26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

09-28-2025Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

I watched the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk and found it to be a moving tribute. His wife, Erika, spoke eloquently about what Charlie stood for, including this truth, "The answer to hate is not hate." She said, "The answer, we know from the Gospel, is love. It’s always love.” However, the spirit of the service changed when President Trump, appearing to reference Erika’s comments, said that Charlie "did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's what I disagreed with Charlie (on), I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them."

When asked about how the president’s statement about hating his opponent would help bring down the temperature of the political violence in our country, the press secretary for the president, Karoline Leavitt, replied, “The president is authentically himself. I think that’s why millions of Americans across the country love him and support him including Erika Kirk…” Is that true for you? Do you support such hate speech and the president’s actions that exemplify his desire to seek retribution against those who disagree with him?

In a parable from the Gospel of Luke about a lamp needing to be placed on a lampstand to give light to all, Jesus emphasized that his followers need to be a light in the darkness. In his commentary on this passage, Bishop Robert Barron pointed out that, “By the very quality and integrity of our lives, we shed light, illuminating what is beautiful and revealing what is ugly. The clear implication is that without vibrant Christians this world is a much worse place.” To illustrate this principle, Bishop Barron gave this tragic example. He wrote, “Think about the rise of evil powers that created World War II. Christianity had become so attenuated that great evil was allowed to flourish. Yes, indeed there were a handful of powerful Christian resisters, but let’s face it: The overwhelming vast majority of Christians either supported Hitler or remained in silence, out of either fear or indifference.” Let’s pray for President Trump and our country, and for more “Christian resisters” who will shine their light brightly and refuse to tolerate such hate. God bless you!