Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
When it comes to making moral decisions, Jesus gives us a pretty simple standard to go by. It doesn’t matter whether the decision we have to make is a personal choice, like how to treat your parents or your children; or a social choice, like how to address issues of poverty and homelessness. When we are confronted with a moral choice, simply remember the two great commandments: love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself. It’s that simple. Make decisions out of love.
With a national election now only days away, this simple standard is a good reminder. As a Church, we do not tell anyone how to vote; we do not endorse individual candidates or platforms. But, as a Church, we do have the responsibility to remind ourselves who we are called to be as Christians. St. Paul reminds us that we are to be “imitators … of the Lord.” Just as he loved us, so we are to love in return. When it comes to making decisions, the standard of love must go before us. When it comes to making decisions, we have to think first about how we would want to be loved, and then love others in the same way. If we are thankful for the gift of life that has been given to us, then out of love we are called to do everything we can to ensure that the same gift of life is given to others, especially those who cannot speak for themselves. If we are thankful for the quality of our lives, the food and shelter and material goods that we have been blessed with, then, out of love for others, we are called to make decisions that ensure a just distribution of the world’s resources for all people. If we are thankful for the peace and security that we find in our country, then, out of love, we are called to help spread that peace throughout the world as best we can. This standard of love doesn’t tell us who to vote for, but it does help us form our consciences as we make any crucial decision.
In their document, Faithful Citizenship, the bishops of the United States call for a renewed public sphere that is “focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls; Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong; Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests” (Faithful Citizenship 62). At the heart of all of these transformations is love. Love must guide everything we do; it is the most important virtue to take with us not only into the election booth, but everywhere we go. Love is not a partisan choice but a gospel truth.
1 comment:
Father Eric - I am glad you addressed faithful citizenship in your homily last weekend. I hope you are going to follow it up this weekend with more specific references to the Church's teachings on forming a moral conscience, especially on the fact that not all issues have equal moral weight. It is important for all our parishioners to understand that direct attacks on innocent human life is an intrinsic evil that must always be opposed. Since 80-90% of all women who receive a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome chose abortion, along with the thousands of other lives that are destroyed daily by abortion, we as Catholics must stand up for the fundamental right to life for all, but especially for those who cannot speak for themselves and work to reverse this culture of death in our society. This is fundamental to all issues of peace, justice, life and liberty. Only when basic human life is respected can we work toward solutions for other issues of peace and justice.
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