Reverence Lost

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Gone are the days when men came to Sunday Mass in suits and women came in their nice dresses. We are offered something wonderful in the Mass (see my series The Greatest Gift: The Eucharist and Uncovering the Treasurers of the Mass). If we understand what God is offering us in the Mass, his Word in the readings, the sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, and the very Body and Blood of Jesus, we should respond accordingly. We should respond with reverence.

Now, reverence does not require suits and nice dresses but our attire at Mass says something. Do people dress in their most casual clothes for Sunday Mass or do they dress like they know the Mass is something special? Daily Mass can be less formal as some people are going to or from work or other commitments requiring a certain dress. The point is to look respectable and show reverence for what we are celebrating.

Of course, I am not sure if people used to wear suits and nice dresses to Mass because of reverence or because that was what was expected. It is what people did. That wasn’t a bad thing but, if you are familiar with my writings and presentations, you know I like to talk about “depth.” For instance, people routinely pray the Rosary but how much do we think about the words. That was the point of my presentation, Praying the Rosary From the Heart.

It is only when we go deeper into what is going on at Mass that we begin to want to be reverent in our attire and in our gestures. From this depth, also comes genuine “active participation” in the Mass. Active participation is not centered on being a lector, altar server, or a musician at Mass. The term “active participation” was used at the Second Vatican Council to signify our engagement at Mass. Parishioners are not just spectators at Mass. Everyone present is to be attentive and engaged at Mass.

So, why has people’s attire at Mass become less formal? Before we rush to blame the Second Vatican Council, let’s look at society in general.

It used to be everyone came to a funeral dressed up. While many still do, it is not uncommon to see people dressed informally at funerals. Society in general has become less formal. There are men who don’t even own a suit. There are women who don’t own formal dresses.

The emphasis now often is comfort. Comfort is important but there must be more.

Casual everyday attire is fine for casual everyday events but not every event is a casual everyday event. I am not looking for everyone to dress formally. I am looking to help people understand that not all events are the same.

For those who do own formal attire, I invite you to ask yourself, when do you were it? What types of events call for formal attire? Does Sunday Mass qualify?

Does God impressed when we wear formal attire to Mass?

1 Samuel 16:7 helps provide the answer, “But the Lord said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart.” God is most interested in what is in our hearts, not our appearance.

That being said, our external actions say something about what we think on the inside. When we bow to the altar, we are recognizing the altar as the place where we offer the Sacrifice of Jesus in the Mass. The bow is to signify what we believe in our hearts. When we genuflect to the Eucharist in the Tabernacle, we are acknowledging the belief in our hearts that Jesus is present in the consecrated hosts in the Tabernacle.

Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist but here lies the problem. People don’t understand or believe it is Jesus. Now, we aren’t going to understand how the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus. It is beyond us (see Job 38-40) to understand. We don’t have to understand to believe.

Unfortunately, many people do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus. We have lost our sense of “mystery.”

(This slide is from my series, Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace.)

I believe that two things are essential for proper reverence and active participation at Mass. It is a sense of mystery and a belief in the Real Presence of Jesus. To believe in the Real Presence of Jesus requires a sense of mystery. If the only things that we believe are the things we can touch, see, and explain in earthly terms, then we have lost “mystery.” To belief is to believe in what cannot be proven.

God gives us the gift of reason to use. When “reason” is not enough, God reveals himself to us in faith. In becoming incarnate in the flesh, Jesus becomes the visible face of our invisible Father.

From mystery, from faith, comes reverence. We are not just a soul. We are body and soul. When we believe the mysteries of our faith, the external actions of our body will express the faith we have in our soul.

As to the way you dress at Mass, let your soul determine it.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

5th Sunday of Easter, Year A – Homily

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5th Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 6:1-7
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 (22)
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12
May 7, 2023

The first half of today’s gospel reading is probably the gospel reading most selected at funerals.  It makes sense.

Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  The death of a loved one is a difficult time for us.  To comfort us, Jesus tells us that He goes to prepare a place for us in his Father’s House.  Is this not exactly what we want to hear, what we need to hear when a loved one dies?  Jesus has a place ready for them in Heaven.

I think most people would be fine if the reading at funerals stopped there but it doesn’t.  If it stopped there, Heaven would seem guaranteed for everyone but Heaven is not a guarantee.

Yes, Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven.  God wants every single person to be in Heaven but we have a choice to make.

Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Certainly, to come to the Father, we need the forgiveness Jesus brings.  We also need to follow Jesus as “the way and the truth and the life.”

Jesus does not say He is one way or that He is part of the truth.  He says He is the way and the truth and the life.   Remember what Jesus said last week, “I am the gate.” 

If you want to get into Heaven, Jesus is the way.  He is the gate through which we must pass.  You don’t get to do things your own way and then expect to stroll into Heaven.  Of course, Jesus stands ready to forgive us but we have to be repentant.  That means we must desire to follow Jesus as the way and the truth and the life.

We identify ourselves as Christian disciples but what does that mean?

A disciple is a student learning from a teacher.  Jesus is the teacher of God’s truth.  Do we make his Truth our own?

Jesus tells us, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”  Jesus is the way to eternal life with the Father.  He and the Father are one.

Do we allow “ourselves to be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifice?”  Or do we think we are our own creator, that we can determine our own way?

We can determine our own way but there are consequences to our choice.  If we choose Jesus as our way, making him the cornerstone upon which we build our lives, our place in Heaven awaits us.  Choose otherwise…and Satan has a place for you.

I said discipleship involves being students learning from Jesus as our teacher.  There is another element to discipleship. 

It is not enough to learn our faith from Jesus. 

We must put our faith into action.

Here, we can turn to our first reading.  The Twelve Apostles were in charge of the church.  So, “the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected.”

Did the Twelve say they would take care of this themselves?

No!

They said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.”  This was not them saying they were too good to serve at table.  Rather, they realized that they were not called to do everything themselves.

They knew others were called to take care of the “daily distribution.”

They called for the selection of others to this task and then prayed over those selected as they appointed them to the task.

Having done so, “The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.”  I wonder if the Twelve had tried to handle the “daily distribution” themselves, would the number of disciples have continued to grow.  Maybe they would not have had time to tend to the “ministry of the word” and the spread of the faith would have stagnated.

If you have been reading the bulletin in recent weeks, you know we have asked for new volunteers for music, for altar servers, and to help with the flower and bake sale.

It is not my job to do everything.  It is not the job of the staff and deacons to do everything.  We cannot accomplish all that needs to be done without the help of our parishioners.

What is God calling you to do?  Maybe you don’t have the gift of music.  Maybe you can’t help with the flower sale because of allergies.  How about helping with our Community Table or stuffing envelopes or…

Maybe you want to volunteer but are waiting to be asked for the right opportunity?  Then, I suggest you let us know what type of gifts you have and then pray we can identify the right ministry for you.

So, as disciples, I invite everyone to think about what you do to learn more of the truth that Jesus’ teaches us and how God is calling you to put your faith into action.

A New Page on Renewal of Faith

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Today I offer something a little different. I have not written anything new today. What I have done is create a new page on my website that focuses on spirituality.

There is no new material (yet) on the spirituality page. What this page tries to do is to put links to various articles together (mostly from my blog) that I have written on spirituality. If you have been a regular reader of my blog for several years, you may have already seen these materials. If you are a more recent reader, this will help you find articles on topics that might interest you.

So, I hope you will check out my new page at www.renewaloffaith.org/spirituality .

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Does Anybody Notice That I’m Not There?

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Have you ever not gone to something and wondered if anyone noticed you weren’t there? Maybe you were sick or stuck at work. No one calls to see if you are okay. You wonder if they even noticed you weren’t there. Does anyone care?

I recently received an email from one parishioner letting me know that another parishioner was having some health problems and would like a visit from a priest. I was very grateful for the email. I was grateful that the first person let me know of the need for the second person to receive a visit. I became very grateful when I visited the person and found out the person has been dealing with health issues for a while and hasn’t been at church regularly in several years. I would never have known this if not for the email.

In Acts 6:1-7, some people come to the Twelve Apostles complaining that some widows “were being neglected in the daily distribution.” As soon as the Twelve knew there was a problem, they immediately acted to address the situation. That’s why I tried to do above. The email I received that brought the need for a visit wasn’t a complaint. It was a helpful note to me advising me of the situation.

Around the same time I received another email from a former parishioner that “complained” that no one from the parish was reaching out to those who have stopped coming to church and the shut-ins. Here, I want to admit that I don’t visit the homebound that I do know about as much as I should. The reality is I am too busy (more on that later). That being said, I do not know every person who stops coming to church, whether homebound because of health issues or dissatisfaction. The person I visited above has not been to church since I came to here. They were not a parishioner when I used to belong here. So, through nobody’s fault, I didn’t know the person. I didn’t know that they needed a visit.

Even with people who do come to church, I don’t know who everyone is. If I don’t know who someone is, it’s hard to know when they are not there. I hope I am not sounding like I am making excuses. I’m trying to help people understand the reality of the situation. I (and other priests in other parishes) can’t know everyone.

In terms of noticing someone is missing, sometimes I notice a familiar face isn’t at Mass but I don’t know the person’s name. So, I can’t follow up on my own.

Here is where I pray that each person in church is known by someone else. I pray that someone notices when someone is missing. No one should go unnoticed or feel forgotten.

We are called to love our neighbor. When we notice a neighbor in need, what are we supposed to do? Ask yourself what God calls you to do and do it. Last week we had a parishioner become ill and go to the hospital. A friend of theirs did two things. First, she visited her friend in the hospital and she called our office to let us know the parishioner was in the hospital. Because of her call, I went to the hospital and offered the Anointing of the Sick. I am grateful for the person who called. (Please know that, because of HIPPA rules, the hospitals do not call the parishes unless the patient specifically asks them to)

So what should you do if you notice someone isn’t in church? First, if you know the person, is God calling you to call or visit them to see what is going on?

If you don’t know them well enough to call them, do you know another parishioner who is friends with them who could check on them? Or does God want you to let our office know the person is ill?

So far I have been speaking in the context of people who are ill and unable to come. You might be aware of someone who has simply stopped coming to church for no particular reason or because they are upset by something. Either way, can you talk to them about it or is there someone who should?

Returning to those who are unable to come to church because of poor health, it’s time we get ourselves back on track with visits and bringing the Communion. COVID stopped us from gathering together in church for three months in 2020. When we resumed Masses, visits to nursing homes were still not allowed. Home visits remained on hold to avoid spreading the virus. A year later home visits started to resume. It was two years after the shutdown before I could say Mass at the Falls Home. Since then, I have also resumed a monthly Mass at Seneca View Nursing facility. At both places, the people are very happy that I come and celebrate Mass with them on a monthly basis.

I’m writing this in the context of the two churches I serve but the pattern is the same in other parishes. One priest cannot do it all themselves. What we do have is parishioners. When the Twelve Apostles learned that some widows were being neglected, they took action. However, they didn’t try to do it all themselves. Others were found who had the gift and call from God to fulfill the needed ministry. They were appointed by the Twelve to carry out this ministry.

I am grateful for the parishioners we have that are already visiting the homebound and bringing Communion to them. I am also grateful for the visits made by our deacons. Still, I know of a few parishioners who are not being visited regularly. I suspect there are more.

Long before Christ, Moses realized he needed help (see Exodus 18:13-27, Numbers 11) and appointed others to help. Has God given you the gifts to visit the homebound and those in nursing homes and bring them Communion? Is God calling you as a disciple to this ministry?

If you are a member of St. Mary’s of the Lake or St. Benedict’s and feel called to this ministry, please contact me. If you belong to another parish, if you feel God is calling you to this ministry, contact your local parish to see what help is needed.

If you are, or someone you know is, homebound and would like a visit, please let your local parish know.

Lastly, I feel I need to say that my asking for parishioners to volunteer to make visits is not about getting me off the hook. It is always my goal (although I haven’t been doing very good at it lately), to make some visits myself. When people need to be anointed or wish to confess their sins, that means I need to visit them. My goal in asking for volunteers is to ensure all the homebound who want visits are seen on some regular basis. If these visits are done by others, then I can visit everyone on occasion or as needed.

Lastly, a reminder that whether or not you feel called by God to make visits, if you know of someone in need of a visit, please speak up. And pray for those who are called to make the visits step forward to answer the call.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

God’s Call

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Our first reading today begins with Peter standing up with the Eleven. All of the Eleven were called to be Apostles. As God’s calling, this was their vocation in life. Peter is called to be the first among the Apostles. This is his vocation..

Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. The gospel reading on the Fourth Sunday of Easter always comes from the Good Shepherd discourse in chapter 10 of John’s Gospel.

Peter proclaims to the crowd, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” It was God’s plan all along for his Son Jesus to be our Lord and Christ. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who watches over us. I

As we reflect on Jesus as our Good Shepherd and Peter’s vocation as the first among the Apostles, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Catholic Church. When we hear the word “vocation,” our minds may rush to think of priests, religious, and deacons. These are particular vocations but they are not the only vocations. We are all called to serve God in some way. For instance, marriage is a vocation.

How does it start?

Hearing Peter’s entire speech, many in the crowd “were cut to the heart.” They asked Peter, “What are we to do?” Peter answers, “Repent and be baptized.”

John’s baptism was for the forgiveness of sins. To be baptized now includes the forgiveness of sins but it also includes receiving the Holy Spirit and being born from above to life with God. At times we may fall short. Thank God (literally) that Jesus has died for our sins and that Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we can confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. We also give thanks to God for the gift of the Eucharist that He spreads on the table before us where we receive Jesus’ Body and Blood to strengthen us in our vocation to serve as God directs.

It is not easy. Peter writes of the sufferings we face “for doing what is good.” We ask God for the grace to be patient in our suffering. When Jesus suffered, He did not strike back. “Instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.” Do we hand our lives, our sufferings, over to God or do we go astray?

Jesus is the way. He is the way to Heaven. Jesus speaks of those who try to enter the sheepfold through a different way than the gate. Jesus is the gate. To try to enter Heaven another way is like a thief who tries to enter another way.

Jesus speaks of how the sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and how they will not follow the voice of a stranger. We are called to follow Jesus as our shepherd but many do not. Why?

Perhaps they do not recognize his voice. They are too busy living their lives their way. There are many voices in the world total telling us different things. Which voice do you follow?

Do you recognize the voice of Jesus?

God knows each one of us by name. He speaks to each one of us. To recognize Jesus’ voice we need to come to Mass to hear God’s Word. To recognize God speaking to us, we need to pray. To recognize God’s voice, we cannot do all the talking in our prayer. We must give God a chance to speak. We cannot recognize his voice if we do not allow ourselves to hear his voice.

Jesus comes so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly.” We can trust Jesus.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Religious Freedom Today

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The right to choose one’s religion is a basic human right. Yet Christians (and people of other religions) have faced persecution since Jesus Christ walked on this earth. Jesus himself was persecuted. Until Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., Christians faced repeated persecution, even death.

The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity. Christianity became the primary religion in Europe and spread throughout the world. However, people today are not always free to practice their religion.

In recent months, Nicaragua has expelled many Catholics from their country, including whole religious orders and bishops. China severely restricts religious freedom (not just Christians). If you want to belong to a church in China, you must register with the Chinese government and follow what the government says. People who teach religious beliefs that go against what the government says are arrested.

There are countries where it can be illegal to own a Bible or to gather for Christian worship. Internet searches identify as many as 55 countries where it might be illegal to own a Bible or worship in public. The number is uncertain as some countries do not have explicit laws prohibiting Bibles or public worship but do ban/restrict them.

In the United States freedom of religion is one of our founding principles, explicitly guaranteed by the first amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unfortunately, there are people today who are not interested in “freedom of religion.” They want “freedom from religion.” They want no public talk about religion. Not allowing people to speak about their religion openly violates the first amendment’s guarantee of “free exercise” of religion and freedom of speech.

