HOMILY: 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2020
I found it interesting to watch to the confirmation hearing of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as incoming Supreme Court Associate Justice of the United States. She is known as a very devout catholic and avid supporter of the Church conservative teaching on sanctity of life. It was recalled that Barrett admitted that she had signed the Church statement which “simply said” that “we support the right to life from conception until natural death. However, in her duty as a judge on the seventh circuit of Court of Appeals, she favoured an abortion facility against a pro life counsellor who should maintain a twelve meter buffer zone away from the fence of the facility. “My duty as a judge was to follow the governing law. While Barrett refrained from offering her judicial opinions on controversial issues, some senators still asked her repeatedly about abortion and warned that they did not trust her to be impartial.
We are now on the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time and our theme is the separation of the Church and State. The gospel states, give to Caesar what is due to Him and to God what is due to Him. For me, it simply means I must be a law abiding citizen at all times but if the law is against my faith, I feel am free to express my faith in a peaceful manner because one of the bill of rights which says freedom of religion protects my religious liberty. The real reason for this separation is actually the protection of religions and churches. Second, I believed that embracing my religious beliefs would make me a better citizen because the truth is authority comes from God that He has the pre- eminent authority over all civil governments all over the world. Therefore, Jesus definitely meant that His highest obligation is for God and the more He is committed to God, the better He can serve His country.
First, we have to be “Faithful”. These firm words of Jesus certainly state His loyalty to God. He is ready to suffer in silence for the sake of God. This means we should follow everything God commanded us; fulfilling our duties according to our state of life; moving ahead in following Jesus without waiting for human approval and not imposing our beliefs to others.
We have to be “Prompt”. Saint Paul encourages us to pray constantly and remember before God the work of faith and steadfast in hope. Prayer helps us overcome hesitations and doubts. Prayers are weapons to enlighten our uncertainties when it comes to the will of God so that we can proceed promptly looking forward for God’s promise of eternal life.
We have to be “Obedient”. The prophet Isaiah reminded King Cyrus that it is God who has anointed Him not only to subdue their enemies but to always recognize that there is only One God that He has to follow. It means we have to be silent, humble and perfectly submissive to God and His Church through the Pope and the bishops united with him. The perfect example of obedience to the Father is Jesus Christ who died on the cross.