Homily

John the Baptist spoke the truth to Herod about his immoral marriage to Herodias. St. John was not a stupid man. He knew that standing up to Herod could result in his arrest, which it did. It’s very likely he also understood it could place his life in danger, since Herod had the power to execute him without needing anyone else’s permission. After the dance of Herodias’ daughter, the king made a stupid oath, and Herodias took advantage of it to have John killed. Now Herod could have refused, even though oath taking was a very serious business. But how does the shame of breaking an oath even compare to the sin of murdering a prophet of God?

I think of our American bishops, even though they are not facing a man who could have them beheaded, or even arrested, they have nothing to say to the President of our country, or any other politicians who call themselves Catholics but actively advocate and promote the death of the innocent at both ends of the span of human life. Our bishops won’t be killed, they won’t be jailed, they won’t even be fined; so, what are they afraid of? I think they are afraid of the criticism of a certain group in our society. They are afraid of being called restrictive, backwards, uncaring, undemocratic people, holding dangerous and hateful ideas. Who would have thought that being pro-life would be considered barbaric (varvarsky), when barbarians (varvary) were always seen as people who placed little value on individual human lives?

Our American bishops seem frightened by the prospect of calling out those who support the murders and suicides of the innocent and the elderly, so it seems that they will not take a strong Christian stand that is based on the truth of Christ, but instead worry about the opinions of people who believe they are enlightened. I have to wonder if our bishops think the Gospel message is just not good enough to preach to those who consider themselves to already be enlightened human beings.

Let’s talk about real barbarians. Pope Leo I met up with Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuaded him not to sack the city of Rome. It worked. Just 3 years later, in 455, Pope Leo met with the Vandal King Gaiseric outside the city gates of Rome to beg him not to murder the people or destroy the city. His heroic action did not turn Gaiseric away from looting Rome, but, impressed by the pope’s courage Gaiseric agreed to spare the people and not burn Rome to the ground. Pope Leo did not keep quiet and hide when the barbarians were at the city gates. But it seems our bishops cannot even manage to speak to the barbarians who are sitting in the pews of our churches.

Now I am very much aware of how easy it is to criticize others. We do have the right to criticize others when we believe they are seriously in the wrong, even if they are bishops, even if they are popes. (But probably not pastors. I think our union contract has an exemption clause for that.) But if we criticize, we should, at the same time consider whether or not we should also criticize ourselves for acting in a similar way. Are there times when we do not speak up for the truth because we are afraid of being criticized or made fun of, or because we think other people will look down on us? Are we ever afraid to share our faith with others because they hold different beliefs, or no belief at all? Do we keep quiet because they are family members, and we don’t want to cause a fuss? And of course, yes, there are times when it might be more prudent and better to just to remain silent, but it should never be because it will be easier for us to just shut up. It should only be because we are thinking of what will be helpful and better for our relatives in the long run. We can always speak our mind at a later time, in a way that might be better received. We should be prudent, but we should not be cowed by the accusations that family members may throw at us.

I am truly amazed in my old age to have heard of so many situations where parents and grandparents are told to keep their misguided and unloving Christian viewpoints to themselves because obviously their children and grandchildren know better than they do. How much can we love them if we do not speak the truth to them so they might live according to God’s goodness? How can we expect them to believe that we truly trust in Christ if we wither away at the first sign of family criticism?

I believe one of the biggest reasons that things have gone so far in such evil ways in our country is because Christian people have kept quiet because they fear other people more than they love Christ. People may fear for their jobs, they may fear the disapproval of family, friends and neighbors, they may fear they are not in the majority, and they really want to be considered as enlightened and loving people. But as we know, things that would have been considered obscene or beyond belief just a few decades ago are now set firmly in place in our society. The moral climate in our country has not changed because it has been forced on Christians. It has changed because so many Christians have come to accept these things, or, at the very least, they have kept silent and not stood up against them. How many churches and denominations have come to officially accept what always had been considered morally incompatible with the Christian faith?

I believe worse things are yet to come. It would be foolish to think that the pagans will not continue to try and advance their immoral agenda, ruining or killing countless lives along the way. I know that we don’t like to hear bad news or think about difficult troubles. I understand, of course I do. But I don’t want to be guilty of not speaking up. We need to strengthen our faith in Christ, our love for Christ, our belief in Christ, so that the truth of His loving kindness is not worn away in our lives by the sin and disbelief of the world we live in.

St. Paul and all the early Christians faced a pagan world that was often hostile to the message of the Gospel, and in different times and places back then, to profess Christ was likely to get you not just criticized but killed. And yet so many Christians were willing to hand over their life in this world in order to receive eternal life in Christ’s kingdom, that the truth of the Gospel gradually overcame the bitter darkness of pagan society. It still can, but only if bishops, priests, Catholic men, women, and children pray and live in the light of Christ, and then letting the world see that light, even when the world despises it. We were not born to struggle to live as long and as well as we possibly can in this world. We were born out of and for the love of God. St. John the Baptist understood that and was willing to give up everything for that.

May the Lord always give us the courage and wisdom to be willing to do the same, for our eternal happiness. Christ is among us.