HOMILY FOR ASCENSION SUNDAY-A

IN OUR READINGS FOR THIS ASCENSION SUNDAY, WE LEARN SEVERAL THINGS, ALL OF WHICH BOIL DOWN TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS SOMEONE UP THERE, SOMEONE GREATER THAN US AND THAT SOMEONE IS IN CHARGE.

IN THE ACCOUNT OF THE ASCENSION IN ACTS WE SEE THERE IS A HIGHER POWER, A REALITY BEYOND THIS WORLD THAT IS SUPERIOR TO THIS WORLD AND THAT REALITY IS GOD IN THREE PERSONS.  IN THE SECOND READING FROM THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS, WE SEE THAT JESUS IS IN CHARGE SINCE THE FATHER HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET AND MADE HIM HEAD OF ALL THINGS.

SO WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR IS THAT JESUS IS GOD AND HE IS IN CHARGE.  THE ONLY CONCLUSION MUST BE THAT WHATEVER HE SAYS GOES.  IF HE SAYS DO THAT, WE NEED TO DO IT.  IF HE SAYS DON’T DO THAT, IT WOULD BE REALLY WISE FOR US NOT TO DO IT.  IT IS AFTER ALL GOD WE’RE DEALING WITH.

NOW WHEN IT COMES TO SAYING WHAT HE THINKS, JESUS WAS NEVER WISHY-WASHY.  HE SAID ‘LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’.  HE DID NOT SAY LET’S FORM A COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS IT AND VOTE ON IT.  HE DID NOT SAY LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF WHEN IT’S CONVENIENT AND YOU FEEL LIKE IT.  NO IF’S, AND’S OR BUT’S ABOUT WHAT HE SAID.  AGAIN, HE TOLD THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN TO GO AND SIN NO MORE.  HE DID NOT TELL THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN TO GO AND NOT COMMIT ADULTERY UNLESS SHE WAS REALLY, REALLY IN LOVE OR HAD NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAT DAY.  AGAIN, JESUS STATEMENT WAS CLEAR AND TO THE POINT WITH NO IF’S, AND’S OR BUT’S ATTACHED.

SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THERE ARE RULES, PRETTY CLEAR ONES, TO GOVERN OUR CONDUCT GIVEN TO US BY THE ONE IN CHARGE, JESUS, THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY.  TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, THERE ARE MORAL BOUNDARIES SET BY SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF OUR MATERIAL WORLD.  THESE BOUNDARIES OR RULES WE CALL THE MORAL CODE.  OUR JOB IS TO APPLY THESE RULES IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR DAILY LIVES AND GOD HAS GIVEN US A FACULTY, AN ABILITY, TO DO THAT: A FACULTY WE CALL CONSCIENCE.

WE ARE THE ONLY CREATURES WITH A CONSCIENCE.  WE ARE THE ONLY PART OF ALL GOD’S CREATION THAT GOD EXPECTS TO REGULATE OUR BEHAVIOR BY DOING GOOD AND AVOIDING EVIL.
IN FACT, BLESSED JOHN HENRY CARDINAL NEWMAN ARGUES THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSCIENCE IN HUMANS IS ONE OF THE BEST PROOFS THAT THERE IS SOMEONE UP THERE, THAT THERE IS A GOD.  HERE’S WHY HE THINKS THAT.
  FIRST, HE SAYS, WE DON’T NEED A CONSCIENCE TO MAKE IT IN THE WORLD.  OTHER ANIMALS DO PERFECTLY FINE WITHOUT ONE.  BUT WE HAVE ONE AND ARE THE ONLY CREATURES WHO AGONIZE ABOUT DOING RIGHT AND WRONG.

SECOND, THE CARDINAL ASKS WHY, THEN DO WE HAVE ONE?  WELL, HE ANSWERS THE ONLY REASON FOR A CONSCIENCE IS THAT THERE MUST BE MORAL BOUNDARIES AND THESE MORAL BOUNDARIES MUST COME FROM OUR CREATOR WHO WANTS US TO STAY WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES. SO THAT’S WHY HE GIVES US A CONSCIENCE.  IN SHORT, HE SAYS, HAVING A CONSCIENCE DOESN’T MAKE MUCH SENSE UNLESS THERE IS A MORAL CODE THAT SOMEONE, OUR CREATOR, OUR GOD IN OTHER WORDS, EXPECTS US TO FOLLOW.  SINCE WE HAVE A CONSCIENCE AND THAT CONSCIENCE IS ONLY USEFUL FOR FOLLOWING A HIGHER ORDER AND A HIGHER ORDER IS CREATED BY A HIGHER BEING, HE CONCLUDES, THERE MUST BE A GOD.

