27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
First Reading: Is 5:1-7
Second Reading: Phil 4:6-9
Gospel Reading: Mt 21:33-43
This Sunday, St. Paul exhorts us to “think about” whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, or praiseworthy.
How different from today’s media, which draw our attention to whatever is false, dishonourable, unjust, depraved (especially if it is sexual), shocking, or condemnable.
The reasons, of course, are economic. However, that means that we, the public, prefer the bad to the good. In that case, we are not following St. Paul’s advice.
All we can do to change the media is to stop supporting them: stop subscribing to newspapers and magazines, stop reading magazines in waiting rooms or at the checkouts of stores, stop watching television, stop listening to radio, and stop cruising the internet, except insofar as we have to in order to keep abreast of important world and local events.
We can choose which newspaper articles we read. We can curb our tendency to turn our eyes to the most scandalous headlines. We can keep what used to be called “custody of the eyes” and turn away from salacious photographs and pictures.
When it comes to the internet, however, the only safe thing is to turn it off. That is the advice my spiritual director gave me about television when I was ordained in 1981. It seems to me that we have even less control over what jumps up on our internet screens than what we see on our TV screens.
The advertisements are particularly offensive: not just those that portray pornographic pictures so briefly that we do not have time to object to them, but those that contain messages utterly un-Christian, such as “You only live once, so buy a new car.”
However, there is much more that we can do, and have to do, in our daily lives to keep our minds and hearts focused on good things and not on bad.
“Take no part in vain deeds done in darkness,” St. Paul advises; “rather, condemn them.” However, it is clear that he did not mean “keep talking about them,” for he added, “It is shameful even to mention the things these people do in secret.”
“As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you,” he said; “your holiness forbids this. Nor should there be any obscene, silly, or suggestive talk; all that is out of place.”
For example, we might have to condemn the notion of same-sex “marriage,” but let us talk about it as little as possible. Otherwise, we become accustomed to it and therefore more open to temptation.
As the poet said, “Vice is a monster of such frightful mien, as to be hated, needs but to be seen.” However, if we see it too often, we become “familiar” with its face; “we first endure, then pity, then embrace.”
Instead of condemning what is wrong, let us praise what is right. As St. Paul said, “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and inspired songs. Sing praise to the Lord with all your hearts. Give thanks to God the Father always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them … Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind.” Instead, “be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving.”
Slander means spreading lies about someone, but detraction is also a serious sin: it is wrong to spread even the truth about someone’s faults or vices when it is not absolutely necessary.
Instead of the “wild grapes” of the First Reading, let us work at producing “the fruits of the kingdom” that Jesus spoke about: charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, mildness, faith, modesty, and chastity.
Then God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.
Fr. Hawkswell is again teaching “The Catholic Faith in Plain English” free of charge. All the materials (video and print) are available online at www.beholdvancouver.org/catholic-faith-course. Session 5, “What is the Catholic Church," will be available October 4.
