Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday of ordered Time

Si te audierit,

Lucratus eris fratrem tuum[1]

September 4^th, 2011

Corpus Christi Parish

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

Amen I say to you, whosoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.[2]

Today’s readings are difficult readings for us to hear. They are difficult because they remind us that God’s justice exists and his justice demands that unrepentant sinners will be punished. These are difficult matters and require much prayer and contemplation. But as we listen to the prophet Ezekiel today, listen as he says, [if] you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death,[3] one thing seems clear to me. We must be more intentional about our faith. We need to be more intentional about what we’re about. We need to be more intentional about where we’re going. We need to be more intentional about the people we spend time with. We need to be more intentional about who we are. That is ultimately what today’s gospel is about.

We, as Christians need to begin to rethink our associations, and those with whom we keep company. Are those people around us seeking holiness? If it ever could be said of our culture that it fostered virtue, that time has surely passed. Indeed, we are all too careless in our associations, counting as close friends those who seek after other gods, are lost in all sorts of immortality, and care not for the ways of the Lord. It is as God accuses the psalmist when He says, What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are a friend of his; and you keep company with adulterers. You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; and slander your own mother’s son.[4] If we surround ourselves with those who do not care for God, and are content with the pleasures of this world, should we be surprised that we lack fervor of faith or that our own spiritual life has faded? This is not to say that we avoid sinners. No, for as Paul noted I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber– not to even eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the Church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’.[5]

What does this mean? Who are we to judge our brethren? Does not the Lord say, judge not lest you be judged? [6] Does not the Apostle James say Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge? [7] Even Paul himself writes in the same letter, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. [8]

Yet there is a difference to be noted here. Here we can speak of judgment as corrective and judgment as condemnatory. It is why the Church can speak of those sins and evils that will lead a soul to hell but she cannot tell you one person who is there, for it is not for the faithful to condemn anyone. Too often, we do not judge for the sake of offering correction. We judge so that we might feel better about ourselves. Of this our Lord Jesus has warned, You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. [9] Yet for the person who refuses to change his ways, and will not acknowledge his sin, then it is better for him to be removed from the community, rather than by his sin pollute the bond of the faithful. For sin is corrosive, and it destroys the unity of a community. Our Lord has given us the path which offers right correction. Of this He said, If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.[10] Too often, when someone wrongs us, we prefer to talk about our injury, which may indeed be a just complaint, to everyone else except the offending party. This is not just, this is gossip. It does nothing to repair the wrong, for the person who is guilty of the offense is most likely unaware that they have wronged you. However, if they hear about your anger from someone else, instead of being self-reflective, and considering their culpability, they will react in anger, this time that their name has been slandered without them first being given a recourse to address the wrong. If someone wrongs you, go and speak to them first, and do so in charity, so that you might gain grace from God. Remember that it is required of you that if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.[11] Remember that as Christians we offer nothing less than ourselves before the altar of God.

Our Lord goes on further: But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.[12] This is so that no judgment may be left to the testimony of two interested parties, but rather, a third party (the two or three witnesses) may gather and give an objective reckoning of the situation. In doing so, a brother in faith who has done wrong may be assured that it is not a personal vendetta that is the motivation of the one addressing the wrong. That being said, it is important that the witnesses be people of faith, for it is written by loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.[13] If the witnesses have not the fear of the Lord before their eyes, they will become partial to one side, and will render further injustice and iniquity, for again it is not good to be partial to a wicked man, or to deprive a righteous man of justice.[14]

Finally, our Lord gives what at first seems a harsh sentence, but as shall be seen is actually a sentence of mercy. Jesus concludes by stating, If he [the offending brother] refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.[15] What then shall we say? Why should Jesus wish to cast away someone from the Church? The answer to this is found in Paul. Note that Jesus first says to bring them to the Church. This is because, as Paul affirms, I am writing these instructions to you so that...you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.[16] If a person will not listen to the truth, then as the Beloved Disciple writes, he who says ‘I know Him’ but disobeys His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.[17] Thus only those who admit that they have sinned can begin to be justified, and it for this reason why a person may be excommunicated, so that in the horror they experience at being cut off, they might repent and come back with a humble and contrite heart. Paul affirms this when he writes, by rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith, among them Hymenae’us and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.[18] Yet this action is always done by the bishop, for note what Paul says to the Church in Corinth concerning the man guilty of fornication, let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though I am absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in this day of the Lord Jesus.[19]

