We begin the season of Advent which is a season of preparation for the Lord’s Coming. The word ‘advent’ literally means ‘coming to’. We remember Jesus’s 1st Coming into the world when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). But. the Church also has us prepare for Christ’s Second Coming. We hear into today’s Gospel to “be watchful…be alert”. We are used to hearing this, though – “Jesus is coming!” It’s even become a joke that we might see on t-shirts or bumper stickers: “Jesus is coming. Look busy!”
This is basically the message of today’s Gospel, but Jesus is a bit more serious about it. He says, “Be watchful. Be alert. You do not know when the time will come”. It could be today. It could be in the next hour. We don’t know. We always have to be ready. Jesus then tells a brief parable about a man who leaves home and places his servants in charge “each with his own work”. As servants of Jesus, what is our work? Does each of us know how to prepare for Christ’s return like the servants knew how to prepare for the man’s return in the Gospel?
We know how to prepare for other things in life. Students know how to prepare for tests in school. Workers or employees know how to prepare for meetings or presentations at work. Athletes know how to prepare for games or races in sports. They know what their work is. They know what is expected of them. They know how to prepare. But, as Catholic Christians, do we know how to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ? Do we know what our work is?
“Each with his own work”. I think the Church describes what this means in one of its teachings from Vatican II: the universal call to holiness. In the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, the Church says that all are called to holiness. All are called to be saints. It doesn’t matter our age, background, or situation in life. We are called to be holy, to live the perfection of love. The work for each of us, then, is holiness – to live for God and others. The Church says that holiness is expressed in many ways. How can we live holiness here at St. Andrew’s, especially during Advent? Let me give some suggestions, beginning with our relationship with Christ and then our relationship with others.
Our relationship with Christ begins with the Eucharist. We come to the Eucharist every Sunday for Mass during Advent; that is non-negotiable. But, maybe we can hit a daily Mass at least once during Advent. Or, we can come to Adoration once on a Friday night between 7-8 pm, even for just a few minutes. It is a powerful encounter that we have with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Confession. Hopefully, each of us will go to Confession at least once during Advent. If we haven’t been living holiness – if we’ve been living for ourselves – then Confession is a way to get rid of all that and to start over. Confession is a great way to always be ready for the Second Coming of Christ! We will have a Parish Penance Service on Tuesday, December 16th.
Praying the rosary. Hopefully, each of us prays the rosary every day. It’s a great way to stay close to Jesus and Mary. Maybe your family can pray the rosary together at least once during Advent.
Stations of the Cross. We see them on the walls of our Church. This is another beautiful devotion. We are used to hearing about this during Advent, but it would be an excellent preparation during Advent to do the Stations of the Cross once.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we are beginning our new offertory program on the 1st Sunday of Advent. Giving fairly and generously back to God what He has given us is another great act of holiness.
Now, for specific persons – spouses can do an extra act of kindness for the other during Advent. Parents can spend an extra amount of time with one of your kids’ activities. Kids can do an extra act of generosity around the house – maybe a chore that you don’t get paid for. Young adults and teens can pray for their future spouse, whoever that might be.
In all acts of holiness, it is really God’s work coming through us. The first reading reminds us of this – He is the potter, we are the clay. “We are the work of his hands”. It’s really God’s holiness coming through us if we are open.
I’d like to close with an example of holiness that is inspiring and dramatic. You might have read about an 11 year old boy named Brendan Foster who died recently of leukemia. When Brendan was told that he had two weeks to live, his dying wish was to feed the hungry and care for the homeless. He was physically unable to do it, so his friends made about 200 sandwiches for those in need. The story spread nationally and internationally. There was a huge response! People filled food banks and had food drives. One person described it as “an avalanche of love and support”. Brendan was able to see this response before he died.
11 years old and staring death in the face. He wasn’t afraid. He didn’t focus on himself. He was thinking about others. That is good clay. That is the work of God’s hands. That, my brothers and sisters, is holiness.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Gratitude leads to joy and happiness
Eucharistic Adoration, tonight, 7-8 pm, SAA Church. Please join us!!
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I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving Day yesterday, enjoying the cornucopia of food and drink that reminds us that when God gives He gives in abundance. We have so much for which to be thankful, and so many who came to Mass yesterday expressed those things for which they are thankful.
I ask bloggers to do the same here; please post up to three things for which you are thankful. I am thankful for the Eucharist, for being assigned to St. Andrew’s, and for beating the Cowboys in Dallas (!).
The retreat master of my Fall retreat, Msgr. Steve Rossetti, gave a talk entitled, “Becoming a Eucharistic People”. He focused on the many benefits of giving thanks regularly. The overall point was that gratitude leads to joy and happiness. We should give thanks EVERY DAY for the sake of gratitude, but also because it brings us more health and happiness. Msgr. Rosetti offered evidence to the latter point, referring to results of a Gratitude Study done years ago that was published in the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology (2002):
- daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, and energy
- gratitude group (those who gave thanks regularly) exercised more regularly, had fewer physical symptoms, and quality and duration of sleep was better
- gratitude group experienced less depression and stress (!). They experienced higher levels of optimism & life satisfaction without denying negative aspects of life
- gratitude group were more likely to feel loved and to help others, i.e., helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support
- gratitude group more empathic and rated as more generous and helpful by others
- grateful people were less envious of others
- they were less materialistic and more religious or spiritual (attend services or engage in religious activities)
--------------------------
“I think it is impossible for anyone to be simultaneously grateful and unhappy. So the solution to much of the unhappiness that humans experience is a reawakening in the human heart of the idea of gratitude. That's why I think it is a great idea for non-believers to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let anyone start expressing and experiencing gratitude--if not vertically toward God, at least horizontally toward others in the human community--and you'll find that person holding a new lease on happiness.” - Rev. William J. Bryon, S.J.
“In all circumstances give thanks” (1 Thess 5:16-18)
Eucharistia: Greek – thanksgiving
“If the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ it will suffice”. – Meister Eckhard
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I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving Day yesterday, enjoying the cornucopia of food and drink that reminds us that when God gives He gives in abundance. We have so much for which to be thankful, and so many who came to Mass yesterday expressed those things for which they are thankful.
I ask bloggers to do the same here; please post up to three things for which you are thankful. I am thankful for the Eucharist, for being assigned to St. Andrew’s, and for beating the Cowboys in Dallas (!).
The retreat master of my Fall retreat, Msgr. Steve Rossetti, gave a talk entitled, “Becoming a Eucharistic People”. He focused on the many benefits of giving thanks regularly. The overall point was that gratitude leads to joy and happiness. We should give thanks EVERY DAY for the sake of gratitude, but also because it brings us more health and happiness. Msgr. Rosetti offered evidence to the latter point, referring to results of a Gratitude Study done years ago that was published in the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology (2002):
- daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, and energy
- gratitude group (those who gave thanks regularly) exercised more regularly, had fewer physical symptoms, and quality and duration of sleep was better
- gratitude group experienced less depression and stress (!). They experienced higher levels of optimism & life satisfaction without denying negative aspects of life
- gratitude group were more likely to feel loved and to help others, i.e., helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support
- gratitude group more empathic and rated as more generous and helpful by others
- grateful people were less envious of others
- they were less materialistic and more religious or spiritual (attend services or engage in religious activities)
--------------------------
“I think it is impossible for anyone to be simultaneously grateful and unhappy. So the solution to much of the unhappiness that humans experience is a reawakening in the human heart of the idea of gratitude. That's why I think it is a great idea for non-believers to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let anyone start expressing and experiencing gratitude--if not vertically toward God, at least horizontally toward others in the human community--and you'll find that person holding a new lease on happiness.” - Rev. William J. Bryon, S.J.
“In all circumstances give thanks” (1 Thess 5:16-18)
Eucharistia: Greek – thanksgiving
“If the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ it will suffice”. – Meister Eckhard
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Christmas Ice Skating Benefit
The following is an invitation from my friends at Life Force, Inc. about an ice skating event on Sat., Dec 6 from 6:45 - 9 pm at the Rockville Ice Arena (50 Southlawn Ct., Rockville, MD 20850):
Bring the whole family to the 4th Annual Christmas Ice Skating Benefit. If you can't make it, send the kids. There are car pools forming and there is no charge for admission. We will have a whole rink to ourselves. Feel free to come at the last minute! This is a SAME LOCATION as last year (www.rockvilleicearena.com). Non-skaters are welcome! There is a full service restaurant/snack bar, The Village Grill. It will be open and is in the arena. They also serve Starbucks! Santa will also be making a visit (but maybe not on skates)! This event will bring new meaning to our rallying cry, Skate for your life!
ANY monetary donations will be accepted with ALL proceeds going to our local St. Catherine Laboure Gabriel Project (www.gpscl.org, Wheaton, MD, 301-946-4815 ) and local Birthright (www.birthright.org, birthrightmc@verizon.net Wheaton, MD, 301-946-3339) and Project Rachel (projectrachel@adw.org , 301-982-2008) organizations.
Gabriel Project assists women and familes facing crisis pregnancies by providing practical, emotional and spiritual support. After the baby is born, they continue to help as long as there is a need and stay in touch their mothers indefinitely.
Birthright is an inter-denominational crisis pregnancy center. They give free pregnancy tests, plus non-judgmental and confidential guidance to woman. After a pregnancy test, they do as much follow up, to include material aids, with the woman as she desires.
Project Rachel is a post-abortion healing ministry that offers compassionate help to men and women who have experienced emotional and or spiritual pain after abortion. This is available regardless of his or her faith background.
Please make your checks payable as follows: Life Force Inc. c/o Mary Sloan 2307 Pondside Ter Silver Spring, MD 20906* Note "Christmas Ice Skating Benefit" in the Memo field. For your convenience, you can also donate online using Paypal. Please put "Christmas Ice Skating Benefit" in the Subject/Note field.
Bring your own skates if you have them. Otherwise, skates can be rented at the rink. Please respond by November 30th (301.438.8447) with number of skaters in your family or extended family so we can get a head count. Ice skate rentals and number of skaters on the ice are limited so please respond and get there on time. Last year, we did max out with the number of skaters on the ice. Feel free to send this invite to other friends and family. Our goal is to have as many families as possible.
Bring the whole family to the 4th Annual Christmas Ice Skating Benefit. If you can't make it, send the kids. There are car pools forming and there is no charge for admission. We will have a whole rink to ourselves. Feel free to come at the last minute! This is a SAME LOCATION as last year (www.rockvilleicearena.com). Non-skaters are welcome! There is a full service restaurant/snack bar, The Village Grill. It will be open and is in the arena. They also serve Starbucks! Santa will also be making a visit (but maybe not on skates)! This event will bring new meaning to our rallying cry, Skate for your life!
ANY monetary donations will be accepted with ALL proceeds going to our local St. Catherine Laboure Gabriel Project (www.gpscl.org, Wheaton, MD, 301-946-4815 ) and local Birthright (www.birthright.org, birthrightmc@verizon.net Wheaton, MD, 301-946-3339) and Project Rachel (projectrachel@adw.org , 301-982-2008) organizations.
Gabriel Project assists women and familes facing crisis pregnancies by providing practical, emotional and spiritual support. After the baby is born, they continue to help as long as there is a need and stay in touch their mothers indefinitely.
Birthright is an inter-denominational crisis pregnancy center. They give free pregnancy tests, plus non-judgmental and confidential guidance to woman. After a pregnancy test, they do as much follow up, to include material aids, with the woman as she desires.
Project Rachel is a post-abortion healing ministry that offers compassionate help to men and women who have experienced emotional and or spiritual pain after abortion. This is available regardless of his or her faith background.
Please make your checks payable as follows: Life Force Inc. c/o Mary Sloan 2307 Pondside Ter Silver Spring, MD 20906* Note "Christmas Ice Skating Benefit" in the Memo field. For your convenience, you can also donate online using Paypal. Please put "Christmas Ice Skating Benefit" in the Subject/Note field.
Bring your own skates if you have them. Otherwise, skates can be rented at the rink. Please respond by November 30th (301.438.8447) with number of skaters in your family or extended family so we can get a head count. Ice skate rentals and number of skaters on the ice are limited so please respond and get there on time. Last year, we did max out with the number of skaters on the ice. Feel free to send this invite to other friends and family. Our goal is to have as many families as possible.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Indulgences: antiquated or helpful?
I recently got together with a young man who is a good friend of mine. He has had a rough year. He is still recovering from a serious brain injury he suffered after being attacked in Adams Morgan one night out with friends. Not too long after he got out of the hospital, he learned that one of his best friends who was living in the South had died suddenly. My buddy, who is a man of faith, expressed his serious sadness over these events, especially the loss of his good friend. He felt so badly that he couldn’t be there for his friend because of his own hospitalization; mainly, he has had great remorse that he didn’t do anything to help him.
Thanks be to God and His Spirit, the discussion took a tremendous turn (one that I didn’t initially anticipate) toward what he could do now to help him. We talked about praying for the dead and what we can do as Catholics for those who have died. I mentioned about having Masses said his friend which is the greatest prayer he can offer for him. Then, we discussed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the powerful prayer of intercession for the souls of those who are “most in need of God’s Mercy”. I also suggested the practice of gaining a plenary indulgence for his buddy and gave him a brief explanation of and theological basis for indulgences. By the end of the conversation, my friend’s discouragement had become encouragement; his despair had become hope. He could do something now to help his friend!
Here are some more questions from anonymous bloggers about indulgences:
1) “When I asked why, if they have the power to eliminate temporal punishment, why doesn’t the Church eliminate it for everyone who died in a state of grace? It was explained to me that temporary suffering is part of God’s plan for us. I can understand and accept that. So, if God’s plan is for us to experience temporal punishment, then why would the church offer something that would eliminate it?”
Just like any suffering, God doesn’t actively will temporal punishment; He allows it. Like any evil, it is part of His passive will. It is a result of sin, so it is an evil. God does bring good out of it as He does with all evil.
We might ask a similar question regarding a natural evil like poverty, “why does the Church offer ways to reduce or even eliminate poverty?” God brings good out of poverty (and even extols the poor), but it is still an evil that the Church works to eliminate.
2) “Can a plenary indulgence be gained and given to any soul in purgatory? Do you have to have a certain person in mind?”
A plenary indulgence should be done with a particular person in mind. Partial indulgences might be offered up for souls in general; for example, “all the souls in Purgatory”.
When I pray my daily rosary, I include prayers for the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be) knowing that it gains at least a partial indulgence. In my mind, I offer the indulgence for “the souls in Purgatory”, confident that God will know how and to whom to disperse the benefits of the indulgence. Whether an indulgence is plenary or partial, though, I wouldn’t worry too much if you offer it up for souls in general; God knows what to do with it (better than we do!).
3) “Can a plenary indulgence be applied to a non-Christian loved one?” Yes.
4) “Who decided that a person can free someone from purgatory with a plenary indulgence? What is the source of it? I have a hard time believing in it because it sets out a very mechanical list of things to do in order to accomplish something so profound as sending someone to heaven. It reads like a "to do" list that you might stick on your fridge. Isn't it a little antiquated?”
For my friend, gaining an indulgence for his buddy doesn’t seem antiquated at all; it is the source of hope and encouragement that he is actively helping him now get to Heaven.
Tom answered Anon’s question:
“Indulgences are acquired ‘through the intervention of the Church which, as minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints’ (quoting the 1968 Manual of Indulgences).
Nothing antiquated about that.
I'd say the to-do list impression comes from the fact that a plenary indulgence is the kind of request that will only be heard from someone who is in a state of grace and in close communion with Christ's Church (freedom from attachment to sin and reception of the sacraments ensure personal sanctity, and the prayer for the Pope signifies union with the Church).Partial indulgences are granted, more or less straightforwardly, for all sorts of things. All you have to do is ask.”
Thanks be to God and His Spirit, the discussion took a tremendous turn (one that I didn’t initially anticipate) toward what he could do now to help him. We talked about praying for the dead and what we can do as Catholics for those who have died. I mentioned about having Masses said his friend which is the greatest prayer he can offer for him. Then, we discussed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the powerful prayer of intercession for the souls of those who are “most in need of God’s Mercy”. I also suggested the practice of gaining a plenary indulgence for his buddy and gave him a brief explanation of and theological basis for indulgences. By the end of the conversation, my friend’s discouragement had become encouragement; his despair had become hope. He could do something now to help his friend!
Here are some more questions from anonymous bloggers about indulgences:
1) “When I asked why, if they have the power to eliminate temporal punishment, why doesn’t the Church eliminate it for everyone who died in a state of grace? It was explained to me that temporary suffering is part of God’s plan for us. I can understand and accept that. So, if God’s plan is for us to experience temporal punishment, then why would the church offer something that would eliminate it?”
Just like any suffering, God doesn’t actively will temporal punishment; He allows it. Like any evil, it is part of His passive will. It is a result of sin, so it is an evil. God does bring good out of it as He does with all evil.
We might ask a similar question regarding a natural evil like poverty, “why does the Church offer ways to reduce or even eliminate poverty?” God brings good out of poverty (and even extols the poor), but it is still an evil that the Church works to eliminate.
2) “Can a plenary indulgence be gained and given to any soul in purgatory? Do you have to have a certain person in mind?”
A plenary indulgence should be done with a particular person in mind. Partial indulgences might be offered up for souls in general; for example, “all the souls in Purgatory”.
When I pray my daily rosary, I include prayers for the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be) knowing that it gains at least a partial indulgence. In my mind, I offer the indulgence for “the souls in Purgatory”, confident that God will know how and to whom to disperse the benefits of the indulgence. Whether an indulgence is plenary or partial, though, I wouldn’t worry too much if you offer it up for souls in general; God knows what to do with it (better than we do!).
3) “Can a plenary indulgence be applied to a non-Christian loved one?” Yes.
4) “Who decided that a person can free someone from purgatory with a plenary indulgence? What is the source of it? I have a hard time believing in it because it sets out a very mechanical list of things to do in order to accomplish something so profound as sending someone to heaven. It reads like a "to do" list that you might stick on your fridge. Isn't it a little antiquated?”
For my friend, gaining an indulgence for his buddy doesn’t seem antiquated at all; it is the source of hope and encouragement that he is actively helping him now get to Heaven.
Tom answered Anon’s question:
“Indulgences are acquired ‘through the intervention of the Church which, as minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints’ (quoting the 1968 Manual of Indulgences).
Nothing antiquated about that.
I'd say the to-do list impression comes from the fact that a plenary indulgence is the kind of request that will only be heard from someone who is in a state of grace and in close communion with Christ's Church (freedom from attachment to sin and reception of the sacraments ensure personal sanctity, and the prayer for the Pope signifies union with the Church).Partial indulgences are granted, more or less straightforwardly, for all sorts of things. All you have to do is ask.”
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Solemnity of Christ the King - homily
One of my favorite groups in the parish is the RCIA group which is made up of adults who are in the process of becoming Catholic. They are filled with great interest and passion about the Catholic faith. It is always so inspiring to be around people who have zeal for living the Catholic faith. A couple of weeks ago, I posed a question to the group which is pertinent to today’s feast of Christ the King. I asked, “if Jesus is a king, why didn’t He live as a king on earth, with a royal throne and power and riches?”
The group responded with some interesting and insightful answers. They said that if Jesus lived as a king with a royal throne that that would contradict so much of his message which is caring for and being in union with the poor. So much of what they said was right on the money, but I was looking for a more general answer. I think the answer has to do with faith. If Jesus lived as a king in glory in this life, then we would see him as king. It wouldn’t take faith to believe in Him if we could see him in all his glory in this life. As Christians, we walk by faith, not by sight.
Jesus doesn’t fully reveal himself to us in this life but he does give us enough reason to believe in him. The main evidence that Christ is King is the resurrection. In fact, he reveals himself as king in the resurrection. Today’s second reading is focused on the point that Christ reigns over all things, even death. His reign as king begins with the resurrection.
Christ himself says that “my kingdom does not belong to this world” (Jn 18). His kingdom is in the next life, and it will last forever. He makes this clear in today’s Gospel when he speaks of his reign in the future: “when the Son of Man comes…he will sit upon his glorious throne”. He is not a worldly king; he is a king who comes into the world. He does not appear to be a king to the world – his throne is a cross, his crown is made of thorns, and his army is twelve men! In the least, Jesus is a mystery to the world. But, more than that, the world sees him as crazy…extreme…offensive. The things he said – like calling God “Father” – and the things he did – like forgiving sins. He may not have had the power of an earthly king, but he was a threat. He was – and continues to be - a threat to the world. That’s why the world killed him.
As followers of Christ the King, our kingdom is not in this world. He live in the world, but not of the world. If we are living our faith in Christ, then we have an experience similar to that of Jesus. In the least, we are a mystery to the world. But, more than that, the world sees us as crazy…extreme…offensive. The things we say – like when we defend life or marriage or faith – and the things we do – like going to Confession for the forgiveness of sins. If we don’t appear to the world at least as a mystery, then we aren’t being faithful to Christ the King. We walk by faith and not by sight; the world walks by sight and not by faith.
Finally, all of this comes together when we get to the Eucharist. It may be the greatest example of the world seeing us as crazy…worshiping what looks like a piece of bread! But, we believe our King when he says, “this is my body”. We believe that our king is present in the Eucharist. His kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven, is present on earth in the Eucharist. It is a preview to the eternal kingdom we will share in forever. We will not experience glory in this life, but in the life to come. We will reign with Christ our king in the eternal kingdom for ever.
The group responded with some interesting and insightful answers. They said that if Jesus lived as a king with a royal throne that that would contradict so much of his message which is caring for and being in union with the poor. So much of what they said was right on the money, but I was looking for a more general answer. I think the answer has to do with faith. If Jesus lived as a king in glory in this life, then we would see him as king. It wouldn’t take faith to believe in Him if we could see him in all his glory in this life. As Christians, we walk by faith, not by sight.
Jesus doesn’t fully reveal himself to us in this life but he does give us enough reason to believe in him. The main evidence that Christ is King is the resurrection. In fact, he reveals himself as king in the resurrection. Today’s second reading is focused on the point that Christ reigns over all things, even death. His reign as king begins with the resurrection.
Christ himself says that “my kingdom does not belong to this world” (Jn 18). His kingdom is in the next life, and it will last forever. He makes this clear in today’s Gospel when he speaks of his reign in the future: “when the Son of Man comes…he will sit upon his glorious throne”. He is not a worldly king; he is a king who comes into the world. He does not appear to be a king to the world – his throne is a cross, his crown is made of thorns, and his army is twelve men! In the least, Jesus is a mystery to the world. But, more than that, the world sees him as crazy…extreme…offensive. The things he said – like calling God “Father” – and the things he did – like forgiving sins. He may not have had the power of an earthly king, but he was a threat. He was – and continues to be - a threat to the world. That’s why the world killed him.
As followers of Christ the King, our kingdom is not in this world. He live in the world, but not of the world. If we are living our faith in Christ, then we have an experience similar to that of Jesus. In the least, we are a mystery to the world. But, more than that, the world sees us as crazy…extreme…offensive. The things we say – like when we defend life or marriage or faith – and the things we do – like going to Confession for the forgiveness of sins. If we don’t appear to the world at least as a mystery, then we aren’t being faithful to Christ the King. We walk by faith and not by sight; the world walks by sight and not by faith.
Finally, all of this comes together when we get to the Eucharist. It may be the greatest example of the world seeing us as crazy…worshiping what looks like a piece of bread! But, we believe our King when he says, “this is my body”. We believe that our king is present in the Eucharist. His kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven, is present on earth in the Eucharist. It is a preview to the eternal kingdom we will share in forever. We will not experience glory in this life, but in the life to come. We will reign with Christ our king in the eternal kingdom for ever.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pro-life conversion of "champion of abortion"
1) Eucharistic Adoration, 7-8 pm, SAA Church. All are invited!
2)DC ‘Hood vs. St Andrew + St John the Baptist, 7:30 pm, Wheaton HS. If you’re not able to attend the game, please say a prayer for vocations today.
3) Youth Group fundraiser. Our Youth Group will be raking leaves tomorrow, Nov. 22, from 9 am – 12 noon for donations. If you know of anyone – particularly those who are elderly - who needs their yard raked, please call me today (301.649.3700 ext. 314).
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Today is the memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. We regularly see evidence of Mary’s powerful intercession in our world, especially with regards to the pro-life movement (e.g., conversion stories, abortion centers being closed). Most likely, the following story from Catholic News Agency is another example of this evidence.
Madrid Nov 12, 2008 / 09:21 pm (CNA).- The Spanish daily “La Razon” has published an article on the pro-life conversion of a former “champion of abortion.” Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.
“The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue,” the newspaper reported. “Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares.”
In describing his conversion, Adasevic “dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. ‘My name is Thomas Aquinas,’ the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn’t recognize the name”
“Why don’t you ask me who these children are?” St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.
“They are the ones you killed with your abortions,’ St. Thomas told him.
“Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions,” the article stated.
“That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion—something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc.
The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby’s heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,”
After this experience, Adasevic “told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university.”
After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas.
“You are my good friend, keep going,’ the man in black and white told him. Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film ‘The Silent Scream,’ by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times.”
Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
“Influenced by Aristotle, Thomas wrote that human life begins forty days after fertilization,” Adasevic wrote in one article. La Razon commented that Adasevic “suggests that perhaps the saint wanted to make amends for that error.” Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn.
2)DC ‘Hood vs. St Andrew + St John the Baptist, 7:30 pm, Wheaton HS. If you’re not able to attend the game, please say a prayer for vocations today.
3) Youth Group fundraiser. Our Youth Group will be raking leaves tomorrow, Nov. 22, from 9 am – 12 noon for donations. If you know of anyone – particularly those who are elderly - who needs their yard raked, please call me today (301.649.3700 ext. 314).
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Today is the memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. We regularly see evidence of Mary’s powerful intercession in our world, especially with regards to the pro-life movement (e.g., conversion stories, abortion centers being closed). Most likely, the following story from Catholic News Agency is another example of this evidence.
Madrid Nov 12, 2008 / 09:21 pm (CNA).- The Spanish daily “La Razon” has published an article on the pro-life conversion of a former “champion of abortion.” Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.
“The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue,” the newspaper reported. “Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares.”
In describing his conversion, Adasevic “dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. ‘My name is Thomas Aquinas,’ the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn’t recognize the name”
“Why don’t you ask me who these children are?” St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.
“They are the ones you killed with your abortions,’ St. Thomas told him.
“Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions,” the article stated.
“That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion—something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc.
The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby’s heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,”
After this experience, Adasevic “told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university.”
After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas.
“You are my good friend, keep going,’ the man in black and white told him. Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film ‘The Silent Scream,’ by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times.”
Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
“Influenced by Aristotle, Thomas wrote that human life begins forty days after fertilization,” Adasevic wrote in one article. La Razon commented that Adasevic “suggests that perhaps the saint wanted to make amends for that error.” Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Why do we need to be at Mass every Sunday?
DC ‘Hood vs. St Andrew’s & St John the Baptist, Friday night, 7:30 pm, Wheaton High School gym. Go ‘Hood!
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Anon wrote, “I was wondering if there are any prayers that one can say in the case that mass is not accessible or if you will be arriving late to mass and you feel that it is pointless to go to mass when you are so late. Last year I was volunteering in China and mass was inaccessible. I asked a father at my parish whether it was a mortal sin and he said it was. Are there any exceptions to missing mass and if I miss mass what prayers can I say?”
Anon, you can certainly say prayers when Mass is not accessible but they don’t substitute for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is the greatest prayer. In other words, they don’t satisfy the Sunday obligation which is Holy Mass. I don’t think there are too many places in the world where Mass is not generally accessible, although in some places where parishes have been closed – even in our own country – getting to Mass might be less accessible.
Without knowing the particular factors involved in your situation in China, I cannot say whether or not it was a mortal sin. But, if we were talking about it, I would ask you some questions to help determine if it was. Did you freely choose to be in an area where there was no opportunity to get to Sunday Mass? Did you fully know that this is a grave sin? If so, then it would be a mortal sin because you freely and knowingly made the choice to miss Sunday Mass which is a grave sin (even if it was to do voluntary acts of charity; love of God before love of neighbor). However, if it was through no fault of your own (e.g., you tried to find transportation but couldn’t), then it wasn’t a mortal sin because you didn’t choose it. We have to choose sin for it to be a sin.
The example of not being able to find transportation is fairly common among Catholic youth. Mass is inaccessible for them because their parents won’t drive them. I remind them that that is not their sin; it is the sin of their parents. I ask them to tell their parents that they really want to get to Mass every Sunday. In that way, they are doing all that they can to get to Sunday Mass. To me, that is the key in any of these situations where Mass is “inaccessible” – are you doing everything you can to get to Mass?
My mother and step-father went on vacation to one of the Islands a few years ago. When they were planning their trip, they called ahead to find out about when Mass would be offered on the weekend. They were told that the only Mass on the island all weekend was at 7:30 on Saturday night. They went to the Church at 7:30 to find that Mass was halfway over – it had started at 7:00! It was not a mortal sin because it was through no fault of their own that Mass was “inaccessible”. They had done all they could to get to Mass where they were going and were simply given the wrong information about the Mass time.
The most common situation of Mass being inaccessible involves people who are physically unable to attend Mass, mainly due to illness. For people who find themselves in this situation, the Sunday obligation is removed. Again, it is through no fault of their own. Many people who are sick or homebound on Sundays watch the “Mass for Shut-Ins” on TV. Others will read and meditate on that Sunday’s readings (via www.usccb.org/nab). Hopefully, they all have asked their local parish to bring Holy Communion to them on Sunday or some time during the week.
Finally, people might wander, what is this all about? Why do we need to get to Mass each and every Sunday? I often ask people, “what is the primary reason we have to be at Mass every Sunday?” While few have gotten the answer correct, they have offered many interesting and meaningful responses. I pose this question to all bloggers to get your thoughts. I will answer it in the near future (hint, the answer is “C.O.O.L.”).
-------------------------------
Anon wrote, “I was wondering if there are any prayers that one can say in the case that mass is not accessible or if you will be arriving late to mass and you feel that it is pointless to go to mass when you are so late. Last year I was volunteering in China and mass was inaccessible. I asked a father at my parish whether it was a mortal sin and he said it was. Are there any exceptions to missing mass and if I miss mass what prayers can I say?”
Anon, you can certainly say prayers when Mass is not accessible but they don’t substitute for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is the greatest prayer. In other words, they don’t satisfy the Sunday obligation which is Holy Mass. I don’t think there are too many places in the world where Mass is not generally accessible, although in some places where parishes have been closed – even in our own country – getting to Mass might be less accessible.
Without knowing the particular factors involved in your situation in China, I cannot say whether or not it was a mortal sin. But, if we were talking about it, I would ask you some questions to help determine if it was. Did you freely choose to be in an area where there was no opportunity to get to Sunday Mass? Did you fully know that this is a grave sin? If so, then it would be a mortal sin because you freely and knowingly made the choice to miss Sunday Mass which is a grave sin (even if it was to do voluntary acts of charity; love of God before love of neighbor). However, if it was through no fault of your own (e.g., you tried to find transportation but couldn’t), then it wasn’t a mortal sin because you didn’t choose it. We have to choose sin for it to be a sin.
The example of not being able to find transportation is fairly common among Catholic youth. Mass is inaccessible for them because their parents won’t drive them. I remind them that that is not their sin; it is the sin of their parents. I ask them to tell their parents that they really want to get to Mass every Sunday. In that way, they are doing all that they can to get to Sunday Mass. To me, that is the key in any of these situations where Mass is “inaccessible” – are you doing everything you can to get to Mass?
My mother and step-father went on vacation to one of the Islands a few years ago. When they were planning their trip, they called ahead to find out about when Mass would be offered on the weekend. They were told that the only Mass on the island all weekend was at 7:30 on Saturday night. They went to the Church at 7:30 to find that Mass was halfway over – it had started at 7:00! It was not a mortal sin because it was through no fault of their own that Mass was “inaccessible”. They had done all they could to get to Mass where they were going and were simply given the wrong information about the Mass time.
The most common situation of Mass being inaccessible involves people who are physically unable to attend Mass, mainly due to illness. For people who find themselves in this situation, the Sunday obligation is removed. Again, it is through no fault of their own. Many people who are sick or homebound on Sundays watch the “Mass for Shut-Ins” on TV. Others will read and meditate on that Sunday’s readings (via www.usccb.org/nab). Hopefully, they all have asked their local parish to bring Holy Communion to them on Sunday or some time during the week.
Finally, people might wander, what is this all about? Why do we need to get to Mass each and every Sunday? I often ask people, “what is the primary reason we have to be at Mass every Sunday?” While few have gotten the answer correct, they have offered many interesting and meaningful responses. I pose this question to all bloggers to get your thoughts. I will answer it in the near future (hint, the answer is “C.O.O.L.”).
Sunday, November 16, 2008
33rd Sunday - Gospel commentary
Gospel Commentary for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap
ROME, NOV. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- This Sunday's Gospel is the parable of the talents. Unfortunately, in the past the meaning of this parable has been habitually distorted, or at least very much reduced.
Hearing talk of talents we immediately think of natural gifts of intelligence, beauty, strength, artistic abilities. The metaphor is used to speak about actors, singers, comedians, etc. The usage is not completely mistaken, but it is secondary. Jesus did not intend to speak of the obligation of developing one's natural gifts, but of developing the gifts given by him. On the contrary, sometimes it is necessary to curb this tendency to focus on one's own talents because this can easily become careerism, a mania of imposing oneself on others.
The talents that Jesus is speaking about are the Word of God and faith: in a word, the kingdom proclaimed by him. In this sense the parable of the talents stands alongside that of the sower. The different outcomes of the talents given correspond to the different fates of the seeds cast on the ground by the sower -- some produce 60%, some are buried beneath thorns or eaten by birds.
Today faith and the sacraments are the talents that we Christians have received. The parable thus obliges us to examine our conscience: What use are we making of these talents? Are we either like the servant who made them bear fruit or like the one who buried them? I would compare it to a Christmas present that one has forgotten and left unopened in a corner.
The fruits of natural talents become irrelevant to us when we die or, at best, pass on to those who come after us; the fruits of spiritual talents follow us into eternal life and one day will gain us the approval of the divine Judge: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small things I will give you authority over greater things. Enter into the joy of your master."
Our human and Christian duty is not only to develop our own natural and spiritual talents, but also to help others develop theirs. In the contemporary world there are people whose job it is to be "talent scouts." They are people who can pick out hidden talents -- in painting, singing, acting, sports and so on. They help those with the talents to cultivate them and find them sponsors. They do not do this for free or for the love of art, but to get a percentage of the earnings of the talented people they discovered, once they succeed.
The Gospel invites us all to be talent scouts, not for the love of gain but to help those who are unable to begin developing their talents on their own. Humanity owes some of its geniuses and best artists to the altruism of the friends of these people, who believed in them and encouraged them when no one else did. One exemplary case that comes to mind is Theo Van Gogh, who supported his brother Vincent financially and morally his whole life, when no one believed in him and he was unable to sell any of his paintings. They exchanged more than 600 letters, documents of great humanity and spirituality. Without Theo Van Gogh, we would not have the many paintings of his brother that everyone loves and admires.
The first reading invites us to reflect on a particular talent that is both natural and spiritual: the talent of femininity, the talent of being a woman. This reading contains the famous praise of women that begins with the words: "A perfect woman, who can find her?" This praise, which is so beautiful, has one defect, which does not come from the inspiration but from the epoch in which it was written and the culture that it reflects. If we pay attention, we see that the praise has entirely to do with what the woman does for the man. Its implicit conclusion: Blessed is the man who has such a woman. She makes him nice clothes, brings honor to his house, allows him to hold his head high among his friends. I do not think women today would be enthusiastic about this laud.
Putting this limitation aside, I would like to underscore the relevance of this praise of women. Everywhere there is the demand to make more room for women, to value the feminine genius. We do not believe that "the eternal feminine will save us." Daily experience shows that women can lift themselves up, but also that they can let themselves down. They also need Christ's salvation. But it is certain that, once she is redeemed and "liberated" by him, on the human level, from ancient subjections, she can help to save our society from some inveterate evils that threaten it: violence, will to power, spiritual aridity, scorn for life, etc.
After so many ages that took their name from man -- from the ages of "homo erectus" and "homo faber," to the age of "homo sapiens" today, we might hope that there will finally come, for humanity, the age of woman: the age of the heart, of tenderness, of compassion. It was devotion to the Virgin that, in past centuries, inspired respect for women and their idealization in literature and art. The woman of today, too, can look to her as a model, friend and ally in defending the dignity and the talent of being a woman.
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap
ROME, NOV. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- This Sunday's Gospel is the parable of the talents. Unfortunately, in the past the meaning of this parable has been habitually distorted, or at least very much reduced.
Hearing talk of talents we immediately think of natural gifts of intelligence, beauty, strength, artistic abilities. The metaphor is used to speak about actors, singers, comedians, etc. The usage is not completely mistaken, but it is secondary. Jesus did not intend to speak of the obligation of developing one's natural gifts, but of developing the gifts given by him. On the contrary, sometimes it is necessary to curb this tendency to focus on one's own talents because this can easily become careerism, a mania of imposing oneself on others.
The talents that Jesus is speaking about are the Word of God and faith: in a word, the kingdom proclaimed by him. In this sense the parable of the talents stands alongside that of the sower. The different outcomes of the talents given correspond to the different fates of the seeds cast on the ground by the sower -- some produce 60%, some are buried beneath thorns or eaten by birds.
Today faith and the sacraments are the talents that we Christians have received. The parable thus obliges us to examine our conscience: What use are we making of these talents? Are we either like the servant who made them bear fruit or like the one who buried them? I would compare it to a Christmas present that one has forgotten and left unopened in a corner.
The fruits of natural talents become irrelevant to us when we die or, at best, pass on to those who come after us; the fruits of spiritual talents follow us into eternal life and one day will gain us the approval of the divine Judge: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small things I will give you authority over greater things. Enter into the joy of your master."
Our human and Christian duty is not only to develop our own natural and spiritual talents, but also to help others develop theirs. In the contemporary world there are people whose job it is to be "talent scouts." They are people who can pick out hidden talents -- in painting, singing, acting, sports and so on. They help those with the talents to cultivate them and find them sponsors. They do not do this for free or for the love of art, but to get a percentage of the earnings of the talented people they discovered, once they succeed.
The Gospel invites us all to be talent scouts, not for the love of gain but to help those who are unable to begin developing their talents on their own. Humanity owes some of its geniuses and best artists to the altruism of the friends of these people, who believed in them and encouraged them when no one else did. One exemplary case that comes to mind is Theo Van Gogh, who supported his brother Vincent financially and morally his whole life, when no one believed in him and he was unable to sell any of his paintings. They exchanged more than 600 letters, documents of great humanity and spirituality. Without Theo Van Gogh, we would not have the many paintings of his brother that everyone loves and admires.
The first reading invites us to reflect on a particular talent that is both natural and spiritual: the talent of femininity, the talent of being a woman. This reading contains the famous praise of women that begins with the words: "A perfect woman, who can find her?" This praise, which is so beautiful, has one defect, which does not come from the inspiration but from the epoch in which it was written and the culture that it reflects. If we pay attention, we see that the praise has entirely to do with what the woman does for the man. Its implicit conclusion: Blessed is the man who has such a woman. She makes him nice clothes, brings honor to his house, allows him to hold his head high among his friends. I do not think women today would be enthusiastic about this laud.
Putting this limitation aside, I would like to underscore the relevance of this praise of women. Everywhere there is the demand to make more room for women, to value the feminine genius. We do not believe that "the eternal feminine will save us." Daily experience shows that women can lift themselves up, but also that they can let themselves down. They also need Christ's salvation. But it is certain that, once she is redeemed and "liberated" by him, on the human level, from ancient subjections, she can help to save our society from some inveterate evils that threaten it: violence, will to power, spiritual aridity, scorn for life, etc.
After so many ages that took their name from man -- from the ages of "homo erectus" and "homo faber," to the age of "homo sapiens" today, we might hope that there will finally come, for humanity, the age of woman: the age of the heart, of tenderness, of compassion. It was devotion to the Virgin that, in past centuries, inspired respect for women and their idealization in literature and art. The woman of today, too, can look to her as a model, friend and ally in defending the dignity and the talent of being a woman.
Friday, November 14, 2008
"Frozen embryos: Children on Hold"
Eucharistic Adoration, tonight, 7-8 pm, SAA Church. Please join us!
DC ‘Hood vs. St Andrew's and St. John the Baptist next Friday, November 21st at 7:30 pm at Wheaton High School. Go ‘Hood!
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Anon wrote the following: “The subject of IVF was brought up among a group friends, and a moral question on bioethics emerged. What does the Church say we should do with all the frozen embryos already in existence?”
Here is an article written in 2001 by Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap. As the Archbishop points out, the Church had not made an authoritative statement about the issue of frozen embryos as of ’01; as far as I know, that is still the case. If any bloggers have seen such a statement, please let me know. To view the Archbishop’s letter in full, please click on today’s title.
FROZEN EMBRYOS: Children on Hold
During the already cited congressional hearings concerning stem-cell research, John Borden stood before the panel with both his sons in his arms and asked, “Which one of my children would you kill?” John and his wife, Lucinda, unable to have children of their own adopted frozen embryos that were “left over” from in vitro fertilization. Their striking testimony demonstrated that embryos are human beings in an early stage of development and therefore should not be sacrificed for embryonic stem-cell research.
The action of this couple and many others raises the question, “What should be done with the frozen embryos?” Dr. Edward Furton of the National Catholic Bioethics Center published a fine article recently: “On the Disposition of Frozen Embryos.” The Church has not taken an official stand on what should be done. It is clear that in vitro fertilization is not an ethical practice. Nevertheless, the children born of this process are human beings, with the full rights and dignity of all members of the human family, and the frozen embryos produced are human and need to be respected as such.
The most acceptable solution for the disposition of these embryos is that they be implanted in their mother’s womb and brought to term. This is the best option in a highly ambiguous situation since the embryos should not have been created in the first place.
If the parents of the embryos are unable or unwilling to implant the embryo in the mother’s womb, what can be done with the frozen embryos? Moralists are beginning to debate this question. Theologians of the status of Dr. William May and Dr. Germain Grisey and Dr. John Furton, editor of Ethics & Medics of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, are of the opinion that it is preferable to place the frozen embryos up for adoption rather than to let them perish in a frozen gulag. Other moralists hesitate to countenance this approach because of the problem of surrogate motherhood. Nevertheless, we agonize over the predicament of these embryos. It is similar to the Church’s pastoral response to children born out of wedlock. While the Church cannot approve the circumstance of their birth since the children have already come into being, the Church must be concerned about their spiritual and material welfare.
No one wants to encourage in vitro fertilization in any way; yet, there is a desire to rescue these innocent human beings that are in the words of Donum Vitae: “exposed to an absurd fate, with no possibility of their being offered safe means of survival that can be licitly pursued” (D.V. I.5). We are hopeful that in the near future the Holy See will offer some authoritative pronouncements on this very complicated issue…
The Church’s teaching on in vitro fertilization is very clear and quite consistent with the Church’s teachings on marriage, on the dignity of the human person, and on the life ethic. A lack of knowledge about the ethical implications of this procedure has resulted in many couples having recourse to in vitro fertilization and has given further impetus to public support for embryonic stem-cell research.
St. Paul once commented that people will not respond to an uncertain trumpet blast. I assure you there is nothing uncertain about the Church’s teaching on in vitro fertilization. We have only to turn up the volume of the trumpet.
DC ‘Hood vs. St Andrew's and St. John the Baptist next Friday, November 21st at 7:30 pm at Wheaton High School. Go ‘Hood!
---------------------------------------------
Anon wrote the following: “The subject of IVF was brought up among a group friends, and a moral question on bioethics emerged. What does the Church say we should do with all the frozen embryos already in existence?”
Here is an article written in 2001 by Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap. As the Archbishop points out, the Church had not made an authoritative statement about the issue of frozen embryos as of ’01; as far as I know, that is still the case. If any bloggers have seen such a statement, please let me know. To view the Archbishop’s letter in full, please click on today’s title.
FROZEN EMBRYOS: Children on Hold
During the already cited congressional hearings concerning stem-cell research, John Borden stood before the panel with both his sons in his arms and asked, “Which one of my children would you kill?” John and his wife, Lucinda, unable to have children of their own adopted frozen embryos that were “left over” from in vitro fertilization. Their striking testimony demonstrated that embryos are human beings in an early stage of development and therefore should not be sacrificed for embryonic stem-cell research.
The action of this couple and many others raises the question, “What should be done with the frozen embryos?” Dr. Edward Furton of the National Catholic Bioethics Center published a fine article recently: “On the Disposition of Frozen Embryos.” The Church has not taken an official stand on what should be done. It is clear that in vitro fertilization is not an ethical practice. Nevertheless, the children born of this process are human beings, with the full rights and dignity of all members of the human family, and the frozen embryos produced are human and need to be respected as such.
The most acceptable solution for the disposition of these embryos is that they be implanted in their mother’s womb and brought to term. This is the best option in a highly ambiguous situation since the embryos should not have been created in the first place.
If the parents of the embryos are unable or unwilling to implant the embryo in the mother’s womb, what can be done with the frozen embryos? Moralists are beginning to debate this question. Theologians of the status of Dr. William May and Dr. Germain Grisey and Dr. John Furton, editor of Ethics & Medics of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, are of the opinion that it is preferable to place the frozen embryos up for adoption rather than to let them perish in a frozen gulag. Other moralists hesitate to countenance this approach because of the problem of surrogate motherhood. Nevertheless, we agonize over the predicament of these embryos. It is similar to the Church’s pastoral response to children born out of wedlock. While the Church cannot approve the circumstance of their birth since the children have already come into being, the Church must be concerned about their spiritual and material welfare.
No one wants to encourage in vitro fertilization in any way; yet, there is a desire to rescue these innocent human beings that are in the words of Donum Vitae: “exposed to an absurd fate, with no possibility of their being offered safe means of survival that can be licitly pursued” (D.V. I.5). We are hopeful that in the near future the Holy See will offer some authoritative pronouncements on this very complicated issue…
The Church’s teaching on in vitro fertilization is very clear and quite consistent with the Church’s teachings on marriage, on the dignity of the human person, and on the life ethic. A lack of knowledge about the ethical implications of this procedure has resulted in many couples having recourse to in vitro fertilization and has given further impetus to public support for embryonic stem-cell research.
St. Paul once commented that people will not respond to an uncertain trumpet blast. I assure you there is nothing uncertain about the Church’s teaching on in vitro fertilization. We have only to turn up the volume of the trumpet.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Take action!
Following are two comments from bloggers that should motivate us to take action as well as suggestions from the USCCB (via nhcla.org) on how to take action:
Katherine: “One thing I noticed is that a lot of people complain about Obama being President, but no one's doing anything about it. What I mean is, if people don't like the fact that he's pro-choice, then why not write a letter or something explaining the pro-life views and how being pro-choice is not defending human life?”
Fran: “Senator Obama said it (signing the Freedom of Choice Act) was the FIRST THING he would do as president! Not the 2nd, not the 20th, but THE FIRST THING! That is astounding! A vote for Senator Obama is in fact a vote for the Freedom of Choice Act.”
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Recommended Actions: Contact your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators by FAX letter, e-mail, or phone. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202.224.3121; or call Members’ local offices. Full contact info can be found on Members of Congress’s web sites, at: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
Message to all Members: “Please pledge now to oppose FOCA.” Those Members of Congress who have signed on as cosponsors of FOCA should be asked to remove their names from the bill. To check the list of current cosponsors, see: nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=191.
Other Actions:
1. Arrange a formal meeting with your Representative and two Senators.
2. Communicate with your Representative and two Senators at town meetings.
3. Place an ad opposing FOCA in your local Catholic paper or other publication or insert educational materials in church bulletins. For an ad presentation designed for grassroots use, see: www.usccb.org/prolife/media/docs/foca.pdf. For bulletin inserts in black and white or color, see: www.nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=201.
4. Write letters to the editor or express your views on call in radio talk shows.
Katherine: “One thing I noticed is that a lot of people complain about Obama being President, but no one's doing anything about it. What I mean is, if people don't like the fact that he's pro-choice, then why not write a letter or something explaining the pro-life views and how being pro-choice is not defending human life?”
Fran: “Senator Obama said it (signing the Freedom of Choice Act) was the FIRST THING he would do as president! Not the 2nd, not the 20th, but THE FIRST THING! That is astounding! A vote for Senator Obama is in fact a vote for the Freedom of Choice Act.”
---------------------------------------
Recommended Actions: Contact your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators by FAX letter, e-mail, or phone. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202.224.3121; or call Members’ local offices. Full contact info can be found on Members of Congress’s web sites, at: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
Message to all Members: “Please pledge now to oppose FOCA.” Those Members of Congress who have signed on as cosponsors of FOCA should be asked to remove their names from the bill. To check the list of current cosponsors, see: nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=191.
Other Actions:
1. Arrange a formal meeting with your Representative and two Senators.
2. Communicate with your Representative and two Senators at town meetings.
3. Place an ad opposing FOCA in your local Catholic paper or other publication or insert educational materials in church bulletins. For an ad presentation designed for grassroots use, see: www.usccb.org/prolife/media/docs/foca.pdf. For bulletin inserts in black and white or color, see: www.nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=201.
4. Write letters to the editor or express your views on call in radio talk shows.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Dedication of Lateran Basilica - homily
As many of you know, Fr. Mike is in Rome with the choir. He has been away for about a week now. So, the nights at the rectory have been craz…quiet! I’ve been good – no parties (yet). I’ve been blessed to have gone to Rome twice. It is as they say it is – the cathedrals are overwhelming. There are so many of them and they are so grand and ornate. The first time, it was really too much to take in; the second time was a little better. My favorite church was St. John Lateran which is the cathedral of Rome. Today’s feast celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica as the mother church of all Christianity which took place almost 1700 years ago.
Over the years, many people have asked me why churches are so ornate. I don’t usually give them a litany of reasons, but I thought it would be good to go over some of the reasons here. First, a church is so highly adorned because it is the House of God, a place of worship. This is sacred space. We perform sacred actions here, we hear heavenly speech and heavenly hymns, so it is fitting that we should see heavenly images. We should see images that help us to enter into the sacred.
Also, it is for the glory of God. We spare no expense to give glory to God who has given everything to us. One saint who was very much in union with the poor and lived radical poverty said, “poverty ends at the church’s doors”. We spare no expense when it comes to glorifying God in His House. He is worth it.
We also see in the Old Testament the amount of great detail that God goes into when it comes to building a temple. Just about every imaginable part of the temple is mentioned and every elaborate material is described. It really is incredible! Also, we see in the early Christian writings, there is a keen insight about the symbolism of the visible church. The visible church is to symbolize the invisible church: each one of us. Today’s second reading say that each one of us is a temple of God. So, the visible church structure is to symbolize the beauty and splendor of each one of us – our body, our soul. The visible symbolizes the invisible.
We hear in the Gospel another reason why churches are to be treated with great respect: Jesus had great love and passion for the House of God. The disciples are reminded of one of the psalms, “zeal for your house will consume me” during this Gospel scene. He had great zeal for the temple which was to be made with beauty and treated with respect.
We then see a switch that Jesus presents with regards to the temple. This probably represents the most important reason why churches are so ornate: the presence of God. The temple was where the Jews experienced the presence of God in a spiritual way. Jesus teaches that he is the new temple. He is the presence of God on earth in a real way. One scriptural scholar said, “the glorious presence of God – once confined to the temple – has been made flesh in Jesus”. He is the new temple. He is the presence of God on earth.
So, the most important reason why Catholic churches are so ornate is because they contain the real presence of God. In fact, if we look at the most elaborate item in this Church, we see that it is the tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Real Presence. We are not just speaking symbolically when we say that God is present in the Church. He is truly and really present here; the candle next to the tabernacle indicated that Jesus is truly present here in the Eucharist. We genuflect to indicate that He dwells in the tabernacle – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Let us all have great zeal for the House of God, this place of worship and prayer. For it is here that we truly experience His Real Presence.
Over the years, many people have asked me why churches are so ornate. I don’t usually give them a litany of reasons, but I thought it would be good to go over some of the reasons here. First, a church is so highly adorned because it is the House of God, a place of worship. This is sacred space. We perform sacred actions here, we hear heavenly speech and heavenly hymns, so it is fitting that we should see heavenly images. We should see images that help us to enter into the sacred.
Also, it is for the glory of God. We spare no expense to give glory to God who has given everything to us. One saint who was very much in union with the poor and lived radical poverty said, “poverty ends at the church’s doors”. We spare no expense when it comes to glorifying God in His House. He is worth it.
We also see in the Old Testament the amount of great detail that God goes into when it comes to building a temple. Just about every imaginable part of the temple is mentioned and every elaborate material is described. It really is incredible! Also, we see in the early Christian writings, there is a keen insight about the symbolism of the visible church. The visible church is to symbolize the invisible church: each one of us. Today’s second reading say that each one of us is a temple of God. So, the visible church structure is to symbolize the beauty and splendor of each one of us – our body, our soul. The visible symbolizes the invisible.
We hear in the Gospel another reason why churches are to be treated with great respect: Jesus had great love and passion for the House of God. The disciples are reminded of one of the psalms, “zeal for your house will consume me” during this Gospel scene. He had great zeal for the temple which was to be made with beauty and treated with respect.
We then see a switch that Jesus presents with regards to the temple. This probably represents the most important reason why churches are so ornate: the presence of God. The temple was where the Jews experienced the presence of God in a spiritual way. Jesus teaches that he is the new temple. He is the presence of God on earth in a real way. One scriptural scholar said, “the glorious presence of God – once confined to the temple – has been made flesh in Jesus”. He is the new temple. He is the presence of God on earth.
So, the most important reason why Catholic churches are so ornate is because they contain the real presence of God. In fact, if we look at the most elaborate item in this Church, we see that it is the tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Real Presence. We are not just speaking symbolically when we say that God is present in the Church. He is truly and really present here; the candle next to the tabernacle indicated that Jesus is truly present here in the Eucharist. We genuflect to indicate that He dwells in the tabernacle – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Let us all have great zeal for the House of God, this place of worship and prayer. For it is here that we truly experience His Real Presence.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Pray for our country
1) Adoration, tonight, 7-8 pm, SAA Church. Please join us!!
2) DC ‘Hood game on Nov. 14 has been CANCELLED. Next game is on Nov. 21 vs. St. Andrew’s + St. John the Baptist @ Wheaton HS, 7:30 pm.
-------------------------------
The following is info about Tuesday’s election as found on ncregister.com:
Here is some exit poll data released today by the Faith in Public Life organization about how Catholics voted for president.
Overall, Barack Obama defeated John McCain 55%- 44% among Catholics, substantially outperforming the Democratic support garnered by John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000 against George W. Bush.
And among white Catholics, while Obama lost to a McCain by a 52%-47% margin, that too was a substantial improvement on the 56%-43% Republican edge Bush enjoyed four years ago among that group of voters...
Here’s a quick round-up of what happened in some of the notable ballot measures in Tuesday’s elections:
Arizona — Voters approved Proposition 102, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Arkansas — Voters approved Initiative 1, banning the adoption of children by unmarried couples, including homosexuals.
California — Voters approved Proposition 8, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Voters rejected Proposition 4, which would have required notification of parents of minor girls at least 48 hours before an abortion is performed.
Colorado — Voters rejected Amendment 48, which would have amended the state constitution to define the term “person” as “any human being from the moment of fertilization.”
Florida — Voters approved Amendment 2, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Michigan— Voters approved Proposition 2, amending the state constitution to allow embryonic stem-cell research.
South Dakota — Voters rejected Initiative 11, which would have amended the state constitution to ban abortions except in cases of rape, incest and threats to the life and health of the mother.
Washington — Voters approved Initiative 1000, authorizing doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill individuals.
Overall: A good day for defending the institutions of marriage and family, but a bleak day for protecting human life from conception to natural death.
2) DC ‘Hood game on Nov. 14 has been CANCELLED. Next game is on Nov. 21 vs. St. Andrew’s + St. John the Baptist @ Wheaton HS, 7:30 pm.
-------------------------------
The following is info about Tuesday’s election as found on ncregister.com:
Here is some exit poll data released today by the Faith in Public Life organization about how Catholics voted for president.
Overall, Barack Obama defeated John McCain 55%- 44% among Catholics, substantially outperforming the Democratic support garnered by John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000 against George W. Bush.
And among white Catholics, while Obama lost to a McCain by a 52%-47% margin, that too was a substantial improvement on the 56%-43% Republican edge Bush enjoyed four years ago among that group of voters...
Here’s a quick round-up of what happened in some of the notable ballot measures in Tuesday’s elections:
Arizona — Voters approved Proposition 102, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Arkansas — Voters approved Initiative 1, banning the adoption of children by unmarried couples, including homosexuals.
California — Voters approved Proposition 8, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Voters rejected Proposition 4, which would have required notification of parents of minor girls at least 48 hours before an abortion is performed.
Colorado — Voters rejected Amendment 48, which would have amended the state constitution to define the term “person” as “any human being from the moment of fertilization.”
Florida — Voters approved Amendment 2, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Michigan— Voters approved Proposition 2, amending the state constitution to allow embryonic stem-cell research.
South Dakota — Voters rejected Initiative 11, which would have amended the state constitution to ban abortions except in cases of rape, incest and threats to the life and health of the mother.
Washington — Voters approved Initiative 1000, authorizing doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill individuals.
Overall: A good day for defending the institutions of marriage and family, but a bleak day for protecting human life from conception to natural death.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Novena - Ninth Day
Ninth Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Mt 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with
what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are
the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be
hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a
bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light
to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
heavenly Father.”
Reflection
How am I salt for my community?
How do I shine your light for all the community to see?
What deeds am I performing in order to glorify God?
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
you give us your love and your grace
to do great things.
Give us the faith
to shine our light
by walking humbly
and acting justly
before our God.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Mt 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with
what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are
the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be
hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a
bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light
to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
heavenly Father.”
Reflection
How am I salt for my community?
How do I shine your light for all the community to see?
What deeds am I performing in order to glorify God?
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
you give us your love and your grace
to do great things.
Give us the faith
to shine our light
by walking humbly
and acting justly
before our God.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Election Novena - Eighth Day
All-night Adoration tonight for the elections, SAA Church: 9 pm (11/3) – 6:30 am (11/4).
-----------------------
Eighth Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Is 32:15-18
Until the spirit from on high
is poured out on us.
Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.
Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.
Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.
My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.
Reflection
How do I recognize the Spirit’s involvement in my life in
the community?
Prayer
Spirit of God,
fill our hearts with peace
so that we may bring peace to our community.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
-----------------------
Eighth Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Is 32:15-18
Until the spirit from on high
is poured out on us.
Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.
Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.
Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.
My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.
Reflection
How do I recognize the Spirit’s involvement in my life in
the community?
Prayer
Spirit of God,
fill our hearts with peace
so that we may bring peace to our community.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Election Novena - Day Seven
Seventh Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Ephesians 4:1-6
I . . . urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call
you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to
preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one
hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and
in all.
Reflection
What divisions exist in my community? What structures in
society seem unjust?
How am I striving to achieve justice and peace in my
neighborhood, church, and nation?
Prayer
God of justice,
we are created in your image.
May we glorify you in all of our actions.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Ephesians 4:1-6
I . . . urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call
you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to
preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one
hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and
in all.
Reflection
What divisions exist in my community? What structures in
society seem unjust?
How am I striving to achieve justice and peace in my
neighborhood, church, and nation?
Prayer
God of justice,
we are created in your image.
May we glorify you in all of our actions.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
All Souls Day - homily
With all of the seriousness of the election, I thought it would be good to start off with a joke about politics which a friend of mine sent me. One day, a U.S. senator suddenly and tragically died. He went up to the heavenly gates and met St. Peter. St. Peter greeted him by saying, “welcome, Sir! We don’t see to many high ranking officials here, and we have some different rules for you. We need you to spend a day in Hell and a day in Heaven, and then choose where you’d like to spend all eternity”.
The senator said, “St. Peter, I already know that I want to be in Heaven forever.” St. Peter said, “Please, just follow our rules”. The senator agreed, and was taken to an elevator that went down, down, down to Hell. The doors opened, and the senator saw a beautiful golf course and clubhouse. All of his friends were there, dressed beautifully, eating caviar, drinking champagne, dancing, having a great time. The Devil was even friendly. After 24 hours of a great time, the senator got back in the elevator to go up to Heaven.
When the elevator doors opened to Heaven, he saw angels and saints, heard beautiful hymns, felt very much at peace. He spent 24 hours there, and then met up with St. Peter again. St. Peter said, “So, what is your choice?” The senator said, “You know, I never thought I would say this, but I’d rather be in Hell.” So, the elevator took him back down to Hell.
When the doors opened, Hell looked like a dump – there was garbage everywhere, his friends were all wearing rags and were miserable, and it smelled really bad. He walked over to the Devil who was smiling. He said, “I don’t understand. Yesterday, this was a gorgeous golf course with champagne and caviar. Today, it’s a dump!” The Devil put his arm around him and said, “Yesterday, we were campaigning. Today, you voted”.
Two additional points about the election. First, on the Maryland state ballot, there is “Question 2” which has to do with slot machines – using slots to raise revenue for the state. The Maryland Catholic Conference has issued a statement opposing Question 2. I thought it would be good if we all knew what the Conference’s statement was so that we can make an informed choice about this amendment. (To read the statement, please go to http://www.mdcathcon.org/slotsstatement).
The second point is a reminder for all those who approach the election through the lens of social justice, through the lens of this Gospel we just read (Mt 25) – outreach to the poor: to the sick, the hungry, the thirsty. It is a beautiful and admirable approach! The reminder is that innocent, unborn children are the poorest of the poor in our country; the bishops say that they are “the weakest in our midst”. Mother Teresa who lived Matthew 25 and social justice her whole life said, “abortion is the greatest poverty…it is the greatest destroyer of peace today”. It is my opinion that it is the greatest social injustice. The Holy Father reminded us in July that “concerns for… justice and peace… are of vital importance…but that “they cannot be understood apart from a profound reflection on the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death”. True social justice begins when life begins: at conception. It includes and starts with protecting innocent, unborn children.
