Voting Has Started

I had a post a few weeks back concerning CI-128. I spoke about my experience when dealing with women who have had abortions. While abortion is often portrayed as such, it is neither an easy answer, nor a painless answer.

I'd like to speak to a few thing in relationship to CI-128 in particular. (My friends and family in South Dakota may find similar concerns about South Dakota Amendment G.)

• Voting "no" will not end abortion in Montana.
• Voting "yes" will take away a parent's right to be involved in the health care decisions of their children.
• This also opens the door to an increase in child sexual abuse.
• It could also lead to more human trafficking in Montana
• Voting "yes" will introduce vague language into the constitution that will be litigated for many years and will cost taxpayers.
• Voting "yes" will eliminate reasonable protections built into current law to protect women.
• Voting "yes" will open the door for unsavory healthcare professionals to offer services.
• "Healthcare professionals" does not equal Medical Doctors

Listen to the Lawyer's perspective. 

Thoughts for the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

 A letter I included in the parish bulletin this weekend. 

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi 2024

 

Dear Members of Saint Patrick Co-Cathedral,

Today we are celebrating the feast day of the great saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. When we look at his life, we see one who had much but gave it all up to the service of God. He heard the call of Christ to “Go, rebuild my church which is falling down.”  Saint Francis thought he was talking about the small church of San Damiano which was in ruins. After rebuilding the small church and a few others he came to the realization that God meant the Church. 

While He is not so blunt with us, Christ wants each of us to “Go, rebuild my church which is falling down.” Christ wants us to do what we can to evangelize the world. God wants us to make a difference in what is happening in our community, in our country and in the world.

As we approach election day, it is important for us to ask ourselves if we are voting in a way that promotes the greater glory of God or are we voting in a way that promotes our own glory. Francis gave up fame and fortune to follow Christ. He realized that when Jesus told his disciples that they would have to pick up their crosses and follow him it would not be an easy task. Sometimes we must take on a little sacrifice for ourselves in order for God’s will to be done. Let us ask Saint Francis to pray for us today as we get ready to make important decisions for our community, state and nation.

Yours in Christ,

 

 

Father Leo McDowell

Pastor

Amendments to state constitutions which are not good for women.

With proposed amendments to the state constitutions in Montana and South Dakota dealing with abortion on the ballot, I notice that some people seem to imply that women are in favor of abortion and men want to save the life of the unborn. They say that men must not have a say. That it is because of men that abortion is not a norm in their states, or in the United States. There are many women who are pro-life. There are many women who have learned that the abortion that they had damaged them spiritual, emotionally and sometimes even physically. 

Being a priest who had spoken to many of these women in the confessional, I can tell you many wish that there were a few more roadblocks in the way. They regret their decision because they were not informed about all of the risks. They were not informed about the options which included support for them and their baby after birth. 

These women are reminded of that pain every year when the projected anniversary of the birth of their child comes around and they see other children and wonder where their child might have been today had they not made the choice to abort them. They ask themselves, "how would they be celebrating the birthday now?" 

I want to encourage you to vote against Montana CI-128 and against South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G. Do it for the life of the child. Do it for the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of the mothers. 

There are some who would bring up the health of the mother. The Catholic church allows for treating a problem pregnancy. There are treatments that do not intend to cause the death of the unborn child, but may put the life of that child at risk. It is not the intention to kill the child. I would refer you to the article from the National Catholic Bioethics Center

Covid vs Abortion

In the year (12 months) 2018 there were 619,591 abortions in the US. In the 18 months of COVID we have had 664,831 COVID deaths.

In New York State there have been 53,925 deaths from COVID. In 2017 there were 105,380 abortions.


In California there have been 66,247 deaths from COVID and in 2017 California had 132,680 abortions.


When one looks at these numbers we have to ask why we are not putting as much effort into stopping abortion as we are trying to stop COVID? Some in our government seem to think we should even be paying to put the unborn to death. We can see that many of those who want to close down cities and states to save lives that could be lost to COVID are the same ones who want to take the lives of the unborn.

Obama says response to shootings has become too routine in wake of Oregon college shooting | Fox News

"I'd ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws and to save lives and to let young people grow up, and that will require a change of politics on this issue," Obama said.

He states in his speech, "We've become numb to this."

How easily he ignores the fact that over 3000 babies are aborted each day.  We have become numb, and it starts with letting those babies be murdered every day.  It continues when we see videos of Planned Parenthood selling body parts and think that it is no big deal. We are numb to the who business because it happens in a room, outside of the reports from the press.


