Keeping Secrets

Homily for Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Toward the end of today’s Gospel text, we hear the often repeated phrase that inhabits both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures: “Do not be afraid!” This exclamation was frequently repeated by Pope St. John Paul II. One commentary entitles this section of St. Luke’s Gospel as “Courage in the face of danger.”

In speaking about fear, Jesus advises the crowd to be afraid of the one who has the power to cast someone into Gehenna. To what is Jesus referring in this advice? Gehenna referred to a place that was outside the city or village limits. The citizens of that place would bring their refuse to this area where it would be burned. Because there was a constant need to deal with what today we call “garbage,” the fire in Gehenna would smolder constantly. In addition to being a garbage dump, it was frequently the place where lepers would live after having been excluded from the life of their community and family. To be sure, it was a fearful place, a place in which no one would choose to dwell.

Jesus tells us in no uncertain language that not one of us has escaped the notice of God. Judgment Day will certainly come for all of us. However, let us simply put our trust in God’s providential care. With the psalmist we pray: “I confessed my sins to the Lord, and you took away all my guilt.”

Jesus also speaks about secrets being revealed. This particular part of the admonition speaks to a certain behavior that was part of the culture of Israel. Secrets were not considered positively. Because these are people who think of themselves as a part of a group or community, keeping secrets from the community was considered harmful. This is not to say that people did not keep secrets; however, Jesus is letting those who are keeping them know that they will eventually be revealed. The only way to avoid the embarrassment of this revelation of secrets is not to keep them in the first place. Perhaps it is from this notion that the familiar adage springs: “A man is only as healthy as his secrets.”

Hypocrisy falls under the category of secrets. Believing one thing and acting contrary to that notion was oftentimes considered a way of being secretive. The Gospels frequently tell us that Jesus knew what was going on in the minds of his adversaries. When one considers that only God can know what goes on in any person’s mind, Jesus is definitely revealing part of his identity in this way.

As we receive the Eucharist today, let us reveal our innermost desires to the Lord, pledging to conform our lives to that of Jesus.