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Homily stories

02 Sep 2018 - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

It took place after dinner at the retreat house, beginning innocently enough with the usual reminiscing about the old days in the seminary in the late '60s and early '70s, a time of change and challenge both in the church and in the country. The discussion turned to politics, civil rights, and the war in Viet Nam. One priest talked about skipping formation meetings and scheduled prayer as a seminarian to join rallies and protests back in the city and how breaking the rules energized him. Another chimed in saying he felt it necessary to never miss scheduled prayer and used the time to pray for the very causes for which the other marched, intimating that his had to be the right choice because he broke no rules. It grew heated until both realized that no one else had spoken for a long time. That caused an uncomfortable silence to ensue until an older priest, the one who was conducting the retreat, spoke. He smiled and then softly asked a question. “Why did it have to be either/or instead of both?” He suggested that action for its own sake without prayer can be shallow and prayer that doesn’t lead to action when called for is in danger of being empty. Then he reminded the group that the spirit of the law shares equal weight with the letter of the law.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

the spirit of the law

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Homily stories

01 Sep 2024 - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

“Hold my hand before you cross the street.” I can hear my dad’s voice in my head to this day, as I approach any intersection. He must’ve said this to me dozens of times, but one memory stands out: When he didn't say it. I was about 6 years old—and apparently old enough to not hold his hand when crossing the street. Still, I instinctively reached out for his hand. He let go. I said, “You have to hold my hand.” “Why?” He challenged. “That’s the rule,” I answered. “But you know how to cross the street. You can look both ways. You can see if a car is coming. That’s what matters.” I must’ve looked confused. Maybe a bit scared. Dad bent down to my level, “It’s true. That’s the rule; hold my hand when we cross the street. The reason for the rule is that I want you to be safe. But you don’t have to hold my hand forever.” Then he held my hand and we crossed. But that was probably the last time. I always remember that story. Dad was teaching me the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. He was teaching me, not to challenge authority, but critical thinking. Twenty years later I was in a heated conversation with a friend about drinking and driving. She said, “You shouldn’t drink and drive because if you do, you will get a ticket, or worse, lose your car.” I said, “You shouldn’t drink and drive because if you do, you might kill yourself, or worse, kill someone else.” That’s probably when I realized the true difference. We don’t do things or not do things because there’s a rule. That’s the letter of the law. There’s a rule for a reason. That’s the spirit of the law. When it comes to the laws of God or the rules of the church; the spirit of the law is always love.

Authors Deacon Pedro Guevara-Mann

letter of the law spirit of the law law of love

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