WEBVTT 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:07.600 Welcome to Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. We're glad you're with us. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:49.745 The Milwaukee brewers made it to the world series. They swept the Los Angeles Dodgers. In baseball, whenever a team wins a particular series and moves on in the playoffs, they celebrate with champagne. Milwaukee is a kind of a midwestern, club in a small market, but they have a tradition that they're known and taking care of players and their fans very well. So when they beat the Dodgers and and swept them, in that celebration, they brought out a whole bunch of champagne bottles. 00:00:50.225 --> 00:01:20.625 On the label, they put a particular label on every bottle, and it was the name of a former player and the year they played when they made the playoffs. Every player in the history of the Milwaukee Brewers were honored with that label. Now, the players they talked to, a couple of them said, I don't know why they did that. I only played one playoff game with them, or I was only there for a short time. What are they doing? 00:01:20.625 --> 00:01:55.910 And then when they thought about it, they said, wow, That's true that they were part of the building blocks. They were part of everything getting the brewers to where they're at this day. And the brewers decided to honor them and say, every former player, you matter, you're important. The series before they beat the San Diego Padres, and on the champagne bottles were the name of many communities throughout Wisconsin. Honoring them as well. 00:01:56.470 --> 00:02:17.625 And they're saying all matter. Isn't it like that with the kingdom of God? Who knew that God was so much like the Milwaukee Brewers? That all matter in the kingdom of god. At our baptism or even created by god, we matter to god, and we're important. 00:02:17.865 --> 00:02:38.545 Sometimes you and I feel insignificant. I really haven't contributed. I'm not the the person that's being given the spotlight. I'm not well known. It doesn't seem like I always appreciate it, and to God, that doesn't matter because you and I matter to the kingdom of God. 00:02:38.945 --> 00:03:13.385 And the brewers feel the same way about their former players. In today's reading, that's kind of what we see, but we also see from Isaiah chapter 45 in the old testament and Matthew's gospel chapter 22, we see the relationship between god and political power. God and political power. The first reading revolves around a Persian king named Cyrus. The Jews were taken away from their homeland. 00:03:13.640 --> 00:03:34.745 Jerusalem was devastated. The temple was destroyed, and they were taken to Babylon. Cyrus takes over as a ruler later on and conquers Babylon. In the end, he's a pagan. He worships other gods, and he's a ruler of an empire. 00:03:35.145 --> 00:03:56.795 But he decides to send all the people back to their homeland so that they can practice their religions on their home soil. Now Isaiah calls this pagan the anointed one. What? He's not part of the covenant. He's not part of the community. 00:03:56.795 --> 00:04:16.480 He's not one of us. And in fact, the anointed is only given to two other peoples in scripture. Jesus, anybody know him? And David. This pagan, this nobody is given the title anointed. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:31.025 And so god uses him in his purpose. He uses someone in political position for his position. But notice that Isaiah keeps that in mind. That doesn't mean he does everything right. I am god. 00:04:31.690 --> 00:04:55.195 I am the one true God. And even though you don't know me, I know you by name. And I use you for my purpose for the greater good. And so what we learn is that political power can be good, but it never overtakes our loyalty to love of God. And that's shown in today's gospel with Matthew chapter 22. 00:04:55.755 --> 00:05:24.965 The Herodians and some Pharisees because Pharisees were well liked by Jesus, but they're used as opponents a lot of times in the gospel to give an example. But they try to trip him up, and they wanna get him by saying, should we pay taxes or not? If he says yes, all the followers who can't stand the Romans would leave him and say, ah, you're a traitor. And if he says no, the Romans would be right on top of him ready to kill him. So Jesus is in a trap. 00:05:26.090 --> 00:05:39.770 But he sees what they do, and he says, give me a coin. Whose inscription on it? And you're familiar with the story. Caesar's. And then he says, give to Caesar's what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God. 00:05:41.925 --> 00:06:16.755 The gospels are pointing out there is a purpose for government, for taxation, for caring for people, for working for peace, and doing what is right. There is a role for that, and God is not against it. But God can use that for his purposes. But here's the thing that Jesus says, people are the most important possession to God, and imprinted on the heart of God is God's people. And so there's this delicate relationship between God and political power. 00:06:16.995 --> 00:06:41.635 What are three things in the church that we can learn from these readings that might help us in the future here? And again, we're the church, not the leaders, not the bishops or priests, not those who have authority of the church. All of us make up the church. And here are three things that might help us. First of all, we must not assume that God is on our political side. 00:06:46.595 --> 00:07:11.165 We are not to assume that God is on our political side. God would never be part of that political party. God isn't pleased with those kind of people. God sees things my way, and God supports what we're doing because we got the greater cause. And then we end up demonizing other because no good can come from those people. 