CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

Hear, O Israel!

The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!

Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,

with your whole heart, and with your whole being,

and with your whole strength!

Take to heart these words which I command you today.

Keep repeating them to your children.

Recite them when you are at home and when you are away,

when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The God of the Old and New Testament is certainly in need of nothing, even our worship. God lacks nothing.  God is the cause of everything, and source of all beings.  God is not just another being, He is existence itself, all that exists, exists in Him and through him.

Are we not grateful when someone gives us a gift, no matter how small it is?   We can’t begin to tick off all the gifts we receive from God, our very existence, our world, the air we breathe, the sunlight and rain that produce food for our nourishment…

Each day is a day of gratitude and thanksgiving to the one who makes all things possible. Worship is not something that God needs, but it is very much something that we need…. To acknowledge that God is our end all and be all.

We can add nothing to God’s glory, but we can express God’s glory in our behavior to others.  . Our lives become right ordered. We are ready to travel safely home.  We may pray with the Psalmist…

 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek:

To dwell in the LORD’s house all the days of my life,

For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble,

He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.

Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD! (PSALM 27)

Very disturbing are continued reports of diminishing attendance at Sunday Mass.  In a few decades it has dropped from 70% of Catholics to now 30%, Wow!  So many going it on their own.  How is that working out? It can be a real challenge to remain faithful.  So many worldly distractions.  So many Church scandals…

When people dismiss or ignore God’s presence in this world they also ignore His graces and support for times of stress, grief, despair… At Sunday Mass we celebrate the Eucharist, the same sacrifice as on Calvary but in an un-bloody manner.

As we join ourselves in offering ourselves with Jesus to the Father we encounter God’s presence in personal and profound ways and are the recipient of the graces Jesus merited over 2000 years ago.  We are there with Jesus offering ourselves in sacrifice and in reparation for sin.

Just as we need to nourish our physical bodies in order to have strength; to work; and to live well, so too we need to eat in the House of the Lord to have spiritual strength. Nourished by this heavenly food we carry on the work of Christ and His Church.

Recently, I was in a hospital recovering from a fall and severe fracture of my upper arm, then that led to rehab and both OT and PT, all very painful and now in out-patient rehab.  Why I bring this up is that when you are in pain it is not the easiest time to pray or even feel presence of God.  Don’t wait until you are in extreme conditions to pray.  Pray now, attend Mass now, participate in Sacramental life now!

Sometimes God seems so distant….not engaged at all….the faith of my Baptism tell me He is engaged in my suffering….sometimes all we can do is ask God to do something good with our suffering for others…sure we can pray for our healing…but that is in God’s time and place….something beyond our control..

In rehab, I looked around at so many others older and more disabled than myself and most likely not to ever go home again.  What is that all about, God?  No wonder euthanasia has so much support around the country based on a fictitious “quality of life.”  What does God and His Church say about doctor assisted suicide?

So called “Death with Dignity” is always immoral.  Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. A government that legalizes assisted suicide sends the terrible message that there is such a thing as disposable people.

So God, what is the God answer to these long suffering souls in nursing homes and the like.  First, their very state of being can be a prayer, a surrender to will of God for themselves and others.  Second, those who are their caregivers have opportunity to love and care for their neighbor and show by example how we love one another.  I know the caregivers I had I will never forget and are in my prayer intentions.  I know they were God’s hands of mercy to me in this world.

God allows evil in this world but never wills it.  Sometimes, the evil he allows brings a greater good, like conversion, reconciliation and forgiveness.  What some perceived as a shameful death of Jesus became our lifeline to eternity.

Did God just retire to some far away place after Old Testament and New Testament times? I think not!  Why would He do that?  He has a lot invested in us, a very complex, salvation plan evolving over centuries, the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, and promises that have not yet been fully realized.

THIS IS MY BODY DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

I am the living bread from heaven…whoever eats this bread will live forever….whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day…whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him John 6:48 (Bread of Life Discourse)

 

 

 

 

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC)

What is sin?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us a concise definition. “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity.  (CCC #1849).