Obama says response to shootings has become too routine in wake of Oregon college shooting | Fox News: ""We've become numb to this," Obama said."

'via Blog this'

Protecting the innocent?

In light of the recent shooting at a church in South Carolina, I've heard the following from various politicians.

According the the Huffington Post online, President Obama said the following:

"Any death of this sort is a tragedy, any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy," he said. "There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening at a place in which we seek solace and we seek peace.
"I've had to make statements like this too many times. Communities have had to endure tragedies like this too many times," he continued. "Once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun. ... We as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries."

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, again according to the Huffington Post, said the following:

"We can have common sense gun reforms that keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the violently unstable while respecting responsible gun owners," she said. "The stakes are too high, the costs are too dear, and I am not and will not be afraid to keep fighting for common sense reforms, and along with you, achieve those on behalf of all who have been lost because of this senseless gun violence in this country."

As I have asked before after shootings, where is the outrage for the 3,000+ babies aborted every day, most of whom are black?

Thoughts on the President's visit to Georgetown

Yesterday, President Obama was part of a forum at Georgetown University. He made several comments that I feel I need to address.

The first is in his reference that Catholics and Evangelicals should spend less time talking about abortion and do more for the poor. As I posted on my facebook wall:

How many hospitals and schools are supported by the Church that benefit the poor? Maybe the president should care more about rooting out the reasons people are poor and do not move up: fatherless families, infidelity, and a lack of respect for life. Abortion and "same-sex marriage" are about selfishness, not about charity and caring for others.

I guess he does not see the selfish nature of these actions.

The other comment deals with private schools. President Obama seems to imply that those who put their children in private schools are being separated from the poor. I guess he also does not realize how many poor kids are in a lot of the private schools sponsored by the Catholic Church. I posted this comment on the White House facebook which had the video of the president's comments:

I wonder why he doesn't support schools like St. Aloysius in Harlem. It is not made up of rich students. Most of the students are poor, or disadvantaged, but the president has not done much to help out these schools who are educating the poor at less cost than the public schools in the area and doing a much better job. Maybe we need wise use of education dollars instead of more dollars going into education. We also need less trying to create an us vs them mentality. I am guessing it is the money from a lot of the rich white folks that are paying to keep St. Aloysius open. Most of those folks are also paying taxes to support the public schools in their area as well.

I think included a link to with an article about St. Aloysius and a link to the school's webpage.

Thoughts from the Supreme Knight of Columbus

I just finished listening to Carl A. Anderson's Annual Report of the Supreme Knight.

I want to pick up on a few things he said about the Culture of Life:

St. John Paul II taught us that only a civilization of love is worthy of human dignity and the truth about the human person. Building a civilization of love is the goal toward which our fraternal love of neighbor leads us.

At the center of the civilization of love is the culture of life. Each is inseparable from the other because each calls us to value and accept every human life.

Some in politics seem obsessed with publically opposing our Church’s teaching on human life. But we must differ with them. Our position is that every child should be loved, every child should be respected, and every child should be helped.

The cold child in need of a coat, the hungry child in need of food, the poor child in need of education, and the unborn child waiting to be born. All are on the margins of society, and all deserve to be supported and protected.

In good conscience we cannot abandon some and help others.

We will help all that we can. While some politicians try to divide the American people on social issues, we seek to overcome division, to bring people together and to help everyone. Even on abortion, an issue often considered the most divisive, our polling has found great unity among Americans. Our recent Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll revealed that more than four decades after the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, the vast majority of Americans do not accept abortion on demand. Eighty-four percent of Americans would limit abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy, and so would nearly 6 in 10 Americans who identify themselves as strongly pro-choice.

A majority of Americans believe life begins at conception, and more than 6 in 10 think abortion is morally wrong. And, perhaps most importantly, more than 8 in 10 Americans say that laws can protect both the well-being of a woman and the life of her unborn child.

What are we doing to protect all of our children? I hope we are finding ways to show them our love, and God's love for them, in all that we do. What are we doing to continue to build a Culture of Life in our society?

Believe it, or not?

This past week I was made aware of articles posted on the internet, which were a part of journals around the country, concerning believing by Catholics in America. One article, written by Damon Linker who would be presented as a liberal in the Church, reflected upon an article he had written earlier about Pope Francis and the change the author hoped would come into the Church under the new pope. He could not understand the gushing over Pope Francis that was still taking place among many of his fellow liberals.  He had hoped Pope Francis would be working to change Church teaching on issues such as contraception, gay relationships, married clergy and the role of women in the Church.

Mr. Linker, in an article this past week entitled “What do liberal Catholics want?”, reflected back upon an interview he had on NPR where he was discussing his original article. A caller by the name of Trish, who styled herself a progressive Catholic, could not understand the concern of Mr. Linker for the need to change Church doctrine. As she put it, "Doctrine for a Catholic, now, is not even an issue. Catholics do not care about doctrine," she said, adding, "It's irrelevant. It's a non-issue for Catholics."

Mr. Linker went on to write in his recent article,

For all I know, many or even most liberal Catholics hope and pray for doctrinal reform. But what if Trish is right? If so, the question I'd want to ask these liberals is: Why do you continue to attend church and think of yourself as a Catholic?
If you attend for the beauty of the liturgy, why not just become an Episcopalian? If it's the sense of community you crave, why not join the Unitarian church? Either way, you could certainly continue to be spiritually moved by the pope's public utterances, in the same way you might be stirred by an inspiring presidential speech.

Sadly, this is not limited to liberals or conservatives in the Church.  There are many who have fallen into this trap of not caring about the teachings of the Church.

Matthew Schmitz wrote a blog in response to Mr. Linker’s article which he entitled “Why Catholics Don’t Care”.  Mr. Schmitz put some of the fault on dissent within the Church, but directed more of it toward those responsible for sharing the correct teachings of the faith. After the release of Pope Paul VI encyclical Humane Vitae, many Church leaders made confusing statements about contraception. Mr. Schmitz makes the observation, “The hem-hawing of Church leaders led to confusion in the pulpit and pews. Unwilling to deny Church teaching directly, disoriented by conflicting signals, homilists and confessors fell silent.”

The same can be said about divorce, abortion, and the other issues that Mr. Linker would like to change in the Church. Not hearing about it from the pulpits, many of these issues have slipped from the consciences of many Catholics. Over the course of time they seem to have taken on the status of  “non-issues”. As Mr. Schmitz says near the end of his post, “Modern man, in this view, is twice fallen. Bishops ceased to believe the faithful were capable of following Church teaching, and so they ceased to teach it by discipline and word. In light of this, the reaction of the faithful is more than understandable. Why would they take seriously a teaching their pastors refuse to?”

What we are beginning to see in America is a change in attitude. Steve Skojec, a blogger for CatholicVote.org, wrote an article, “Millennials Are Seeking Tradition, Sacramentality, and Liturgy”.

He states:

But what about the younger generations? In a world that grows increasingly secular, that seems more rabidly anti-Christian than it has been since the bad old days before Constantine’s conversion, what does faith mean to them? Today, at The American Conservative, Gracy Olmstead brings to light an interesting development in the religious inclinations of Millennials:

America’s youth are leaving churches in droves. One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion, according to a 2012 Public Religion Research Institute poll, and 55 percent of those unaffiliated youth once had a religious identification when they were younger. Yet amidst this exodus, some church leaders have identified another movement as cause for hope: rather than abandoning Christianity, some young people are joining more traditional, liturgical denominations—notably the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox branches of the faith. This trend is deeper than denominational waffling: it’s a search for meaning that goes to the heart of our postmodern age.

The trend isn’t entirely new. It’s also the subject of Colleen Carrol’s 2002 book, The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy. But if Olmstead (and the polling she cites) is correct, it’s a shift that is continuing to gain momentum.

Unlike Trish who called Mr. Linker, young people today seem to either embrace all the that Church offers, or, as Mr. Linker had commented, they leave the Church to which they have only a nominal connection. We for our part, must present the faith in the fulness for our young people to experience. It may mean there is some challenge for each of us as we look at our lives in relation to the life expected of us as faithful Catholics.

As a priest, I need to continually remind myself not to water down the faith to make it palatable for those who are listening. My task as the pastor is to help you grow to be Catholics in fact, as well as in name. It does not matter if it is in relation to conservative issues such as marriage and abortion, or liberal issues such as caring for those around us. I want us all to care about our great faith and to live it to the fullest.

