us not weary in praying for peace in the land that Our Lord, the Prince of Peace, called home.
“All that remains is for us to pray,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa. Our Lady of Palestine, pray for us.
