BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MODEL OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, MARY MOTHER OF GOD

October is one of two months of the year particularly dedicated by the Church to honor Mary.  It is the month of the Holy Rosary and also includes the last apparition at Fatima, the miracle of the Sun, October 13. It is good to ponder Mary’s role in Salvation History.

For our Protestant brethren, let me say right up front that the Catholic Church does not worship Mary or make her an idol.  We honor her as the Mother of God, Jesus.  It is Mary’s flesh that Jesus took on to share in our humanity.  All covenants failed until the New Covenant of Jesus.  Man could not save himself under the law.  Constantly man was breaking the law of the Covenant. It took a human and Divine human being to atone for our sins.

Mary did not just drop from the sky.  Her part in the salvation story had been predicted in the Old Testament book of Genesis, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, ,and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.”

Genesis 3:15.

 In the Prophet Isaiah, a sign of the awaited Messiah is given, “The Lord himself will give you a sign, the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son…” Isaiah 7:14.  Even the place is predicted in Micah, “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” Micah 5:2

Mary is foreshadowed in the person of Eve.  Both are mothers of all the living, yet in different ways. Eve is the mother of all those living with natural life, while Mary is the mother of all those living with supernatural life,

Without Mary, no Jesus, without Jesus, no salvation.  Some will say I don’t need Mary, I pray directly to Jesus.  Fine, but don’t we need all the help we can get.  Why not ask His mother to intercede on our behalf too.  After all Jesus performed His first miracle at His Mother’s request although His time had not come yet.

When we are having upcoming surgery we don’t just ask one friend to pray for us but we ask for all the prayers we can get.  Praying to Mary can’t hurt anything but can only help.

Mary is the model of faith and obedience.  At the Annunciation, Mary’s fiat, “let it be done to me according to your word…,” Luke 1:38 demonstrates her complete obedience to God and to His will for her. Church Father, St. Irenaeus, says, Mary “being obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race.”

.The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.  Our obedience of faith must be given to God as He reveals Himself, to us.  It involves a complete submission of one’s self to God’s will.

We must have a humble faith, which means that we recognize it as an unmerited gift from God.  Recall when Mary’s cousin Elizabeth greeted Mary as singular blessedness, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Mary immediately turned the attention away from herself to magnify the Lord. Mary’s hymn of praise, known as the Magnificat, is a shining example of the humble being exalted.

Mary’s perfect humility constantly leads her to point to her divine Son.  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness… Luke 1:46.

We, too, who have been baptized into eternal life must magnify the Lord through our very lives.   Like Mary, our “humble faith” must lead us to bear witness to the great things God has done for us. We must proclaim Christ at every opportunity in a way that invites others to “come and see.”

In Luke 1:29 and Luke 2:19, Mary is pictured as a woman of faith who pondered all things, Jesus, in her heart.  Mary’s “recollected faith” teaches us the importance of listening to God’s word, pondering the truths of our faith, and praying daily that our faith be preserved and strengthened.

Faith is a gift that is received or revived at any given moment in history. Faith is also a virtue. Like a muscle, it will go flabby if it’s not exercised but it will also grow stronger if we actively strive to grow in holiness.

Mary advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, from the Annunciation to Calvary, then to Pentecost. Mary never ceased to “wonder” in awe all that faith had revealed to her.  Are we still awestruck in our faith at all that God has done for us or have we become indifferent and lukewarm?   Mary, now assumed into heaven, is no longer on a pilgrimage herself, but continues to be a beacon of light for those of us still on the journey home.

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THE MASS THE WORSHIP WE PAY GOD FOR ALL HE GIVES TO US

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

JESUS INSTITUTES THE EUCHARIST

INTRODUCTION

For some time now I have been wondering how I might help improve Sunday Mass attendance among my fellow catholics.  All surveys and polls show less and less each decade attend Sunday Mass on a regular basis despite objectively it is a grave sin to miss Mass on Sundays intentionally without sufficient cause.

Catholics must worship God on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation by participating in the Holy Mass. I know we are in that era of “cafeteria Catholics” who pick and choose what teachings of Jesus and His Church they are going to follow.

When it comes to the Mass, one may hear comments like, “it is boring,”  “I don’t get anything out of it.”  Some will say, I can worship God by going for a walk and appreciating nature. First, I will address the idea of The Mass being boring and getting nothing out of it.  The Mass is primarily about worshipping God not about you getting some kind of thrill or high as you might with a material thing.

We were not at Calvary over 2000 years ago when God died for our sins in atonement.  But at every Mass we re-present that sacrifice in an un-bloody manner.  We receive again through no merit of our own all the graces that were merited by Jesus over 2000 years ago and participate in our redemption by offering ourselves to the extant we can.  So we do get something after all, an increase in sanctifying grace.

Just a word for the nature lover who chooses walks over attending Mass.  It is a good thing to acknowledge God the Creator but God is also the Redeemer, and Sanctifier.  The best way to give thanks (eucharistia) for all that God has done for us is the Liturgy of the Mass.

I am convinced if a person knew and understood the various parts of the Liturgy of the Mass Mass would no longer be boring or something to be skipped or set aside. Nowhere on earth will one be closer to Jesus than in the Liturgy of the Mass which includes the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.

