Homily: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: 2007

Brothers and sisters, let us consider today's first reading. I think it refers to conscience, but I haven't heard that from many others. St. Josemaria Escriva seems to think it relates to grace. Well, let's look at it, keeping in mind that Scripture can have many levels of meaning:

"For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out." (Deut. 30: 11-14).

To me it seems pretty clear the author is referring to conscience, and I think two things are true at one and the same time: that right and wrong is written in our hearts, we have only to carry it out; and, that we must inform our consciences in order to make correct decisions. I don't think those two things are contradictory. I even think if you look in your hearts -- if you listen to the words that you say -- you know it's true. We know it's wrong to murder, to commit adultery, to rape, to lie, to cheat, to steal, to beat helpless victims, even to burn with envy in our hearts. But we also know that we should always be learning, always be educating ourselves. And St. Josemaria IS right: we have the advantage over even the ancient Hebrews, who had plenty of direct helps by Almighty God: we DO have the grace of the Christ. It IS true that "God does not command impossible things; when he makes a commandment he is telling you to do what you can and to ask his help as regards what is beyond you, and he helps you to fulfill it." -(De iustificatione, Council of Trent)

I think it's neat that when I turned to my son for help in approaching to a miracle-doubting friend, he got right to the point and said, "What you're really looking for, Mom, is proof that there is a beneficent God. [He's right.] And I think [one] proof can be found in the moral code. I mean, man knows what is good and what is evil . . . and that knowledge can't be pointless. It points to a good and caring God." It also shows why we Catholics believe that salvation is possible even for non-Catholics. Why? Because "the Law is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out." And in so far as they follow the truth according to their own lights, they will be saved. Hallejujah. That puts the lie to the [non-Catholic but Christian] customer who came into the Catholic bookstore where I worked and said she'd just met a Moslem girl and struck up a friendship with her: "She's a lovely young woman. Too bad she's going to hell." I kid you not.

And just a brief comment on the Gospel. I heard a homily today in which the priest said that the reason (not ONE of the reasons, but THE reason) neither the priest nor the Levite touched the man was that he might be dead and if either of them touched a dead body, they'd be ritually impure. And I think that's a neat insight. But I think it's possible -- just possible -- that they walked right past him for very much the same reason you and I walk past homeless men and beggars. Not that to touch them makes us impure and therefore unable to carry out our religious duties, but because it's too embarrassing, too hard, too dangerous. Couldn't that just be possible? And the Samaritan didn't save the man just because he had no such knowledge or stricture against the touching of dead bodies, but because he was a good man, a decent man, and wasn't afraid of a little hard work, spending a little time and money, and risking a little danger himself. He very well may have answered if we were to ask him (though he's just a character in a parable) why he did it that which countless other heroes say, "Well, I just did what anybody would do." And that points to the first reading: the law of right and wrong is written in our hearts. Amen, brother. Let us just pray to have the courage to carry it out.

Let us now profess our faith.