Homily for Ordinary Time 22 - August 29, 2021

 

Ordinary Time 22

August 29, 2021

Virtue

 

            A few years ago, when I was running a youth group in Stamford, one kid named Tommaso arrived early, so we started tossing a football in the parking lot. It was around Lent, so I asked him what he planned to give up for Lent. He mentioned a few things like giving up desserts and video games, but then he said, “You know, for Lent, I’m just going to try to be more like Jesus.”

            And that is the entire point of the moral life! To become more like Jesus. Every Commandment, every moral teaching is to make us more like Jesus. But in what way?

            Jesus had the perfection of every virtue – He was perfectly kind, humble, courageous, loving, self-sacrificing, honest, pure. So to become like Him, we must seek to become virtuous.

            Many Catholics think that it’s enough to avoid sin. And yes, we should avoid sin – but there is a positive flip-side to that, which is growth in virtue. When I used to be chaplain of a Catholic high school, often the teens would come into my office and ask, “Hey Fr. Joseph, is it a sin to listen to…(insert filthy rap artist here)? Is it a sin to watch this bad movie?” I would always respond, “Does it make you more like Jesus?” They would have to admit, “No…” So I would reply, “Then why are you doing it?” Our goal can’t just be to avoid sin. Then we fall into the trap of minimalism – thinking, “What’s the least I can do to get to Heaven? How close can I get to sin without actually falling into it?” That’s a terrible mindset! Rather, we should be asking, “How can I excel in virtue?”

            But what is a virtue? St. Thomas Aquinas says that a virtue is a “morally good habit.” So it is a habit – part of our character – something that we do without even thinking about it. It is a generous action to give money to the poor, but it doesn’t make you a generous person until you do it regularly, easily. Sometimes we struggle and wrestle to be kind to a challenging person, but we don’t develop the virtue of kindness until we do it automatically and it isn’t a struggle to be kind.

            All of us have virtues that come easily to us, and virtues that are more difficult. Perhaps you’re naturally a peaceful person, but you struggle to practice moderation in eating. Perhaps you are very truthful and honest, but maybe you struggle to practice chastity. But we must seek to acquire every virtue, even though we may struggle with some until the end of our lives. It’s the effort that counts!

            So how do we grow in virtue? Two ways. Prayer and practice. First, we pray for a virtue. This is a prayer God loves to hear, because it is a prayer to become more like His Son Jesus! Ask God for the virtues that you lack, because His grace can give us strength to overcome our natural human weaknesses and vices.

            But once we pray for it, we must practice it. Every time I pray for patience, I get a traffic jam. I say to the Lord, “Why this traffic jam?” And He says, “Well, you wanted patience, so here’s an opportunity to practice it!” Like any habit, the more we do it, the more ingrained it becomes. When we are learning a sport or an instrument, we have to do it over and over again. At first it’s clumsy, ugly, and weak – but after years of practice, we become proficient. Same with virtues. The first time we try to forgive someone, it takes struggle. But God eventually forms the virtue in us if we patiently persevere in practicing it, and it will become easy in no time!

            Every moment of every day is an opportunity to practice virtue. That obnoxious person behind you in the checkout line is an opportunity to grow in patience. That boss who criticized your work is a chance to grow in humility. The coworkers who are poking fun at your faith is an opportunity to grow in courage as you defend it. Coming home from a long day of work and your kids want your help with homework is an opportunity to grow in self-sacrificing love. God gives us a thousand chances every day to practice the virtues we need to become more like Him!

            This is why Moses could praise God’s laws in the first reading, and why St. James tells us in the second reading that we should be doers of His commands, not merely hearers. His commands are good – they are freeing – because they make us like Him.

            So my challenge for you is this. Consider which virtue you need to grow in. Ask the Lord to develop this virtue. And then seek out ways to practice it this week. If we work on one virtue each month, we will be saints in no time…because a virtuous life is a life lived like Jesus.