Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday, we come to the end of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. For weeks, we have been reflecting upon Jesus as the Bread of Life, come down from Heaven, to give life to our souls. The question about how to live from this great gift remains to us this week.

Our readings this week are particularly rich for such a question. The answers provided have to do with making a choice, a fundamental orientation of life toward imitating the self-gift of Jesus in the Eucharist and striving to live that in our day-to-day lives. Let’s take a look at the readings and see what they have to teach us. As usual, the first reading and the Gospel are intimately connected as a foreshadowing and a fulfillment, while the second reading gives us practical ways of living out the Gospel message.

The Israelites in today’s first reading are gathered at Shechem, the place of God’s Covenant with Abraham. Having mourned the death of their leader Moses and poised to enter into their inheritance pause to renew the Covenant God made with them at Sinai. As is right and proper, this must be a free choice, something that should well up from within and profoundly affect their lives and their behavior in their new land. They are to choose between serving the Lord who has brought them out of slavery and given them the land that lies before them, and the serving of other gods, whether from Egypt or the land that they have entered.

Joshua lays a stark challenge before them: there can be no neutrality, no third way, and no indecision. The truth of the matter is that we all serve someone or something by giving our heart, time, energy and enthusiasm. Either the Israelites will be faithful to the Lord and the Covenant and receive his blessing or reject Him and suffer great consequences, including exile (unfortunately, the blessings and curses have been cut out of our reading today). Joshua exhorts them: “Decide today whom you will serve!” You will serve someone, who will it be? To motivate them to make the right choice, to encourage them, Joshua gives his own personal witness: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Israelites respond in kind. Yet, we know from the Book of Judges and the later history of Israel that this is short-lived. They are still in need of God’s mercy and a further redemption.

This further redemption, of course, comes through Jesus. The first reading foreshadows today’s Gospel because the disciples, curious on-lookers and even the apostles, the inner-circle, are forced to make a similar decision: to believe Jesus and his teaching concerning a “hard saying” or to return to their former way of life. This “hard saying” of Jesus, concerns the giving of his flesh and blood as true food and true drink, the future Eucharist. The listeners, and people throughout the ages, find this a “hard saying” and don’t even want to listen to it, let alone accept it.

Yet, this teaching is obviously critically important to Jesus because he draws a line in the sand, so to speak. He forces his listeners to choose, he allows them to leave in great numbers without softening or nuance of his words. He even asks his closest followers, “Do you also wish to leave?” In other words, this teaching is so important, I will simply start over again. He even connects disbelief in the Eucharist with the betrayal of Judas (see the last verse of the chapter, unfortunately left out of our passage today).

Now, he does offer a warning, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail.” He warns them not to look at this with the “flesh,” with human eyes or human reason because it is unable, of itself, to comprehend the gift he offers. Instead, we need to see with the Spirit, with the eyes of faith.

Many draw back from him at this point, they return to their former way of life. Jesus doesn’t chase after them, he allows them, in their freedom, to choose whom they will serve. (There was one who stayed who should have left, namely, Judas.)

Peter’s response, as usual, is the right one; it is the model even though it isn’t that flattering! “Lord, to whom shall we go?” In other words, we would go, but “you have the words of eternal life. We are convinced and have come to believe that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter submits to Jesus’ teaching despite not understanding completely. He is convinced of Jesus’ origin and therefore his authority. He trusts that someday he will begin to understand, that he will be led deeper.

Like the Israelites in the first reading and in the Gospel, we are also asked to make a choice on whom we will serve—Jesus in the Eucharist or our former way of life. We have a daily miracle far greater than the ones witnessed in Egypt or the desert! Whom will we serve? To whom shall we go? Do we also wish to go away? These questions should confront us every Sunday when we decide whether or not to go to Mass. But they should also confront us in our day-to-day lives.

It seems to me that this passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was chosen to go along with this Gospel for two reasons. The first is because of the connection between the Eucharist and the spousal relationship between Christ and his Church. You see, after our washing with water and the word in Baptism, the Eucharist is the consummation of our spousal relationship with Jesus. It is the time where the two become one flesh through mutual self-giving. Jesus gives us himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity and in response we receive him and give him ourselves. In other words, there is a profound analogy between the mutual self-giving of Jesus and the Church in the Eucharist and the mutual self-giving of spouse during intercourse. In both acts, the two become one flesh through a reciprocal gift of self.

The second reason is that this reason tell us how we should “live the Eucharist” in the state of life that most people are called to, namely, marriage. (This also applies, in analogous ways to those who are celibate for the sake of the Kingdom, but that is for another time.) But before we get to this, we need to understand this reading properly. In fact, it is so often misunderstood that the Church gives us the option of a shorter reading, leaving out all that talk of subordination!