That being said, I have one other issue I’d like to bring up today. Wednesday is the 41st anniversary of the Roe vs Wade decision.  Next Saturday it will be a chance for us to put some of our faith into action.  In Bozeman, at 10 am, in front of the courthouse, across from Holy Rosary Church, the fifth annual March 4 Life will take place. Please take some time to come and stand with the unborn and witness to the value of life. Despite the silence of some priests, and even bishops, the sanctity of life from the very moment of conception has been held by the Church. Despite the desire of some Catholics, Pope Francis is not going to change this teaching. He alluded to this on Monday, as he addressed members of the Vatican Diplomatic Corps:

“Peace is also threatened by every denial of human dignity, firstly the lack of access to adequate nutrition. We cannot be indifferent to those suffering from hunger, especially children, when we think of how much food is wasted every day in many parts of the world immersed in what I have often termed the 'throwaway culture'. Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as 'unnecessary'. For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day; children being used as soldiers, abused and killed in armed conflicts; and children being bought and sold in that terrible form of modern slavery which is human trafficking, which is a crime against humanity.”

Let us become Catholics who care about doctrine. Let us listen to the words of our Holy Father and find ways to make positive changes in our lives and in our societies.

Holidays? Holy Days?

I often have the question in my mind about why, when we have set aside days of a religious nature, gathering as a people to honor God seems to be low on the priority list.

Here are a few of the things that come to mind.

1. Gathering before Thanksgiving Day for religious services and then not gathering to pray together on Thanksgiving Day as a group of the faithful.
2. Not having Christian Services on Christmas Day itself.  Many groups will only do a service on Christmas Eve.
3. Canceling Sunday Services if Christmas is on a Sunday. It may be Sunday and Christmas, but we will not celebrate as a Christian community.
4. Having a single Protestant sunrise service on Easter Sunday (even though there are 5+ congregations or ministers in a community) at a neutral location and not celebrating Easter as individual congregations. Many times only one of the local clergy members presides at the service while the others are out of town.

One of the reasons I hear for these attitudes is that the ministers want to spend the holiday with their own family. Sometimes the extended families or in-laws are not local so they need time to travel. In other communities, a lot of the other members of the congregation have the same issues. They don't have time to go to church because they have to get to the family celebration. These holiday (holy days) seem to have shifted from focus on God to focus on us.

As a priest who is usually assigned to multiple communities, I know that I can not bi-locate. I've had people who have gone to Mass elsewhere because I've not had Mass in their community on Christmas Eve, but rather on Christmas Day. But, as we look at the significance of days set aside to honor God, I want to suggest that we encourage our parishes and congregations to set aside these days to honor God on the day designated so that God is once again our real priority. 

Fighting for the faith

After a heads-up from LifesiteNews I just finished watching this video (graphic, viewer discretion is advised) about an attack late last month on the Cathedral of San Juan in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A group of men, mostly young, stood several deep, arm-in-arm, to keep a group of radical women from desecrating the cathedral. The women, several having bared their breasts, were promoting abortion and lesbianism. The women drew on the Hitler style mustaches on the faces of the men. They sprayed paint on their faces and crotch areas. They performed lewd acts in front of the men who continued to pray in front of the cathedral. The women later burned an effigy of Pope Frances.

Now that I've described what took place, I have a question that causes me concern. If we were to get word that a similar event were about to take place at a cathedral in the United States, could we find enough men ready to humble themselves to stand strong against such an attack? I know there would be some who would protect the Church, but whereas we do not make up a huge majority of the population, would the minority have the courage to stay strong? Would other Christians stand by us, be indifferent, or stand on the side of the protestors? Some Christian groups are opposed to some of the teachings of the Catholic Church.  If you were called to stand in the face of such violence, would you be there?

Accidental Pregnancy?

I've always wondered how one accidentally becomes pregnant. I'm trying to imagine what that must look like. How is it that two are people walking down the street naked and happen to bump into each other in just the right way to make the connection necessary for conception to take place.

Anything other than that would have to be an act of choice. (Even in cases of rape and incest a choice is made on the part of the perpetrator) Every time one participates in the marital act, even those outside of marriage, they are making a choice that may lead to pregnancy. The act on their part is not an accident, it is a choice. Even with the best birth control, there is still a chance that conception may occur. The baby that is conceived is not an accident, it is a choice.

Since this is a matter of choice -- no one is told they must engage in the marital act -- why should others be expected to pay for this activity? There are sources out there that tell people they are being responsible if they use contraception and want to prevent a pregnancy. Being responsible means taking control of yourself. If one does not want a pregnancy to result from the marital act, don't engage in the marital act. There is nothing accidental about becoming pregnant.

Perspective

Coming back from the Symposium on the Charism of Priestly Celibacy tonight I found myself on the plane sitting next to Senator Jon Tester of Montana. He really did not want to start much of a conversation. I'm sure he knew what I had to say about certain legislation before the Senate and that I had the better argument. Besides that, I have found it is better not to argue after 9 pm when I am already lacking in sleep.

Perhaps, though, my mind was not completely trashed from three days of travel, meetings and more travel for I had a thought that might help put a few things into perspective. I can't remember if Senator Tester has any cattle with his wheat farm or not, but here is a thought I had.

What would happen if someone came and treated all of the cows carrying calves this time of year to stop the disease that was afflicting them? Do you think the ranchers would appreciate that? I mean, after all, why should cows be afflicted with such a horrible thing as motherhood? You'd think the ranchers would know by now the secret it to always keep the bulls in a pasture that is separate from the cows so there would be no worries.

If pregnancy is the disease, why are we putting so much effort into keeping the buffalo with brucellosis from having contact with our livestock? Since brucellosis causes cows to abort their calves, would this not be a cure for their disease of pregnancy?

It would be interesting to ask our current Governor, Senators and Representative from the House to give us some thoughts on this issue. Why is it that a baby cow (calf) is more worthy than a baby human?

What do people believe, anyway?

As a parish priest, I have had the opportunity to observe the practices of various ministers and of the faithful at Mass, Benediction, Funeral Vigil services and other liturgical events in the life of the parish, or Catholic school.

There are times when I wonder if those participating even know what it is that they are doing, or why they are doing it. I've also asked myself if they know what the priest is doing, or why the priest is doing things at different points of the celebration?

I have a feeling that many of those in the pews, or surrounding the altar (some priests included) lack belief in many of the basics truths we hold as Catholics.

I've noticed ministers who look like they are tolerating the Eucharistic Prayer. I've noticed sacristans, EMHC's and altar servers who treat the corporal more like a table cloth, scattering crumbs around the altar. I've noticed when I've tried to mention some of these issues in homilies, the ones most likely to be the offenders appear to be ignoring what is being said.

While the liturgical elements are sometimes more obvious, the signs of unbelief are not limited to strictly liturgical issues. Where are the majority of Catholics when we have our "40 Days for Life" each year? Are they praying for an end to abortion at the abortion clinic or at home, or are they not praying for the end to abortion? Where are Catholics when we are talking about a push to recognize gay relationships as marriages? Are they standing strong for the true meaning of marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman? Have a lot of Catholics fallen away from a true understanding of marriage as a sacramental covenant? What about the whole issue of contraception that seems to be in the news today? I keep hearing that 98% of all Catholic women are using contraception. That statistic is not accurate as can be seen in this article, but it raises another question. Are Catholics striving to understand what the Church teaches and are they willing to stand up for those teachings? Are they willing to live out those teachings?

Will there come a day when all those who claim to be Catholic will actually practice what the faith of the Church professes? I think Francis Cardinal George makes a good point as it relates to what is happening on the political stage today.

"This is the first time in the history of the United States that a presidential administration has purposely tried to interfere in the internal working of the Catholic Church, playing one group off against another for political gain. What isn’t always understood is that the Bishops of the Church make no attempt to speak for all Catholics; they never have. The Bishops speak for the Catholic and apostolic faith, and those who hold that faith gather around them. Others disperse."-Francis Cardinal George, Archdiocese of Chicago

I guess a question I have is really this, when it comes to the end, will we be believers in the Church established by Christ, or in ourselves and our favorite cause? If we are not believers in the teachings of the Church, why do we stay?

Third Sunday Ordinary Time Homily Jan 22, 2012

We are living in interesting and challenging times. And yet, as we look at our scripture readings today, almost any generation can talk about the challenges that they have face. The real challenge before us deals with our response to the times in which we live. If we take a moment or two to look at the news we’ve seen a variety of issues that are in the headlines this weekend.

As Catholics, we often have to remind ourselves that we are not to conform our selves to the culture around us, but to be counter cultural. We need to challenge the culture with the truths of the gospel message. Let’s take a closer look at the story of Jonah and his travels through Nineveh. God first spoke to Jonah to send him on the task of proclaiming His message and Jonah’s response was to head the other direction. He got on a ship bound for Tarshish. As the ship became engulfed in a storm the others on the onboard realized that Jonah was the cause of their distress. It was not long before Jonah found himself in the belly of a whale. After his three days, we was spit out onto dry land and the Lord called him again to get his butt to Nineveh to call them to repentance. Jonah came to realize that God was serious when He said He wanted repentance preached. The people of Nineveh realized the error of their ways and publicly did acts of penance.

