Hi everyone… tomorrow morning, a group from MSU Newman will be heading for the March for Life in Washington DC.  Here was my homily from Mass tonight – which a student asked me to share online.  The first reading is from the book of Samuel (can be found at: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011818.cfm)

HOMILY:

The first reading is really another interesting episode in the life of David -who we’ve been hearing about all week.   On Tuesday  we heard how he was chosen by God to lead Israel – yesterday the memorable story of him killing Goliath with the stone…   Now today, we hear how Saul is ready to kill David… Quite a few days.  How did things turn so bad from being chosen, being celebrated to being threatened?

Anger.  Jealousy.  Envy…  Those are very powerful feelings, emotions – particularly when they are left unchecked.  What saves David is the strength, the courage and integrity, the faith of Saul’s son Jonathan.  He steps forward, warns David and then gives his father Saul a new perspective to view David with.  He speaks words of truth to dissipate Sauls misguided anger and mistrust. 

Which gives us a great example and something to reflect on –

How often do we stay silent?

How often do we go about our way thinking this matter, this incident, this issue does not concern me? Or our voice will not make a difference. Or we are too tired and have no energy to make this our concern?   It can be a fight between two people in our circle of friends… It can be a larger, bigger issue that seems way out of our sphere of influence for it to seem to matter at all.

Too often, particularly in this day and age – we’ve been  instructed or conditioned not to make waves, not to stir the pot – all in the face of tolerance, of political correctness , of being nice.  In the process, we’ve allowed ourselves to be lulled into silence, into complacency.  Even earlier today, I told a friend of mine how a bunch of us are going to Washington DC for the Right to Life March to stand up and be counted as those who oppose abortion, who oppose the many threats to the dignity of all human lives.  His reaction was a bit startling as he said “that’s a waste of time… what’s going to change?”

I thought about that a lot.  To be honest,  I don’t know.  I don’t know what legislation, what policy, what political calculation may or may not change.  I don’t know what heart might have a deeper conversion or new awareness of the importance to this issue. 

But I do know the possibilities for any change, the potential for some movement diminish significantly if more and more people choose to be silent.  Sauls son Jonathan gives testimony to the complete opposite being true:  in speaking up, we can change and perhaps even save lives.