Our culture rightfully rejects inequality between the sexes and the unjust treatment of women by men down through the ages and so it is natural to see some of the same in today’s second reading. But I want to claim today that it is a grave error to see St. Paul’s teaching as misogynist or anti-woman. In fact, this text actually contains the keys to the redemption of male and female relationships not a further solidification of injustice towards women. In other words, this text is counter-intuitively liberating and elevating for women.

Now, I can see some of you smiling, asking yourselves: how is he going to pull this off! Well, the ancient world saw women as property, to be used and disposed of when no longer pleasing or useful. St. Paul is confronting the prevailing customs where husbands often reigned like tyrants over their wives and families by exhorting husbands and wives to MUTUAL or RECIPROCAL submission to one another. This was and is a radical and beautiful solution. The only way this text is misogynist is if you ascribe to a false feminism that sees the proper task of women as usurping and imitating the injustices perpetuated by men throughout the ages.

No, St. Paul teaches reciprocal submission to one another out of love and the desire to see the other become what they are meant to be, saints. Notice, I am using the word “submission” rather than subordination. I find “submission’ to be more helpful because it literally means to be “under the mission” of the other.

Now that that is out of the way, lets try to get at what St. Paul is really teaching. He says that there is a profound analogy between the relationship of Christ and the Church and that of spouses and that spouses should model their lives and behavior on that of Christ and the Church. Just as there is a reciprocal submission of Christ to the Church and the Church to Christ, so husbands should submit, or be under the mission of their wives, and wives to their husbands. If husbands do this, they will be modeling themselves on Christ, and wives on the Church.

This submission, or being under the mission of the other, is free and voluntary, undertaken in the marriage vows. It is a non-degrading, non-servile and non-coercive submission. Nor is it unconditional; rather it is dependent upon the proper fulfillment of the mission given to each.

So what is the mission of husband? Of wives? Husbands, your mission, should you choose to accept it is to love your wives as Christ loved the Church. And how did Christ love the Church? On the Cross and in the Eucharist! Your task is to die to yourselves, to lay down your lives for your bride and your children. Build up your marriage and your family not for selfish ends but for the sake of their flourishing, their holiness. Doing this acts against the great temptation for men to stand back, to not act, to be selfish, like Adam who was with his wife during the temptation but did nothing.

The second part is to submit to your wife’s mission of being fruitful, both physically and spiritually, generous, kind, inclusive, empathetic, always creating room for others. This is what Pope John Paul II called the “feminine genius.”

Wives, your mission in addition to the above, should you choose to accept it, is to be under the mission of your husband: to allow, encourage and facilitate your husband’s action, his death to self, his taking a lead as a servant, to “man up.” This last part acts against the great temptation for women to do everything, to act because no one else will, rather than calling forth the energies of your husband to take their proper role.

Like the Israelites in the first and third reading, we have a choice on whom we will serve and it will affect our lives. If we choose to serve the Lord and imitate the Eucharist in our daily lives, it should impact the household. If we choose to live from the Eucharist, it should change everything. Maybe not all at once, but little by little.

Letter for the opening of the school year

My Dear Parishioners,

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! It is with great joy that I write to you at the beginning of another school year. As usual, a great deal is happening at the Catholic Center so please make sure you take a bulletin home and check the website often. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new students from CU. It is wonderful to have you here! Our hope is that you find the Catholic Center a place to grow in your faith and a “home away from home.” If you need anything at anytime, please do hesitate to let us know. A warm welcome back also to those of you who have been traveling or away for the summer, it is great to have you back!

Registration and Outreach
This weekend we are holding our annual registration for the parish. Please be sure to fill out a form: this helps us know who you are, that you are here and a member of our community and also how you’d like to be involved. For students there is an added bonus to registering: you will be entered into a raffle to win club level tickets to the Rockies, Broncos, Avalanche and Nuggets. Just as important as your contact information is the back of the card: please consider getting involved in our various ministries and apostolates.

In the coming weeks, we will be busy with all of our outreach efforts on campus and many activities at the Student Center, be sure not to miss out and invite your friends and acquaintances. If you are on-campus do not be surprised if someone calls or drops by with cookies and information!

New Staff Members
We are also welcoming three new staff members this year: Bob Siemens, Diane King and Mark Thomas. Bob, our new Director of Evangelization and Outreach at CU, comes to us from the Youth Ministry Office in Sioux Falls, SD along with his wife, Shannon and his five children. Diane, familiar to many of you as a long time parishioner and Chair of the Parish Council, has taken over as Office Manager at the Student Center. Bob and Diane are both incredibly qualified and wonderful additions to our already excellent staff. Finally, Mark Thomas, our new Director of Music, will be starting on September 16th. Mark has been the Director of Music at three different Cathedrals, most recently in Charleston, SC, and is a graduate of the CU Music School in 1987. He is extraordinarily qualified; I can’t wait for his arrival!

