Homily 500 | 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time | Year B
Civil leaders fail. Church leaders fail. We all fail. So what does Jesus expect us to do in the midst of this messed up broken world?
In the case of civil leaders who fail us, we can elect knew ones if we’re priveledged enough to live in a democracy. But even with the best leaders, it’s good to remember that no government is perfect and we shouldn’t look for the state to solve all our problems. You are also not responsible for fixing all the world’s problems. Maybe turn off the T.V. for a bit and see if you find more peace.
In the case of church leaders who fail, firstly, pray for them. But after that, remember the three things that are the pillars of our faith… Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. If a priest, bishop, or even the Pope says something that creates confusion or seems to contradict one of these three things, stick with the truth that has been handed on by the consistent teaching of the universal Church for 2000 years. Individual leaders may fail, but the whole Church won’t.
Finally, if you’re really upset about the state of the world and the state of the church, Mother Theresa has some good advice. “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” You can’t really do much to immediately change the church or the world, but you can change your family right now. If you are a parent, you are the shepherd of your family. If you start with your family, you just might find that eventually you have also changed the church and world for the better.