Catholics and the Insurrection

                                                     Catholics and the Insurrection

The Baptism of the Lord 2021

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January 10, 2021

Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11

 

 

The images of insurrectionists breaking into the U.S. Capitol this week will remain seared into the consciousness of the American people, and Catholics have a lot of praying to do over how to engage in a political process as Jesus recommends. Right up front I want to say that God never uses force; violence is not of God, and we are called, especially on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, to imitate Jesus. The work of Jesus has always been about reconciliation and integrations, not causing discord and separation. Jesus reconciled us to God, and we do the work of reconciling with God when we reconcile with one another. Force does not reconcile; discourse, prayer, and listening to increase understanding does.

 

We are not on the school playground anymore because our bodies tell us that we are adults. We cannot defend actions by saying, “He did this, and she did that, or they started it.” Those are answers of schoolchildren who are afraid of getting caught and owning up to their actions. Those are answers of schoolchildren who haven’t yet learned how to effectively express anger and frustration. Children may react to events around them; adults are to respond based on the tenets of their faith. Early on in life, children learn this important maxim, “If you compare, you despair.” A Catholic is called to a higher standard of conduct, and it is one’s continuous duty to form and inform one’s conscience and to be guided rightly by prayer. The cosmic battle between good and evil is play out in each person’s heart. 

 

Catholics are called to be part of the political process, despite the maxim “separation of church and state,” which is intended at the highest levels to set out that one faith denomination is not linked to the governance of its entire citizenry. Within the political realm, a Catholic is to fully participate in all aspects of governmental decision making. It is one’s duty. It is also one’s duty to educate oneself and to expand one’s worldview and perspectives in order to see what fits right with one’s faith beliefs. 

 

Where does it begin? It starts with the data we take in. We can either take in data that provides us healthy nourishment or toxic and destructive nutrients. We come to church on Sundays to take in the Word of God and the Body of Christ because it feeds us love and compassion, and it uplifts us and makes us healthy. Those are good choices. We are also nourished by the stimuli of the world around us because everything we consume, that is, what we watch and read for news sources and the conversations we have, either heals us or poison us. If we are taking in information that causes us tension and anger, then we are choosing to nourish violence and suffering, and that is contrary to God and contrary to God’s will for us. It is a Christian’s duty to inform one’s conscience in line with God’s will. 

 

A Catholic has to be able to discern between a hierarchy of opinions because not every opinion is equal, and while one does have the freedom of speaking one’s opinion, prudential judgment will tell us that we do not have to share our opinions whenever we have one. Those  opinions that are unsubstantiated have much less weight than an informed opinion by a professional who is well-trained. Many cable shows are opinion and spin shows and not news shows, and some shows are for investigative journalism. Yet, even though, we may take in opinions that support our position, Catholics have a responsibility to speak with charity, with understanding, and compassion. Catholics seek the truth, which means respecting facts and professional data, verifiable processes, and to build conclusions that benefit everyone who is part of the common good. It is uninteresting to tear down arguments without building up data and resources that contribute to the overall well-being to the body of knowledge.

 

St. Ignatius in his spiritual resource The Spiritual Exercises asks a retreatant to make a meditation on The Call of Christ and Rallying under His Standard, and it serves as a guidepost for Jesuit priests and all who make The Exercises. He suggests that we pray: not to be deaf to Christ’s call in our lives and to be willing to do what Christ asks of us, which is to make God’s dream for the world come true. We accept the counter-cultural values of poverty, self-giving, and dignified humility. Spiritually poor, Jesus relies of the Father’s love and support. Materially poor, he chooses poverty that allows him to live for others more easily. False pride puts me at the center of the universe, while Christ-like pride recognizes the truth that each person is created in the image of God and enjoys inherent dignity. A humble person recognizes her worth and human limitations. As we imitate Christ, we live with meaning, dignity, and joy. 

 

The standard of enemy of human nature is repulsive, harsh, and seeks only to deceive and enslave people; the standard of Christ is inviting, gentle, and desires only to liberate people to love God and serve others. Both want to rule the world, but in different ways and for different reason. Listen to Christ’s invitation. He says, “My will is to conquer the whole land of the infidels. Hence, whoever wishes to come with me has to be content with the same food I eat, and the drink and the clothing which I wear. So too each one must labor with me during the day and keep watch in the night, so that each later may have a part with me in victory, just as each has shared in the toil.” In other words, we are to become like him. Today, as we renew our baptismal promises, it is a good prayer to “not be deaf to Christ’s all, and to help make God’s dream for us come true.”