Doing the Right Thing (Deflategate) (2024-09-01, Sunday-22)

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Homily – Sept 1, 2024  22^nd Sunday (Year B)  ● Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 ●  Psalm 15 ●

● James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 ● + Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23   ●

 [__01__]   This past Tuesday, in a parking lot, I saw a man get out of his car. His shoulder was wrapped in ice. He appeared to be injured, maybe hurting. Meanwhile, he was checking out the wheels of his car to see if anything was wrong. Maybe he had a flat tire or low pressure – a DeflateGate situation of some kind!

I offered him my tire pressure gauge.  He didn't have one. He was grateful.

I also shared something that I knew about, that the car’s required tire pressure “number” is written a label inside the front door on the driver's side. The young man thanked me for this and told me he knew about this label - from a video on TikTok.

I felt a little disappointed that I had been so outranked and preceded by Tiktok at that moment.

It won't be the last time

 

[__02__]    Jesus is asking the scribes and Pharisees, why do they witness?  Why do they follow the commandments? Is it only to be popular, is it only to get on Tiktok, or the equivalent of Tiktok, in their day?

We promise – in the Creed and Profession of Faith to follow these laws  …  Prior to these promises - during Baptism and Confirmation - we first renounce Satan and his malevolent – evil - influences.   This renunciation parallels turning away from unhealthy foods and drinks for better health.  In other words, as you and I prepare your body to receive medicine or treatment by a physician. 

Thus, we also are called to prepare our souls to receive God's grace and a relationship with God by rejecting what is evil, and also to love God and love our neighbor better.

[__03__]       Life encompasses more than just performing virtuous deeds; it also involves avoiding wrongdoing. God's supremacy exceeds that of Satan, who was created as an angel and then rejected God.  We are called to prioritize our relationship with God, even if it means diverging from societal norms or going against “peer pressure”.  Your virtue is valuable even if it is rejected by those who are close around you or proves to be “unpopular.”

 

[__04__]        We, for example, live in a world through which we get lots of data about what's good, lots of information, historical, scientific, personal data tells us how to protect ourselves from harmful things like addictive substances and unhealthy habits. Yes, we also live in a world where carbohydrates, calories and sugar are constantly advertised. So we're called to make our own choices, not just based on the data that's out there, but what's inside of us and what is good for us from the inside out.

We also know that our lives can be ruined, or a life can be ruined by immorality, infidelity and scandal.

The data is there. But despite knowing this, temptations remain and scandals continue to be common. The question is, do we care about the data, and what kind of consumption decisions are we making?

 

[__05__] Life isn’t just about gathering data; it’s also about making decisions. In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus challenges the Pharisees and scribes not only to be SEEN doing good and to be seen by the “right people” but to consider where their choices are leading them.

          What direction are we going in?

[__06__] What is the most important decision?

Many people would say the most important decision and direction is kindness and respect. And while kindness and respect are valuable, they are superficial if we do not also speak the truth in love.

I recently found myself standing in line at the supermarket, impatient with the person ahead of me who seemed to be taking forever. I said nothing—perhaps that was kindness. But, in reality, I resembled the Pharisees who honored God with his lips while his heart was far away. I was outwardly polite but inwardly distant.

Jesus gives us examples of things that can come out from the inside that are bad. He gives us a list at the end of the gospel, I'd like to refer to 2 of them.

 

[__07.01__] One example is unchastity. How do our habits of viewing or seeing others or envisioning others —perhaps turning them into objects—affect our ability to love someone as a whole person?

We teach our young people and try to learn ourselves not to judge by appearances.  Yet, impurity and unchastity is often based on appearances or seeing only who we want or what we want to see and disregarding the rest.

To grow in purity and chastity, we can benefit from periods of fasting, not just fasting from food, but taking breaks from TV, from videos, from social media, taking breaks from sports. Sports emphasizes appearances very much. And thus we take time to reset, repent and reboot, allowing us to see others more clearly and to understand the right images of others.

Unchastity comes from within, and it is a destructive force because it tempts us to see others as we would like, to rank them and then, perhaps, then reject them. Evil can be algorithmic.

 

[__07.02__] Another example is greed. Do I find myself wanting things that don’t belong to me? And if I’m fantasizing about acquiring what isn’t mine, does that make it harder for me to appreciate and take responsibility for what I do have? The list at the end of today’s Gospel serves as an examination of conscience—something I encourage you to reflect on before your next confession. Confession isn’t just about listing sins; it’s also about reviewing the direction of our lives. Where are you headed? Jesus reminds us not just to wash our hands but to cleanse our hearts and make a decision about Him. He’s not just giving us data or directions—He’s inviting us to decide.

 

[__08__] Several years ago, my parents were on a road trip far from home when one of their tires went completely flat. Before they could even call AAA or roadside assistance, two young people appeared and offered to help. They jacked up the car, replaced the flat tire with the spare, and put the flat in the trunk. When my parents tried to tip them—because, as New Yorkers, that’s what you do—the young people refused. They simply said, “We did this because we are Christians,” and walked away.

 

These young people had the data: someone was in need. They saw a direction they could go in, to help another driver in trouble. But most importantly, they made the decision to act—not for a reward, but because it was the right thing to do. And, in doing so, they witnessed to their faith. While there is evil in the world and in our own hearts, praise God for the good that comes through the Holy Spirit, guiding our consciences toward heavenly rewards. This law is written in our hearts.

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