Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA
The
Lord warns His prophet, Isaiah, “Observe what is right, do what is
just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be
revealed.” It's odd that a promise of salvation and divine justice
should sound so threatening. But it does. That phrase “observe what
is right, do what is just” gives you the sense that salvation and
justice are only available to the righteous, the just. And that is
exactly what the Lord means. Only those who observe His commandments
and live in His justice can receive the salvation He offers. This
shouldn't surprise us. A closed jar cannot receive water. A locked
door cannot welcome guests. A heart and mind that rejects the Lord
and His mighty works cannot/will not receive His graces. And without
those graces there is no salvation or justice. The Lord's warning to
Isaiah is a call to repentance. It's a call to hear His revealing
Word and see our final end. Not as abstract concepts floating high
above us. . .but as real, concrete, everyday realities that form our
thoughts, words, and deeds as we live and breathe. What is right and
what is just in eyes of the Lord is the Law of Love, a law given
human flesh in the divine person of Christ Jesus.
That
Law of Love is being tested now more than ever in this country, in
this city. You've watched the news. Protests, riots, cities on fire;
racial hatred and violence; social and class division; political
chaos and economic disruption. NOLA hit 100 murders on June 28th.
LA 157. NYC 227. Philly 247. At the end of July, Chicago hit 440
murders. All dramatic increases over last year. The pandemic is
partly to blame. But so is the indoctrination of our young adults in
Marxist ideology. And the demonization of law enforcement in the
media. A long history of racism adds fuel to the fire. And the
upcoming presidential election only gives the teetering situation a
push toward total collapse. The solutions being offered for these
crises will only make things worse. More racial discrimination to
combat racial discrimination is a recipe for more resentment and
violence. Defunding the police only hurts those not able to hire
private security. Changes to election laws right before an election
just look like partisan trickery and will delegitimize whoever is
elected. How we understand and address these issues as citizens of
the US must be rooted in who we are as heirs to the Kingdom. The Law
of Love – given flesh and bone in Christ Jesus – must be our one
and only anchor in this storm.
Part
of the storm we face as Christians is the temptation to seek
permanent solutions outside the Law of Love. Many look to systematic
solutions that overturn our long-standing political institutions.
Some look to messianic figures, usually politicians, to save us.
Others dig around in decades-old, failed economic theories to find a
way to justice. And a few just want to watch it all burn after
they've set the fire. The temptation for us is to hitch our spiritual
wagon to one or more these and give them credibility with our
support. That's a quick way to lose sight of our ultimate end and
find ourselves used and abused by the world. We are not called to
establish justice on the earth. We are called to be just where we are
planted. We are not called to force righteousness on the world. We
are called to be righteous where we are. We are not called to
legislate holiness but to be holy day in and day out. The Law of Love
– given flesh and bone in the divine person of Christ Jesus –
calls us to sacrifice for the Good of the Other. Not to sacrifice the
Other for their own good. Self-righteousness as a political tactic is
beyond dangerous; it's suicidal. And we are teetering on the brink.
What's
a faithful Catholic to do? Remember who you are: heir to the Kingdom,
a child of God; a priest, prophet, and king by baptism. You belong to
Christ not to this world. Pray! With the poor mother of the
demon-possessed daughter, cry out to God, “Have pity on [us], Lord,
Son of David!” Pray we will not suffer the consequences of our sin.
Fast and sacrifice. Pick a day and fast. Give that fasting over to
the peace of the nation. Make your fasting holy by explicitly giving
your denial to God for our good. Read the signs of the times. Stay
away from gossip, disinformation, rumors, and lies. Resist the
temptation to fall into conspiracy theories and strange plots. You
are a rational animal. Use your reason to seek the true, the good,
and the beautiful. We are not herd animals like cattle or sheep.
Resist the urge to panic and flail about. Lead with your faith in
Christ Jesus; don't follow blindly with a need to belong. And
finally, attend to your most intimate relationship – your
relationship with Christ. That bond needs food and water; exercise
and sunshine. Observe what is right, do what is just. Attend to the
sacraments and bear witness to his mercy. Live the Law of Love.
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