 COMMENTARY

 In today’s culture, hardly anything is called a sin except maybe during a Church Service.  God has been set aside and replaced by one’s own authority to decide right and wrong. (Moral Relativism)  Sin is just not something people like to talk about because they too may be guilty and in need of repentance and change of behavior.  But sin actually exists today as well as in days of old.

In the Old Testament God gave us the guidelines for our wellbeing on Mount Sinai when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the promises that all will be well if Moses and the Israelites followed these guidelines.  Of course they didn’t, any more than Adam and Eve obeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

ORGINAL SIN.

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness, He endowed them with intelligence, love, free will, and conscience.  He gave them the grace of “original holiness.”  God also gave them preternatural gifts. Man and the world began in grace, not sin. The inner harmony between man and woman, and all of creation comprised the state of “original justice.”

 The preternatural gifts received by Adam and Eve include infused knowledge, absence of concupiscence, and immortality of the body. Adam and Eve received these free gifts not just for themselves but to be passed on to the whole and entire human race.  After Adam and Eve committed “original sin,” they lost “original justice” and the preternatural gifts for the entire human race.  Now they could only pass on a fallen human nature.  Their descendants are now subject to ignorance, concupiscence (disordered desires), suffering and death.

 God “tested” our first parents by forbidding them to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  The tree is a symbol of the limits that humans have as creatures. Our freedom to choose means we are free to choose good. We are not free to choose evil.  To step outside God’s moral laws is to assume a freedom never granted to man.  To choose evil has bad consequences for mankind.

We did not commit “original sin.”  But we are born with its effects, a wounded human nature in body and soul and estrangement from God’s divine life.   Man’s passions are no longer ruled by right reason. The union of man and woman became subject to tensions, lust, and domination.  The rest of creation became hostile and alien to man.  Death entered into human history.  Because of man’s act of disobedience, all of creation is now subject to death and decay.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN TODAY

We are told by Jesus not to judge lest we be judged in like fashion and rightfully so. Matthew 7:1  Only God can judge a human heart.  This does not mean we can’t judge objectively sinful behavior and its consequences.

As examples, I will use the seven deadly sins as described in Scriptures and Catholic Church teaching.  Why, deadly, because in grave matters they can lead to the death of the soul and eternal damnation.  These are sometimes described as cardinal or capital sins because all sin flows from these vices.

 Lust, (disordered desire) is just one of the seven deadly sins mentioned in Scripture.  The others are: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Because of the sin of Lust, we have broken marriages, dysfunctional families, increase in venereal diseases, domestic violence, pornography, child abuse, and sex trafficking.

Gluttony really includes any overindulgence of food, drink, addictions.  Consequences may be drunkenness, drunk driving, abuse of drugs, overdoses, suicide. Health problems that are related to food products.

Greed results in stealing from others, fraud, cheating, lying about financial affairs, taking from someone else which is rightly theirs, opposing what is in the interest of the common good but may cut into your profits ie..solar energy which is safer and cheaper for households but threatens profits of fossil fuel industry.

Most people barely examine themselves on the deadly sin of Sloth.  They just think it means being lazy but also sins of omission should be considered.. Consequences of the deadly sin of sloth may not be witnessing to your faith when it is attacked; not voting to make a difference in the world; ignoring those in need the least of our brethren; and not helping others when you could and should.

Consequences of WRATH are wars, broken relationships, hate, physical harm to others, discrimination, using God’s name in vain, abuse of spouse and/or children,

Those who nurture ENVY may covet their neighbor’s wife or property to the point of taking what is not rightfully theirs.  Envy also results in dissatisfaction  with one’s own blessings and gifts from God, takes away our inner Peace and undercuts our call to choose God’s will over our own.

Pride, I save for last because all sin can be traced back to the sin of Pride.  Our first parents passed on our fallen nature because they listened to the lies of the devil that they would be just like God if they ate of the tree of good and evil. While in fact all they discovered was evil and slavery to sin.  We, today, become slaves of sin every time we choose our will over God’s will.

 CONCLUSION

 Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession (Penance, Reconciliation).  The Church has always understood the Scriptural reference for theSacrament of Confession to be John 20: 22-23: “Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

 We experience God’s mercy through this Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is there that we acknowledge who we are: limited, weak and sinful creatures in need of redemption.  It is in this Sacrament that God forgives us of any and all of our sins.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3: 16-17).

