HOMILY WEEK 11 06 – Year II
Marriage Encounter and the Reign of God:
Optional Memorial of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More
(2 Chron 24:17-25; Ps 89; Mt 6:24-34)
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Human beings have a rather unique characteristic – a desire to build a better mousetrap. The birds Jesus mentions in the gospel build their nests the same way year after year. Human beings, on the other hand, never seem to be satisfied and often try to find a different or better way to do or build things.
That tendency can be beneficial, but also get us into trouble, which begs the question: Can we have the faith to put the reign of God first in our lives and live humbly within God’s will for us?
We need not question the benefits that tendency to build a better mouse trap has brought to the human race – amazing progress in all areas of life – science, technology, medical, agricultural, communications, to name a few. However, we cannot deny that tendency has also led us to the brink of disaster in many ways – pollution, abortion, terrorism, nuclear threat and a descent into violence.
That tendency is as old as humanity itself. It began with Adam and Eve, who had everything going for them – a relationship with God, a harmonious relationship with each other, and an idyllic life. But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil beckoned to them, and instead of obeying God’s commands, they fell for the smooth talk of the tempter, ate of the fruit of the tree, and we know what happened to them.
The Israelites were the same – they were liberated from slavery, given a way to live that would assure their wellbeing, as well as land, temple, kings, judges and prophets to lead them. However, as we hear over and over in the Old Testament, they were never satisfied and always pined after different gods, false gods of money, fame and power they thought would be more suited to their desires – and that got them into trouble. In a sense, they were always trying to serve two masters.
It is the same today. Seduced by those same false gods of money, fame and power, our society seems bent on repeating the mistake of our first parents – to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, good and bad. Freedom has become the ability to do one’s own will with few restrictions, responsibility is seen as undesirable, morality is whatever feels good, gender is a decision that children are being told to make rather than a birthright, unborn children aren’t seen as persons in the womb, and science should be able to do whatever is possible without much attention to the consequences of its actions. One example is China’s misguided government policy to control the birth rate, resulting in 30 million “excess males” in that society, human trafficking and a growing panic as the population ages.
Along that same line, young people today are deciding there are other paths then marriage – luring them away from what is best for them in the long run and into casual sex, having no children, a hook-up culture and addiction to pornography that can only further objectify women and damage the ability to enter into life-long committed relationships.
This scenario makes the 50th anniversary convention of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement held in Lombard, Illinois in 2019 more of a blessing than ever. Eight hundred couples and around one hundred team priests and bishops gathered to celebrate a movement to strengthen marriages, renew the church and change the world. WWME in North America was begun fifty years ago by Fr. Chuck Gallagher SJ and a handful of daring, courageous and visionary couples gathered around a kitchen table. That table, so symbolic of this powerful movement now operating in ninety-four countries around the world, was transported from New York to Lombard for the convention.
Fr. Chuck’s vision, faith, daring and energy sparkplugged a movement that is a vibrant energy force unleashing love on a world desperately in need of that love. One of his sayings was: “Tell me you will or tell me you won’t but don’t dare tell me you can’t.” That spirit motivated couples to become true missionaries who translated a dream into action, forging a weekend experience of communication through dialogue and trialogue that has spawned other movements and experiences, all aimed at making the world a better place for marriages, families and communities.
These couples and thousands of others like them are tasked to model to the world, and to young people especially, a way to live a life that is full of purpose, joy, in line with God’s will for them, and part of building up the kingdom of God in this world. For many of these couples, the intimacy experienced on the weekend has given them a taste of heaven they are eager to share with others, and with the whole world.
What a joy it is to see these two social sacraments of the church, marriage and holy orders, collaborating together and complementing each other. Many of the bishops and priests involved shared how WWME had transformed their vocation from an often lonely, functional ministry to a life-giving relational ministry of being loved and loving.
Today the church invites us to honor St. John Fisher. Born in Yorkshire in 1469, John was ordained to the priesthood when he was just 22. An eminent theologian, John sought to improve the university’s academic standards and advised the hiring of Erasmus to lecture in Greek. John, Erasmus and Sir Thomas More became great friends. In 1504, John was made bishop of Rochester. When Henry VIII began seeking to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, John defended the queen’s position, refusing to sign that part of the Act of Succession of 1534 which had the effect of overriding papal authority. King Henry counted this as treason. Old and sick, John Fisher was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Several months later, the pope made him a cardinal. This so angered the king that, rather than wait for him to die, Henry had John beheaded. Four hundred years later, along with his friend Sir Thomas More, John was declared a saint.
The Eucharist, often celebrated at the wedding of most of these couples, is also a taste of heaven, a nuptial banquet that is a foretaste of the kingdom.
These couples returned home, fired up to share the good news of God’s love experienced through Marriage Encounter with others, especially their pastors and parishes, as they seek to share the love, communicate the vision, and build up the kingdom of God as they truly serve one master.
