Second Sunday of Advent, cycle C

LUKE 3:1-6

THIS WEEK THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER CAME OUT WITH AN EDITORIAL THAT SAID THAT IT WAS TIME FOR WOMEN PRIESTS. THE REASONS GIVEN WERE MANY, BUT ONE WAS THAT “NO ONE” COULD SAY WHETHER A PERSON HAD RECEIVED A CALL TO THE PRIESTHOOD, AND TO SAY THAT ANATOMY WAS SOMEHOW A BARRIER WAS TO LIMIT THE POWER OF GOD. THE EDITORIAL WENT ON TO SAY THAT “THE MAJORITY” OF THE FAITHFUL SUPPORT THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN.

IN 1996, 27% OF THE POPULATION FELT THAT SAME SEX MARRIAGE SHOULD BE LEGALIZED. IN 2012, 49% FELT THAT WAY.

RECENTLY WHEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION INSISTED THAT HEALTH INSURANCE COVER ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL AND THE MORNING AFTER PILL, WHICH IS BASICALLY ABORTION, 39% OF CATHOLICS AGREED WITH THAT POSITION; 56% AGREED WITH THE BISHOPS, WHO CAME OUT STRONGLY AGAINST THIS PROVISION. ABOUT 33% OF PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CATHOLIC FEEL THAT ABORTION IS MORALLY ACCEPTABLE IN SOME SITUATIONS. AND IN ANOTHER POLL, 55% OF PEOPLE IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS CATHOLICS FELT THAT THERE WERE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN ASSISTED SUICIDE WAS OK.

WE AMERICANS PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR INDEPENDENCE, AND WE AREN'T ABOUT TO LET ANYONE TELL US WHAT TO BELIEVE – CATHOLICS INCLUDED, APPARENTLY. NOW I AM A HARD-CORE CATHOLIC, AND EVEN I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THE POSITIONS ON THESE ISSUES WHICH GO AGAINST THE CLEAR TEACHING OF THE CHURCH. THAT DOESN'T MEAN I AGREE WITH THEM, BUT I CAN SEE WHERE THE CHURCH'S POSITION CAN CAUSE SOME PEOPLE PAIN.

IN TODAY'S GOSPEL, YOU MIGHT BE STRUCK BY THE BEGINNING; “IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR....” WHY DID LUKE GO TO SO MUCH TROUBLE TO PIN DOWN THE TIME? DOES IT ADD ANYTHING TO THE STATEMENT ABOUT TIBERIUS TO THROW IN ALL THAT OTHER STUFF ABOUT TETRARCHS AND GOVERNORS AND KINGS AND HIGH PRIESTS? IF YOU KNOW WHEN TIBERIUS RULED, YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, DON'T YOU?

BUT I THINK LUKE IS NOT JUST TELLING US WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED; HE IS SAYING THAT DESPITE ALL THESE PEOPLE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS, BOTH CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS, THE WORD OF GOD DID NOT GO TO THEM; INSTEAD, IT WENT TO THE WILDERNESS AND SOUGHT OUT JOHN THE BAPTIST. AND IN THE SCRIPTURES WE READ ABOUT VAST CROWDS THAT FOLLOWED JOHN. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN CROWDS OUT THERE LISTENING TO HIM, BUT IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE TODAY, MOST PEOPLE JUST WENT ON ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. THE SAME WAS TRUE OF JESUS; CROWDS FOLLOWED HIM, BUT AS WE CAN SEE FROM THE STORY OF THE CRUCIFIXION, CROWDS OPPOSED HIM AS WELL.

WE MAY PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT, BUT THE STATISTICS ARE CLEAR; CATHOLICS THINK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR SOCIETY. THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO AGREE WITH BARACK OBAMA OR JOE BIDEN THAN WITH CARDINAL DOLAN. AND YOUNG CATHOLICS ESPECIALLY, IF THEY STILL HAVE ANY ATTACHMENT AT ALL TO THE CHURCH, ARE LIKELY TO EXPLAIN THEIR SO-CALLED ENLIGHTENED ATTITUDES ABOUT SAME SEX MARRIAGE, ABORTION, ASSISTED SUICIDE, ORDINATION OF WOMEN – ATTITUDES WHICH ARE DIAMETRICALLY APPOSED TO WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES – BY SAYING THAT JESUS WOULD AGREE WITH THEIR POSITION. WHY? BECAUSE HE HAS A SOFT HEART; HE HAS SYMPATHY FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES; HE WOULD NEVER AGREE WITH A CHURCH THAT TAUGHT THINGS THAT MIGHT CAUSE ANYONE PAIN. JESUS WAS ALL ABOUT FORGIVENESS, FINDING THE LOST SHEEP, EATING WITH SINNERS, TAKING SIDES AGAINST AUTHORITIES, BEING INCLUSIVE.

