15th Sunday - the Good within
Goodness lies within all of us.
Remember Jiminy cricket in the movie Pinocchio? He was the conscience for the boy puppet, always trying to help him do what was good.
Pinocchio didn’t listen, at first. It was a struggle as he was being tempted to enjoy the pleasures of life, to be more concerned with himself.
Not until he makes the sacrifice of self to save Gepetto does he become “Real”.
Goodness lies within all of us.
A man in Arizona gave water to thirsty human persons, who also happened to be migrants. For this act of mercy, he was arrested last year and now faces 20 years in prison.
A German ship captain was in the Mediterranean sea picked up refugees and took them to the Italian. She too was arrested. Fortunately the judge released her in recognition of the humanitarian effort.
Goodness lies within all of us.
Humans are inherently good and want to do good.
Listening to that goodness and acting on it, this is called in our Catholic Faith, honoring our conscience.
It is about recognizing a truly objective good and doing it.
It we are blessed, we have people who helped up develop our consciences of ours: parents, grandparents, mentors, people who helped us to know right from wrong; who empowered us to do good and avoid evil.
We hopefully learned that Goodness always is directed outward, toward the needs of others. True goodness is never self-serving. Goodness sees a need in others and works to help fulfill the need.
A couple of weeks ago, some of our middle school aged kids were on a mission trip to the exotic land known as Las Vegas. They did work to help people in need. This is them developing their consciences. This was our parish helping our youth.
Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada has a long history of doing good, of being the obvious charitable arm of the Diocese of Reno. We do it because we are Catholic.
Catholics inherently believe in the goodness of all people, for all people are created in the image of God. And God is good.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for us, to reveal how much God believes in our capacity to do what is good.
This world shines when we truly live out our humanity.
In all that Jesus did, he pointed to the potential of the human person, as a child of God.
He brought attention to those judged unworthy to show they are worthy.
He brought attention to those who think they are powerful, that true power is about giving of self.
He revealed the potential for a world in which the justice of God can reign, and remove the suffering of so many.
He revealed that this all exists already within us.
This natural inclination for the good.
Yet, at times we forget or we outright reject this!
Through our fears or arrogance, we hinder that natural impulse to do good for someone.
We rationalize it by saying "It's a law" or "I am just protecting myself."
Through his Death and Resurrection, the Son of God says, the supreme act of good, what trumps all else is to give of self for the good of others.
It means that we need to continue to exercise that conscience; just as everything else.
Spend some time in contemplation of our lives, to ask ourselves: "What good have I done? Where have I fallen short?"
And it also means that we, who supposedly are a little more mature, we become the mentors.
We help our young people to know their inherent goodness and help them to express that goodness.
We help them to grow their conscience.
It means that all of us, we open our eyes a little wider and see where goodness still needs to be done;
In camps along borders, in the streets of Reno and Sparks, in the pews here at Our Lady of the Snows Parish.
We help our young people to know their inherent goodness and help them to express that goodness.
We help them to grow their conscience.
It means that all of us, we open our eyes a little wider and see where goodness still needs to be done;
In camps along borders, in the streets of Reno and Sparks, in the pews here at Our Lady of the Snows Parish.
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