The Biblical idea of Righteousness is a gift that keeps on giving. It has so many meanings that a preacher could give several homilies without repeating anything essential. Part of this is that several Hebrew words have been translated as one Greek word and this has eventually been translated into 2 English words righteousness and justification. To make it even more complicated they can be applied both to God and humanity. Yet the basic reason may be quite simple. Righteousness is about being in a good relationship with God, and human language; even inspired, will always be left wanting. Righteousness is both too broad and too deep.

To examine the readings of today’s Mass I will begin and end with personal anecdotes. The first is somewhat banal, the second decidedly unflattering but both are highly instructive.

At an informal gathering of priests, I asked, “Who would notice if your parish were to disappear overnight?” We first gave obvious if somewhat facetious answers: our vendors and UPS carriers. We then got more serious and remembering that the church teaches the preferential option for the poor and marginalized, added food pantries, 12-step meetings, and a neighborhood senior drop-in center. I added a community organizing effort. All of these are good, and much more could be added but we quickly realized that to have an effect a parish must be more than the sum of its parts or the number of its committees.