Our Real American Horror Story

In his book The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order, Scott Hahn said, “All human societies eventually take on the form and structure of the families that comprise them. A disintegrating culture of marriage will lead to a disintegrating society. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Just look around.” 

We do not have to look far. The disintegration of marriage and the culture of death are closely related.  Particularly disturbing was the recent photo op of a smiling New York Governor Cuomo signing a bill that allows third trimester abortions.  The law for the first time allows abortions after the 24-week mark to protect the mother’s health (subject to a wide interpretation).  Previously, abortions after that point were permitted only to preserve a mother’s life.  The legislation also removes abortion from the criminal code and clarifies that a range of medical professionals, not just licensed physicians, can perform the procedure.

If Cuomo and his supporters really want to publicly celebrate signing the bill before the cameras, why not roll out a pregnant mother about to give birth and take turns assisting in an abortion?  Would he be uncomfortable doing that or are public executions against the law?  No legislator should be able to vote for a pro-abortion bill if they would be unwilling to witness in one firsthand. How sad that people can disconnect themselves from the horrors they promote.

I am certainly not a canon lawyer, but I thought the purpose of excommunication was not to punish, but rather to send a strong signal that one’s soul was in jeopardy, and in need of repentance.  I don’t understand why Cuomo, a supposed Catholic, has not been excommunicated as public statement expressing the ramifications of his position.  I wonder what one has to do or not do today to be excommunicated.  To give him a pass is scandalous.

Credit President Trump for speaking against abortion in his State of the Union Speech.  America will never be great again as long as we kill babies in the womb. Being wrong on abortion reveals a moral imperfection that calls into question all other judgments.  For me, it is a valid litmus test for anyone seeking to hold public office.  If a person does not respect human life, how can he be trusted?  Such a person is a flawed product of a broken society where marriage and family have been undermined. 

Road Trip

One of the best things about being Catholic is that you can attend Sunday Mass at any parish in the world and follow along.  The language may be different, but the liturgy is the same, the readings are the same, and the Eucharist is the same.  We are truly united in Christ.  That said, the experience can be different. 

My son, his wife and our four grandchildren live some 460 miles from us.  Several times a year, we make the long drive to visit and attend Mass at their parish where my son is Director of Liturgy and Music.   Same Mass, same liturgy, different experience.  I made a list of comparisons between the two.

Our Local Parish                                   Parish we visited

1910 building                                                Modern building

Capacity 200                                                  Capacity 1233

Prayer to St. Michael before Mass                  Prayer for Vocations before Mass

Tabernacle in center                                       Tabernacle off center to right

Traditional seating                                         Semi-circular configuration

Pipe Organ                                                      Electronic Organ and piano

Pews nearly empty                                          Pews nearly full

Older congregation                                         Average age 29

No school                                                        School (pre to grade 8)

I would consider myself a rather conservative Catholic.  In the past, I have been critical of some of the post Vatican II reforms.  Yet, I find the Mass at my son’s parish to be much more enjoyable, for lack of a better word.  The things I would generally find distracting, the tabernacle off center, facing other parishioners the way pews are configured, seemed insignificant.  Accustomed to worshipping with about sixty people in our mostly empty church, how wonderful to be in the presence of a thousand parishioners where ushers need to assist latecomers to find a seat.

Like it or not, the celebrant has a huge impact on one’s experience at Mass.  The two homilies we heard during our last visit, by two different priests, were nothing spectacular, but they were delivered thoughtfully and to the point.  Homilies at our local parish are often repeated, drawn out unnecessarily, and somewhat condescending at times, probably the main reason our local attendance is so low. 

The point of all this is that the spiritual temperature of a parish is not dependent on the form of the liturgy, the configuration of the church or its size.  The Mass is the Mass regardless of peripherals.  What can make a difference is how the Mass is celebrated.  For me, the experience of being at Mass with a thousand other souls, praying and singing together was refreshing.

I liked the prayer for vocations before Mass, and apparently it is effective.  After Sunday Mass, our family went to a small restaurant for lunch.  As we waited for our food, in walked five young men, at least one of them a priest, and the others possibly seminarians judging by their youthful appearance.  All wore collars and cassocks.  I grew up in a parish where our pastor wore a cassock most of the time.  That was many years ago, and I haven’t seen a priest wear one in our little parish since then.  It is interesting that many of the young men entering the seminaries these days are going back to the more traditional garb.  You can be contemporary and still be conservative.  I think it bodes well for the future of the Church. 

Christmas time again

Now that we are into the Christmas season, several observations cross my mind as another year draws to a close.  Political correctness continues to run amok.  Traditional seasonal carols are the latest targets.  Some radio stations stopped playing Baby, it’s cold outside due to words that could suggest a possible sexual assault taking place.  By that standard, about a million other popular songs should also be removed.  The 1964 movie Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer has been mentioned as a story that could encourage bullying. Some have suggested, perhaps in jest, that White Christmas is racist.  The point is that we are all getting soft.  In a Godless society, the lines between right and wrong get fuzzy, and common sense takes a backseat.

Actor-comedian Kevin Hart just lost a job hosting the Academy Awards because of his comments about homosexuality.  Hart is quoted as saying, “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay. That’s a fear. Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic, I have nothing against gay people, be happy. Do what you want to do. But me, being a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”

Do you see the problem with that statement in this political correctness climate?  Hart implies that homosexuality is a defect.  Today, we are required to believe homosexual behavior is perfectly normal, less we be ostracized as haters.  And that leads me to another question.  We are now hearing of genetically modified babies being a possibility.  Suppose a defective genetic cause for homosexuality was discovered and could be corrected in pre-borns.  How would today’s homosexuality advocates view this procedure?  Would they oppose it as an affront to the normality of their orientation?  I wonder.

People who are confident in their personal beliefs are not easily offended by the opinions of others.  Those who demand retribution every time someone makes a disagreeable remark they find offensive may be looking for affirmation to offset their own insecurity.  Sometimes we need to consider the source and move on. 

I don’t want to end the year complaining about the state of our society.  We have much for which to be grateful.  The fact that petty differences are so prevalent in our daily interaction means we are generally free from more serious issues to worry about.  Among us are many individuals bearing heavy burdens every day.  Some are experiencing their first Christmas after suffering the tragic loss of loved ones.  Others know this will likely be their final Christmas.  Many with no outward appearing maladies suffer excruciating mental anguish on a daily basis from severe anxiety and mental illness.  While many of are enjoying the Christmas season, this can be a very difficult time for others. Let us all be on the lookout for those in special need of our friendship and understanding.  May 2019 be a time when we grow in love.

Food for thought

Our parish recently began offering free soup luncheons on the second Saturday of each month.  We have done two so far, and both were well attended.  The evangelization committee uses the opportunity to set up a table with free Catholic materials, books, and audio CDs from Lighthouse Catholic media. 

I was assigned to greet our guests last Saturday.  Most of them were elderly folks (probably about my age!).  Some had visible disabilities or mental issues.  Most were not members of our parish.  All seemed to enjoy the experience and camaraderie.

A bearded gentleman sitting alone at one table caught my attention.  The man wore a Viet Nam veteran cap, and being Veteran’s Day weekend, I sat down with him to thank him for his service. Next to his plate was a CD he had selected from our table by a well-known Catholic apologist, Steve Ray.  I thought this might be an opportunity to do a little evangelizing.  I got myself a bowl of soup and sat down at his table.  I am not sure why I assumed he wasn’t Catholic, but I was wrong.

His name was Larry and shortly into our conversation, he began talking about his Catholic faith and how reading the church fathers has been so instrumental in bringing converts into the Church.  I pointed to the CD and said that was true of the author.  He said, “Yes, I know.  I have met Steve and we have gone to the same parish in Michigan.”  Wow, I thought!  What are the odds someone of about twenty people who wandered into our little parish soup luncheon would be an acquaintance of a well-known Cathoiic author whose material we were giving away?

Pretty soon, the man’s wife came in and sat with us.  Like her husband, she was a veteran of the Air Force.  Turns out they were in town for a baby shower, and he was just looking for a place to kill some time while his wife was at the party.  The three of us had a great conversation about our common interest in Catholic apologetics.  Larry mentioned that Steve could sometimes be seen with tears in his eyes after receiving the Eucharist as Mass.  How wonderful it must be to have such an emotional connection with Our Lord.

This somewhat accidental encounter left me marveling at how we cross paths with strangers everyday without taking the time to engage them.  This life that God gives us most assuredly guarantees that every person we meet has an interesting story to share.  Maybe this is why I have not been a more effective evangelist.  The one time I make an effort to initiate a conversation, the person I approach is already a better Catholic than I am.  I wonder how often God has put someone in my presence who needs a kind word, and I failed to provide. 

Did he or didn't he?

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I am writing this as Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court has become an emotional firestorm.  Dr. Christine Ford provided very convincing testimony that she was assaulted by Kavanaugh when they were both high school teenagers.  Kavanaugh vehemently denies it ever happened.  Watching the all day hearing on Thursday, September 27th, I thought both of them appeared to be truthful.  Obviously, one of them is either wrong, or a very good liar.  Despite the allegation, the Republican majority wants to push his nomination through before the mid-term elections.  Democrats are doing all in their power to block his confirmation.  

Make no mistake, the combustible in this conflagration is abortion.  Kavanaugh would take the seat of Justice Kennedy, a swing vote on the court.  Those on the left fear that Kavanaugh’s conservative record could overturn Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.  Those on the right see that as a hopeful possibility.  I watched the Kavanaugh interviews before the assault allegations came out.  I thought he gave great answers, and as an opponent of legalized abortion myself, I favored his confirmation, but now, I have reservations.

Yes, If the process extends beyond the mid-term elections, the Republicans could lose their majority, and any hope of putting a conservative judge on the court could be lost.  But if the Republicans strong-arm his confirmation while the allegation of sexual misconduct is still an issue, they most certainly face disaster in the mid-terms.  As of this writing, it looks like the vote may be delayed a week while the FBI does an investigation.  

I’m not one to make predictions, but my gut tells me Kavanaugh will not be confirmed.  Whether he is innocent or not, he has been damaged.  Unless the FBI can find evidence that Kavanaugh is falsely accused, and I doubt that they can, a cloud hangs over his nomination.  Women who have been victims of sexual assault are very vocal these days, and voting for an accused abuser could be political suicide.  Conservative Christian groups still calling for Kavanaugh’s confirmation should be cautious.  In the event Kavanaugh’s nomination is eventually withdrawn or negated, President Trump would be wise to nominate a woman. 

 UPDATE: So, I was wrong.  Kavanaugh was confirmed on a close party-line vote.  I really thought a few Republicans would acquiesce to those opposing his confirmation while considering the possibility something inappropriate may have happened under the influence of alcohol when he was a teenager.  While the Supreme Court vacancy has been filled, the controversy remains.  Protests, talks of impeachment, threats, and vicious comments permeate the airwaves and social media.

Once upon a time, the news media reported on the activities of the day.  Sometimes at the end of the newscast, someone would give an editorial comment, clearly labeled as such.  Now, most every media report seems to have an editorial slant, and the real story is how social media reacted.  We hear how Twitter lit up in response to some event of the day.  The problem is that people say things under the anonymity of usernames that they would never say in person.  Deliberate agitation adds fuel to the already intense fire.  Will things will cool down after the mid-term election in November?  Probably not. 

To whom shall we go?

Catholics have been reeling from the most recent revelations of alleged sexual abuse among the hierarchy as charged by the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report.  It was the subject of many a homily on Sunday, August 26, the same day news broke of ex nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano calling for Pope Francis to resign, claiming he withdrew sanctions imposed on Archbishop Theodore McCarrick by Pope Benedict. 

There seems to be a fear among the clergy that Catholics will be making a mass exodus (no pun intended) because of the terrible conduct of priests and bishops we had once respected as our spiritual leaders.  While one can hardly fault some Catholics for having this thought, the majority realize that evil perpetrated by individuals within the clergy, even a pope, does not diminish the truth of the Catholic faith.  Christ promised us the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. 

On the same Sunday the scandal was in the forefront, we heard these words from John’s gospel in Chapter 6, where Jesus’ disciples had also heard some news that was difficult to accept:

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”  (- John 6:66-69)

For those of us who may think we may want to leave because of the scandalous behavior among even the highest members of the clergy, we have the same question, to whom shall we go?  Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church.  There is no other option!  No other church has the Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders, and holds the keys to the Kingdom of God. 

And if you read ahead to the next two verses in John 6:
Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?”  He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray him, one of the Twelve.
 
Yes, even one of the first bishops of the Church, selected by Jesus Himself, committed an evil act.   The evil one is purged and replaced.  Back then, Mathias replaced Judas and the Church continued to flourish.  This isn’t the first scandal to scar the Church, and it won’t be the last.  Do what we can for the victims, purge the evildoers, learn from our mistakes, and move on.