Homily - 26 May 2019 - The Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Dear brothers and sisters,

Into what have you placed your heart? To what have you given your heart? I ask this question today because a short time ago we prayed together asking God that “we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy” (Collect). This is another way of asking God that we might dedicate our hearts to him fully, totally, completely, so as to keep the joy of the Resurrection.

We give our hearts – or at least part of them – to so many different passing things, all in the vain hope that these things might fill us with joy. They might – it is true – provide some small joy for a time (as a good book does), but these things always leave us wanting more (like another good book, for example).

Although very few people think of it this way, every time we pray the Creed, Mother Church invites us to dedicate our hearts anew to God, to place our hearts completely in him. Sadly, in many places, people’s first reaction to the words, “I believe in one God,” may be a sigh or a silent grumble that this takes too long. What does you heart say at this moment of the Mass?

The Creed, the Profession of Faith, begins, in Latin, with credo, which translates to “I believe.” In the original Latin, however, it means something a bit more.

Some suggest credo is made up of two smaller words: cor is the word for “heart,” as in “coronary” or “cordially,” and do means “I give” and is the origin of “donate.” Thus, the words “I believe” are no simple nod to what God says in the readings – as we might give to the country station versus talk radio. Rather, saying “I believe” is putting one’s whole heart on the line for the Word of God just heard. If I have heard with the ear of the heart, I can then give myself wholeheartedly back to God: “I believe” – which is the response He wishes to hear.[1]

Is this what happens when you take part in the recitation of the Creed? Do you simply mumble through the words, or have you allowed them to become part of the fiber of your being? Have you placed your whole heart in God through them?

To say “I believe in God” means not only placing one’s whole heart in God; it also means keeping the word of God (cf. John 14:23). To put it another way, “being a Christian means having love: it means achieving the Copernican revolution in our existence, by which we cease to make ourselves the center of the universe, with everyone else revolving around us.”[2]

Believing in God thus makes us harbingers of values that often do not coincide with the fashion and opinion of the moment. It requires us to adopt criteria and assume forms of conduct that are not part of the common mind-set. Christians must not be afraid to go “against the current” in order to live their faith, resisting the temptation to “conform.” In many of our societies, God has become the “great absent One”, and many idols have supplanted him, multiform idols, especially possession and the autonomous “I”. And even the major and positive breakthroughs of science and technology have instilled in people an illusion of omnipotence and self-sufficiency and an increasing egotism which has created many imbalances in interpersonal relations and social behavior.[3]

In recent decades, and especially in recent weeks, the power of the autonomous “I” and the imbalance in interpersonal relations has reared its ugly head in the horror of the demands for abortion without restriction which says my life is more important than another life. This is not the way of the Christian; this is not the way of love.

Here in Illinois, as the legislative session draws to a close on May 31^st, our politicians are seeking to sneak through a horrendous piece of legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly. The House will reconvene at 4:00 p.m. today and legislators will be in session tomorrow on Memorial Day. Although they have not yet taken a vote on identical bills both misnamed the "Reproductive Health Act" that would go further than Roe v. Wade in eliminating rights for the unborn child, as well as jeopardizing conscience protections for doctors, nurses, and hospitals who refuse to participate in an abortion – you can be sure that the opponents of the Gospel of Life want to force these bills through. The legislation specifically states: "A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this State." This claim stands in stark contrast to the findings of science that such a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus is, in fact, a human being, as every embryology textbook clearly states. At the same time, such a statement seeks to deprive small and weak humans of the Constitutional right to the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Both bills would repeal the Illinois Parental Notification of Abortion Act, which requires a parent or legal guardian to be notified when a minor seeks an abortion. The law already allows for exceptions - including children physically or sexually abused - as well as a waiver if notification is not in the best interest of the child. Every state that surrounds Illinois requires at least parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion.

Minors today in Illinois cannot legally use an indoor tanning bed; buy cigarettes, alcohol, or lottery tickets; apply for a credit card, or vote in an election. They need parental consent if they want to get a tattoo or body piercing, or join the armed forces. To forbid these activities to a minor while at the same time allowing them to procure an abortion – which can lead to the death of a minor and causes grave psychological harm and trauma – is simply ridiculous and not in keeping with sincere love.

On Friday, the Holy Father Pope Francis asked an important and striking question: “Is it licit to throw away a life to solve a problem? Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?”[4] He has, of course, received some criticism for posing the question in this way, but what else do we call someone hired to kill an innocent person but a hitman? What has unsurprisingly received less attention is His Holiness insistence that we need “a culture that recognizes the value of life, a culture that recognizes in every face, even the smallest, the face of Jesus.”[5] Seeing the face of the unborn children in a sonogram image, who can deny the value and the dignity of even the smallest of persons?

There is perhaps still time to stop this legislation from passing, but only if Christians in the Land of Lincoln hold fast to what they say in the Creed. Only if we act with the bold courage of love can we work to end the culture of death and bring about the culture of life. Have you placed your heart firmly enough in God to live out what the Creed requires? Do you love enough to bother to make a simple phone call or to send an e-mail to our legislators? Perhaps you might be worried what others will think of you for defending the rights of all people. If so, hear again the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). If we place our hearts wholly in God, then - through the reception of the Holy Eucharist - he will “pour into our hearts the strength of this saving food” and conform us to the mysteries of his mighty love (Prayer After Communion; cf. Prayer Over the Offerings). Let us, then, place hearts wholly in God – and not in ourselves – that he might place his heart wholly in us. Amen.

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[1] Christopher Carstens, A Devotional Journey into the Mas: How Mass Can Become a Time of Grace, Nourishment, and Devotion (Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2017), 46.

[2] Joseph Ratzinger, Credo for Today: What Christians Believe (San Francisco, California: Ignatius Press, 2009), 11.

[3] Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience Address, 23 January 2013.

[4] Pope Francis, in Nicole Winfield, “Pope:Abortion Is Never OK, equates it to ‘hiring a hitman,” Associated Press, 25 May 2019.

[5] Pope Francis, in “Pope Francis:Foster a culture that recognizes the value of life,” Vatican News, 24 May 2019.

Another sad day in Illinois - HB 40 passes the House

Following the passage of HB 40, which provides, among other things, tax payer dollars for abortions, by the Illinois House, the Catholic Conference of Illinois released the following statement:

Catholic Conference laments House passage of taxpayer funding of abortions 

CHICAGO – The head of the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops today lamented Illinois House passage of legislation authorizing the use of taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions for Medicaid recipients and state employees. 

Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, criticized lawmakers for turning a moral argument into campaign fodder. 

“Elected representatives today chose raw politics over the innocent lives of the unborn,” Gilligan said. 

Today’s passage of House Bill 40 denoted the culmination of a legislative spring break marked by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s promise to veto the legislation, which was quickly followed by accusations of broken campaign promises. Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago last week issued a public statement in which he thanked the governor for his “principled stand” to veto HB 40. 

“Abortion is a controversial issue in this country, but using public money to provide abortions should not be,” Cardinal Cupich stated. 

Public opinion polls indicate strong opposition to public funding of abortion. A January 2017 poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion for the Knights of Columbus shows that 61 percent of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortion, including 40 percent of those who say they are pro-choice.

Only 15 states currently pay for elective abortions for Medicaid participants, and 11 of those states do so through a court order, not legislative action. 

Gilligan stressed the House’s vote represented a dangerous misplacement of priorities, especially when the state has not had a budget for 22 months and has nearly $13 billion in overdue bills. 

“The state can’t pay for essential services, and lawmakers are funding elective abortions – where is the logic in that?” he said. 

Illinois’ Catholic bishops have lobbied hard against House Bill 40, issuing letters to parishioners urging them to contact their state representatives to vote against the measure. Cardinal Cupich and the other bishops noted that a better use of taxpayer money in such dire fiscal times would be to fund prenatal services for the poor and child care for working mothers, as well as expand health-care options for those in need. 

HB 40 passed the House on a 62-55 vote, and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

I'm happy to say that my State Representative, Sara Wojcicki-Jimenez (R-IL-99th), voted against HB40. I'll be writing to thank her for her vote and will urge my State Senator to vote against the bill when it comes before the Illinois Senate.

If you do not know who your elected officials are, you may find out here. You can see how your Representative voted here.

Life in Illinois: Where the Election Code apparently also concerns the funding of abortion

His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, has written a letter to the faithful of his diocese to alert them a particularly troubling piece of legislation soon to come before the Illinois General Assembly, HB 40, which is supposed to amend the Election Code.

The text of Bishop Paprocki's letter follows, with my emphases:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

I am writing to alert you about a bill that is pending before the Illinois legislature that, if passed, would use your tax dollars to pay for the taking of innocent human lives through abortion.  The bill is HB 40, and I am told that it may pass if there is not a strong outcry against it. 

Since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade, our country has endured the termination of more than 57 million lives.  We are working hard to build a culture of life by advocating for laws that make it easier to bring a child into this world.  And we are succeeding – the national abortion rate is at its lowest since Roe v. Wade was handed down.  Unfortunately, the enactment of House Bill 40 would set back those efforts by coercing all who pay taxes to indirectly support the taking of innocent human life.  It is worth noting that abortion is an elective procedure and using state tax dollars to pay for it is not only immoral, but also an injustice.  A far better use of tax money would be to fund prenatal services for the poor and child care for working mothers, as well as expand health care options for those in need.  

House Bill 40 not only mandates state support of abortion, but it would also include abortion coverage in state employees’ health care plans and the Medicaid program.  Additionally, the bill allows taxpayer money to fund grants to organizations such as Planned Parenthood that refer, counsel for, and perform abortions.  

The Catholic Conference of Illinois, which serves as the public policy arm of the Catholic bishops, has long joined with Catholic Charities and Catholic health care organizations to advocate that essential services be funded. However, as we have seen over the past few years and in the current budget stalemate, their efforts have largely been ignored by state lawmakers and officials.  We have to ask why our elected representatives would turn their backs on paying for programs that help the disabled, the elderly, children in need and students, yet find the will to publicly fund the terrible tragedy of abortion.  Please contact your state representative to vote against this bill. 

If you need assistance in determining the name of your lawmaker, or in sending a message to him or her, go to www.ilcatholic.org or call the Catholic Conference at its Chicago office at 312-368-1066 or its Springfield office at 217-528-9200.

One might well ask what the Election Code has to do with the funding of abortions, but such is the quality of the General Assembly these days.

Remember, those we elect to public office are supposed to represent us and our interests. If we do not contact them to tell them what we think about certain pieces of legislation, they cannot represent us. Please, pick up your telephones and your pens and urge your representative to vote against HB 40.

Homily - 2 October 2016 - How could we have fallen so low?

The Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Dear brothers and sisters,

People with whom I have spoken in recent days and weeks about the current political situation in these United States of America all seem to say something similar to the cry of the Prophet Habakkuk: “How long, O Lord, must I cry for help and you do not listen” (Habakkuk 1:1)? Many ask how we came to arrive at this moment in our nation’s history. How could we have fallen so low, they ask.

Commentators, pundits, and retirees around their coffee tables all have offered many different, varied, and sometimes contradictory explanations, but most of these conveniently overlook the fundamental reason we see near ruin all about us (cf. Habakkuk 1:3). We have arrived at this moment in our shared history for the simple and tragic reason that we have not kept Saint Paul’s words to Saint Timothy. “So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me,” he wrote, “but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God” (II Timothy 1:8). As one simple test of this, you might ask yourself, “Am I willing to bear my share of the hardship for the gospel by joining in the Life Chain today, or am I ashamed to defend the dignity of the unborn child?”

