Listen, My Beloved Brothers and Sisters.
St. James speaks to us of the sins of partiality. I choose a different word for partiality, segregation. The sins of partiality segregate or separate us from one another and in so doing, separate us from God. That is why St. James calls this partiality, “sin.” It is not like being partial to chocolate instead of vanilla. This sin separates people from one another, distinguishes them in ways that are not born out of divine love and prevents unity from flourishing within God’s family.
The first reading from Isaiah also speaks to God’s call to impartiality. For, each of us receives God’s divine love and is called to serve God to the best of our ability. Isaiah speaks to the richness we receive from God as we serve His people, one another, by taking care of the poor, the lowly, the sick, those who are imprisoned. These people are not in another country or another part of the city. They are our neighbors, our friends. We don’t have to travel across the world to serve them. We can begin right in our own neighborhood. Pope Francis tells us; the Christian’s vocation is being the good fragrance of Christ. The fragrance of Christ emanates from the “fruits of the Spirit,” which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22).
To St. James’ point, our Holy Father exhorts, “sometimes Christians do not spread the fragrance of Christ, but the bad odor of their own sin. And let us never forget: sin distances us from Jesus.”
How would a person of impartiality act? Pope Francis says, this person is a loving person, a joyful person, a person who makes peace, a magnanimous person, not stingy, a benevolent person who welcomes everyone, a good person, who is not proud. If one of the sins of partiality leads us to participate in the culture of excess, to choose people based upon worldly criteria, on how important they are or how much money they have, then we are called to charity. We are called to seek to fan into flame the spirit of gratuitousness and selfless love.
During this time of election, the Florida bishops continue to communicate to you the sin of partiality by the language
of Amendment 4. Florida Amendment 4, which will appear on Florida’s November 2024 ballot, is an extreme proposal that legalizes full-term abortion with no protections for the preborn child, including when the child is capable of feeling pain. This proposed amendment to our state constitution would prohibit all restrictions on abortion before viability and create a broad exception that any healthcare provider could exploit to allow abortion up to birth. The Florida bishops urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment. In doing so, we will not only protect the weakest, most innocent, and defenseless of human life among us but also countless women throughout the state from the harms of abortion. For each child in his/her mother’s womb is a gift of God. Today, so many politicians speak about the partiality of abortion. Yet, what would our world be today, how much would we have missed if their own parents had chosen against their life?
Like our Blessed Mother, Mary, Mother of God, let us welcome the Word of God into our heart and participate in God’s plan, fulfilling our mission with fidelity and attention. In all that we do, we are called to bring forth the beauty of life. This life, given by God, we offer back to God and do so that our offering’s yield is seven times 70; that it is perfect in God’s eye. What is essential, most beautiful, most attractive, and at the same time most necessary for us is faith in Jesus Christ.
To learn more about Amendment 4, click here.