Tuesday, February 28, 2006
When will this be printed in your parish bulletin?
I received the "Statement" below via email this evening and thought that, perhaps, some major outpouring of the Holy Spirit had come over those in Congress who profess to be Catholic...But alas, I was mistaken. Each of these Representatives needs, at the very minimum, a copy of the Catholic Answers' Voters Guide. Of course, unless I have misread this "Statement", I can only conclude that these professed Catholics are merely tryiing to gain the support of other Catholics solely for their own re-election bids this November. I am also confident that if I were to send this to my pastor (anonymously, of course), he would not hesitate to have it inserted in the bulletin or, at least, have it available to others.
What do they say?
Not that it means that much, but this email came from the group "Catholics" for Faithful Citizenship, a group which seems to have a problem with the hierarchy of truths of the Church and the non-negotiable issues as discussed by several faithful bishops, including our own, Archbishop Burke.
House Democrats Release Historic Catholic Statement of PrinciplesThey forgot to add, "And don't forget, support us in the upcoming election - we want to get a head start on any bishops who prefer to touch on the "non-negotiable" issues of which we, in conscience, disagree."
Expresses Commitment to Dignity of Life and Belief that Government Has 'Moral Purpose'
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A majority of Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House led by Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today released a statement of principles. Signed by 55 House Democrats, the statement documents how their faith influences them as lawmakers, making clear their commitment to the basic principles at the heart of Catholic social teaching and their bearing on policy - whether it is increasing access to education for all or pressing for real health care reform, taking seriously the decision to go to war, or reducing poverty. Above all, the document expresses the signers' commitment to the dignity of life and their belief that government has moral purpose.
The full text of the statement and the complete list of signers follow.
Statement of Principles
By Fifty-Five Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives
As Catholic Democrats in Congress, we are proud to be part of the living Catholic tradition -- a tradition that promotes the common good, expresses a consistent moral framework for life and highlights the need to provide a collective safety net to those individuals in society who are most in need. As legislators, in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being. We believe that government has moral purpose.
We are committed to making real the basic principles that are at the heart of Catholic social teaching: helping the poor and disadvantaged, protecting the most vulnerable among us, and ensuring that all Americans of every faith are given meaningful opportunities to share in the blessings of this great country. That commitment is fulfilled in different ways by legislators but includes: reducing the rising rates of poverty; increasing access to education for all; pressing for increased access to health care; and taking seriously the decision to go to war. Each of these issues challenges our obligations as Catholics to community and helping those in need.
We envision a world in which every child belongs to a loving family and agree with the Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion; we do not celebrate its practice. Each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term. We believe this includes promoting alternatives to abortion, such as adoption, and improving access to children's healthcare and child care, as well as policies that encourage paternal and maternal responsibility.
In all these issues, we seek the Church's guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience. In recognizing the Church's role in providing moral leadership, we acknowledge and accept the tension that comes with being in disagreement with the Church in some areas. Yet we believe we can speak to the fundamental issues that unite us as Catholics and lend our voices to changing the political debate -- a debate that often fails to reflect and encompass the depth and complexity of these issues.
As legislators, we are charged with preserving the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Americans. In doing so, we guarantee our right to live our own lives as Catholics, but also foster an America with a rich diversity of faiths. We believe the separation of church and state allows for our faith to inform our public duties.
As Catholic Democrats who embrace the vocation and mission of the laity as expressed by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici, we believe that the Church is the "people of God," called to be a moral force in the broadest sense. We believe the Church as a community is called to be in the vanguard of creating a more just America and world. And as such, we have a claim on the Church's bearing as it does on ours.
Rosa L. DeLauro
David R. Obey
Wm. Lacy Clay
Hilda L. Solis
James R. Langevin
Bart Stupak
Anna Eshoo
Bill Pascrell
Gene Taylor
Raul M. Grijalva
Carolyn McCarthy
John B. Larson
Ed Pastor
Joe Baca
William Delahunt
Tim Ryan
Silvestre Reyes
Mike Thompson
Linda T. Sanchez
Charles A. Gonzalez
Xavier Becerra
Diane Watson
Michael H. Michaud
Nydia Velazquez
Jim Marshall
Frank Pallone
John T. Salazar
James P. McGovern
George Miller
Tim Holden
James L. Oberstar
Dale E. Kildee
Patrick J. Kennedy
Cynthia McKinney
James P. Moran
Michael Capuano
Richard E. Neal
Mike Doyle
Peter A. DeFazio
Maurice Hinchey
Dennis A. Cardoza
Joseph Crowley
Jim Costa
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Loretta Sanchez
Robert Brady
Marty Meehan
Grace Napolitano
Luis V. Gutierrez
Jose Serrano
Stephen Lynch
Edward J. Markey
Nancy Pelosi
Lane Evans
What do they say?
In all these issues, we seek the Church's guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience.What fantasy land does this come from? Since when do these "Catholic" politicians (for the most part) seek the Church's guidance and assistance? And regarding the oft used phrase "the primacy of conscience", irrespective of whether it is well-formed or malformed, it means to them that they are free to ignore the Church's teaching on any number of issues, except those which satisfy their own agendas (votes)...Pathetic, really. I'm so not looking forward to this election season when when we will be bombarded with claims about just how "Catholic" these people profess to be. May God have mercy on us! And pray for our bishops and priests as preparations are being made once again for the forthcoming spiritual battles.
Not that it means that much, but this email came from the group "Catholics" for Faithful Citizenship, a group which seems to have a problem with the hierarchy of truths of the Church and the non-negotiable issues as discussed by several faithful bishops, including our own, Archbishop Burke.
Archbishop expects 'discussion' on letter
Unbelievable!!! As previously posted here, 19 Catholic priests, wrote an open letter defying the Church's teaching on homosexuality. By definition, they are embracing heresy. Yet, in furthering such scandalous behavior, Sherbrooke Archbishop André Gaumond, who is also the president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said:
Well, your Excellency, while you may not be "very happy" with your priests, what, then does constitute a valid reason to boot heretics?
Let's call like it is, folks! Let us recall, with proper reflection, these words of Pope John Paul II in Ad Tuendam Fidem and the purpose for which he was making these changes:
I wonder if perhaps we are witnessing, yet not properly realizing it, a repeat of 1968 all over again where we had uncorrected, and in some places, encouraged rejection of Humanae Vitae?
The updated story on this episcopal failure to publicly correct these priests is here.
Lest I forget in my state of profound angst and disbelief, we need to pray for these priests and for these bishops...Perhaps God will grant them the graces they need to act in conformity with His will and in accord with the teachings of the Church!