CONSCIENCE HAS RUN INTO DIFFICULTIES IN TODAY’S WORLD, ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN WORLD OF EUROPE AND THE U.S., WHERE WE HEAR OF AN IDEA CALLED “THE PRIMACY OF CONSCIENCE”.  THIS IDEA SAYS THAT THERE ARE NO MORAL TRUTHS THAT ARE TRUE FOR ALL TIME AND PLACES OR, IF THERE ARE, AT THE VERY LEAST WE CAN’T KNOW THEM.  THUS, THE WAY THAT THINGS CAN BE CALLED GOOD OR BAD IS WHAT EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL’S CONSCIENCE CALLS GOOD AND BAD.  SO I MIGHT THINK SOMETHING IS GOOD AND BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT IS GOOD.  YOU MIGHT THINK THAT SAME THING IS BAD AND, BECAUSE YOU THINK SO, IT IS BAD.  THERE IS NOTHING BEYOND US TO SET BOUNDARIES.  WE SET BOUNDARIES FOR OURSELVES INDIVIDUALLY.

IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT PRIMACY OF CONSCIENCE BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT IDEA THAT IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT AND IT’S PERFECTLY OK.  

THIS PRIMACY OF CONSCIENCE IDEA IS REALLY DANGEROUS.  IF I THINK OTHER RACES ARE INFERIOR TO MY OWN AND GUIDE MY BEHAVIOR THAT WAY, WHY THAT IS JUST FINE.  IF I THINK THAT THE ANYONE OVER 75 IS AUTOMATICALLY A BURDEN ON SOCIETY AND SHOULD BE PUT TO SLEEP, THAT TOO IS JUST FINE.  IF I THINK THE POOR OF THE WORLD SHOULD JUST BE ALLOWED TO DIE OFF, PRIMACY OF CONSCIENCE MAKES THAT PERFECTLY OK.  I THINK ALL OF US CAN SEE THOSE KINDS OF TRENDS IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

BUT THERE ARE TWO MAJOR FLAWS IN THAT KIND OF THINKING.
FIRST, WHY DO WE HAVE A CONSCIENCE TO TELL US WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD IF WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO IS GOOD AND WHATEVER WE DON’T LIKE IS BAD?  CONSCIENCE JUST BECOMES A RUBBER STAMP THAT HAS NO PURPOSE.

THE SECOND FLAW IS THAT CONSCIENCE IS A TOOL TO HELP US GUIDE OUR BEHAVIOR, TO MAKE SURE OUR BEHAVIOR ACCORDS WITH MORAL TRUTH.  IT IS NOT TRUTH ITSELF.  IT IS A TOOL TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH.  WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT PRIMACY REALLY BELONGS TO GOD’S MORAL TRUTH AND NOT TO CONSCIENCE WHICH IS SOMETHING WE USE TO APPLY THAT MORAL TRUTH TO SPECIFIC SITUATIONS.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO US WHEN WE WALK OUT OF MASS TODAY?  IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS TELLS THE DISCIPLES AND US TO GO OUT TO THE NATIONS WITH HIS MESSAGE, CONVERTING AND BAPTIZING THEM.  THIS GOSPEL IS CALLED THE ‘GREAT COMMISSIONING’ SINCE JESUS COMMISSIONS US ALL TO BE HIS DISCIPLES AND TO WITNESS TO HIM.

NOW TO BE A WITNESS IS FIRST OF ALL TO HAVE A TRUTH TO WITNESS TO.  WE KNOW THERE IS A TRUTH AND THAT WE GET THAT TRUTH FROM JESUS AND HIS CHURCH, NOT FROM HOLLYWOOD, MADISON AVENUE, OR THE LATEST FAD FROM THE LATEST SOCIAL GURU.  SECOND, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO THE WITNESSING AND WE DO THAT IN THREE WAYS:

FIRST, WE WITNESS THAT HE IS THE TRUTH.  WE SAY, “JESUS IS GOD AND I BELIEVE IT”.
SECOND, WE WITNESS BY ACTING ON OUR BELIEF, BY PUTTING THAT TRUTH INTO ACTION.  IF DOING SOMETHING IS WRONG UNDER GOD’S LAW, I DON’T DO IT.  IF GOD’S LAW SAYS I SHOULD DO SOMETHING, I DO IT.  THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE KIND OF WITNESS.

FINALLY WE WITNESS TO JESUS BY BEING READY TO BECOME MARTYRS.  IN FACT, IN GREEK THE WORD MARTYR ACTUALLY MEANS BEING A WITNESS.  WHAT DOES BEING A MARTYR MEAN FOR US?  IT MEANS BEING LOYAL TO JESUS AND HIS TRUTH EVEN WHEN IT IS INCONVENIENT.  A LOT OF TIMES STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IN TODAY’S WORLD CAN BE VERY UNPOPULAR.  WE CAN LOSE FRIENDS, SOCIAL STANDING OR EVEN ADVANCEMENT IN OUR JOB.  BEING A MARTYR MEANS STANDING UP FOR GOD’S TRUTH ANYWAY NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.

FINALLY, NOT ONLY IS LIVING GOD’S TRUTH THE THING WE SHOULD DO, IT IS ALSO THE SMART AND PRUDENT THING TO DO.  GOD IS, AFTER ALL, GOD.