We see restrictions on religious beliefs when health care workers are told they must provide assisted suicide services and abortions or quit their jobs. Here, we are not even talking about people protesting against abortion or assisted suicide. Freedom of speech, including peaceful assembly, is guaranteed in the first amendment but pro-life health care workers are not looking to protest. They simply want “free exercise” of their religion in not being forced to perform procedures that go against their beliefs. This does not deny the patient the procedure. They can go to another health care worker/facility.

This now extends to pharmacists who object to the birth control pill based on religious beliefs to be forced to fill prescriptions for the birth control pill.

It goes even further now. Some government laws and policies say health care workers must provide “gender transition surgeries.” These surgeries go against our Catholic faith. Even if one were to think that such procedures should be allowed, I can’t understand why you were want to force health care workers to do “gender transition surgeries” against their will. Is this not a very specialized surgery involving extensive training? For the safety of the person who seeks to have this surgery, shouldn’t the government be working to ensure only well-qualified health care workers are involved?

Those in favor of abortion, assisted suicide, and “gender transition surgeries” say that anyone who seeks these procedures must be free to have them. Freedom is exactly what we seek for healthcare workers who oppose these procedures. (We call it conscientious objection.) Why does the freedom of one person to have any of these procedures trump the freedom of the health care worker who objects? I repeat, “This does not deny the patient the procedure. They can go to another health care worker/facility.”

Lastly, I would like to offer a thought on freedom of speech. I don’t understand why those who support abortion, assisted suicide, and LGBTQ rights are free to express their opinions while those of us against these are accused of hate speech. Is it wrong to call for attacks on abortion facilities and on individuals who live as LGBTQ people? Yes, it is! To call for attacks is indeed hate speech and we want nothing to do with that. What we seek in speaking in public our beliefs is to help people make a good choice. We want them to hear our side. A person is not really free to make their own choice if they are not offered the other side’s opinion.

I pray that we be able to have what the first amendment guarantees, the free exercise of our religion.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A – Homily

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3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (11a)
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
April 23, 2023

When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times.  The other disciples fled.  Now, Peter stands up and proclaims Jesus.  He speaks of Jesus’ mighty deeds.  He speaks of Jesus as the one they had killed.

What led Peter from denying Jesus three times to boldly proclaiming Jesus to those who had him killed?

Yes, Jesus had been crucified but God raised him up!  God has power even over death.  Peter and the others saw Jesus risen.  Seeing Jesus risen took the Crucifixion from seeming like a defeat to a victory over sin and death.

That alone would have strengthened Peter’s faith but there is more.  Peter and the other disciples had just received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Peter clearly received the gift of courage from the Holy Spirit.

What will it take to get you to proclaim Jesus to others?

At Baptism we receive the same Holy Spirit that Peter received at Pentecost.  We are sealed with the same Spirit at Confirmation.

Are you ready to proclaim Jesus to others?

How is God calling you to proclaim Jesus to others?

All parents are called to teach their children about God.  As a parish, we help the parents but teaching the faith begins at home.

While not everyone is called to preach Jesus in word, we are all called to proclaim Jesus in deed.  We do so by loving our neighbor as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick.  We do these things in love.  Love is from God.

We proclaim God to the world when we put God first.  Frank Sinatra had a song, “I did it my way.”  I don’t want to do these my way.  I know there is a better way.  The best way is God’s way.  God will show us “the path to life.”

Jesus shed his “precious blood” as the “spotless unblemished lamb.” 

How does knowing this change your life?

The first disciples struggled to understand what happened to Jesus.  Following Jesus’ Crucifixion, two of the disciples left Jerusalem and set out on the road to Emmaus.  As they travelled, “they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.”  I suspect they were “conversing and debating” in an attempt to make sense of what had happened.

What happens as they were conversing about Jesus?

“Jesus himself drew near.”  However, they were “prevented from recognizing him.” 

So, they assumed Jesus was just another Jew leaving Jerusalem. (Remember it was the Passover time.  So, many Jews had come to Jerusalem and were now leaving.)

Jesus initiates a conversation with the two disciples by asking “What are you discussing?”.

