Sunday, November 17, 2013

Without Defense, Still Strong

This is my homily for Sunday November 17, 2013.  I am a Catholic chaplain at  Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU, Teaneck),   FDU Newman Catholic Association,  New Jersey City University (NJCU) in Jersey City.  At FDU, Sunday Evening Mass is celebrated 5:00 pm during Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. at FDU Chapel, 842 River Road, Teaneck. 

33rd Sunday, Year C   ••  Malachi 3:19-20a •• Psalm 98 •• 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 •• Luke 21:5-19  ••

Title:   Without Defense, Still Strong

[__01__]     Without defense, we can still be strong.

Without defense, we can still be strong.

 In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus says to his disciples and to us, “some of you will be led before governors because of my name. You are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for 

I myself shall give you [a] wisdom” (cf. Luke 21:12, 15)

[__02__]   This prophecy, from our Savior, refers to martyrdom and to martyrs. These witnesses for our faith stood up for our Creed..not only did they stand for the Creed after the homily at Sunday Mass but they stood in a public square or courtroom.

[__03__]    Regarding these disciples and regarding our own lives as Christians,  Jesus tells that we can be strong even if we do not have …
·         Defense
·         Defense attorney  / public defender
·         Representation, agent,

We can be strong even if we lack the eloquence to speak or write  … or the wireless connectivity to make our voice heard or our message seen.
Without defense, we can still be strong.

 [__04__]  It is difficult to break down or take down our defensive walls, firewalls.

 [__05__]    While few of us may be actually arrested / indicted while standing up for the Creed at Mass, all of us are called to live the Gospel by taking down our defenses.
We do this in our service/charity to others …. And we do this is in the repentance of our sins.

[__06__]   I would like to touch on an image seen by many of us recently of Pope Francis, November 6, in St. Peter’s Square, in which the Pope embraces a man severely disfigured – suffering from suffers from neurofibromatosis.


The Mayo Clinic describes neurofibromatosis as a “genetic disorder that disturbs cell growth in your nervous system, causing tumors to form on nerve tissue.” It is not contagious.

 While individuals with neurofibromatosis are sometimes shunned because of their appearance, Francis wasted no time kissing the man’s face, embracing him and offering up a blessing.

Of course, there are many volunteers in hospitals, many doctors and nurses doing the same, welcoming the sick person.

They are also taking down their own defenses.

Without defense we can still be strong.

[__07__]   On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines.


Thousands of people have lost their lives. Thousands more are injured, homeless, impoverished.

This immense tragedy reminds us that we are defenseless – though not completely helpless – against certain natural disasters.

Jesus is speaking about God’s wisdom being more important than well-written defense strategy in spiritual and moral matters.

However, could we not apply this same idea to the disaster in the island of Leyte, the city of Tacloban and other places in the Philippines.

That is, we cannot necessarily have a defense strong enough in a material sense. Moreover, isn’t it also true that many humanitarian aid workers have gone to – or already in – the affected areas without “defense.”

They do not have all the food, water, medicine, shelter, DEFENSE…which are needed.

Yet, their presence is still absolutely necessary.

Without defense we can still be strong.

 [__08_]    Our strength – as Christians – is not in playing defense whether with 4 midfielders or 2 midfielders, whether in a zone or man-to-man coverage.

These are the defenses of the court and field, away from the courthouse.

Our strength as Christians is not in play D, defense, or in playing offense either.

Our strength is in God’s mercy and love.

Our Holy Father gave us a public example of this in the embrace of the man at St. Peter’s Square.

As St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians:

“Love / charity does not seek its own interests, it is not quick tempered … love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  (cf., 1 Corinthians 13:5-7)

Defenses fail.  “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Without defense we can still be strong. [__fin__]



[1] As one reviewer wrote in an informal internet-review comment on the photo, “The Pope is crushing it”. In this case, crushing is good.

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