Our Desired Fulfilled, Taking up our Cross...

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

In the Word of God we encounter a clear recognition of the deep roots of desire in the human person… every man, woman, and child finds in their heart a desire unquenchable here in this mortal world. We hear it spoken of very beautifully in our psalm, “O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.” This desire in our hearts resonates with the eternal desire of God that we be fulfilled and united with Him. Nevertheless, on the surface, the path that leads us to peace and joy is deeply counterintuitive. It often seems that we must play along to get along, going with the flow of popular culture and world events. If we respond to the constant prompting of the media, we acquire, buy and achieve, if we can, thus hoping to get what we need, that which we desire.

Throughout history, down through the long ages, the world has always been full of restless striving people… men and women of skill and force who have sought and acquired the good things of this world. Ironically, though, among these who have apparently succeeded in conquering and achieving, we find the deepest restlessness, often taking those who have most to the very brink of despair, and not infrequently to self-destruction.

What does God offer us? It is He who created us with this restless longing and need, this never-quite-satisfied hunger… He didn’t do this capriciously or cruelly, but rather He put in our hearts a desire that points beyond us, beyond this limited finite world, a desire that points to God, He who is infinite goodness, truth, and beauty. Because God has created us for Himself, the things of this world, however good, never satisfy us!

In our first reading we hear a prophecy of Zechariah… first he tells us that God will pour out an abundant spirit of grace and petition, then surprisingly in the next breath we hear that God’s people will look upon “him whom they have pierced,” mourning and grieving him. With a certain degree of whiplash, we are back to abundance, and Zechariah tells us of a fountain which will be opened, a fountain to purify “from sin and uncleanness.”

This certainly resonates with Jesus’ strange message, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” We follow Jesus because He is the Christ of God, that is to say, the Anointed One, the Messiah, the one who was foretold… this is what Peter professes. Jesus has unlocked the fountain of grace, the fountain of Baptism in faith. We are no longer under the old law of circumcision and ritual purity. We are marked as the sons and daughters of God by baptism, not by any mark in our flesh… not by washing our hands a particular way, or avoiding the flesh of the pig. Our souls are marked out for Christ by baptism, by the gift of faith, and we are drawn into His dying and rising.

How, then, does Jesus desire to unlock the fountain of grace that flows from His wounded side? That fountain is open to us when we pick up our crosses to follow him. This happens in mundane and daily decisions: Children, have you asked forgiveness of your parents for disobedience or ingratitude? Parents, have you placed your marriage and your children first in your life? Nothing else will bring you peace! Spouses – are you investing in your husband or wife? Have you sought their forgiveness or offered it to them? Neighbors – have you extended the olive branch to those people next door? Every time we follow Christ, we open the door, we unlock the fountain of grace. It is not easy to follow Christ, it necessarily involves dying to ourselves and placing our lives in God’s hands… and yet this is the path that leads to the Fulfillment of All Desire!

This struggle takes place first and foremost in daily life, but also on a larger scale. On Friday we began the Fortnight of Freedom, leading up to the Fourth of July, and today (Saturday) we celebrated the Memorial of St. John Fisher, bishop and martyr, and St. Thomas More, martyr. They refused to sign off on Henry VIII’s capricious divorce with his Queen, and they refused to acknowledge the king as the head of the Church. After trying to threaten, bribe, and torture them into submission, they were both shamefully slaughtered for their faith.

Right now, our federal government has decreed that any Catholic hospital, school, or nursing home MUST pay for abortion-causing drugs, sterilization, and contraception, or face fines of thousands of dollars per employee. This goes into force this August 1st. Throughout our country it is true that there are many Catholics who do not follow or fully understand the Church’s teaching in these areas, but even if is true, I challenge you to ask yourself if it is right for the government to force us to pay for these things. Also in the weeks ahead, the Supreme Court is going to rule on several marriage cases that could possibly result in a national redefinition of marriage. Should the federal or state government be allowed to treat me as an agent of discrimination, with all the civil and criminal penalties, if, following Christ’s and the Church’s teaching, I refuse to celebrate a wedding for two men or two women? They are already trying to put this in force in England, the very same country that 500 years ago put St. John and St. Thomas to death.

It is true that unlike St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, we do not face physical torture or death. Our nation was founded on the principal of religious liberty, but suddenly it seems that abortion and sexual preference are far more important. Many of our ancestors came to this country seeking religious freedom.  For well over a century, our Catholic institutions have served anyone who was in need, regardless of their beliefs… now we are begin told that this means our Catholic hospitals, schools, and nursing homes are not considered religious, and so will receive no protection from the force of these unjust laws.

As Americans and Catholics we now face the difficult decision of how to face this attack on our faith, and this attack on our religious freedom. It seems that it is not going to get any easier to live our lives faithful to Christ and the Church, but that was never what Jesus promises. This must be rooted FIRST in how we live each day, but it also must impact our decisions and actions on a larger scale.  Rather, He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” We ask God to give us the wisdom and courage to follow Him, whatever the cost, especially in the face of these new attacks on our Catholic faith.

+ A. M. D. G. +