Sunday Homily: Taking Responsibility

Recently I read a headline announcing "60 Day Sprint to Election Underway," and at the same time I was considering today's readings and I was beginning to collect my thoughts for today's homily. It stood out to me that there really is a timely connection to current national affairs and what we are given in our readings for this weekend.

During all the times of our lives we have a call and duty as Christians to act responsibly toward one another. Indeed there is a good bit more than a hint of seriousness in our readings today instructing us that we are unquestionably responsible for one another. However, the question comes to us individually concerning our communal or social responsibility. Ultimately, the question of social ethics comes down to "What are you going to do?"

Concerning our actions in the public sphere, the Church teaches us that we have a responsibility to be faithful citizens. Taking a stance of apathy or noninvolvement, or even leaving it up to someone else, would be morally wrong—we must consider and carefully weigh all the issues while being aware of both the scope and depth of the world's needs.

The problem, and our challenge, is that as faithful citizens we have an obligation to participate in the selection of our leaders, but often there are not clear moral pathways to choose in doing so. All of us are probably well aware that rarely, if ever, does an election come around when a single candidate's platform or positions completely reflect the Catholic doctrine of Christian social responsibility.

It is true that some issues outweigh others in terms of their moral gravity; however, that does not give us permission to ignore or diminish the real human need that stand unmet. We can never be a one-issue people. The world we live in demands more of us, which brings us to the true importance of today's readings. We are indeed our brother's keeper, and in every way imaginable we are the stewards of the world where we live.

Clearly we are to respect and protect human life at all stages and in every situation. Clearly also we are to promote peace, and to stand against violence and war. We are to hear the cry of the poor and we are to promote social justice. Essentially we must consider each person and his or her rights and needs in the same light as we consider ourselves and the needs of our own families, and thereby love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

I hope that everyone here who is able vote does so this year. However, given that regardless of which way we vote there will be things our candidate supports or promotes that are morally unacceptable, we must realize that voting is only the first step. We must go yet further and accept the responsibility of actively working to resist those positions and issues our candidate supports that stand against Catholic moral teaching. Only some of the world's problems can be solved by electing leaders who can solve them. The rest we must do ourselves.

The opportunities are practically endless to make a difference in our world. We can always do something to be morally responsible for others— with only a little effort we can be engaged in the world of our daily lives and effect real reconciliation among people.

Such is the stuff of which the law of love is made. We cannot turn a blind eye to the impoverished or say "too bad, poverty is not the most important thing." Nor can we cannot overlook the sanctity of life in the either the condemned or the unborn. Neither can we fail to hear the cry of the dying or the disabled. We must also look into the eyes of our enemies as though we were looking into the eyes of our friends and see men and women created in the image of God. We must consider every human need in the light of the law of love.

Today's first readings carries a stern warning—I take it to be a warning meant for everyone against the sin of self-absorption in our own well-being and the failure to take responsibility for the good of others. The call is to see the big picture and to act in a responsive manner. It is a call both to change the world and to take responsibility for it.

Comments

[Carol]

I mostly agree.

While discussing candidates for hours, I said to some exceedingly decent people who live near the bridge as I do, "If you saw two people arguing, then saw one of them steal down to the bridge later and throw something wrapped in a baby blanket into the river and heard a cry, what would you do?" They (all men) knew what they would do--not one of them answered that it wouldn't have been any of their business-- that it was her right to do that. Or as in the case of the carjacker who took the tiny baby in his car seat out of the car and set him in the road, I asked if any would've driven past the child? Well, of course not. But that's precisely what we good Catholics do every time we muse that there are more issues than the one that affected 50,000,000 other Americans so far. There is nothing ambiguous in Catholic teaching on abortion. Not even in case of rape or incest.

Satan plays hard, so we got a real stinker the last time we voted in favor of protecting life. But one of these times, we won't -- or perhaps the Dems will get a clue, and they would, if they really wanted the Catholic vote --IF we made it clear they'd not have it until they shove choice off their platform, back into the sulphur pit it belongs in.

I'd LOVE to vote Democrat again someday.. that's where my civic heart is, which is true (I hope) for most American Catholics; but the fact is, we cannot vote for choice, because it's not a choice, it's not a right; it's murder. The silent murder of 1.5 million people a year, here. By ignoring that fact, we hobble ourselves in guilt regarding any other issues that seem gravely comparable. What do we really do for the poor? What do we really do the disabled? What do we really do for the elderly abused, neglected and at risk of euthanasia? What do we really do for the illegals so in danger both here and at home? What do we really do for those in prison? What do we really do regarding gay marriage? What do we really do to help get men's co-creator rights back? Are we all involved in all that, all taken up in that, in lieu of fighting for babies' lives? I don't think so.

[Jason]

Amen...

[Jason]

In response to the question about what must we do I submit the following as to why we must take a stand against anti-life politicians.

For a Catholic in good standing to support politicians such as Obama and especially Biden and Pelosi flies in the face of what the Bishops have told us in documents such as Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. Not only that but it goes against everything the Gospel said, “If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.” What could be more wicked than the support for the destruction of the most innocent of life?

This is compounded by the fact that people like Biden and Pelosi are shown by the media and their party as “good and faithful” Catholics while at the same time they go on National Television and blatantly distort the history and teachings of the Church. I find it extremely hard to believe that any Catholic who is strong in his/her faith could in good conscience support the current crop of politicians that the Democrats have put before us.