My brothers and sisters, our culture is not well, and we say nothing. There is suffering and there is evil, and we remain silent. What are we doing? Where do we want to go? Is there something better? We speak of love, of love being grand, but then we say nothing as our children continue to live together out of wedlock. We indulge ourselves too greatly. How is it that two people living outside of marriage is anything other than sin? Oh sure, we can say that we love each other. But if there is no commitment, then what I’m really saying is that I love you now, as long as it’s convenient. I love you as long as things don’t get difficult. I love you as long things don’t change. I love you as long as it fits within my five year plan. And my brothers and sisters that is not love at all. It is lust. It is selfishness. It is the worst form of narcissism for it is a narcissism which does not even recognize itself. And lust hollows out the human soul. It prevents us from being able to understand what it means when God says I love you for being you. There is sin and it poisons our very soul. It destroys our ability to love and to be loved.

We know the scripture which says that God is love.[20] But if sin destroys our ability to be with loved, what does this say about our relationship with God, who is love? Notice what our Lord says in today’s gospel, where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.[21] Our Lord does not say in them nor does he say that he contains them, but that he stands in the midst of them. Sin destroys that relationship. We know that Jesus comes into our world to remove sin. Now read what the Beloved Apostle says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and his word is not in us [22] and again, everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.[23] Love without rules is not love at all, but rather it’s opposite, apathy. It is the statement that I do not really care what happens to you or what you do to me.

But there is a better way. There is the way that cares for the neighbor as much as one cares for themselves. It is the way in which we journey together towards salvation, rather than just worrying about getting to heaven by ourselves. It is the way which leadeth unto life as a holy people, rather than just believing that it is my personal happiness that is of utmost importance. This way requires us to look after one another, to care enough about our brethren in faith to speak of hard truths when they are necessary. We hear often of the corporal works of mercy and they are indeed good, and even necessary. Yet there are the spiritual works of mercy as well. They are to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, to forgive all injuries, bear all wrongs patiently and to pray for the living and the dead. Let us thus work to help our brethren out, so that they too might share in the joy of our happiness.

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[1] Matthew 18.15b: “If he [your brother] shall hear you, you shall gain your brother.” [Taken from the gospel for the Sunday]

[2] Matthew 18.18

[3] Ezekiel 33.8

[4] Psalm 50(49).16-20

[5] I Cor 5.9-13; SEE also Dt. 13.6; Dt 17.7; Dt 22.24

[6] Mt 7.1

[7] Jam 4.11

[8] I Cor 4.3-4

[9] Mt 7.5

[10] Mt 18.15

[11] Mt 5.23-24

[12] Mt 18.16

[13] Prov 16.6

[14] Prov 18.5

[15] Mt 18.17-18

[16] I Tm 3.14-15

[17] I Jn 2.4

[18] I Tm 1.20

[19] I Cor 5.2-5

[20] I Jn 4.8

[21] Mt 18.20

[22] I Jn 1.10

[23] I Jn 3.4

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

Quem Me esse dicitis?

Homily for the Twenty First Sunday of Ordered Time

August 21^st, 2011

Corpus Christi Parish

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

Simon Peter answered and said: You are Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father who is in heaven.[1]

In today’s gospel, we have Jesus giving His apostles a pop quiz. He is curious as to what they’ve heard regarding what people thought He was all about. He asks, them, who do others say that I am? [2] This is a safe question. It does not require the Apostles to do anything but repeat back what they’ve heard. And this is what they do. They reply, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.[3] Then Jesus asks them the question which strikes to the very heart. It’s personal. It is a question asked by one man to another, one that necessitates an act of faith. But who do you say that I am? [4] It is then that Peter makes his great act of faith. He does not reply with a the title, Lord, or Rabbi, or Son of Man, or Prophet. Peter, without hesitation says, You are Christ, the Son of the living God.[5] If what he says is false, then Simon Bar-Jonah is guilty of blasphemy and idolatry, deserving to be stoned to death. Yet his proclamation of faith is greeted with joy and blessing by Jesus,[6] who bestows upon Simon Bar-Jonah a new name, Peter, meaning rock.[7] Simon Bar-Jonah’s act of faith transforms him into the rock upon which Christ will build His Church.[8]

