20th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

A scene from the classic Western "The Eagle's Brood" (1935).  You always knew who the good guys and bad guys were in the classic black and white movies!

When I was a kid, I loved watching those old black-and-white movies, especially the classic cowboy and gangster films. They had a certain charm, didn’t they? 

The good guys always wore the white hats, and the bad guys always wore the black hats. There was never any confusion about who was who. 

You knew just by looking who was on the side of justice, honor, and truth, and who was on the side of deceit, corruption, and wrongdoing. It made things simple. 

But of course, life isn’t always that simple. Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the choices we make, the paths we take, and whether we are living as wise or foolish people.

In the first reading from Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a woman who has built her house and prepared a feast. She stands at the highest places of the town, calling out to those who are simple and lacking understanding, inviting them to partake of her banquet. 

She says, “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”

Here, Wisdom offers us the white hat, the clear path of life that leads to fulfillment, understanding, and communion with God. 

But there’s also a darker path, a black hat, if you will, symbolizing foolishness, a life lived without regard for God’s ways—a life that may seem attractive or easier in the short term but leads to spiritual poverty and emptiness.

Saint Paul picks up on this theme in our second reading from his letter to the Ephesians. He urges us to live as wise people, “making the most of the opportunity” and understanding “what is the will of the Lord.” 

He contrasts this with foolishness and recklessness, advising us instead to be filled with the Spirit, giving thanks to God in all things. 

Again, we are presented with a choice: the white hat of wisdom or the black hat of folly.

Now, in the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us the ultimate invitation to wisdom. He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Here, Jesus is offering us Himself—the Bread of Life. He is the true nourishment for our souls, the source of all wisdom, understanding, and life. 

When we partake in the Eucharist, we are not just receiving bread and wine; we are receiving Jesus Christ Himself, the very embodiment of wisdom and divine love. 

He is the one who leads us on the path of life, who calls us to wear the white hat, to live as children of the light.

But how often do we, like in those old movies, find ourselves tempted by the black hat? 

How often do we choose the easier, more comfortable path of folly, of going along with what the world offers, rather than the difficult but rewarding path of wisdom that Christ sets before us? 

How often do we settle for the food that perishes, rather than the Bread of Life that sustains us forever?

My friends, today’s readings challenge us to make a clear choice. Will we choose wisdom, the white hat, and follow the path of life that Christ offers? 

Or will we be seduced by folly, putting on the black hat, and find ourselves lost and wandering in darkness?

Each time we gather for the Eucharist, each time we hear God’s Word, we are invited to renew our commitment to Christ, to forsake the foolishness of the world, and to embrace the wisdom that leads to eternal life. 

It is a choice we must make daily—sometimes even moment by moment.

So, as we leave this place today, let us reflect on the choices we are making in our lives. 

Are we living as wise people, filled with the Spirit, giving thanks to God in all things? 

Are we feasting on the Bread of Life, allowing Christ to nourish and guide us? 

Or are we slipping into the darkness, donning the black hat of folly, and drifting away from the life God calls us to live?

May we have the courage and the grace to always choose the white hat, to follow the path of wisdom, and to stay close to Christ, who is our true life and our ultimate joy. Amen.