By Fr. Robert J. Carr
©Catholic Online 2005

This homily is the first that is the product of the Homily Preparation Group I hold starting last Monday here at St. Benedict’s in Somerville, MA. As you know, I may use all, some or none of what comes out of the meeting. Here I will use some.

As we were discussing the first reading, someone notice an image: Moses humble before God inviting God to be with the people even if He finds favor with him. The prophet invites God to join he and the Jews, but notice he warns that his people are a stiff necked. People.

That is a powerful image where we see people in two places. One is down at the bottom of the mountain. We learn later that they are in revelry. The other is at the top of the mountain, humble before God. Our choice everyday is where do we want to be.

MOSES ON THE MOUNTAIN PART II

Remember Moses is humble before the Lord, He is quite aware he is in the presence of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is in communication with the greatest being in the Universe, indeed, the source of all being. Moses has the experience to be in His presence, but that is because he is a humble man who has humbled himself in order that he may be God’s servant.

Why is he there? He is there to get a new set of stone tablets, he smashed the others when the people went into revelry going so far as to build an idol—a golden calf. Moses returns humbly as the servant of God he is asking for one more chance for his people.

We have the decision always in our lives, whom will we be; Moses humble before God or the people in revelry.

A MODERN DAY ABOMINATION

I have learned some terrible things this week. You may know that at a Brookline, MA school a graphic pamphlet which teaches one about different forms of gay sex and even gives a list of gay bars in the area was made available to school children. The organization distributing the pamphlet claims it was an error, give that the credibility you desire. Yet, the organization publishing the pamphlet raises some eyebrows. This material is filled with exactly the same teachings our media claims that were perpetrated by some of our priests. The publisher of the pamphlet is an organization in the city well known. Its object originally was to stop AIDS. The founder of that organization was one of the protesters outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross seeking to run out Cardinal Law for not putting a stop to those priests. It gets worse.

That organization which preaches that message is funded in part by a local television station. The CEO of that television station was the first to call for Cardinal Law’s resignation. Now that station is funding an organization that preaches the same message as the priest for whom they ran out Cardinal Law. It gets worse. The CEO of that station has used his facilities to promote Voice of the Faithful bringing even more doubt of the legitimacy of the organization of which there is really none. It gets worse. He is also a trustee on one of our charitable agencies in the Catholic Church.

So these people actively running out Cardinal Law are now actually guilty of doing the exact same thing they claim he did.

That is an abomination.

THE REVELRY OF STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE

Look about you and see the revelry and the stiff-necked people. Look within ourselves and see where we are not living the faith to the level to which we are called. See how much we as a community are more and more like the people at the bottom of the mountain when Moses smashed the tablets than we are at all like Moses at the top of the mountain whom we are called to emulate.

Whom do we follow?

There are choices we need to make in our lives now even more than before.

Yet, first we need to look at what things have to change in our Church. We need to make the decision whether we will be in revelry or whether we will be like Moses humbly in the presence of the mystery of the Holy Trinity that is God.

JUST HOW CATHOLIC ARE WE?

One of the realities that keep our economies going is something called usury. Usury, I am sure you know, is lending money at interest. It is forbidden in the bible. Now all of us probably know why, we need only look at our credit card bills and we can be aware of the enslaving element of usury. However, let’s step back for a minute. Usury is also done on an international level. You can visit some countries that are so enslaved in debt that they are not able to care for their people. They are also only able to pay the interest on the loans and not principle. The people suffer. That is the problem with usury. That is why it is forbidden in the bible.

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