FAITH AND LAW
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 28 Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Faith and Law.”
The title of my homily for this 28 Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Faith and Law.”
ROMANS
As we know we’re
going through the Book of Romans in
these weekday Masses as our First Reading. As we know questions of the Law are
central to St. Paul .
It’s going to culminate especially in Chapter 7 - but the reality of “the Law”
pops up over and over again in Romans and much of Paul - as well as in the
gospels - with Jesus and his struggles with the Pharisees.
Today’s First
Reading begins: “Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the
promise was made to Abraham and his descendents that he would inherit the
world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith.”
When Paul was Saul
he was furious with Christians because they were not keeping the Law. His goal
was to arrest and eradicate them. Paul could be righteous to the zenith - because
he thought he was right. Aren’t we all? Then he fell on his face and discovered
Jesus in his blindness.
TITLE OF MY HOMILY
The title of my
homily is, “Faith and Law.”
I was going to entitle it, “Faith or Law.”
I used “and” instead
if “or: because I would assume that we begin with the law and then move to
stronger motives: like that of faith and hope and charity.
I would assume that
we teach kids rules - without giving
reasons - before they reach the age of reason.
We use the word “no”
- to kids - as to not touching knives or hot things - or going too near the
street - where cars can come flying by.
I assume we need
laws - traffic laws - clean air and food laws - and rules and regulations to
make life work smoothly.
But then I assume
that somewhere along the line - when it comes to religion and God - we move
from Law to Faith.
Recently someone
said to me that they never liked the phrase, “Holy Day of Obligation” - but
wished it was “Holy Day of Celebration.”
With so many people
dropping out of Sunday Mass - I’ve heard statistics like 32 to 38% now go to
Sunday Mass. Are there any statistics of people coming back - not because of
the Sunday Mass obligation - but rather the Sunday Mass Celebration?
Question: Do I do
what I do out of law or duty - or out of love and joy?
Haven’t we winced at
the comment: “Of course I love you. I’m married to you.” Wouldn’t we celebrate
each time a spouse said: “I love you!”
I became a
Redemptorist to become a missionary in Brazil - but never got that
assignment. I’ve heard of a Redemptorist
who spent his whole life being bitter - because he wanted to become a professor
in the seminary - and instead he was sent to Brazil - and complained his way out
of there - till he got reassigned to the States.
So the question: “Life:
what is my central motivation? Duty, Law, Have to, or Love, Celebration, Want
to?”
I’ve read about
baseball players who were doing well - then get traded - and they do horrible -
on their next team - then they get traded again - to a new team and they
flourish. A reporter digs into the player’s life and we find out, he was angry
and depressed - because he just couldn’t play for that second team - in the
second city - not even out of duty or contract.
ISAAC JOGUES - AND THE NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Isaac
Jogues and the North American Martyrs - who came to North America - and served
the Native Americans with great passion and dedication.
We all remember
hearing as kids how St. Isaac Jogues was tortured, freed by the Dutch, went
back to France
and then couldn’t wait to come back and continue his ministry or preaching
about the love of Christ to the people here. He wasn’t here out of Law and Duty
- but out of love.
So too all of us
here at a Daily Mass of Celebration - not obligation. Amen.
