Ordinary 28

The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2020 – Cycle A – Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

In 1976 the bishops of our country issued a modest statement. It was a call to all Catholics…“to become informed on the relevant issues, to become involved in the party or campaign of their choice, to vote freely according to their conscience.…

They continued…Wespecifically do not seek the formation of a religious voting bloc; nor do we wish to instruct persons on how they should vote by endorsing candidates. We urge citizens to avoid choosing candidates simply on the personal basis of self-interest. Rather, we hope that voters will examine the positions of candidates on the full range of issues as well as the person’s integrity, philosophy and performance.”

This direct statement stands today as a continued invitation for Catholic Christians to form their consciences according to Christian values and to use prudence and good judgement in reflecting upon the moral issues of the day as we all take an active part in the political process. For Catholics, being involved politically is difficult work. We are urged by the bishops to examine the broad gamut of issues. And though some issues have a special claim on our conscience, the bishops go so far as to say that Catholics should not be single-issue voters.

Today in our polarized society, we are faced with many issues that include, racial justice, abortion, the care of the mentally ill, immigration and refugees, healthcare, fair and just employment, the environment and climate change undermined by the loss of truth and trust.

Since no political party or candidate completely aligns with Gospel values and the teachings and principles of the Catholic Christian Faith, we need to do the hard work of informing ourselves on the issues, give them prayerful reflection and strive to balance moral issues. In a world of imperfect choices, our Church calls us to do the best we can.

This process includes asking ourselves, what insight does the extensive, nuanced teaching tradition of the Catholic Church offer on an issue? What are the Gospel values that are the foundation of those teachings? Do the prophets or Jesus specifically address a particular issue in words or actions? What are the positions as well as the character and integrity of each candidate?

Having sought to form our consciences, we then nee to seek the guidance of God the Holy Spirit in prayer as we make our decisions.

As part of that conscience forming process, there are four values or principles that serve to assist us, what is called Catholic Social Teaching. They are the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.

These principles are rooted in the ancient Hebrew prophets, particularly Amos, Isaiah and Hosea; the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; the preaching of the Church Fathers, theologian-bishops of the first centuries such as John Chysostomos, Basil the Great, Augustine and Ambrose, who carved out the concrete responsibilities and implications of our Christian faith, as well as contemporary papal social teaching from Leo XIII through John XXIII, John Paul II and now, Francis.

Our scriptural, theological and moral tradition of reflection over two millennia is very rich and nuanced. It is an aspect of our Church we should be proud of, be aware of and seek out to form our consciences.

“The cornerstone of the church’s social teaching is the truth concerning the dignity of the human person. Every person is created in God’s image and likeness and is endowed with inviolable dignity from the moment of conception until natural death. Each person is God’s handiwork and is made for God’s friendship.” [William Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore] This belief in the dignity of the human being is grounded in the scriptures and our Christian belief that in Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal and incomprehensible God assumed our humanity. In the early Christian hymn found in the Letter to the Philippians, we sing:

“[Jesus,] who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with Godsomething to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself…”

By becoming a vulnerable human being, God’s Son united himself to each person in a unique way and calls us to conversion and eternal life. Thus Pope Francis writes, “Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm, and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection. [“Gaudete et Exsultate” No. 101.]

Consider then that the upcoming Feast of Christmas is therefore not solely about the Incarnation of God but about the value and quality of every human life, that is, the significance of the Incarnation of God. The Feast of Christmas confirms the goodness of creation at Genesis. And so I strongly encourage all of us to reflect on words of the Christmas story that we often bypass. What might their meaning have for contemporary issues. In Luke we hear:

“[Mary] wrapped [Jesus] in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn”. [Luke 2:7]

Who is offered “no room” today? What does this Gospel passage say to the issue of racism in our country? Who is not invited to a fair economic and educational table of opportunity? Why do people in this country live in poverty or are homeless? Why do people support low income housing but with the qualification, “not in my backyard”? How might we as a Catholic community assist women so that the choice for abortion will not be considered? For whom is there “no room” in our society?

In Matthew we hear:

When [the magi] had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” [Matthew 2:13]

What might this episode in the life of the Holy Family say to the issue of immigration and the refugee status of people on our borders? The Holy Family had to flee violence like so many families do today from throughout Central and South America. How might the Flight into Egypt underscore the condition and situation of many families in our country threatened not by Herod but by death dealing aspects of poverty, lack of healthcare, unemployment and food insecurity?

As Catholics, we cannot say we are fully “pro-life” if we routinely overlook the conditions in which far too many people live in our country. The church’s teaching on human dignity extends through the entire continuum of human life. Being true to that teaching requires us to act on our beliefs.

On our parish website you can read the teaching document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops entitled: “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,”  Another initiative, “Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate” asks “Catholics to pledge civility, clarity and compassion in their families, communities and parishes.

Participating in the political process has moral implications for our society and are a reflection of our moral attitudes.  Centuries of Catholic Christian thought offer us tools to make careful and often painstaking decisions according to Gospel values. Let us take advantage of those tools for we are moral beings.

Next week, let us continue reflecting on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

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PLEASE NOTE: Homilies presented here are also being videotaped and put up on the Saint Mary, Oneonta website: http://www.SMCCOneonta.org.