homilies
on the liturgy of the Sundays and feasts

by george m. franko

The power of prayer
18th Sunday of the Year — August 5

“C” Readings: Eccl. 1:2; 2:21-23 • Col. 3:1-5, 9-11 • Luke 12:13-21

Title: Prayer (C)
Purpose: (1) to teach the difference between public or liturgical prayer and private prayer; (2) to stress the basic necessity of daily private prayer.

Many of our Catholic churches on Sundays! It is almost miraculous how practically empty churches five minutes before Mass are filled before Mass begins, and how they empty in five minutes after Mass ends. A study should be made of the “coming to church” habits of Catholics. All ostensibly come to pray and some begin praying before Mass begins. They say the rosary, light a candle and then wait patiently for Mass to begin. Others gamble on the priest being late, or the servers not lighting the candles on time, or the Readers or Eucharistic Ministers not showing up. They simply do not have time for prayers before Mass. And then after Mass. Many rush out of church — they have no time for private prayers. Some linger awhile hoping to speak to the priest after all others have left the church. A few stay in church to pray. Why do Catholics come to Mass? To pray, but there are differences! The “coming to church” habits of Catholics demonstrate two forms of prayer — liturgical and private. Both are necessary and I ask you to reflect on them today.

We find incentives to prayer in today’s Scripture Readings. The rich man in the gospel parable was not only greedy but foolish. Had he prayed he would not have felt that “rest, eat, drink, be merry” constituted the essence of happiness. He would have learned the lesson of the First Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!”

St. John Damascene defines prayer as “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (CCC 2559). Prayer is praising God. Prayer is thanking God. Prayer is asking help from God. Prayer is asking forgiveness from God. Prayer is that privileged time when a person uses his reason and free will to enter into communion with his God, the God who gave him those gifts. Prayer is an act of homage and worship. It rises from the soul in response to God’ s first commandment, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve” (Deut. 6:13). It is one of the first acts of religion because it follows upon knowledge of and belief in God, not as some blind force outside of this world but as a Provident Father. Atheists do not pray which shows clearly why believers must. Prayer then is at the same time a privilege and a duty — a prerequisite for salvation.

Prayer is so important that we can define Christ’s Church in terms of prayer. The Church exists to pray — to offer God worship in behalf of mankind “from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Mal. 1:11). When the Church prays as the spotless Bride of Christ she does so in her liturgy and we as members of the Mystical Body, as Church, pray with Christ. We pray, “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.” It stands to reason therefore that liturgical prayer is most important in our prayer life. “No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree” (CCC 1070). By liturgical prayer we mean first of all the Mass but while we may not be aware of it, all the other sacraments of the Church are liturgical prayers too. The Church makes this clear in the formula of absolution which we hear every time we go to confession. The priest in the name of Christ and “through the ministry of the Church” prays for us and absolves our sins. The Divine Office is also liturgical prayer and while it is obligatory for some ministers of the Church it is highly recommended to all her children, especially Morning and Evening Prayers. It is gratifying to see that in many places parishioners gather in church for these prayers daily.

As children of God we are also called to private prayer which we may offer to God alone or in various prayer groups. Most of us have discovered the beauty and power of private prayers such as the rosary, Stations of the Cross and novenas and we know that they have brought us closer to God. Private prayer comes from the depths of our psyche and while it cannot be compared to liturgical prayer in efficacy, it is still important to our spiritual well being. It may actually bring us into a more intimate union with God as many saints have experienced. Nor is there some wall of separation between liturgical and private prayer. Private prayer leads to liturgical prayer and makes it more meaningful. It also follows and makes it more productive in our lives. Our habits of prayer before and after Mass may well determine whether “we get nothing out of Mass” or make the Mass the center of our daily lives. There are also ample opportunities for private prayer during Mass — during moments of silence, before the gospel when we ask that “The Lord be on my mind, on my lips and in my heart,” at the elevations of the Body and Blood of Christ when we confess “My Lord and my God,” and at Holy Communion when we surely have much to say to the Lord.

Private prayer should make each day of our lives a pleasing offering to God. It flows from a deep awareness of God’s abiding presence. When people of importance visit, their presence is acknowledged and the same may be said of loved ones. Soldiers salute their officers, husbands tenderly embrace their wives and even dogs wag their tails when their masters come home. How could we ignore the presence of our Creator?

