Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Here is my homily from February 8, 2015, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Readings: Job 7.1-4,6-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9.16-19,22-23; Mark 1.29-39 (See the readings at usccb.org)
– Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide by President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
– Article from the Diocese of Saskatoon: Local reaction to Supreme Court of Canada decision legalizing physician-assisted suicide
– More information about the proposal from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan to curtail conscience rights for doctors
Homily text is below. (Note: I write the way I speak, so please don’t look to this text as a great example of English grammar. :-))
Usually when the priest gives a homily, it’s on the readings. Sometimes the homily might be more about a certain feast day — For example, my Christmas homily was about, well, Christmas. But today it’s a little different. What caught my eye is something that’s not often preached about. It’s always an option, but it’s not preached about that often.
The gospel acclamation. That little verse that gets sandwiched in between the Alleluias. Today, the gospel acclamation is from Matthew 8.17. “Alleluia, Alleluia. Christ took our infirmities, and bore our diseases. Alleluia.”
Now, there’s a specific word for this. There’s a word for what Jesus shows in the gospels, especially in the gospel today; and although we only heard a tiny bit of the book of Job, toward the end of the book we find out that God has been showing this word to Job as well. The word is: Compassion. Jesus shows compassion. God shows compassion. Likewise, we must show each other true compassion.
This word is at the heart of a huge amount of debate happening right now in this country, as the Supreme Court struck down laws against assisted suicide on Friday. Now, I’ll admit that this decision is still very fresh for me, as I’m sure it is for all of us. But I do want to reflect with you briefly today on compassion. It strikes me that a lot of people right now are using that word. But to paraphrase Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride: “They keep using that word. I do not think it means what they think it means.”
Compassion, in it’s etymology, in its most fundamental meaning, is this: To suffer with. Com – passion – to suffer with someone. To walk with, to journey with, to pilgrimage with someone in their suffering. This is what Jesus does, so much so that he takes our infirmities; he bears our diseases. He enters into our condition; he takes our sin upon himself. The fullest expression of compassion is shown by Jesus on the cross. Jesus suffers with and for you and me. That’s compassion.
Now there’s no doubt in my mind: true compassion is one of the hardest things to live. But you know, as a priest I’m so blessed to see compassion lived out over and over again as I see people caring for each another. Whether it’s for funerals or in illness, or in poverty, and in all sorts of things: people step up, especially in small towns. And I am blessed to see so much of this compassion. Jesus has compassion for us, and we are to have compassion for one another.
But what’s been dripping through a lot of the talk that I’ve heard in the past day or so about this Supreme Court decision is, quite simply, a fundamental distortion of what compassion is. Compassion, according to some, is no longer suffering with or walking with or journeying with. It’s precisely the opposite. It’s stopping. It’s putting someone to an early end. It’s stopping the journey on our own terms, rather than in God’s time. But we are not God. And we can make some pretty big mistakes.
And the scariest thing? If the experience of pretty much every other place in the world that has allowed assisted suicide is any indication, it’s those who are the most vulnerable who are going to be the most at risk. The ones who need our compassion the most are the ones to whom this decision will put at the greatest risk.
Jesus shows us a far better way. He had compassion for the most vulnerable. He recognized their inherent dignity and worth. So must we, as a society, and as individuals. It’s vitally important, for the sake of our nation that we recognize all people, including the most vulnerable, as having inherent dignity and worth. Our dignity does not come from what we can do or from what we experience. And our dignity is not diminished by suffering. Our fundamental human dignity comes from the fact that we are. We exist. For people of faith, we exist because of the love of God. We all have tremendous dignity.
This is good news, people! It’s great news! You and I have dignity! We need to rise up and proclaim this good news, especially to the most vulnerable: You are worth it! You are worth all the love and all the compassion we can muster! You are even worth Jesus giving his life for you. You have dignity! We need to rise up, as a people and as a Church, and show real compassion: walking with, even suffering with the most vulnerable, affirming their worth, not putting them away — because they are. They are loved. We are loved infinitely.
Also: we need to be well informed about all these issues. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. But the Church’s teaching is smart, and it’s wise, and it’s so very compassionate. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more material. This will be a big priority for me when I get back from holidays. For example, in Saskatchewan and Ontario the College of Physicians wants to force doctors to potentially act against their conscience. We need to speak up about this, also; there’s a link on the parish website about it.
Most of all, we need to pray. Pray, pray, pray. God alone can soften our hearts. God alone can heal us and our broken world. God is the truest source of compassion, because he is with us. He walks with us. He suffers with us. And he suffers for us, and in doing so he gave his victory to us.
May we grow in true compassion for all people, as Jesus has compassion for us.
We’d love to have you join us for Mass! Click here for the parish Mass schedule.
I was sick today, sinus and throat infection, likely contagious and therefore unable to attend Mass. As I got into bed, while I knew I had a legitimate excuse, I still wishes I could’ve attended Mass, received Our Lord and heard the readings and the Gospel. I looked them up, but still wished I could hear or get the text of a good homily.
I will confess, yours was not the homily I sought, as I tried to find Pope Francis’ homily for today. I think I found almost every day but in the first few links. Thank God I did.
Your explanation of compassion really hits home for a man who just over 11 years ago, lost his mom to a grueling battle with lung cancer. I’ve also lost other relatives and friends to this ravaging disease. There is definitely suffering involved, but it has worth; it has meaning. Thank you for being a reaffirming voice of that. Given the culture in our countries (I’m from the U.S.) I’m sure you’ll suffer to some extent for your comments. Tonight, I walk with you in prayer that God will keep you strong. Thank you, Father, and God Bless!
Always a good homily when you quote the Princess Bride!! Funny that in Colorado, some 1000 miles away, Father Joseph Toledo (Holy Toledo?) had in his message…wait for it…assisted suicide, as the assisted suicide bill in CO “died” in committee this week. Thank the Lord, but as he said, it will be back in another bill sooner or later. We, as Catholics, and dare I say Christians, are in dire need to defend life in all people, in all situations, in every circumstance! It is truly, truly the greatest gift we have from God, that he loved us so much that he willed us into existence. We need to cry out from the hills on this! And abortion!! And the death penalty!! The earth cries out to God from our slain brethren as Abel’s did!! Great homily Fr. Darryl!!
who said ..assist older people that are suffering ,if they to end their life? because so against this I am 65 I have suffered great pain back hurt at 27 live with bad back ever since . also have bad heart. gordons dad had to go into continue care heard doc say that the elderly put a strain on the health care system that they should be dead instead of trying to prolong their life. so know that there are doc that will do an assisted suicide death. just find this all wrong. and it opens up to all sorts of other so called suicides. just wait and see. can get rid of anybody now for the money. someone wants different wife or husband. or any relative. if someone wants a suicide for mom or dad they will do any thing. there are pills now days ,my father-in-law was not in pain at any time….he had bad lungs. and they can be sleeping with help of a needles. if they cause to much , and the nurse just cant get to them all. the problem is they take to much money. I know some are alone in there own homes…my dad was and he had people drop to see how he was all the time. he stayed in his lodge. when he had his heart attack he was taken to the hospital. I want to go to heaven I work hard obeying the commandments, and living right. so to have ass suicide before God says, will take away my chance of going to heaven, the way I see it therefore no way do I want suicide EVER. any one wanting to die needs to just give up fighting. athetist also just need to give up. anyone that believes I God I think knows to just give up pray for a peaceful death. people are dying now without the assist shit. assisted death doesn’t make death merciful,it makes it a cowards way out. animals can not talk to us and we might miss what causes them pain to leave and leave it go is cruel. so we shorten there life. ok. but there medical services that can help us. pills. again we cost to much money. that problem has to be told that is the way it is. the people charged with building the old folks home need to be honest and the lumber yards need to be honest in there values on the goods everything overly priced so everyone makes a more than a buck…way more than a buck. if a person watches and talks to people one can find out what is goin on by themselves. we are getting wool over our eyes. against all this want the gov to oust all this, let things die out. 780 753 6629