But what about us? Who do we say that this carpenter from Nazareth is? Too often Jesus is transformed into various manifestations to fit whatever the prevailing attitude of the time might be. Even the attempt to find the “real” “historical” Jesus resulted in a product where Jesus oddly enough looked like the 19^th century authors themselves. So who is this Jesus of Nazareth? Why should we care? Indeed, many people have tried to find ways of dismissing Him, replacing the Son, and choosing to focus on the Father instead. We all have one Father, and so let us not worry about the Son. The great faiths all have one Father, so let us focus on that, rather than this 2,000 year old oddity.[9]

The problem with this is that we have forgotten about the Christ. We have heard the phrase “Jesus Christ” so often that we begin to think of Christ as a last name. Yet Christ is a title, a label of identity and function. Joseph and Mary were not known as ‘Mr. and Mrs. Christ.’ No, Christ means ‘anointed one’ and here the scriptures bear witness to what this means. The psalmists foretells of Jesus when it writes, The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed…Thus the Lord has said, “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.” [10] The Lord has said to His anointed, You are my son, today I have begotten you.” [11] The Prophet Isaiah had foreseen the messiah born of the Virgin [12] when he wrote, The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.[13] Did not Jesus Himself read these very same words in the synagogue and then tell the assembled, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing? [14] This is why it is written in Hebrews, but of the Son [it is written], “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loves righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness beyond Thy comrades.” [15]

Thus we cannot separate the person of Jesus from the Christ, the messiah He was sent to be. It was for this reason that Peter proclaimed to Jesus that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. “For what faith really states is precisely that with Jesus it is not possible to distinguish office and person; with Him, this differentiation simply becomes inapplicable. The person is the office; the office is the person. The two are no longer separable.” [16] If we want salvation, we want the anointed, we want the Christ who is Jesus. We cannot think of Jesus merely as a great moral teacher, or a person who was somehow unsure as to why He was here. There was writing in The Evangelist two weeks ago, the commentary on the upcoming week’s scripture. The misguided author mistakenly thought that Jesus was somehow confused as to why He was here on earth. This is heresy. For does not Jesus repeatedly reveal His mission to the earth? Did not Jesus say to Zacchaeus, the sinful tax collector, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost? [17] Did not Jesus say, before Abraham was, I AM?[18] Did not Jesus say, I and the Father are One? [19] Both of these times, the people around Him picked up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy, for they knew that He was claiming to be God. Indeed, since only God can forgive sins,[20] only God could tell the paralytic man which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘rise and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ [21] Even the demons whom Jesus cast out knew that God stood before them, for they cried out in Jesus’ presence, What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? [22]

Then why do some harden their hearts, and do not admit to the divinity of the Christ, the one whom is known as Jesus? Who do you say that Jesus is? Our answer to this question changes everything, for if Jesus is the Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, one in being with the Father, then we cannot ignore His message. If Jesus is the Christ, then what is written in John becomes necessary of salvation, that God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in [the Son] is not condemned; he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [23] For as it was spoken by Peter in the Acts of the Apostles, There is salvation in one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.[24] “It must therefore be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith that the universal salvific will of the One and Triune God is offered and accomplished once for all in the mystery of the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son of God.”[25]

Now what are we to do? God has become incarnate, and dwelt among us. Furthermore, this is not a truth that is some distant event. Rather, the Incarnation becomes present for us at every mass. Yet we treat this truth, this grace, and this great witness of God’s love so cavalierly. When I was doing my basic officer course in the Army as a chaplain, another chaplain who is a Muslim imam and I were talking about our various faiths. I asked him about Islam and he asked me about Catholicism. At one point, he looked at me and said, you believe that your Eucharist, is really the body and blood of Jesus, correct? I replied yes. He then said, and you believe that the prophet Jesus is in actuality God Himself? “Yes.” The Imam said, “I do not believe this.” I tried to explain to him why we believe that Jesus is God, and why we believe in the Eucharist, but he interrupted me. He said, “It is not that I do not believe your faith. That is obvious. I do not think you Catholics believe your faith. For if I believed that Allah himself was present in that tabernacle of yours, I would not be able to get off of my knees in praise.” It was a hard statement to swallow. So often we pass by Jesus, present in our parishes, and never think of stopping by. God Himself dwells with us and too often, we leave Him alone.

