(Twenty-third Sunday of the Year (C): This homily was given on September 6, 1998 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I. by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read the Letter of St. Paul to Philemon.)

"If Philemon had written back to St. Paul, what would he have said?"

Today’s second reading comes from one of the shortest books of the Bible: the Letter of Paul to Philemon. (The entire work consists of only 25 verses.) It concerns a runaway slave named Onesimus, who was owned by a wealthy Christian from the city of Colossae named Philemon. Now one side note here before I go on: Human slavery was an accepted reality in the first century world. It’s repulsive to us (as it should be); but back then (unfortunately) it was an accepted part of the culture. Now some people will ask: Why didn’t St. Paul and the other New Testament writers speak out more forcefully against slavery? Well, lest we forget, at the time Christians were in no position politically or socially to change any of the laws of Rome. In fact, after the Resurrection of Jesus, it was not long before Christians became outlaws in the empire and part of the luncheon menu for the lions at the Coliseum. Furthermore, many of the first Christians (including St. Paul) believed that the second coming of Christ would probably take place within their generation. Consequently, changing laws and social structures was not a big concern. Their advice was for people to make the best of things as they were, since the world would probably end very soon. But it’s interesting: in spite of the fact that slavery was socially accepted, good Christians like Paul did perceive the injustice of it. That's easily discerned from what he says in this letter. In fact, Paul’s whole purpose in writing to Philemon was to get him to treat his runaway slave with mercy and accept him back as a brother in Christ. Some scholars even say that Paul was asking Philemon to set Onesimus free--a very radical request for the time. Listen once again to what Paul says here. After he tells Philemon that he had met Onesimus in prison and converted him to the faith, the apostle writes:

"I had wanted to keep him with me, that he might serve me in your place while I am in prison for the gospel; but I did not want to do anything without your consent, that kindness might not be forced on you but freely bestowed. Perhaps [Onesimus] was separated from you for a while for this reason: that you might possess him forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially dear to me; and how much more than a brother to you, since now you will know him both as a man and in the Lord. If then you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me."

Now, if you’re incredibly curious like I am you come to the end of this letter and you say: "What happened? Did Philemon treat his runaway slave (who probably was also a thief) with mercy? Did he accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and eventually set him free?" Well guess what? We don't know the answers to any of those questions! But we can certainly speculate on the matter. The thought occurred to me earlier this week: perhaps Philemon wrote back to Paul after Onesimus returned. And perhaps Philemon had the attitude about law and morality that many contemporary Americans have. If that was indeed the case, his return letter probably went something like this:

My dear brother Paul, may the grace and peace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior be with you. I greatly appreciate your correspondence, and I thank you for sharing your opinions with me. However, I have made the decision to keep my brother Onesimus in slavery and to discipline him severely. I know that you will not agree with me about this, but I am pro-choice, and I have made the choice to be severe and to enslave him once again. This, of course, is my legal right under the current laws of the Roman Empire, and in my mind whatever is legal is moral. Consequently, since the laws of Rome permit the enslavement of human beings, in my mind this must be morally acceptable in the eyes of God. And besides, my dear Paul, it would be very bad for me economically to let this man go. He’s a very good worker, you know! I lost a great deal of money during his absence. Hopefully he’ll be able to make that up in the next several months of working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have a saying, and I believe it applies here: "Christianity is Christianity, but business is business!" But don’t worry: I will certainly let Onesimus off for an hour each Sunday for Mass. Peace be with you, Paul. You are in my prayers.

That’s what Philemon would have said if he had the mindset that many contemporary Americans have: Americans who say it’s morally acceptable to attack innocent human life because the unjust laws of our country allow it; Americans who vote their wallets and their pocketbooks rather than their consciences; Americans who leave their Christianity in church, and who live the rest of their lives as if God didn't exist. Dear Lord, my prayer today is that the real Philemon treated Onesimus with justice tempered with mercy, and that he eventually set his slave free because it was the right thing to do! In other words, Lord, I pray that Philemon LIVED the faith that he professed with his lips.