God knows we are sentient creatures and need visible signs of absolution.  The Sacrament of Confession is an The priest raises his hand, and then with a blessing pronounces those amazing words, “I absolve you from your sins.”  At that moment, we know that God has heard our cry for forgiveness, and we have been pardoned of our sins.

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL!

ACT OF CONTRITION
Oh my God I am sorry for all my sins because they offend you who are all good.  Be merciful to me a sinner. I am deeply sorry for my sins, for having broken or weakened my communion with you and my neighbor. I pray that your loving mercy will heal what I have hurt, strengthen what I have weakened. Help me to amend my life and sin no more and in your mercy bring me to everlasting life. Amen
.

 

 

JESUS THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN

INTRODUCTION

Euthanasia, the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Is definition found in dictionary but as found at work in today’s culture it has become the deliberate killing of another person that one deems not worthy to live anymore.

Euthanasia is back in the headlines big time.  Many euphemisms are used for euthanasia such as mercy killing but the new favorite is “death with dignity.” They have now added the slogan, my life, my choice.  Sounds very familiar  to the cry of pro-abortion lobby.

I find this very troubling since I had absolutely nothing to do with my existence, a pure gift from God the Creator.  Life was not my choice from the very beginning.  I was made to know, love and serve God in this world and be happy with Him in the next.  Do I throw that gift back in His face and say no thanks, I am finished, Count me out.

I am not sure how you feel but I have always thought of death with dignity is dying as I have lived, trusting in Jesus loving God and my neighbor and placing myself in the arms of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at the time of my passing.

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH PRAY FOR ME AT THE HOUR OF MY DEATH!

HEADLINES

The Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act was signed into law by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.  As of Aug. 1, 2019, terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months or fewer will now be able to self-administer lethal concoctions of drugs in order to take their own lives.

The bill allows adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to get a prescription for life-ending medication. The prescription is a series of self-administered pills that can be taken at home.” Allowing terminally ill and dying residents the dignity to make end-of-life decisions according to their own consciences is the right thing to do,” said Murphy.

Currently, California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Hawaii, Montana and the District of Columbia allow physician-assisted suicide.  In Canada, a hospital for sick children has unveiled a plan for how to terminate the lives of terminally ill kids, with or without parental consent.   As the demand for end-of-life care continues to increase, physician-assisted suicide emerges as a cheap alternative to appropriate palliative or hospice care.

 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

 2283 To assist another’s suicide is to take part in “an injustice which can never be excused, even if it is requested…

 “A government that legalizes assisted suicide sends the terrible message that there is such a thing as disposable people.”

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

 COMMENTARY

 In my activist days when I founded an organization to oppose Capital Punishment, I properly called it, STATE SANCTIONED MURDER. Now we have on the books of some states STATE SANCTIONED SUICIDE!

 Already, before birth, if you don’t want the child you can get rid of it by an abortion procedure.  Now it  is established legally that some human life is disposable at the end of life.  People too frail, too mentally disabled to work and contribute to society are at risk.  They are now a drain on insurance companies, family incomes, and an inconvenience, depending on who is setting the definition of which human life matters.

Just because a terminally ill patient chooses to end his own life does not excuse society from moral obligations to intercede.  God gave us life until He calls us home.  An alternative to physician assisted suicide is palliative care, already well researched and well practiced .

PALLIATIVE CARE

The World Health Organization acknowledges that dying is a normal process and defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness. It includes treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.”

The intention of palliative care is neither to hasten nor delay death.  Effective palliative care allows patients to devote their attention to the unfinished business of their lives, to arrive at a sense of peace with God, with loved ones, and with themselves. Learning how to face this last stage of our earthly lives is one of the most important and meaningful things each of us will do.

 CONCLUSION

 Suffering need not be meaningless but can bring us closer to the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of the world.  Suffering is part of human existence from birth until death, and every human person suffers in a variety of ways: physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. The suffering of Christ leads to his glory; so, too, does the suffering of Christians

Some call this “Redemptive suffering.” Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption once and for all by suffering torture and crucifixion for our sins, Jesus our Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each man is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished.

Redemptive suffering takes on our sins, the sins of others, acting as a kind of sponge absorbing the evil all around them.  This form of suffering is so powerful–because love is so powerful–that its arms can span the entire world and has the potential to affect countless souls. “Suffering is medicine for Salvation.” St. Augustine

Our hope and prayer is that when we grow old or sick that we be surrounded by people who care and respect each and every human life.  Catholics should be leaders in the effort to defend and uphold the principle that each of us has a right to live with dignity through every day of our lives, even our last ones.

Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am….I am nothingness itself… Do with me as you please, Lord, only give me the grace to be able to love You In every event and circumstance.

 ADDENDUM

 CATHOLIC DIRECTIVE Instructions for My Health Care

My Catholic faith teaches that all human life is a precious gift from God from the first moment of conception to the moment of natural death, and that euthanasia and assisted suicide are not morally permissible.

Therefore, I oppose any action or inaction that is intended to cause my death. I always wish to receive basic care, which will allow me to be most comfortable including food, water, and pain control. I have discussed my desires regarding pain control with my agent.

I wish to receive medical care and treatment appropriate to my condition as long as it is useful and offers a reasonable hope of benefit and is not excessively burdensome to me, i.e., does not impose serious risk, or some other extreme burden.

If I am unable to eat and drink on my own, nutrition and hydration administered by medical means should be provided to me unless death is inevitable and imminent so that the effort to sustain my life is futile, or unless I am unable to assimilate food or fluids.

I request and direct that medical treatment and care be provided to me to preserve my life without  discrimination based on my age, physical or mental disability, or the “quality” of my life.

If my death from a terminal illness is imminent, I wish to refuse treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of my life. I wish to be attended by a Catholic priest, receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum.

Signature______________________________Date_________Initials: Witness1_____ Witness 2

 

INTRODUCTION

Well, it is time for another election here in the United States.  Some people flip a coin…some people vote their tribe…many agonize to the point of staying home.  Many faithful Catholics will suffer as they joust their consciences with their “self-interest.” As disciples of Christ our self-interest should be our God interest.

 WHO FORMS YOUR CONSCIENCE, JESUS CHRIST OR A POLITICAL PARTY?

Is it your personal encounter with Jesus Christ and His Church or is it the ideology of some political party? A well-formed conscience is necessary to make correct moral decisions. Voting is a moral obligation because through it we seek to affirm the moral truths that shape our lives as Catholics in a secular world.

 “Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or already has completed performing.  Conscience is a faculty of the intellect not the will.  Man has the right to act according to his conscience, in fact is required to do so, even if it might be mistaken.  However, born with a clouded intellect after the original fall, man is also required to educate his conscience to discern God’s will as revealed in Divine Law.” (CCC 1778)

 ELECTION ISSUES

Abortion is an intrinsic evil. It is intended to kill the innocent human being growing in the mother’s womb and is never permitted.  Abortion is not an acceptable means of birth control or a choice of the parents for a preferred gender or because a baby will be inconvenient. Nor is it acceptable to abort a child that may suffer from some disease or disability.  That is euthanasia of the unborn.

Human life is sacred. Direct attacks on innocent human beings are never morally acceptable. Within our society, life is under direct attack from abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, and destruction of human embryos for research. These intrinsic evils must always be opposed.

God chooses life but not just the life of the unborn but the life of the already born.  Jesus in his public ministry addressed the needs of the living by healing those from the effects of original sin, forgiving sins, healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching justice, and calling that we all be one like He and the Father are one.

Catholic Christians have been continually disappointed by politicians who say they are pro life when in fact they are more anti-abortion  than PRO LIFE ISSUES.  Pro Life is a seamless garment.  When these politicians get in office because of well-intentioned Christian votes, they consistently oppose the “common good.” They often seem to care very little for the needs of the already living human beings that Jesus addressed in His public ministry.

WHAT IS THE “COMMON GOOD”

 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1906-1909

“the sum total of social conditions which allow people to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.”….public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person…the right to act according to a sound norm of conscience,  safeguard privacy, freedom in matters of religion.”…and the stability and security of a just order.

 US CATHOLIC BISHOPS GUIDELINES FOR VOTERS

A consistent ethic of life should guide all Catholic engagement in political life. Catholics should commit to defend human life and other human rights, from conception until natural death, to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God.

We focus on the “common good” We ask how we can make the world a better place; not how I can improve my personal situation.  Other assaults on human life and dignity, such as genocide, torture, racism, the targeting of noncombatants can never be justified. Disrespect for any human life diminishes respect for all human life. As Catholics we are not single-issue voters.

 Caring for God’s Creation Care for the earth is a duty of our Catholic faith. We all are called to be careful stewards of God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for vulnerable human beings now and in the future

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable While the common good embraces all, those who are in greatest need deserve preferential concern. A moral test for society is how we treat the weakest among us—the unborn, those dealing with disabilities or terminal illness, the poor and marginalized, The Federal budget is a moral document and must provide as well for the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

 Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Economic justice calls for decent work at fair, living wages, opportunities for legal status for immigrant workers, and the opportunity for all people to work together for the common good through their work, ownership, enterprise, participation in unions and other forms of economic activities.

Immigration needs be addressed in a humane way with compassion, while securing and protecting our borders.  We must welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin out of charity and respect for the human person. We have the right and duty to secure one’s border and enforce the law for the sake of the common good. Sovereign nations have the right to enforce their laws and all persons must respect the legitimate exercise of this right.

CONCLUSION

We must be the leaven in society that bears witness to the Truth and bring others into God’s reign on earth.  If you truly live your Catholic faith, you may not find complete alignment with any political party.   Pray and Trust in Jesus that the vote you cast is the best vote you can cast.

Let us continue to pray for one another in our discernment process and forming a conscience according to God’s will as revealed in Divine Law.

Let us call on the Holy Spirit in our discernment as we prepare to perform not only our civic duty but our moral duty.

Come Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of your faithful,

kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And you shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,

did instruct the hearts of the faithful,

grant that by the same Holy Spirit

we may be truly wise

and ever enjoy His consolations,

Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

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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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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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“God’s love requires that we give our best
to each and every one of our brothers and sisters,
even those who are in the final stage of their life. “
Pope Francis REGINA CAELI address May 6, 2018 Vatican City

EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia, called by the secular state euphemistically “Death with Dignity” is always immoral. Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, chairman of Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), reported, “A government that legalizes assisted suicide sends the terrible message that there is such a thing as disposable people.

Abortion is already legal which means if you don’t want the child you can get rid of it before birth. Now that Abortion is legal, some human life is established legally as disposable. There are now, some people who want to take it to the end of life, people too frail, too mentally disabled to work and contribute to society. Leaders of the “aid in dying” movement have also voiced support for ending the lives of people who never asked for death, whose lives they see as meaningless or as a costly burden on the community.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states it this way, 2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

Compare the language of doctor assisted suicide protocol and Catholic directive for end of life health care. You can compare man-made law with a follower of God-made law. Many states already have established “Death with Dignity” laws. You be the judge of where you fit in.

DEATH WITH DIGNITY REQUEST (STATE OF OREGON
I, __________ am an adult of sound mind. I am suffering from_________________ which my attending/prescribing physician has determined is a terminal disease and which has been medically confirmed by a consulting physician. I have been fully informed of: my diagnosis; prognosis…. I request that my attending/prescribing physician prescribe medication that will end my life in a humane and dignified manner.

EXAMPLE OF CATHOLIC DIRECTIVE REGARDING MY HEALTH CARE

My Catholic faith teaches that all human life is a precious gift from God from the first moment of conception to the moment of natural death, and that euthanasia and assisted suicide are not morally permissible. Therefore, I oppose any action or inaction that is intended to cause my death. I always wish to receive basic care, which will allow me to be most comfortable including food, water, and pain control.

 

I wish to receive medical care and treatment appropriate to my condition as long as it is useful and offers a reasonable hope of benefit and is not excessively burdensome to me, i.e., does not impose serious risk, or some other extreme burden. If I am unable to eat and drink on my own, nutrition and hydration administered by medical means should be provided to me unless death is inevitable and imminent so that the effort to sustain my life is futile, or unless I am unable to assimilate food or fluids.

I request and direct that medical treatment and care be provided to me to preserve my life without discrimination based on my age, physical or mental disability, or the “quality” of my life. If my death from a terminal illness is imminent, I wish to refuse treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of my life. I wish to be attended by a Catholic priest, receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum.

