The Bible Says, “Call No Man Your Father”!

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

November 5, 2017

Malachi 1:14b – 2:2b, 8-10

Psalm 131: 1,2,3

1 Thes 2: 7b-9, 13

Matthew 23: 1-12

So there we have it, we just heard that the bible says, “…call no man Father.”. That’s a dandy way for us to begin Vocations Weeks, wouldn’t you say?

There’s a story about a panda.[i] A panda walks into a café and sits down.

He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

“Why?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

“I’m a panda,” he says, at the door, “Look it up.”

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

“Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

The panda story is satire, emphasizing that bad punctuation can lead to confusion or inferring a meaning different from what was intended. To understand real meaning, we always need to know the context of the situation and the way the writer or speaker is saying it. While many Protestants try to twist these words of Jesus to trick and confuse Catholics, having the full context of sacred scripture helps us to know what he really wants to teach us, even today.

To get a sense of Jesus deep frustration we can draw on what we just read from the prophet Malachi, a name which may have been a pseudonym and means “My Messenger”. The author may have wanted to stay anonymous. It’s the last book listed in the Old Testament. Like other prophetic writing it has some harsh rebukes for those, including the priests, who have not taken their religious practice seriously.

“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:

If you do not listen,

If you do not lay it to heart,

To give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts,

I will send a curse upon you

And of your blessing I will make a curse.”

This is an appeal to those who were expected to pray the following from Deuteronomy at the beginning of the day.

“Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.

Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.

Drill them into your children.

Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.”

Before the pain-filled questions at the end of today’s reading, we skipped several verses. To the unfaithful priests Malachi says in verse 3 of chapter 2, “I will deprive you of the shoulder and I will strew dung in your faces.” Two conspicuous insults. One, a depriving of a portion of the roasted animal reserved for the priest and the other an unclean action that is a serious humiliation.

Again the reading ends with some pain-filled and challenging questions of verse 10:

“Have we not all the one Father?

Has not the one God created us?

Why then do we break faith with one another,

violating the covenant of our fathers?”[ii]

This Old Testament writer recognizes heavenly fatherhood, the fullness of paternity and earthly fatherhood, that we’ll see in a minute, has both a physical component as well as a spiritual component.

Did Jesus literally mean to call no man Father? Absolutely not. He’s using figurative language to emphasize all authority and truth comes from God alone. He’s also using a bit of hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) to correct the scribes and Pharisees of abusing these honorable titles, their sinful pride and lack of humility. These “fathers” failed to provide, form and protect the people under their care. Here are some examples to back this up.[iii]

First of all, the finest earthly and spiritual fathers including Abraham are referenced in two of the earliest scenes in Luke’s Gospel by Mary in her Magnificat “…the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham, and his children forever)” and by Zechariah shortly after the birth of John the Baptist “He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham…”

Jesus himself repeats the 4th Commandment in Matthew 19:19 saying, “honor your father and mother.”

Later we read St. Stephen refer to the Jewish religious leaders as “fathers” in Acts 7:2. Likewise St. Paul does so in Acts 22:1.

• Romans 4:16-17, St. Paul refers to Abraham as “the father of us all”.

• 1 Cor 4: 14-15, St. Paul says, “I became your father in Christ through the gospel.”

• 1 Tim 1:2, St. Paul addresses Timothy as “my true child in the faith.” Likewise in

• Titus 1:4, St. Paul addresses Titus as “my true child in our common faith.”

• The writer of Hebrews 12:7-9 reminds us “we have earthly fathers to discipline us.”

• In 1 John 2:13, 14, St. John says, “I write to you fathers, because you know him”.

• Again, Jesus, in teaching the people and recorded by Luke 14:26 “…if anyone comes to me without hating his father…” Remember that one. It’s another example of Jesus using hyperbole to emphasize the importance of following him.

• 1 Thes 2:11, St. Paul tells the people, “we treated you as a father treats his children.”

• Philemon 10, St. Paul, referring to Onesimus as “…my child whom I have begotten during my imprisonment.” Again, his spiritual fatherhood.

My friends, spiritual and physical fatherhood are vocations of sacrificial service where we are charged with providing, forming and defending. It’s not about setting yourself up to receive accolades.

Lest we forget, Jesus also said in our passage today not to be called rabbi or master either. If meant to be taken literally, we’d therefore not be allowed to address anyone with titles of authority or teacher such as doctor or even to be addressed as “Mister” which is a derivative of “Master”.

So never be put to shame by anyone who challenges you on this passage, and be grateful for our spiritual fathers.

Vocations Awareness Week begins today. We’re encouraged to pray in a special way for the Church in her constant need to receive men into the priesthood, diaconate and religious life and for women as consecrated women or as nuns or religious sisters (those are all distinct and important vocations, BTW).

My friends in Christ, vocations really do grow on trees, family trees. In recommending consideration of the priesthood, a very holy priest I know often encourages the young men of his parish to put priesthood on the menu as you consider God’s call for your life. Likewise, for the young ladies, put religious life “on the menu”.

Remain always open to God’s call whether it’s to one of these particular holy callings of service, if not to holy matrimony or otherwise committed celibacy.

Marriage preparation needs to begin at infancy; so, should priestly and religious life preparation. And on this Vocations Week, pray for all to be open to one of these high callings. Let me offer 3 additional suggestions families can try:

[iv]

• Read stories about the saints. Experience the great stories of heroic virtue and discuss openly living Catholic virtue in a culture of death.

• Allow your kids to play dress up. Just as children like to “play house”, let the little boys dress up and act out the Mass. Let your daughters dress like a religious sister. Vocations are beginning to upswing in this country.

• Talk openly about vocations in the home. Make is abundantly clear that happiness in life is found in searching for and answering God’s call. Take a retreat at a religious house or a convent. And befriend many priests, religious and seminarians. Show them your support.

Finally, Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for all the vocations to the priesthood and religious life God bless you.

[i] Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, 2003. From the outer rear of the book jacket.

[ii] Malachi 2:10

[iii] Many thanks to Catholic Answers www.catholic.com, EWTN, www.ewtn.org and their resident apologists, To Jim Burnham of San Juan Catholic Seminars.

[iv] From the website https://www.vianneyvocations.com/product/7-ways-families-can-foster-vocations/