We have focused our aspirations not on the Lord Jesus and on the spread of his saving Gospel but on ourselves these past ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or more years. As those joined to Christ in the waters of Baptism, our lives should be motivated by the love of God and of neighbor, always and everywhere, but too many of our lives are instead motivated by the love of self. We have heard the voice of the Lord and hardened our hearts to him. I daresay we have come to this moment in history for no other reason than the fact that we have sinned against God and against our neighbor by not living our faith in the public square, by not realizing that we are but “unprofitable servants” of Jesus; rather than doing “what we were obliged to do,” we have done our wills (Luke 17:10).

Here we do well to remember what Pope Francis reminded us of this past Thursday, namely, “the answer to the drama of evil lies in the mystery of Christ.”[1] Saint Paul, of course, knew this, which is why he urged Saint Timothy not to be ashamed of witnessing to Jesus Christ before the world. Indeed, his admonition to the young bishop focused on three things: power, love, and self-control. “When we look at the triad [of] ‘power, love, self-control’ as a whole, it is remarkable that the most important, love, occupies the center… The gift of the Spirit is one of power, but it is also the spirit of order, and it is both because it is the power of love.”[2]

When Saint Paul encouraged Saint Timothy to “stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands,” he referred to the grace Timothy received when Paul ordained him a Bishop. In doing so, Paul acknowledged Timothy’s faith, but at the same time he expressed his concern that the difficulties Timothy would experience in the exercise of his ministry might make him hesitant to use the gift he received to its fullest extent. Is this not a common temptation for each of us?

In the waters of Baptism and in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, each us has received a certain gift, a particular grace, for our work in giving witness to Jesus and in proclaiming his gospel. Despite this gift, however, we grow cautious – or even afraid – in exercising this gift in the public square, or even in our homes among our family and friends. We become ashamed of Jesus and worry what others will think of us. Saint Paul urged Saint Timothy not to have such thoughts, but to be instead a loyal servant of Christ and a bold herald of his salvation.

We sometimes grow quiet because we think our faith is not strong enough, not big enough, to speak up more courageously or that we are somehow incapable of giving a good witness to Jesus. But we heard in the Gospel today that “Jesus, when asked by his disciples to increase their faith, told them that the little faith they had, though it be as small as a mustard seed could move mountains, if they would just use it (Luke 17:6). It is not a question of Timothy’s acquiring something he does not already have, but rather of activating what he already has.”[3] So it is with us. It is not a question of our acquiring something we do not already have, but rather of activating what we already have.

The power to which Saint Paul refers is the sacred power Saint Timothy received in ordination that made him a minister of the Sacraments. This power is principally that of absolving sins and of confecting the Eucharist; it is a power that “proceeds from love, leads to love, and is tempered by love. Or better, it is the very power of love itself.”[4] Though we exercise it differently as members of the Body of Christ, each of us has received this power of love that poured forth from the side of the Crucified Savior. “The cross reminds us that there is no true love without suffering, there is no gift of life without pain.”[5] We have almost forgotten this truth today because we spend too much time looking at ourselves, taking selfies wherever we go, and not enough time looking at Christ Jesus.

If we truly considered ourselves as unprofitable servants of the Lord rather than our own masters, we would realize the power of suffering love and its ability to move hearts and transform the world. If we truly considered ourselves as unprofitable servants of the Lord rather than our own masters, the sufferings that would come with giving witness to Jesus in all times and places would not frighten us, but would instead move us to give an even greater testimony so as to share more closely in his cross. Centuries ago, Saint Basil the Great urged us forward, saying, “Therefore, the more have been your trials, look for a more perfect reward from your last judge. Do not take your present trials ill. Do not lose hope. Yet a little while longer and your helper will come to you.”[6]

We frequently hear the Lord’s promise to be with us always and to send the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak, but we doubt his promise and question his trustworthiness; we think him too much like us and fail to strive to become more like him (cf. Matthew 28:20; Matthew 10:19). This is unfortunate because we have nothing to fear in God; he is only to be loved and trusted with all our hearts.

