Walk or talk?

 Homily 

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas

27 September 2020

AMDG +JMJ +m

Talk is cheap.  Long homilies suck.

Actions speak louder than words.

We've heard it so many times this axiom is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.  We pass over the words, without letting them cut us to the heart.  

Am I courageous, humble and honest enough to let today's Gospel impact my real life?

Do my action speak louder than my words?  And if I don't know the answer, who should I ask to find out?

I hope this pivotal question bothers me - a lot.  I hope the Gospel bothers you - a lot.  I pray this standard  - actions speak louder than words - always cuts us deeply.

Because if it doesn't, it's a sure sign that I'm stuck in presumption and privilege.

Which means that tax collectors and prostitutes are in the passing lane on the highway to heaven, and entering before me!

There's really nothing worse than a disciple of Jesus who is all talk.  Catholics are faith and works people - the two feed off of each other beautifully!  You can love or leave the Catholic faith, but you can't change it.  We are faith and works people.

And does anything do more damage to our communion, our unity, and our mission, our witness, than hypocrisy?  Than a member of our family or team that doesn't walk the walk?

I don't want to be that guy!  I pray you don't want to be the one to let the whole team down either!

By God's gift we are today His sons and daughters, invited to live in, and labor for the Kingdom of Heaven.  We are chosen to receive the incomparable gifts of life - truth - freedom - salvation - adoption!

But how do I receive these gifts?  Not by sitting on them, not by hoarding them, not by clinging to the status they give me.  Not by presuming that I am automatically saved or better than anyone else!

No - I only receive these incredible gifts insofar as I know how to unwrap them how to cooperate with them, how to multiply them, and then last but not least - how to give them all away.  Every single one of these gifts - life - truth - freedom - salvation - adoption - down to the last ounce and last drop, is meant to be completely given away.

That's right, I will never actually know if I believe in God or if I am saved until and unless I walk the walk - until I give those same gifts away like a real disciple of Jesus.  Unless I empty myself.

St. Paul says I either grasp or I empty.  Jesus forsakes the form of God for the form of a slave - he empties Himself.  Jesus my Lord - who has privilege and status as the beloved Son in the Trinity - now that's real status! - gives away every bit his privilege and empties Himself on the cross.  He does the opposite of what I do - I grasp at identity, status, equality - He gives it away.  He empties Hiimself.

How dare I still pretend to be a disciple of His unless I too want to empty myself . . . and for who?

For my enemy!  Yes, disciples of Jesus - that's the wonderful and terrible standard of being a real Christian!  Jesus died for his enemies. Which means I, as his disciple, am responsible to anyone, especially to my enemy, who might thing I'm grasping or hoarding a status, presuming a privilege, looking down on others, loving only myself, not walking the walk or leading by example.  It's my awesome responsibility and amazing opportunity to prove anyone who perceives me as a hypocrite wrong.  I get to take ownership that the perception of my enemy is my reality, and my final judgment.  I get to embrace this if I want to be a real witness for Jesus.

Wait a second, you might say - that standard is impossible, and it's not fair!  Catholics don't rest in privilege, we stand up for truth and morality, and we stand alone oftentimes against the greatest violence done to the weakest and most vulnerable and oppressed, the unborn!

And it's not fair that the only bigotry truly allowed anymore is anti-Catholic bias.

That all may well be true.  And we do have a right and duty to defend against false accusations and untruths.  Yet a real disciple of Jesus never whines about what is fair!  We don't have to - God is keeping score- his justice is sure - He will sort it all out so I don't have to judge my neighbor.

As a disciple I get to focus on giving my life away.  Jesus consoles me - remember, if they hate you, they hated me first.  Blessed are you, happy are you, when they insult and persecute you, and utter false accusations, for now my real cross is coming to you, now you can give a convincing witness, now you can escape the temptation to be stuck in privilege and presumption.

It's exactly at the cross of Jesus where I get to truly walk the walk, and there alone, having emptied myself for my enemy, allowing my enemy to judge my witness, will I know for sure whether my actions speak louder than my words.

It's at the cross where Jesus emptied Himself, and from there God so exalted Him that every knee must now bend.

It's only at the cross, where I get to empty myself, that I will truly know that what I say is true, and from this holy place, receive the gift of eternal life!