Our belief in Providence is based on the conviction that God sees all and decides all. He sees our needs, problems, doubts, sins, hopes, disappointments, joys and sorrows and decides what is best for us. When we pray we are aware of this and are not asking God to act contrary to what he has decreed. We express our desires and offer them to God in reverent submission to his will even as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

The supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity were infused into our souls with baptism. Prayer is proof that they are operative in our souls. Prayer is the first act of faith in an all good and all loving Creator. It is an act of hope based on God’s promises and providence. It is an act of charity overflowing in a heart filled with love of God. Prayer is an act of faith, hope and charity directed to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Prayer is the constant witness to the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in our souls.

For all these reasons the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that prayer is a vital necessity. It quotes St. John Chrysostom, “Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy. . . . For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin,” and it also warns us in the words of St. Alphonsus Liguori, “Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned” (CCC 2755).

Monday and Thursday of this week are special memorial days. On Monday, August 6, we remember that the first atomic bomb killed some 200,000 people in Hiroshima in 1945. Three days later another atomic bomb killed more civilians at Nagasaki. We pray that such calamities may never be inflicted again on mankind. Monday, August 6, is also the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. We pray that through the grace of God we may continue to grow into the likeness of the Lord. Prayer can transform us; it can make sinners into saints.

Suggested reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1070, 1097, 2096-2098, 2559, 2744; The Teaching of Christ, 392-407; Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. II, 68-70, 249-251.

Talking with God
19th Sunday of the Year — August 12

“C” Readings: Wis. 18:6-9 • Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19 • Luke 12:32-48

Title: Prayer (D)
Purpose: to give practical advice on developing a strong prayer life; have a daily schedule; eliminate distractions; outgrow childhood habits, etc.

It is hot outside. It should be, it is August. Even as we enjoy our beautiful summer weather, however, and perhaps even complain a little about the heat, let us not forget what happened last year on August 12. The ill-fated Russian nuclear submarine, Kursk, suffered devastating explosions and sank in Arctic waters off north-western Russia killing 118 crewmen. Rescue attempts were made but all failed. Some bodies were retrieved some months later and a note was found on one with the words “Must not despair!” Whom was the poor man trusting — the Russian navy, international rescuers, God? What was the man hoping for — getting out alive from the doomed sub, or more? The Russian navy and international rescue efforts failed. If the man was praying to God — God did not fail. The man was saved even though he perished in the sea.

The Scripture Readings today called our attention to the importance of faith in God and the Second Reading pointed to the examples of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. Where there is faith there is prayer. Abraham, Sarah and Isaac would not have been able to persevere in doing God’s will without prayer. Without saying as much, the Readings also teach us that the sincerity of prayer is tested not so much in words as in actions. Faith actions are often unexpressed prayers, and they are powerful prayers indeed!

Prayers deal with the past, the present or the future. They consist of regrets, hopes, praise and petitions and they always imply conversation with God whether expressed in words or not. But prayer is not just a take it or leave it chat. It may at times be prompted by mundane needs, but ultimately it pleads for that which is most necessary to a person, life everlasting, salvation.

Most everyone enjoys pleasant conversation with a good friend. Prayer, being conversation with a good God, should be most enjoyable. Pleasant conversation with a good and understanding friend comes easy and so prayer, being conversation with an all-knowing God, should also come easy. Yet, prayer must not always be enjoyable and easy since many of us put it off. We may even feel that we do not know how to pray and like the disciples who came to Jesus and asked, “Lord teach us to pray,” so do we.

There are some prerequisites for prayer and the first is knowledge of and faith in God. The Greeks in Athens may have built a monument to the “Unknown God,” but I doubt that they prayed to him. The atheist does not pray. Here is a revolting thought — when we put off prayer, are we not acting like atheists! Let us go on. Christian prayer comes from one who recognizes Jesus as Son of God, Redeemer and Savior. The universal sign of Christianity is the cross simply because it proclaims to the world that God so loved us that he sent his only begotten Son to ransom us from our sins. He did this by dying on the cross; there he offered his life in sacrifice for our sins. The unchurched, the pagans, those who have not been evangelized do not know this and so probably do not pray. We know it. When we put off prayer are we not acting like those who have never heard of Christ? Thank God it may not be all that bad. We may well believe in God and be lovingly grateful for our redemption but we remain oh so human, with a limited attention span, with restless, wandering imaginations and countless distractions around us.

The problem with prayer is that we must bridge the chasm between the world around us and the world we cannot see. Conversation with a friend is comparatively easy because we see him and interact with him. We not only talk but are talked to even if it is only by phone. The conversation moreover relates to what we see and hear around us. Conversation with God seems so one-sided. We talk. We never hear a voice answering us. We do not see God. We seem to be all alone. Yes, by faith we know that God is everywhere and he knows our every thought, hears our every word, sees our every deed — but we do not hear him. How much would a word of comfort mean to us when we feel abandoned! How much would an answer to a question mean to us when we are struggling with a doubt! How much would a word of forgiveness mean when we are grieved by our sins! But we hear nothing — silence! It takes faith, a strong faith, to hear God as his words are echoed by our conscience, as his words come to us from Scripture where they were spoken to prophets but meant also for us. We hear his voice in the goodness and beauty that surround us, in the singing of the birds, in the warmth of the sun, in the rising and setting of the sun. It takes faith to see and hear, but on the other hand, without faith all this would be only noise and chaos.

There are practical ways to help faith see and hear, help us earthbound mortals. First we must train ourselves to be aware of God’s presence. The siren of an ambulance calls our attention to a sick or dying person. It should call our attention to God’s loving care of him and us. The same could be said of the flashing lights of a police cruiser rushing to save one in danger, of lightning and thunder. God’s power is always there, so is his goodness and providence. It is up to us to see it.

We may ask: “When should we pray?” Prayer sanctifies the whole day. St. John Chrysostom says that prayer should not be “confined to fixed times or periods but continuous throughout the day and night.” Nevertheless it is helpful if we develop habits of praying when the rising and setting of the sun remind us of the beginning and end of each day — morning and evening prayers! The need of the body for nourishment should also remind us of the need of the soul for spiritual food — meal time prayers! As we grow in the spiritual life we hear other calls to prayer — before and after every daily task, in times of danger and temptation, when success crowns our labor, when disappointments sadden us, when we fall into sin, when illness threatens.

We may ask: “Where is the best place to pray! Our Lord said this, “Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private” (Matt. 6:6). St. Ambrose explains, “But by ‘room’ you must understand, not a room enclosed by walls that imprison your body, but the room that is within you, the room where you hide your thoughts, where you keep your affections. This room of prayer is always with you, wherever you are, and it is always a secret room, where only God can see you” (Liturgy of the Hours, IV, 347).

Recall the words of our Lord in the gospel, “Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” One way to do this is prayer. Heaven is the state and place of eternal happiness. What shall we do there? There will no longer be need of working for a living, for caring for children and the aged, for works of mercy and charity. With all of the blessed we shall find our perfect happiness in praising God — praying. Prayer on earth therefore is practice for heaven.

Suggested reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2691, 2697, 2728.

Both body and soul
Assumption of Mary — August 15

Readings: Rev. 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 • 1 Cor. 15:20-26 • Luke 1:39-56

Title: The Assumption of Mary
Purpose: to picture our Lady as (1) the ideal Christian and (2) our intercessor in life and at the hour of death.

Even though it is years since the end of the Korean and Viet-Nam Wars, the government is doing its best to recover the remains of servicemen missing in action and bring them home for proper burial. Families are relieved and grateful. It is the least the nation can do for men who sacrificed their lives for their country. The bodies of fallen heroes deserve to be brought home.

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt he also took Joseph’s bones along because Joseph had ordered the Israelites to swear solemnly that when they would leave Egypt they would carry his bones away with them. The Israelites cared for Joseph’s bones for 430 years and then took them home. Joseph’s body deserved the honor.

Today’s Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary celebrates her joining her divine Son in heaven, body and soul and sharing in the glory of his resurrection. It was appropriate that the Blessed Virgin Mary was given this privilege. That Mary’s soul is in heaven could be taken for granted. She would join the souls of the prophets and apostles in heaven, but the Blessed Virgin was special, she was assumed into heaven body and soul. She went home — for heaven is where God is, where Jesus sits at God’s right hand.

The implications of this teaching of our Catholic Faith are awesome. First of all we believe that the body of man deserves respect and honor. This is why servicemen are buried with full military honors, why the Israelites cared for Joseph’s bones for centuries, why the Church honors the bodies of her children with Christian Burial. The basis for reverence for the body is that man is a creature of body and soul, not in the sense that he is composed of two separate elements, but because the body is made for the soul and together they constitute one person. This is the difference between the spiritual soul and an angel. Because man’s soul is spiritual it does not perish when it separates from the body at death. Because his body was made for the soul it will be reunited with the soul at the final Resurrection (CCC 366). And so the Assumption of Mary into heaven body and soul presages our own assumption into heaven on the day of resurrection. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states clearly, “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (CCC 966).