How does this apply to each of us? I think we can all see ways in our lives that we have been like the Ninevites, and also like Jonah. Let’s start with the Ninevites. We need to look at each of these questions as it applies to our individual lives and to our society. Are we truly living our lives in a moral way as presented by God through the Church? Are we open to life, or do we use contraception in our marriages? Are our marriages sacramental? Are we in relationships that we treat like marriages, but which are not truly marriages? This ranges from living like a husband and wife, even when not married, to promoting same sex marriages. With the anniversary of the Roe vs Wade decision coming this week, we need to ask do we promote a respect for all innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death? Fundamentally, this is innocent human life. After we have developed that respect for innocent human life in our lives and our society, we can carry it to the next level which would include respect for the not so innocent life which would include the issues of capital punishment and, as necessary, just war theory. Sodomy, adultery, fornication, murder, sacrilege, where do these sins have a hold on us and our society? The message of Jonah to the Ninevites to repent is a message we need to hear today. The big question we have to answer is, “how will we respond?” Will we like the Ninevites put on sackcloth and ashes? Will we realize our sin and turn our lives back to God?

Ok, enough about being like the Ninevites, how are we like Jonah? There are some who would argue that Jonah was afraid to go visit because they were a cruel people. They argue he was afraid of losing his life in the process of challenging them to repent. Others argue that he did not want to go to Nineveh because he wanted them to die. He did not want them to experience God’s mercy. He knew they would hear the message he was sent to proclaim and that they would change their lives. Why do we not want to call others to repentance? Are we afraid that they’ll react in a harmful way towards us? Do we not love them enough to want them to change? Let’s throw another possible answer into the mix. Perhaps we are afraid to call others to repentance because we realize that we have yet to repent of our sinful ways. I’m going to let those thoughts resonant for a few moments while I take a look at some current affairs.

What is in the news? First, in case you have not heard, it was announced Friday morning that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that all new and renewed insurance plans will be required to cover contraception. As Grace-Marie Turner writes at National Review Online’s The Corner blog:

The Obamacare regulation gives faith-based institutions, like Catholic universities and hospitals, the choice of violating the fundamental tenets of their faith by covering the federally mandated coverage in their employee health plans, or of dropping health insurance for their employees — in which case they would be fined for violating the employer mandate.

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, had this to say in a press release.

“Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said.

How has this come to happen? Perhaps we’ve been like Jonah when sent to the Ninevites. We’ve found excuses not to stand up for our faith. Perhaps in part because of our own inclination to sinful activity. Perhaps because we’ve not really studied the issues and realize the greater ramifications that a ruling such as this has on our ability to practice our faith as it is taught. Many of the contraceptives they expect to cover cause abortions as a last means of preventing a birth. :(

That being said, the other big news issue from a Catholic perspective is the anniversary of Roe vs Wade. Monday will be the 39th March for Life in Washington, DC. Among the activities taking place is a youth rally that was held last night and the Mass for Life celebrated at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception tonight. When we look back at Jonah, those marching for life are in many ways like Jonah walking the streets of Nineveh. They are a challenge, not just to the government, but to our society to look at ourselves and the destruction our sin is causing in our nation. They are making the call to repent.

Let us listen one more time to the words of Paul from our second reading today:

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

The world is passing away and the Kingdom of God will be what remains. In the Gospel we heard:

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."

We are all called to repent. We must not give up hope in the fact that God can take us from where we are today to do great things with us. As we heard in the last part of today’s gospel, Jesus called fishermen to be the beginnings of his Church. In the Gospel of Luke we hear:

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Yet, Peter did follow Christ and was made the head of his Church.

Our own need for repentance should not stop us from answering the call that is before each of us. We are called to be a part of the Church that Christ established. We are called to take the truth of the gospel as handed down through the Church to the ends of the world. This starts, right here and right now.

