Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Listen to this homily on audio
In today’s first reading, the Lord chastises the Israelite people for saying that “the Lord’s ways are not fair”. In reality it is the people’s ways which are unjust. Why? Because God always gives second chances, while many times the people do not. The same could certainly be said of us today. In the West, we
think of ourselves as being a very tolerant and civilized people. We, as Americans, will boast that ours is a nation where diversity is embraced. In reality our Judeo-Christian moral standards of the past have fallen out of favor. Yet partly because of this many will claim that our people are freer to choose how they wish to live.
There is in the United States a philosophy of “live and let live” which today often impacts our laws and policies. A closer look at popular culture reveals that even the value of tolerance is lacking in our nation. A quick glimpse at the news or trending topics on Twitter, exposes a society which thrives off of scandal. Just think of all the scandals that become top news each of week? Every week there is a new person who has been caught doing something unsavory or downright horrible.
Outrageous news
People’s thirst for the most immediate and outrageous news is fed today by our ability to immediately access information. Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs give us the latest information at every moment. Other, only slightly more reliable, news can be gotten by any of the hundred 24-hour news outlets on TV, radio, and the internet. Each one of us scans the internet several times daily for the latest news, images, and “eyewitness reports”.
Our human desire to be the first to know of the biggest news is often satisfied and fed by the constant flow of the new media. Unfortunately, these are often stories which would have in the past would have been left to gossip magazines at the supermarket checkout line. Each time a politician, celebrity, sports figure, or even the common person is presumed to commit an egregious act it is brought to the immediate attention of the whole country. What often ensues afterwards is a “mob mentality” insisting on swift, decisive, and firm action. There is no time to examine all the facts or wait for a trial by one’s peers. The court of public opinion can be merciless in insisting on immediate punishment of the person and all involved.
Up from dirt and mud
Television has played off this thirst for scandals by creating shows whose sole focus is the darker side of human nature. Examples are programs with names such as “Dirt” and “Scandal”. Even their titles are meant to draw us into the mud making us want it more and more.
There is no doubt that Jesus and the Early Church recognized the reality of sin in community. Christ says in Matthew 18:7 about scandal that “such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” We cannot totally avoid scandal even within the Christian community. The human tendency and the reality of evil will always bring opportunities for disgrace. But, it is important to realize that there is no rejoicing by Christ in this sad reality.
Scandals and sorrow
When scandal hits within or outside the Church we must never find pleasure in it. Gossiping or excitement in the wrong done by another is itself evil. Instead scandal is always a moment of sorrow to call us to greater vigilance in our own lives. Each one of us shares in this tendency to sin, which could also cause disgrace to ourselves and others.
Being a Christian means we believe in giving second chances. Obviously our faith teaches us that each person must pay the consequences for their sins, but we never rejoice in this. We should be very careful to not comment until the individual has been judged in a court of law and all the facts are known. Even when the person is found guilty, the Christian seeks their rehabilitation instead of punishment for its own sake.
Never too far gone
In the eyes of Christ and His followers, there is no such thing as a purely evil person. No human being should be referred to as an animal or, worse, a devil. No one is too far gone for God’s Love. Every person is welcome to begin anew by tasting the fruits of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
God’s ways are truly fair. He is deeply sorrowful at scandal, but sincerely loves the sinner. The Hound of Heaven never tires of seeking the lost. We must attempt to imitate this profound love in response to scandal. For the old saying is true that, “Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”