Homily for Ordinary Time 25 - September 18, 2016

Ordinary Time 25

September 18, 2016

Only Saints Can Save Us

 

            Corrupt government. Entertainment that glorifies violence. Fear of terrorism. High taxes, extreme debt. Every sort of sexual perversion encouraged. Breakup of the family. Immigrants bringing in their bad habits and vices. Uncontrolled greed. A nation divided.

            Of course I’m talking about the Roman Empire in the late 300s. All of these problems – and more – caused the breakup of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. They had been corrupted from within, and attacked from without. Finally, the Roman Empire fell, attacked by barbarian hordes and unruly citizens.

            But from the rubble of the greatest nation on earth arose an unlikely survivor – Catholicism, which began to flourish and spread. Under the pagan Roman Empire, Christianity was persecuted, sometimes violently – in fact, over 10,000 Christians were killed in the Coliseum alone. But as Tertullian said, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” – and through the sacrifice of these heroic men and women who gave their lives for Jesus Christ, Catholicism continued to grow stronger.

            It was truly Catholicism that saved civilization. Order, learning, literacy, art, music, science, and even civilization itself was in danger of being destroyed once the Roman Empire fell. But the Church – in particular, the monasteries – began to preserve and enhance it. Monks and nuns throughout the fifth, sixth, seventh centuries wrote books, started schools, composed music, and preserved civilization from becoming completely defunct.

            It was martyr-saints who grew Christianity. It was monastic saints who, through Christianity, saved civilization. And in today’s day and age, only saints again will save the world.

            In many ways our world is similar to that of the declining Roman Empire. All of the problems I mentioned at the beginning are problems that the declining American empire also faces. So let us apply what St. Paul said in our second reading to our current situation.

            First, St. Paul urges prayers for those in authority. We’re very good at complaining about politics and our government, but have we actually prayed for them? Our president and Supreme Court justices and congressmen and women are human beings, souls, persons who have been created in God’s image and who can be redeemed by Jesus’ Blood. And I guarantee that if our nation’s leaders become better disciples, the entire nation would benefit. So, while we complain about our leaders, do we pray for them? St. Paul tells us to!

            I would wager that our leaders do not only include government but also leaders in media. TV personalities, pop singers, movie stars, journalists – all of these people shape our culture and our civilization. But when’s the last time we prayed for them? St. Paul goes on to say that God desires ALL men to come to salvation – He wants you and me and Justin Bieber and Donald Trump and that man in prison who committed an unspeakable crime and that annoying neighbor who plays their music too loud – He wants all of us to become saints.

            That means we have to do two things. First, we have to become saints ourselves. St. Paul tells us that his desire is for us to live a life of “devotion and dignity”, where we live a life of prayer and sacrifice and love. Mother Teresa was once asked by a reporter, “What do you think needs to change in the world?” She answered, “You and I.” As Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia once wrote, “The only people who ever really change the world are saints.” St. Francis said something similar: “Sanctify yourself, and you will sanctify society.” If we allow God’s grace to transform us and make us holy, that will change the world!

            My brother Patrick is studying for the priesthood, and recently he began his studies in Rome. He has to stay in Rome for the next two years without coming home at all, and he was telling me how tough this was. His heart is burning to make a difference, to preach the Gospel, to lead souls to Christ – and here he is, hidden from the world, only studying and praying. But I told him – work on becoming a saint, make that your goal and let every choice of every day be directed towards that goal, and you WILL be changing the world. Even if you live alone with very little interaction, even if you think your life is too small to make much of a difference, I guarantee that your love for Jesus, your small and hidden sacrifices, your prayers make a tremendous difference that we will only know in eternity.

            In addition to becoming saints ourselves, we must pray and fast for the salvation of others. God desires all men to be saved, but that does not mean that all will accept His invitation. We believe that as believers in Jesus, we are part of His Mystical Body, which means that we cooperate with Him in saving souls and bringing His grace to others. We do this by our witness and words, but even more so by our prayers and sacrifices. So pray and fast – for people in authority, for famous people, for sinners, for friends and benefactors, for those who’ve left the Church, for the souls in Purgatory. God has so designed it that, at times, He waits for us to request grace for others, to allow us the privilege of participating in His saving work!

            With everything that’s going on in our nation and our world…only Jesus can save us. But Jesus wants to save America by transforming you and me into Him, through grace…He wants to make us saints. The world was saved after the fall of the Roman Empire by saints. And people living lives of holiness is the only thing that can save us now.