Homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

A high school teacher in Manhattan asked her students to write about poverty. A wealthy girl from the Upper East Side began her story like this: "Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was poor, her chauffeur was poor, and her butler was poor. They were all very, very, very poor." This girl had never experienced material poverty; however, her story could reflect another type of poverty that Jesus describes in the Book of Revelation: "You say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." St. Ambrose reminds us that the entire human race, rich and poor alike, fell into the hands of thieves who took away our greatest treasure: the grace of eternal life.

A scribe approached Jesus, questioning Him. As a scholar of the Sacred Scriptures, he wanted to determine whether this wandering teacher truly understood the Law. Was Jesus qualified to be called Master and Rabbi? Having heard Jesus reply wisely to the Pharisees and Sadducees, he asked, "Which is the first of all the commandments??" Jesus responded with not one but two of the greatest commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.

His question is of the utmost importance. Recall the rich man who feasted extravagantly every day and ignored a starving person at his gate, wrongly believing the purpose of life was to eat, drink, and be merry. Yet, he was living in dire spiritual poverty, while the beggar, clothed in rags, was rich in what truly matters. Nonbelievers do not inquire about the way to eternal life because they lack hope. The scribe speaks for us when he asks, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"

Hearing Jesus' reply, the scribe says, "You are right…" He gives Jesus a stellar grade for His answer. More importantly, the scribe demonstrates that he is a good student by repeating Jesus' answer, even including what he did not specifically ask: the second commandment, which is "like the first," to love one's neighbor as oneself. 

Jesus shows us the way; He loved us so much that He became our neighbor, brother, and Savior. St. Paul expresses this beautifully: "While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly… God proves His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8). Jesus came to us to restore our lost inheritance and to teach us what is truly important in life.