homily notes: 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Have you ever asked yourself, or as anyone ever asked you, "Why are you Catholic?"

There are plenty of opportunities for that: when we walk around with little crosses of ash drawn on our foreheads, when they notice a rosary on our rear-view mirror or a Mary statue in our yard, or when a bishop or the pope says something that goes against the prevailing mindset of our culture.

And, honestly, our faith deserves questioning. If we believe what we profess to be true, then we should be able to explain ourselves. Catholicism makes bold, radical claims - that the God who made the universe has revealed Himself, has come to live with his creatures, and gives Himself to us under the appearances of bread and wine. Even more, we say He's not just interested in us knowing about Him and obeying Him, what He ultimately wants to do is make us His children.

So, there are any number of answers we could give when we're asked, "Why are you Catholic?" We could say that it makes us happy, or that we want to go to Heaven.

But what today's readings tell us is that the point of all of this is love.

That's the meaning behind all the laws of the Old Testament. The ancient Jewish teachers of Jesus' time had calculated that there were 613 separate commandments in the Law that came from God through Moses. The first reading we heard today from the book of Deuteronomy, however, gives us a focus point:

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,with all your heart,and with all your soul,and with all your strength.Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.

This passage is called the "Shema" - it was a prayer that Jews recite daily. It points to the heart of God's covenant with them: it is all about love.

Jesus quotes the Shema when he answers the scribe who asks him which commandment is most important. Jesus' response tells us that love of God must be the center of our lives.

But he adds a second part: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

The love that God has for us leads us to love God in return. But that love isn't just a private thing. It's not just "me and Jesus." That love has to go out into the whole world, it has to change the world.

This week is a perfect time to recognize that fact. On Tuesday, the citizens of our country will make choices about which of our fellow citizens should serve the people of the country in elected office.

That choice is not just a political one because we are not just political beings. Our relationship with God, the love of God for us and our love for Him, must effect our relationship with every other person in the world. That includes how we treat our family members, how we spend our money, and how we vote.

I encourage you to vote, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Catholics - as people who have encountered the love of God in the sacraments, in the Scriptures and in our brothers and sisters.

Love God and love your neighbor. That's the point, the meaning, behind why we are Catholics. Let's take that love out into the world.