BUT IS THAT THE REAL JESUS? IT'S PART OF HIM,THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT HE IS ALSO THE ONE WHO SAID, “LISTEN TO THE PHARISEES AND THE SCRIBES, BECAUSE THEY SIT ON THE SEAT OF MOSES; BUT DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DO.” AND HE SAID, “FOR TRULY I SAY TO YOU, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, NOT THE SMALLEST LETTER OR STROKE SHALL PASS FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL IS ACCOMPLISHED.” AND HE SAID, “UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.” AND HE SAID, “WHATSOEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHAT YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.”

THERE WAS AN INTERESTING ANSWER TO THE EDITORIAL OF THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER. THE WRITER SAID, “IF WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE PRIESTS BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS WRONG IN ITS REASONED POSITION WHICH IT HAS HELD FOR 2000 YEARS, THEN WHY DESIRE TO BECOME CATHOLIC PRIESTS? IF THE CHURCH IS WRONG ABOUT THIS, IT'S PROBABLY WRONG ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, AND MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THOSE WOMEN TO FIND A CHURCH THAT DOES ORDAIN WOMEN TO THE PRIESTHOOD, OR THE MINISTRY. AFTER ALL, THERE ARE SEVERAL, INCLUDING THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. BUT IF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE TRUE CHURCH FOUNDED BY CHRIST AND PROTECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES IS THE TEACHING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF YOU WANT TO BE A CATHOLIC, GET ON BOARD.

THE PEOPLE WHO LISTENED TO JOHN THE BAPTIST WERE THE REAL INDEPENDENT THINKERS. WHEN THEY LISTENED TO HIM, THEY KNEW IN THEIR HEARTS THAT HE HAD THE WORD OF GOD. SOMETIMES THE WORD WAS DIFFICULT TO HEAR – JOHN CONDEMNED HEROD FOR MARRYING HIS BROTHER'S WIFE, WHICH LED TO HIS EXECUTION. A MODERN CATHOLIC WOULD SAY, “WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? THE BROTHER HAD DIED. SO WHAT IF GOD'S LAW SAID OTHERWISE? WHY SHOULD HEROD AND HERODIAS HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF A LAW?” JOHN INSISTED ON OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW. HE TOLD SOLDIERS TO BE CONTENT WITH THEIR PAY, TAX COLLECTORS TO ONLY COLLECT WHAT THEY WERE ENTITLED TO – THESE WERE RULES HE WAS LAYING DOWN. WE MODERN PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA THAT THE EARLY CHRISTIANS, INDEED, EARLY CHRISTIANITY, OVERTHREW THE LAW. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ MUCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW WAS STILL BEING PREACHED BY PETER, PAUL, AND THE OTHER EARLY LEADERS.

JEWISH LAW HAD ITS ABUSES, BUT IF ANYTHING THE REAL ABUSE WAS USUALLY TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD AND THINK THROUGH HOW IT COULD BE APPLIED TO EVERY SITUATION IMAGINABLE; AND SOMETIMES THAT SOUNDED SILLY. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS DID NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER, BUT INSTEAD, SAW THAT THERE WAS A CERTAIN CORE OF MORAL BEHAVIOR THAT EXISTED IN JEWISH LAW. THIS THEY KEPT.

IF YOU ARE A MODERN CATHOLIC AND YOU THINK THAT THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH ARE JUST THE RAMBLINGS OF OLD MEN IN LONG ROBES TRYING TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT, THE MOST LIKELY THING IS THAT YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO LEARN WHY THE CHURCH TEACHES WHAT IT TEACHES. IN THE YEAR OF THE FAITH PROCLAIMED BY OUR HOLY FATHER, IT IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO STUDY THESE ISSUES. YOUR CHOICE IS TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT THINKER AND BEGIN WITH THE WORD OF GOD, OR TO GO ALONG WITH WHATEVER THE PREVAILING OPINION IS.

GOD DOES NOT CHANGE, AND HIS TEACHINGS DON'T CHANGE.