The news stories of this weekend are only a beginning point for our call to be Jonah’s in the world, calling the Nineveh that we live in to repent. Do not run of to Tarshish to avoid the task. Step forward with courage and conviction. If, at the moment your life resembles that of the Ninevites more that of Jonah, follow their example of doing penance and repenting of your sins and perhaps, making today’s psalm your prayer:

R. (4a) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

40 Days for Life

This Lent, I took part in the 40 Days for Life campaign in Great Falls. While we were in front of the Planned Parenthood center, we had a variety of responses. We had people honk their horns and show us a thumbs-up. We had others raise a different digit on their hands. Some people drove by and hollered, "Good job!!!" Others shouted, "Get a job!!!" By far the positive responses were much more prevalent than the negative. I did have a car with two young girls create a bit of a laugh. The window on the passenger side was rolled down and the driver attempted to throw a paper dish of ice cream at those of us on the side walk. It hit the top of the window and spilled on the street.

As we read the Lord's Passion on Passion Sunday, the idea of being spat upon and ridiculed took on a different meaning this year. The Lord tells us that we need to take up our cross and follow him. Sometimes when we take a stand for the truth of innocent life, it does become a cross. The truth sometimes puts us at odds with society, our neighbors, our friends and sometimes even our families. We need to take seriously the challenge to, "Be not afraid" when it comes to promoting life from its very beginning.

To wrap up the 40 Days for Life in Great Falls we had a short walk for life from the Holiday Village to the Big Flag Overlook Park. The 70 or so people that took part in the walk were a witness to the truth. We had participants from 2 years of age through their 80's. The example of these people and families to take up their crosses in the cause of life is to be applauded. I want to encourage each and every one of you to make supporting life in a visible way a part of your life.

Do We Know?

How comfortable are we in our faith? What have we done to educate ourselves in the teachings of the Church? I’ve been working on an article for the Harvest, our diocesan newspaper, about those from our diocese who are in formation for the priesthood or religious life. I sent each of the candidates an e-mail asking them to tell us something about themselves and their formation and discernment process. It was interesting to hear some of the responses. One in particular struck home.

In high school, I had non-Catholic friends who began to question elements of the Catholic faith that I had never been taught or about which I had been misinformed. At the same time, we received a new pastor in my home parish who began preaching and teaching about Catholic topics that were completely foreign to me, and therefore seemingly threatening. I eventually realized that there is no benefit in persisting in ignorance of the Faith; if I was going to claim to reject something which the Church teaches, then I had to know what I was rejecting. Otherwise, I knew that I should be able to answer the questions of my non-Catholic friends.
This led me to zealously study Church teaching through the catechism and various books and online articles. As I read more and more, I began to truly fall in love with the Church in the fullness of her teachings. I came to see how the Faith is one beautiful whole, not a list of doctrines which may be abstracted from each other and accepted more or less according to personal preference. Over time, all of the teachings which I had found difficult to accept (the doctrines concerning purgatory, indulgences, contraception and sexual ethics, etc.), seen in the context of the whole, made so much sense. I saw that the Church, rather than being a dead institution with a strict and negative view of the human person, is in fact a vibrant, living, integral whole with an exceptionally beautiful conception of humanity as a people called to intimate union with Jesus Christ.

Sadly, many of us find ourselves in the position where we’ve been taught things contrary to what the actual Church teaches. Many times we seem to grab on to these tidbits because they make us feel good. I’ve heard from multiple sources that some of those who have attended Tempus in our diocese over the years have come back with an understanding of the sacraments and sin that is not supported by the teachings of the Church. Sometimes we decide whether or not to attend our local parish based upon whether or not the priest preaches messages that make us feel good about ourselves, instead of challenging us to overcome sin in our lives and turn ourselves back completely to God. Christ did not condemn the woman caught in adultery. He did send her off with the command, “Go and sin no more.” As Catholics, we are called to truly seek out the truth in the Church. We are called to follow the Church in our quest for holiness. When faced with the challenge of the truth we have two options. We can embrace the truth. Or, we can run to a place where the truth is hidden in an effort to make us feel good about ourselves. If, despite all that Jesus said about Hell in the gospel, we think everyone will go to Heaven without being in a state of grace, Satan wins.
Instead of getting mad at the messenger, take some time to review the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I want to share with you just a few short sections:

1384 The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist: "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."

1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

1386 Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent faith the words of the Centurion: "Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea" ("Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.") and in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom the faithful pray in the same spirit:
O Son of God, bring me into communion today with your mystical supper. I shall not tell your enemies the secret, nor kiss you with Judas' kiss. But like the good thief I cry, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Knights need to be a witness for life

I wrote the following for the Montana State Council of the Knights of Columbus newsletter.

