(This homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, VA on Aug. 31.)
Some very basic and important questions are being projected before us by the scripture readings of today's Mass. How does a person of faith really live? Where does living a faith-centered life take place?
How does a person of faith really live? By living from the inside out, that is, by living from the inner recesses of the heart. Is this not what Jesus is telling us in today's Gospel account? Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus says: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me " .” People of faith live with their hearts close to the Lord, with their hearts " and minds " in tune with God's Word and Will, as God makes these known through His Word in the Scriptures and through the Teaching Office of the Church.
We are truly and genuinely persons of faith when our external actions are in harmony with and flow from our internal attitudes and desires rooted in the Lord. In other words, there is an authentic and necessary connection between how we live and what we believe. Living from the inside out means living a faith-centered life.
So, we now come to the second question: Where does living a faith-centered life take place? For the true person of faith, for the genuine disciple of Christ, for the authentic member of the Church, living such a faith-centered life takes place in all of life, in all the daily activity of our human lives. In other words, when we live from the inside out, we are living an integrated life wherein our relationship with the Lord and His Church " our faith " is in harmony with the rest of our life. Whether we be in the Church building or in the marketplace, our being and acting are the same because we live from the recesses of a heart that belongs to Christ.
The other two scripture readings affirm this integrated approach to living life as a person of faith. The Book of Deuteronomy, from which today's first reading is taken, focuses on the relationship of God's People in the Old Covenant and their response to Him precisely as people living under the Covenant. Their whole lives were to reflect that they belonged to Him and lived by His Law. “Moses said to the people: 'Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live " .'” In his letter, from which today's second reading is taken, St. James is saying that we must live in accord with the word of truth. “He willed to give us birth by the word of truth " Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding your lives.”
Obviously, there are a number of practical conclusions to living from the inside out, to living a faith-centered and integrated life. For example, our religious practices, though necessarily external, must flow from our hearts and be integrated with the rest of our daily human activity. Our daily prayer, as individuals and as a family; our participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, at least weekly; our reception of the sacrament of reconciliation on a regular basis: these flow from a heart whose treasure is the Lord and express outwardly our interior relationship with Him, rooted in faith, hope and love.
Moreover, our religious practice must be integrated with the rest of our living. We cannot do this perfectly because we are weak and prone to sin, but we must never give up persevering in our efforts to have what we believe and practice be in harmony with how we live. What a contradiction to have persons of faith externally profess that faith in worship yet live in ways which clearly state the opposite. We cannot really be persons of faith while at the same time consciously doing evil things. This is exactly what Jesus is describing when He reminds us today that from an evil heart comes “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” Therefore, from a good heart, one that belongs to God, come chastity, purity, generosity, fidelity in marriage, truthfulness, honesty, humility, forgiveness, gentleness, care and concern.
This same integration of faith with daily life means that upholding what is right and good must be consistent, both in private and in public. In recent weeks, we have heard or read attempts to segregate faith in Christ from moral living. Statements like “I believe in Christ, but what I do in the privacy of my home has no connection with Him.” Or, “I believe in the sanctity of life, but I can't impose my view on others; so I don't oppose in the public arena abortion and physician-assisted suicide.” Or, “God's plan for marriage is always unfolding, so same-sex marriage ought not to be condemned.” These statements reveal the absolute lack of integration between faith and daily living. The person of faith, who truly lives from the inside out, cannot possibly uphold positions such as I have outlined. What comes from the heart truly governs how we live and for the person of faith, for us, the heart must belong to God and be rooted in His Word and Will, revealed in Scripture and taught by the Church.
No, none of us responds perfectly to the Gospel imperative of living a faith-centered and integrated life. But, each day, our response must be a renewed willingness to live in an integrated faith-centered way. That willingness the Lord will bless and strengthen, so that, more and more, we will be the people who live faith, from the inside out!