So let’s begin:

 INTRODUCTORY RITES

 At Mass we are welcomed by the priest celebrant who stands in the place of Christ.  We begin with the sign of the cross placing ourselves in God’s presence and bearing witness that we are as a community pledged to Christ’s standards, not the world’s. Just as Jews in Israel, had to cleanse themselves before worshipping in the temple, we now at Mass confess our sins in the Confiteor and ask for God’s Mercy in the prayers, Lord have mercy.

The tone of the liturgy now shifts from sorrowful repentance to joyful praise, the Gloria. The opening line of the Gloria is taken from the words sung by the angels over the fields of Bethlehem, announcing to the shepherds the good news. “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will.”

After praising the Father we have a summary of the Salvation Story with His Son, Jesus Christ the main character, “Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.”

After this hymn of praise and thanksgiving, the priest leads the people in a prayer called the Collect because it gathers all the intentions of the people participating and offers them to the Father in this prayer.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 On Sundays there is a reading from the Old Testament and then from the New Testament before the Gospel.  Remember the Bible is the inspired word of God given to us through the instrument of human writers but God is the author of the Bible.  CCC 105 God is the author of Sacred Scripture. “The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”

While the whole of the Bible is inspired, Vatican II taught that the Gospels rightly have “a special place…because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior, Jesus Christ.” The Gospel is not like a news report but the inspired word of God talking to us today.

The Gospel is usually followed by a homily.  In Greek, homily means explanation.  In the homily, the priest/preacher breaks open the word of God in various ways to assist us in applying it to our lives. After hearing the word of God, we affirm our belief in the Creed, an entire summary of salvation history. In the early Church the Creed was part of the rite of Baptism.

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

The priest offers bread and wine to the Father along with our offerings and asks that these gifts be made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Before offering the wine he places a drop of water in the chalice while saying, “May we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” The priest prays that he may be cleansed from any sins or improprieties by washing his hands. As the priest begins the “sacrifice of the Mass” he prays, “Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”

 LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

This part of the Mass begins with invoking God’s presence once again and affirming it is right and just to give God praise and thanks for all He does and what He is about to do in the transforming the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  The priest calls upon God to send the Holy Spirit to come upon these gifts (epiclesis) The priest’s prays “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ”

Soon after, the priest says the words of consecration, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you…  Then the priest takes the chalice, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”

To understand better the words, “Do this in memory of me,” we need the context of the Passover, the Jewish liturgical celebration of their freedom from slavery in Egypt.  Annually, the Jewish community celebrate Passover.  Biblical memorials were not just recalled but re-lived.  A liturgical memorial brings the past and present together, making the long-ago event mystically present for the current generation.

This memorial (anamnesis) at Mass makes what happened in the Upper Room and on Calvary sacramentally present today. This same sacrifice, now in an unbloody manner that Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.  The power of Jesus’ sacrificial offering is applied to our lives for the daily sins we commit. There is also an increase in sanctifying grace.

After the consecration and raising of the body and blood of Jesus, the priest genuflects and announces the mystery of faith and invites us to proclaim with him what has just taken place, Jesus Christ who died for our sins is truly present on the altar under the appearances of bread and wine.

THE RITE OF PEACE

Many people seek the security and peace of this world, which is a peace based on success and on everything going well.  Christ, however, offers us a deeper, longer lasting peace,  an internal, spiritual peace that can withstand life’s many disappointments, trials, and sufferings.—one that the world does not give. This is the kind of peace of heart that also builds true unity within marriages, families, communities, parishes, and nations. We are invited by the priest to share this peace with our neighbor.

 AGNUS DEI

 Fraction is the breaking of the bread, now the body of Christ.  The priest places a small particle of the bread in the chalice while saying, “May this mingling of the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ bring to us who receive it eternal life.”  When we recite the Agnus Dei, Lamb of God who takes away the sins….we join the chorus of heaven and earth, worshiping the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb sacrificed for our salvation.

HOLY COMMUNION

In the Book of Revelations an angel instructs John to write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rv 19:9). What is this festive supper of the Lamb? It is the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist.  When the priest says, “Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb,” he echoes the angel’s invitation to the wedding supper of the Lamb in the Book of Revelations.

We are being called to participate in the marriage feast of Jesus and his Church.  When you walk down the aisle to receive Holy Communion, as a member of the Church, you are coming to be united to your bridegroom, Jesus. In the spirit of unworthiness, we express our confidence that God is calling us despite our sinfulness.  “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

CONCLUDING RITES

“Go the Mass is ended.”  We are sent forth as Jesus sent forth his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you,” John 20:21.”  We have been fed and nourished in our faith.  It is our time to spread the Good News! Our mission if we choose to accept it is live the Gospel in words and actions.

 CONCLUSION

Come back to Mass, you will be glad you did and the world will be a better place for your participation.  There is no greater way to give thanks to God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the Sanctifier.  One God, three Persons! Your bridegroom awaits you at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

“The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification.  Eucharist means first of all ‘thanksgiving’ ” Catechism of the Catholic Church 1360

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TEN COMMANDMENTS – GOD’S SELF HELP MANUAL

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

INTRODUCTION

In a recent post I talked about asking our shepherds to talk more about the Sin word.  To call a sin, a sin and not be compromised by the world view that often sees sin as a character flaw, a weakness, not a sin (moral relativism)  I have decided to go back to the origin of sin, all the way back to Genesis to our first parents who disobeyed God’s one restriction in the garden.

Remember God is all good and wishes us all well.  He knew when man ate of the tree of good and evil, man would experience evil and its consequences. God will always try to protect mankind but His respect for the gift of free will is of the highest priority.  God will not force the good on us but there are consequences.

After the fall in the garden, later God gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) which are NOT so much prohibitions but a way of living that avoids the consequences of sin. .Some of you are old enough to remember the old Baltimore Catechism, especially the first question, “Why did God make you”  Answer: “God made me to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this life, and be happy with Him in the next.” This one simple answer says it all It sums up the nature of God as a loving Father and His intention for us to live happily with Him ever after.

The biblical story of the origin of the Ten Commandments suggests that Moses received them directly from God on Mt. Sinai around 1280 B.C. The Bible offers different accounts of the full text of the Ten Commandments; one in the book of Exodus and the other in Deuteronomy. The Catholic Church ascribes to the version in Deuteronomy and follows the division and enumeration provided in the Septuagint, the Old Testament translated from Hebrew into Greek that the early Christians followed.

 REFLECTION GOD’S SELF HELP MANUAL (TEN COMMANDMENTS)

“I AM THE LORD THY GOD, THOU SHALT NOT HAVE ANY STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.”

This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses. It asserts there is only One God.  False gods or idols can be anything that man puts before this One God including people, fame, fortune and material things.

“THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.”

The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor. You do not curse someone with the name of God, mock God, or dismiss God as irrelevant.

“REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.”

The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead. We take at least one day of the week to give thanks to God who cares for us 24/7. It is not about us it is about paying respect to the God of all.  Some may say it is boring but then, do they believe in God and what is owed God by virtue of our very life and all His blessings.

“HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.”

This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents.  Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm. You do not abandon your parents nor support euthanasia for those you deem useless.

“THOU SHALT NOT KILL.”

Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life isn’t considered murder or immoral. Abortion is the killing of an innocent child.  That child is growing in the womb of the mother but is not the property of the mother any more than any live born child.

“THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.”

This commandment asks us to honor human sexuality according to natural law and Divine Law. Not only adultery of a married person having relations with someone other than their spouse but includes prohibition of other misuse of our gift of sexuality, fornication which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, masturbation, homosexual activity, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.

“THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.”

This commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes this commandment includes cheating people of their money, depriving people of fair wages, tax evasion and damage to other people’s property including random vandalism.

“THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.  The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. To lie about your neighbor may not be killing his/her body but are killing their reputation and who they are to themselves and others.

“THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.”

This Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s considered sacred in the proper context — marriage. Lusting in the heart is a heartbeat from lustfull immoral actions

“THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.”

The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. This commandment condemns theft along with feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

Most readers of the summary of commandments above can anticipate the disastrous results when these commandments are not followed:.  Abusive relationships, dysfunctional families, the weak and vulnerable oppressed and bullied, no moral compass outside themselves, abandoned, ignored and diminished people who we deem not worthy of our respect and care.

WHAT DOES JESUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GOD’S LAW

Now a word from Jesus in the New Testament on GOD’S SELF HELP MANUAL.  In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 

You will find Jesus’ self-help manual in Matthew 5:3-16, Sermon on the Mount-the Beatitudes.

CONCLUSION

God wants us to be happy. Jesus puts an exclamation point on this in the Sermon on the Mount. Another name for “blessed” is happy

Worldly wisdom often complains that the Church’s moral teachings make people miserable. But the Church argues that being moral is the only way to be happy. Augustine said it best: “In seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life” (Confessions, 10, 20).

The prevalent despair, obsessive behavior, and anxiety in our culture arise not from being moral, but from the abandonment of the moral law. Of course, happiness is mixed with sorrow and the inevitable tragedies of life.

There are no perfect families, perfect marriages, perfect parishes—nothing human is perfect. Part of our moral quest and journey home  to God and all the saints includes carrying our cross.

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JESUS IN SCRIPTURE NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS

SCRIPTURE

COMMENTARY

Today’s blog takes up a couple of Jesus’ teachings reminding us that there is only one “master”, one God that is worthy of our praise and obedience.  Jesus reminds us also that worry is pretty much a waste of time. Trust in Him is what we need to work on,  All good things and blessings are from God.

In our suffering which will naturally come, God is present in support and empathy as He was on Calvary when His Son gave His life for the life of the world. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for another, whether that is a donation of a kidney or visiting the sick, or even giving into some other person’s agenda. “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. “  Luke 17:33

YOU CAN’T SERVE TWO MASTERS MATTHEW 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?   Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span.

 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’   All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 

 REFLECTION

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Trust in God…there is no other…with God all will be well…worry never solved a problem…though my body may suffer…let no harm come to my soul…God knows the needs of my flesh…let not my soul be found wanting in pursuit of the flesh…pray that I may desire the holiness that transcends all earthly creatures… God is the one Master I seek to serve… seek first the kingdom of heaven and all things will be given to me…Blessed be the Lord…

 LUKE 20: 20-26   RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR

RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR MARK 12:17

They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor.  They posed this question to him, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”  Recognizing their craftiness he said to them, “Show me a denarius; whose image and name does it bear?”

 They replied, “Caesar’s.” So he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  They were unable to trap him by something he might say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that they fell silent.

 REFLECTION:

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s…my very life is God’s…the air I breathe…what isn’t God’s…what is not to be grateful for…I have life on earth because God gave it to me…I have the potential of eternal life in heaven because His only begotten Son, Jesus earned it for me on the cross….

 Is my heart as generous as God’s…do I give back to God by giving to my neighbor….do I share God’s bounty with others less fortunate… does my use of earthly things give glory to God… or do I grasp things of this world just for my pleasure….do I obey man made laws as long as they don’t conflict with God made laws….The Father Son and Holy Spirit are the TRUTH THE WAY AND THE LIFE!

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CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING EVERLASTING LIFE

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

Heavenly Father, eyes have not seen, ears have not heard

what you have prepared for those who love you. 

Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

Spirit of Christ help us to persevere.  In Jesus’ name we pray!

 COMMENTARY

One of the most fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church is in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.  If Jesus hadn’t defeated death as well as sin, what is the point?  We would be living a random, meaningless life like those who refuse to believe in God, believe in no outside authority than themselves, and nothing to hold us in check in our inner actions with others.

It would be totally chaotic and self driven by under whelming minds and out of control lusts for power, money and fame.  Let’s face it if that is all there is in this world, then why not aggrandize everything to ourselves before death ends it all. And if we are having a bad time of it, why not doctor assisted suicide?  And if people are sick, disabled, not useful to us, most importantly an inconvenient pregnancy why not cleanse humanity of its imperfections?  Pretty depressing picture, right!  Thank God and I mean that literally this is not the reality Christians live!

Fortunately, for Christians there is much more.  We believe in God that cares, who is involved in our lives, and wishes to spend all eternity with us.  Yes, we are material and spiritual, made up of body and soul.  And Jesus promises us there is a place already picked out for us to live for all eternity.

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?3* And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. “John 14;2-3

 CATHOLIC SCRIPTURE

St. Paul preaches in his first letter to the Corinthians, “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”  (Cor. 15:12-14)

Death is a consequence of Original Sin.  After death, each person faces a particular judgment before God.  After the particular judgment, the person will either immediately enter into the blessedness of heaven, purification in purgatory, or eternal damnation in hell.  Those who die in the grace and friendship with God and who are perfectly purified from sinfulness will see God face to face as He really is and live with Christ forever.

In the resurrection we will have spiritual bodies. Our natural bodies came from Adam, our spiritual bodies come from Christ.    St. Paul says: “as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [Adam], so we shall bear the likeness of the heavenly one [Christ]” (1 Corinthians 15:49)   Jesus came to “dress our perishable nature with imperishability and our mortal nature with immortality’ (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Our short lives on earth are a sowing time.  Life on earth is the time when the seeds of the risen body are planted.  St. Paul says: “What is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Everlasting Life refers to the perpetuity of happiness, blessedness, wholeness, and union with the Most Blessed Trinity in heaven. The Early Fathers of the Church described eternal life as “exemption from all evil and an enjoyment of all good.

“Eye hath not seen; ears hath not heard, or the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (I Cor. 2:9)

In the Book of Revelations, the last book of Scriptures, it states, “They shall no more hunger and thirst.  Neither shall the sun fall on them nor any heat.  God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more.  Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Our essential happiness in heaven will be the Beatific Vision, to see God as He is, God who is the source of all goodness and perfection.  “Dearly beloved we are now the sons and daughters of God and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be.  We know when He shall appear we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.”  (I John 3:2)

 CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

 CCC 1026 By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has “opened” heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.

 CCC 1020 The Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus views it as a step towards him and an entrance into everlasting life. When the Church for the last time speaks Christ’s words of pardon and absolution over the dying Christian, seals him for the last time with a strengthening anointing, and gives him Christ in viaticum as nourishment for the journey, she speaks with gentle assurance:

“Go forth Christian soul from this world in the name of God, the Almighty Father who created you.  In the name of Jesus, the Son of the Living God who suffered for you.  In the name of the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon you.   Go forth faithful Christian.  May you live in peace this day.  May your home be with God, with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, with Joseph and all the angels and saints.  May you return to your Creator who formed you from the dust of the earth.   May Holy Mary, the angels and all the saints come to meet you as you go forth from this life.  May you see your Redeemer face to face.”  (CCC=Catechism of Catholic Church)

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Purgatory is a teaching of the Church.  Souls in purgatory can pray for us but not themselves. What is my response?

What prayers do I say for my departed relatives and friends?

Am I frightened of death?  Why?  If I knew I was going to die soon, would I make changes in my behavior?  If so, what?

Since the body will rise on the last day and become immortal, why do you think God would have such a plan that body and soul would live for all eternity together?

What can’t you wait to say to Jesus in person?

God so loves us and cannot wait to greet us.  How excited are we to embrace Him?  Let us keep our eyes fixed on the prize!

 CLOSING PRAYER  

Heavenly Father, You sent your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, not to condemn us but to save us.  Do not look upon our sinfulness and what we truly deserve, but in your mercy, forgive us.  Bring us home to Eternal Life with you, your Son, and the Most Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.

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POPE FRANCIS CHANGES CATHOLIC TEACHING ON DEATH PENALTY

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

PRESS RELEASE

VATICAN CITY, Aug 2 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Church formally changed its teaching on Thursday to declare the death penalty inadmissible in all circumstances. The 1.2 billion-member Catholic Church has allowed the death penalty in extreme cases for centuries, but the position began to change under the late Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.

The Vatican said it had changed its universal catechism, a summary of Church teaching, to reflect Pope Francis’ total opposition to capital punishment.  According to the new entry in the catechism, “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

The new provision is expected to run into stiff opposition from Catholics in countries such as the United States, where many Catholics support the death penalty. The change was enacted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine.

NOTE:  Prior to this latest change in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has been advocating the abolition of the death penalty for some time.  Sunday February 21, 2016, in the EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF YEAR OF MERCY in his Angelus address at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis called for a worldwide abolition of the death penalty, and I quote,

” The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is a good occasion to promote in the world a growing maturity in forms of respect for life and the dignity of each person…even a criminal has the inviolable right to life, a gift of God.”

“I make a call to the consciences of those who govern, so that they come to an international consensus aimed at abolishing the death penalty. All Christians and men and women of good will are called today to work for the abolition of the death penalty, but also for improving the conditions of prisons, in respect of human dignity and of those people deprived of freedom.”

BACKGROUND

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

SEPTEMBER 8, 1987

2267 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

  • “…traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against an unjust aggressor.
  • “…the case in which the execution of an offender is an absolute necessity are “very rare,” if not practically non-existent.”

NOTE: For those of us older than 50, this CCC #2267 is a change in traditional Church teaching on the death penalty. In fact, you may remember being taught in our Catholic Universities that a man who takes a life forfeits his own.  Catholic teaching was influenced for centuries by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas did not personally favor the death penalty; he actually encouraged people to avoid it whenever possible.  However, he did give us the teaching that for a time allowed just wars and permitted the death penalty.  He taught that our first good is the preservation of our own life.  The taking of another person’s life may be absolutely necessary in self-defense.   “It is legitimate to answer force with force, provided it goes no further than due defense requires.” Summa Theologica (V-II q.64 a. 7)

MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH

 For some time, nearly four decades, the Bishops of the Church have been trying to peel away support for the death penalty among Catholics, understanding, just like our ancestors the “hardness of our hearts.”  Copied below are some of their statements prior to today’s announcement by the Vatican.

 Cardinal Bernadin A Consistent Ethic of Life (1983)

“To be Pro-Life is to respect all life.  Life is a “seamless garment” that must be defended against many assaults be they: abortion, nuclear weapons, the death penalty, euthanasia, poverty, or racism.”

 Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, THE GOSPEL OF LIFE (1995)

“…the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not to go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society.”

United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Life Matters:  A Catholic Response To The Death Penalty (2013)

…Even if the death penalty were always imposed without error, should we support its use? We teach that killing is wrong by responding with mercy and justice, not more killing…. As Catholics, we believe and put our hope in a merciful and loving God…. Our Lord calls us to imitate him more perfectly by witnessing to the inherent dignity of every human being, including those whose actions have been despicable.  

As Christians we are called to oppose the culture of death by witnessing to something greater and more perfect: a gospel of life, hope and mercy.

 COMMENTARY

 As someone who worked in prison ministry for a decade on death row there are a few comments that are very personal to me.  Almost 50 men were put to death by the state on my watch.  Cause of death is written “homicide.”  The State excuses themselves as we are to blame that serve on juries that give a death sentence.  Of course in a death penalty trial all jurors that oppose the death penalty are excluded  They call that a “death qualified” jury.

INNOCENCE

More than 160 Innocent people have been released from our death rows since 1977, usually through extraordinary means and not the court system.  The average time spent on death row before exoneration and release is 11 years.  Some were released after 30 years.  Now for the skeptics who say how can the innocent be on death row.  I will list just a few of the ways an innocent person ends up on death row and likely executed.

 INCOMPETANT DEFENSE ATTORNEY does not investigate thoroughly because of ignorance or neglect thus missing exculpatory evidence pointing to the innocence of his client.

INADEQUATE POLICE INVESTIGATIONS The police believe the suspect is guilty and do not thoroughly investigate other evidence pointing to other suspects

COERCED CONFESSIONS A suspect with limited mental ability, education, given to drug and alcohol abuse is aggressively interrogated by a group of policemen for 16-18 hours straight and may be intimidated into signing a false confession.

PREJUDICIAL PRESS COVERAGE The heinous crime and the defendant are closely reported together in the newspaper with a strong assumption of guilt on the part of the accused.  It is impossible to get an impartial jury even though they say they can be fair.

PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT The prosecutor believes the defendant is guilty, has evidence that may point to the defendant’s innocence but does not use it or share it with the defense counsel. They may also plant evidence, change evidence, and lie on witness stand.

PERJURED TESTIMONY Jail house snitches lie on the stand and say they heard the defendant confess when he didn’t, in exchange for a shorter sentence for themselves.

CLOSURE

Now a few words about the term closure. Some will say we still need the death penalty for closure for family members of the victim.  Don’t they deserve closure?  Of course family members of murder victims deserve closure if you mean healing and the assistance to move on with their lives.    As family members of victims experience grief, anger, and depression, it is essential that we reach out as individuals and faith communities to offer consolation and support. 

When a death sentence is in the mix, it only prolongs and intensifies the pain and suffering and halts the grieving process in its tracks.   The focus is on killing the killer not the loss of their loved one. And besides, less than 1% of homicides result in a death sentence.  So what about so called closure for those family members.

