Philemon and Onesimus, 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (C), September 7, 2025

Paul has a problem! His lead pastor among the Colossians, Philemon, has a slave, Onesimus. Onesimus does something to offend his master and flees. Where does he flee to? Well, to Paul who is presently imprisoned in Rome. This is Paul's problem: does he keep Onesimus with him, who he now loves greatly and who has become a Christian...or does he send him back to Philemon, as the rules of Rome dictate? Paul wisely sends Onesimus back, but with a deeply personal letter (written in his own hand!), and requests that Philemon take Onesimus back, no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. In this letter, Paul begins the extremely slow process of kicking the spiritual foundations out from under the practice of slavery. He also issues a call to all of us to consider how we might "use" people as so much chattle in our lives. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador.