Homily

We are only three weeks past what major American holiday? Yes, that’s right, we’re already three weeks past Halloween, which is now only a distant memory as we approach Thanksgiving this week. I was curious about Halloween so I looked up some information to try and get a picture of where this day is at in our modern culture. In 2006 Americans spent about 5 billion dollars on Halloween. In 2016 we spent 8.5 billion, an increase of almost 60%. Why the huge increase in such a short period of time? Did you know that 30% of us start shopping for Halloween in September, or that 80% of Millennials said that they planned to do something fun with their friends on this day. The number one costume choice for adults 35 years and older is to dress as a witch, but with 18-35 year-olds the witch costume is only their number two choice. 70% of Americans said they planned to participate in some way in a Halloween observance this past year. It is obvious this secular holy day is becoming more and more important to Americans every year. My point is not to bash Halloween but to ask why this is so. What do you think?

Thanksgiving is this week. Most Americans still believe in God but it seems to me that more and more of our fellow citizens find little connection between the God they say they believe in and the day set aside to give Him thanks. You’ll read it in the paper and you’ll see it on T.V. programs, people who talk about what they are thankful for but not talk about the person they are thanking. The verb “to thank” requires a subject—that would be me, “I thank”, and an object—the person I am thanking, as in the common phrase, “Thank you.” But, strangely enough on Thanksgiving Day the object of our thanking seems to disappear and you will or read of people who “give thanks” but to no one in particular. In an Oprah Winfrey style, their thanks seem to be uttered to the universe in general, or no one in particular.

In a public way, God is not to be put out there in the public on this American holy day. Instead Thanksgiving often is centered around the three “F”s—food, football and fighting. And you thought I was going to say “family” didn’t you? True, for some people family is a reality to be cherished but just look at us as a country. Have we not trashed the ideal of family through divorce, contraception, abortion and gay weddings? I don’t need to tell so many of you the problems and troubles that come up with Thanksgiving and family. But as we see in recent years we have been offered an escape from the troubles of family on Thanksgiving. Instead of spending time with them we can go shopping on Thanksgiving. And therefore we are happy to leave our family behind to go shopping so that we can buy gifts to show our family how much we care about them. Tell me it isn’t so. Richest country in the world but we have no idea who to thank.

As a third item today I offer you the behavior of a number of our younger fellow citizens after the recent presidential election. In Chicago this past week I cannot tell you how many people asked about, what they called, “the riots in Oregon.” We read of college students weeping and fearful for their futures because of the candidate who won the election.

Here is a quote from Father George Rutler, a priest in New York City: “Professors who had never achieved moral maturity themselves reacted by providing ‘safe spaces’ for students traumatized by reality. In universities across the land, by a sodality of silliness in the academic establishment, these ‘safe spaces’ were supplied with soft cushions, hot chocolate, coloring books and psychologists. At least one university provided friendly kittens and puppies for weeping students to cuddle.” Father Rutler goes on to write that the average age of a soldier in the Revolutionary War was that of a high school senior. Joan of Arc was college age. In the Civil War fifteen generals on both sides were under the age of 25. Most American and British fighter pilots in World War II were of college age and they did not ask for puppies to cuddle if they returned from their missions alive.

Do these three things I have mentioned have any connection with each other? I think so. People have a need to celebrate. If we are not celebrating the saving events of Christ and the saints, we will turn to secular celebrations to take their place. Happy Halloween! But there is nothing here to bring us the riches of God. Thanksgiving Day without thanks to God can provide a secular sort of enjoyment, but even then it often becomes an occasion of managing family tensions. But is there something here to grow rich in, rich in what pertains to God? Store up treasures that last?

And then there are the young people some of whom seem unable to deal with the realities of life. How did they end up this way? I was reading about Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio, from the Michoacan state in Mexico, who lived during the time of the government’s fierce persecution of the Church in 1928. He joined the army known as the “Cristeros” who fought the government in order to protect the Church. Jose was captured by government soldiers. He prayed every day in jail. Then they came to march him to the cemetery.

The soldiers struck him with machetes. They cut the soles of his feet and made him walk on salt. They told him if only he would say “Death to Christ the King” they would save him. But Jose answered “Long live Christ the King! Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe!” they began to cut in to him with their bayonets, and every time they stabbed him he shouted out “Viva Cristo Rey—Long live Christ the King!” The commander became so angry he pulled out his pistol and killed him. Jose was 13 years old. He was too young to have many possessions that would require building more barns to store them, but surely, he was rich in the things of God.

Here today, let us be open to grow rich in things that pertain to God; on Thanksgiving, continue to teach our children to be rich in the things that pertain to God; to always be ready to re-evaluate what are the things that will make us rich in the sight of God. These are treasures that cannot be taken away from us, and they are wealth not just for today, but for eternity.