February 28, 2022
Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) on February 27, 2022 at St. Austin Catholic Parish in Austin, TX. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Sirach 27:4-7; Psalm 92; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; and Luke 6:39-45.
For the past two weeks at daily Mass, we’ve been studying the Letter of James, with all its practical wisdom about how we Christians are to live out our faith in everyday situations. James is pithy and blunt, and one passage in particular goes very well with our readings from Luke and Sirach today: “Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire” (James 3:5-6).
Today, our readings talk about a whole host of sins we commit against one another. The main emphasis in Sirach seems to be on the sins we commit when we open our mouths. We may not be able to control our thoughts or emotions at all times, but we have a lot more control over the words we choose.
For all the times when we have committed sins, especially when we have committed sins in our speaking, we ask for God’s healing mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are God’s Word made flesh. Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you heal the wounds of sin and division. Christ have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you invite us to greater harmony with one another. Lord, have mercy.
Right now, Ukraine and Russia are on the forefront of our minds. Pope Francis has asked all people of good will throughout the world – whether they are Christian or not – to fast and pray this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, for peace in Ukraine.
Most of us imagine peace as the total absence of conflict, but the current geopolitical situation makes it clear: there can be peace even when there is disagreement. Peace is the ability to stay calm and centered even in the midst of conflict. This week, we pray for God to help all the troops to go home, all the military weapons to be laid down, and for justice to prevail.
As we pray for peace in Ukraine in a special way on Ash Wednesday, let us not neglect to examine our own consciences. We may not be directly engaged in the largest land war in Europe in over 75 years. Many of us can go years, if not even decades, without resorting to physical violence. We may rarely experience the emotion of out-and-out wrath. But how do each of us contribute to the wounds and divisions in the world? Sirach, Luke, the upcoming season of Lent, and the Holy Spirit invite us to fast permanently from our bad behaviors.
For me, and for many of you who’ve sought me out for counsel these past six years, we struggle with sins tied to two emotions that seem to relate to our readings from Sirach and Luke: anger and inadequacy. Now, to be clear: emotions are not sins. They are God-given physical sensations. The sins occur when we make poor decisions on how to channel these emotions.
A lot of us struggle with anger. We ignore the feeling or pretend that it’s not in us. And even if we don’t get all the way to anger, we experience anger’s lesser cousins, frustration and annoyance. The other emotion related to our readings is a sense of inadequacy. (I think it’s technically called shame, but that word is too scary for a lot of us to explore.) Together, the emotions of anger and inadequacy – especially when we try to ignore them or distract ourselves from feeling them – reveal themselves when we open our mouths, committing grievous sins that we too often dismiss as trivial.
Pope Francis frequently preaches about gossip. As he famously said: “Gossip can also kill, because it kills the reputation of the person! It is so terrible to gossip! At first it may seem like a nice thing, even amusing, like enjoying a candy. But in the end, it fills the heart with bitterness, and even poisons us.”
Even when we think we’re being diplomatic, our tone and word choice often reveal that we’ve not only judged the other person, but also we’ve volunteered to serve on the jury and be the executioner!
For example, for one assignment in a seminary preaching class, I preached on a portion of today’s gospel. I was proud of what I had put together, but the friends and classmates that I had gathered to critique it as part of my midterm exam were very critical. They pointed out my obvious preconceived notions about the intended audience. While I exhorted them not to judge others, it was clear that I had already judged them. Oh, the irony! I was quick to reach for the speck in the other’s eye before removing the plank from my own!
Friends: rotten trees do not bear good fruit. This Lent, can we begin to exchange our stony hearts for softened ones? Can we lay down our weapons, even when we feel vulnerable or inadequate? Can we stop nursing grudges? Because if we don’t, our mouths will reveal the divisive thoughts we’ve been harboring.
Holy Spirit, this Lent, give us the courage to delve more deeply into the emotions that we sometimes bury. Help us to befriend these feelings and take them to you in prayer, before they do damage to ourselves, our friends and neighbors, and our entire world!
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