I know that it might seem to some that to speak of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as being lonely as mere pious sentimentality. I know that it might seem foolish to believe that God somehow misses me. But I don’t know about you, but I want to believe in a God of whom it is written, I will gather my people…and sprinkle clean water on them to cleanse them of their sins…and you shall be my people and I shall be your God.[26] I want to believe in a God who says, you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God.[27] I want to believe in a Christ who said, I am the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.[28] I want to believe in a Jesus who is the shepherd who went out to find the lost sheep,[29] the one who went to find the lost coin,[30] the one who longs to gather us like his children.[31] I want to believe in the God who is like the Father who waited at his doorway waiting for the prodigal son to come home and then rejoiced at his presence.[32] Yes, I will admit I believe that Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament misses me, and wants my presence.

If we want to know who Jesus is, we need to spend time with Him. We need to sit at the feet of the Master, and learn from His words. Is it not for this reason that Jesus said of Mary to Martha, one thing is needful, Mary has chosen the good, which shall not be taken away from her? [33] That is why we will be beginning Eucharistic Adoration here at Corpus Christi this September. It will be every Thursday night from 6pm to 8:30 with benediction at the end. You don’t have to be here for the entire time. Come for an hour. Come for a half hour. Come just to stop in for 5 minutes of silence in a busy world. Come just for the blessing. Whatever you can give Christ, He will love you all the more so for the gift of your presence. We will have sign up lists so that we can make sure that there is always someone present. I invite you to come and sit in the presence of God, to look at Him and tell Him what you see, but more importantly, to let Him look at you and tell you what He sees.[34]

Part of the reason we are doing this is for the youth. As you may have heard, we are redoing our Youth Ministry here at Corpus Christi. We will be doing a lot of cool things, a lot of fun events. You’ll learn how to bake five awesome things that everyone will love you for. You’ll learn some cool things along the way. We will take trips to the apple orchards, to the haunted hay ride and ski trips. We will do service projects to serve those in most need. But we will also spend some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, from about 8 to 8:30 every Thursday. It is important that we spend time with Jesus, all of us. But for you who are out there, and might be considering coming to youth ministry, I promise you only one thing. You will find God. You will encounter the One who formed you in your mother’s womb,[35] and knew you before you were born.[36] So often you are bombarded with images and thoughts that tell you, “If you don’t succeed at school, you’re not good enough. If you don’t go to college, you’re a failure. If you aren’t pretty enough, you’re not worth being loved.” I will promise you that at this parish, on Thursday nights, you will find the One who created you out of love. You will learn what it means to be loved and to love. Pope Benedict XVI at his speech at World Youth Day said, “Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in Him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God Himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow within divine grace, generously and with half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness.”[37] I hope Thursdays will give you the time to do just that.

I hope the adults here will come and join the youth in praying on Thursday nights. It’s important that we pray together. It is important that those who are participating in youth ministry know that prayer isn’t something they have to do as kids. It is even more important that we as adults do that. I hope to see you here on Thursdays starting in September. I promise that you will come to know the one named Jesus.

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[1] Mt 16.16-17

[2] Mt 16.13

[3] Mt. 16.14

[4] Mt. 16.15

[5] Mt 16.16

[6] St. John Chrysostom. Homily 54 on Matthew: §2: “Yet surely, unless he [Peter] had rightly confessed Him, as begotten of the very Father Himself, this were no work of revelation; had he accounted our Lord to be one of the many, his saying would not be worthy of a blessing.”

[7] Cf. Mt. 16.17

[8] Cf. Mt.

16.18

[9] Ratzinger. Introduction to Christianity. p. 199: Ratzinger offers a systematic response as to why this approach ultimately ends in heresy.

[10] Ps. 2.2,6

[11] Ps. 2.7

[12] Cf. Is 7.14; Mt 1.23

[13] Is 61.1-2

[14] Lk 4.18-21, especially 21

[15] Heb 1.8-9

[16] Ratzinger. Introduction to Christianity, p. 203

[17] Lk 19.9-10

[18] John 8.58

[19] Jn 10.30

[20] St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew, §3: “Do you see how He, His own self, leads Peter on to high thoughts of Him, and reveals Himself, and implies that He is the Son of God by these two promises? For those things which are peculiar to God alone, (both to absolve sins, and to make the church incapable of overthrow in such assailing waves, and to exhibit a man that is a fisher more solid than any rock, while all the world is at war with him), these He promises Himself to give.”

[21] Mt 9.5-6

[22] Mt. 8.29; Cf. Lk 4.41

[23] Jn 3.17-18

[24] Acts 4.12

[25] Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Dominus Iesus. 2000, §14; II Vatican Council Gaudium et spes §10; II Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, §62; Saint Augustine, De civitate Dei §10: “Of Christ there is the way, which has never been lacking to mankind…and apart from this way no one has been set free, no one is being set free, no one will be set free.”

[26] Ez 36.24,25, 28

[27] Ez 34.31

[28] Jn 10.11

[29] Cf. Mt. 18.12-14; Lk 15.4-5

[30] Cf. Lk 15.8

[31] Cf. Lk 13.34

[32] Cf. Lk 15.11-32

[33] Lk. 10.42

[34] This great pearl of wisdom comes from a very holy priest, Father Laurence Hennessey of the Archdiocese of Chicago, of whom I was blessed to have briefly as my spiritual director.

[35] Ps 139.13-14

[36] Cf. Jer 1.5

[37] Pope Benedict XVI. Opening Address to World Youth Day 2011

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Nolite Timere[1]

Homily for the 19^th Sunday of Ordered Time

7^th of August, 2011 Ano Domini

Parish of Corpus Christi

Round Lake, NY

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

And Peter, giving answer, said; “Lord, if it be you, bid me come to you upon the waters. And Jesus said: “Come.” And Peter going down out of the boat walked upon the water to come to Jesus. But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: “Lord save me!” And immediately Jesus, stretching forth his hand, took hold of him, and said, “O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” [2]

            How many of you like roller coasters? Haunted houses? A good horror film? It seems that there is never a shortage of people in line to be scared. Being scared can even be fun, as mentioned in the things above. They get the blood flowing, reminds us that we’re alive. Yet how many of you have actually been terrified? Where you feared for your life? Where you didn’t know if you had the means to make it another day? This is true fear. This is a fear which grips the soul and drains one’s heart of courage. Yet is precisely this form of fear we find in today’s gospel, and to this fear Jesus tells His apostles in the midst of the storm, be not afraid.[3] The apostles are in the midst of a storm, and they are afraid, because they have forgotten that Jesus Christ is with them. They have forgotten the source of their strength. How often do we, like Peter, become overwhelmed by the storms of our lives, and forget that Jesus is right before us?

This was one of the great cornerstones of Blessed John Paul II’s preaching as he traveled around the world, “be not afraid.” For a man who had seen the worst that human beings could to one another, a world that had reached the highest heights of violence stemming from fear, John told the war to be not afraid. In truth, there are only two reasons for authentic fear; death and poverty. To both reasons, the Christian faith provides solace and courage.

In today’ world we are petrified of death. Everyday a new report comes out which warns of us of some toxin, faulty manufactured product or other various sundry objects that are bent on our destruction. Cell phones could cause Alzheimer. Fast food restaurants fries will immediately give you a heart attack. And apparently, everything will give you cancer. So we live in fear. Yet for the Christian, we have been given the assurance that death is not the end. Does not our faith tell us that Jesus has conquered death? Does not Jesus tell us that He is the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live?[4] Has not God Himself told us that He has gone before us to prepare a place for us to live?[5] Why then should we fear death? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.[6] Do you believe this?[7] If this is our faith, then we need to show in our lives that we no longer fear death. The world needs to be able to look into the lives of the Christian faithful, and see that there is something there which they do not have. That Christians do not live in fear of death, but in the assurance of the world to come.

This leads me to the second reason for fear which is poverty. If you have been following the news lately, I am sure that you have heard about the debt crisis, the debt ceiling, credit rating downgrades and the stock market plummeting. Throughout the debate, we heard people on both sides of the aisle screaming about the catastrophe that was coming. Social security checks will cease! The military will be unable to defend us! The poor will starve and the sick will die! The debt will destroy our civilization! Everybody panic! In the past couple of months, these issues have taken up the consciousness of the nation. And people are afraid, and they are willing to do almost anything, just so that they don’t have to be afraid.

This life is full of uncertainty and it is full of dangers and threats around ever twist and turn of an increasingly chaotic world. This is the point which I would wish to speak of now. You see, in the past sixty years of American history, we have come to depend on the government, whether in our cities, our states, or federally, to give us that sense of security. Don’t worry about what you’ll do when you retire, you’ll have your pensions. Don’t worry about what you’ll do when you can no longer work, you’ll have social security. Don’t worry about health care, you’ll have Medicare and Medicaid. Don’t worry about what happens if you lose your job, you’ll have months of unemployment. Now, please here me when I say, these are good programs, even great programs. Yet I believe we are beginning to see that the current system can no longer sustain itself. Truly, no state is capable of providing everything we need, not without becoming dictatorial in its power.

There is an alternative however, one that stretches back to the beginning of our faith. Consider these words of Saint Paul to the Galatians. So then, while it is still today, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are the household of faith. [8] This is critical. Look around you and see family. Do you believe that we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ? We form the household of faith, and as such, when one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.[9] Therefore, give to him who begs from you, do not refuse him who would borrow from you”; for you have received without pay, therefore give without pay. [10] We need to rethink how we view our parish, and rethink what the words “Catholic Charity” mean to us. Too often, we think of giving to organizations, who, while doing great good, are so large that they have to spread their resources over a wide swath of peoples. Yet our parishes can and must be a source of charity for those brothers and sisters among us. We possess a great deal of abundance. Saint John Chrysostom commented, “not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” [11] If a family among us is hungry, than we have food which can be given. If a family needs shelter, we should be able, as a larger family, to find a way to provide them something. If a family needs financial advice, there are those among us who have such knowledge. We have construction workers, plumbers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, and teachers. What need can the poor have that we cannot offer assistance to? The difference that Catholic charity has between state programs is that Catholic charity is acts of kindness done in the context of family rather than an act of the wealthy to the poor. Catholic Charity is an act that maintains the dignity of all members.[12]

There is a profound difference between a handout and a family member helping out another family member. If I had a kid, and I cannot afford to clothe my child, how shameful it is for me to go to Goodwill, to admit that I cannot take care of my family. It hollows out the soul of a man, and leaves him without his God given dignity. Yet how many of you have had brothers and sisters, and when you had your kids, you asked if you could use the cloths that your nieces and nephews had outgrown? This is not considered a handout. This is family helping family, because you know that you’ll help your brothers and sisters out when they are in need, and they will help you. It’s what family does.

I remember when my mother was a single mother trying to provide for my brother and I. There were times when the money was so tight, she couldn’t afford to go to the grocery store. So she would go to the food co-ops where the government gave away surplus food for the poor. Maybe some of you remember the plain labels that identified this food, these labels that told anyone who walked through your kitchen that you couldn’t afford to buy food for your family. But I also remember that our Church at the time which held a pot luck supper every Wednesday evening. And my mother knew that even if she couldn’t bring much, she could bring something to that dinner. She knew that her sons would have a good meal, and that they would sit as equals among everyone there, from those who drove Mercedes and BMWs to those who were worse off than we. And there would be no shame, for all there, rich and poor, ate the same food, sat at the same table and lived as brothers and sisters, because we were Christians and that made us family. That common dinner was a great blessing. It’s possible here. We can do it. But you’ve got to want it.

I’ve seen parishes where over fifty volunteers organized themselves to cook meals for those families who had lost a family member or who had just lost their jobs. And because there were many, the burden was easy, the yoke was light. It’s possible. We can do it. But you’ve got to want it. I’ve seen churches in the south, which bought up land. And then when they heard that one of their members was homeless or were about to be evicted, they came together on a Saturday, and like Habitat for Humanity, they built those families a house to live in. It wasn’t much, just cinder blocks and dry wall. But it was a home, and it was from family. It’s possible, we can do it. But you’ve got to want it. I’ve seen parishes that offered free day care for those mothers who have to work. It’s possible, we can do it. But you’ve got to want it. My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we need to stop expecting other people to take care of our family, this household of faith. We can look out for each other, so that none among us every feels isolated in poverty and need. Christian charity provides everyone dignity. It’s not another program. It’s not another committee. It’s an act of love. If we believe that we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, then we must look out for one another as family. For indeed we are our brother’s keeper.[13]

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[1] “Be not afraid” taken from Matthew 14.27 [Gospel of the Day]

[2] Matthew 14.28-31

[3] Matthew 14.27

[4] John 11.25

[5] Cf. John 14.1-6

[6] Romans 6.3-4

[7] Cf. John 11.26

[8] Galatians 6.10

[9] I Corinthians 12.26

[10] Matthew 5.42, 10.8, Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2443

[11] Saint John Chrysostom, Hom. In Lazaro 2,5, Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2446

[12] For additional information on Christian charity, read Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891), Pope Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio (1967), and Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus (1991).

[13] Cf. Genesis 4.9