Justice or Revenge

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The gospel reading for today is Jesus’ teaching on the familiar passage “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:23-24).  People often use this passage from Exodus to justify punishment, especially the death penalty.  John J. McDermoot in “Weekday Homily Helps” (St. Anthony Messenger Press) for June 14, 2010 says that the passage was not meant to justify revenge.  Instead, he says that it was meant to put limits on revenge done out of anger.

We are human.  We have emotions.  When someone wrongs us in some way we can become angry.  It can seem so natural but we must keep our anger in check.  When people act out of revenge they might wish to do a greater violence than was done to them.  Thus, an eye for an eye is meant to limit revenge.

Jesus takes it one step farther.  He tells us to turn the other check; a tall order when we know we have been wronged.

So when a person commits a crime, what are we supposed to do?  Do we turn the other cheek?  Anger should never be what controls our actions but we should work to ensure justice is done.  If a person has committed a crime, they should be punished but the goal is not punishment itself.  The goal of the punishment should always be to help the person to see the “error of their ways” and to change their behavior for the better.

So we have two ways of looking at punishment; justice and revenge.

Revenge is guided by anger and anger stands in the way of love.  Anger is this way is one of the seven deadly sins.  Justice can be done as an act of love but not just love towards the victim but also toward the criminal; showing concern for them as one of God’s children.

There is also an element of protection to both revenge and justice.  We need to protect people in general from crime and violence.  Thus, when the crime warrants it, the criminal is placed in prison to make sure they cannot continue to commit act of violence.

When looking at this as punishment and protection, justice and revenge may not seem all that different.  On the outside, they may not be.  On the inside the difference is important; the difference between love and anger.  Love brings us closer to God, anger divides us. 

When we, or someone we love, are the victim of a crime love can seem difficult.  Forgiveness can seem impossible.  So we turn justice over to God’s will.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Reminder of Guidelines for Commenting

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I maintain this blog to help educate people about our Catholic faith.  My desire is to always have constructive and polite dialogue.  I have been writing for this blog since late January 2010 and for over a year before that on a parish blog.  In that time I have allowed comments from people who disagree with me and do my best to respond to them.

Until today the only comments that I have deleted without posting were spam.  Today I received a comment on my posting about Catholic Annulments.  The writer disagrees with me and says that annulments are just Catholic divorce.  I can understand that person’s opinion.  That is not the reason I am removing the comment.  The writer chose to use curse words and to be “un-civil.”

You can find the “Guidelines for Commenting” on my blog by clicking on the tab near the upper-right corner of your screen.  Please follow these guidelines.  It really does bother me to censure comments.  I was tempted to just ignore the comment but I felt the need to be honest to any regular readers and admit that there are people who disagree with me even if I feel it appropriate to post their comment.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What is an Annulment?

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This week I was talking to a couple and they said they had read that an annulment is a “Catholic divorce.”  This is not true.

A divorce is a civil (government) process that ends a legal relationship.  It views marriage as a contract formed when the couple make their vows to each other.  The divorce says that the contract has been broken by one or both spouses.  A divorce may determine that one spouse or both is responsible for the break-up of the marriage.  Some states allow “no-fault” divorces where the couple may just agree to end the marriage without providing a reason.  So much for “to death do you part!”

As Catholics, we believe that marriage is not just a contract.  It is a covenant that is based on love and is an image for us of the covenant that God has formed with his people.  God established the covenant never to be broken.  The couple make their vows to each other for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health until death.

As a covenant, marriage is not to be broken.  It doesn’t always go the way we wish but we are called to rely on God and to do our best to make the marriage work.  However, the Church recognizes that there are reasons for a couple to separate.  For instance if there is physical abuse in the marriage, the church says the victim of the abuse should leave for their own safety.

This does not “end the marriage covenant.”  In such cases, the “victim” may obtain a legal divorce to protect themself.  Then, the question of an annulment arises.  It may seem strange but abuse does not guarantee an annulment.  This is because an annulment does not end a marriage.  Remember, what God has joined, man must not divide.

What does an annulment do then? 

An annulment reviews the history of the couple to establish that the marriage was not “valid” in the fullest sense.  By valid, we do not mean that there was not a marriage.  The couple was married (and all children are legitimate).  This is where it becomes difficult to find the right words to explain this.   By valid, we mean that for some reason the marriage did not have the “fullness” it was meant to.  The most common issue is “consent.”  Was the couple mature enough to understand what marriage is?  Was there alcohol or drug problems that kept one of the spouses from understanding what they were committing to?  Were there psychological problems?  Was one of the spouses forced into the marriage?  All of these may have affected the couple’s ability to consent to the marriage.

It is difficult to explain what an annulment is but I hope this helps.  For more on the Catholic understanding of marriage check out http://foryourmarriage.org/ from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Diaconate Ordination

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I attended the ordination in Rochester of nine men to the diaconate today; eight as permanent deacons and one as a transitional diaconate.  It is always a moving event.  This year I knew three of the men.  One from the parish where I served on my pastoral year, one from the parish where I am currently serving, and one from a neighboring parish that I know through hospital ministry.  I see the three of them all as men who seek not a seat of honor for themselves but rather as men who have truly been called by God to serve as ordained ministers.

I think back to just four years ago as I prepared for my own ordination as a transitional diaconate.  But first, perhaps I should take a minute to explain the difference (and similarities) between permanent and transitional deacons.  Permanent deacons are men who are ordained to serve as deacons with no further plans for ordinations.  They are generally married but if they are not (as was the case with one today) they make a promise of celibacy.  A transitional deacon is a man who is ordained as a deacon with the expectation of being ordained to the priesthood (generally within a year’s time).  Since they expect to be ordained priests they are single men (with rare exception as was today) who make a promise of celibacy.

That is the extent of the difference.  Permanent deacons and transitional deacons can do the same things.  They can perform baptisms, preside at marriages (outside of Mass), and assist at the celebration of Mass (including preaching).  Most deacons are assigned to parish work on a “voluntary” part-time basis.  There are deacons who are active in hospital ministry, prison ministry, and work at agencies such as Catholic Charities.  In the parish, deacons may assist in any of the ministries of the parish.

Now, let me return to my mention of my own ordination as a deacon four years ago.  It was a powerful and grace-filled day in my life.  I had been in formation for six years preparing for ordination.  Six months ahead of the ordination I felt ready and eager to be ordained.  In the final couple of weeks, while I did not doubt my calling to be ordained, I did become very humbled by the thought of being ordained.  I became all the more aware that this was not about me but about serving God and his people.  At the ordination, I knew God’s power and grace.  I can’t explain how but I truly felt I was changed by the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Pray for the men ordained today, to be humble servants of God guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.  They are Mark Bovenzi, Patrick DiLaura, Peter Dohr, Joseph Erway, Paul Sartori, Raymand Garbach, Lon Smith, Thomas Uschold, and Scott Caton. 

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Summer in the Church

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With the celebration of Memorial Day a few days ago summer has “unofficially” begun.  Summer vacations are beginning.  Most colleges have already begun their summer vacations and the elementary and high schools will begin their vacations by the end of the month.  With the summer season people will be travelling or staying at their summer cottages.

Perhaps a reminder is needed.  The schools close for the summer but our churches remain open for the summer!

I’ve seen many parishes that attendance drops significantly during the summer.  Now there are churches near lakes and summer resorts where attendance increases for the summer with the visitors.  Yet, it seems like many people don’t go to any church during the summer.

God doesn’t take a vacation and would like to see you each week.  Our need to receive God’s grace doesn’t stop in the summer.  The Third Commandment remains in effect.

Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

We always need to know the Lord.  Perhaps it is time for all of us to think about what Sunday means to us.  In 2007, I wrote a reflection entitled “Keeping the Lord’s Day: What Does It Mean to Me?” 

What does Sunday mean to you?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Memorial Day

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Today we celebrate Memorial Day.  It has taken on various meanings.  For many it marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season.  In New York State it is the time when people plant most of their gardens, assured that there will be no more frosts after Memorial Day.  Corresponding to the “no more frost” theory, it is the day that many people visit cemeteries to put flowers on the graves of their loved ones.  This is the closest to the original purpose  of the Memorial Day holiday.

