13th Sunday OT, Year B
Alexander Albert
St. John the Evangelist Cathedral
“Why trouble the teacher any longer?” The Court has ruled, the conservatives lost, same-sex marriage is legal – so why bother the teacher any longer? Why bother your friends and family? Why bother the government? What did your prayers get you? Almost every Sunday, almost every parish includes the government and our country in its petitions at mass. Did we not go before our Lord and Teacher, fall on our knees, and plead with him to come quickly to our country? How many of us thought that this change would be one more step towards the death of our culture and our country?
Well, the decision has been made – the case for a traditional definition of marriage seems to be dead. Is this the answer to our prayer? Is it possible that Jesus let this happen because we were wrong about same-sex marriage? The second reading today tells us to be generous so “that there may be equality” – does that apply here?
The Supreme Court argued that they made this decision in hopes to advance the “dignity” of same-sex couples. They made references to the ways that ancient cultures and philosophies praised marriage and then sought to “share the riches” of marriage. They wanted to take from its abundance to supply the needs of these poor individuals who just wanted to enjoy their “love” with another person. Is that not a good intention? So why did the Church fight it? Why have our bishops taken such a stand against it? There are many reasons, but the most poignant reason is this: if the Supreme Court or our government has the power to give “dignity” to human beings, they also have the power to take it away, and this is simply not true.
Scripture today tells us clearly that “God formed man [in] the image of his own nature.” It is God’s image which gives us dignity – this dignity is innate and cannot be taken away or altered by mere human beings. This also means that human nature works in a certain way, in a way that we do not get to change, no matter how many voices cry for it. “Jesus Christ, with great love, taught unambiguously that from the beginning marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman.” When we deviate from this reality and teach others to do the same, we make ourselves sick.
Indeed, Pope Francis is very clear in his encyclical; the social environment has suffered very grave damage from the lie that “there are no indisputable truths to guide our lives, and hence human freedom is limitless.” This particular lie will hurt the vulnerable, the least among us – children who have a natural right to be raised by their own biological parents – something that is impossible with same-sex unions. Because of this and many other effects, we have “pleaded earnestly” with Jesus Christ to save us from this illness in our culture.
Marriage is a beautiful gift and an important vocation in the Church. This is why Pope Francis is holding a synod on the family – to emphasize and support Christian marriage as a path for holiness and evangelization. God gave us marriage between man and woman to bring life into the world and to bear witness to his love. Yet, “through the envy of the devil, death entered the world.” This death is the lie that we can redefine our nature and the nature of reality around us. If left unchecked, this and many other rejections of reality will kill the culture that embraces it. This is why we must pray diligently for the master to “lay his hands” upon our culture and save it from death.
So what does that mean for you and me? Culture is created and changed through people, individuals who interact with one another in a personal way. The Church is not out to fight a political battle, but a spiritual one. Her battle is for each and every individual soul. The Catechism is clear, we must treat each and every human being with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. The way forward is not through bitter political rhetoric, but through bearing witness to the truth in a compelling way, a loving way – evangelization, not politics. This will mean rejection and ridicule, but we must have faith. They told Jairus that his daughter was already dead and not to trouble Jesus any longer, but Jesus stated simply: “Do not be afraid, just have faith.” So pray in faith, fast in faith and give alms in faith – unite your voice to others and to the voice of the Church so we might be heard by God with compassion. Then follow Christ wherever he leads you.
When Christ arrived at Jairus’ house, he was ridiculed for saying that the little girl was not lost. You will be ridiculed if you claim that marriage is still between a man and a woman – do not be afraid. They will point out, and correctly, that we are full of sin ourselves. True, it is our failure to bear witness to the beauty of the truth about marriage and family that enabled this to happen. When we failed to shine the light, the world was able to sell itself on this and other lies about marriage, but do not despair – put their ridicule out of your home and listen attentively to Christ who tells you to rise in faith. Rise from your own sin and seek reconciliation with God and the Church. After being freed from the death of sin receive with joy the food he offers, the Eucharist.
Finally – we must take note of the woman who touched Christ and was healed. Is she not a good image for another landmark Supreme Court decision just over 40 years ago? Indeed, there are many who have bled spiritually and physically and have suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors who lied about the “right choice.” How many of them are in anguish because they do not feel worthy to even speak to Christ so that they only reach out to touch the fringes of his clothing, the fringes of our Church? Yet, that apparent defeat has given rise to immense displays of faith and powerful occasions of healing. Millions of young men and women have made a pilgrimage of faith in the annual March for Life, thousands of wounded women have been healed through the ministry of Rachel’s Vineyard, and hundreds have found their vocation because they encountered the zeal of the pro-life movement. We ought to look on these things to increase our faith and hope just as the healing of hemorrhaging woman strengthened the faith of Jairus.
Renew, therefore, your faith in God’s power to heal broken marriages and dispel lies. Christ knew that Jairus’ daughter had died, but he did not fear. “Do not be afraid; have faith” because, even if we die before the truth is made clear again, – we have a God, a friend, who can raise the dead.