PALLIATIVE CARE

The World Health Organization defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” The intention of palliative care is neither to hasten nor delay death and acknowledges that dying is a normal process.

Effective palliative care allows patients to devote their attention to the unfinished business of their lives, to arrive at a sense of peace with God, with loved ones, and with themselves. Learning how to face this last stage of our earthly lives is one of the most important and meaningful things each of us will do, and caregivers who help people through this process are also doing enormously important work.

Suffering need not be meaningless but can bring us closer to the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of the world. The Catholic View is best expressed by Saint John Paul II when showed us all in public what it meant to die with dignity and suffer the pain and humiliation of a diminishing human life right before the very eyes of the whole Church of the faithful. St. John Paul explains suffering brought on by natural aging below:

“Suffering is part of human existence from birth until death, and every human person suffers in a variety of ways: physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. Suffering in one form or another accompanies each of us every day. It is an inescapable feature of human existence”…The suffering of Christ leads to his glory; so, too, does the suffering of Christians”.

Below is a quote from Fr. Robert Spitzer S.J. regarding suffering with Jesus. “Jesus taught us that suffering can be offered to the Father as a loving self-sacrifice for the salvation of souls and the strength of the Mystical Body of Christ. This purpose of suffering also derives its remarkably positive power from the Resurrection and the risen Christ, who is the body through which all Christians, in this world and the next, are unified and nourished (see 1 Cor 12:27 and Rom 12:5). When we offer our sufferings to God in loving self-sacrifice, we strengthen every part of the risen body of Christ (see Col 1:24), which has exceedingly positive value. The greater our suffering—offered as loving self-sacrifice in imitation of Jesus—the more positive the effects upon the Mystical Body of Christ.” (Spitzer, Robert J, The Light Shines On in the Darkness: Transforming Suffering through Faith)

When patients and their families are faced with a terminal illness such as cancer or other progressive, non-malignant conditions, pain management is paramount. Pain is subjective; each person’s experience is unique. Moreover, physical pain can cause depression, anxiety, and may negatively affect relationships.

Catholic moral teaching accepts that although pain management can relieve physical suffering, it can also result in the patient’s loss of consciousness. If unconsciousness or a shortened life is not the intention of the pain medication, administering high doses is morally permissible.

 

In Evangelium Vitae, Pope St. John Paul II reiterated: “In such a case (use of painkillers and sedatives), death is not willed or sought, even though for reasonable motives one runs the risk of it: there is simply a desire to ease pain effectively by using the analgesics which medicine provides” (65).

Since nutrition and hydration are basic human needs, we often feel an overwhelming desire to give our dying loved ones food and water. However, when death is imminent, food and water are unnecessary and may even add to the person’s suffering. Saint John Paul said in 2004, “nutrition and hydration should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality, providing nutrition and hydration is not always prudent.”

If a medical treatment is physically painful, unlikely to be successful, is experimental, has severe side effects, causes a financial burden, or is psychologically difficult, it is deemed extraordinary and there is no moral obligation to accept it. While the Church upholds that all life is sacred and must be protected, patients and their families are not obligated to undergo treatments where the burden outweighs the benefit.

Fear is natural and intense in the case of the terminally ill, afraid of being kept alive by burdensome medical technology, of spending the inheritance you have targeted for your family, the fear of experiencing intolerable pain, of lingering with severe dementia. When people are tempted to see their own lives as diminished in value or meaning, they most need the love and assistance of others to assure them of their inherent worth.

Our hope and prayer is that when we grow old or sick that we be surrounded by people who care and respect each and every human life. We deserve to grow old in a society that views our cares and needs with a compassion grounded in respect, offering genuine support in our final days.

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH
PRAY FOR ME AT THE HOUR OF MY DEATH!

 

“You will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16

COMMENTARY
July 25, 2018 is 5Y0th anniversary of Blessed Paul VI encyclical Humanae Vitae. Recently one of our prominent Catholic Colleges, Notre Dame, made a decision to include contraceptives in their health insurance packages to be more in keeping with diversity. It used to be tolerance but now the latest word is DIVERSITY to bash those that hold on to God made laws over man-made laws.

