Homily by Fr. James DiLuzio 

We live in an angry age. Disputes abound. Collaboration is labeled “compromise” –now an almost derogatory word as if one is “selling oneself out,” and people work so hard to manifest their “brand,” that they dig their heels into the ground, unmovable, intractable, hard-pressed any dimension of our basic, common humanity. Who can lead us out of the single-minded confines of our own willfulness? 

In another angry time, the Catholic Church was fearful of change. Almost every attempt at spiritual renewal was suspect. Onto that 13^th century stage appeared two who would eventually become Saints. Their names were Francis and Dominic, each with new vision of God’s care for us, a new emphasis on how to address some of the problems of their age. One of the stories about Saint Francis continues to offer insights. Entitled  “The Tale of the Wolf of Gubbio.”  Gubbio was and is an Italian  village, in the Umbria region of Italy.  At that time, a  wolf was terrorizing  the entire population, attacking sheep, chickens, howling nightly inhibiting sleep, growling so forcefully that all were afeared of going out at night to visit their relatives and neighbors. For the longest time, they commissioned their best hunters, expert marksmen to hunt the wolf and rid them of it, but to no avail.  

Eventually word of a holy man who praised God continually for life—human life and the life of all creatures, who allegedly spoke to animals, reached their village. After much prayer and penance, almost miraculously, some villagers encountered  Francis walking in the forest. Explaining their situation with heartfelt urgency, they pleaded with Francis to come to their aid. Looking lovingly upon them all and said, “Feed your wolf.”  What? was their incredulous reply.  “Feed your wolf,”  is all he said. 

 That night villagers put plates of their leftovers on every doorstep. The wolf’s howling ceased. The next night, in thanksgiving, they placed choice meats and vegetables, and not a sheep was lost. The third night, no sounds from the hen house, and in the morning, they found Francis in the town square, the wolf bowing before the Saint. The wolf became the friend of Gubbio and good be found gnawing on bones and choice meats at all the village festivals. Ω

“Who is the wolf in this story?”  Who is the wolf? “WE are the Wolf.”  Who will  feed us in our anger, our confusion, our fears?  Who will free us from our hateful thoughts?  Today is  Good Shepherd Sunday, reminding is we have here one—and only one– acceptable answer:  Jesus, our Christ. Jesus  took on every aspect of our human nature, underwent every temptation to say to our angry selves: “Hello. I know you — everything about you. Even as you dwell in your dark abode, I have love for you, and I will patiently guide you through every wicked thought, every hopeless feeling. I will fulfill for you, even now, the words of the 23^rdPsalm: “Yea though you walk in the valley of death, I will be at your side, to guide you through your anger and temptations to hate, to rage, to despair,” not with condemnation but with redemption. You, too, shall be resurrected. 

Do we think our times are any different from Jesus’ times, or different from any other century “in the course of human events?” Violence, hate, prejudice, fear, human willfulness,  are everywhere and always will be taking hold of us, and others—whenever we are at our most desperate. Fear, lack of trust in God’s timing, God’s providence, frequent failures to acknowledge a vibrant Holy Spirit present amid sin and sadness, instead we lash out, howling  like hungry wolves, losing lost touch with our common humanity. Now is the time we stop justifying our wrath as if we are participating in the wrath of God? The Wrath of God? “Judgement is Mine,” says the Lord, and  Jesus makes clear that “The wrath of God” nothing more than “zeal for souls.”  That’s your soul. That’s mine. 

Jesus  doesn’t condemn us for these thought and feelings, but he does ask us to work with him before we act upon them. Therefore, we need not be afraid to bring even our darkest thoughts and vengeful wishes to Him in prayer, in meditation, and in confession be a priest or anyone we can trust. Saint Paul repeated confirmed time and time again, “Nothing separates from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus.”  Let’s admit, only weeks ago, we cried “Crucify Him, Crucify Him,” and now, in this Fourth week of Easter and Jesus says to us, “Let me Resurrect you. Let me bring you to fullness of life and the peace that only I can give.” He does this by feeding us. He feeds us with His Very Being, in this and every Eucharist.  If we let Him, He will shepherd us today, tomorrow, and the next day, just as He did for the disciples before and after His Resurrection, even as they found, and we, too, may find ourselves in an angry world.