I could not help but reflect upon the battle ahead in light of the 3rd Sunday Readings (OF)
"Forty
days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed….” God gave this prophetic message to Jonah as a
sentence upon a nation that had become very proud of its own greatness. Thoroughly convinced of the wisdom and power
of its own leaders, prophets, and achievements, it could not recognize its need
to seek true wisdom and enlightenment of the omnipotent Father of all
creation. God, in his mercy, sent Jonah
to proclaim repentance.
“The
time is running out.” To this people and their leader, the sentiment expressed
in the words uttered by St. Paul, though yet to be spoken, seemed to be
understood and to resonate in spite of Nineveh’s (the Assyrian Kingdom's) dominance, prosperity, and all
around good fortune.
"This
is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.” Words
like these and concern about the judgment of God have certainly been prominent
throughout the history of the Church.
When our Blessed Lord comes in the flesh, he begins his public ministry
with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. “Repent, and believe in the gospel."
This past week, events have occurred which should direct
us to meditate on these important and prophetic words.
An alarm was sounded in the address the Holy Father gave to
some of the bishops from the US making their 5 year visit to the Holy See. He said there, “It is imperative that the
entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave
threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism
which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres.” He
mentioned the need to be convinced of the seriousness of these threats. “Of
particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished
of American freedoms, the freedom of religion.” Then he pointed to two specific
problems, the denial of the right to refuse to be part of evil practices and
the denial of the respect for freedom of conscience.
He was referring to efforts on the part of the administration
to require that Catholic organizations provide sterilizations and chemical
abortions to employees in their health care insurance plans. This would mean, as well, that Catholic
hospitals, Catholic doctors and nurses and other health care workers would be required
to participate in these things against their conscience. This will mean that Church-run universities and hospitals will have to participate in these plans. The Department of Health and Human Services
has given us one year to comply. “In
effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our
consciences,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York
and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
What do you think of all of this? Citizens of the United
States? Woe to you. What do you think I will do when the government tells me to
do this, to keep my mouth shut, or support this? ["Looming over the entire exemption is the regulation’s language that HHS “may” exempt churches within the provision’s narrow scope. Nothing aside from the government’s interest in avoiding a court battle stands in the way of simply refusing to exempt even a Catholic diocese from the contraceptive mandate." Patrick Reilly, "The Fight To Be Catholic, http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/the-fight-to-be-catholic, January 22, 2012.] What will you do when I am
removed from this parish, fined, or put in jail for refusal to participate or for teaching against these evils? I assure you, I will not go against my
conscience or the Church’s teaching on this. You judges, you lawyers, you
legislators, you politicians, you police officers? What will you do? What
will you do when your doctor is suspended from his or her practice for
violating these laws? Woe to you.
Perhaps
hearing all of this is distressing to you. It is more than that to me. Hearken, therefore, to the words of Jesus: "This is the time of
fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel." And to
those of St. Paul: “The time is running
out.”
I would like to be able to tell you that the Holy Father,
Cardinal-Designate Dolan, and the many others who have voiced their alarm are
just crying wolf. They are not. (Really, I ask, how often do we get anything that straightforward from the Pope or a major prelate when it comes to our government's actions? It must be bad!) We must be convinced, more than ever, that we
need the power of God to assist us in this spiritual battle to protect our
freedom and the right to live out our faith as followers of Christ.
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