The wonder of a ‘first breath’
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
Not too long ago, I witnessed the baptism of an infant. Everyone in the family was overjoyed seeing the baby and knowing that the baby was being baptized. From the oldest adult to the youngest child, they all wanted to hold the infant. Contrast that to the fact that every year thousands of babies do not get to experience the love of a family, nor do the families receive the joy that a baby brings – all because of the abortions that are committed.
Abortion is the deliberate and direct killing, by whatever means carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, from conception to birth.
What makes abortion so heinous is that it is the taking of innocent and defenseless life. It is the nature of a mother and father to nurture, love, and protect a child – not destroy it before it has a chance to take its first breath.
Our Church teaches that every human being, from the moment of conception to the last natural breath, has dignity given to them by God. In an effort to minimize the destruction of innocent children, some say that the Church should be concerned about the poor, the infirmed, the elderly, and broken families, for they, too, are vulnerable and defenseless.
However, the Church is concerned for the poor, infirmed, elderly, and has more than a 2000-year history of reaching out to these persons, but these individuals are not as defenseless as the child in the womb.
Until a few years ago, very little was heard from the mothers and fathers who had committed abortions. Now, they are beginning to speak out.
Last year in “The Catholic Spirit,’ the Catholic publication of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, there was a front-page article titled, “Women, Men Break Silence about Devastating Consequences of Abortion.” The article showed a picture of six women, each holding a sign that said: “I regret my abortion.” A man held a sign, “I regret lost fatherhood.”
In the article a woman talked about her life after the abortion, how she went into drugs and alcohol abuse. Another woman said it was only after she realized she needed forgiveness from God that her life began to come back together. These people, for the most part, suffered silently.
If you or someone you know is suffering silently, there is help available. A good place to begin is to see your pastor or speak to someone you trust.
The Web provides help such as www.projectrachel. net, www.hopeafterabortion.com, www.silentnomoreawareness.org.
Locally, there is also Birthright. Birthright, which the Diocese supports, realizes that, for whatever reason, some women consider a pregnancy as unwanted. Birthright is a group of dedicated volunteers who are there to give support and advice to any woman with an unwanted pregnancy. They offer pregnancy tests and give options about caring for the new life. Furthermore, Birthright educates a woman about what is really inside of her; namely, new life. When a woman faces an unwanted pregnancy, she often pushes the panic button, and often alone. Birthright is there to support her during this difficult and confusing time. On Jan. 22, the 36th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion, there were many activities to raise awareness of the tragedy of abortion and to educate people that there are alternatives to abortion.
Locally, for anyone who would like to participate, there will be a memorial service at St. Anne Church, Beaumont, at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 for those children who have been aborted. This will be followed by a March for Life.
It is not enough to condemn the legalization of abortion; we must pray and work so that the law will be changed. However, it is important to keep in mind that laws do not change hearts. It is the grace of the Infant Jesus that will change hearts, for the Son of God has come to us as a baby, vulnerable and defenseless.
Surprisingly, I find that some people are adamantly opposed to abortion but are in favor of capital punishment. They also do not seemed concerned about those living in inadequate housing, the unemployed, starving children, those with no health care, the violence in our streets. Though the dignity of the unborn takes priority, we as Christians must also promote the dignity and quality of life for all people.
The prophet Jeremiah (1:5) expresses so well the tender love of God for all of life, especially life in the womb. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I dedicated you.”
When the pregnant Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s child in her womb jumped with joy in the presence of the Savior in Mary’s womb.
Is this not another reminder that life in the womb is precious, and hat by destroying life in the womb, we destroy a sister or brother? Consider what the world would be missing if YOU were not allowed to take your first breath!
Called to serve, not to be served
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
In the Gospel of Matthew (20: 20-28) there is the scene where the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached
Jesus and requested that her two sons sit one at his right and the other at his left in the Kingdom. Jesus told her and the rest of the disciples who were upset at the request that what makes one great in the Kingdom is not power and prestige but rather humble service. Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant … the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.”
All of us as followers of Jesus are called to serve others. One definition of service is to do something for others.
The kind of service Jesus calls us to is selfless, not expecting anything in return. We are to ask ourselves whether we are serving for ourselves or for the person we are helping.
Many people do service so it will benefit themselves, although there is some benefit to 3others.
For instance, a student may do community service because they are required to complete hours for a class in school. Some do it so it will look good on their résumé for college entrance or because there are political or social benefits.
However, to do service as Jesus calls us to serve, we are willing to sacrifice and be inconvenienced.
A few weeks ago we celebrated Catholic School’s Week, with a theme of “Service.” The students were asked to write an essay on Christian Service, and the winner of the contest was Salma Jasani.
This is how she described service: “What makes Catholic Schools unique is that they don’t just do service; they celebrate it. Not only are we taught that we should engage in service, we are taught that we should revel in it. We are praised, recognized, and applauded for helping others. We begin to see that by spreading happiness to others, we ourselves find a certain kind of joy that is unattainable elsewhere. We learn that the point of service is not putting something on our résumés that interests colleges. The point is that Jesus Christ served, and we strive to be like Christ through committing ourselves to the cause of helping others. This is the quintessence of Catholic education.”
I think Salma, who is a non- Catholic, captures what Jesus meant when he said the greatest is the one who serves.
At the Rainbow Mass on Jan. 28 celebrating the theme of service, I was moved when representatives of each school brought up to me boxes filled with thousands of service hours by the students. I placed those boxes in my chapel and promised to pray for the students and the people whom they serve.
I commended the principals and teachers of our Catholic schools for instilling in our students the virtue of Christian service.
On Jan. 30, 2009, Catholic Charities held its “Harvest of Hope” event, and they honored the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (Houston). The Sisters were honored because they have exemplified Christian service throughout our diocese since 1866, when they first arrived in Galveston.
They are known for founding and administering hospitals and schools and other services to the poor. They are the founders of what is now known as Christus Hospital-St. Elizabeth and St. Mary.
From the time they arrived, they have devoted themselves to unselfish and untiring service, especially to the poor and marginalized.
When I think of the Sisters and their ministries, the words of Jesus come to mind, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” I congratulate the Sisters for their inspiring and sacrificial service!
For our service to be rooted in Christ’s love and for it to remain in his love, it is necessary that our work be accompanied by prayer, by asking the Lord to guide us. Service in the name of Jesus unites to Christ the one serving and the one receiving the service.
St. Paul says it this way, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ,our Lord.” (Rom. 8: 37-39)
Lenten ‘Legs’
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
It is a warm experienceto see a couple, young or old, walking together talking, smiling and enjoying each other’s presence. They are attentive to each other, and their communication is fluid. There is understanding between them, even though they may not agree on all things.
On a much deeper level, we desire to walk in God’s presence, and God desires that we partake of the love and joy of the community of the Trinity. Like a couple, however, we can become distracted and inattentive and wander away from God’s presence. Worse yet, w can try to fill our desire for God with earthly things, and when we accumulate things, the void is still there.
The season of Lent is an invitation by the Church for us to move back into the presence of God — to return to the Lord and live the Gospel.
Through fasting, more intense prayer, and almsgiving, we are brought back to the reality of God’s unconditional love which was manifested by sending His Son, Jesus, to become one like us.
Through His Son, God “dispels all evil, washes away our guilt, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings peace, and humbles earthly pride.” (Easter Vigil prayer)
forgetting God’s unconditional love, we walk away from God’s presence. The spiritual disciplines of fasting, almsgiving, and more intense prayer help us to return to God’s presence.
Our Lord fasted for 40 days before he began his ministry. At the end of his temptation, he told Satan, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
So, you may want to fast in order to become free from an addictive bad habit or vice. This will also help you to share in the sufferings of people who have little or nothing.
“Take heed that you do not make fasting to consist only in abstinence from meats. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive them their trespasses.” A good question to ask yourself at the beginning of Lent is, “What obstacle in my life keeps me from walking faithfully in the presence of God?”
Fasting, more intense prayer, and almsgiving may help to reflect on that question and honestly answer it so changes can be made.
Sometimes people will say, “I’ll wait until Lent to lose weight or to start living a healthier life style.” Although these are good goals, they are not the purpose of Lent. Growing closer to the Lord is the purpose, even though fasting and other penance during Lent may result in loss of weight or a healthier lifestyle.
Almsgiving helps us to realize that we are stewards of God’s creation and not owners. Whatever we have been given by God — talent, treasure, or time — are not our exclusive possessions. They are given to us to be shared with our brothers and sisters, especially those who are less fortunate and marginalized.
St. John put it this way: “How does God’s love abide in anyonewho has the world’s goodsand sees a brother or sister inneed and yet refuses to help?”(1 Jn. 3:17)
In the Gospel we find Jesusoften at prayer. He prays beforehe begins his ministry, beforehis baptism and transfiguration. These are important events in his mission. The disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out certain demons. He told them only prayer, lasting, and almsgiving could expel certain demons.
So, the three Lenten spiritual disciplines can be compared to a three-legged table. All three are necessary for the stability of the table. Because we are sinners, we need all three Lenten disciplines in order to walk faithfully in the presence of the Lord.
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Deserts, demons and angels
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
As we move through the season of Lent toward Easter, it might be good to reflect on some of the powerful Lenten images in Scripture.
The Lenten season always begins the first Sunday of Lent with the temptations of Jesus in the desert. The Gospel of Mark (Mk. 1:12-15) states that immediately after his baptism by John, Jesus was led by the Spirit, which he received at his baptism, into the desert. Jesus was in the desert fasting for 40 days and nights and was tempted by Satan. He was among beasts, and angels ministered to him.
In Scripture the “desert” represents a time of testing, trials, and purification. The “desert” forces us to deal with those things that prevent or hinder our relationship with God. It takes us out of our comfort zones and forces us to take a good, honest look at ourselves.
Anyone who has spent time in an actual desert area will tell you that it can be deceptive. You look down the horizon and see an object which you think is near, but it is actually far off. Or you think you see a pool of water and it is only a mirage.
In the Scriptural “desert” we are forced to confront those demons like anger, jealousy, lust, addictions, dishonesty, materialism, and our selfcenteredness. Like a real desert, confronting our demons can be a place of fear and aloneness. It forces us to ask the question, “What is it that gives my life purpose and meaning and strengthens my relationship with God?”
Perhaps our inner “desert” is best described by Anne Frank:
“Today the sun is shining, the sky is deep blue, there is a lovely breeze, and I am longing — for everything — to talk, for freedom, for friends, to be alone. And I do so long ... to cry; I feel as if I am going to burst, and I know it would get better with crying; but I can’t. I am restless; I go from room to room, breathe through the crack of a closed window, feel my heart beating, as if it was saying, ‘can’t you satisfy my longing at last?’ I believe that it is spring within me; I feel that spring is awakening. I feel it in my whole body and soul. It is an effort to believe normally; I feel utterly confused. I don’t know what to read, what to write, what to do; I only know that I am longing.”
Anne is longing for something, someone that will fulfill her longing. We can feel the fear, loneliness and inner turmoil in her writings.
When we are in our “deserts,” we are very vulnerable, and it is at that moment of vulnerability that Satan tries to move in to make us believe he can fulfill what we are longing for. One of his best tools of deception is to make us believe that evil does not exist — that he does not exist.
Goethe in Faust put it this way: “People do not know the devil is there even when he has them by the throat.” Think of the alcoholic who sees himself and his family falling apart but who denies he has a problem and refuses to seek help. Or think of the money manager who deceives his investors so as to build up his own profits and wealth. Or the executive who lavishly spends his company’s funds and gives managers big bonuses when his company is in serious financial difficulty and on the verge of bankruptcy.
In the Gospel of Mark we are told that angels ministered to Jesus in the desert. In the Old Testament, angels are a sign of reassurance of God’s presence. God sends us helpers to strengthen our relationship with Him.
In Ps. 5: 2-3, we read, “Let my words reach your ears, Lord; listen to my groaning and hear the cry of my prayer.” Perhaps now you can see why we need to go through our “deserts” for we need divine help and guidance. More intense prayer, fasting and almsgiving help us to depend on the Lord. Only Jesus can rescue us from the power of Satan. Did Jesus not tell his disciples that certain demons can only be cast out through prayer, fasting and almsgiving? We often do not have to go looking for our “desert wilderness;” the “deserts” find us!
Anyone who has lost a spouse or loved one or lost employment knows the “desert.” Those who can no longer make their mortgage payments and risk losing their homes know the “desert.” Those who have lost their life savings in this economic downturn or who have to resort to food stamps to feed their family know the “desert.” One who has come face to face with personal sinfulness and realizes he has to do a 180 degree turnaround in life knows the “desert.”
It is confronting the demons in our “deserts” and allowing the angels to minister to us that we can faithfully return to the Lord and live the Gospel. Deserts open up space for us to encounter God. That is what Lent is all about. That is what our Christian life is all about!
As we journey in Lent towards Easter, let us be encouraged that Jesus has conquered evil once and for all. When we walk in the presence of the Lord, we are protected from Satan who, like a dog tied to a post, can bark and threaten
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Read, ‘listen,’ act
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
Not too long ago, a woman who watches my daily meditations on the Scriptures of the day on Channel 6 said she enjoyed the reflections. They gave her a better understanding of the Word of God. However, she wanted to start reading the Bible, but she did not know how or where to start.
In October 2008, our Holy Father had a Synod on the Word of God. The purpose of the Synod was to bring out the importance of the Word of God and to encourage people to read and pray the Scriptures.
According to St. Ambrose, the Word of God is “the vital substance of our soul; it nourishes, feeds, and governs the soul.” Just as we need good food to be physically strong and healthy, so we need the Word of God to nourish us spiritually.
If one wants to know God, then one must go to the Scriptures. For there God reveals himself. It is like the development of a friendship. It starts off slowly, but the more talking and doing things together, the deeper the friendship develops.
As one reads the Scriptures, one must also “listen.” You might think that is difficult to do.
Take, for instance, a wife whose husband is away at war. Every letter he sends is not only carefully read, but re-read many times to make sure nothing is missed. She tries to “listen” to what the written word is communicating. She also wants to get a sense of what the words do not say and a feeling for the mood and the situation her husband might be experiencing.
Similarly, we come to know God through listening to his Word.
In reading and praying the Word of God, there are dangers. On of the big dangers is “fundamentalism,” which is taking the word of God literally.
The writers of the Scriptures were inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit; however, they used language, customs and situations that were familiar to them in writing the Scriptures. A great help is to have a good commentary. Some Bibles, like the New American Bible, have footnotes explaining certain words or situations.
Another danger is to use the Scriptures to defend our position about what we think or believe instead of to discern what God is really communicating to us or challenging us to re-think.
Sometimes we take a Scripture passage out of context and use it to suit our purposes. Within its context, the passage may have a completely different meaning that may challenge some of our erroneous thinking. It is difficult to be objective when it comes to oneself.
Also a danger is just reading the passages of Scripture that we like, those passages that have become so familiar to us that they no longer challenge us.
It is good to return to our favorite passages, but it is necessary to read beyond them in order to obtain more nourishment. The Scriptures inspire and enlighten us, but they are also written to correct and discipline us.
As we pray and meditate on the Word of God, we will be moved to ACT on this Word. At the end of every Mass, the priest or deacon says, “GO in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
In the Scriptures we have examples of God directing toward a particular action those who heard his Word.
God told Moses, “GO into the land of Egypt to lead my people out of Egypt.” Later when Moses had received the two tablets of the commandments on Mount Sinai, the Lord commanded Moses, “GO down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved … they have turned aside, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it.” (Ex. 32: 1-20) Like Moses, the Word of God may direct us to confront evil, which is not always a pleasant task.
To the disciples Jesus said, “GO to all the world and preach the Gospel.”
The Lord might be telling you, “Go feed the poor, go forgive someone, go and be with the sick, or go give someone a helping hand.” God may be challenging all of us to change our ways and be transformed. What God asks us to do may not be easy, but God always gives us the necessary grace to do the task.
I remember reading a news clip about the mother of a young man who had robbed a store. She told her son to go turn himself in to the authorities or she would. He did not heed her direction, so she contacted the authorities herself. She was a woman of deep faith with a sense of right and wrong.
In preparing to read and meditate on the Scriptures, St. Augustine prayed, “May your Scriptures be my chaste delight; may I not be deceived about them nor deceive others by them. Turn your gaze to my soul and hear the one who cries out from the depths.” (Confessions XI, 2, 3-4)
You might pray Psalm 139 before reading the Scriptures – “You search me, O God, and you know my heart; you probe me and know my thoughts. See if my way is crooked and guide me along the way of life.”
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Journey to transformation
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
During this season of Lent we embarked, so to speak, with Christ as he suffered and died for our salvation. By embarking on this journey, not only do we have a greater understanding and appreciation for the unconditional love God has for us, but we are also transformed into that love. We participate more fully in his love.
It is during the Triduum, especially on Good Friday, that this journey intensifies.
St. