Advent Reflection: Tender Mercy

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God…” 

Three characters take center stage during the Advent Season – Isaiah the Prophet, John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of the Lord.  Isaiah captures the longing of the people of the covenant who never lost hope that the Lord would fulfill his promises to them.  That hope would burn brightly in their hearts and sustain them during the many challenges that marked their history. 

John the Baptist, sometimes referred to as the ‘first evangelist,’ heralded the coming of the promised one as he called his contemporaries to ‘prepare a way for the Lord!’  The baptism of John was one of repentance and he would be privileged to baptize the Messiah, the giver of the definitive Baptism leading to a radical new life in Jesus himself. 

And finally, Mary, the mother of the Lord.  We Catholics together with our Orthodox sisters and brothers, venerate Mary as the first disciple and the living ark of the new covenant that would be realized in her son.  Mary’s unique role in this History of Salvation depended completely on her son whom she bore in the Mystery of the Incarnation that first Christmas morning.  That is the reason why the most ancient images of Mary in Christian art would never think of portraying her alone.  She is always imaged lovingly carrying her Son, the Savior of the world.  Her venerable and ancient title as Theotokos or “God-bearer” reflects this reality. 

In Eastern iconography there is a particularly moving image of Mary that powerfully conveys her dignity as the “God-bearer” of Jesus.  It is called ‘Our Lady of Tender Mercy’ and depicts the child Jesus with his cheek next to his mother and arms embracing her.  In the simplicity and power of this image we witness the summary of our theology about Mary in visual art.  For, she is the mother of mercy itself as she gifts that reality to a world waiting to be transformed by a love and mercy that knows no bounds.  That, my friends, is our greatest gift this Christmas and every Christmas of our lives. 

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God…”

Advent Reflection: Rejoice Always

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 

It may seem incongruous in the midst of a pandemic where there is so much fear and anxiety, illness and death, for us to hear a scripture passage urging us to ‘rejoice always!’ Yet, for the faithful Christian, it is precisely in the midst of challenges, suffering and trials that our faith urges us, once again, not to lose heart and even to rejoice! 

Perhaps, part of that incongruity lies in our misunderstanding of what truly constitutes true joy in our lives.  Joy is not the fleeting emotion that puts a silly smile on our face.  Nor is joy, necessarily, the feeling of happiness when everything is going our way. 

Rather, the kind of joy that St. Paul speaks of today is anchored in an unwavering relationship of hope and promise in the one who speaks to us those freeing words, ‘fear not, I am with you always!’ 

For Christians who truly live Advent in their lives, no tribulation, anxiety or fear will ever have the last word in our lives.  Why? Because our lives have be redeemed by the unfailing love and mercy of a God, who in his Son, Jesus, our Emmanuel, has made a home with us.  In that home, no one is ever a stranger, all have a place at his table of love and mercy.   

And so, my friends, it is that reality of being forever ‘found’ by our loving God and having a home in his heart that is the foundation of our joy, a joy that will have no end. 

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Advent Reflection: Comfort, comfort my people

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God. 

Each day we hear the rising number of Covid-19 deaths and infections across our country. While there are those who, perhaps, wish to avoid the news, it is difficult since news sources are inundated with the unsettling toll that this pandemic is taking. 

The stories of those who have endured the heartache of losing a loved one to this virus are legion.  In normal circumstances, as a loved one faces the reality of death, it is only natural that we surround them physically with our comforting presence.  We reassure them that in this moment of leave-taking, they are not alone.  We accompany them at this still-point moment in our earthly journey with the comforting assurance of our unfailing love and prayers. 

The tragedy of Covid deaths is that invariably that human presence and touch is often missing for fear of contagion.  We are left with iPhone or iPad encounters to offer our loved ones, comforting words of affection and farewell.   

For people of faith, we believe that the Lord himself grieves with us as we bid farewell to those we love as the finality of deaths claims our loved ones.  As Isaiah the Prophet reassures us today, it is the Lord himself who bids us to comfort others with his own loving presence in the midst of whatever hardship, challenge or trial that may be part of our human journey. 

So often it is to doctors, nurses and medical personnel that the charge to comfort is given from the Lord of life and endless love in this challenging moment.  They now become the Advent people who carry the promise of unending hope to those in the shadow of death.  

Sisters and brothers, as we journey in this Season to the bright promise of thankful remembrance of the Lord’s birth, let us hold these front-line healers and comforters in our heart.  May the Lord grant them strength and courage to not grow weary and to know that we hold them in grateful prayer. 

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.

Advent Reflection: Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever

“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come… 

One of the great highlights in my life as a priest was my involvement with the 1987 Second Pastoral Visit of Pope St. John Paul II to the United States.  As part of the preparation for this historic event, liturgical composers here in our Country were commissioned to write special music for the liturgical celebrations that were a center-piece of the visit. 

Together with On Eagles Wings by the American priest composer, Jan Michael Joncas, there is probably no more beloved or familiar hymn than, I am the Bread of Life, by Sr. Suzanne Toolan.  A less well-known hymn that she was commissioned to compose for the 1987 Pastoral Visit of His Holiness, is the hymn, Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever.   

I mention this moving hymn today as the Church enters a new liturgical year with this First Sunday of Advent, because in the simplicity of this refrain, we have captured the entire theology of the Advent Season. 

This season of hope and promise has three temporal dimensions, past, present and future upon which the eyes of our heart are to be focused.  We remember with gratitude the longing of our ancestors in the faith for that moment promised to them by God when the Lord would break into history itself and reveal the fulness of his presence in the one we call, Emmanuel – God is with us.   

Yet, Advent is no mere experience of nostalgia, wedded solely to the past.  We remember the present moment of our lives when the God of unfailing mercy and love continues to break into our lives sacramentally in the Church that is his living Body today.   

While we cherish that divine presence in the present moment of our lives, Advent calls us to look to the future – to be watchful and alert -for when the Lord of all Creation will come again – to judge the living and the dead – and to transform all of created reality in his great Second Coming. 

Past, Present and Future.  We remember the past with gratitude.  We celebrate the present with hearts filled with faith and love.  We look forward to the future coming of the Lord with Hope.  Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever!

Sunday Reflection: Christ, King of the Universe

I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal… 

Since my teenage years, I have always been attracted by the beauty and simplicity of Byzantine iconography. This is one of the earliest forms of Christian art that emerged from Eastern Christianity.  Some years ago, during my traveling days, I acquired a splendid icon in Athens of Christ seated in Glory as King of the Universe.  In Greek, this classical depiction of Christ coming in glory at the end of time is referred to as Cristos Pantocrator.  The image exudes the sovereign power and majesty befitting the Lord of Creation.  The Lord is surrounded by a host of angels as he comes to judge his creatures at the end of time.  It is the visual depiction of the story we find in the Gospel today taken from the 25th chapter of Matthew on this Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe. 

When we think of a King, it is only natural for our mind’s eye to go directly to one who exhibits unlimited power.  Ancient kings were absolute in their power.  How paradoxical, then, that on this Feast that conjures absolute power, that our first reading today should speak of shepherds and sheep, the very antithesis of Kings and their subjects. 

Within that paradox, my friends, stands the reality of the Lord’s true sovereignty over all creation.  Not the capricious and arbitrary power of a narcissistic potentate but, rather, the image of the simple and loving shepherd whose life is given over for his sheep – to seek out the lost, bind up the wounded and heal the sick. 

The Feast that brings to a close our Liturgical Year, a year that we will never forget, speaks of our Eternal Shepherd who will judge our hearts at the end of time precisely on how well we, too, have been there for others who were lost, abandoned, sick, imprisoned, the homeless, the naked or broken in anyway.  Christians will ultimately be judged, not for their theological brilliance or deft moral reasoning but simply how well they have recognized Christ in one another and reverenced that divine presence in one another.  

I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal…

Sunday Reflection: Children of the Day

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief. 
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day. 

My morning ritual for these past challenging months of the pandemic is to check the statistics of those who have both contracted Covid as well as those who have tragically died the day before in the New York Times.  For the past weeks, those numbers have sadly been spiking, as all the epidemiologists had soberly predicted.  Who would have thought that in this age of medical and scientific wonders that we would be facing the same pandemic challenge that the world wrestled with in 1918?  

It is so very easy for many faced with the dire predictions of the daily news to become oblivious of the Good News that should be the rock and anchor of hope for us who profess to be followers of the Christ who is the light of the world.  How easy it is for us all to let our fears paralyze us and drain our lives of the hope that will ultimately sustain us through the challenges of this life into the glory of the next. 

Those words perhaps trip easily off the lips of those who haven’t had to deal with the wrenching and agonizing death of a loved one by Covid.  Yet, even for those who have had to face the crucible of this wretched disease, all the more is the hope that Christ has brought to a waiting world for nearly 2000 years, that must be our guiding light leading us through this valley of darkness. 

As much as all of us cling to the goodness and beauty that our lives and this world brings, the Good News of the Gospel reminds us that you and I are essentially pilgrims in an alien land.  We have an eternal destiny and, as St. Augustine so beautifully stated, our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord!  The author to the Letter to the Hebrews said it best when he said, We have not here a lasting city…. No, our homeland will be with the Lord and all those whom we have come to know and love in this life, in the unending glory of the life and eternal communion to come. 

And so, as St. Paul reminds us today, despite the darkness that surrounds us, let us be children of the day.  And, let us make the beautiful prayer of St. Richard of Chichester our own as we continue our pilgrimage to the promised land. 

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly, day by day.

Sunday Reflection: Solemnity of All the Saints

“Amen.  Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever.  Amen." 

Probably one of the most familiar pieces of great choral music is the beloved, Halleluiah chorus from Messiah by George Frideric Handel.  Tradition has it that when King George II heard it for the first time, he was so moved by the emotions that it stirred within him, that he stood, thus initiated the tradition to this very day that all stand for its singing.   

As much as I love this wonderful piece of music, it was always the final chorus of Messiah that claimed my heart.  Handel, in concluding his epic Oratorio of the life of the Savior, brought to a close his magnum opus by setting to music the text taken from the 7th Chapter of the Book of Revelation.   Logic gives way to poetry for the author of this final Book of the Bible to paint a dramatic picture of what will be when all of created existence is gloriously transformed in Christ at the end of time.  Scripture sings poetically a story of an intimate communion of all peoples around the throne of the Living God in loving adoration.  The brokenness of humanity will be eternally healed as with one heart and mind, the human family of the redeemed sing an endless song of praise and thanksgiving. 

On this All Saints Day, we capture a glimpse of that destiny that awaits you and me as we venerate the women and men down through the centuries who kept their eyes on the eternal prize that is promised by the God of mercy and unfailing love.  While we Catholics cherish the names and stories of those famous Saints that have endeared themselves to us, today we remember the countless unnamed Holy Ones who have been the friends of the Lord through the simplicity of their lives, unmarked and unnoticed by the world.  The countless parents who selflessly sacrificed daily in love for their children; the men and women of integrity who lived daily the Gospel-values they professed with courage and conviction; the priests and religious who brought the Good News of Christ to God’s people, not counting the cost; those who have died for their faith in godless dictatorships down through the centuries and to this very day.  Today, we give thanks to God for the witness of their lives as we, with unfailing hope, look to the day of our eternal communion with them. 

“Amen.  Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever.  Amen."

Sunday Reflection: Justice tempered by mercy

Thus says the LORD:
"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry. 
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans. 

I don’t know about you, but I found this passage taken from the Book of Exodus as part of the first lesson for today’s Mass, particularly strong and uncompromising, coming from the Lord of compassion and mercy.  As much as we might want to rationalize away certain parts of Scripture, not to our liking, these words from the Lord are pretty straight forward.  If we fail to open our hearts and create a hospitable home for the alien, the widow and the orphan who cry out to the Lord, then, there will be a consequence: My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans. 

Is it possible that the Lord of all creation could be using truthful hyperbole in this passage?  Well, I, for one, do not want to find out!  The plain truth remains that both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures present as essential criteria for living the authentic life of faith, our willingness to see all peoples and especially, the alien, the immigrant, widows, the homeless and disenfranchised, as beloved children of God and, indeed, our sisters and brothers.  There is no way around it, we are to see them as God sees them, his beloved who are worthy of protection, love and mercy in the home of our hearts and in the land, we call our own. 

This passage cannot but prod the consciences of those in our own country who have witnessed the virtual dismantling of our immigration system and particularly, the closing of the door to those who seek legitimate asylum from the death-dealing circumstances in their respective countries.  All peoples of good will with an ounce of sensitivity toward the inviolability of the family, have shuddered in incomprehension at the separation of children from their parents, as a cruel and heartless disincentive to immigration into our country.  While every country, of course, understandably regulates immigration through laws that are fair and equitable, justice must always be tempered by mercy. 

My friends, the Word of the Lord, must always be a beacon of light calling us to the true North Star that leads us ever more deeply to living our faith with integrity and authenticity.  May we pray for the courage to let that divine Word, take root in our hearts and in the hearts and minds of the citizens of our beloved country to transform us with truth and justice tempered by mercy.

Sunday Reflection: Repay to Caesar...

At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God." 

With a General Election a little more than two weeks away, how appropriate it is that we have set before us this Gospel passage from Matthew.  From the earliest days of our faith, Christians by and large, did not separate themselves from the rest of civil society but took seriously the Lord’s analogy that we were to be ‘leaven in the midst of wheat.”  In other words, Christians are called to bring the values of Christ to transform the society and world in which we live.  While our ultimate allegiance will always be to God and his Kingdom, we must never forget that we serve that Kingdom by the quality and level of our commitment to the Body of Christ who are our sisters and brothers in Christ. 

Unlike many of the Catholic nations of Europe, the great American experiment in its foundational documents, created a Republic where there would be a constitutional separation between the Church and State.  While our founders would distance themselves from an established Religion, there would be a guarantee of Religious liberty for all.   

In time, such a civil ‘experiment’ away from an established Church and the guarantee of Religious liberty which was viewed with suspicion by the Catholic Church was eventually blessed in the vision of Church articulated by the Second Vatican Council. 

Catholics are called to faithful citizenship in helping to form a more perfect union together with their sisters and brothers in these United States.  We do so most profoundly by exercising our right to vote.  While neither one of the major political parties in our Country, perfectly reflects the totality of our Catholic ethical vision, we must never let, as they say, the perfect be the enemy of the good.  In other words, as flawed as their positions may be, rendering ‘to Caesar’ means wrestling in conscience with a decision as to what party or individual may bring about the greater good.   

Our Bishops have set before us the challenge that in our vote, a preeminent place should be afforded to those willing to safeguard the dignity of life and especially the vulnerable life of the unborn. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, extends this vulnerability to the life of the poor, the hungry, immigrants, the ailing and the aged, and those who live on the margins of society.  In other words, the haunting refrain of ‘what would Jesus do?’ should be in our minds and hearts as we exercise our civic duty to vote. 

In the end, I would like to make the words of Fr. Michael Ryan, Rector of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, my own: 

Politics have their place and so do political parties, but the demands of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – with its broad embrace of ‘the least, the last, and the lonely’--will always be the decisive factor when it comes to how a Christian forms his or her conscience, and how a Christian exercises the sacred duty of voting responsibly. May Jesus Christ and his Gospel inspire and challenge each of us as we prepare to cast our vote in this election.

Sunday Reflection: Lift your eyes to the mountain

On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.

One of most memorable of all the speeches that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave was on April 3, 1968 at the Church of Christ headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before he was killed by an assassin’s bullet.  In that farewell legacy talk, he said: 

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live – a long life; longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So, I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. 

Steeped in the Biblical imagery of the Hebrew Scriptures, Dr. King knew the power and symbolism of ‘the mountain’ for people of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  So often, God manifested his power, might and holy presence on a mountain.  In the mysterious burning bush that was not consumed, God spoke to Moses, the great liberator of his people, commissioning him to ‘set his people free.’  And, it would be on that same mountain top of Horeb, that The Lord would entrust to Moses the law of the covenant in the Ten Commandments.  Good and Pious Jew that he was, Jesus aware of this tradition would be transfigured on the mountain top as he revealed his deepest identity of deified glory to Peter, James and John. And it was on a mountain that he would reveal to his followers the new law of ‘Blessedness’ as he preached the Beatitudes to those who longed for the new covenant of love and mercy that would be realized in the one who spoke those inspiring words.  And finally, on the hill of Golgotha, the King of the Jews would paradoxically reign from the throne of the cross, uniting heaven and earth as he embraced humanity in death, only to redeem it in Resurrection three days later. 

My friends, amidst the incredible challenges that are upon us in this moment of our lives, we are reminded to ‘lift our eyes to the mountain’ where our hope will come.  Raise your vision to the mountain for, as the prophets have said, ‘a people without vision will perish.’   

On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.

Sunday Reflection: Think about these things!

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things. 

Anxiety can paralyze us.  During these months of pandemic, I’m sure that there are not a few of our sisters and brothers who have experienced the paralyzing effects of anxiety and worry.  Am I going to catch the dreaded virus? My job is at jeopardy, what am I going to do.  My rent is due and my unemployment has run out, what am I going to do?  This isolation from family and friends is driving me nuts, what am I going to do?  The litany of anxiety producing things during these extraordinary times appears endless. 

No wonder, then, that our second reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippines provides such healing and comfort for those of us who are heavy with anxiety.  Paul is mining the wisdom of psychology in asking his listeners to ‘think about these things’ that can lift us out of the pit of desolation, anxiety and ceaseless worry.   

So much of the anxiety and you and I face comes from what is called ‘tunnel vision’ in life.  At the end of that tunnel we see only that which is causing anxiety and worry that can paralyzes us with fear.  However, when we broaden our vision, we see the totality of life that can so easily be forgotten – the people who love us, the unexpected and unearned moments of grace and blessing, the beauty and splendor of God’s creation.

A wise spiritual director taught me the importance of the prayer of remembrance and gratitude.  In the midst of whatever moments that may spiral us into anxiety and moments of spiritual darkness, remember the moments in life that have brought joy, love, peace and unearned gratitude.  It might be the smile of a long-forgotten friend, the forgiveness that brought a new beginning in life, a moment of solitude that brought unbelievable inner peace or simply, the cherished memory of a sunset that brought a perfect ending to a day of blessing and grace. 

No wonder, then, that Paul admonishes us in the midst of whatever worries that may burden us, to remember these beautiful words: 

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.

Sunday Reflection: Humility

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others. 

Humility is probably one of the most underrated and underappreciated of all the virtues.  Especially in a country that prizes the rugged individualist whose value is often gauged by his or her ability to ‘grab all the gusto there is’ or who considers that winners are the ones who ‘end up with all the toys in life,’ humility is often relegated to wimps and losers. 

How far from the Gospel values such attitudes are.  In Paul’s letter to the Philippians today, we hear the great apostle to the gentiles sing rhapsodically about the virtue of humility which always seeks the good of others. Within this letter we find an ancient hymn that extols the greatness of Jesus because he ‘poured out himself’ as he refused to cling to his divine nature and embraced in utter humility our humanity. 

During this pandemic, I think of the selfless healthcare workers who day in and day out are there providing healing and comfort to the many who have contracted Covid-19.  Often, these caregivers are the last ones the dying see in isolation as they remain at their bedsides in these sad moments of leave-taking. 

The word humility has its root in the Latin word, ‘humus’ or ‘earth/soil.’  People who are humble possess a radical honesty about themselves and others.  They realize that all that they are and all that they have come by way of gift from the one who is the giver of all good gifts.  Humble people reverence the giftedness of creation, the unsolicited beauty of Mother earth and the exquisite beauty of friendship and love.   

Ultimately, my friends, it is humility that is at the heart of human greatness, character and integrity. 

Sunday Reflection: Be worthy of the Gospel of Christ

Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

Social media was in an uproar recently with a YouTube video post of a priest who unequivocally stated that voting for a Democrat for President should bar one from the reception of communion.  With unremitting passion and unfailing sincerity, this priest was obviously motivated by the Presidential election that is less than six weeks away. 

The priest’s Bishop eventually intervened to caution him with fatherly love to reexamine both his judgements and tone and to correct what, obviously, was creating a great deal of confusion, since what the priest was saying did not represent the official teaching of the Catholic Church. 

Ministers of the Gospel and all Christians, for that matter, need to listen with an attentive heart to the wise admonition that we find in Paul’s letter to the Philippians in our second reading today:  Only conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.  My friends, how quickly we forget that wisdom of the ages in the midst of the passion of the moment when we are more prone to react rather than thoughtfully respond. 

The word, “Gospel” means “Good News.”  As Christians, we are called to put flesh and bones on the Good News of Christ by the quality of how we live our lives, interact with one another and finally, by the words we speak. 

We Christians will bring others to Christ far more by the silent witness of our understanding, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and unfailing love than by the self-righteous judgments that we might make in our fanatical obsession with trying to second-guess God himself. 

Let us pray for the wisdom, as St. Francis of Assisi is quoted to have said, to preach the Gospel always, and sometimes, use words!

Sunday Reflection: Wisdom and Mercy

Could anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,
can he seek pardon for his own sins? 

Wisdom, my friends, is a highly prized and sadly rare virtue these days.  Wisdom demands that we root our experience in truth, even when it’s inconvenient, and shape our values around that truth.  Wisdom demands responding dispassionately rather than reacting emotionally.   

The Hebrew people so prized the virtue of wisdom that one of the sacred books of the Hebrew Scriptures was the compilation of wisdom saying from Judah ben Sirach.  In the Catholic Bible, the Book of Sirach is also called the Book of Ecclesiasticus.  While Catholics view this book as truly inspired as the Word of God, Protestants consider this book part of what is referred to as the Apocrypha – spiritually useful but not necessarily inspired of God. 

However, Christians view the wisdom saying in the Book of Sirach, they nevertheless challenge believers and all people of good will with the importance of shaping the character and integrity of our lives by wisdom. 

The opening passage of today’s reflection is a commentary on the simple golden rule, the principle of treating others as you want to be treated.  Virtually every religion down through the ages possesses some variant of this wisdom saying that has proven to be the anchor of personal integrity and character. 

Could anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,
can he seek pardon for his own sins? 

Flowing from the golden rule is the hallmark virtue of human compassion, namely mercy.  It is precisely this virtue of mercy that characterized so much of the healing ministry of Jesus the Savior.  It was mercy and the healing of the human heart that Jesus exemplified in his daily ministry.  For he knew in his own heart that it was unfailing mercy that would eventually save the world. 

As we welcome the new week before us with its challenges and blessings, let us pray for the gift of wisdom whose mercy can make all things new.

But, what about abortion?

The proverbial elephant in the room for Catholics as general elections roll around is the challenging question: But, what about abortion…?  The teaching of the Catholic Church is unwavering as to the intrinsic evil and moral gravity of this act.  However, in the pluralistic society in which we live, where legal abortion is protected under the law flowing from the Supreme Court precedent in Roe v. Wade, this presents an ongoing dilemma for what a good Catholic should do when confronted with selecting candidates for public office.  Must a Catholic always vote against a candidate who might otherwise reflect the broad spectrum of Catholic social teaching but is committed to uphold the law of the land regarding abortion rights?  Must a Catholic foreswear a political party that reflects in their judgment the broad spectrum of Catholic pro-life issues but maintains a ‘pro-choice’ stand in its party platform?   

First of all, contrary to the many talking (screaming) heads on social media, it is important to note that no political party perfectly reflects Catholic moral teaching.  All of them are flawed and compromised.  While the Republican party may be anti-abortion, many of its candidates are pro-death penalty. While the Democratic party may be committed to medical care for all as a right, they are also pro-choice.  

Second, the Catholic Church does not endorse any political party or candidates for office.  Now, individual bishops and priests may indeed voice their strong convictions, even thru YouTube videos, and may even state that a Catholic ‘is sinning’ by belonging to a particular political party or voting for a particular candidate and even, should refrain from communion if they vote for a particular candidate that belongs to a ‘forbidden’ party!  As vociferous and insistent as these individuals may be, this is merely their strongly held opinion and in no way represents the official position of the Catholic Church. 

As an active priest and pastor, I avoided assiduously voicing partisan political comments.  It is improper for the Church pulpit to be commandeered as a bully pulpit by clergy to voice partisan political positions.  That is not to say, as our Church rightly encourages her ministerial leaders, that we are to avoid the ethical issues that undergird so much of the political debates today.  As proclaimers of the Good News, it is incumbent on all Christians, including the ordained, to voice and give witness to the values that flow from the Christian ethic to shape the common good. Ministers of the Word are especially called to assist in the formation of an informed conscience for those whom they serve.

Now that I’m retired and do not hold public office as a minister of the Church, I am free to engage in a more pointed and candid manner in the dialogue that is an important part of citizenship in a country where free speech is a valued hallmark of our Republic.  A priest does not give up this right but understandably channels it carefully depending on whether he remains a public leader of a community or is now a private though engaged citizen in retirement. 

These reflections were prompted by comments by some who have taken exception to what were perceived to be intemperate and highly critical comments by me of a partisan nature regarding the President and others in the present administration.  These individuals strongly felt it was unbecoming of me to voice such criticism especially since the President is ‘anti-abortion.’  The implication in this criticism is, quite simply, that a politician should be given a ‘pass’ on all other critical life issues, e.g., care for the poor, immigration, refugees, capital punishment, gun control, universal health care, global warming and environmental issues, not to mention a lack of character and integrity, etc., if he or she voiced support for anti-abortion legislation.   

Fortunately, the Bishops of our Country in their very wise and measured statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, are careful to avoid canonizing one political party based upon the sole criterion of their position on abortion. It places great moral responsibility on the conscience of the individual citizen to weigh the proportionate life values that reflect a Catholic ethic as those values touch the full spectrum of life issues engaging voters.  While the ethical inviolability and sanctity of life in the womb undergirds the unwavering Catholic position that sees the intrinsic evil of this act, should this position supersede all other life-issues?   

In 2004, to assist in the proper discernment in regard to an informed response to that critical question, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the time, under the leadership of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, issued a document entitled, “Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles.” An important note to that document referencing voting for political candidates states in the classical language of moral theology: 

A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons. 

Now, much ink has been spilled over the phrase proportionate reasons by Catholic writers.  There are some who even posit that there can never be any proportionate reasons!  Skilled theologian that he is, Cardinal Ratzinger, of course would never have placed the phrase in this document if, indeed, this were the case. 

It is important to note, however, that nowhere in the document does it spell-out what those “proportionate reasons” are.  Hence, the Church leaves it to the individual’s own prudential judgement and conscience before God to determine. 

Some examples might prove helpful at this point: 

Suppose that a good practicing Catholic has pondered seriously the positions of the candidates in the upcoming presidential election.  While she strongly accepts the intrinsic evil of abortion, she feels that providing a comprehensive health care coverage especially for the poor would decrease the need for elective abortions.  This might count as a proportionate reason. 

Or suppose that one strongly objects to the stated positions of one candidate in favor of capital punishment, the use of torture for enemy combatants, the treatment of immigrants and the separation of their children from parents while in custody,  the denial of climate change that in time could lead to the death of millions, actions contrary to Catholic Social Teaching, though that candidate is anti-abortion.  This might count as a proportionate reason to vote against the candidate. 

Or suppose a particular candidate who while he opposes abortion demonstrates such a serious lack of character and competence in carrying out the responsibilities of the office he seeks that it threatens to harm the already born in a manner that outweighs the good that his anti-abortion position promises to accomplish for those in the womb. This might count as a proportionate reason to vote against the candidate.

A voter could very well be wrong in these personal judgments.  But that does not of itself mean that they vote Democrat to advance pro-abortion policies. 

And finally, a word about the phrase ‘nonnegotiable’ that appears in many ‘Catholic’ Voter Guides that are, for the most part, of a partisan and ideologically driven nature.  Often, they state that abortion is a ‘non-negotiable’ moral issue when it comes to voting.  While sponsors of these Voter Guides are motivated by their laudable passion to safeguard the life of the unborn, it is important to note that they represent the strongly held convictions and opinions of their authors and not the official position of the Catholic Church.  Using the term ‘nonnegotiable,’  the Bishops’ document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, states:  When there is a truly grave moral reason for the choice, the voter’s intent, not the “nonnegotiable” character of the policy topic, is determinative (No. 35).  

And so, the dialogue, often heated and passionate, continues – and often plays out in social media! However, it is utterly shameful that a Catholic, be that a layperson, priest or bishop, should prejudge the conscience of another in these matters.  As Pope Francis has said, the church is called to form consciences, not replace them. This is one reason why the church doesn't endorse any one candidate or party.  

To the extent that this dialogue generates more light than heat, so that we might see our way a bit more clearly through the talking heads that surround and assault us, is, in my humble opinion, a good thing.  Hence, my continued engagement in the dialogue. 

An extremely helpful and carefully crafted reflection on this whole issue can be found in an address given by San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy delivered on Feb. 6, 2020 at the Harpst Center for Catholic Thought and Culture at the University of San Diego. Entitled, "Conscience, Candidates and Discipleship in Voting," McElroy's talk looks at the moral act of voting in original and incisive ways and lays the groundwork for development of "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," the U.S. bishops' quadrennial document on voting.  

In the end, however, fruitful dialogue on this critical moral issue demands prudence, civility, humility, compassion and empathy.  Undoubtedly, that makes such dialogue all the more challenging these days since these virtues are substantially lacking in our President who models his own unique combative style for his supporters.   

Responsible free speech is a hallmark of what has made our country truly great.  I glory in that foundational freedom in this country I dearly love.  History has witnessed the consequences when freedom of speech withers by fear and intimidation.  The following quote by the German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) should be a sobering warning to us all:  

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Sunday Reflection: Love in selfless service

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. 

My father served valiantly in the South Pacific during World War II.  He was part of what the journalist, Tom Brokaw, called ‘the greatest generation.’  Since he enlisted in the Army in his late 20’s, the younger guys referred to him affectionately as ‘pops.’  Like so many veterans who served in this war, he rarely if ever spoke about his experiences when he came home.  However, his family got glimpses of what undoubtedly were unspeakably painful moments that he witnessed and endured: the death of friends, the horrendous slaughter of innocent civilians who are the inevitable causalities of conflict and the loneliness of being away from his new wife and daughter (I didn’t come along until after the war!). Dad suffered these memories silently and courageously as so many veterans in wars and conflicts after him. 

Why did he endure all of this?  Was he a sucker for punishment?  Was he a loser who couldn’t get gainful and lucrative employment and so decided to join the military?  Absolutely not!  The bombing of Pearl Harbor touched a passion in my Dad’s heart, motivating him to a patriotism embodied in the beautiful passage from the second reading for today’s lessons taken from Paul letter to the Romans: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. 

For persons of integrity and character, selfless service of their sisters and brothers, has been and will always be the hallmark of personal greatness.  We see it in the military men and women of today who are willing to see service to their country as the guiding NorthStar defining their deepest and truest identity.  We see it in the medical personnel, the doctors and nurses, the support staff in hospitals who have endured the hours and hours of selfless care and their own exposure to Covid 19 during the horrendous pandemic, all this for their patients. We see it in the folks who staff our super markets, who deliver our mail and packages, who continue to serve as peace officers on our streets and cities. 

Yes, the hallmark of persons of greatness and characters of integrity will always be centered around the simple yet challenge call to love.  Love without expecting the cost.  Love from the heart with compassion.  Love that is truly ‘the fulfillment of the law.’

Sunday Reflection: Moral Greatness

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” 

Our Nation recently and most fittingly celebrated the passing of a civil rights icon, Representative John Lewis.  His entire life embodied the challenging message that we hear in today’s Gospel taken from Matthew.  For, you see, he ultimately found his deepest meaning and identity, not in amassing worldly riches and narcissistic fame, but rather in risking his very life in his passionate and unfailing commitment to the righteous cause that all peoples are created equal and are beloved children of God. 

In 1965, Lewis led the first of three Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In an incident which became known as Bloody Sunday, state troopers and police then attacked the marchers, including Lewis.  Prior to the march on Bloody Sunday, and knowing full well that he would be undoubtedly attacked and jailed, he carried in his backpack the spiritual autobiography of Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain.  Merton was an agnostic who in the course of his life, encountered the Lord, not unlike Jeremiah the Prophet of today’s first reading, and was seduced by the Lord’s love and gave up everything to follow him as a Trappist monk.   

As Jeremiah, the Lord continues to raise up modern-day Prophets to speak the inconvenient truths to a world and Nation that can so easily forget its essential call to moral greatness.  For, to be a Prophet of moral greatness in our world today will necessarily involve the rejection and ridicule that all Prophets have endured down through the centuries.  To be a Prophet of moral greatness is to be willing to raise our voice against the cultic fanaticism that looks to fallible human beings for our ultimate salvation rather than in the Lord of life, mercy and unending compassion. 

As we greet a new week with its inevitable joys and challenges, let us pray to the Spirit of life and love, that our hearts will be open to the power that the Holy Spirit gives as a gift of our faith, to be modern-day Prophets of moral greatness to our families, communities, Nation and world.

Sunday Reflection: The Bishop of Rome

And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 

As a priest for over 45 years as well as a student of history, the role of the Papacy and the ministry of the Bishop of Rome have utterly fascinated me over these many years.  For Catholics, the ministry of the Pope continues to be a foundational aspect of our understanding of the Christian faith that was gifted to us by the Savior. 

The passage that begins my reflections today is taken from the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and has anchored, in many respects, the unique role of Peter and his successors within the life of the Christian community.  Up until the time of the Reformation in the 16th century, the unity of Christendom was anchored in the one whom Catholics view as the ‘successor of St. Peter’ and the ‘pastor of the Universal Church.’ 

As a student of history though, it is clear that sinlessness has never been a major prerequisite for the office of Pope!  Sadly, and tragically, the human and broken face of humanity has been reflected in all too many of Peter’s successors.  One only needs to watch the series, The Borgias on Showtime to get a dramatic glimpse of this sad reality. Yet, history also has witnessed to the heroic virtue and holiness of countless numbers of the 265 successors of St. Peter down through the centuries.  The good Lord has indeed raised up individuals of outstanding character, integrity and personal holiness to be servant leaders of the people of God in every age. 

The ministry of the Pope remains one of the defining characteristics of the Christian Church that we call “Catholic.”  As the ‘servant of the servants of God,’ the ministry of the Bishop of Rome is to ‘confirm the faith of the community of believers.’  He presides in charity over all the local churches and remains the guarantor of doctrinal integrity through the special gift or charism given to him in the Holy Spirit by virtue of his office of service.   

As one who presides over the College of Bishops, who themselves are successors of the apostles in their own right, the central dynamic of the Christian Church, to evangelize and share the good news of Christ is realized in every age and place that the Church exists.  Through the great Councils of the Church, called by him; the Synods of Bishops initiated by him, through Encyclical letters written by him, by his daily preaching and most importantly, by the very witness of his life to the Gospel, Evangelization is realized in word and deed. 

At every Eucharist, we pray for our Pope by name, together with the Bishop of our local Diocese.  As we do so, let us pray that holiness, wisdom, courage and integrity be hallmarks of their ministry of service as they lead us to a deeper love of the Lord and a greater unity among all God’s holy people.

Sunday Reflection: Exclusion or Inclusion

…for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

It would be a complete understatement to posit the obvious: we live in contentious times!  As citizens of the United States who are nearing a Presidential election, that statement is squared, a hundred times! 

Contentiousness is not just a reality that we experience in the world of politics.  As a priest for over 45 years, I’ve sadly encountered that painful reality within the community of believers in the course of my many years in ministry.  It is for that reason that the quote from Isaiah the Prophet with which I begin my reflections this day, has always been a challenging and refreshing counterpoint to the tendency among some in our Church, to divide and exclude. 

With the painful reality of divorce and remarriage occurring not infrequently among Catholics, I welcomed a more compassionate approach articulated by Pope Francis in his document of some years ago, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love).  Undoubtedly, the most controversial part of this letter was the opening, in limited circumstances, to the Eucharist for some couples who had remarried after a divorce and had not or were unable to receive a church annulment.  The controversy and uproar that such a possibility occasioned among the more conservative segments of the church continues to today.  You would have thought that the Holy Father was undermining the entirety of Christian doctrine by such a proposal!  Good Shepherd and merciful pastor that he is, he understands the hunger that many couples in this situation have for the food of life.  He understands well that the Eucharist is not a reward for the perfect but rather a source of strength and encouragement for sinners.   

Withholding the Eucharist to wield power and punishment is something that I will never completely understand.  While I’m sure that the handful of bishops in our country who have felt in conscience that they must deny the Eucharist to Catholic elected officials who are caught in the painful conundrum of trying to live their faith as well as uphold the law of the land regarding the legality of abortion, feel that they are witnessing to the integrity of Catholic doctrine and ethics.  However, I identify more with those bishops who ultimately see the danger in ‘weaponizing’ the Eucharist in this manner and standing back from prejudging the hearts and minds of those who humbly, as sinners, approach the table of grace and blessing for the food of eternity. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has pity on the pagan Canaanite women who seeks healing for her daughter.  The disciples urge Jesus to dismiss her since they perceive her unworthy of such a gift.  But Jesus, in his infinite mercy and compassion will hear none of this and grants her request.  For you see, in the Lord’s heart, he understands perfectly that his house is a house of prayer for ALL peoples.

Sunday Reflection: Moved with Compassion

A doctor, a teacher, an architect, and an IRS auditor were arguing about whose profession was the oldest. The doctor pointed out, “Well, Eve was made from Adam’s rib, so there must have been a doctor available to perform the operation.” “Agreed,” said the teacher, “but how would the doctor have known what to do if he hadn’t been taught? There must have been a teacher there first, to teach the doctor.”

“Maybe so,” said the architect, “but before that the world was in chaos. Someone must have brought order out of chaos and that sounds like the work of an architect.” The IRS auditor just smiled and said simply, “But who do you think created the chaos?”

My brothers and sisters, we are all competitive. Each of us likes to be first, best, the champ. That is the best reason I can think of for paying close attention to Jesus. Why? Because Jesus became one of us to show us what being our best selves really looks like. He is what we are called to become. When we look at him, we see clearly where we are supposed to be headed.

Today’s gospel captures the essence of Jesus. He had just heard about the brutal execution of his cousin, John the Baptist. So he went off to a quiet spot to be alone with his memories and to pray. But as always someone found out where he was and a crowd gathered. Now here is the point where Jesus showed what made him so special. Despite his own inner pain, the gospel says Jesus looked at the crowd and “his heart was moved with compassion.”

The word “compassion” says a lot more than we usually notice. It’s from the Latin, cum passio, and it means “to be with the feelings of another.” In a word, Jesus looked beyond his own grief and took into his heart the feelings and hurts of the crowd, and he felt those as if they were his own. Inside himself, he knew their pains and hurts, their longings and hungers. And being one with them on the inside, he

reached out and responded to those needs as naturally as if they were his own. He had to act. To ignore them would have felt like ignoring himself.

Why is it so easy for us to ignore one another’s needs, so easy to be cruel or harsh even to those we love? Perhaps because we so rarely listen to the inside of one another and so rarely take what we hear into our hearts. We stay on the outside, where it’s easy to judge or reject or simply forget that we are family, all of us. We stay on the outside where it’s too easy to fall for the lie that we can live as happy islands insulated from the rest of the world.

Jesus has shown us what a real life looks like, a life that transcends our instinctive competitiveness, a life that leaves no one an island. Jesus has not only shown us what that looks like, he’s shown us that it’s possible for human beings like us. And he’s made it clear that it’s the only way to happiness. So why not give it a try? Why not, indeed!