Fr Ed Homily 10-9-20

Humiliate

Practical jokes are an interesting phenomenon. You purposely are trying to make someone look foolish. If done in fun with no intent for harm it is usually accepted. Still, there are some people who are rather sensitive and such a prank may not be accepted and may even be harmful or end up hurting someone in the process. With a practical joke you are assuming that you know the person and that they are willing to accept a joke played on them in the spirit of fun.

Humiliation goes one step farther. It is to cause someone a loss of self-respect or dignity. In the gospel today, Jesus experiences humiliation. As the Son of God, the religious leaders of his day tell others that Jesus drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Human beings have this tendency that when we do not want to accept someone, even when we see miracles, and we can berate or demean them we somehow feel we have authority over them. Saying that Jesus is in league with the prince of demons are extraordinarily strong words of vilification. The religious leaders are trying to imply Jesus is the evil one.

Self-examination is a good habit to have. The ability to evaluate our words, thoughts, and actions. Have you ever vilified someone because they did something extraordinarily good? What we see and hear in today’s media sources reflect a type of vilification. We do not need to be a part of it. Jesus said whoever is against me is not with me and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

More than ever I think it would be better for people to turn to prayer than listen to any more rhetoric. It is time to place all of this in the hands of God.

May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen