Have you ever noticed something strange about the statues of saints in our churches?

They are always so beautiful. Their faces are peaceful, their eyes lifted towards heaven, their hands folded in prayer. Not a wrinkle of worry, not a trace of fear. But I sometimes wonder: If these statues could speak, what stories would they tell?

Today’s Gospel brings us right to the heart of what it means to live as a Christian. When the Pharisees tested Jesus by asking which commandment in the law was the greatest, they expected a debate over the six hundred-plus rules of Jewish law, or perhaps a simple choice favoring one rule over another. But Jesus gives a response that completely redefines how we approach our faith and live our daily lives: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," and the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus, who was a most famous and wise Teacher at the time. But Jesus escaped the trap by saying, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and give to God the things that are God’s.” 

In our own day, 2000 years later, we are faced with a similar problem: when the Power and Authority of a dictatorial Government tries to force us to act in ways that maybe opposed to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast. A king prepares a grand banquet, but the invited guests refuse to come. So the king sends his servants out to the streets and gathers everyone they can find, good and bad alike, and the hall is filled. Yet, among them, one is found not wearing a wedding garment, and he is cast out.

We are imperfect people, living in an imperfect world. Some of us pretend to be perfect—or worse, imagine that we are. Some of us recognize our imperfections but want to change—even if slowly and inconsistently. Some of us don’t seem to bother to strive towards perfection—or at least minimal change towards the better.

My dear friends,

Today the whole theme of our homily will revolve around two words: Call and Comparison.

I would like to begin with a small incident I witnessed during one of my visits. A father gifted two bicycles to his two sons. To the elder son, who was bigger, he gave a bigger bicycle. To the younger son, who was smaller, he gave a smaller bicycle. Initially, the younger son was very happy with his cycle. He was riding it joyfully. But the moment he saw his elder brother’s bigger cycle, his joy disappeared. He started grumbling, complaining, and desiring his brother’s cycle.

Brothers and sisters, most of us think we have already forgiven the person who hurt us most. Then something small happens — a remark, a name mentioned at dinner, a chance meeting on the road — and we find the old debt is still open. We had filed it under "forgiven." God had filed it under "still owed."

Think for a moment about the people you love the most your spouse, your children, your closest friends, or the members of your community. Now, think about the last time one of them completely irritated you, hurt your feelings, or drove you up the wall. It doesn’t take long to remember, does it? The truth is, loving people is easy until love asks you to confront them.

God’s word today encourages us, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds.” St Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, encourages those who call themselves Christians (that is, those who profess that they are disciples of Jesus Christ) to live up to their vocation to be true disciples of Jesus Christ by living in a way different from other people who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. (The popular hymn, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back,” can be a background for our understanding of this text.) There are three key words in this very important exhortation: the words are: “conformed,” “this world,” and “minds.”

Every single experience we have leaves a mark on how we view the world. The challenges we endure, the people we cross paths with, and the everyday moments of our lives all weave together to shape our sense of meaning and purpose.

The encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman initially leaves us shocked and even troubled. How could Jesus, who is always compassionate and merciful, appear so harsh towards a woman who was in great distress? How could He remain silent in the face of her suffering? How could He say that He was sent only to a particular group of people?