Even though the Assumption of Mary into heaven is not mentioned in Scripture, it has been celebrated and taught by the Church from the earliest times. The Eastern Christian Church celebrated the Assumption on August 15th from the 6th century and called it the Dormition or “falling asleep” of Mary. One of the great Fathers of the Church, St. John Damascene, living in the 8th century, clearly explained the reasons for this tradition, and so it is for good reason that today we have come to Mass to join our voices to the Church’s age-old chorus singing the praises of Mary, assumed into heaven.

As we celebrate Mary’s Assumption into heaven, we turn our minds to the Fall of Man. It was after Adam and Eve sinned, after Original Sin, that God pronounced judgment on mankind, “By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). Death entered the world with Original Sin, God, however, preserved Mary from Original Sin to prepare a fitting mother for his Son by virtue of the foreseen merits of Christ. On the one hand it was fitting that Mary experienced death as did her divine Son, but on the other hand, that her body should not have been subjected to decay on earth.

We turn now to our own future resurrection. While we are born with Original Sin, baptism erases its effects and our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, we remain subject to death as the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, “It is appointed that men die once, and after death be judged” (Heb. 9:27). It stands to reason then that as long as we live on earth we should prize the precious gifts of life, body and soul and care for them as good stewards of God’s gifts. Concern for physical health becomes a duty and it involves more than hygiene, proper diet and exercise. It includes the care that a virtuous life bestows. The body as well as the soul benefit from the virtues of temperance, chastity, purity — all the virtues. Furthermore we must contend with the limitations and weaknesses of the body and remember the words of our Lord, “Be on guard, and pray . . . The spirit is willing but nature is weak” (Matt. 26:41).

It would be wrong to picture Mary as passively receiving gift after gift from God without struggle or temptation. Jesus suffered and was tempted. Mary was no different. Little wonder we must “work with anxious concern to achieve” our salvation. In our struggles we see that Mary is the perfect example for us because she perfectly cooperated with God’s grace. As Jesus told St. Paul: “My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection” (2 Cor. 12:9) so Mary knew that she was to serve God body and soul. With God’s grace she built and strengthened virtue in her life and demonstrated that there is a reward waiting for those who do likewise. We firmly believe that she is not only an inspiring model but also a loving patroness. We seek her intercession and she does not disappoint us.

We seldom think of Mary before the Annunciation, but for some sixteen years, Mary lived among her people and studied the Law of Moses and the prophets. She was no careless listener — she knew how to out into practice what she learned She also learned to pray. Her Song of Praise shows that she prayed the Psalms daily. The Psalms, perfect models of prayer, became part of her very thinking. Her Song of Praise is skillfully woven out of Psalm themes and phrases.

Mary’s life was not easy. The aged Simeon had foretold that a sword of sorrow would pierce her heart, and it did often — in her search for a haven to give birth to the Christ Child, in the flight to Egypt, in her three-day search for the lost Jesus in Jerusalem, and during the long hours of her Son’s passion and death.

Mary’s role in the Holy Family shows what living with Jesus really means. Her silence speaks more eloquently than the learned family counselors of today. Humble work and discipline made her home the first school Jesus attended, a school of prayer, virtue and obedience to God’s will.

Mary anticipated the words of God the Father spoken on Mt. Tabor: “This is my beloved Son on whom my favor rests. Listen to him” (Matt. 17:5). At Cana, she told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5) — in other words, “Listen to him,” and Jesus worked his first miracle.

After the Ascension the apostles needed a mother’s support, and Mary went with then to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit.

With good reason the Church teaches her children the “Hail Mary” at the earliest age and hopes that it will be among our last prayers as we prepare to meet our Creator and Judge. She confidently expects this to be a happy encounter, because Mary will be there to welcome us after death and celebrate with us on the day of our resurrection.

Suggested reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 326, 365-367, 491, 966, 2288-2291.

