Homily

As many of you know there are plenty of articles to read on the internet. It used to be that you could only read what was written on paper in the form of books, magazines and newspapers, and you had to actually hold that article or book in your hands. Now on the internet, we have access to billions of books and articles written by the famous and the important as well as by your neighbor next door. You don't need to go out and buy what you read or have it delivered to your doorstep or mailbox. All you need is internet access and you have it. Pretty amazing change that rivals the invention of the printing press.

But as you may also know, if you read articles on the internet and if people are allowed to write comments about the article something very interesting and very nasty might happen, especially if the comments are not closely watched before they are posted, or if they're not edited at all, and especially if the article is on religion, ethics, and morality or politics. Comments from people start to show up who do not agree with the religious content of the article, or they do not agree with the ethics or morality or political viewpoint of whoever wrote the article, no matter what the piece is actually about. They just don't like your religion, your morality, your political party and they don't care about what you actually wrote.

Their comments are not about disagreement, or perhaps their own frustrations. They are not thoughtful replies to give another side to the issue at hand, or to express an opposite stance to the ideas in the text. Instead what you read are comments that resort to name calling, insults, vulgarities, abusive language, misrepresentations, and, many times, all too many times, childish ranting without any evidence of actual thought or reasonable ideas. The comments turn into the kind of verbal combat often used by second-graders.

And if the article is on certain topics and the Church's teaching, you can be sure there will be abusive and emotional outbursts from those who do not accept those teachings. Here is an example I made up to illustrate my point. "You Catholics are all haters, who hate people and you hate and hate, because you're bigots and haters who don't care about people because you hate with so much hate. I hate to hate your hateful ideas of hatred and bigotry. And more than anything else, I hate haters."

Because we're in church and because I respect you, I have not included the typical vulgarities and obscenities that often are added to such comments to provide extra color. That's why on a number of sites I don't even bother to read the comments, knowing they are likely to be poisoned with fierce words, insulting remarks, and the ignorance of some members of the public.

I think about why people write comments that are so abusive, vulgar and disrespectful. Of course they are not centered on reason, logic or thoughtfulness—just emotional outbursts of anger, prejudice and even hate. I think that these kinds of comments reflect the sad state of people who want to experience power by bashing other people, by trying to demean them and shame them and ridicule them. These emotionally charged comments, which are often written with little or no punctuation or grammar, are thought to be effective vehicles for power because they are emotional. The hotter the words, the cruder the language, the harsher the tone, the greater the insult—these are the weapons that such people use in order to exert some sense of power over other people.

It's how they feel that seems to be the basis for their thoughts and actions, and their interactions with people with whom they disagree on the internet are often attempts to produce an emotional response in them. They hope to produce responses of anger, or fear or shame, or defensiveness—evidence that their own power is effective, if not, invincible. It reflects a style of living that is largely centered on feelings and emotions as the foundations for thought and action.

St. Paul today, gives us, reminds us, of our foundation as Christians, for our thoughts and actions, and uses himself as an example: "With Christ I am nailed to the cross. It is now no longer I that live but Christ lives in me. And the life I live now in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me."

It's not by our feelings that we shall find the fullness of life. It's not through our emotions that we will gain increasing place and satisfaction for ourselves. It's not by attempts to overpower other people that we will find victory and success. It is only by faith in Christ crucified, it is only by surrendering my life to Him, and more and more as times goes on—it is only then I can live life to the fullest both now and forever. And may that then produce in us a joy that invites others to do the same.