21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, C August 26, 2007
I hope some of you saw the excellent series on CNN this past week titled “God’s Warriors”. Christiane Amanpour reported on various strains of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity characterized by their political activism, their intensity, and sometimes fanaticism, and how they are channeling their energies. Last Wednesday’s segment focused on Islam. One person featured was a young American woman, a convert to Islam. She spoke very forcefully of what she was convinced was a hallmark of Islam, that it was not just about going to church once a week, but that it was a total way of life that she attended to every waking moment of every day.
Now, this young woman was right on the mark in her understanding of Islam. It is exactly what she said, a total way of life. And her perception of so many Christians whose faith is a one hour a week experience was also accurate. But she may not realize that following Christ is also, like Islam, supposed to be a full time job, a total way of life.
Jesus makes this completely clear in today’s Gospel when he comments on those who boast about being merely acquainted with him and his message. They proudly tell Jesus, “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” But Jesus said to them, “I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!”
Certainly, none of us want to be in that group. Yet, it’s hard, isn’t it, to be conscious all the time that our faith should affect everything we say and do at every waking moment. The Muslim woman on CNN spoke of her decision to wear the hijab, the traditional female headscarf, as an external sign of her faith, as an ever-present reminder of who she is and what she believes. Similarly, Orthodox Jews wear distinctive dress, to constantly remind them of their faith. Women wear ankle length dresses and head bonnets; men wear black suits and hats, sport full beards and sometimes a long sideburn curl. The Amish wear clothes with hooks instead of buttons. For them buttons are an unnecessary display of vanity and worldliness. If all my shirts had hooks instead of buttons, I’d surely not forget why I was wearing them. St. Catherine of Siena wore a hair shirt as an undergarment as a spiritual discipline. Constantly suffering from the scratching, could she for a moment forget why she wore it? Years ago Catholic nuns wore traditional habits, long and black, with special white starched oversize collars and elaborate veils on their heads. A huge rosary hung from their belts and jingled as they walked. Wearing these kinds of clothes every day, how could people forget for a moment who they are and what they believe?
Without such constant visible reminders, it’s much easier for us to forget that Catholicism is a total way of life. It’s easy to relegate it to a one hour a week experience in church. We all dress according to the standard fashions of our culture, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not suggesting we adopt special Catholic uniforms. But, do you have something that constantly at every moment reminds you who you are and what you believe?
Find something like that for yourself. Maybe it’s something you always carry in your pocket, or something in your purse or wallet, and not buried in a back compartment, but available to see every time you use your purse or wallet. Maybe it is something you wear around your neck or finger, like a wedding ring, a constant reminder of one’s commitment to one’s spouse. Some people like to be different. For them there’s always a tattoo. (I never thought I’d use that word in a homily.) Whatever it might be, find a creative way to keep your faith always before you. It will make living your faith on a daily basis that much easier. Find something that reminds you at all times that you are a friend of Jesus