St. Dominic Catholic Church

Homilies

October 14, 2018

This week Pope Francis tweeted a question, “What is worse: the recognizable demon that pushes you to sin so that you feel ashamed, or the well-mannered demon that lives within you and possesses you with the spirit of worldliness?” We live in a fallen and dangerous world. The recognizable demon convinces us to participate in evil, telling us it’s our only choice. When we realize how weak we are, how easily fooled, we are ashamed.   The well-mannered demon is worse because we don’t recognize him. The young man in the Gospel was possessed by that demon. Like most of us he didn’t kill, commit adultery, steal, defraud, or bear false witness in court. He honored his parents. These are fairly low standards. Many people of nofaith might meet them, and even argue they can be “good” without faith.

As faithful to the law as he was, the young man knew he had reached a spiritual plateau wanted more. But he couldn’t take the next step because he had too much to lose. When I hear this Gospel, I recognize myself in the young man. I know I should be closer to Jesus. I know He is calling me, but what will I lose if I do everything He asks? I’m well thought of and I want to keep the respect of others. I don’t want parishioners to be angry with me. I want my community life to be peaceful. But at the same time, I am ashamed of the compromises I make.

The well-mannered demon’s seduction is successful with the Church, too, because of people like me. Church leaders have embraced power and wealth rather than trust God. So our Church is full of beautiful places of worship, bishops’ palaces, and priceless works of art. Institutionally, we seldom say, “I preferred wisdom to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her.” But as the sexual abuse scandals reveal, where the well-mannered demon of worldliness is accepted, the demon who pushes us to shameful sins is, too.

If we focus on what we may lose by following Jesus, we forget what we might gain. He says, “all things are possible for God.” He says, “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:25)  Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was canonized in Rome today, lost his life when mothers stood in line to tell him about their children murdered by Salvadoran security forces. The Word of God, living and effective, pierced his soul, converted him, and demanded he speak out against injustice. Other bishops in El Salvador, content with worldly privilege, aligned themselves with the powerful military and economic elites.  They called him a leftist; someone who politicized the Gospel. Monsignor Romero chose God’s wisdom; preferring her to power, wealth, honor – and safety. He entrusted himself to God’s wisdom, more priceless than any gem, and discovered his call: to be united to Jesus crucified in the poor of his archdiocese. The cross reveals both the destructive power of sin and the wisdom of God which absorbs that power and uses it for our redemption. Romero’s call was to reveal the oppression his people experienced, to bear it with them, and to give them hope.

Jesus is not interested in taking anything from us or to make us suffer.   He who offered his life for us calls us only to what is for our own good. What else could he want for us since he loves us so much? When we follow Jesus, whatever suffering we experience comes from those cooperating with the demons who oppose God. For we live in the midst of a spiritual battle, manifested in injustice, abuse, and violence against the weakest in our midst. Demons tempt us to participate in these evils – to our shame - or to ignore them in our comfort and physical safety. Those are our only alternatives unless we follow Jesus daily, and discover the nobility and greatness to which He calls us. Trust him. How often does he tell us, “Do not be afraid”? Listen to the nudging inside and know that it comes from someone who loved us to death, and with whom all things are possible.

Even our conversion.

Even our salvation.