Changes to the Schedule
We will resume our school year Mass Schedule beginning this weekend. Beginning September 13th, however, we will be adding a new Candlelight Mass on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. There will also be Confession time added on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m.

Building on our success last year, we will also be having an Open-Air Mass on Ferrand Field on August 30th at 6:00 p.m. Thus, there will not be a 6:00 p.m. Mass at the Church that day. Everyone is welcome to attend this Mass, but be sure to bring a blanket, as there will be no chairs. A BBQ will follow at the Student Center.

Of course, all of our different activities such as Religious Education, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Middle and High School Youth Groups, Adult Education, RCIA, Student Suppers, Student Socials, Bible Studies, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be starting shortly.

Once again, the Lord is calling us to go deeper this year: deeper in prayer and our reception of the Sacraments, deeper in our commitment to our Catholic faith and to each other, deeper in our love for Him and the mission he has given us. And so it begins…thank you for being here! With prayers, blessing and best wishes on this new school year, I am

Your brother in Christ,

Father Kevin

An Open Letter to Representative Jared Polis

An Open Letter to Representative Jared Polis (2nd District—Colorado)


Dear Mr. Polis,

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! I received your letter of July 17th in response to my postcard expressing opposition to the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” or any other act of Congress that would further expand the abortion license, federal funding of abortion or erode legislative protections already in place for the unborn. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your reply and your pledge to remember the opposition of many members of your constituency to these efforts and your willingness to engage in dialogue concerning these important matters. It is in this spirit that I address this letter to you. Obviously, this is an enormous and complicated topic and so I limit myself to responding to certain aspects of your letter that I find troubling rather than trying to rehash all the arguments in favor or against of the protection of the unborn.

In your letter, you use the phrase “freedom of choice” or “a woman’s right to choose” many times as your justification for supporting abortion. But you leave out entirely the justice or injustice of what is being chosen. Certainly you must be aware that the freedom to choose is simply an innate faculty or power of the human person that may be used for good or evil, for truth or falsehood, for life or death. I have the freedom of choice today to work hard or to rob a bank in order to provide for my family. Yet, one is rewarded and the other punished. Why? Because one is good and one is evil, one is just and the other unjust. In other words, the human person has the freedom of choice, self-determination, by nature not legislation.

The so-called “right to choose” and “freedom of choice” sound nice but this language is unhelpful in the current impasse concerning abortion. In other words, this language is a distraction, it does not illuminate the issues at hand, it obscures them. It is not “freedom of choice” that matters in questions of legislation and justice, after all, we all possess that; rather what is important is what is chosen. Is it good or evil? Does it respect the rights of others? Is it just or unjust? It is these questions that legislation should address.

I, of course, share your concern for the rights and health, physical and psychological, of women and think that we should do all in our power to help those who find themselves in troubling situations. But what of the unborn child? Is it really necessary, is it possible, for us to be only concerned about women or do we have a responsibility to protect and respect the rights of all human beings? Is it really necessary to put the rights of women and unborn children in opposition to one another? Besides, is abortion really good for women?

Mr. Polis, is the unborn child a human being? Science, philosophy and common sense all say that it is, so why doesn’t it deserve all the protections and rights of all other human beings in our country?

Your answer to this last question is evident in your letter: because the Supreme Court said so. But didn’t the Supreme Court also deny the humanity of African-Americans and exclude them from the protections of the law? I do not say this callously, as I believe there is a profound analogy between the denial of the humanity of African-Americans and the denial of the humanity of the unborn. Both have been denied their rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” despite the evident nature of their humanity and the precepts of the Natural Law and thus excluded from the community of those afforded rights under our Constitution. If the Supreme Court was wrong in the Dred Scott Case, isn’t it possible that it is wrong in Roe vs. Wade for the very same reasons?

Mr. Polis, I am a Catholic priest but these are not sectarian arguments; they are public and reasonable arguments, open to all regardless of their faith tradition. They are currently ignored in today’s partisan and sound bite culture. You say that “you will always fight for a woman’s right to choose how to handle the health of her body” but this is simplistic and narrow considering the fact that someone else’s rights are also affected, namely, the right to life of the unborn child. As my representative, I ask you to fight not only for the health of women but also for the equal protection of the law for all, not only those for whom it is convenient to fight.

With respect, prayers and blessings,


Father Kevin R. Augustyn
Pastor
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center
Boulder, Colorado