Homily

Many people today place a high value on things that are natural. People are often attracted to things that are considered natural: natural food, natural fibers, natural childbirth, natural health remedies and even an emphasis on nature itself. Nothing wrong with that, of course. And while all this emphasis is being placed on the “natural” it seems that there is less and less interest in the supernatural. That reality, which is beyond the realm of this natural world, and exists in a way that cannot be measured or tested or contained in any way. One would think that if people loved the natural that they would be even more attracted to that which is super-natural, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I remember watching a British series on the Middle Ages, and a small group of people tried to recreate the actual way people lived during that time. The way they worked and farmed and how their houses were built and used, their daily way of life and their celebrations. It was fascinating to watch how their Catholic faith was interwoven into every aspect of those times and that society. These were the people who built the great cathedrals of Europe, and not only the cathedrals but the universities as well. These two aspects of human life went hand in hand, the desire for the things of God and the desire for knowledge. The difference today is that so many people have little desire for the things of God, and interestingly enough, the university is generally not seen as an institution to gain knowledge but more as a place to get trained so that a person can get a job with a good salary. And there it is: a good salary. Materialism. Materialism is what truly guides our modern society, and there’s no doubt our society with its high standard of material comfort in so many areas of life—food, health, transportation, entertainment, housing, etc.—has achieved one of the highest levels of using the things of this world to make our lives the most comfortable lives on earth. But at what cost?

Earlier this year I saw a survey about Mass attendance in different countries. In Nigeria, the number of Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week (at least once a week!) is 94%. In the United States only 17%. What a contrast. Last year in Nigeria the average monthly salary was $775. In the U.S. it was $7,900…more than ten times what people make in Nigeria. And I think this tells the story. Material satisfaction seems to crush the desires of the soul and material wealth seems to suffocate the life of the spirit. Remember the Rich Young Man who was so devoted to following the Law of Moses, but his love of money kept him from following Jesus. Indeed, material satisfaction typically leads to a common neglect of the soul. Are we stronger and better people for all that?

Last year in Nigeria, 5,014 Christians were killed by anti-Christian forces. At the same time these forces practice the kidnapping of wives and daughters, who then typically are the victims of sex trafficking before they are returned to their husbands and fathers who have to pay a ransom for their release. Can you imagine having to experience this kind of brutal inhumanity? 90% of all the kidnapping of Christians took place in Nigeria last year. 94% of all Nigerian Catholics attend Mass at least once a week.

Wouldn’t you think these people should be tempted to shrug off their faith in order to protect their wives and daughters? Wouldn’t you think these people would avoid going to church in order to protect their lives? Since May of this year at least 450 Christians have been killed by Muslim forces in Nigeria, and yet people do not give up their faith, they do not stop going to church which is where many Catholics have been killed these past years.

I must believe there is a deep strength in these Nigerian Catholics that obviously does not come from material wealth but from the supernatural life of faith. In our country we have university students who fear being emotionally triggered by words or ideas they don’t like in the classroom, but in Nigeria people are well aware that the triggers they face for living in Christ are attached to guns that can kill them. Why do you not read about these persecutions in the media? Look at what kind of rights and alleged persecutions we find in our news media over and over again on a regular basis, but not a word about people who are persecuted and killed for their faith in Christ. They simply do not matter in a society where faith is sometimes scorned in public, but more often simply ignored as unimportant.

Would Nigerian Catholics wish to have a better, more comfortable life? I am sure they do and there is nothing wrong with that. But it is also clear to me that they live by another standard, a way of life that recognizes the higher value of spiritual wealth, and this, in turn, allows them to face kidnappings, violence and even death. The latest Xbox and iPhone, a bigger house, a larger salary, a new car; these things all have their value, but how do they add to my value as a human being, as a person? When materialism dictates our values, we have surely crossed a line that ties us only to this natural world. That is when we begin to ignore the one Who created this natural world to live a perishable life, surrounded by perishable things, with perishable goals and desires that can falter and fade at any time. As we look around at our society today, I think it is easy to see how materialism not only demeans the soul, but cripples life in so many other ways at the same time—even as we hope we can find better materialistic ways to solve what are really problems of the spirit.

Peter saw the supernatural appearance of Moses and Elijah and his response was to house the homeless. A nice thought but he totally missed the importance of what was happening. It was later, only later that he understood what he had seen as we heard in his letter today. I pray we be awake and aware to our spiritual lives and the great value they bring us the more deeply we live in Christ. That’s a value that cannot be shaken off.