"I'm not very happy with the means, to have a public declaration, a public article in the newspaper on a Sunday morning to say, 'We priests are not in accord with our church.'. . .I'm not very happy with that, but it's not a reason to throw them out of the church."Pray, tell then, good Bishop, what is a good reason? Why, it could have just as easily have been said: Let's let them continue to corrupt souls and lead Catholics on the road to hell. Why, it would be "pastorally insensitive" to rebuke them and call them to task for their heretical actions...After all, we want to give a false appearance of unity when in reality there is none....
Well, your Excellency, while you may not be "very happy" with your priests, what, then does constitute a valid reason to boot heretics?
Let's call like it is, folks! Let us recall, with proper reflection, these words of Pope John Paul II in Ad Tuendam Fidem and the purpose for which he was making these changes:
TO PROTECT THE FAITH of the Catholic Church against errors arising from certain members of the Christian faithful, especially from among those dedicated to the various disciplines of sacred theology, we, whose principal duty is to confirm the brethren in the faith (Lk 22:32), consider it absolutely necessary to add to the existing texts of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, new norms which expressly impose the obligation of upholding truths proposed in a definitive way by the Magisterium of the Church, and which also establish related canonical sanctions.Have not these men by such an open letter contradicting or calling into question a teacing of the Church on the grave immorality of homosexual activity not placed themselves outside of the Church? Does not such open dissent require an equally open and public call for repentance and repudiation of the letter? For what reason is there a need to discuss this? Surely one cannot claim that this dissent or rejection of Catholic teaching is somehow occult?
The first paragraph states: “With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church either by a solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed.”(4) This paragraph appropriately confirms and is provided for in the Church’s universal legislation, in canon 750 of the Code of Canon Law(5) and canon 598 of the Code of the Canons of the Eastern Churches.(6)
The third paragraph states: “Moreover I adhere with submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act.”(7) This paragraph has its corresponding legislative expression in canon 752 of the Code of Canon Law(8) and canon 599 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.(9)
3. The second paragraph, however, which states “I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals,”(10) has no corresponding canon in the Codes of the Catholic Church. This second paragraph of the Profession of faith is of utmost importance since it refers to truths that are necessarily connected to divine revelation. These truths, in the investigation of Catholic doctrine, illustrate the Divine Spirit’s particular inspiration for the Church’s deeper understanding of a truth concerning faith and morals, with which they are connected either for historical reasons or by a logical relationship.
4. Moved therefore by this need, and after careful deliberation, we have decided to overcome this lacuna in the universal law in the following way:
A) Canon 750 of the Code of Canon Law will now consist of two paragraphs; the first will present the text of the existing canon; the second will contain a new text. Thus, canon 750, in its complete form, will read:
Canon 750 – § 1. Those things are to be believed by divine and catholic faith which are contained in the word of God as it has been written or handed down by tradition, that is, in the single deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and which are at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn Magisterium of the Church, or by its ordinary and universal Magisterium, which in fact is manifested by the common adherence of Christ’s faithful under the guidance of the sacred Magisterium. All are therefore bound to avoid any contrary doctrines.
§ 2. Furthermore, each and everything set forth definitively by the Magisterium of the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals must be firmly accepted and held; namely, those things required for the holy keeping and faithful exposition of the deposit of faith; therefore, anyone who rejects propositions which are to be held definitively sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church.
I wonder if perhaps we are witnessing, yet not properly realizing it, a repeat of 1968 all over again where we had uncorrected, and in some places, encouraged rejection of Humanae Vitae?
The updated story on this episcopal failure to publicly correct these priests is here.
Lest I forget in my state of profound angst and disbelief, we need to pray for these priests and for these bishops...Perhaps God will grant them the graces they need to act in conformity with His will and in accord with the teachings of the Church!
Joe Scheidler Wins Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling against N.O.W
Praise be to God!!!
CHICAGO, February 28, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Longtime Chicago pro-life activist, Joseph Scheidler, has again won in the Supreme Court in a twenty-year-old case brought against him by the National Organization for Women, the leading US radical feminist activist organization. The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that the charge of extortion could not be applied to pro-life demonstrations outside abortion facilities.Article here, CWNews has it here, Yahoo here.
If you missed the 2006 Convocation at St Stanislaus..
...featuring the Call to Action Vice President and FOSIL representative, "Catholic" Action Network brings to St. Louis another anti-Catholic conference titled "The Journey from Apartheid to a Radically Reformed Catholic Church", featuring none other than the esteemed, and excommunicated Dr. Patricia Fresen who serves as the director of formation for the "Roman Catholic" Women "Priests" Program based in Germany and Austria.
Dr. Fresen was "forced" to leave her Dominican community after her "ordination to the priesthood" in August 2003.
As a sign, no doubt, of Divine Providence, this conference is being held on April 1 - April Fools Day...
More here.
Dr. Fresen was "forced" to leave her Dominican community after her "ordination to the priesthood" in August 2003.
As a sign, no doubt, of Divine Providence, this conference is being held on April 1 - April Fools Day...
More here.
Campaign Begins Against Stem Cell Cloning Lies
A coalition of social conservatives — including legislators, anti-abortion groups and some religious organizations — kicked off on Monday its campaign to defeat a likely ballot proposal aimed at protecting some forms of embryonic stem-cell research.The other Saturday, I had to make a trip to the Post Office. As I was walking to the front entrance, I saw a woman stopping people to sign some petition. I asked her the nature of the petition and was told it for the "Life Saving Cures/Cloning Ban." I told her and a man who was looking it over that the petition was based on a specious lie, that it did not ban human cloning, and that humans would be sacrificed to the altars of "pseudo-scientific research", and money.
[State Rep. Jim ]Lembke and other group members contended that the ballot proposal was really about "cash, not cures" — a slap at the Missouri Coalition for Life Saving Cures, the group of business leaders, politicians and research facilities that is behind the ballot proposal.
The petition gatherer told me she had another on some tobacco tax, which I declined. After entering the Post Office and getting to the counter, I asked the clerk why, in violation of the law, they permitted petition gatherers on the property. I was told that they had called the O'Fallon Missouri police department (illustrious public servants who are incapable of even directing traffic) and that they were unable to do anything about it. About all those cops can do is run a radar gun and write tickets - when it comes to enforcing other laws, it appears that they are a notch or two below the Keystone cops.
Anyway, as I left I saw the woman who was previously gathering petitions, climb into a minivan with Illinois plates apparently getting ready to leave the area. I wonder why the "Life Destroying while Searching for Cures" group resorts to outsiders (non-Missourians) to gather their petitions? Maybe they work for less?
The Post-Dispatch article continues:
The supporting coalition is busy collecting the signatures needed to get on the November ballot a proposed state constitutional amendment that would protect allow all embryonic stem-cell research allowed under federal law. The coalition says the protection is necessary because of repeated efforts by social conservatives to persuade the state Legislature to ban such research, especially a procedure called somatic cell nuclear transfer. (SCNT)There are, indeed, efforts to ban cloning which is the direct murder of an innocent human being. It is not necessarily "social conservatives" who are opposed, but those who believe in and follow the natural moral law. It is beyond any doubt that both reproductive and therapeutic cloning immorally generate a new human life - a living human being, a person. But therapeutic cloning is worse in that this new human life is created solely for the purpose of destroying it at the embryonic stage, in his or her earliest moments of life.
We are constantly bombarded with the lies and distortions by "St. Jack" Danforth and his band of cronies that opposition to this ballot initiative is no less than the denial of a cure to persons with serious diseases or other sufferings. Yet not one example can be offered by them to support such a specious claim. These "compassionate" individuals do not appear to understand the immorality of the act of destroying a life to achieve their stated end or goal. They must, in effect, reject the biological and scientific facts that these human lives are human.
With respect to SCNT:
"This is human cloning, and they’re ["St Jack" and the Missouri Life Saving Cures group] lying to the public," said Jaci Winship, executive director of Missourians Against Human Cloning. She and other members of the group flew around the state to hold several news conferences kicking off their campaign.Yes, it is absurd and insulting to those who have the brains and the intellect to understand what is behind this whole initiative. There are reasons why the ballot initiative is wording in such a way as to deliberately deceive the public and altruism is nowhere to be found. Whether or not these people realize it or not, the practice of human cloning creates a class of human beings whose inherent dignity is despised and rejected and who become mere slaves, property in effect, to satisfy our whims and desires. We deprive them of their most basic rights.
. . .
Donn Rubin, chairman of the Missouri Coalition for Life Saving Cures, contended that it was the opponents who were circulating falsehoods. "This argument about profits is absurd and insulting," he said.
In the words of Father Pacholczyk, "[t]herapeutic cloning sanctions the direct and explicit exploitation of one human being by another, in this case, the exploitation of the weak by the powerful" (Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Stem Cell Research, Cloning and Human Embryos, Washington, D.C.: Family Research Council)
The Post Dispatch article is here.
Other information (and credit) for this post came from Archbishop Burke's Column, Safeguarding Human Life: The Very Beginning, available at the St Louis Review or here.
Resignation of Abp. Fiorenza (Houston) Accepted
VATICAN CITY, FEB 28, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, U.S.A., presented by Archbishop Joseph Anthony Fiorenza, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo.
Willful Ignorance or Something Else...
A recent column in the Post left me wondering if people are really so out of touch with reality. I am unclear if this column may have been an attempt at comedy or satire, and if so, I saw neither humor nor satire in it. As a matter of fact, if the author is even slightly serious and truthful, we need to pray for his conversion and the conversion of his family and friends. Having just discovered that acting on one's homosexual inclinations is sinful, he says:
The complete article, "Friends don’t let friends stay gay…right?," is here.
...I suddenly was concerned about my friend [Dean]. Not only is he a heavy smoker, which is bad, but he’s gay, which apparently is a sin. Between the ride on the lung-cancer express and the openly sinful behavior, my friend might be bumming a smoke off of Satan any day now. I figured I couldn’t waste time. I dialed the phone.Lovely...the homosexual who happens to be "Catholic", unconcerned about his immortal soul because this is a religion where everything is a sin. Perhaps, everything he is doing or failing to do is sinful, but that clarification is never made. His attempts to convince his friend that he should try and change his homosexual lifestyle were truly lame, much like the column in general. He ends his writing unconcerned with either his friend's immortal soul or his own:
“I’ve been reading about this in the paper. People say it’s a sin. Did you know it’s a sin?”
“Yeah.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
“I’m Catholic. Everything’s a sin,” Dean replied. “Being gay is the least of my worries.”
The reason I like Dean is that he is who he is. If he changed into something else, I might not like him as much. So, I guess he’ll end up trading Marlboros with Beelzebub after all. Actually, I could probably use some company down there anyway.It will take much prayer, conutless acts of reparations and sacrifices, and unending works of mercy, all with God's infinite graces, to change hearts and minds of the untold pagans of this once Christian nation. For the faithful, the work is before us and we cannot be complacent nor can we procrastinate.
The complete article, "Friends don’t let friends stay gay…right?," is here.
Gospel for Tuesday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Mark 10:28-31
Poverty and Renunciation (Continuation)
[28] Peter began to say to Him (Jesus), "Lo, we have left everything and followed You." [29] Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. [31] But many that are first will be last, and the last first."
_______________________
Commentary:
28-30. Jesus Christ requires every Christian to practise the virtue of poverty: He also requires us to practise real and effective austerity in the possession and use of material things. But of those who have received a specific call to apostolate--as in the case, here, of the Twelve--He requires absolute detachment from property, time, family, etc. so that they can be fully available, imitating Jesus Himself who, despite being Lord of the universe, became so poor that He had nowhere to lay His head (cf. Matthew 8:20). Giving up all these things for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven also relieves us of the burden they involve: like a soldier shedding some encumbrance before going into action, to be able to move with more agility. This gives one a certain lordship over all things: no longer the slave of things, one experiences that feeling St. Paul referred to: "As having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (2 Corinthians 6:10). A Christian who sheds his selfishness in this way has acquired charity and, having charity, he has everything: "All are yours; you are Christ's; and Christ is God's" (1 Corinthians 3:22-23).
The reward for investing completely in Christ will be fully obtained in eternal life: but we will also get it in this life. Jesus says that anyone who generously leaves behind his possessions will be rewarded a hundred times over in this life.
He adds "with persecutions" (v. 30) because opposition is part of the reward for giving things up out of love for Jesus Christ: a Christian's glory lies in becoming like the Son of God, sharing in His cross so as later to share in His glory: "provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17); "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Timothy 3:12).
29. These words of our Lord particularly apply to those who by divine vocation embrace celibacy, giving up their right to form a family on earth. By saying "for My sake and for the Gospel" Jesus indicates that His example and the demands of His teaching give full meaning to this way of life: "This, then, is the mystery of the newness of Christ, of all that He is and stands for; it is the sum of the highest ideals of the Gospel and of the Kingdom; it is a particular manifestation of grace, which springs from the paschal mystery of the Savior and renders the choice of celibacy desirable and worthwhile on the part of those called by our Lord Jesus. Thus, they intend not only to participate in Christ's priestly office, but also to share with Him His very condition of living" (Paul VI, "Sacerdotalis Coelibatus", 23).
________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Poverty and Renunciation (Continuation)
[28] Peter began to say to Him (Jesus), "Lo, we have left everything and followed You." [29] Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. [31] But many that are first will be last, and the last first."
_______________________
Commentary:
28-30. Jesus Christ requires every Christian to practise the virtue of poverty: He also requires us to practise real and effective austerity in the possession and use of material things. But of those who have received a specific call to apostolate--as in the case, here, of the Twelve--He requires absolute detachment from property, time, family, etc. so that they can be fully available, imitating Jesus Himself who, despite being Lord of the universe, became so poor that He had nowhere to lay His head (cf. Matthew 8:20). Giving up all these things for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven also relieves us of the burden they involve: like a soldier shedding some encumbrance before going into action, to be able to move with more agility. This gives one a certain lordship over all things: no longer the slave of things, one experiences that feeling St. Paul referred to: "As having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (2 Corinthians 6:10). A Christian who sheds his selfishness in this way has acquired charity and, having charity, he has everything: "All are yours; you are Christ's; and Christ is God's" (1 Corinthians 3:22-23).
The reward for investing completely in Christ will be fully obtained in eternal life: but we will also get it in this life. Jesus says that anyone who generously leaves behind his possessions will be rewarded a hundred times over in this life.
He adds "with persecutions" (v. 30) because opposition is part of the reward for giving things up out of love for Jesus Christ: a Christian's glory lies in becoming like the Son of God, sharing in His cross so as later to share in His glory: "provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17); "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Timothy 3:12).
29. These words of our Lord particularly apply to those who by divine vocation embrace celibacy, giving up their right to form a family on earth. By saying "for My sake and for the Gospel" Jesus indicates that His example and the demands of His teaching give full meaning to this way of life: "This, then, is the mystery of the newness of Christ, of all that He is and stands for; it is the sum of the highest ideals of the Gospel and of the Kingdom; it is a particular manifestation of grace, which springs from the paschal mystery of the Savior and renders the choice of celibacy desirable and worthwhile on the part of those called by our Lord Jesus. Thus, they intend not only to participate in Christ's priestly office, but also to share with Him His very condition of living" (Paul VI, "Sacerdotalis Coelibatus", 23).
________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Defending Human Embryonic Life - Essay
This is a lengthy essay but well worth taking the time to read it. The first paragraph states:
This essay addresses the moral status of the human embryo. It asserts that on the basis of biology and metaphysics, the human embryo should be accorded full moral status, that is, inviolability. While this is also the position afforded it by the Catholic Church on the basis of divine revelation and elsewhere, the case will not be argued on that basis in this brief. Instead it will provide a critique of the so-called “intermediate” or “special status” which has been proposed by some ethicists including several of the members of the President’s Council on Bioethics. In so doing it will demonstrate why anything other than full moral status for the human embryo is biologically and philosophically untenable.The full article from Catholic Online.
Alter Christus - Lenten Graces: the Spirit of Compunction
With the beginning of the holy season of Lent all priestly hearts are stirred to renewed zeal for the salvation of souls. We are roused by holy Church's warning in her liturgy of the 1st Sunday: "Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile... Exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros in multa patientia", etc. And we have resolved to plead with God by increased prayer and penance, with men by our more pressing and frequent exhortations... But what of our own share in the graces of Lent? Those very activities of our ministry will no doubt also profit us largely. Yet we should try and gather in, during Lent, some specific fruit of purification and transformation for our own soul. Perhaps we may seek this, very effectively, in cultivating the spirit of compunction.
ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE
Lent is often associated in our mind primarily with the idea of external penance and expiation for sin; yet this is not its main purpose. It ought to have also another, a deeper meaning for us, - bring us a greater grace, viz. a true spirit of compunction. The liturgy of Lent strikes that note unceasingly; it is the habitual object of its petitions and prayers. "Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo; ne in aeternum irascaris nobis." "Attende, Domine, et miscrere, quia peccavimus tibi."
Let us take that lesson to heart eagerly. For there is danger of our making too little of it in our spiritual life: modern asceticism stresses but little the importance of compunction as the foundation of holiness. Abbot Marmion - and Faber before him - do not hesitate to attribute to this the failure of so many good souls in their quest after perfection.
Yet when we reflect on the meaning of compunction and all it implies, it is not difficult to realize how vital it is for all solid piety. The central idea of compunction is given very aptly by Marmion: "a disposition of the soul which makes it abide in a state of habitual contrition". Many other elements will follow in the wake of a deep inner disposition of compunction: with the habitual sorrow and regret for having offended God, there comes into the soul an ever-growing hatred of sin, a never-satiated desire to atone for it, a recoil, as it were, from all dangerous attractions to sin, a holy fear of all that may again lead us away from God, a supernatural sorrow for all the wrongs done to Him by the sins of the world, with a great longing to see His honour and glory restored, and - perhaps chiefly - a boundless confidence in the mercy of God, with a great tenderness in our love of God because it is a forgiven love.
Such must have been the dispositions of St Peter, of Mary Magdalen, after their conversion: contrition in them became a life-long compunction, and this made saints of them. So it has proved for countless souls, even for souls whose" conversion" was but from minor offences against God, as for St Aloysius Gonzaga.
Would that we could live in that spirit of compunction and ground ourselves more and more in it. We need it at every stage of the spiritual life: not only after our falls, to secure a lasting conversion; but all along the road of progress, because it keeps us in our true relation to God and in many ways helps us on to more intimate union with Him: it makes us realize that we have never done penance enough, thwarts our habitual tendencies to pride and self-sufficiency, detaches us from the vanities of the world, develops in us positive feelings of deep humility and leads to true devotion and piety. "Da te ad cordis compunctionem et invenies devotionem. "
The eastern schools of Christian spirituality have always recommended the frequent and whole-hearted repetition of the words: "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" - not only for beginners, but as the surest means of finding union with God. Have we ever tried it?
* How little perhaps we have realized the sanctifying effects a deeper compunction would have on our spiritual life? - Let us strive earnestly after it, during this Lent especially.
To pray for it is the first and chief means to obtain compunction, as it is for every other grace. We have many opportunities for this in the special liturgical prayers of Lent. "Deus, qui sperantibus in te misereri potius eligis quam irasci : da nobis digne flere mala quae fecimus, ut tuae consolationis gratiam invenire mereamur" (Sabb. p. dom. IV Quadrag. : or. super populum ).
Next, we must dispose our souls to receive that grace in greater and greater abundance. True, the intense and overwhelming compunction of the Saints seems to be a very special gift of the Holy Ghost; but even with God's ordinary graces we can always grow in the sorrowing for our sins and in the accompanying feelings of humility and penance and love. To this end, we should frequently meditate on the greatness and holiness of God, contrasting it with our own nothingness and sinfulness; on the Secred Passion of our Savior, etc.
Then, let us look out for all occasions to develop in us that spirit of compunction: be very earnest in our acts of contrition (in our examinations of conscience and confessions); take in a spirit of expiation the crosses and hardships and humiliations we meet in our daily life and ministry; humble ourselves when we hear the confessions of sinners ("I would do much worse if God did not preserve me!" ); finally, say in a spirit of sincerity the many prayers of the missal and breviary which express these feelings. . .
* Let us say our next Mass with special attention to all the prayers that breathe humble compunction, from the Confiteor at the foot of the altar to the "Placeat tibi...sacrificium quod indignus obtuli"; similarly for the Psalms and prayers of tomorrow's breviary; - and let us make the experiment of adding the motive of atonement to as many of our actions as possible in the course of the day... If we persevere in this practice we shall not be long in discovering there a rich vein of solid spiritual gold: "Cor contritum et humiliatum non despicies...Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam."
__________________________
Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 15.
###
Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.
ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE
Lent is often associated in our mind primarily with the idea of external penance and expiation for sin; yet this is not its main purpose. It ought to have also another, a deeper meaning for us, - bring us a greater grace, viz. a true spirit of compunction. The liturgy of Lent strikes that note unceasingly; it is the habitual object of its petitions and prayers. "Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo; ne in aeternum irascaris nobis." "Attende, Domine, et miscrere, quia peccavimus tibi."
Let us take that lesson to heart eagerly. For there is danger of our making too little of it in our spiritual life: modern asceticism stresses but little the importance of compunction as the foundation of holiness. Abbot Marmion - and Faber before him - do not hesitate to attribute to this the failure of so many good souls in their quest after perfection.
Yet when we reflect on the meaning of compunction and all it implies, it is not difficult to realize how vital it is for all solid piety. The central idea of compunction is given very aptly by Marmion: "a disposition of the soul which makes it abide in a state of habitual contrition". Many other elements will follow in the wake of a deep inner disposition of compunction: with the habitual sorrow and regret for having offended God, there comes into the soul an ever-growing hatred of sin, a never-satiated desire to atone for it, a recoil, as it were, from all dangerous attractions to sin, a holy fear of all that may again lead us away from God, a supernatural sorrow for all the wrongs done to Him by the sins of the world, with a great longing to see His honour and glory restored, and - perhaps chiefly - a boundless confidence in the mercy of God, with a great tenderness in our love of God because it is a forgiven love.
Such must have been the dispositions of St Peter, of Mary Magdalen, after their conversion: contrition in them became a life-long compunction, and this made saints of them. So it has proved for countless souls, even for souls whose" conversion" was but from minor offences against God, as for St Aloysius Gonzaga.
Would that we could live in that spirit of compunction and ground ourselves more and more in it. We need it at every stage of the spiritual life: not only after our falls, to secure a lasting conversion; but all along the road of progress, because it keeps us in our true relation to God and in many ways helps us on to more intimate union with Him: it makes us realize that we have never done penance enough, thwarts our habitual tendencies to pride and self-sufficiency, detaches us from the vanities of the world, develops in us positive feelings of deep humility and leads to true devotion and piety. "Da te ad cordis compunctionem et invenies devotionem. "
The eastern schools of Christian spirituality have always recommended the frequent and whole-hearted repetition of the words: "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" - not only for beginners, but as the surest means of finding union with God. Have we ever tried it?
* How little perhaps we have realized the sanctifying effects a deeper compunction would have on our spiritual life? - Let us strive earnestly after it, during this Lent especially.
To pray for it is the first and chief means to obtain compunction, as it is for every other grace. We have many opportunities for this in the special liturgical prayers of Lent. "Deus, qui sperantibus in te misereri potius eligis quam irasci : da nobis digne flere mala quae fecimus, ut tuae consolationis gratiam invenire mereamur" (Sabb. p. dom. IV Quadrag. : or. super populum ).
Next, we must dispose our souls to receive that grace in greater and greater abundance. True, the intense and overwhelming compunction of the Saints seems to be a very special gift of the Holy Ghost; but even with God's ordinary graces we can always grow in the sorrowing for our sins and in the accompanying feelings of humility and penance and love. To this end, we should frequently meditate on the greatness and holiness of God, contrasting it with our own nothingness and sinfulness; on the Secred Passion of our Savior, etc.
Then, let us look out for all occasions to develop in us that spirit of compunction: be very earnest in our acts of contrition (in our examinations of conscience and confessions); take in a spirit of expiation the crosses and hardships and humiliations we meet in our daily life and ministry; humble ourselves when we hear the confessions of sinners ("I would do much worse if God did not preserve me!" ); finally, say in a spirit of sincerity the many prayers of the missal and breviary which express these feelings. . .
* Let us say our next Mass with special attention to all the prayers that breathe humble compunction, from the Confiteor at the foot of the altar to the "Placeat tibi...sacrificium quod indignus obtuli"; similarly for the Psalms and prayers of tomorrow's breviary; - and let us make the experiment of adding the motive of atonement to as many of our actions as possible in the course of the day... If we persevere in this practice we shall not be long in discovering there a rich vein of solid spiritual gold: "Cor contritum et humiliatum non despicies...Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam."
__________________________
Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 15.
###
Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.
Pride - Another definition
Pride is inordinate self-love, an exaltation of the conditional and relative self into an absolute.
It tries to gratify the thirst for the infinite by giving to one's own finitude a pretension to divinity.
In some, pride blinds the self to its weakness and becomes "hot" pride; in others, it recognizes its own weakness and overcomes it by a self-exaltation which becomes "cold" pride.
Pride kills docility and makes a man incapable of ever being helped by God. The limited knowledge of the puny mind pretends to be final and absolute.
In the face of other intellects it resorts to two techniques, either the technique of omniscience, by which it seeks to convince others how much it knows, or the technique of nescience, which tries to convince others how little they know.
When such pride is unconscious, it becomes almost incurable, for it identifies truth with its truth. Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals.
It is rarely cured when the person himself is vertical - i.e., healthy and prosperous - but it can be cured when the patient is horizontal - sick and disillusioned. That is why catastrophes are necessary in an era of pride to bring men back again to God and the salvation of their souls.
_____________________
I read this is a new book, (actually an older book from 1949) and I felt it was one of those passages worth sharing. The title and author of this book? Later...
It tries to gratify the thirst for the infinite by giving to one's own finitude a pretension to divinity.
In some, pride blinds the self to its weakness and becomes "hot" pride; in others, it recognizes its own weakness and overcomes it by a self-exaltation which becomes "cold" pride.
Pride kills docility and makes a man incapable of ever being helped by God. The limited knowledge of the puny mind pretends to be final and absolute.
In the face of other intellects it resorts to two techniques, either the technique of omniscience, by which it seeks to convince others how much it knows, or the technique of nescience, which tries to convince others how little they know.
When such pride is unconscious, it becomes almost incurable, for it identifies truth with its truth. Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals.
It is rarely cured when the person himself is vertical - i.e., healthy and prosperous - but it can be cured when the patient is horizontal - sick and disillusioned. That is why catastrophes are necessary in an era of pride to bring men back again to God and the salvation of their souls.
_____________________
I read this is a new book, (actually an older book from 1949) and I felt it was one of those passages worth sharing. The title and author of this book? Later...
Abp. Levada: Openly gay priests make it tough to represent Christ
Is this not an understatement or what? I am glad, though, that, as Prefect of the CDF, he discussed this in his homily (although ther are few direct quotes):
Anyway, perhaps it's a sign of things to come in rading of such statements from Cardinal-designate Levada.
Full article here.
ROME (CNS) -- Cardinal-designate William J. Levada said a priest who publicly announces he is homosexual makes it difficult for people to see the priest as representing Christ, the bridegroom of his bride, the [C]hurch.Before I forget it, once again, someone at Catholic News Service, apparently inept with regard to Church terms, uses lowercase "c" to describe the Church - much like a secular news reporter might do. I sent an email to Cindy Wooden to ask about this. I'm prepared for a lame excuse...I think, however, it is an indication of just how one views the Church and the failure to properly recognize the Church in news articles such as this reveals a great deal. (stepping off soapbox)....
A public declaration of homosexuality places a priest "at odds with the spousal character of love as revealed by God and imaged in humanity," said the U.S. cardinal-designate, who is prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Cardinal-designate Levada made his remarks during a Feb. 26 homily as he presided over a Mass for the installation of the new rector of Rome's Pontifical North American College.
In his homily, Cardinal-designate Levada reflected on the challenges priests face today and on the Sunday Scripture readings, which described God's love for his people as the love of a husband for a wife and described Jesus as the bridegroom of the [C]hurch.
Anyway, perhaps it's a sign of things to come in rading of such statements from Cardinal-designate Levada.
Full article here.
The Curt Jester's Latest: Dissidentyne
Introducing the latest and most refreshing and relativistic gum - Dissidentyne. Up to now every brand of gum the flavor...
Order some now for your favorite heretic, apostate, or schismatic...Supplies may be limited...(At least, we can hope and pray).
Order some now for your favorite heretic, apostate, or schismatic...Supplies may be limited...(At least, we can hope and pray).
Time for more than "Fraternal Correction"?
Quebec priests challenge same-sex stand
As always, we cannot forget to pray for the conversion of these priests and others who may have been adversely affected by their open defiance of Church teaching.
Article here.
MONTREAL -- In an unusual public dissent with their leaders, 19 Quebec Roman Catholic priests published yesterday an open letter taking issue with the church's opposition to both same-sex marriage and the ordination of active gays into the priesthood.All throughout history since the fall of man through Adam, man has been attempting, with Satan's encouragement, to "redfine" virtue and vice. The fact that these priests have openly opposed the Church's teaching demands swift and resolute punishment in an equally open manner so as to mitigate and repair the grave scandal these priests have given.
Does the church "have the last word on the mysteries of political, social, family and sexual life?" the 980-word letter asks. "In these matters, the official teaching of the Church has shown itself more than once to be wrong."
. . .
Disputing the Vatican's position that homosexual acts are "intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law," the letter notes that humans have endlessly strived throughout history to redefine what is natural to them.
As always, we cannot forget to pray for the conversion of these priests and others who may have been adversely affected by their open defiance of Church teaching.
Article here.
Gospel for Monday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Mark 10:17-27
The Rich Young Man
[17] And as He (Jesus) was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" [18] And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. [19] You know the commandments: `Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" [20] And he said to Him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." [21] And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me." [22] At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
Poverty and Renunciation
[23] And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!" [24] And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!" [25] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." [26] And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" [27] Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
___________________
Commentary:
17-18. As Matthew 19:16 makes clear, the young man approaches Jesus as an acknowledged teacher of the spiritual life, in the hope that He will guide him towards eternal life. It is not that Christ rejects the praise He is offered: He wants to show the depth of the young man's words: He is good, not because He is a good man but because He is God, who is Goodness Itself. So, the young man has spoken the truth, but he has not gone far enough. Hence the enigmatic nature of Jesus' reply and its profundity. The young man's approach is upright but too human; Jesus tries to get him to see things from an entirely supernatural point of view. If this man is to really attain eternal life he must see in Christ not just a good master but the divine Savior, the only Master, the only one who, because He is God, is Goodness Itself. Cf. note on Mt. 19:16-22.
19. Our Lord has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). The commandments are the very core of the Law and keeping them is necessary for attaining eternal life. Christ brings these commandments to fulfillment in a double sense. First, because He helps us discover their full implications for our lives. The light of Revelation makes it easy for us to grasp the correct meaning of the precepts of the Decalogue--something that human reason, on its own, can only achieve with difficulty. Second, His grace gives us strength to counter our evil inclinations, which stem from Original Sin. The commandments, therefore, still apply in the Christian life: they are like signposts indicating the way that leads to Heaven.
21-22. Our Lord knows that this young man has a generous heart. This is why He treats him so affectionately and invites him to greater intimacy with God. But He explains that this means renunciation--leaving his wealth behind so as to give his heart whole and entire to Jesus. God calls everyone to holiness, but holiness is reached by many different routes. It is up to every individual to take the necessary steps to discover which route God wants him to follow. The Lord sows the seed of vocation in everyone's soul, to show him the way to go to reach the goal of holiness, which is common to all.
In other words, if a person does not put obstacles in the way, if he responds generously to God, he feels a desire to be better, to give himself more generously. As fruit of this desire he seeks to know God's will; he prays to God to help him, and asks people to advise him. In responding to this sincere search, God uses a great variety of instruments. Later, when a person thinks he sees the way God wants him to follow, he may still not take the decision to go that way: he is afraid of the renunciation it involves: at this point he should pray and deny himself if the light--God's invitation--is to win out against human calculation. For, although God is calling, man is always free, and therefore, he can respond generously or be a coward, like the young man we are told about in this passage. Failure to respond generously to one's vocation always produces sadness.
21. "In its precise eloquence", John Paul II points out, commenting on this passage, "this deeply penetrating event expresses a great lesson in a few words: it touches upon substantial problems and basic questions that have in no way lost their relevance. Everywhere young people are asking important questions--questions on the meaning of life, on the right way to live, on the scale of values: `What must I do...?' `What must I do to share in everlasting life?'...To each of you I say therefore: heed the call of Christ when you hear him saying to you: `Follow Me!' Walk in My path! Stand by My side! Remain in My love! There is a choice to be made: a choice for Christ and His way of life, and His commandment of love.
"The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today's world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant material goods that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and in His way of life.... Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape. If you really accept that love from Christ, it will lead you to God. Perhaps in the priesthood or religious life; perhaps in some special service to your brothers and sisters: especially to the needy, the poor, the lonely, the abandoned, those whose rights have been trampled upon, or those whose basic needs have not been provided for. Whatever you make of your life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ" ("Homily on Boston Common").
22. "The sadness of the young man makes us reflect. We could be tempted to think that many possessions, many of the goods of this world, can bring happiness. We see instead in the case of the young man in the Gospel that his many possessions had become an obstacle to accepting the call of Jesus to follow Him. He was not ready to say "yes" to Jesus and "no" to self, to say "yes" to love and "no" to escape. Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus--Jesus Himself--who said: `You are My friends if you do what I command you' (John 15:14). Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment.
"Dear young people: do not be afraid of honest effort and work; do not be afraid of the truth. With Christ's help, and through prayer, you can answer His call, resisting temptations and fads, and every form of mass manipulation. Open your hearts to the Christ of the Gospels--to His love and His truth and His joy. Do not go away sad!...
"Follow Christ! You who are single or who are preparing for marriage. Follow Christ! You who are young or old. Follow Christ! You who are sick or aging; who are suffering or in pain. You who feel the need for healing, the need for love, the need for a friend--follow Christ!
"To all of you I extend--in the name of Christ--the call, the invitation, the plea: `Come and follow Me'" (John Paul II, "Homily on Boston Common").
23-27. The reaction of the rich young man gives our Lord another opportunity to say something about the way to use material things. In themselves they are good: they are resources God has made available to people for their development in society. But excessive attachment to things is what makes them an occasion of sin. The sin lies in "trusting" in them, as if they solve all life's problems, and turning one's back on God. St. Paul calls covetousness idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Christ excludes from the Kingdom of God anyone who becomes so attached to riches that his life is centered around them. Or, more accurately, that person excludes himself.
Possessions can seduce both those who already have them and those who are bent on acquiring them. Therefore, there are--paradoxically--poor people who are really rich, and rich people who are really poor. Since absolutely everyone has an inclination to be attached to material things, the disciples see salvation as an impossible goal: "Then who can be saved?" No one, if we rely on human resources. But God's grace makes everything possible. Cf. note on Matthew 6:11.
Also, not putting our trust in riches means that everyone who does have wealth should use it to help the needy. This "demands great generosity, much sacrifice and unceasing effort on the part of the rich man. Let each one examine his conscience, a conscience that conveys a new message for our times. Is he prepared to support out of his own pocket works and undertakings organized in favor of the most destitute? Is he ready to pay higher taxes so that the public authorities can intensify their efforts in favor of development?" (Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio", 47).
__________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Rich Young Man
[17] And as He (Jesus) was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" [18] And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. [19] You know the commandments: `Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" [20] And he said to Him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." [21] And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me." [22] At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
Poverty and Renunciation
[23] And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!" [24] And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!" [25] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." [26] And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" [27] Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
___________________
Commentary:
17-18. As Matthew 19:16 makes clear, the young man approaches Jesus as an acknowledged teacher of the spiritual life, in the hope that He will guide him towards eternal life. It is not that Christ rejects the praise He is offered: He wants to show the depth of the young man's words: He is good, not because He is a good man but because He is God, who is Goodness Itself. So, the young man has spoken the truth, but he has not gone far enough. Hence the enigmatic nature of Jesus' reply and its profundity. The young man's approach is upright but too human; Jesus tries to get him to see things from an entirely supernatural point of view. If this man is to really attain eternal life he must see in Christ not just a good master but the divine Savior, the only Master, the only one who, because He is God, is Goodness Itself. Cf. note on Mt. 19:16-22.
19. Our Lord has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). The commandments are the very core of the Law and keeping them is necessary for attaining eternal life. Christ brings these commandments to fulfillment in a double sense. First, because He helps us discover their full implications for our lives. The light of Revelation makes it easy for us to grasp the correct meaning of the precepts of the Decalogue--something that human reason, on its own, can only achieve with difficulty. Second, His grace gives us strength to counter our evil inclinations, which stem from Original Sin. The commandments, therefore, still apply in the Christian life: they are like signposts indicating the way that leads to Heaven.
21-22. Our Lord knows that this young man has a generous heart. This is why He treats him so affectionately and invites him to greater intimacy with God. But He explains that this means renunciation--leaving his wealth behind so as to give his heart whole and entire to Jesus. God calls everyone to holiness, but holiness is reached by many different routes. It is up to every individual to take the necessary steps to discover which route God wants him to follow. The Lord sows the seed of vocation in everyone's soul, to show him the way to go to reach the goal of holiness, which is common to all.
In other words, if a person does not put obstacles in the way, if he responds generously to God, he feels a desire to be better, to give himself more generously. As fruit of this desire he seeks to know God's will; he prays to God to help him, and asks people to advise him. In responding to this sincere search, God uses a great variety of instruments. Later, when a person thinks he sees the way God wants him to follow, he may still not take the decision to go that way: he is afraid of the renunciation it involves: at this point he should pray and deny himself if the light--God's invitation--is to win out against human calculation. For, although God is calling, man is always free, and therefore, he can respond generously or be a coward, like the young man we are told about in this passage. Failure to respond generously to one's vocation always produces sadness.
21. "In its precise eloquence", John Paul II points out, commenting on this passage, "this deeply penetrating event expresses a great lesson in a few words: it touches upon substantial problems and basic questions that have in no way lost their relevance. Everywhere young people are asking important questions--questions on the meaning of life, on the right way to live, on the scale of values: `What must I do...?' `What must I do to share in everlasting life?'...To each of you I say therefore: heed the call of Christ when you hear him saying to you: `Follow Me!' Walk in My path! Stand by My side! Remain in My love! There is a choice to be made: a choice for Christ and His way of life, and His commandment of love.
"The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today's world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant material goods that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and in His way of life.... Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape. If you really accept that love from Christ, it will lead you to God. Perhaps in the priesthood or religious life; perhaps in some special service to your brothers and sisters: especially to the needy, the poor, the lonely, the abandoned, those whose rights have been trampled upon, or those whose basic needs have not been provided for. Whatever you make of your life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ" ("Homily on Boston Common").
22. "The sadness of the young man makes us reflect. We could be tempted to think that many possessions, many of the goods of this world, can bring happiness. We see instead in the case of the young man in the Gospel that his many possessions had become an obstacle to accepting the call of Jesus to follow Him. He was not ready to say "yes" to Jesus and "no" to self, to say "yes" to love and "no" to escape. Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus--Jesus Himself--who said: `You are My friends if you do what I command you' (John 15:14). Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment.
"Dear young people: do not be afraid of honest effort and work; do not be afraid of the truth. With Christ's help, and through prayer, you can answer His call, resisting temptations and fads, and every form of mass manipulation. Open your hearts to the Christ of the Gospels--to His love and His truth and His joy. Do not go away sad!...
"Follow Christ! You who are single or who are preparing for marriage. Follow Christ! You who are young or old. Follow Christ! You who are sick or aging; who are suffering or in pain. You who feel the need for healing, the need for love, the need for a friend--follow Christ!
"To all of you I extend--in the name of Christ--the call, the invitation, the plea: `Come and follow Me'" (John Paul II, "Homily on Boston Common").
23-27. The reaction of the rich young man gives our Lord another opportunity to say something about the way to use material things. In themselves they are good: they are resources God has made available to people for their development in society. But excessive attachment to things is what makes them an occasion of sin. The sin lies in "trusting" in them, as if they solve all life's problems, and turning one's back on God. St. Paul calls covetousness idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Christ excludes from the Kingdom of God anyone who becomes so attached to riches that his life is centered around them. Or, more accurately, that person excludes himself.
Possessions can seduce both those who already have them and those who are bent on acquiring them. Therefore, there are--paradoxically--poor people who are really rich, and rich people who are really poor. Since absolutely everyone has an inclination to be attached to material things, the disciples see salvation as an impossible goal: "Then who can be saved?" No one, if we rely on human resources. But God's grace makes everything possible. Cf. note on Matthew 6:11.
Also, not putting our trust in riches means that everyone who does have wealth should use it to help the needy. This "demands great generosity, much sacrifice and unceasing effort on the part of the rich man. Let each one examine his conscience, a conscience that conveys a new message for our times. Is he prepared to support out of his own pocket works and undertakings organized in favor of the most destitute? Is he ready to pay higher taxes so that the public authorities can intensify their efforts in favor of development?" (Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio", 47).
__________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Catholic couple clashes with church over gay rights
Charlie and Maria Girsch aren't your typical parents. In their 20s, he was a Roman Catholic priest; she was a teacher and a nun. They fell in love and chose to marry.Still fighting the Church, it appears. Perhaps, they would be better served to contact Dr. Joe Nicolosi at the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). This would be the path to take rather than that of rebelling against the Church which cannot change it s teachings.
Now, love looms tall again to test the St. Paul couple's strong ties to Catholicism. The church has toughened its stand against Catholics in same-sex relationships. And one of the couple's six children is gay.
"We are caught between the child we love and the church we grew up in," Charlie Girsch says.
At the Cathedral of St. Paul, people wearing rainbow-colored sashes — considered a political statement in support ofpeople in gay relationships— are refused communion. And the diocesan leader, Archbishop Harry Flynn, now supports a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would ban not only gay marriage but also many advantages that union brings.
As a sash-wearing parent, Charlie Girsch has been denied communion himself. He and his wife rallied with others last summer to createCatholic Rainbow Parents, a group that has grown to 30 or more moms and dads of adult gays who oppose the church's stand.
More here.
Hat Tip to Darla M for the link.
Gospel for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
From: Mark 2:18-22
A Discussion on Fasting
[18] Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to Him (Jesus): "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" [19] And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. [20] The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. [21] No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. [22] And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."
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Commentary:
18-22. Using a particular case, Christ's reply tells about the connection between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the Bridegroom has not yet arrived; in the New Testament He is present, in the person of Christ. With Him began the Messianic Times, a new era distinct from the previous one. The Jewish fasts, therefore, together with their system of religious observances, must be seen as a way of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Christ shows the difference between the spirit He has brought and that of the Judaism of His time. This new spirit will not be something extra, added on to the old; it will bring to life the perennial teachings contained in the older Revelation. The newness of the Gospel--just like new wine--cannot fit within the molds of the Old Law.
But this passage says more: to receive Christ's new teaching people must inwardly renew themselves and throw off the straight-jacket of old routines.
19-20. Jesus describes Himself as the Bridegroom (cf. also Luke 12:35; Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:29), thereby fulfilling what the Prophets had said about the relationship between God and His people (cf. Hosea 2:18-22; Isaiah 54:5ff). The Apostles are the guests at the wedding, invited to share in the wedding feast with the Bridegroom, in the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 22:1-14).
In verse 20 Jesus announces that the Bridegroom will be taken away from them: this is the first reference He makes to His passion and death (cf. Mark 8:31; John 2:19; 3:14). The vision of joy and sorrow we see here epitomizes our human condition during our sojourn on earth.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
A Discussion on Fasting
[18] Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to Him (Jesus): "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" [19] And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. [20] The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. [21] No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. [22] And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."
_____________________
Commentary:
18-22. Using a particular case, Christ's reply tells about the connection between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the Bridegroom has not yet arrived; in the New Testament He is present, in the person of Christ. With Him began the Messianic Times, a new era distinct from the previous one. The Jewish fasts, therefore, together with their system of religious observances, must be seen as a way of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Christ shows the difference between the spirit He has brought and that of the Judaism of His time. This new spirit will not be something extra, added on to the old; it will bring to life the perennial teachings contained in the older Revelation. The newness of the Gospel--just like new wine--cannot fit within the molds of the Old Law.
But this passage says more: to receive Christ's new teaching people must inwardly renew themselves and throw off the straight-jacket of old routines.
19-20. Jesus describes Himself as the Bridegroom (cf. also Luke 12:35; Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:29), thereby fulfilling what the Prophets had said about the relationship between God and His people (cf. Hosea 2:18-22; Isaiah 54:5ff). The Apostles are the guests at the wedding, invited to share in the wedding feast with the Bridegroom, in the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 22:1-14).
In verse 20 Jesus announces that the Bridegroom will be taken away from them: this is the first reference He makes to His passion and death (cf. Mark 8:31; John 2:19; 3:14). The vision of joy and sorrow we see here epitomizes our human condition during our sojourn on earth.
_________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Cardinal George's Resignation Is Sought by Advocacy Group
An advocacy group called for Cardinal Francis George to resign Saturday after reports that the top official of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago ignored for months a review board's advice to remove a priest accused of molesting three boys.The "advocacy group" is not named...Any guesses on which group it is?
Link.
Patrick Madrid debates Bishop Thomas Gumbleton on gays in the priesthood
This is a two part streaming audio and post on Patrick site here.
How weird it is that I, a layman, had to debate a Catholic bishop on the issue of the problem of homosexuality in the priesthood. It's weird because I was defending the Catholic Church's perennial teaching about this issue and Bishop Gumbleton was taking the position that there being homosexuals in the priesthood is not a problem.I have not yet listened to these MP3's yet, but I can imagine that Gumbleton never stood a chance, taking a position contrary to the Church. We must continue to pray for him and for all those led astray by his heterdoxy.
It was a brief debate, all of 20 minutes (including commercial breaks), but it was enough time to see the two massively different approaches to this issue that Bishop Gumbleton and I took.
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