Sunday, October 4, 2015

Father Carroll's Homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time "Respect Life Sunday"


Homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015

         Our readings for this particular Sunday focus on marriage.  The topic of marriage is an important topic for us to focus on this weekend for two reasons...the first as we speak they are gathering in Rome for the synod on the family and secondly because the first Sunday of October is set aside as “Respect Life Sunday.”
         The topic of marriage has been a hot button issue in the last few months.  There are many who desire to rewrite the definition of marriage…but the truth is no one has the authority to rewrite God’s definition of marriage.  Let’s begin from the beginning as we heard in the book of Genesis and in the Gospel of Mark, “God created them male and female.”  In the first reading it says God cast a deep sleep over the man then “he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.  The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.”  This imagery from Genesis is significant because in taking the rib from the man in creating woman highlights distinction yet equal dignity.  “God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.”   God had a plan; he created man and woman with equal dignity yet distinct for communion a communion that has the power to bring forth both physical and spiritual life. 
         In today’s Gospel of Mark we have another component…children.  A sacramental marriage is unitive and procreative.  From the unity of husband and wife, comes forth life.  A challenge we face is that more and more people have accepted the culture of death…embracing the sin of contraception.  The use of contraception has had a negative effect not just in decline of marriage, but sadly all across the board including our economy.  A culture that becomes self-absorbed, self-centered will implode.  It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when?  How did our culture become this way…the answer is quite simple, it’s because many of us have bought into and accepted the lies promulgated by the culture of death.
         “Let the children come to me, do not prevent them.”  For us as Catholics this line from Mark has a powerful meaning today…let my children be born!  Let my children have life!  Let them come to me in Sacraments of the Church!  Do not prevent them!  Please allow me to say something about the last statement “let them come to me in the Sacraments of the Church,” it amazes me when I go over to school or Religious Education and directly ask the question, how many of you were at Mass this Sunday…their response “Father we didn’t go to Mass.”  Now I know I am speaking to the choir, but I need the choir to start reaching out their kids and grandkids inviting them to come to Church.  Younger children recognize the importance of coming to Church, and many of them will say “Father I wanted to come to Church but my parents didn’t take me.”  I always encourage children to ask their parents to take them to Mass and I tell them if they ask every Saturday Evening or Sunday they are without sin.  What I don’t say is that the greater sin falls on the parents who neglect their God given responsibility.  “Let the children come to me, do not prevent them.”
         For a marriage to be truly successful it must be open to life at every moment. Each time a husband and wife coming together in unity it brings forth life whether it is physical, spiritual, or God willing both.  So when husbands and wives pull away from full communion closing the doors of our hearts to the possibility of life and pull away from God…when the storms of life come they will be swallowed up by the waves. 
         The truth is the truth.  God’s plan cannot be changed in order to accommodate what we think it should be.  As Catholics we are called to accept it in faith and in doing so we will find greater things lie ahead of us.  There is something I want to say about the media reports of our Holy Father meeting with the Kentucky clerk we denied married licenses to those who live lives contrary to God’s definition of marriage.  It must be added that the Holy Father met with one such couple.  Our Holy Father is a true shepherd who desires to meet with everyone no matter what their state of life might be.  There is no scandal here…for the Lord Himself met with all people especially those trapped in sin.  A parent is called to love their child unconditionally as our Lord loves us the same way.  Moving ahead this week may we pray for the courage and strength to promote the dignity of every human person from the moment of conception to natural death! 
         I will conclude by praying the official prayer for the world meeting of families…

God and Father of us all, in Jesus, your Son and our Savior, you have made us your sons and daughters in the family of the Church.  May your grace and love help our families in every part of the world be united to one another in fidelity to the Gospel.  May the example of the Holy Family, with the aid of your Holy Spirit, guide all families, especially those most troubled, to be homes of communion and prayer and to always seek your truth and live in your love.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!

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