The exact origin of Memorial Day is uncertain (see http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html).  Celebrations of Memorial Day date back at least to May 30, 1868.  It was a day to honor those who had died in the Civil War.  Since then it has become a day to honor all who have died in service of our country.

So I encourage you to take a moment today to pray for all the men and women who have died in service of our country.  War is never desirable.  There should never be armed conflict.  War is seldom justified.  The Catholic Church gives seven criteria for a “Just War”.   There has been (and continues to be) much debate as to whether the “wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan are justified.  That is not what I want to talk about today.  While war should always be avoided whenever possible, whenever there is war, whether we agree with it or not, we need to pray for all those involved (on both sides).

We pray for our world leaders, that they always strive for peace through diplomacy, and when they make a decision for military action, that it be quick and only as necessary.

We pray for our military leaders, that as they plan military actions, that they strike only true “military” or terrorist targets, avoiding the loss of innocent life.

We pray for the individual soldiers, for their safety. While they are not responsible for the decision to fight and the planning of attacks, we also pray for them to always seek to avoid collateral damage and the loss of life.

Lastly, on this Memorial Day, we pray for all who have died defending our nation and standing up for freedom and all that is good.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Restored Order

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When did you receive your sacraments?

Most of us in the United States were baptized as babies.  We then receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and our First Eucharist around the age of reason (7).  Then, the next sacrament we receive would be Confirmation.  In the United States Confirmation is typically done sometime between the ages of seven to eighteen.

This is a wide range.  Why?  Many have been taught that Confirmation is a sacrament of maturity.  So the question becomes when is one mature enough to receive Confirmation.  For many, the phrase “sacrament of maturity” is interpreted to mean we have graduated from our religious education.  Others see Confirmation as when we become adults in the church.   Confirmation is neither graduation nor becoming an adult in the church.

Both graduation and becoming an adult can be seen as “rites of passage” meaning they mark a transition from one stage of life to another.  Confirmation as a “sacrament of maturity” meaning that we have come to a new awareness of faith but we must realize that we still have a lot to learn.  In this sense Confirmation is considered a “Sacrament of Initiation.”

There are three Sacraments of Initation; Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.  Baptism is clearly an initation into God’s family.  Confirmation is initiation as marking our growing in awareness of faith.  Eucharist is considering the final step in initiation.  In receiving the Eucharist, our entry into God’s family reaches a new level.

Note that I say the Church sees the Eucharist as the final sacrament of initiation.  That means that both Baptism and Confirmation should be received before our First Communion.  Why hasn’t this been the case?

For centuries, Confirmation, First Eucharist, and First Penance were all received around the age of twelve.  Early in the 2oth Century, Pope Pius XII realized that children under the age of twelve had sufficienct understanding of the Eucharist to receive Communion.  He lowered the age of First Communion to seven years old.  There was no change in the age of Confirmation.  So the order became Baptism, First Communion, and then Confirmation.  This is the order most of us grew up with.

With the Second Vatican Council there was a great interest in examing the historical customs of the Church.  This led to a new awareness of the order of the Sacraments.  The term Restored Order is now used to signify receiving the Sacraments in their original order of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist (if you attend the Easter Vigil you will see this is the order in which the elect receive their sacraments).

Then, under the model of Restored Order, what is the proper age to receive the Sacraments?  Baptism continues to be done on babies.  At the age of seven, one is considered to have reached the “age of reason” and is ready to receive Confirmation and Eucharist.  In this model, then, Confirmation and First Communion happen at the same Mass, first Confirmation after the homily, and then they receive their First Communion with the rest of the congregation.

Restored Order for children is not yet a universal practice of the church but it is an honest effort to follow the original customs of the Church.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

A Choice to Love

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Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a lot of love in the world.  Sad considering that Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbor. 

I believe we have an infinite capacity to love but in our humanness other emotions or misdirected love keep us from truly loving as Christ calls us to love.  For instance, our society places a great emphasis on material goods.  God has created the world so all of creation is good.  But when “things” become the focus of our lives, when having “things” becomes what is most important to us, then our love has become misdirected.  Then, our love of “things” takes away from our ability to love God and our neighbor.  This misdirected love can take shape as greed.

Anger is a powerful emotion that keeps us from love.  How can we love if our heart is full of anger?  When anger first arises in our hearts it may seem justified because someone has done something to hurt us or to take something that belongs to us.  In such cases anger may seem like a natural reaction.  What would Jesus do in such a situation?  He would forgive.  He would let go of the anger.  Then he would love.  It isn’t easy but it is what Jesus would do.  Isn’t it what Jesus does for each of us when we sin?

We are meant to love but there is something that we can think is love but isn’t.  It’s called lust.  We are meant to love one another and there is a special love meant to be from the beginning between a man and a woman as husband and wife.  This love may begin with physical attraction but it grows beyond that.  If the attraction is only physical and leads to impure thoughts it becomes lust and lust gets in the way of our ability to love.

Do you choose to love?  It isn’t easy.  Forgiveness is difficult.  How do we know when we have become too focused on material things?  Do we hold anger in our hearts? Do we love the person we see or is it lust?  Always choose the way of love.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Bishop Called

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On June 30th of this year I will celebrate the third anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.  It has been a good three years and I truly enjoy serving as a priest.  There have been difficult moments both professionally and personally but I know that God has been with me through all of it.  So I look forward to continuing to serve the Lord and all his people as an ordained Roman Catholic priest.

But with three years complete it is time to move to a new assignment.  With that in mind I have been waiting to receive my new assignment.  On Friday, Bishop Clark called me to assign me to Our Lady of the Lakes parish in Penn Yan as the parochial vicar.  The pastor there is Fr. Bob Ring.  The main office is located at St. Michael’s in Penn Yan but it is a group of five churches.  In addition to St. Michael’s the others are St. Theresa’s in Stanley, St. Patrick’s in Prattsburgh, St. Mary’s in Rushville, and St. Januarius in Naples.  It also includes the area of Dundee where St. Andrew’s is but St. Andrew’s recently closed.

At this time I do not know a lot about the parish but what I do know looks to be a positive experience.  When I announced at my current assignment this weekend that I will be going to Our Lady of the Lakes, several of the parishioners said they are familiar with St. Michael’s from visits to Keuka Lake and they always enjoyed going to church there.  Certainly, the Finger Lakes is a beautiful place to live.

While five churches will certainly be a very different experience than being at one parish in Elmira, I look forward to the experience and the opportunity for growth.  The purpose of changing the assignment of newly ordained priests after three years is give us different experiences early in our priesthood.  With that in mind, I see my new assignment to Our Lady of the Lakes to help me continue to grow in service to the Lord.

The one thing I know for a fact is that as I begin this new assignment on June 29th, the Lord will continue to be with me.  Through the Holy Spirit the Lord will always give me the strength, wisdom, and courage to serve him as a faithful priest.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Prayer

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For some people the only time they pray is on Sunday at Church.  For others, they might say they pray the rosary everyday or we say grace before meals.  Some pray regularly for their family and friends.  If you read the gospels you will see that Jesus frequently went off to pray.  Jesus is one in being with the Father.  So, if he needed to pray regularly, then, clearly we need to do the same.

How often should we pray?  How should we pray?

Neither question has a clear cut answer.  It is not about quantity of prayer.  It is about the quality of prayer and our relationship with Jesus.  It is not enough to SAY our prayers; we must PRAY our prayers.

Do we think about our relationship with God as we pray?  Do we listen to the Holy Spirit as we pray?  Or do we recite our prayers from memory while we think about other stuff?

I have to admit quality prayer can be a challenge for me.  I do pretty good at praying often throughout the day but, especially when I am in a hurry, I don’t always pray well; hence quantity but not quality.  I say the prayer as fast as I can so I can get onto something else.  I have to force myself to stop and to truly pray.

As to how often we pray I think we should pray often enough and long enough throughout the day that God is always on our mind and heart.

When you pray, do you give God your list of wants or do you listen to what He has to say?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff