Are you paying attention?

In this Sunday's readings,  the twenty fifth Sunday of ordinary time, Father Vince gave some good food for thought on paying attention.   Jesus had taken the disciples up alone to teach them about his passion and resurrection, but it seems they were more concerned with themselves rather than what Jesus was teaching them.   The disciples wound up arguing about themselves and who was the greatest.   Jesus tells them to be the greatest they must be the servant of others.  The main point that hit home with me from Fr. Vince's homily was that the number one person we should be focused on is Jesus, follow by others in serving them, and finally ourselves (or yourself).  An acronym Fr. Vince has used in the past for remembering this is JOY (Jesus, Others, Yourself).  If I am going to be a joyful Christian I must focus on JOY! This upcoming Year of Faith starting in October will give us plenty of opportunity to learn about Jesus and focus on him.  Let me know if there is anything that hit home with you from the readings or homilies this week. Take care and God bless.  

Why Catholic women use contraception & what the Church says on this

I read an interesting article on the Marriage and Family section on the Catholic Exchange web site today, Why Catholic Women Use Contraception.   One point of interest in the article was that most women who attend Mass regularly learn about church teachings mainly from the homily.   I found this point interesting from the perspective as a parent who has had my kids attend Mass with me regularly from the time they were infants.  Is contraception something that I would want the priest or deacon preaching on at a Sunday Mass with my children present?   Usually my wife and I discuss the homily with our kids after Mass and sometimes they would ask about what was discussed with questions themselves.  Is the topic of contraception something I would want to be discussing with a five-year-old child?   I can somewhat relate to reluctance of this being preached.  There is the lack of support of this teaching by many Catholics and also is it an appropriate subject to be preaching at in respect to families attending with children.   There is plentiful information available on what the Church teaching is and what the acceptable method of family planning is, NFP (Natural Family Planning), through books, CD’s, videos, website, podcasts, and programs at the parish and archdiocesan level.  A web resource that is a good starting place is the For Your Marriage web site in the section What does the Church say about contraception.  Marriage preparation also includes information for couples on this as well and resources are provided to learn about Church teaching and NFP.  Why aren’t couples taking the time to learn about Church teaching on contraception and NFP on their own, rather than relying on homilies to learn about church teaching?  Is it because they just accept what the culture says about contraception?  Do couples really want to hear about this preached at Mass in the presence of their families?  I’d be interested in hearing some comments on what people think on this matter.    If you wish to remain anonymous on your response please indicate so.

Who do you believe in?

In Father Vince's homily this week he asked us who do we believe in?  He asked us if we believe in our children, the Colts, or Notre Dame to get us thinking.  Sunday’s Gospel from the 24th week in Ordinary time was about Peter’s profession of Jesus as Christ, the Messiah that Israel has been waiting for.  He made the point of Peter getting it right, and then also struggling with his faith. 

As Catholic’s on Sunday we recite what we believe in: the Nicene Creed.  This creed came out of the council of Nicea due to a crisis of faith.  There was a struggle between factions in the early church of whether Jesus was just a human being or divine.  The Creed we recite settled on what we believe as Catholics.   This is something we recite every week.  Sometimes we say the words and don’t think about what they really mean.  

In October we will start the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict.   During this year we will be learning about our faith and what we believe in as Catholics.  Father Vince spent some time going over the Nicene Creed and what it means.  A few highlights from his teaching were:

-       We believe in one God who made the world, both the physical world we know and live in and also the spiritual world.

-       Jesus has always existed with the Father from the very beginning.

-       Consubstantial was defined as being of the same substance. Analogy was used in reference Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as being consubstantial but each manifested differently by comparing H2O manifested as gas (steam), solid (ice), and liquid (water).

-       God chose that Jesus enter humanity through our Blessed Mother and we bow reverently when this is recalled.

-       Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, during the time of Jesus, and is a historical reference.

-       Jesus was here physically on Earth 2000 years ago as documented historically, was killed, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will come again to judge each of us.

-       The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. One church handed on by Jesus.  The Church is holy as is sanctified by Jesus.  It is catholic, meaning universal, which is for everyone.  Finally it is apostolic, led by successors to the apostles, the bishops who were ordained by laying on of hands going back to the apostles.

-       One baptism: The Church accepts Trinitarian baptism by other Christian communities & churches.  Baptism is not to a particular church, but to relationship with Christ.

-       We believe in a life after this one were we will meet God face to face.

This was an excellent summary of the key tenants of our faith and a great way to get started in the Year of Faith!  This will really help as we recite the Nicene Creed and give a deeper understanding for all of us as we weekly recall our faith.

