|
|
|
The Measure of Divine Love
Homily Sacred Heart Parish, Yale
Many times in life, we are challenged to sacrifice our principles. Jesus, who is God, has a teaching on this matter. He teaches that nothing can come before love of God and neighbor. Jesus teaches by the narration of the story popularly known as “the good Samaritan.” After a man falls victim to robbers, both a Jewish Priest and a Levite pass him by. It is significant that Jesus is speaking to a lawyer, and then in his examples refers to a Priest and a Levite. These were men who stood out in their communities for their extreme exactness in observance of the Jewish law. And who could blame them? For Moses (cf. Dt 30), as we read today, taught that by the observance of the law, the Israelite would be prosperous. This is radically different from Catholicism, which teaches that faith in Jesus Christ, a faith made real by works, and accompanied with repentance for one’s sins, brings not prosperity but salvation. Faith for salvation, not law for prosperity. But now that Jesus had come, he completely fulfilled the law, and gave us a new covenant, requiring our faith and repentance. The Jewish priests and the Levites of Jesus’ time were radically superficial in their religious observance: do this, do that, let it all be on the outside, and let nothing penetrate. Their hearts were like rocks (cf. Ez 26:36), which water passed over, but never saturated. They did the law on the outside, but it’s content, it’s substance did not sink in. And how many Catholics are there like that, too? Their faith is all on the outside, and they haven’t really assimilated the mind and heart of the Lord, for they fail to love. For the law of Moses pointed always and only to Jesus; and it was as a mighty eagle with two wings, one wing is the love of God, and the other is the love of neighbor, and we need both wings to get to heaven. Indeed, the love of God comes first, and the love of neighbor second, yet both are required and in that order. Today many people do things or propose social movements that on the surface seem to be full of philanthropy and goodness to mankind in general or to one segment of the species. And it is not rare for us to find in newspapers, novels, movies and music authors who are eager to pit their agenda, their philanthropy, against “the Church.” Have you ever noticed that “the Church” is always the bad guy? Yet all these authors only show they have no faith, that the Church is not the hierarchy, nor is it the sum total of all the baptized. It is first and foremost the body of Jesus Christ,[1] as St. Paul teaches us. The Church is not the Jewish Priest or the Levite in Christ’s story. The Church is the Samaritan, and we are those victims who have fallen to temptation and have ruined our own souls by sin. St. Augustine, following other Church Fathers, identifies the good Samaritan with Jesus.[2] In a word, we live the Catholic faith by imitating and manifesting God’s love in the world. God loved us by calling us to conversion. God loved us by dying on the cross for us in excruciating agony. God loved us by making us holy. And this understanding of love, not the love of worldly philanthropy, but the love of truth and salvation, is they key to know how to respond when our principles are challenged. If you have, for example, someone in your family who is living in sin with someone who is not their spouse, you fail to love both God and them if you approve of and support that situation. You truly love them if you try to save them, by your words, example, prayers and sacrifices. Or again, if you participate in conversations full of expletives, blasphemous use of God’s name, and impure topics of discussion, you fail to love God and your neighbor by participating in such conversations. You truly love by your edifying conversation, your wisdom of speech, and by charitable and prudent correction of one another. Or again, if you join in on a conversation about another person, a conversation full of dirty talk, slander or detraction, insult and belittling, you fail to love God and neighbor. You love when you help those around you become more holy and attain eternal life: that is the measure of love. If this is the only thought you remember from today’s homily it is enough: that I can only truly love others when I lead them to God. May God’s Holy Spirit fill us all with the wisdom and fortitude, the counsel and fear of the Lord necessary to attain divine love even in this life. Amen. |