Jumping Without A Chute

A Message to the USCCB

   When you lie down with dogs, you get fleas. Your failure to lead contributed greatly to the passing of this abomination. There was no way this would be passed without abortion funding remaining in the bill and you can forget that executive order that has been promised, it will go the way of other promises from Obama such as transparency, 8% unemployment, honesty, and bipartisanship.

   Compared to you people, Neville Chamberlain was a cynic and a brilliant statesman.

Hail, Rabbi.

 

"While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: 'The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.' Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, Hail, Rabbi!'

Matthew 26:47-50 
 Bart Stupak: A Modern Day Quisling

Thoughts on the Feast of St. Joseph

   If there is one Saint of whom I should spend more time in contemplation or whose intercession I should seek more often, it is St. Joseph. While I write this, I sit feeling some guilt for my short temper with Elizabeth and Gianna at dinner. No doubt there are many reasons for this, tired from travel, the fact that when the drain pipe from the tub to the main drain is cut out tomorrow it will no doubt reveal some form of plastic toy as the culprit behind the inability of the tub to drain well, (virgin sulfuric acid, which works on organic materials has been a failure), any number of reasons but, none satisfactory.

   I wonder, while there was no March Madness nor TV to distract St. Joseph, did he ever seek quiet and peace in the shelter of his workshop with the door closed to the outside world, needing time to reflect on what responsibility had been placed upon his shoulders through the vocation of fatherhood? What went through his mind as Jesus watched him working? Fatherly pride as Jesus followed his motions and hammered his first nail or planed smooth and level his first plank? Knowing as every parent knows that their child is special but not quite sure how they will demonstrate the gifts they have been given.

   Gianna is crying now, wanting her pajamas and the comfort of mommy before bed. We are told that Jesus was the model child, never disobedient, quiet, and attentive to the desires of his parents. How many times have we as parents wished for a Christ-like child in the practical sense. As she cries, Elizabeth keeps bugging her and I now have to make the peace and explain to Elizabeth why tormenting her sister is not a good idea. I think of St. Joseph, and I ask for patience.

 

Gospel for Sunday 20100314

This weekend's Gospel readings have both meant a lot to me yesterday's as a reminder of the need for humility and today's as a reminder of my own days as a prodigal.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-3.11-32.

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.' He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"

May 13th, 2010

H/T to Jeff Miller

Flooding

Means that we won't be making it to mass today. My town is an island. While our sump pumps are working their magic and we are not located in the fllood zone, others are not as fortunate. Please pray for those affected by the flooding in my town and in ther surrounding towns.

Glenn Beck, Social Justice, and the Catholic Perspective

   On Glenn Beck's radio program March 2nd, he told his listeners:

"I beg you, look for the words "social justice" or "economic justice" on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! If I'm going to Jeremiah's Wright's church? Yes! Leave your church. Social justice and economic justice. They are code words. If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish. Go alert your bishop and tell them, "Excuse me are you down with this whole social justice thing?" I don't care what the church is. If it's my church, I'm alerting the church authorities: "Excuse me, what's this social justice thing?" And if they say, "Yeah, we're all in that social justice thing," I'm in the wrong place."

   I have often heard Beck called an extremist, an alarmist, an opportunist, and a patriot, a hero, a gifted pundit, etc. I will leave those judgments to his listeners and his opponents. (I am neither.) In this case, I have to say that he is decidedly on the wrong side of the issue.

   Let me predicate this entire post by saying this: It is a well known fact that I am libertarian with conservative leanings, ESPECIALLY, when it comes to the role of government in the lives of citizens. My antipathy towards big government programs, Johnson's Great Society, John Maynard Keynes, and almost every aspect of modern "liberal" and "progressive" thought has been stated on numerous occasions and in numerous places. It is true that many demagogues have used, (and continue to use -Hugo Chaevz-), social justice as a rallying cry or as a means of forced economic redistribution.

   Now then, to heart of the matter, social justice and religion, specifically Catholic Christianity. Beck rails against religious organizations, (for the sake of simplicity we'll call them all "churches.") He claims social justice is code for the progressive agenda. In the political sense, perhaps he is right. In the religious sense, he is deliberately ignoring scripture or he is displaying a tremendous level of ignorance. 

   The teaching of social justice in the Catholic tradition goes back to the old and new testaments and is traced through the Church Fathers and into the political debates of the 19th century that have shaped the modern era. The key tenets have always been, Human Dignity, Solidarity, Charity, Subsidiarity, and Distributism. These are not code words for any progressive take over nor are they the framework for the suppression of free will. They are bulwarks of freedom. Human Dignity, all life has intrinsic value as a reflection of the divinity of the creator. Solidarity, the unity of humanity in the basic fact of existence. Charity, the relationship between man, God, and man. Subsidiarity, that no greater power has the right to take away from people their ability to do for themselves or to force action upon people through deprivation of their rights. Distributism, society should allow for economic freedom across all social and economic lines.

   Were it not for social justice and the tenets of it the world would be a far more dark and cold place. A few things to consider:

1. There would be no defense of life from Conception to Natural Death.

2. The nation of Poland, and much of the world, might still remain under the oppressive rule of the Soviet State.

3. Economic enslavement whether disguised as robber-baron capitalism or redistributive socialism would have no one to stand in its way. The rights of the individual worker and the business owner would be subject to the whims of whomever claimed power.

4. Nations rooted in the rights of man based on natural law would have no foundation upon which to stand.

5. Nations rooted in the oppression of man based on its own law would have nothing of which to fear.

   In response, when you hear the words social justice, consider their source, not their sound. When rooted in truth, social justice is as relevant today as it was in 1st century Judea.  When rooted in the tenets listed above, social justice transcends temporal political debate and the actions and motivations of men. It's tenets are eternal and will continue long after Beck, his supporters, his opponents, and you and I have gone on to what awaits us in the next life.

Today's Gospel Reading

Is one of my favorites. It's both a lesson in humility for me and message for us all.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:9-14.

He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

A Visit To Baltimore

   I returned last night from an excursion to Baltimore. I was visiting St. Mary's Seminary in Roland Park for work as we attempt to recruit more Catholic chaplains. It was a great experience and I had a wonderful time. The hospitality extended by the seminary to me was more than I hoped for I am profoundly grateful to the staff for taking the time to accommodate me and give me all the support I needed. I am especially grateful to Jeff Paveglio, a seminarian at St. Mary's and a chaplain candidate for the NHARNG. He took the time to give me the cooks tour of the facility and ensured that I was included in all of the events that the seminarians took part in, he's good people and I have no doubt will be a shepherd and a sheepdog.

   Normally, I read my LOTH alone. Doing morning and evening prayer with a group of priests and seminarians, hearing voices in song echoing throughout the chapel, and sharing in that spirit of prayer and camaraderie, gave me a new way of seeing my daily devotions.

   Unfortunately, not all of the news in Baltimore is good. The Archdiocese is going to be closing 13 catholic schools. The names of the schools were announced last week and now the backlash has begun. A dear friend was a part of the Blue Ribbon committee that made the decisions. I know that the decisions were professionally and personally hard for him, he will be in my prayers and I ask that you keep him in yours as well.

   One of the schools that is closing, (and the only high school), is Cardinal Gibbons. I have mixed emotions about this. Gibbons has a 48 year history in Baltimore and many famous graduates have emerged from it's classrooms as well as some not so famous ones whose contributions, while not as well known are no less important. I try to consider this when I remember how I felt when I was told to leave by the then principal and the decidedly unchristian manner in which my situation as treated. I am sorry for the pain that this closure is causing those alumni and current students, and I wish them the best; at the same time, I can not bring myself to join  the "Save Cardinal Gibbons" Campaign.

   An interesting snapshot of a Church in transition. A seminary where 70 men from around the nation are in formation for the priesthood in an environment that fosters intellectual growth and development. An Archdiocese that confronts its shifts in population geography and economy. A stormy spring brings both destruction and renewal.