They are surprised He couldn’t guess.  To them, what had happened to Jesus was so astounding that they assumed everyone had heard about it. 

They tell him what had happened, speaking of him as “a prophet mighty in deed and word” who they were hoping would be the “one to redeem Israel.”

They had great hope in Jesus but now they are downcast because Jesus has been crucified.  It seems Jesus has been defeated.

To add to their confusion, Jesus’ tomb has been found empty and angels had said “he was alive.”  How could this be?

It might seem they had lost faith but their hearts were not closed.

Jesus began to speak to them of how it was “necessary” for the Messiah to suffer.  “He interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.”  They began to understand but still did not recognize him.

When did they recognize Jesus?

In the breaking of the bread. 

Today, we can match up what happened to Jesus to the prophecies of the suffering servant in the Old Testament.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, when we read Scripture together Jesus becomes present among us.  This is the first half of Mass.

Then we break bread.  We celebrate the Eucharist.  This is when the two disciples recognized Jesus. 

Unfortunately, many people, even practicing Catholics, do not recognize Jesus in the Eucharist.  If one looks at the bread and wine only in rational terms, it might seem ridiculous to think the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

God has given us the gift of reason to learn things.  However, reason cannot supply all the answers to questions about God.  God is beyond our human comprehension.  However, when “reason’ is not enough, we have something greater, “faith.”  In faith, Jesus chooses to reveal to us his presence in the Eucharist when He says this is my body…this is my blood.

Do you recognize Jesus in the Eucharist?

Do your hearts burn within you when you hear God’s Word?

What is your reaction to what you hear in church?  What is your reaction to what we celebrate in the Eucharist?

The two disciples recounted to the other disciples of their experience with the risen Jesus.

Do you show your experience of Jesus with others?

When you leave church, do you converse with others about what you have experienced?  Converse about Jesus and He will become present.  We may not see him as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus did but our hearts will burn with his presence.

God’s way is not popular today but that doesn’t mean it is the wrong path.  Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Recent Pro-Life News

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I write this during the second week of our Easter season. It is a season of resurrection. Thus, it is a season of life. If we are to enter into eternal life in the resurrection, we must first be good custodians of life in this world. After all, Jesus says, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities” (Matthew 25:23, see Matthew 25:14-30 for context).

In recent days there has been news regarding both life in the womb and life at the end that I would like to offer some thoughts on.

I will start with life in the womb. There are cases in the courts concerning the abortion pills and their approval process. Two federal courts in different districts have issued conflicting decisions. One said the FDA process was not properly followed so that judge ordered the suspension of the FDA approval. The other judge has said the abortion pill approval was valid and stands. Our federal Department of Justice has applied the first judge’s ban and asked the Supreme Court to step in.

It is my understanding that the abortion pill first gained approval 20 years ago. Knowing medical science develops and with it pills, I don’t know if there have been subsequent approvals for updated pills. I am not a medical or legal expert. We must always consider the medicine behind any pill. The most important question is, “Is the medicine safe for the person taking it?”. On the legal front, we must ensure proper processes were followed for FDA approval (again for the safety of the patient).

However, I think sometimes what gets lost in these legal actions is the need to help people understand why we are pro-life (see my series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love). If we change hearts so that no one will seek an abortion, then we have succeeded.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pursue legal action. When it is appropriate, we should. Even then, we must do so in a way that articulates why we are pro-life. This is not easy. In the news stories about these current court cases, I have not seen much mention of the pro-life position. The coverage is about the legal battle between the two sides.

It is hard to dialogue on these issues. Those who hold a pro-choice position say we are against a woman’s right to choose. We are not. The question is the baby alive and have its own rights (see my article, “Biology Makes Me Pro-Life”). Seeing the baby as alive, the mother’s right to choose does not trump out the baby’s right to life. The woman made a choice when she choose to engage in intercourse, knowing pregnancy was a possibility. Here, I freely acknowledge a woman right to choose to engage in intercourse was denied if she is raped. In those cases, two wrongs don’t make it right. The support for life, in this case the baby’s life, must have the highest priority.

Now, switching to the end of life issues, Canada recently issued new guidelines for assisted suicide (see Kevin J. Jones, “Canada’s assisted suicide guidance for docs: ‘virtual’ assessments, and don’t tell patient’s family.” Catholic News Agency. 4/14/23. Online at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254096/canada-s-assisted-suicide-guidance-for-docs-virtual-assessments-and-don-t-tell-patient-s-family).

These new guidelines are a mixed bag to me. For those who put a patient’s right to privacy as an absolute, it could seem like a victory. However, I am very concerned that the health care workers are told not to tell the family. My first concern is ensuring that it really is the patient’s choice and not a health care worker’s choice. Related to this is concern over whether the patient is competent to make the decision. Morally, there is always the concern of the patient receiving the support they need to make a good decision. Does the patient think they are doing it because of what they think the family wants? If so, the family should have something to say.

I also find the guidelines a mixed bag for health care workers who believe that assisted suicide is wrong. There is a positive in the guidelines that it says these health care workers should not be forced to participate in suicide. However, they must refer the patient to someone who will help them with their desire to end their lives. Yes, the patient has their right to choose but I don’t see it necessary for the health care workers who opposed assisted suicide being compelled to refer them. I suspect the patient won’t have a hard time finding a doctor on their own who will help them.

Before ending, I will briefly mention the concern expressed in the news article over the virtual visits. More and more medical visits do happen virtually. There is concern over whether that is good medicine. In cases of assisted suicide, we are literally talking about decisions of life and death. It seems in-person consultations would be appropriate to ensure sound decisions.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Divine Mercy

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We are all in need of God’s Divine Mercy. Following the revelation of the Divine Mercy devotion by Jesus to Sr. Faustina, Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday (cf. my article “God’s Gift of Mercy”).

Jesus is our Savior. Jesus reveals Divine Mercy to us as He endures his Passion and willingly gives his life for us on the Cross.

Forgiveness is a key part of mercy but God is also mercy in caring for us in other ways.

Jesus knew that after his Crucifixion that his disciples were afraid for “for fear of the Jews.” Thus, He came to them in the locked room. He did this to relieve their fears. He did this to reveal the Resurrection to them. “He showed them his hands and his side” so that they would know that He is the same Jesus who died for them on the Cross.

Thomas was not there. When the other disciples tell him that Jesus had “stood in their midst,” Thomas did not believe them. Jesus could have rejected Thomas for his doubt but He did not. Thomas had faith. He did not doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. Thomas’ only doubt was that Jesus had appeared to the disciples. No one had ever risen from the grave before, let alone appeared to others. Thomas doubted because he didn’t understand. Jesus made himself known to Thomas in his doubt.

Someone might like to ask, “Then why doesn’t Jesus appear to me when I doubt?”.

While Jesus does not appear to us as He did to his disciples after the Resurrection, that does not mean that He doesn’t make his presence known to us. God is merciful to all of us. Think of a time of distress in your life. Did you pray to God for help? If your prayers were not answered in the way you wanted, did you lose faith? Or did you continue to believe? I think that our continued belief in times of distress is a sign that God is present with us even if we are unaware of it.

God is merciful. While our faith may waver, God does not condemn us. In Divine Mercy, He is right there at our side. As Peter writes, it is God “who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,” We “may have to suffer through various trials” but our perseverance in those trials comes from God’s Divine Mercy and shows the “genuineness” of our faith.

It is in faith that we make God the “cornerstone” of our life.

What does it mean to make God the “cornerstone” of our life?

It is not enough to show up at Mass once in a while. Jesus says, ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (see Matthew 7:21-23).

If we genuinely wish to make God the cornerstone of our lives, then we need to follow the example of the first disciples. “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.” When the first disciples did this, “every day the Lord added to their number.” When we follow Jesus, others see our faith and come to follow Jesus for themselves.

We need to follow the teachings God offers us in His Word through Moses, the prophets, and the Apostles. We need to follow his teachings revealed to the Church through the Holy Spirit. When we fall short, we trust in the forgiveness of God’s Divine Mercy.

We need to live the communal life. This does not mean that all of us are called to live in poverty. The Church teaches that private property is permissible as long as we are willingly to share what we have with others in need (see my article, “The Right to Private Property and Loving Our Neighbor”).

The “breaking of bread” is what we know as the the celebration of the Eucharist. It is something we are called to do each Sunday (see my recent series, The Greatest Gift: The Eucharist to understand all that God offers us in the Eucharist.

And, of course, we need to pray. Prayer is not just giving God our list of requests. Prayer involves opening ourselves to God (see my series, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Easter is Not Over!

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The day after Christmas it is not uncommon to see Christmas trees already being discarded. However, in the Catholic Church, Christmas is seen as too important to be over with a single day. We celebrate it as a season that includes the Feast of the Holy Family, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, The Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord. While the exact length of the Christmas season varies, it generally ends between January 8th and January 15th with our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

Two days ago we celebrated Easter Sunday. The tomb was found empty on the first Easter morning. Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia!

Like Christmas, Easter is too important to celebrate for just a single day. First, we cannot celebrate the Resurrection without celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and the Crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday. To celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we must first celebrate his death. Through Jesus’ Institution of the Eucharist, every time we celebrate Mass, we are celebrating the Paschal Mysteries, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.

As I mentioned above, Christmas is a season that varies in length. The length of our Easter season is fixed and it is determined by what we read in the Bible. After his Resurrection we know that Jesus spent forty days on Earth until his Ascension. We can read this in the Bible in Acts 1:3. Forty days is a significant number in the Bible. It rained for forty days and forty nights in the great flood in Noah’s day (see Genesis chapters 6-9). Moses spent forty days on the mountain with the Lord to receive the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:28). The Israelites spent forty years in the desert (Deuteronomy 8:2). Jesus spent forty days in the desert leading up to his temptation by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-12).

During the forty days after his Resurrection, Jesus taught his disciples what it means to rise. We hear the story of Doubting Thomas (see John 20:19-30). He showed the disciples his hands and sides to show that He is risen with the same body in which He was crucified. He helps them understand how all that happened fulfilled what had been foretold in his encounter with two of his disciples on the Road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13-35). He commissioned his disciples and gives us our mission to “make disciples of all nations” in Matthew 28:16-20.

While forty is an important number in the Bible and it is how long Jesus spent on Earth after his Resurrection, forty days is not the length of our Easter season. Easter is fifty days long. It ends on Pentecost. Acts 2:1 begins, “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled.” Pentecost was a Jewish feast but the Pentecost we celebrate today is a new Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the first disciples (see Acts 2:1-11). The very name of this feast, Pentecost, tells us that it occurs fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus. How? Because the word “pentecost” means “fifty.” This ties it back to Easter, which is why celebrate the season of Easter until Pentecost and it tells us how many days it is.

Thus, Easter lasts for fifty days. In discussing how long Easter is, I would be remiss if I did not include something on the Octave of Easter. Our Catholic Church celebrates two octaves each year. The first is the Christmas Octave and the second is the Easter Octave. An octave is a period of celebration for eight days for great feasts. Christmas and Easter are the two greatest days of the year. So, we celebrate them with octaves.

The celebration of octaves as eight day celebrations is not an invention of Catholics. We read in Genesis 21:4 how Abraham had his son Isaac circumcised when he was eight days old “as God had commanded.” This was still practiced when Jesus was born as He was circumcised on the eighth day (see Luke 2:21).

The New American Bible Revised Edition, gives the heading “Octave of the Ordination” to Leviticus chapter 9, which begins, “On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his son.”

The First and Second Book of Maccabees contains the story of a terrible time when the Jews were overcome by their enemies but not defeated forever. The Jews are victorious. A new altar is built (1 Maccabees chapter four) and an eight day celebration follows (1 Maccabees 4:56) (This is Jewish feast of Hanukkah, which is still celebrated by Jews today).

So, clearly Catholics did not invent the idea of eight day celebrations but there is a particular Christian significance to the eighth day. Jesus rose on the first day of the week, marking a new beginning. As Christians we see this as the eighth day.

Easter is not over. There is much to celebrate.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff