Homily
Sunday, August 31, 2008, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A
Assumption Grotto Parish, Detroit
What Really Matters: Transformation of Life
On this last day of August, we continue our reflections upon St. Paul during this Holy Year Dedicated to him, taking as our point of reference this morning the verses from Romans, which we just read (Rom 12:1-2). We have only one more week with Romans before we move on to a new Epistle in the Sunday liturgy.
These verses begin chapter twelve of Romans, and chapter twelve begins the “practical” part of the epistle, as opposed to the “dogmatic” part, which extends through the first eleven chapters. The first chapters focus more on what we are to believe, and the next four chapters more on what we are to do and practice. More specifically, he exhorts the Romans – and us, of course! – to live completely faithful to God, to be humble and charitable, to be obedient, and to think about the role both charity and vigilance have on our salvation. He encourages us to not condemn one another, and to deny ourselves in the service of one another.
Today’s verses tell us first what to do, then what to avoid, and then what is the purpose of the recommended conduct.
What are we to do? St. Paul says, “By the mercies of God, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Then we are to be made holy in body and in soul. Our bodies are to be sacrifices, and our minds are to be renewed.
Notice how he says that this offering of our bodies is a “spiritual worship.” Yes, we worship God by the holiness of the flesh; yet we also worship him by pursuing what is good and true with our minds, and still more, we worship him by our communion with the Eucharist.
This changes the ancient Stoic code of morality, which was the only significant moral code known to the Romans. We don’t simply live virtue to be spiritually happy; the virtues of the flesh redound to the adoration of God. Every effort to live chastely, to put aside the bad images on the internet, to have higher standards of music and entertainment, to be moderate in our food and avoid excesses of drink all become a worship of God for the baptized. The expression Paul writes, “spiritual worship,” can also be translated, “reasonable worship” (logike). When we live holy lives in the flesh, then indeed, we may truly say, we are living the most reasonable and rational of human existances.
Indeed, whenever you extend the corporal works of mercy, and share your possessions with the needy, and visit the sick who are in their homes or in hospitals, these too become an act of worship in the flesh. But it is hard for us to live so, because concupiscence bends us towards laziness and comfort of the flesh. We cannot live perfectly in the flesh, by our own power, we are too weak. This is why St. Paul says, “By the mercies of God.”
The spiritual worship in the body is possible by God’s mercy, but he says that the transformation of soul is done by the renewal of the mind. This means that our minds have to be continually moved to be in conformity with Christ, and not with this world. For this world adheres to relativism and materialism, pride and lust, anger and greed and power. The world even wants to corrupt the Church, turn the baptized to money and pleasures, and corrupt the sacred liturgy with man-centered self-affirmation and fun. We need to stop thinking like the world, and start thinking like Christ. That is, redemption both of ourselves and of others comes only with the sacrifice of our own selves.
When we are able to sacrifice our own selves, and mortify our flesh, and change the way we think about things to think more like Catholics, then we will truly love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. And this degree of divine love is in fact identical to God’s most holy and eternal Will. St. Paul encourages us to undergo the transformation of our lives, body and soul, to holiness of life, therefore, “so that we may discern what is the will of God.”
My dear brothers and sisters, turn away from the false promises of the world. The world has nothing to offer you. You all search for happiness, for success, you all long to love and to be loved, to enjoy peace, and be in union with God and others. This is so, because such longings pertain to the nature of man; so all who are human feel these longings. So do you think the world is going to lure you with dread, pain, humiliation or failure? No, on the contrary. Friends on the street will tell you that you have no reason to fear narcotics and alcohol. TV, the internet, popular music and movies will tell you how happy the pleasures of the flesh will make you feel. The world will tell you that you will be accepted, if you just become like one of us. The Freemasons will tell you that you will be powerful and successful, all you have to do is join.
Liars, once and all. And if you do not believe me, believe St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles. If you cannot believe him, then believe the One who Rose from the Dead, our Lord, the Christ, God and Man forevermore. Worship him with the purity of your bodies, with the love you have for your neighbor, with your meditations on the scriptures and with your long times in silent prayer. Once you have the Lord, you need nothing else; everything else is important only as a means to this end.
Let us then call upon the intercession of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin, so that we can all become holy. It does not matter whether you become rich, but it does matter whether you become holy. It does not matter whether you are popular and have lots of friends, no, not one bit; but it does matter that you become holy. It does not matter whether you are healthy, or famous, or accepted, or powerful, or connected. The Mother of God, if you let her, will take your hand, and lead you to her Son, and that indeed is all that matters. Amen.