Fr. Carroll’s Homily for the 27th
Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 3, 2004
A boy asked his mother if it is true
that God created us from dust? YES
– the bible tells us so.
he continued, is it also true that when we die, we return to dust? YES
– the bible tells us so.
Well he said puzzled, when I was kneeling down at my bed last night praying
I noticed that there is someone either coming or going.
I tell this story to highlight a simple reality:
yes were are dust and dust we shall return, but we are not dirt!
we are more! We are coming and going.
I was reminded at a retreat Saturday morning
in the telling and praying through St. John’s account of the washing of the Feet
that Jesus entered into that Thursday night – that Passover
“knowing that he had come from God and was going to God.”
In that awareness he gave us His life – so that we might have life. Life in abundance.
In communion with our Creator
It is about so much more than the physical.
It is even so much more than the abilities and talents that each of us has to celebrate.
It is about a gift of life that has one face and one expression.
It helps me to understand the theme chosen for this year’s Respect Life Sunday:
Made in His Image.
–
I am, You are, We are.
It is more than physical form.
It is more than unique talents, expressions, positions, human sense of worth –
It is about what Jesus did not surrender that Holy Thursday
that Jesus did not give up: His belonging to God and the gift that that is.
He recognized it as the gift/an awareness that he could invite His disciples and us into
–
we call it salvation, we should understood it as a restoration of communion with God.
As those who are aware that we come from God and enjoy life in this world going to God.
We, each and everyone one of us is Made in His image.
and it must begin there
believing that I am an image of God, not necessarily a physical image, or an expression
but a proud work of my Creator.
If we start with believing it about ourselves,
then we can be led into believing it to be the same about others.
When we talk about respect life in the Church,
our minds quickly go to positions on Abortion – the killing of the pre-born.
it is the big issue, but a horrifying reality of a more fundamental truth –
the lack in our society to reverence all God’s creations as from God and going to God.
Like Jesus, we are called to welcome one who belongs to us
and who equally must share in the communion – the belonging of that life here.
Our scriptures for this 27th Sunday offer us the challenge that fundamental truths do
Habakkuk tells us that we might be overwhelmed by despair
but not to abandon the vision – “write down the vision clearly on tablets”
– hold it up before you.
“the vision still has its time, presses onto fulfillment and will not disappoint.”
Because of faith we shall live.
Luke’s gospel reminds us of the importance of that faith. It can be a strength.
A strength that makes what might appear to be impossible – very possible.
We, like many generations before us,
live in a culture that competes with our God planted values.
Sometimes it feels like we are planted mustard seeds when everybody around is planting
acorns, but remember the parable of the mustard seed.
Abortion is not a horror of our present generation
the killing of innocents can be found in scripture and long before that
science, however,
has advanced us into terminologies that have helped us reconcile it.
Capital punishment is not a horror of our present generation
but we have sanitized it.
The growing dehumanizing care of the sick and elderly is not a problem of our present age
but be have made it an issue of economy.
The control of human birth either to lessen possibilities or to create it outside of its natural
environment is not new to the human experience, we have just marketed it in a package.
It is difficult to get a grasp on the wearing away of our once guaranteed values.
Let me put it this way. “I could take better care of myself. I should exercise more. I should know
better. But I have my excuses. Sometimes I even go so far as to blame it on you – the People of
God. But it is not your fault – it’s mine.
This present generation does have a greater challenge as each generation has before us.
The smarter we get – the more we work our way around fundamental truths.
and the less we understand the purpose of God’s law.
and ultimately, none of it gets explained away – it comes back – it haunts.
For we fail – don’t we all. The Church knows that. God certainly knows that,
but like any parent, he doesn’t change the rules to make us feel better.
He loves the sinner who owns the failure and turns to Him for help.
and he helps us to try again – calling us forward and up. To hold up the vision once again.
God’s law – natural law – the laws of the Church
speak to us of the ideal – God’s hope for us. What God continually hopes for us.
It is starkly different than the law of any land.
The laws of this country were fashioned to protect and defend.
Yes, we must do what we can to influence the laws of our land so that we can protect and
defend human life.
That is a different battle than the first – to proclaim God’s law – a law that speaks to what is,
not what can or should be. – It is an ideal.
None of us would disagree with the law that life is a sacred gift from God.
It is the ideal. It is were the Church’s law begins and should.
The Church’s role is not get with the times, but to keep before us – sacred truths.
It is where our discernment should begin when faced with life’s questions.
Difficult questions, and they should be.
Listen to yourself when you make statements like: I agree with the Church, but…
It means that you have a conscience, you believe in the ideal. Don’t dismiss it too readily.
For us as American Catholics,
we must remember that the vision of our faith is not at the service of civil law.
Separation of church and state does not mean that we should live in two worlds,
but that we should struggle to live in a balanced world
where we have – thank God – the freedom to do so.
We must be reminded that even the first articulators of law in our country,
were men of faith
and that fundamental truths shine through
–
there were assumptions made about generations to come.
–
there were assumptions about us.
The better we take up, teach and act on truth,
the better our culture, our community, our family is.
JPII – 1987 -
the Gospel of Life:
“Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God
and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.”
we are dust and to dust we shall return, but it is more
– we are coming and going.
Knowing that He had come from God and was going to God, …he got up from the table,…and
began to wash his disciples feet – For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I
have done for you.” Thus begins the Passover, thus begins the Paschal Mystery, thus begins
our salvation. He gave life, so that we could have life and from neither was it really taken away
for it belonged to God.
For if today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You are Made in His image and so am I – the truth begins at home.
