One of the greatest errors of Catholicism is to sum it all up in being good. I have taught you many times that the whole concept of good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell is ancient heresy condemned many years ago. Our Catholic faith is not really about behavior. This is a message that the world does not understand at all, so they work hard in trying to get the Church to change its teachings on many things without realizing what they accomplish most is demonstrating how much they do not know about the Catholic Church.

I taught the confirmation students last week that if you look at when Jesus talks about people going to Hell, he rarely addresses about bad behavior. Indeed, in today’s gospel He talks about one not being properly disposed as indicated by the lack of formal attire. When Jesus talks about condemnation, one of the terms He uses is “I never knew you.” What He is saying is that the first step of our spiritual journal is an active powerful relationship with Jesus Christ. This is where it all starts.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul talks about an important aspect of this spiritual reality. It is not behavior, but relationship and that relationship is really two way.

Paul talks about being empowered by God to have the strength to do all he is called to do. This is an aspect of our faith that is often lost in American circles. This is why the world has no clue about what it means to be a Catholic. The world only understands behavior and wants the Church to define behavior the way the world wants it. However, our faith is about an active real relationship with Jesus Christ which is completely outside the realm of understanding of the world.

This brings us to a level of our faith that is central to what it means to be Catholic, living by divine providence. However, that is really foreign to American Catholicism.

St. Paul talks about how he knows how to live in abundance and in need. I assure you he learned this by relying on God. Indeed, he remarks at the beginning of this passage, which we learned last week, to rejoice in the Lord always and to have no anxiety at all. This is done by relying on God completely, by putting our cares upon Him for He cares for us. St. Peter teaches this as well.

The whole key to this is to trust in the Lord and His answers to our prayers in our needs. He will care for us but will also use our needs and struggles to educate us to form us to a way of thinking that conforms us to being his servants. This relationship is central to what it means to be Catholic. With this relationship we grow in trusting in the Lord and in our experience with Him.

If, instead, we sum up our faith in trying to be good enough to enter Heaven, we will never develop this relationship; we will be too focused on being good. Now, do not misunderstand, seeking to do good is an essential part of living our Catholicism, but it is done by conforming our will to Christ’s in an act of love. If instead we are just following the rules because that is what the rules say, then we miss the point. It is the relationship that transforms our behavior and the transformation is deep.

One of the great errors currently going on in our society is demanding the Church enter into political battles of moral decisions without first calling people to a relationship with Christ. Yes it is true that as our nation accepts more and more moral behavior outside of the Judeo Christian tradition, it is weakening itself and preparing itself for its own demise, but we cannot change that if we do not first teach people of Christ.

The personal, intimate communicative, relationship with our savior is what defines the foundation of our entire life and, therefore, our morality. It is the anchor for the rest of our eternity. Without it our lives remain untethered or tethered to passing things that themselves are ultimately unstable. Rejecting that relationship also defines us in a way that is false to our true nature. In order to lead people to know the morality that leads us to be who we truly are, we have to embrace our roots in the God who created us. If we do not teach that first, the morality becomes meaningless.

When we understand that at the base of our daily life is a relationship with our creator who is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, then we begin to live closer to the core of our Catholic faith.

This is why your greatest difficulties are your tickets to God. Indeed the Psalmist says: “It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes.The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (Ps 119: 65-72)

If you find you have to rely on God, you are closest to Him. However, that is a problem for us in the United States for we have a culture of self-reliance and control. It is not something we are used to culturally and personally to let go of control, especially in our most difficult circumstances. We learn how to allow God to educate us and transform us through those our difficulties. We give Him control of the situation, our life and the results. That is not an American value. Exchanging the providence of God for the providence of the state, which is a European value, is also not Catholicism.

My most painful moments deepened my relationship with Christ for they showed me His presence when I was lost in terror, or fear. I can tell you of terrifying moments that drove me into God’s presence. The surprising answers to my trepidation allayed my fears and were beyond my expectations. Maybe it is a kind word, a Bible verse, or more that showed me how to trust more in the Lord. They led me to trust in God in such a way that without these most horrible moments in my life, my faith would be quite superficial. Whether I am talking about financial issues, or pastoral issues, or personal issues, or more, they all led me to a deeper trust in the Lord because my worries were allayed through surprising means and yes they include miraculous moments. However, all of this means to trust in Divine Providence for all things. This is why being thankful to God is an essential part of Catholic life. It is not just the right thing to do, but more importantly it is an element that demonstrates just how much we rely on God.

Benjamin Franklin warned that those who seek security over liberty deserve neither. If you want to insulate yourself from the troubles of life you will find security but at the loss of both liberty and God. But if you want to rely on God for all things you will find a presence of God beyond what form of security you will find in the world.

Paul is speaking of a Divine Providence that is central to our Catholicism. Living it is an essential element of our faith in this parish. Live outside of it and you will soon find yourself going more through the motions of the faith than living the faith itself.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find at his website. He also has a regular radio program on WebRadio Canção Nova. Which he podcasts on Mixcloud and here on Catholicismanew.
You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr. Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook