The following is the text of Bishop Jaime Soto's homily on Jan. 22 at the Pro-Life Mass of Reparation celebrated in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento.
In the Gospel today, Jesus declared to those who challenged him, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” He made this strong statement in response to scribes from Jerusalem who claimed that Jesus expelled demons because he was possessed by the Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus accused them of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit because they failed to recognize that the mercy and joy flowing from the good works of Jesus were the divine fruits of the Holy Spirit working through him. They saw the Lord Jesus as a threat and demonized the Holy Spirit working through his actions.
This story was included in gospel accounts because the challenges Jesus encountered were also experienced by the disciples in their efforts to continue the mission of the Lord Jesus, a ministry of mercy and hope inspired by the Holy Spirit. As we seek to continue to promote Jesus’ gospel of life, we have experienced these same accusations. So as not to fall sway under tempter’s trick, draw closer to the Lord Jesus so that we may always unite ourselves to his life-giving spirit of mercy and hope.
In the gospel, Jesus declared that “if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” This is what the spirit of evil produces: division, enmity, jealousy, and destruction. In naming the jealous claims of the scribes as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Jesus was appealing to them and to his disciples to see that his works of mercy do not bear the fruit of division but of communion and life. To deny these fruits of the kingdom is to deny oneself the forgiveness that comes from the mercy of Jesus’ saving work on the cross.
St. Augustine and other early Fathers of the Church, reflecting on this passage, said that by the scandal of the cross Jesus had tied up the demonic strong man so that he could no longer divide and destroy God’s house. By the cross, Jesus freed the world from the spirit of evil. The cross of Christ reconciled the divided house of humanity and created a new humanity in his own image, filled with his spirit.
We see the consequences of the house divided against itself in the stubborn persistent practice of abortion. The decision to extinguish an innocent life can only continue in a house divided against itself where even an innocent life is seen as a threat. A woman’s fear and worries about the child in her womb, family members refusing to support the nascent child, a health care system that makes the voiceless child expendable are all part of a house divided against itself. Any house built on such flawed foundations will not stand. The fullness of life to which Jesus invites us fosters a house of communion where we find our own fullness in the embrace of each child as a gift from God.
The animosity Jesus encountered continues to demean and even demonize the abiding work of the Holy Spirit to build that house of communion where the fullness of mercy and life can be found. As we continue the mission given to us by the Lord Jesus, understand that all our efforts to promote a culture of life must also build a united house where all are welcomed to the Lord’s table of mercy. As we continue our work, let not the tempter’s divisive tricks embitter our intentions. Our prayers as well as our efforts seek to build a society without abortion, a house that is united in a common hope for the fullness of life and love promised by the Lord Jesus.
Trust in the merciful and hopeful Spirit that Jesus has given us. The charity and truth of Jesus have brought us closer to him. May all our good works seek to do the same for others.