The danger of drink
20th Sunday of the Year — August 19

“C” Readings: Jer. 38:4-6, 8-10 • Heb. 12:1-4 • Luke 12:49-53

Title: Alcoholism
Purpose: to teach (1) what alcoholism is; (2) how people have controlled alcoholism; (3) the two possible Christian attitudes

It happened during a very hot spell in August some fifty years ago We had no air conditioning then. I was a newly ordained priest. One morning after a restless night I was awakened by a doorbell. I went to the door and there was an elderly gentleman who said with some trepidation, “I want to take the pledge!” I listened to his story sympathetically and asked, “For how long will you be taking the pledge from all alcoholic drink?” He quickly answered, “Oh, I always take it for life.” I held back a chuckle and helped the man through a hastily composed “pledge.” It seemed funny to me because the poor man was looking for a miracle even though he had apparently surrendered to his habit. Years later I discovered how much grief alcoholism can bring to a family and what seemed amusing to me with the “pledge” became very sad. Alcoholism is no joke.

We learn of the first man to get drunk in Genesis (Chapter 10). After the Great Flood, Noah and his three sons emerged from the ark and Noah set about planting a vineyard. At harvest time and after the grapes had fermented, he drank the wine and became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. His son, Ham, saw this and called his brothers, Shem and Japheth to see the sorry sight. Shem and Japheth took a robe and covered their father. When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what his youngest son had done he cursed Ham for exposing him to ridicule and blessed his other sons for shielding him from shame. Noah got drunk by accident. Alcoholism is no accident. Making light of it is wrong. It demands our serious concern.

We heard poignant words from our Lord today in the gospel. “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division,” he declared. Divisions often come from painful decisions. A person struggling with alcoholism must make painful decisions and find himself divided — from old drinking buddies and from occasions of sin, but he must go about finding new friends and worthwhile pursuits. He must build a new life after suffering painful divisions.

It is clear that I intend to say a few words about alcoholism today. Some physicians consider it to be a disease even though its causes may not be always certain. Recent studies indicate that genetic factors may play an important role in determining who becomes alcoholic. Unfortunately this becomes an excuse for some alcoholics. They resist a change of life on the grounds that “my family is genetically predisposed this way” and avoid treatment. Other physicians claim that alcoholism like other types of addictions is not a disease but a behavioral problem. We may not know everything about alcoholism but this much we know — it becomes a sickness sooner or later and as in the case of most sicknesses, we can and should do something about it. Genes may be factors but they do not take away free will.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is socially acceptable. There are toasts at birthdays and weddings and cocktails at parties but this love of alcohol comes at a high price. Some studies show that an average of 300 people die each day in our nation from alcohol-related causes and alcohol is tied to one-fifth of the nation’s suicides and more than half of its violent crimes. Ask the members of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, about the sorrow drunk drivers bring. Ask the families of alcoholics about the misery one addicted person can bring. If only we could find an easy solution to these problems.

It is helpful to review the causes clinicians identify as causes of alcoholism. There is no one cause for everyone’s problem but it appears that among younger alcoholics peer pressure, work-related conflicts, marital difficulties and parental responsibilities are often the factors that nudge them to such dependence. Among older alcoholics it is the loss of a spouse, friend or property, depression, boredom, loneliness poor self-esteem and decreased socialization. No doubt there are others. Gradualism may be one. A social drinker may become a secret drinker and a secret drinker may become an alcoholic who is known to everyone but himself.

We may not know the exact causes of alcoholism but we certainly know its consequences for the individual which are physical, mental and spiritual. Hang-overs usually pass away, liver problems stay. Grandiose thinking and rationalizations are examples of the mental problems heavy drinkers indulge. Alcohol allows them to create a fantasy world where everyone is wrong and they alone are right, and they bring upon themselves countless spiritual ills, a deadening of conscience, an openness to sexual sins and finally isolation from God. The alcoholic eventually finds himself alone, abandoned by friends and he thinks even by God.

True friends and family do not abandon an alcoholic but they sometimes feel helpless. God never abandons him and waits for the sinner to accept his help. Concerned people have tried to organize and find ways to prevent alcoholism and to help those who find themselves victims of this scourge. The Temperance Movement, the organized crusade against the use of alcoholic beverages, began in the early 19th century. The Capuchin preacher, Fr. Theobald Mathew, toured America preaching abstinence. “Taking the pledge” was a practice he encouraged in the cause of total abstinence and many were won over to sobriety. Since 1935, however, the twelve-step program developed by Alcoholics Anonymous has become the most popular treatment in America. The spiritual focus of AA gives alcoholics the strength and humility they need to admit their addiction, stop drinking and remain sober. Because of its spiritual focus the program is very effective with Catholics and knowledgeable priests highly recommend it. Professional treatment is also offered by various hospitals, clinics and psychological counselors. The first step to recovery, however, must be made by the alcoholic himself and this is usually confiding his problem to an understanding friend. The person who has built a wall of denial must begin to tear it down. The wall he put up to protect himself from pain is the same wall that keeps the pain in.

One of the difficulties in helping alcoholics is the fact that alcoholic beverages are not evil in themselves. The Psalms speak of wine “to gladden men’s hearts” (Ps. 104:15), our Lord worked his first miracle changing water to wine and gave us his Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine, and St. Paul urges Timothy, “Stop drinking water only. Take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because of your frequent illnesses” (1 Tim. 5:23). Some physicians now claim that wines may prevent heart diseases and there are cultures that almost demand wine with meals. In America cocktails before dinner and wine with dinner are commonplace. And so we would be mistaken if we were to urge total abstinence for everyone. Prohibition failed because it went too far. Drinking alcoholic beverages, however, must always be done in moderation. We must also not ignore the high cost of these beverages, and granted that taxes have inflated their price, they can easily place an unnecessary burden on the family budget.

For some, moderation in drinking may be more difficult than total abstinence and the Catechism of the Catholic Church cautions us:

The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own or others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air. (CCC 2290)

Finally we must not ignore priestly counseling and the sacrament of Reconciliation in controlling our appetites for food and drink. Drinking alcoholic beverages to excess may become a serious sin for anyone not only the alcoholic. The sinfulness consists in subjecting oneself to the impairment or loss of moral judgment and risking one’s health. St. Paul lists drunkenness as one of the sins of the flesh which could prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:21).

Suggested reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2288-2291.

On forming a Catholic conscience
21st Sunday of the Year — August 26

“C” Readings: Isa. 66:18-21 • Heb. 12:5-7, 11-13 • Luke 13:22-30

Title: The Magisterium and a Catholic Conscience
Purpose: (1) to explain how Jesus has given his Church shepherds and teachers; (2) to teach how a Catholic conscience is to be formed and informed in light of the magisterium

I was listening to a talk show shortly after President Bush announced his intention to expand government support for faith-based social programs. The topic was whether it was right for the government to give money to religious institutions which are engaged in helping the poor and disadvantaged. Most callers seemed favorably disposed to the idea but a surprising number were opposed. One caller vehemently denounced the program with these words, “I don’t want churches cramming their morality down our throats!” With so much talk these days about America losing its moral sense one wonders why people would be disturbed about churches teaching the difference between right and wrong. Some apparently are. This brings me to my topic: The Church and Our Catholic Conscience. The Scripture Readings today show why this should be a concern. Jesus was preaching about the Reign of God and when asked, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” he answered, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” He went on to say that some will try to enter after the door is locked and be disappointed to hear, “Depart from me, all you evildoers!”

There is a great deal of confusion about morality because it is often thought of as a matter of’ individual choice. This is the age of relativism. Many people think that truth is relative and so also morality. And yet it is almost impossible to make individual moral choices without being influenced by someone, family, friends, society or the church. Consequently we can distinguish a number of moralities. We have the “stay out of jail” morality. We have the “keep up appearances” morality. We have the “don’t tell me what to do” morality. Where do we fit in?

For Catholics morality is based on an understanding of right and wrong, good and evil, made known by natural reason and guided by Scripture and Tradition. Scripture and Tradition must be taught, interpreted and applied to changing circumstances and this is done legitimately by the teaching office of the Church or magisterium.