 CLOSING

In closing, the deepest message of our Faith is that we are all brothers and sisters, made in the image and likeness of God.  Remember how God treated the first murderer, Cain, with mercy.  He put a mark on Cain lest anyone harm him. “If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.  The Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him on sight.” (Genesis 4:15)

But God does not leave the crime unpunished. He tells Cain that he will not be able to grow crops and that he will be a fugitive and wanderer on the earth. Although Cain is spared execution, justice requires that he live the rest of his earthly life alone and outcast, but with time to reflect on his crime, to perhaps feel remorse and at last seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Our role then is to reconcile what seems irreconcilable, to love and respect the human dignity of the murder victim and the death row inmate and show compassion and support to the suffering and grieving families of both. The death penalty is not about who deserves to die but who deserves to kill.   Jesus came for sinners not the righteous, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice!” Matthew 9:13

Mercy mitigates judgment!

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JESUS IN SCRIPTURE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN PARABLES

SCRIPTURE

MATTHEW 20:1-16 THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD.

 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.   After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.  Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ …he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?….’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’

When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage.

So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and heat

He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you.* Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’

 REFLECTION Do I resent God’s generosity with others or do I rejoice in the blessings and gifts of others?

 MATTHEW 22:1-14 THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.  A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.” Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  

 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.   Then, he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’  The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found….,

 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’  But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast  him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 REFLECTION what a privilege it is to be called…… but I need to be dressed appropriately…nothing sullied enters the wedding feast…my attire and behavior must fit such a solemn occasion….am I getting prepared for the wedding feast to come…will I be accepted by the King of kings….

Mark 4:26-29 THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

“The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows–how, he himself does not know. “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. “This is how it is with the kingdom of God;  it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

 REFLECTION The Spirit goes where it wills….God is sower of the seed…God knows when it takes root…and supplies the nutrients to nurse the seed to full bloom in us until we are transformed…we pray to let it be so…let us be good stewards…God wills that all will be saved! Say yes!

MATTHEW 13:31-35,44-46  KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE BURIED TREASURE

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. kingdom of heaven is a treasure…worth leaving everything behind…a pearl of great price…

REFLECTION   Am I willing to give my all to God….He has given His All to me…His very self that I might be saved…what return do I make for that!

Mark 4:3034 THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

 “How shall we picture the kingdom of God….,”It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that‘ birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches and nest under its shade.”  “

REFLECTION The kingdom of heaven grows mightily under God’s providence…it  provides us refuge…Come you that are burdened seek my rest and peace…be united with me and know all will be well

MATTHEW 13:47-52 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A NET CAST INTO THE SEA

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 

REFLECTION In this world the wicked and righteous will coexist but when the eternal kingdom comes (end of the age), the sheep and goats will be separated…may we be among the sheep who hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy lord.” Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life…come follow Jesus!

 MATTHEW 13:33 THE PARABLE OF THE YEAST

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast* that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”  All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:*“I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.l

REFLECTION  We are the leaven in God’s hands….we are the clay in the Potter’s hands….first we are transformed….then the world….as the Spirit moves over the land and water to all nations….let us pray the Lord’s prayer…thy kingdom come, thy will be done….let it be so!

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HUMANAE VITAE (OF HUMAN LIFE) 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

THE PROPHETIC VISION OF BLESSED PAUL VI

BLESSED PAUL VI

BACKGROUND

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Encyclical, Humanae Vitae, published by Pope Paul VI who will be canonized this Fall by Pope Francis as a recognized Saint of the Church.  Pope Paul VI reminded Catholics and all people of good will that something as sacred as the transmission of human life cannot be cut loose from its moorings without grave consequences.  The publication of “Humanae Vitae” on July 25, 1968 was a reaffirmation of the traditional moral teaching of the Catholic Church. It was met with widespread controversy and a vocal dissent that was symptomatic of the age.

In 1968 not only was a sexual revolution in full swing but also dissent from any authority Vietnam protests, political protests, Democratic Convention in Chicago, and demonstrations against law enforcement etc. It should be no surprise that the challenge to authority that characterized that age, and ours, affected the way this teaching was received by many within the Catholic Church and certainly by those outside of the Church.

Secular mentality says that human beings, rather than God, are the measure of all things. Right and wrong are determined on the basis of what is practical rather than what is true or good.  It has affected the attitudes and values of many in the Church as well. Uncomfortable with being a “sign of contradiction,” some prefer to accommodate the Gospel and the Church’s teaching to the wisdom of the world.

 POPE PAUL VI PROPHETIC VISION

 In his Encyclical, Humane Vitae, Pope Paul VI offered prophetic insight in recognizing the grave consequences of separating sex from babies.. A contraceptive mentality would lead inevitably, he said, “toward conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality, leading to loss of respect for women, to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as man’s respected and beloved companion.”

Pope Paul VI’s final warning was that contraception would lead man to think that he had unlimited dominion over his own body.  The desire for unlimited dominion over one’s own body extends beyond contraception. The production of “test-tube babies” is another indication of the refusal to accept the body’s limitations; so too are euthanasia and the use of organs transplanted from those who are “nearly” dead. We seek to adjust the body to our desires and timetables, rather than adjusting ourselves to its needs.