If you would like to dig in a little deeper check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Lord, I am not worthy to come under your roof

In today’s Gospel a Roman centurion gives us the words we now use to respond at Mass prior to receiving the Eucharist.  He had heard of Jesus and needed him to heal his slave who was very ill.  This is amazing when you think of the Roman occupation at the time of Jesus.  The Roman soldiers were probably considered an enemy at the time.  They had occupied the land and were ruling what the Jewish people believed to be their own land.    This centurion must have been a good man as “he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us” and he had concern for the health and welfare of his slave.   He must have been a good neighbor, respecting the people who served under him and also the people of Israel.  He must have conversed with them and come to know the story of Jesus.   Through these stories he developed a faith to come to Jesus to ask for help.     Jesus came for the people of Israel, but he also came for the salvation of all people who would come to know and believe in him.    We can also be the people who can bring Jesus to those who don’t know him.  By being friend with people at work, our neighbor, and those we recreate with, and modeling Christ in our lives and also telling them stories of those whose lives have changed because of Jesus.   We can help those who some may consider to be “enemies” or outside of the faith, to become models of faith for us.

Faithful Citizenship videos and other resources to inform and take action

If you would like to view some youth oriented videos for Faithful Citizenship click on the title listed below.  These are great videos for parents and grandparents to watch with their children and grandchildren:

Go make a difference

Living out your Faithful Citizenship

Once you have viewed these videos you can test out your knowledge of what you have learned:

Steve Angrisano Video Quiz: Part 1

Steve Angrisano Video Quiz: Part 2

Now that you’ve learned about Faithful Citizenship, and tested your knowledge it’s time to live out your faith and get involved.   You can let your elected leaders know what your opinion is on certain issues by contacting them.  The more people who contact them about a particular issue, the more likely is that elected official is to vote in favor of the issue.  In an election year you can also find out what a candidates position is on a particular issue.    How do you find the information on who are your elected representatives?  How do you find out the candidates who are running for office in the area? Go to the ICC (Indiana Catholic Conference) Legislative Action Center.  On this page you can input your zip code and it will show you who your elected government representatives are at the state and federal levels.  You can also find out who is running for office during an election year by clicking on the Election Guide.  This gives links to the elected officials website and you may be able to find out where they stand on an issue.  If they don’t have position statements you can contact them to find out what their position is on an issue.

The ICC, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana, consists of a Board of Directors, professional staff, Diocesan Coordinators, and active Catholics like you. The Board includes all the active Bishops of Indiana and one layperson from each of the five Indiana dioceses. 

ICC provides a readily accessible source to which public inquiry can be made about the position of the Church on matters affecting the common good.

Further it provides communication and understanding among Catholics throughout the state regarding the mission and role of the Church in the public order, the political and democratic processes, and the issues and developments in public policy. It is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana regarding state and national matters. 

If you want to stay informed on issues that our coming up for vote sign up for the Indiana Catholic Action Network.  This is an email newsletter that will keep you informed on issues that are important to Catholics. If there are particular issues that are of importance to contact your representatives you will receive Action Alerts.  This site provides a list of issues.  By clicking on the link to the particular issue you will find a summary of the issue and also a prewritten message that can be sent to your elected official directly from this web site.  You can edit the message to add your own words as well.  This resource makes it extremely easy to contact your representatives.

Finally don’t forget to pray about issues and the candidate to vote for.  Asking for God’s guidance in your actions is essential in being a Faithful Citizen.   If you need some ideas on how to pray please check out Praying Like a Faithful Citizen. 

What can you do for God: Be doers and not hearers only!

This week Deacon Steve shared a cute story about little 8 year Danny and who he thought God was.  Danny had some good food for thought about God.  I especially liked, “you should go to church every Sunday, because you want to make God happy, and if there is anyone you want to make happy it’s God.” We are usually not in the habit of making God happy, but asking him for help with a problem.  Danny closed with some good insight: you shouldn’t always think of what God can do for you.   Deacon Steve added on to this: you should think of what you can do for God, and the people of God.  This fit well with the letter of James, “be doers of the word, and not hearersonly”.  There’s a lot we can do in our parish community to “be doers” and “make the people of God happy”.  Deacon Steve pointed out some good parish opportunities with the mission trip to Eastern Kentucky and food pantry, and there are many, many more.  So think about how you can be a “doer” and “make God happy” this week by checking out the many ministries in the parish and our community.  Sign up for something to “do” and put the Mass dismissal into real live practice, “Go in peace glorying the Lord with your life”.

Homily, September 2, 2012 - Forming your conscience to vote as a Faithful Catholic

           Chocolate or Vanilla…Pepsi or Coke.  Wait a minute, this sounds strangely family…did someone switch my homily with Father Vince’s from last week?

Well, not really.  I’m just refreshing your memory on Fr. Vince’s homily from last week about choices.  We heard about the people of Israel choosing to follow the one true God, or the god of other nations.  We also heard about the many followers of Jesus choosing to leave, but Peter making the choice to follow Jesus.  Fr. Vince encouraged us that in making choices we need to make the choice to follow God.  

