My friends, as you know from past homilies, I always bring the present time, including the past week to my study of the Scriptures given each weekend for us to ponder.  The intention of these readings is always meant for us to look at how they affected people in the past along with applying them to our present day lives as well. I trust that through the guidance of the Spirit, even when a reading is difficult, there is something there that I am meant, “to get,” and apply to my life now. 

   This past week, the Redig family learned that one of our own, Eric, 55 years old, husband of our niece, Jeni, died unexpectedly of a heart attack.  When such an event happens, the universal reaction seems to be, for most folks, to realize how precious our lives are—that literally, we can be here one day, and gone the next.  My sister, by marriage, Jane, and I traveled 11 hours round trip yesterday to spend time grieving this significant loss with the family.  It bears saying that none of us is promised a long life, whatever we consider, “long,” but it is probably true to say, we think it will be longer than 55 years.

   So, to the Scriptures.  The readings given this weekend ask us to get beyond the laws—the rituals, that tend to keep us, “in our heads,” instead of, acting and responding, “from our hearts.”  In addition, the selected readings let us know that our God wants to be in relationship with us—“not power over,” but “one-with-us” –remember, Emmanuel, that gives us so much joy each year at Christmastime.  The writer of Deuteronomy, Moses, says of our God: “What other nation has a god so near to it as our God is to us when we call?”

   The psalmist in number 15 fine tunes God’s desire that we creatures strive “to do what is right,” and there is the sense that God will indeed be with us in this endeavor through God’s wonderful Spirit. 

   Keeping with the theme of always taking any rule or regulation from the Church, and “laying it on our hearts” to discover its full meaning; we see our brother Jesus today, in Mark’s gospel, lamenting over the people, whom we know he loves, from our more extensive read of the New Testament, saying, “these people honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” –“doctrines are only human precepts,” he continues.  It seems clear from Jesus’ words here, that he wants us to ponder his words, not just give them “lip service,” and by “laying his words” smack-dab on our hearts, we will always do the most noble, and loving thing—being our best selves, even if we have to break a “man-made” rule in the process. 

   We have a reading from James the apostle today, and I always love when we do because he minces no words, “cutting to the chase,” as it were, with a message intended to move us forward: “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you because it has the power to save you.”  And he continues, “Act on this word, because if you only, “listen…you are deceiving yourselves.”

   This makes me recall from pre-Vatican II times when practice was more about “obeying laws” then it was about having a relationship with God, and I would hear folks attending a Catholic wedding, complete with Mass on a Saturday, asking if this one counted for their Sunday obligation? My desire in these situations was to immediately react by saying, “if you don’t know the answer to that question, then perhaps you should go!”  I didn’t of course say that, but would try to help people understand that our God doesn’t want “lip service,” but “heart service.”  We might compare it to, doing a loving act for someone we say that we love and care about—it isn’t about doing something that we think we will be rewarded for one day, like heaven, but about responding in kind to Someone who has loved us from the very beginning. 

   Folks in Jesus’ time—the powers-that-be, were complaining that his apostles weren’t following the “cleanliness” rules of the Jewish faith.  He simply said to his critics, evil doesn’t come from without, but from within—we must go into our hearts “to see” what evils “harbor” there.  We humans are capable of evil, yes, but also, much good, and that lies in our hearts as well.  Jesus again, simply says, “If you have ears to hear, then listen” [!]

   This reminds me of a speech given by our 44^th president, Barack Obama, recently, at the Democratic National Convention.  And again, I lift up his words not to be in any way, “political,” but as a show of “checking the fruits.”  Barack, in my hearing was almost “imploring” the people of this country to show more of the good that we Americans are capable of, versus the evil.  He was asking us to be better “listeners” of other’s stories, especially of those we don’t agree with—the end result being perhaps that we would learn something, and in reality, get more done, together. 

   James, in today’s 2^nd reading asks us to come to the aid of “widows and orphans when they need it.” This “ask” on James’ part recalls the fact that “women and children” in Jesus’ time, on their own—hear, “no man in their lives,” were without any power to control what happened to them. 

   So, the next step for us, is to consider who are the “widows and orphans” in our present day, who may need our help? We are never left, “off the hook” where the Scriptures are involved!  We must always get past the “black and white” law that may, “tie our hands,” supposedly, and “lay that same need on our hearts,” to know what must be done.  If we do that, then the injustice that exists due to race—black versus white, gender—men versus women, sexual expression —LGBTQ+, religion—Catholic versus all others—patriarchy versus inclusion, age—old versus young, and so many other things, cannot, NOT be tolerated.  It is easy enough for us to criticize the Pharisees of old, for “not getting it,” but are we any better? 

   So my friends, bringing this discussion of law versus love full circle, let me return to the issue of grieving the loss of our family member Eric that began my homily today. The loss of someone that we may consider too young to die, lifts up for each of us the preciousness of life, and that we should never take that wonderful gift for granted.  Rather than fret over man-made laws primarily meant to keep us, “in place,” let us strive to keep the laws “in place,” being conscious of them, yes, for the good they can bring about, but not “get stuck there” –when confronted with a law devoid of love, do the most “loving thing” –this is what our brother Jesus taught us through his one precious life! Amen? Amen!