Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sirach 15:15-20
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Matthew 5:17-37

In today's Gospel, Jesus proceeds to remind us of what can only be described in today's culture and society as the hard teachings or the hard sayings of our faith. Many of us can define what mortal sin is because we were taught it in school or in Catechism, but a great many people don't understand where the definitions actually come from. The reality is that much of the definition of what constitutes mortal sin for the Christian-for the practicing Catholic-comes from today's Gospel.

In the first reading from the book of Sirach, we are reminded that we can keep the Commandments. Even though we have all sinned, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that we have the capability to keep God's Commandments in our lives if we are open to the Graces that we need in order to do so. The Bible tells us that the commands of God are not grievous. (cf. 1 John 5:3) It is important to remember that God understands our human weaknesses, He understands that we sin, but that doesn't mean that He's okay with it.

Jesus tells those who are listening to Him, both in His own time, as well as us hearing him two thousand years later through the words of the text, that he did not come to abolish the law, he came to fulfill it. In the Gospel, he doesn't do away with the Commandments of God and tell us we no longer have to obey them, as even some preachers today falsely teach. Instead, Jesus sets an even higher standard for what it means to obey God than many of His listeners had ever heard before. He tells them whoever fails to obey these Commandments, even the least of them-and teaches others to do so-will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the person will be called greatest who observes the Commandments of God and teaches others to do the same.

Our righteousness, says Jesus, has to surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees. What does He mean by that? The Scribes and Pharisees had the outward appearance of being followers of the Lord. They not only obeyed the law of Moses, but they obeyed a strict rabbinic code that was designed to help them maintain outward legal purity. What this meant in reality was that many of the Pharisees were following the law of God in an outward way, but within their hearts they were anything but pure.

Jesus tells us that not only are we to avoid murder, but we are even to avoid anger with our brother-our neighbor. What Jesus means by this is that we cannot hang on to our anger or sore feelings, as scripture tells us, "do not let the sun go down on your wrath." if we do hang on to our anger, Jesus says that we are liable to judgment in just the same way as if we had killed that person. If we call a brother a fool, discounting their value as a human being, we are liable to the fires of Hell, Jesus says. Do we have something against another person, do we have something we need to settle? Jesus says we shouldn't offer sacrifice to God until we settle our issues with those around us. As far as practical application, that ideally means that we should settle our grudges and our issues with others before we come to the house of God for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

When Jesus reminds us of the command of God not to commit adultery, he doesn't simply restate the law, and he certainly doesn't do away with it, as some misguided people would have us believe. Instead, Jesus tells us that we are guilty of adultery if we so much as lust after another person. We are guilty if we dwell on the sinful thought, not merely if we commit the act itself. Jesus raises the bar to a level that many in our society today might say that they find difficult to live out. The temptation to the sins of the flesh are everywhere to be found in our culture today, and because of the internet they are so easily accessible, when for centuries they were hidden from the view of the wider society. Yet Jesus asks us to live a life of chastity according to our state in life.

Jesus' repeated command in the Gospels against divorce and remarriage have been virtually overlooked by the entire Protestant world, and many Catholics only come in contact with this vital teaching about sacramental Matrimony when they come to the Church seeking to be reconciled and petitioning for a declaration of nullity. (Mind you, in no way am I saying that someone shouldn't do that if they have been in an invalid marital situation-that's why we have the annulment process-but it is terribly sad that for many people, the Church's teaching on the nature of marriage is not something they have been taught or fully confronted for one reason or another until they come to the Church needing to have the sacramental validity of a previous marital situation clarified). Jesus raises the bar of Holy Matrimony, telling us that Matrimony- sacred marriage- is between one man and one woman for life. Civil divorce does not bring an end to the Sacrament of Matrimony, and the Church clearly teaches us that civil divorce should only be used as a last resort or when it is the only option (cf. CCC 2382-2386), never as a solution to the problems that most married people confront in married life.

Considering all that Jesus tells us in the Gospel that is expected of those who follow him, and understanding the way that Jesus asks us to live in the world, there are many people who don't even try, they simply don't think it's possible to live in the way that Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we must live. Many people, and indeed many ecclesial communities, will tell us that they are all about living out the compassion of Christ, but the moral standards that he asks of us are another matter. Many people have come to believe a false theology that says that they can be saved regardless of what they do or how they act because at one time they made a sincere commitment to Jesus Christ. Those good people have it wrong… it is precisely because we make a commitment to Jesus Christ that we are expected to live the way that he has told us he wants his followers to live.

It is easy for any other member of the clergy to share the message of today's Gospel. It is quite another thing to live that Gospel out. How can we be expected to live in this way that Jesus describes here, in today's society and culture? there is only one way, and that is to allow ourselves to be open to God's grace in our lives to give us the help we need to live the life that Christ expects of us. We can be open to God's Grace by going to regular confession, and confessing our sins, we can live a fully sacramental life, we can be open to God's Grace by praying for strength to overcome our weaknesses and sins.

If we truly want a relationship with Jesus Christ, that involves accepting his Lordship over all things, including our life, and that means praying daily for God to give you the Graces you need through the sacraments. God's commands are not grievous, and he gives us the means before our very eyes in the Sacraments.

If we want to be as holy as Christ wishes us to be, we need to begin living a sacramental life, a life of prayer according to our station in life. If we are open to God's mercy and to his Grace, if we are willing to receive the gifts that he has for us, he can give us the grace to live exactly how he expects all of us to live, and to obey the moral law that he set down for all of us.

If we are truly open to a relationship with Jesus Christ, he will give us the strength we need to live the Gospel each and every day, in every aspect of our lives, including the strength to keep His Commandments.

The Case of (Father) Jonathan Morris

By now, most of the world of Catholic Social Media, at least in the United States, is aware of the situation regarding (Father) Jonathan Morris. Morris, a former member of the Legionaries of Christ who was released from his vows in that tortured religious order, and later became a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, also became a valued contributor to Fox News for over 14 years. As a result of this, Father Morris developed a well-rounded social media presence, and certainly became one of the most visible priests from his already very visible Archdiocese.

His public announcement some weeks back that he has petitioned Pope Francis to be allowed to be dispensed from his solemn promises as an ordained priest and allowed to return to the lay state caused some of his followers to wish him well, and some to label him a coward who had abandoned his commitments as an ordained man in the Church.

To be very clear, I am not a great believer in the ease with which laicization (which should be more properly referred to as the release from clerical promises or vows) is often obtained by many ordained clerics. Many priests do this so that they can have the freedom to marry after having taken vows or made solemn promises of celibacy and chastity. Many deacons request a return to the lay state in order that they might marry after their wife dies, something the Apostle Paul forbids in ordinary circumstances even in Scripture itself (1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12, Titus 1:5-7) when he says that an ordained man is to be "the husband of one wife" (he wasn't talking about polygamy, no Christian has ever been allowed to live a polygamous life validly or licitly).

Even though clerical celibacy did not become the official rule in the West until the Middle Ages, the practice that no cleric could marry once they were ordained dates to antiquity itself. If a man was already married and sought ordination, his family was thoroughly scrutinized, as Paul himself discusses in Scripture, so that they would not bring scandal upon the Church. This idea that members of the clergy could be released from their promises in order that they may live as they please is a thoroughly modern one. If the release from promises, the removal of faculties, and the return to the lay state voluntarily is too easily obtained, this truly shows an ill regard for the clerical state, and that is every bit as bad as the clergy showing an ill regard for the laity.

I stand by this belief, but it's also clear to me that Father Jonathan's case is far from normal. There are always exceptions to every rule, and we can't be anyone's ultimate judge. The perversion of the Legionaries of Christ under their founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel, is by now very well known to many people. Maciel was an abuser, pedarist, pedophile, and sexual predator, who used the religious society that he founded as a front for much of his perversion. Good holy young men like Jonathan Morris were really "peer pressured" into being ordained, as opposed to being authentically called by the Holy Spirit.

Late last week, Morris revealed that he had agreed to an interview on Fox News, where he had served for so long as Religious Affairs contributor because of his position as a priest and a moral authority. There were a lot of people, including myself, who wondered if such an interview was a good idea. Many of us worried that Morris was merely attention-seeking, trying now to capitalize on his position as a laicized priest. In watching the interview, this is not what I found.

The interview itself was around nine minutes long, hardly much time to grab a lot of publicity or do much "damage." Instead, I found that Morris was far from the media savvy man we often saw on Fox in a Roman collar, and he instead appeared nervous, a little repetitive, and unsure of himself. He clearly wasn't quite in his element, but he was desperately trying to explain to the many viewers who had come to appreciate his counsel what had happened in his life.

He admitted to having a relationship with a woman while he was in the seminary. He was ready to leave then, and was pressured into staying by Mariel Maciel himself. Based on Father Jonathan's description of what happened to him, it can hardly be said that his acceptance of religious life and ordination to the priesthood occurred because of authentic discernment. Jonathan Morris does not appear to have been allowed truly authentic discernment of his vocation.

I will discuss the Catholic theology of Holy Orders and ordination in a future post, but the reality is that there is really no such thing as a "former priest," "former deacon," or "former bishop." Those terms may be used, but they are not theologically correct at all. Ordination is permanent, and that means that Father Jonathan Morris will be "a priest forever." However, he will be a priest who has had his faculties to minister removed (albeit by his own choosing), and thus returned to the practical state of a layman.