God is all-powerful, and, since he is all-powerful, he cannot die, he cannot be deceived, he cannot lie, and, as the apostle says, 'he cannot disown himself' (II Timothy 2:13). Very much he cannot do, yet he is all-powerful. It is because he cannot do these things that he is all-powerful. If he could die, if he could deceived, if he could deceive, if it were possible for to do an injustice, he would not be omnipotent. If it were in him to do any of this, such acts would not be worthy of the Almighty. Absolutely omnipotent, our Father cannot sin.[7]

There is nothing false in our Master, only – sadly – in his servants who too often seek to profit themselves instead of serving him in love. This is the self-control to which Saint Paul referred.

If each of us stirs into flame the gift of love we received at Baptism and Confirmation, if each of us uses this power for self-control and lives as unprofitable servants, then will the Lord hear our cries for help and begin to turn back the ruin that seems to be falling upon us in these days. If we turn from our ways of self-absorption and seek to be absorbed into the love of Christ, then will our hardened hearts be softened and we will know the joy and peace that comes from serving God.

In these troubling days, each of us should remember these words of the great Saint Ambrose:

Know that you are a servant overwhelmed by very much obedience. You must not set yourself first, because you are called a son of God. Grace must be acknowledged, but nature not over-looked. Do not boast of yourself if you have served well, as you should have done. The sun obeys, the moon complies, and the angels serve… Let us not require praise from ourselves nor prevent the judgment of God and anticipate the sentence of the Judge but reserve it for its own time and Judge.[8]

Let us, then, not be ashamed of our testimony to our Lord, but let us bear our share of hardships for the gospel, confident that the answer to the drama of evil lies in the mystery of the cross of Christ, in the mystery of suffering love. Amen.

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[1] Pope Francis, Address to thePontifical Council Cor Unum, 29 September 2016.

[2] George T. Montague, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: First and Second Timothy, Titus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008), 144-145.

[3] Ibid., 141.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Pope Benedict XVI, GeneralAudience Address, 17 September 2008.

[6] Saint Basil the Great, Letter 238. In Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Vol. XIV: The Twelve Prophets. Alberto Ferreiro, ed. (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press, 2003), 191.

[7] Saint Augustine of Hippo, On the Creed, 1.2. In Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Vol. IX: Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Peter Gorday, ed. (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press, 2000), 247.

[8] Saint Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke, 8.31-32. In Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Vol. III: Luke. Arthur A. Just, Jr., ed. (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press, 2003), 267.

A news round up - 12 December 2014

Some news you may have missed:

• A Lego man standing more than 8 feet in height has washed ashore in Japan.

• Atheists in seven states are seeking to overturn legislation that requires civic office holders - including notaries public - to have a religious faith.

• Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska was vandalized on December 2nd. Thankfully, the tabernacle, ambry, and relics were unharmed.

• A 5-foot crucifix was somehow stolen from St. Anthony of Padua church in New York City Saturday, during the celebration of the Holy Mass.

• If you've ever wanted to throw a Christmas tree, there's a contest for you in the United Kingdom, though I'm afraid you've missed it this year.

• The government of New South Wales has declared Australian foxes to be pests, and not pets.

• 350 ancient statues have been found in the gardens of the British ambassador in Rome after a bit of work was done in tending the garden. How one simply forgets about such statues is a marvel, but welcome to life in Rome. 

• An 85-year-old man has been fined in the Italian town of Pinerolo for crossing the street too slowly. To his credit, the mayor of Pinerolo will refund the man the fine from his funds.

Republican candidate attacked for his Catholic faith left the Democrat party because of its anti-Catholicism

Two weeks ago I shared with you a political advertisement in the state of Washington that smacks not only of anti-Catholicism, the last acceptable prejudice in the United States of America:

Despite the bigotry so clearly expressed in the advert, there is good news to report: The ad was unsuccessful. The people of Washington elected him to the senate by a margin of 13 points.

But there's also a surprising twist to the story. Before becoming a Republican, Miloscia had been Democrat. Why did he switch parties? Because of the anti-Catholic sentiment within the Democrat party.