00:07:11.725 --> 00:07:25.150 That's not how it works. So when anyone tries to do good work, the worst question we can ask is, is this person one of us? Is this person one of us? There you go. You've set division. 00:07:25.150 --> 00:07:44.295 You've set things where it's saying, God can't use that person. And that's not true. Today's readings remind us that God can and does do that. So whatever is happening that is good. Because remember, politics is meant to be good, and at the root, it is good. 00:07:44.615 --> 00:07:59.370 People can misuse it and give us negative feelings and thoughts about it. But the purpose of caring for people is good. And so the church, all of us a part of the gospel, are to ask questions. Is this good? Is this just? 00:07:59.770 --> 00:08:15.575 Is this proper? Does this give people dignity? That's the role of the church. That is the role of bringing the gospel. No one party, no one ideology, no one leader embraces everything of the gospel. 00:08:15.975 --> 00:08:39.465 It doesn't because that's not its agenda. But we can see good in that, and we can see God using even other people. God cannot just be on our political side. The church must evaluate political power by the lens of the gospel. We must evaluate political party through the gospel. 00:08:39.785 --> 00:09:05.915 And what that means is not everything that Cyrus did in being the anointed one was pleasing to God. He did some things that were wrong, and that's why God has to mention, don't forget who's in charge here. Don't forget there's a greater purpose. But that whenever Cyrus did something good, I think God can use that for his purposes there. And so, again, the church is asked to ask questions. 00:09:06.475 --> 00:09:28.475 Is these policies, these laws, these decisions, are they justice? Are people being paid wages that are sufficient? Does it alleviate suffering? Are the vulnerable taken care of? Does the laws and things protect the work for peace then? 00:09:28.795 --> 00:09:57.575 And so the church then is not partisan. It doesn't tell its people how to vote because that's not our role. Our role is to help form conscience, to be involved so that we are sent out to work on that. Now, some people like to think they know how father Eric votes. I hear that all the time Because somehow they jump from the gospel to say, you must vote this way. 00:09:57.735 --> 00:10:13.520 You must vote that way. I got some news for you people. Only three people in this parish in thirty one years know how I vote. One's my brother. The other are two close friends who will never tell you. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:43.730 The rest of you, you have no clue because it's none of your business. And it's not my business how you vote. But what I'm supposed to do in the church is to say, is your decision, your support, your vote, is it lined with the gospel? And if not, that's meant for all of us to say, how do we work towards that? Now, you're going to have some bishops and priests that cross the line, and all I can tell you is they fell asleep in seminary. 00:10:44.370 --> 00:10:51.975 Okay? And I... You know what? I understand that sometimes because some issues can be very emotional. That happens. 00:10:51.975 --> 00:11:14.050 That's very human. We may feel strongly about it because it affects our life. It's part of our history. We may move, and sometimes we go overboard and say, anybody that votes that way, you're going to hell. And, you know, you have to learn how to have good hearing and say, sounds like this guy is hurting in some way. 00:11:14.050 --> 00:11:27.305 And that's okay. I can't condemn it, but I can say that's not what the church wants. Doesn't tell you who to side with. It doesn't tell you that you must be that way. It lets you form your conscience. 00:11:27.385 --> 00:11:55.505 Before Pope Francis died, he said many times, Catholics should be involved in politics, not partisan, but anything good in politics for the good of people should be encouraged, but we always look through the lens of the gospel. God's authority places limits on every government. We see that when Cyrus say, hey, I'm still God. This matters. People matter. 00:11:55.905 --> 00:12:27.655 So when Jesus says, give to Caesar's wasn't Caesar, that doesn't give him unlimited power, and it doesn't say the church could keep its mouth shut because it shouldn't be political. That's not what's being said. Everything important to God is humanity. Your lives, your dignity and mine, your importance, alleviating suffering when you are vulnerable. You are God's concern, and the loyalty is above politics. 00:12:28.590 --> 00:12:46.395 We use politics for the good, and you're encouraged to vote. You're encouraged to be involved. But it's not our role to say, you know what? This is how you should be and how you vote. And so all of you matter in the kingdom of god. 00:12:46.555 --> 00:13:08.770 The Milwaukee brewers taught us, even if you're a backup, even if you're a nobody in the team, you matter to the history of God's people, and you have a role even if you think you're insignificant. Nobody knows me. Nobody listens. Nobody seems to care. God cares. 00:13:09.525 --> 00:13:32.720 And when people get that, they act just like the Milwaukee brewers. Here. Here's a champagne bottle with your name on it and all the things you've done for God. You matter to God. You're important, not just to the Milwaukee brewers, but to God. 00:13:33.145 --> 00:13:42.345 This has been a Saint Patrick Catholic community podcast. For more of our shows, go to our website and click Saint Patrick's Studio.