The Pursuit of Virtue

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The words that open the second reading for today’s liturgy from St. Paul’s First Letter to St. Timothy tell us that something important has gone before. Actually, he has just been speaking about the actions of other missionaries who have upset Timothy and seem to be drawing some members of the community away from the Gospel that St. Paul had preached. Then he adds: “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” In other words, Timothy is to distinguish himself from the men that St. Paul had been speaking about through these six different virtues. These virtues all have one thing in common; namely, the fact that they are all directed outward toward the “other.”

The virtue of righteousness presumes a relationship. Righteous people are in right or correct relationship to others. First among these relationships is one’s relationship to God. A right relationship with God realizes that we, the creatures, are secondary to God, the Creator. A second relationship would encompass our neighbors. A right relationship with them would see them as children of God, just as we are children of God. In that kind of relationship, in that kind of righteousness, there is no room for elitism or prejudice or bias.

Devotion is a virtue that needs an object as in “I am devoted to my wife and family,” or, “I am devoted to my favorite sport – baseball.” Without an object, devotion is an empty virtue, void of all meaning. One can only be devoted if that devotion reaches out to someone or something.

Next in the list is the virtue of faith. St. Paul and the other evangelists have spoken a great deal about faith. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus has reminded those who have experienced cures or healing that it is their faith that has saved them. Once again, we realize that faith needs an object. Faith must be invested in another. Every Sunday we express our faith through the recitation of the Nicene Creed. Notice that every time we begin a statement with the words “I believe…,” we quickly follow-up with the object or person in whom we place that faith. I believe in God; I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ; I believe in the Holy Spirit; or I believe in one holy Catholic and apostolic church.

Love, patience, and gentleness are similarly oriented toward the other. We direct our love toward another person. We are patient with other people. For parents, that patience is often directed toward their children. And finally, gentleness is the attribute with which we treat or deal with other people.

Consequently, it is safe to say that the conclusion of St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy is a summation of the advice with which St. Paul is addressing his disciple. St. Paul’s two letters to St. Timothy and his letter to St. Titus are referred to as “pastoral letters.” They are letters which give these two former companions of St. Paul advice on how to be good pastors. St. Paul had left Timothy and Titus to be the pastors of two of the Christian communities which he had formed; namely, the community of Ephesus and of the community of Crete.

An even better understanding of the virtues which St. Paul wishes to see in Timothy can be gained if we simply back up a little and read the verses that immediately precede the ones that we proclaim today. St. Paul has described Timothy’s rivals thus: “Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain.” The careful reading of this description shows us that these characteristics are directed inwardly rather than outwardly. They are like cancers that fester within and which cause nothing but division.

In the Gospel text for today’s liturgy, we hear the familiar story of Lazarus and the rich man who has come to be known as Dives (which is, in fact, the Latin word for wealth). When the rich man enters into a conversation with Abraham, he learns that a chasm separates Lazarus and him. In the Gospel story, that chasm is a reflection of the gulf that exists between the wealthy and the indigent. A similar chasm exists between Timothy and his rivals, a chasm that reflects their conduct as Christians. The virtues that characterize the true disciple of Jesus direct the individual outside of himself or herself, while the vices that characterize those who seek division in the community point inwardly.

The Eucharist that we celebrate each day is a living memorial of the fact that everything Jesus did and said was not about him but rather about those whom he came to serve. The symbol of our faith, the cross, is the most eloquent statement one can make about the life of a Christian; namely, it is a life lived for others.