In the next few months we will have some important decisions to make regarding the upcoming elections.   How do we choose to follow God in making the decision of which candidate to vote for?  This question came to me following the visit to my sons back to school night.   In meeting with his social studies teacher she said current events would be studied, with the election being a major one this year.  I asked her how students are to be informed on issues important to Catholics so they know how to be faithful to God in choosing a candidate to vote for?   She said that would be a great idea and the next day responded back asking me for resources to help with this.  I dug in and sent her some and now I will be sharing them with you. 

As Catholics, we must form our conscience based on the teachings of the Church to help us to understand what the critical issues are and what the Church’s teachings are regarding these issues.    To help form our conscience we must rely on Scripture, Church Teaching, and prayer.

What comes to mind when you think of word conscience?  I can’t help but think of the days of my youth watching Saturday morning cartoons of Bugs Bunny with the little “good” angel telling him the right thing to do and the “bad” devil coaxing him down the wrong path.   This is an image of what we may go through in mind & heart discerning the choice between what is good & evil, and hopefully always choosing the good. The Catechism tells us that conscience is a judgment of practical reason that helps us to recognize and seek what is good and to reject evil.  Said another way, it is making the decision to do the right thing.  

In today’s first reading Moses calls on the people to “hear the statutes and decrees that I am teaching you to observe, that you may live”, and references the Ten Commandments handed down by God that should observed without adding or taking away.   He tells the people that God is faithful standing with us as we search for what is right in seeking the truth, “For what great nation is there that has gods to close to it as the LORD, our God”.  To understand what is right we must have a good understanding of what Scripture and Church teaching says about a particular issue.  A good question to ask is:  What are the “statutes and decrees” that affect how the unborn, poor, vulnerable, and sick are to live?

In the Psalm today, “One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord”, reminds us that when we make a decision we need to discern what is just.   How do the decisions we make enhance the life and dignity of each person made in the image of God, especially in light of those who are weak, unborn, poor, and the migrant?  We must examine the facts of the issue and consider what is good and just to do.

Once we have studied what Scripture and Church teaching regarding a particular issue, and discern what is just, we also must pray and reflect to further help form our conscience.  We must “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls”.  The takes some time and is a process.  We may not necessarily agree with Church teaching due to our upbringing or influence of the culture.  But Jesus left us his Church to be our guide, and if we are attentive to listen God’s voice in quiet prayer, it can help to discern God’s will on a particular issue rather than our own will. 

In going through these steps to form our conscience we must be sincere in our hearts to follow God’s will.  Jesus warns that, “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. “  The Pharisees and Scribes were just going through the motions with keeping their religious traditions.  We must be careful not to do this in forming our conscience to validate the decision we have already made, or not being serious about seeking the truth.  Conscience formation is a lifelong obligation that we must be committed to continually do.  We must be doers of the word, and not just hearers only. 

            In summary to form our consciences we must desire to embrace what is good and true.  We must study Scripture and teaching of the Church, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  We must examine the facts and background of the issues at hand and the choices we have to address them.  Finally we must pray and reflect to discern God’s will for the situation.

            This sounds like a lot given all the responsibilities that all of us have with work, kids activities, and keeping up with a home.  Fortunately our Bishops have done a good job in making available resources to understand the issues that we should be concerned about through their statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. This statement outlines a number of issues about which we should form our consciences. Some of these include:

•            Continued destruction of unborn children through abortion, euthanasia, and care for the elderly, vulnerable, sick, or unwanted;

•             Renewed efforts to force Catholic ministries—in health care, education, and social services—to violate their consciences or stop serving those in need;

•            Efforts to redefine marriage and enact measures which undermine marriage as between one man and one woman AND an institution essential to the common good;

• An economic crisis which has devastated lives and livelihoods, increasing unemployment, poverty, hunger, deficits and debt, AND the duty to respond in ways that protect the poor and future generations;

•            The failure to repair a broken immigration system with comprehensive measures that promote respect for law, human rights and the dignity of immigrants and refugees, and which keep families together, and advance the common good;

•            Wars, terror, and violence which raise serious moral questions about the human and moral costs of force, particularly in regards to the Holy Land and Middle East.

I am reading, and encourage you to read, the bishops’ statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.  It is available on the U.S. bishops’ website and the web address is in today’s bulletin, Faithful Citizenship.  This website has a variety of resources that can be read online or printed out, both the full version of Faithful Citizenship and summaries.  For those who are more media orientated there are multiple videos, and there are even some specifically for youth with a quiz to test what you have learned.  (Hint this may be good for parents to use to teach you children and help learn yourself)

By preparing for the elections by studying these resources and reflection in prayer, we can let our faith shape our politics and not the other way around.  There will be some prayer cards available after Mass with a prayer prepared by the bishops and also the 7 issues outlined in my homily. Please join me in trying to form and act on our consciences in this election year.   In a free country it is our duty as faithful citizens of God’s kingdom.   May God bless you!