Where do we stand as far as putting our faith into practice, not only in our church attendance, but in all that we do as Knights? I bring this up because of recent events related to Council 140 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Members of the council become members of the Casey Home Association which owns the Casey Function Center, which is basically the KC Hall. Note the pun Casey=KC? All sounds good so far.

In May, it became known that the Casey Function Center had entered a rental agreement to NARAL Pro-Choice (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) for a fund raising event. After some concerns were raised, the Casey Function Center canceled the contract. While this part of the story sounds like a good ending, one needs to ask how this rental agreement happened in the first place.

But, let's look at the rest of the story. It appears that the current president of the Casey Home Association is upset that they were required to cancel the contract. Remember that he is a member of the local council. He is now attempting to sever all ties between the local council and the Casey Home Association. After he accomplishes this separation, he plans on leaving the Knights of Columbus and maybe even the Catholic Church. If the Casey Home Association is made up of members of the Knights of Columbus, how can this happen?

What is happening to the Church? As Knights, we are called to defend the Church. We are called to be witnesses in the world to the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until natural death. For some reason, we've gotten in our minds that we can be personally opposed to something which is evil, but allow, or even sometimes promote, evil in our society. We can not allow society to control who we are as Catholics. We need to be transforming society.

In the vision of the president of the Casey Home Association, it is not Christian if the organization does not rent to anyone regardless of color, race, or creed. I do not believe that color or race should prevent us from allowing a group to use our facilities. But, if they profess something that is completely at odds to what we believe as Catholics, we need to take a stand. It is not Christian to allow evil to take over our society.

Perhaps this is a good time for each of the councils in Montana to take a look at the policies which exist concerning their ties with their halls, and their rental policies. If the policies would allow anyone to question our total support for live, perhaps it is time for us to rework those polices before we end up in a sitituation like that of Council 140 in Portsmouth.

Until next time may God bless you. Vivat Jesus

Highlights from the USCCB Fact-sheet on Community Health Centers

You can find the whole document here

Fact #1: A long and consistent series of federal court rulings since Roe v. Wade requires that broad statutory mandates for provision of health services must be construed to include mandated provision of abortions, unless the statute specifies otherwise.

Fact #2: In line with this legal precedent, the Community Health Centers program would be required to provide abortions now if not for the Hyde amendment.

Fact #3: The new funding appropriated for community health centers by the Senate health care bill is not covered by the Hyde amendment.

Fact #4: The Senate health care bill itself contains no relevant provision to prevent the direct use of federal funds for elective abortions.

Conclusion: In line with longstanding federal jurisprudence, the authorizing legislation for Community Health Centers creates a presumptive mandate for funding abortions without meaningful limit. Currently such funding is prevented only by the fact that funds under the Labor/HHS appropriations act are governed by the Hyde amendment. By appropriating new funds not covered by Hyde, and by failing to include any relevant abortion limitation of its own, the Senate health care bill as presently worded would disburse billions of dollars in federal funding that no one could prevent from being used for elective abortions.

Precepts of the Catholic Church, part IV

Again this week, I’d like to continue with the series about the precepts of the Catholic Church.

The following inset quotes are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The third precept ("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

There was a time when people, instead of going to confession and trying to change their lives would stay in the state of sin and not go to communion. There were others who were so conscience of their sinfulness that they never felt worthy to  eceive our Lord in communion. Most people have no problem with receiving communion once a year today. There is more of a tendency to go to communion while in the state of mortal sin. This, too, is a serious matter. See last week’s
comments.

2043 The fourth precept ("You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church") ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.

The rules for fasting and abstinence were in the bulletin last week and again this week. Fasting helps us learn to control our desires for a greater good.

The fifth precept ("You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church") means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.

This precept ties in greatly with the whole idea of almsgiving. While the requirement is to give to our ability, we need to be careful that we don’t under estimate our ability. Often times we have the ability to support the church to a greater degree, but we tend to keep the money for activities that we enjoy. When we look at where our money goes, it gives us a sense about our priorities.

The sixth precept that is often added is to follow the laws of the Church in regards to marriage.
This precept would dictate that we would be married in the Church. If there are impediments to our marriage, we would take care of those as quickly as possible so as to allow us to be married in the Church. If there are issues that stand in the way of meeting this precept, I encourage you to come in and talk with me.

My goal by posting these precepts and comments is to help all of those in the parish reflect a little bit upon what we should be doing as we live out our faith. In addition to these basic precepts, we also need to be looking at the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.