24nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 15, 2013
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
The other day while going for a walk, I saw a rather strange sight. A woman was riding her bicycle with her small dog. The dog looked perfectly happy sitting in the seat attached to the handlebars. I glanced at the woman, who appeared to think it all was perfectly normal.
Check out the new Mercedarian friars” video of Pope Francis” pro-life homily, given before he was Pope, below. The homily is heard against the exciting backdrop of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro recently.
(Read the recent homily about St. Raymond Nonnatus on the )
People do indeed have a great affinity for their pets today. And, from a Christian perspective, why not? We are told in Genesis that animals are created by God to bring joy to the crowning of creation, the human person. According to Genesis 1:27 we are created in the Image of God with a great dignity. We have the responsibility of caring for and respecting animals and all of God’s creation. Yet we are also not God. We lack the superior love, intelligence, and power of the Creator. So we are limited and need God’s assistance.
Making their god
In regards to our animals, we naturally want to be their caretakers. In most cases, it is best that they are well trained. Cesar Millan, the famous Dog Whisperer teaches that for dogs it is best for the owner to be the pack leader. The pack leader keeps the animal in its place through instruction and commands. It is interesting to note that most of the worst pets come from homes where they are not given structure.
In the first reading, Moses is ready to impart the Ten Commandments on the people. However, the Israelites have become impatient. They must have been saying: What is taking Moses so long? He must have been devoured by wild beasts. So, having lost faith and patience in the God of Moses, the people turn to make their own god out of a “golden calf.”
The golden calf seemed like a good choice for a deity. It was not going to challenge them to change or require much. And, most importantly, the people can now fulfill their innate desire to worship something greater than themselves. But, in doing this very foolish act, the Israelites almost miss a golden opportunity. They so angered God that he almost didn’t give them the Ten Commandments. It is these Commandments which would become the basis of religious observance for thousands of years!
Bunch of rules
People, especially today, can be turned off by these Commandments. They think of them as just a bunch of rules that “some” say we should follow. But, this is not the way we should look at this revelation from the True God. God created us with a specific nature. He created the whole world with certain laws that govern all of creation. The animal does what is in its nature (pack mentality with dogs). We, as human beings, are created in God’s Image to glorify God and His creation.
“You shall not….” stated by the Judeo-Christian God, means: It is not in accord with your nature to do these things. If we break one of these Commands, we are not progressing toward holiness or all that God created us to be. Breaking the commandments is just hurting ourselves and others by going against our nature as humans.
Accountant or shepherd?
Many people view the Christian God as an accountant who is up in Heaven watching for each of our missteps. However, in reality He is a shepherd who loves His sheep intensely! God wants the best for each of his people. What is best for us is to act in accord with our nature. The Natural Law is the ever-present law which is written in our hearts. From what IS in nature we can figure out what we ought and ought not to do.
The Natural Law can be discovered by anyone from nature. However, God helps us by revealing Himself to us in the Old Testament and especially in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who wants us to become truly human. We only become truly human if we become holy. This means responding to God’s grace and following the nature God has given us.