Everyone knows that teaching is one thing and learning, another. The Church teaches the difference between right and wrong but her children do not always learn the lessons. When Pope John XXIII wrote his famous encyclical “Mater et Magistra,” “Mother and Teacher,” someone quipped, “Mother, yes, Teacher, no!” In teaching the difference between right and wrong the Church must therefore patiently and painstakingly prepare us to be teachable. Only in this way can she lay the foundations of a truly Christian morality. In our times she cannot presuppose that people believe in God and so she must proclaim the existence of an all knowing, all loving, all powerful God. Missionaries working in Siberia report that one of the last vestiges of Communism is the loss of a moral sense among the people. Materialism and secularism, so pervasive in our society, are doing the same to Americans. The Church must therefore preach Jesus Christ, “in season and out of season” and inspire faith in his Gospel. In Jesus and his Gospel we find explanation, motivation and encouragement not only to know the difference between right and wrong but to choose right over wrong in all the circumstances of life. What would be the advantage of doing this, however, when it meant that a person would suffer loss in property or social position, be hindered in advancement in career or reputation? A series of erudite lectures would not be as effective as hearing that Jesus, Son of God, preached to the poor, healed the sick, forgave sinners, promised everlasting life, submitted to an unjust judge, accepted torture and death on the cross, and finally warned of an imminent judgment which would welcome the just to heaven and consign evildoers to hell. His resurrection from the dead is the ultimate victory over sin and death, of right over wrong, of good over evil.

One day our Lord chided the Pharisees for not reading “the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3). What are the signs of our times? It is apparent that in many cases society judges right and wrong differently than the Church does. The reason is clear. Many outside the Church mold public opinion and they seem to have control of public education, civil courts and the news media. Catholic teaching is given scant attention and often is presented as incredulous if not ridiculous. The Church finds itself hard pressed to explain her position. She has brilliant apologists and their writings but not many Catholics are inclined to read such serious books. She depends on the Sunday homily and the diocesan newspaper to reach the majority of her children. Moral principles are generally well understood. The duty to choose good over evil is as dear to the heart of Americans as “motherhood, baseball and apple pie,” but when it comes to choosing what is good in the concrete there is a problem. Add to this the changing circumstances of each age and generation and one immediately sees how important it is for the committed Catholic to take the time and make the effort to learn what the Catholic Church teaches. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a good and practical aid in doing this. There is more, however, than just knowing Catholic doctrine. As Catholics, we must often take a countercultural stance and resist severe social pressure to practice what we believe.

Morality is not only a public issue, it is a matter of conscience for everyone. In recent years an appeal to conscience has taken on the solemnity of appealing to Caesar in Roman times. Again it is individualism, subjectivism and relativism. It is doubtless false psychology to think of conscience as a separate faculty. It is simply our reason reflecting upon the goodness or evil of a given act, applying intuitive apprehensions and basic principles and carefully considering personal experience and — the teaching of the Church. What the Church has proclaimed to the world, conscience must echo to each of us, and not only echo but elicit our assent. We must continually grow in love of the values of the Kingdom of God so that we can successfully confront the age-old enemies of our salvation — the world, the flesh and the devil.

This coming week we have three feasts that are monuments to a Catholic conscience. Monday is the feast of St. Monica, a saintly woman who prayed incessantly for her son, for his conversion and return to the Catholic faith. She could have salved her conscience and said, “He’s of age, it’s his conscience” as she saw her son living in sin. She did not. She prayed. She counseled. Tuesday is the feast of her son, St. Augustine who struggled with his temptations and sins for years and finally returned to God and became a great bishop and Father of the Church. His writings continue to inspire saints and sinners to this day. Wednesday is the feast of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist — truly a martyr of conscience. Imprisoned because he dared to rebuke Herod Antipas for his unlawful marriage and beheaded because of this king’s vengeful wife, he proved to be a courageous witness to his true conscience and to the false conscience of Herod and his wife. If possible we should attend Mass on these days and pray to be able to follow their examples.

When it comes to good conscience formation we Catholics are truly blessed in having the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In confession sins are forgiven but in the whole process of examining our consciences, listening to the admonitions of the priest confessor and in our prayers for light and sorrow for sin we have the best aid to forming a good conscience and living by it. Several years ago the Superintendent of Schools in Chicago received a letter with a dollar bill in it. The letter read:

About six years ago I stole some writing paper from my public school and you will find enclosed in this letter one dollar, which is more than the value of what I took. The priest told me in confession that God won’t forgive me if I do not return stolen goods, so I am doing the best I can, returning the value of the paper.

Many similar cases have occurred over the years. This is a Catholic conscience.

Suggested reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 888-892, 1776-1789, 1812-1813.

Reverend George M. Franko is a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio. He was ordained in 1950 and is now pastor emeritus of Holy Name Parish, Youngstown. He was engaged in pastoral work during his active ministry. He also served on the Diocesan Tribunal and taught medical ethics at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing. Fr. Franko now does weekend work, substitutes for pastors, and takes preaching assignments. His last series of homilies in HPR appeared in October 2000.