Today’s feast is All Souls Day where we pray for those who have died – all the faithful departed. Many people think that everyone who dies goes to Purgatory; this isn’t true. All those who die in a state of Grace – in close friendship to Christ – go to Purgatry which is on the way to Heaven. Jesus also reveals something in this Gospel (Mt 25) about Purgatory: it is nor eternal. He talks about at he end of time there will be only two states: Heaven and Hell. Purgatory, then, is temporary; it is temporal punishment. It is tough for those there, but they are filled with joy because they know they are going to Heaven.
When we think of loved ones who have died, we are filled with hope that the first reading (Wis 3) applies to them: they are the “souls of the just” who are in the hand of God and are at peace. We hear so many things from that reading which describe them: hope, trust, truth, faithful, and holy. We have great confidence that they are either on the way to the Kingdom or are already there; we believe that they are among the souls of the just…the souls of the saints.
Until they are canonized saints – until we know for sure that they are Heaven – we will pray for them. We will pray for them on All Souls Day, during the month of November, and all year long. The best way to pray for someone who has died is Mass. But, the Church also gives us a chance today to gain a plenary indulgence for someone who is in Purgatory. A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment; it sends the soul straight to Heaven. We can gain a plenary indulgence for someone who is Purgatory today by visiting a Church or oratory (chapel) and reciting an Our Father and the Creed. We have to satisfy the three conditions of a plenary indulgence, of course: 1) receive Holy Communion, 2) go to Confession, and 3) pray for the Holy Father (usually an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be). We have to do all three things within eight days before or after All Souls Day in order to gain the indulgence. I will be hearing Confessions at the end of all the Masses today.
Finally, one of the greatest teachings in our Church is the communion of saints. We believe that the saints in Heaven, the saints on Earth, and the saints in Purgatory unite, most especially in the Eucharist. When the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, Jesus is truly present on the altar. Where there is the Son, there is the Father and the Spirit, all the angels and saints. In a few minutes, then, this Church becomes like a chamber of Heaven. We won’t be able to see them, but our loved ones will be with us spiritually. This brings us great comfort. They are still with us. We believe that they are among the souls of the just and that they are in peace. But, we ask God to have mercy on them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
The senator said, “St. Peter, I already know that I want to be in Heaven forever.” St. Peter said, “Please, just follow our rules”. The senator agreed, and was taken to an elevator that went down, down, down to Hell. The doors opened, and the senator saw a beautiful golf course and clubhouse. All of his friends were there, dressed beautifully, eating caviar, drinking champagne, dancing, having a great time. The Devil was even friendly. After 24 hours of a great time, the senator got back in the elevator to go up to Heaven.
When the elevator doors opened to Heaven, he saw angels and saints, heard beautiful hymns, felt very much at peace. He spent 24 hours there, and then met up with St. Peter again. St. Peter said, “So, what is your choice?” The senator said, “You know, I never thought I would say this, but I’d rather be in Hell.” So, the elevator took him back down to Hell.
When the doors opened, Hell looked like a dump – there was garbage everywhere, his friends were all wearing rags and were miserable, and it smelled really bad. He walked over to the Devil who was smiling. He said, “I don’t understand. Yesterday, this was a gorgeous golf course with champagne and caviar. Today, it’s a dump!” The Devil put his arm around him and said, “Yesterday, we were campaigning. Today, you voted”.
Two additional points about the election. First, on the Maryland state ballot, there is “Question 2” which has to do with slot machines – using slots to raise revenue for the state. The Maryland Catholic Conference has issued a statement opposing Question 2. I thought it would be good if we all knew what the Conference’s statement was so that we can make an informed choice about this amendment. (To read the statement, please go to http://www.mdcathcon.org/slotsstatement).
The second point is a reminder for all those who approach the election through the lens of social justice, through the lens of this Gospel we just read (Mt 25) – outreach to the poor: to the sick, the hungry, the thirsty. It is a beautiful and admirable approach! The reminder is that innocent, unborn children are the poorest of the poor in our country; the bishops say that they are “the weakest in our midst”. Mother Teresa who lived Matthew 25 and social justice her whole life said, “abortion is the greatest poverty…it is the greatest destroyer of peace today”. It is my opinion that it is the greatest social injustice. The Holy Father reminded us in July that “concerns for… justice and peace… are of vital importance…but that “they cannot be understood apart from a profound reflection on the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death”. True social justice begins when life begins: at conception. It includes and starts with protecting innocent, unborn children.
Today’s feast is All Souls Day where we pray for those who have died – all the faithful departed. Many people think that everyone who dies goes to Purgatory; this isn’t true. All those who die in a state of Grace – in close friendship to Christ – go to Purgatry which is on the way to Heaven. Jesus also reveals something in this Gospel (Mt 25) about Purgatory: it is nor eternal. He talks about at he end of time there will be only two states: Heaven and Hell. Purgatory, then, is temporary; it is temporal punishment. It is tough for those there, but they are filled with joy because they know they are going to Heaven.
When we think of loved ones who have died, we are filled with hope that the first reading (Wis 3) applies to them: they are the “souls of the just” who are in the hand of God and are at peace. We hear so many things from that reading which describe them: hope, trust, truth, faithful, and holy. We have great confidence that they are either on the way to the Kingdom or are already there; we believe that they are among the souls of the just…the souls of the saints.
Until they are canonized saints – until we know for sure that they are Heaven – we will pray for them. We will pray for them on All Souls Day, during the month of November, and all year long. The best way to pray for someone who has died is Mass. But, the Church also gives us a chance today to gain a plenary indulgence for someone who is in Purgatory. A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment; it sends the soul straight to Heaven. We can gain a plenary indulgence for someone who is Purgatory today by visiting a Church or oratory (chapel) and reciting an Our Father and the Creed. We have to satisfy the three conditions of a plenary indulgence, of course: 1) receive Holy Communion, 2) go to Confession, and 3) pray for the Holy Father (usually an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be). We have to do all three things within eight days before or after All Souls Day in order to gain the indulgence. I will be hearing Confessions at the end of all the Masses today.
Finally, one of the greatest teachings in our Church is the communion of saints. We believe that the saints in Heaven, the saints on Earth, and the saints in Purgatory unite, most especially in the Eucharist. When the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, Jesus is truly present on the altar. Where there is the Son, there is the Father and the Spirit, all the angels and saints. In a few minutes, then, this Church becomes like a chamber of Heaven. We won’t be able to see them, but our loved ones will be with us spiritually. This brings us great comfort. They are still with us. We believe that they are among the souls of the just and that they are in peace. But, we ask God to have mercy on them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Election Novena - Day Six
1) Clocks are set back one hour tonight!
2) All-night Adoration for the elections, SAA Church: 9 pm (11/3) – 6:30 am (11/4).
3) Plenary Indulgence for All Souls Day: anyone who makes a visit to a church or oratory on All Souls Day (Sun, Nov. 2) and says the Creed and an Our Father while there can gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory (i.e., send that person straight to Heaven), provided that they meet the conditions of a plenary indulgence – receive Holy Communion, go to Confession, and pray for the Pope (typically an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be) within eight days before or after All Souls Day. I will offer confessions during Adoration tonight and after all the Masses this weekend.
------------------------------
Sixth Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Mt 5:43-46
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your
enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you
may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his
sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on
the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you,
what recompense will you have?”
Reflection
Who are my enemies? How do I love them?
How do I live up to the definition Jesus provides for living
a Christian lifestyle, a life of Christian love?
Prayer
God of peace,
Give us the courage
to be reconciled with our neighbors, our enemies.
Give us the vision
to truly see what it means to be a Christian
so that peace and justice may rule in our world.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
2) All-night Adoration for the elections, SAA Church: 9 pm (11/3) – 6:30 am (11/4).
3) Plenary Indulgence for All Souls Day: anyone who makes a visit to a church or oratory on All Souls Day (Sun, Nov. 2) and says the Creed and an Our Father while there can gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory (i.e., send that person straight to Heaven), provided that they meet the conditions of a plenary indulgence – receive Holy Communion, go to Confession, and pray for the Pope (typically an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be) within eight days before or after All Souls Day. I will offer confessions during Adoration tonight and after all the Masses this weekend.
------------------------------
Sixth Day
Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading - Mt 5:43-46
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your
enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you
may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his
sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on
the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you,
what recompense will you have?”
Reflection
Who are my enemies? How do I love them?
How do I live up to the definition Jesus provides for living
a Christian lifestyle, a life of Christian love?
Prayer
God of peace,
Give us the courage
to be reconciled with our neighbors, our enemies.
Give us the vision
to truly see what it means to be a Christian
so that peace and justice may rule in our world.
Amen.
Novena Prayer
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.
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