Readings, Gospel and Homily from a Mass celebrated by Fr Richard for Saturday, 4th Week of Lent
Homily: The justice of Nicodemus
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I’m always fascinated by the
figure of St Nicodemus. In God’s Divine Providence, He chose this Pharisee and
prominent member of the Sanhedrin to be the “discreet” disciple of Jesus, the
one who helps to ensure a dignified burial of the King of kings after the
Crucifixion.
In today’s Gospel we see this
upright man refusing to join in with the “crowd” of Pharisees who want rid of
Jesus. How easy it is for us to “go along with the consensus”, even if our
conscience judges an action to be unjust. It’s easy to stay quiet for fear of
being shot down or, even worse, persecuted. But Nicodemus is not afraid to
“stick his head above the parapet” and, in a measured way, questions the intent
of the chief priests and Pharisees. He reminds them of their responsibility to
give someone a fair hearing. He is defending justice – the moral virtue of
giving God and man what is owed to them.
St Nicodemus is a wonderful
example for law makers and those in positions of authority and influence. No matter what the
majority is saying, we’re called to follow Divine Law, to defend the voiceless
and defenceless. Imagine how many times, for instance, the great leader of the
anti-slave trade movement, William Wilberforce, was shot down and laughed at
for defending the rights of the exploited? And yet – it was he who was the good
and upright man.
Nicodemus was just because,
albeit quietly, he had committed his cause to the Lord (a declaration of the
prophet Jeremiah we hear in the last sentence of the first reading). Nicodemus
had clearly been moved by Christ’s words to him when he’d gone to visit Our Lord
at night earlier in St John’s Gospel. Jesus had said to him, face to face: “God
loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes
may have eternal life in him.” (Jn 3:16)
In hearing and believing those
words, we also make our personal dedication to Our Saviour: “I have committed
by cause to you.” By this consecration to Christ, we will also promote true
justice in the world.