Two generations have passed since the publication of the boldly pastoral and prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae, which upheld the ancient ban on the use of artificial contraception. Perhaps no teaching of the Church causes more scoffing (even from Catholics) than our teaching against artificial contraception

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, the diocese where Notre Dame resides, condemned Notre Dame’s decision by citing Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2370),  “every action which intends to render procreation impossible” is intrinsically evil”

Nowhere in Scripture will you find a teaching of Jesus that says sexual activity is recreational outside the marriage covenant. Did Jesus ever recommend to a prostitute she continue in her occupation? NO! Did Jesus ever encourage marriage and divorce? No! Did Jesus ever find children bothersome or inconvenient? No!

In fact, in Matthew 19, Jesus welcomes children. After His discourse on marriage and divorce, Jesus told his disciples not everyone may accept his teaching on marriage, “Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. Matthew 19:12

HUMANAE VITAE BLESSED POPE PAUL VI
“Each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life (No. 11). The Holy Father continued, “This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage pact” (“Humanae Vitae,” No. 12). We acknowledge God’s design by “respecting the laws of conception…,”Therefore, artificial birth control, sterilization, and abortion “are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children.” NOTE: Pope Francis has announced Pope Paul VI will be canonized a saint this year.
PROMISES BIRTH CONTROL  ADVOCATES MADE:
Happier marriages and a lower divorce rates, because couples will be able to have all the sex they wanted without the “fear” of pregnancy. Lower abortion rates because there will be far fewer “unwanted” children.
Greater dignity for women because they will no longer be “bound” by their reproductive system. .Reduction in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS.

PREDICTIONS OF POPE PAUL VI (HUMANAE VITAE)
AN INCREASE IN MARITAL INFIDELITY AND A GENERAL LOWERING OF MORALITY
The Pope first noted that the widespread use of contraception would “lead to conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality.”
OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN
a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. (HV # 17)
GOVERNMENTS WOULD  IMPOSE CONTRACEPTION ON THEIR POPULATIONS
Who will prevent public authorities from imposing their use on everyone. (HV # 17)
PEOPLE WOULD BEGIN THINKING THEY HAVE TOTAL DOMINION OVER THEIR BODIES
Contraception would lead man to think that he had unlimited dominion over his own body; test tube babies and the like…Individuals convinced they can alter their own physical make-up and gender.
COMMENTARY  “FRUITS” OF CONTRACEPTION
Since the birth control was introduced, legalized divorce has sky rocketed, almost half of marriages now end in divorce. Abortion rates did not decline; they skyrocketed as well. It has been well argued that far from decreasing the abortion rate, contraception actually increased it. Because contraception routinely fails, especially in the hands of the youth, abortion has become the contraception of last resort.

Goverments, like China, have imposed contraception on their citizens. In Obama care there was a mandate that insisted that every insurance plan cover contraception. Our country as well as others insist contraception be part of any aid to poorer third world countries.. “Pale” countries are insisting people of color limit their population. Talk about genocide!

Objectification of women has run rampant as seen in charges against well known celebrities like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Bill O’Reilly. A woman’s dignity as wives, mothers, and daughters is ignored and spoiled by men who take what they want for their own sexual perversity. Pornography is rampant on the internet available even to children, objectifying women in the most disgusting manner..

Sexual immorality has become widespread; huge increases in promiscuity, cohabitation, pornography, child abuse, human trafficking and the like. Youthful pregnancy often leads to single motherhood (absent fathers). Single motherhood often leads to welfare dependence and poverty.

As for preventing/reducing STDs and AIDS: again, big failure. STDs were not prevented, nor did they decrease. Infection rates skyrocketed through the 1970s and 1980s. AIDS, which appeared on the scene in the 1980s continues to show terribly high rates. It seems that contraceptives do not prevent anything. Rather, they encourage the spread of these diseases by encouraging the bad behavior that causes them.

Have women really benefited under this new morality, which contraception helped to usher in? I think NOT! We have learned artificial contraception is a huge failure in meeting its promises; Marriage, families, and children have all taken a huge hit. Bad behavior has been encouraged and all the bad consequences that flow from it are flourishing.

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