What do you worship?

Homily

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

18 October 2020

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas

AMDG +JMJ +m

What do you worship?

I pray for God's sake it's not politics, the presidency, or money.  These are a huge trap.  Jesus escapes the trap so easily in today's Gospel.  Do with the coin whatever the hell you want.  I don't care.  It doesn't matter, especially when compared to returning to God what is God's.

What does matter instead?  You matter.  You mean everything, for God's image is inscribed on you.  You belong to Him, so much so that He cherishes you even at this very moment.  So you are what matters, so much more than politics, the presidency or money.  Thus, your chance to return to God what is God's is what ultimately matters.

What a great Gospel we have for election season!  I got my ballot in the mail yesterday!  It's time to vote, folks!  Your vote matters a lot.  Catholics must vote, without exception.  For even if there are no good choices, your conscience must be formed to choose the least evil.  Politics, the presidency and money do dramatically affect the common good. We are responsible for our neighbor.  We must vote.

Yet your vote does not matter nearly as much as how you're living your life.  It never will.  So don't make an idol of voting or of politics.

Don't ever let me catch you as a disciple of Jesus complaining about politics, the presidency or money.  We have to be better than that.  Jesus says 'whatever' to being trapped by these things, and so must we.  If our politics are bad it's because we are bad.  Politics reflect who we are and where we are.  If we complain we are no better than the hypocrites of the Gospel.  You do not get to whine, revolt and tear down unless you are ready to repair, replace and rebuild.

Jesus teaches us how to repair, replace and rebuild.  Return to God what belongs to God.

Politics and the politics of religion will never be able to do anything until and unless you and I become more like God in whose image we are created.  A good country cannot and will not ever exist without faithful citizens who are givers, not takers.  A just society is impossible without citizens who dare to pursue truth, goodness and charity, ultimately because it fulfills their destiny to return to God what is God's.

That is why freedom of religion is the #1 freedom the United States can give its citizens.  It's not just a freedom of the church from the state, it's the freedom for religion to do it's best work! What is the best work?  It is the work of faith in forming responsible and virtuous leaders that our communities so desperately need.

That's the kind of voter you have to be. Not one who blames, but one who embraces responsibility.  Not one who complains, but one who works like crazy to grow in God's likeness. You have to be a giver not a taker.  You need to be that citizen who knows how to multiply your gifts and give them away, rather than fighting over the last slice of the pie.  You do this not because you have to, but because you want to.  You are made to return to God what is God's.

I'm not going to insult your responsibility by telling you how to vote.  Figure it out, and do the right thing.

I am going to ask you to do something more more important than voting, something that will make a bigger difference long after this election is over.

What do you worship?

I pray for God's sake that you do not worship politics, the presidency or money.

I invite you to worship the image of God inscribed on you, by laying hold of the gift of your life.  Choose the fullness of life taught us by Jesus our Lord, for yourselves and everyone around you.

Return to God what is God's.