COMMENTARY

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1643), there are three goods of marriage.  They are: unity, fidelity, and openness to children.   The choice of contraception denies the intrinsic meaning of giving and receiving which is proper to the conjugal sexual act and closes it arbitrarily to the dynamics of transmitting a new human life.

Unity demands permanence (indissolubility) for the entire life of the married couple. The very nature of conjugal love, total union for life of a married couple, demands fidelity and prohibits any disorder such as adultery.  Openess to children is the fruit of total self-giving love.  One aspect of man in the image and likeness of God is procreator, sharing in God’s creative work, the completion of the human race.  God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply“(Genesis 1:28)

The recent judicial decision legalizing same-sex marriage (man-made law) certainly ignore God’s intention for marriage between man and woman.  Refusing to accept God’s creation of male and female with a natural complementarity between the sexes has also led to gender confusion on a massive scale whereby children are choosing their own gender and their parents are encouraging them to do so.   Copied below are just a few of the consequences of man-made laws regarding contraception that I see:

  • Sex as a recreational hobby
  • Increase in infidelity in marriage
  • Objectification of women
  • Increased pornographic media
  • Children a burden instead of a blessing
  • Mandatory World-wide sterilization programs in poor countries
  • Acceptance of abortion as a means of birth control since children are neither wanted or respected
  • Increased sexually transmitted diseases
  • Man believing he has dominion over his body

 CONCLUSION

 Man does not have dominion over his/her body.  Ever since the beginning man has been going up against God and pretending to be equal to God.  The only result has been disaster when man has made his own idols and claimed to be in charge.

We are in charge of nothing.  We are contingent beings.  We did not create ourselves.  We don’t get to name our gender or make our own rules.  Like it or not there is an authority way beyond ourselves.  We have little to no control over anything.  With God all things are possible; without him nothing is possible.

The Church cannot change its teaching on the immorality of artificial contraception however unpopular and difficult it can be to live it. The Church does not create the moral law, but is only its guardian and interpreter. Catholics who strive to live according to the Church’s teaching will find divine assistance by having recourse to the grace of the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist, as well as to prayer.

“Good Roman Catholics do not need to breed like “rabbits“, the Pope Francis has said, but should practice “responsible” parenting instead   Pope Francis has consistently spoken out in support of Humanae Vitae (of Human Life).  In Humanae Vitae, the Church teaches, ” If there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, married people may then take advantage of the natural cycles in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile”

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a healthy  and moral means of family planning that enables couples to cooperate with God and one another in spacing pregnancies in a way that actually strengthens their relationship.

Some may say, so what’s the difference between having sex at infertile times and artificial contraception. The Church replies, “In reality, these two cases are completely different. In the former the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In the later they obstruct the natural development of the generative process.”

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SOCIAL JUSTICE IS MORE THAN CHARITY!

SOCIAL JUSTICE

LAST JUDGMENT DISCOURSE MATTHEW 25:21 – 43

THE GOSPEL OF SOCIAL JUSTICE

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne and all the nations* will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me

Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?  And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me…..

 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

We practicing Christians take Matthew 25 very seriously.  It tends to sum up the whole Gospel of Jesus that we are to love God and our neighbor.  In fact, the most practical way of showing our love for God is how we love our neighbor.  At the end of Mass we are dismissed with the words go in peace and live the Gospel.  Matthew 25 also answers that nagging question, what I must do to get to heaven?

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY

 CCC 2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God:

ERA OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

After leaving Church,  we step into the world in the era of Trump where we are bombarded by negativity, name calling, division, us and them.  It reminds me of how soldiers were prepared to kill the enemy in the Vietnam War by calling them gooks and any other name but human.  Even well intentioned Christians cannot help but be infected by the negativity and diminishing of those who are weaker and most in need.

Let me cite just a few areas in Trump policies that threatened a Christian response to those in need.  Most recently, there has the draconian policy of zero tolerance at our Southern border, arresting everyone, declaring everyone a criminal, separating children from parents.   Trump consistently attacks affordable health care including Medicaid, affordable housing, food stamps and offers other cuts to anti-poverty programs for our most vulnerable.  We all live on same earth and our environment originally provided by God is there to promote life, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we sow and harvest.  The Trump administration aggressive deregulation policies endanger our air, our water and the food we consume.

 COMMENTARY

Jesus was counter cultural and never shied from speaking truth to power whether they be political leaders or religious leaders of his time.  Works of charity are good but is that all that is expected of us? I am going to cite a quote from Archbishop Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Brazil’s poor back in the 80’s.  “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

Charitable giving is not enough!  We must look at the causes of those in need and address them as well in our advocacy and at the ballot box.

What is a human being?  What is his role in the world?  Where is he headed?  How does he get there?  If a human being is not yet perfected, what will perfect him?  Social Justice always has the common good at its core as found in Scriptures and in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC #1907) states that the Common Good presupposes respect for each person.  It requires the social well-being and development of everyone, including food, clothing, shelter, health care, work, education etc.  It requires peace and justice for security of a just order….  . (CCC 1928-1942, 2419-2449) The fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching focus on the dignity and sacredness of each human person, the solidarity that we experience within one another, the promotion of the common good and the proper use and distribution of the goods of this world

SCRIPTURE

 On coming into this world, a person is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life.  He needs others.  Talents and gifts are not distributed equally as we see in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians chapter 12 where he compares the human body to the body of Christ, the Church.

  “Now the body is not a single part, but many.  Even if a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.  Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended…” I Corinthians 12:4-26  

St. Paul goes on to say, “Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this….

God has so constructed the body that there may be no divisions in the body so that the parts of the body may have concern for every other part. If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” Just as it is in the human body so it is in the body of Christ, the Church.”  Corinthians 12:4-11; 14-31

CONCLUSION

Why isn’t it enough to believe in God, be baptized, worship God on Sundays, receive the Sacraments and keep the Commandments not to kill, steal, lie, cheat etc.?  In the first Epistle of John, chapter 4, verse 20, it reads, “Anyone who says I love God and hates his neighbor is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

Don’t blame poverty or lack of resources on God,   He has provided us with all the natural resources we need.  Here is the question to ask ourselves, “Why are there some with more than they need while there are others with less than they need?”  Social Justice is not merely charity.  In fact someone could do charitable giving for all the wrong reasons, to save on taxes, to feel good about himself, to receive the acclaim of others.

God’s divine plan wills that each will have their needs supplied by their neighbors.  It is the Christian way.  Today we represent Jesus’ compassion, empathy, and generosity.  We have been, and remain, stronger on private charity than on social justice.  Many Christians will give food or clothing to a needy person but, at the same time, refuse to look at the structures and policies that create poverty in the first place..  We are obliged by justice itself to come to the aid of needy people.  Examination on Social Justice is a much harder examination for people.  It may take us to some dark places we didn’t know were in us and a call to conversion.

The present situation within the world, where some individuals and nations have excess while others lack the basic necessities, is immoral, goes against the teachings of Christ, and must be redressed. The condemnation of injustice is part of the church’s essential ministry of preaching and is an essential aspect of the church’s prophetic role. At our Baptisms we are called to that prophetic role! Let’s get started!

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SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN UNTO ME…US BORDER SEPARATION OF CHILDREN?

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, SOCIAL JUSTICE

MATTHEW 19:14

Parents were bringing their children to Jesus for His blessing.  Jesus’ disciples rebuked them. Disciples were making a judgment thinking they were protecting Jesus from an intrusion/invasion of unwanted guests.  The Master had better things to do. Back in Jesus’ day,  children were pretty much dismissed as only future heirs or as someone who would help in a family business one day. Jesus turns the table and describes the children as those who will inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive only Me, but Him who sent Me.” Mark 9:36-37   Jesus’ message is always counter cultural.He came as representative of His Father to build a kingdom of heaven on earth.  The prayer Jesus taught us includes, “thy kingdome come, thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.

TODAY’S IMAGE IN THE NEWS OF CHILD SEPARATED FROM MOTHER

MCALLEN, TX – JUNE 12: A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the U.S.-Mexico by John MoorA Honduran woman and her 2-year-old daughter had just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico and were to be transported to a US Customs and Border Protection processing center. The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for undocumented immigrants calls for the separation of parents and children while their cases for political asylum are adjudicated, a process that can take months – or years.  Jesus, Marry and Joseph were themselves refugees fleeing into Egypt to avoid the infanticide of Herod. Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come into me…”  Jesus desires mercy not judgment!  Man-made laws are ALWAYS subordinate to God’s laws.

 

 

 

FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

“The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20).  Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, was born in a borrowed manger, had no fixed address once he began his public ministry, and was buried in another man’s grave.  It is quite an irony: He, who made the universe, became a homeless person.

The Letter to the Hebrews urges us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2).  Jesus comes to us in disguises.  Remember his last judgment discourse in Matthew 23, “Whatever you do to one of these least of my brethren, you do to me.”

Jesus, Son of God, is the fullest revelation of God.  But it is not only the New Testament that talks about hospitable and charitable behavior to our neighbor.  Jesus’ message of love everyone, treat everyone as you wish to be treated is certainly foretold in the Old Testament.

Numerous passages in the Old Testament show how visitors are to be treated: “You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt Exodus 22:20.  Isaiah 58:7 declares that the fast God requires is “bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house.” “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt” Leviticus 19:33-34.

BORDER DETENTION CENTER

US CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE

“Our government has the discretion in our laws to ensure that young children are not separated from their parents and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma. Families are the foundational element of our society and they must be able to stay together. While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety. Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral.”

Pope Francis recently said, “countries “must move from considering others as threats to our comfort to valuing them as persons whose life experience and values can contribute greatly to the enrichment of our society.”

In past posts, I have discussed all the corporal works of mercy.  Today I remind my readers of the corporal work of mercy, shelter the homeless.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: 2447. “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.

How do we feel about immigrants who come to our shores for safety?  Down through history, there have always been a certain number of people who were homeless and harbor less, more than likely our own ancestors..  We as Christians need to treat the immigrants with respect and according to their human dignity, as we would want to be treated ourselves.

The plight of millions of refugees driven from their homes by war may seem far away from our nation, but homelessness is also right on our doorstep. There is a danger that, like the rich man in the parable, we no longer see the Lazarus we practically have to step over.

This corporal work of mercy forces us to open our eyes to the misery of those who, for a variety of reasons, have no place they can call home.  We often show more empathy for stray dogs or cats than human beings.

Pro-Life is more than anti-abortion!  Let’s give the same fervor to those already born!

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