We may be somewhat unfair to Morris in saying that he is attention-seeking. He is now cut off from the means of ecclesiastical support normally given to diocesan clergy-but especially priests- who are entitled to pay and pension, and often health insurance. Now he has to fend for himself. I don't know if I can blame him for intentionally snooping around in the media world where he has some experience.

I don't know if he has made the right decision, and it's not our place to say. But I do pray for Father Morris, I know he needs it.

Bishop Tobin is Right

Bishop Thomas Tobin

Recently, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island landed himself in hot water with many in the popular culture with this Tweet over this past weekend about some...cultural events...taking place in many parts of the country during the month of June.

A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.

— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) June 1, 2019

Immediately the wolves of our culture came to denounce Tobin for "spreading hate," as they usually do to any bishop, priest, or deacon who speaks out about the moral law, and some even said that he was wrong to say anything because his words would encourage hatred against the "gay community." Even some members of the clergy have gotten in on the act, trying to say on social media that what Bishop Tobin said was not compassionate.

But is the Bishop wrong? Firstly, what is the Church's official statement of its own teaching on this matter? The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it as clear as possible for us:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

The Church holds, then, that while someone's proclivity to attraction of people of the same sex is not, in and of itself, a sin, that homosexual activity is a sin. The Church calls on us to treat homosexual persons with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity," but the Church is quite clear that this compassion does not extend to acceptance of sinful behavior, and indeed that would not be compassionate at all-it could endanger many souls.

Bishop Tobin also said that that Catholics should not attend events which celebrate "Pride Month." No doubt, some readers will say "but Deacon, doesn't the Catechism say that we should treat gay people with 'respect, compassion, and sensitivity,' so shouldn't we go all out and celebrate Pride Month to support them?


 



Are you also going on public marches or attending public events to support those who have a proclivity to adultery or fornication? Would you do such a thing? If you would, I would question any claim you might make to practice bona fide Christianity. Yes, we are all sinners, but we are still called to avoid sin and the near occasion of sin. Furthermore, if we attend events which promote sin, we are giving our approval to the sin by our presence there, and if we do not approve, we will have given scandal to many other believers by the appearance of giving public approbation to grave sin. At the very least, you are saying you are proud of your concupiscence and that of others. "YAY, I am proud of my human proclivity to potentially commit sin and do evil in the sight of God!"

Sacred Scripture certainly backs up what Bishop Tobin is trying to say:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10

What reason would anyone have to attend a rally that supports and promotes homosexual acts and faux "marriage" other than to support those acts yourself? If you don't, why would you attend an event where they do? If you would not support other deadly sins, you shouldn't support "Pride Month" either.

Some on social media are saying that Bishop Tobin "backed down" because of this statement from the Diocese of Providence:

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A close reading of this statement shows us, however, that Bishop Tobin isn't backing down at all. He is more effectively stating Catholic teaching:

I regret that my comments yesterday about Pride Month have turned out to be so controversial in our community, and offensive to some, especially the gay community. That certainly was not my intention, but I understand why a good number of individuals have taken offense. I also acknowledge and appreciate the widespread support I have received on this matter.

 The Catholic Church has respect and love for members of the gay community, as do I. Individuals with same-sex attraction are beloved children of God and our brothers and sisters. 

 As a Catholic Bishop, however, my obligation before God is to lead the faithful entrusted to my care and to teach the faith, clearly and compassionately, even on very difficult and sensitive issues. That is what I have always tried to do – on a variety of issues – and I will continue doing so as contemporary issues arise.

 In other words, Bishop Tobin is saying "I love you, what I said was true." Indeed, he reiterated to the news media that he stands by his statement.

One of the difficulties with Twitter is that you have so little space in which to express what you are trying to get across to others. Twitter has helped to reduce our society to one in which many people take the entirety of what others say by a few characters.

It is for this reason that I personally do not recommend the use of Twitter as a means of social communication for my brother clerics. When the time comes to address controversial social and moral issues, and one feels the need to address them online (as indeed I have done in this post), other means of internet communication such as Facebook, MeWe, or blogs exist so that we may say all that needs to be said, all that the Holy Spirit might place upon our hearts. 

I would humbly recommend to Bishop Tobin that he consider one of those alternatives when the time comes, as it inevitably does in the time in which we live, to address the state of our society on internet-based social media.

Even though other means might have been better means to convey the message, what Bishop Tobin said is true. "Gay Pride" events promote grave sin. Catholics concerned for the good of their souls and the souls of others should not attend or promote them.