Homily Twenty-Eighth Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Galatians 5:18-25) “Is My Life Crummy?”
Homily Twenty-Eighth Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Galatians 5:18-25) “Is My Life Crummy?”
Doctors use diagnostic tools to see if someone is healthy. They might use a thermometer or a stethoscope. A quick examination can sometimes determine major problems.
Galatians 5:18-25 is a quick diagnostic tool that we can use to see if we are spiritually healthy. In this reading, Paul talks about what is of the flesh and what is of the spirit. What is of the flesh are worldly values. What is of the flesh are other worldly values.
The vises listed in this reading are what we would call deadly sins. Such sins seep into our life. Many times, we are not even aware of their corrosive nature. People we talk to every day can reinforce the negative feelings we have.
Someone once said that the sins listed in 5th chapter of The Letter to the Galatians are like the warning lights on a car. Most of us have multiple lights on our dashboard that can flash if there is something wrong. Many times, we just keep driving. Usually this is a mistake. Anger and jealously do not seem like a big deal, for example. But if we catch ourselves constantly having these feelings it is not healthy.
In contrast, if we find that we are becoming more patient, when we are more generous, if we find we are in better control of passions, then we are probably doing something right. What we are doing right is that we are probably praying more and taking care of our spiritual lives.
Somebody once shared the following spiritual wisdom, “crummy prayer crummy life.” If we have a good prayer life, we are probably going to have a positive outlook on the rest of our life and find we are more virtuous.
Reflection Questions:
- When I am taking time for prayer do I find that life goes better? Why is it that I take prayer time out of my schedule when I am running short on time?
- Do I struggle with a deadly sin? What is it and what virtue can I practice so I can temper that vise?
Dear Parishioners,
We are moving toward the end of October. This is the eighth month since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. This crisis has had a big impact on the community life of our parish. This is especially the case with our Eucharistic celebrations. We are still not obligated to attend Mass and that is a safe option.
What should we consider if we make the decision not to attend Mass? Probably there are two questions we should ask. One is whether we have been out attending other activities. If we go out to restaurants and are involved in other social functions, then we might attend Mass as well, especially if we do not have underlying health conditions. The other thing we might reflect on is whether the parish we are attending is following safety protocols. If the parish is not, then we should not feel guilty for not going to Mass.
My observation is that many who are at risk seem to make the choice to attend Mass. On the other hand, many who are not at risk tend to skip Mass without a lot of reflection.
As we move forward, we need to pray and ponder the question of our Sunday Mass attendance and make our decisions in good conscience. We are our own moral agents.
May Our Lady and all the angels and saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark