Pursuits of Happiness (2012-09-02)

This is my homily for 2 September   2012 (Sunday). I am a Catholic chaplain in Teaneck at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) campus and for the FDU Newman Catholic Association. We celebrate Catholic Mass - during Fall and Spring semester - every Sunday Evening (7:00 p.m.) at the Interfaith Chapel, 842 River Road, Teaneck, NJ.

[_01__]  In this Gospel, Jesus is asked a question –

“why do you and your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”  (Mark 7: ___)

Jesus is meeting the hostile crowd, the hostile questioners. We might say that he has left he convention hall, the arena where there had been many like-minded people.

Now, Jesus’ approval rating is in question.

And, Jesus is about to be caught on camera and microphone. What will he answer to the Pharisees who are very influential over public opinion, the public mind?

In this Gospel, however, Jesus is pretty clear that he is not so much concerned with what is public or visible..but more with what is private and often not seen, measured or captured in sound bites or video clips [on Youtube].

Jesus invites to think beyond what is simply the public or visible practice, the ritual practices.

The Lord challenges the Pharisees – and all of us – to consider how sinfulness and evil are manifest in our lives.

Do they simply exist at the surface? Is our sinfulness changed – or cured (or sanitized) – simply by changing what other people see …or what I can see? Visibly? Publicly?

Jesus is not simply speaking about the difference between getting caught or not getting caught, or about the difference between NIGHT-time and DAY-time.

Certainly, if we get caught doing something wrong… if we were dishonest, unethical and someone notices what we did or said, then we might want to change our behavior. But do we change only to avoid future penalty? Or future public scandal?

After all, wouldn’t this exposure hurt us if we were to run for President?

Or, are we invited to change so that our hearts are open to God’s love and grace?

[_02__]   How does sin and brokenness affect/influence you and me?

How is sin and brokenness manifest/demonstrated in my life?

[_03__]   In this Gospel, the Lord emphasizes that our sins – our transgressions – are not measured simply by what we consume.  In this example, Jesus uses the example of foods that are judged impure.

But, there are many things we could consume, which might be unhealthy in a spiritual or physical sense --

• Images, what we see on TV in movies.
• Food
• Wealth
• Education, Knowledge.

All of the above are on the market, some may be on sale for Labor Day, back-to-school. There may be free shipping for these objects to come into our lives.

[_04__]  But, Jesus is not simply asking us if the food or object of consumption is impure.

Certain things may be excessive which may lead us to sinfulness -

For example, we may consider certain types of entertainment, styles of architecture, certain types of automobiles, certain types of clothing to be ostentatious, flashy and, therefore, unattractive.  We might even call these things to be sinful… or near occasions of sin.

But, while the marketplace of Paramus Park Park Avenue might present an “occasion of sin” for some of us, we also have free will to choose yes or no.  These objects themselves are not sinful.

Rather, we are being asked, what comes out of us, what flows out of our hearts?

[_06__]  The same thing is being asked of us as we begin a new school year, or work year. 2012-2013.

What flows from my mind and heart as I undertake academic study, or work, or as I try to discern what the Lord is calling us to be in my life?

This applies to all of us of every age – the sense of a call. And, this applies to those in elementary, middle, high school .. college.

In an academic environment, a student – any student – and also the teachers – have to consider what they are to consume, to read. 

And, the more they can consume, absorb… the better and more educated they will be.

And, this knowledge is meant to make us more marketable, more attractive.

This knowledge is going to help us to produce, to give back.

But, what are we giving back, producing?  To what are we called? To whose call do we listen?

[_07__]   Consider the the Gospel encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Zacchaeus is very wealthy and he has consumed much. But, the Good News is that Zacchaeus wants to give back. He says, “if I have defrauded anyone, I restore it fourfold [4 times over]” (Luke 19:8)

[_08__]   The Good News for us is that our fidelity is also shown not by what we can buy or consume or get, but by what we can give away.

And, by learning, starting this school year, we consider the long term goal of our own life, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness.

Students – and teachers – consider their own life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Some of us might think the pursuit of happiness ended sometime in August or on Labor Day.

This pursuit continues as we work. These goals are not simply for the political convention floor and not only for U.S. holiday weekend.

These goals also accord with our own calling to guard and protect life, to act in free will and in conscience and obtain true happiness for ourselves and others.

What is flowing out of us?

The Good News in this Gospel [debate] is that we grow closer to  Christ not only because of what we have but also because of what we give way, what flows out of our hearts. [_fin__]