Homily for Mass for Life: Protecting the Little Ones

HOMILY FOR MASS FOR GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR THE GIFT OF HUMAN LIFE, January 23, 2017 

FIRST READING: 1 John 3:11-21 (no. 208); RESP. PSALM: Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 (no. 587); GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Psalm 119:88 (no. 509); GOSPEL:  Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 (no. 414) 

INTRODUCTION 

Today as Catholics, we are marking the anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in this country, with a "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children."  Because the actual anniversary, January 22 fell on a Sunday, the observance is today, since Sunday celebrates the central mystery of the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In my homily today, I would like to reflect on two questions: 

1. Why should Catholics be concerned about protecting the unborn? 

2. How should Catholics be involved in protecting the unborn?

SCRIPTURE AND THEOLOGY 

The Protestant approach to the Scriptures would require us to find our answer in an explicit Bible verse that speaks against abortion; I would point to the explicit directive against killing the innocent in the Ten Commandments.  But the Catholic approach draws its faith and teachings from the message of the whole Bible as well as from what our predecessors in the faith have taught and believed.  And happily for us, we find a clear running theme in the gospel of Jesus Christ, about protecting the little ones, the vulnerable. 

Among the many gospel passages that teach this theme, in the passage chosen for today's celebration Jesus speaks most directly about care for both the lost sheep and the little children.  Speaking of both he says: "it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."  The Catholic teaching against abortion, and in favor of protecting unborn life thus has a firm footing in this broad gospel preferential option for the most vulnerable: children and the sick, the widow and the orphan, the tax-collector and the prostitute.  Jesus taught relentlessly about how God cares in a special way for these little ones.  That is why the Church has always put defenseless unborn children at the top of this list of the Lord's poor.  For them all Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross. 

CHRISTIAN LIFE 

And so, if our pro-life work draws its very being from the gospel teaching itself, we must turn to the same source to inspire the way we go about our pro-life work.  Unfortunately, the behaviour of some pro-lifers not only harms the pro-life cause, but also gives Christianity a bad name.  Acts of violence and aggression, words of hate and vitriol have no place in the mission of protecting the unborn.  Let me offer three values that must always undergird the Christian way of protecting and promoting life: Charity, Communion, Catholicity. 

1. First, our pro-life actions must be done in charity, our words said in love rather than hate.  We must not fight against abortion with the methods of the Westboro Baptist Church.  I am ashamed to say the even supposedly Catholic organizations, one of which I was a member, often fail to act in the way that Jesus said would define his followers: "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  A good friend who has done this work for many years has taught me that at the curbside of the abortion facility, you convince more young women to choose life, by talking to them rather than by shouting at them, praying with them rather than arguing with them, helping them rather than accusing them.  As the saying goes, "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." 

2. A second value, that is closely tied with charity, is communion with the Church.  While we work even with non-Catholics in this battle, our pro-life work must be done with the Church, not against the Church.  For those who follow these things on the internet, you might have come across websites like lifesitenews, lifenews, churchmilitant, whose way of being pro-life is by bringing down the Pope and the Bishops.  They think they know better how to be pro-life and reject the direction and communion with those who have responsibility for the Church.  They tear down the very pillars that hold together the Body of Christ, and thus undermine not only this fight for the unborn, but the Church as a whole. 

3. Thirdly, in addition to doing pro-life work in charity and in communion, we must also be Catholic, comprehensive in what we mean by pro-life.  Catholic social teaching promotes various pro-life activities: curbside ministry at an abortion facility and going to the soup kitchen, helping trafficked women and working with condemned prisoners, visiting the sick and visiting the elderly, adopting children and caring for the disabled, and many others.  We cannot be expected to do each and every one of these things; we choose a couple of these things, depending on our abilities and resources, or their urgency and need.  But in making our choices, we must never exclude the others, as if they don't matter at all.  As we care for the life of that unborn baby, we must also be prepared to care for that it throughout its life, until its natural end. 

CONCLUSION 

You might remember Sheriff Harry Lee.  About 12 years ago, a notorious criminal in this area was killed in a shoot-out with police.  Naturally everybody, including the good sheriff was relieved that this criminal would no longer pose a danger to his citizens or to his officers.  But the sheriff was also deeply saddened by all the rejoicing that happened in the media and in the parish at the death of this man.  For he said that when we rejoice at the death even of a criminal, we devalue life and promote a culture of death.  Let us work to promote a culture of life, and so provide a firm foundation for the life of unborn to be protected.  

Homily 3rd Ordinary Sunday A: Not heroes to worship, but Ministers of Christ

Year A 2017

Isaiah 8:23-9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23

Introduction

If I got a nickel every time I was asked: “Do you like Pope Francis?” I would have enough money to build a small chapel in my village.  Going farther back, if I had kept all the nickels received every time I was asked, “Do you like Pope Benedict or Pope John Paul II?” I would have had enough money to build a cathedral, with some left over for a cruise around the world.

But what has liking this pope or that pope got to do with my faith?

Scripture and Theology

It seems that this desire to pick heroes or favourites is not a recent development.  Even St. Paul had to fight this tendency among the Christians of Corinth, one of the Churches that he had founded.  A few years after leaving them he heard through a third party, that there were rivalries among them, divisions based on which apostle they liked best.  Some said: "I belong to Paul," others "I belong to Apollos," others still claimed allegiance to Peter, saying: "I belong to Cephas."  That was their way of saying “I liked Pope John Paul II,” “I liked Pope Benedict,” “I like Pope Francis.”

St. Paul tells the Corinthians and us that this attitude is not Christian.  Only Christ, not his ministers, can lay a claim on our allegiance, our total allegiance.

·        That is why St. Paul asks rhetorically: “Is Christ divided?” – Of course not!  Christ is one!

·        Even to those who worship him he says: “Was Paul crucified for you?” – Of course not!  It was Christ that was crucified for them and him alone deserves worship.

·        And to his really diehard fans, he asks: “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” – Of course not!  They were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

With these questions Paul asks the Corinthians to put their focus on Jesus and not on his messengers, Peter, Apollos or even Paul himself.

·        The apostles are simply vessels, channels, vehicles through which Jesus is preached and his Body and Blood shared among God’s people.

·        The apostles are like the bottle of wine, not the wine itself; guests usually appreciate not the elegance of the bottle, but the quality wine that it bears.

·        The apostles are like the wrapping of a Christmas or birthday gift.  However beautiful the wrapping is, at the end of the day, I want the gift.  I have never known gift-wrap, however expensive to turn a pair of socks into a pair of expensive earrings!

In today’s gospel we see Jesus choosing four of the Twelve apostles: Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John.  These were ordinary fishermen, and perhaps not even very good ones, since on at least one occasion, they needed the help of Jesus, a carpenter, to help them catch fish.

But Jesus calls these humble men to be his apostles, his messengers.  He tells them: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."  He entrusts them with the mission of bringing men and woman to the knowledge of God, not knowledge of themselves.  These apostles preach Christ, they don't themselves.  That is why St. Paul admonishes the Corinthians for putting their trust in apostles, rather than in Jesus Christ who sends them.

Christian Life

Like the Corinthians there is a great need for us today, to hear this same message, since we too often fall into the temptation of latching upon the messenger rather than the message, rather than on the one who sent the messenger.  It is bad enough we do this in politics where we take leave of truth and principles, in favour of worshipping this politician or that other politician who happens to belong to our political tribe.  It is much worse when this hero worship is directed towards God’s ministers rather than to God.

Unlike politicians who might have a particular platform or manifesto, God’s ministers have the manifesto written down for them already by God.

·        When Cephas, Apollos and Paul taught the Corinthians, they were all singing from the same song sheet, the gospel of Jesus Christ!

·        When Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis became popes, the syllabus that they were to teach had already been prepared for them, by the Lord Jesus Christ!

·        When Father Hoang and Father Minh, Father Deo and Deacon Glen preach a homily, they are working off texts already chosen for them in the Scriptures and the Tradition.

For sure, we can on the side have our favourite priest, bishop or pope because of the differences in their personalities or idiosyncrasies.  One will be shy, another gregarious; one might sing an angel and another can't carry a tune in a bucket to save his life; one might be an academic and another a pastor.  Any one of these qualities might draw us to a particular minister of God.

But we must look beyond these external qualities or the lack of them, and focus on the saving message of Jesus Christ that they bear.  You see Jesus could use for his ministry, both the learned and eloquent Paul the Pharisee, as well as the lowly and awkward Peter the fisherman.  Perhaps Paul's great learning came in handy with all the writing that he did.  But Peter's passion and patience were just as important for the mission of Christ.  Jesus continues to do the same, using the various gifts and personalities of his ministers today, to bring people to God. 

Besides their personal gifts and talents, different ministers might also do things a little differently, because they are responding to different situations.

·        When Pope John Paul II became pope in 1978, the world was at the height of the cold war, with nuclear amargeddon on the horizon.  And so for his teaching, he focussed on providing hope in Jesus Christ, with his signature phrase: "Do not be afraid."

·        Pope Benedict succeeded him and carried on his work, but with a slight shift in focus.  The world had become so relativistic, that nothing was true and objective anymore.  And so using his gifts as a scholar and theologian, he taught us that our faith in Jesus Christ and his gospel, should guide everything we do; for the truth shall set us free.

·        By the time Pope Francis came to the scene, with hope and faith firmly established, he turned his focus to the virtue of love.  With his experience as a pastor, he brought his earthiness, simplicity and wisdom to remind us of the gospel call to love our neighbour, especially the lowliest and those on the peripheries, to use one of his favourite phrases.

Conclusion

As a country, unfortunately we are already divided when it comes to politics and a few other things.  Why should we introduce even more division into the body of Christ, because we are looking in our ministers for heroes to worship rather than channels of the gospel?  Why should we ignore the work of the Holy Spirit, because it does not come to us via our preferred channel?

Only a bad gardener would disparage roses because they don't look like daisies, or sneer at daisies because they don't smell like lilies.   A good gardener would appreciate all the flowers in his garden.  Let us receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, however it comes to us.  Let us recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in whoever brings the gospel to us.

Homily 2nd Ordinary Sunday A: Offering up our daily hardships with the Lamb

Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2017

Isaiah 49:3,5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

Introduction

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." What comes into your mind when you hear the word "Lamb"?  Perhaps you think of the lamb shank that you had the last time you went out to your favourite restaurant.  Why is John the Baptist introducing Jesus by calling him a lamb?

Scripture and Theology

John uses those words deliberately, because he knows that his Jewish listeners would understand him perfectly.  When they hear him call Jesus the Lamb of God, they would be reminded of two other lambs from their religious history.

The first one was the Passover Lamb, killed on the last night in Egypt.  If you recall from the book of Exodus, Pharaoh had refused to heed the request of Moses, to "let my people go."  And so God struck him with several plagues: blood, frogs and lice; flies, dead livestock and boils; hail, locusts and darkness; but Pharaoh still refused.  God had one final trick up his sleeve; the final plague was the death of the first born child and animal in Egypt.

But how would the angel of death tell the Jewish homes from the Egyptian?  God had the people of Israel smear their doorposts with the blood of a lamb; when he saw that blood, the angel of death would pass over their houses and spare their children and animals. The lamb from which this blood came was the one that the Israelites had eaten at their Last Supper on the night before they left Egypt.  That is why our of the lamb shank is perhaps not totally out of place.  The difference, however, is while we eat our lamb in joy and celebration, the Israelites ate it in haste and fear.  And so for them, the Lamb became sign of their liberation from slavery and oppression.  That’s why John says of Jesus: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world."

The second lamb that John’s listeners would think about on hearing these words, was the lamb offered for sacrifice in the temple every day.  The people of Israel worshipped God primarily by offering animal sacrifices, much like we worship God primarily by celebrating the Eucharist.  You might recall that the book of Exodus commands that two one-year lambs were to be sacrificed on the Temple altar daily, as atonement for sin, one in the morning and another in the evening.

Now we modern people might think of this practice as cruel and senseless, that is of course if ignore our own consumption of steak, veal and the lamb shank.  For a people who lived from hand to mouth as the Jewish people did, every lamb sacrificed was one less sheep to provide food, wool, milk and skins.  The sacrifice of a lamb, was their way of giving God their most treasured possession and doing this every day.  This lamb was the symbol of their love for God.  In the same Jesus the Lamb would, on the cross, offer his love for the Father and for his brothers and sisters, in atonement for sin.

And so, whether John’s reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God evoked the image of the Passover lamb or the image of the daily sacrificial lamb, the people got the message.  John was telling them that this man Jesus whom they saw, had come to do once for all, what our sacrificial lambs have tried to do over and over again without much success.

Christian Life

Now although we know Jesus by many different titles, such as Messiah, Teacher, King, knowing him by the title of "Lamb of God" brings something special to the table, something without which his identity would not be complete.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, who offered himself completely for our sake.  He is a much superior sacrifice than the sacrifice of lambs offered by the people.  They had failed to satisfy God, because the spirit in which they were offered lack complete love.  That is why God cried out, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  But now Jesus Christ in his sacrifice on the cross offers him both: mercy and sacrifice, love and sacrifice.  That is why Jesus the Lamb says that there is no greater love, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  And that is exactly what he does, because he is the Lamb of God.

We could even say that all the other titles of Jesus draw their meaning from the fact that Jesus is the Lamb of God.

·        The sweet and gentle baby Jesus we celebrated at Christmas will lay down his life for his friends.

·        Jesus the Prophet and Teacher is one who gives up his life for his disciples, his students, his followers.

·        Jesus the Prince of Peace and King of the World draws his power from laying down his life for his people.

In fact at Mass, just before communion, three times we sing: “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World.”  And then the priest holds up the Host and says: “Behold the Lamb of God, Behold him who takes away the sins of the world, Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.”  The reason we say these words is so that, even when we are having the banquet of the Lord, a sign of joy and communion, we have to be reminded, that this all came about, because of the blood of the Lamb.

Being Christian is certainly a cause of joy.  It is the joy of knowing God and knowing his love for us.  Being a Christian should lead us to shout out in praise of God's goodness and love for us.  Being a Christian should lead us to share the Good News of our salvation with others.  But this is a joy that has come about because of the sacrifice of the Lamb.  It is like the joy of a football player, who is successful only because he invests time and effort in a healthy diet and training.  Similarly our Christian joy has come about because of sweat and blood, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Knowing its painful source will perhaps help us to appreciate our Christian joy even more.  Knowing that our Christian joy comes from the Blood of the Lamb will make our Christian lives more than a feel-good experience.  Knowing that our Christian faith was earned on the Cross, will help us live our own lives with the same spirit of sacrifice. 

·        We see this sacrifice in the secular world, when young men and women in uniform give their lives in war for our nation, when police officers give their lives as they protect our communities.

·        We see this sacrifice in families, with fathers and mothers giving their lives for their children, with adult children returning the favour by caring for their elderly parents, and with husbands and wives giving themselves to each other in sickness and health,.

·        We see this sacrifice in the generosity of many Christians, who give money, food, material goods, time for others, especially the needy, all in imitation of the Lamb, who gave himself so that others would have life.

Surely if the Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God, so must we be.  If his whole life was sacrificial, so must ours be.

Conclusion

There is a Catholic devotion of offering up our minor daily hardships and sacrifices to the Lord, adding them to the great sacrifice of the Lamb, for our benefit, but also for the benefit of others.

The Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God has offered up everything for us.  What can we offer in return?