To listen to this homily, click here.
One of the best moments before bedtime in any childhood was the reward of hearing a story or two before drifting off to sleep. Whether that was a personal anecdote from mom or dad’s younger days, a story from the Bible, or a favorite tale from a children’s book, it’s hard to think of anything that fed the imagination more than these special moments. In addition to their entertainment value, these stories had a point, a lesson, something to reveal about the world that enabled the youngster to sleep in peace, knowing they were safe and had something to dream about until tomorrow. The Scriptures this weekend have all the elements we associate with these foundational stories: in the first reading, a mysterious, supernatural power is given to the Elders who helped Moses; even those who were away from the group received it remotely; proving that God’s gifts and power are not limited by time and space. The second reading from James is a warning for those who have trusted in the wrong things and done evil to gain what they have; a day of reckoning is coming! And finally we have the gospel with references to spiritual battle with demons, eternal fire, and the need to endure any sacrifice to win final victory. It’s tempting, when Jesus speaks this way, to believe He is just exaggerating for effect, that he doesn’t really mean what he’s saying. But I think there is more to Jesus’ words than that. He wants his words to make an impression on us, just like those bedtime stories did when we first heard them.
Last week, Jesus invited us to become like children. So, it’s no accident that he also teaches us like children: with stories. With parables. With strong images of sacrifice, demons, and battles between the forces of good and evil. Children’s fairytales are the same! In both there is a clear line between right and wrong, even though it might be difficult to know at first where the characters stand. There is also a need for decisive, courageous action. And all of this is built on the notion that choosing the good will be rewarded while choosing evil will lead to ruin.
The reason why fairy tales get passed on generation after generation is that they acknowledge something even kids know to be true: evil is present in our world. And they present a starting point for how to defeat it. GK Chesterton, a 20th century British author, pointed out the real purpose of these stories. “Fairytales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be defeated.”
So what is the point of this reflection on fairytales? It is to remind us that we too live in the midst of a battle between good and evil. No matter how old we are, the lessons we first learned through these stories apply to our life and our world right now. But the fight is easy to ignore because it is primarily spiritual, not physical. As St. Paul put it, “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, with powers, with the rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”
The Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, became man and entered human history in order to show us the same thing. That while there are dragons here and now, while they do prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls, they can be defeated and destroyed. It is Christ, who tells us, “I tell you this so that you may have peace in me: In the world you will find trouble, but take courage. I have conquered the world.” It is Christ who allowed the forces of evil in this world to unleash their fury upon him in his passion and death, only to rise victorious on the third day. Christ has shown us in reality what fairy tales have only whispered in myth: Good triumphs over evil. God defeats Satan. Jesus rises victorious over sin and death.
For Christians, the Scriptures give us what fairy tales cannot. They provide the secret to defeating evil in all its forms in every circumstance. They show us our role in the battle and how we are to act in times that can be confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes, seemingly hopeless.
So what is the destructive dragon of our time? What is the instrument of evil that must be fought and defeated? In a few short weeks, voters in Missouri will be asked to change the state constitution through Amendment 3. This proposal masquerades as keeping the government out of anything that pertains to so-called “reproductive freedom”. To the casual reader, the amendment seems to simply let people make their own decisions about deeply personal matters. What it actually does is create a lawless bubble around anything that could be classified as reproductive freedom. This amendment contains the legal framework to eliminate parental notification and consent for minors around anything that could be labelled reproductive freedom. It would shield negligent healthcare professionals from malpractice for any actions while treating “reproductive health”. It would also open the door for abortions funded by tax dollars and carried out at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, even when the unborn child can feel pain. In subsections 3 and 6 of this amendment, buried in language about anti-discrimination, gender transition procedures are equated to pregnancy care and could not be blocked even by a minor’s parent or guardian.
The passage of amendment 3 will allow evil to thrive. It is a poison apple offered to women who are afraid and desperate. It will hurt women and children the most and this is who Satan always targets in his battle with God. You and I have a role to play in this battle. We are not just spectators, powerless to do anything. In fact, we must not sit on the sidelines or be non-committal. To fail to vote ‘no’ on amendment 3 is to be complicit in what it brings about. There is no moral justification for a Christian to vote ‘yes’ on Amendment 3 and most people oppose the effects it will unleash once the amendment is explained.
So what is our role as Catholics and followers of Christ? I know you are good people who want to fight evil and help others. So the obvious thing, for those of us old enough to vote, is to vote no on amendment 3. But that’s not all. Sometimes we can be tempted to think the victory is up to us, that we can do enough to defeat evil ourselves, if we just do the right things. But Jesus is the one who wins the victory, not us. And we will not be victorious primarily through arguments, pamphlets, or ads. These are good but they are not enough. First, we must pray for the defeat of this amendment and all things that contribute to the culture of death. We should pray for the conversion of hearts; first our own and then also all those who see Amendment 3 as a good thing. We should pray for all men and women who find themselves in desperate circumstances and feel alone. For those who think abortion is their only way out. We must also pray for every person who has been wounded by these lies and the culture of death. We should ask God to show them his mercy and offer ourselves as ambassadors of his healing love. Finally, we should be fasting and making sacrifices that good triumphs over evil. This practice of offering something up is ancient and effective and no sacrifice you offer is insignificant because God magnifies it with his grace.
More than anything, we cannot be silent or indifferent about this evil. It is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We each have a part to play in the battle between good and evil. In baptism we were enlisted in God’s army and given a role in the story of salvation. Our witness, our vote, our prayers, no matter how small or simple, will let the world know that there are dragons out there and they can be defeated. We place ourselves and our cause under the protection of Mary, who herself battled the evil one, as together we say, “Hail Mary…”
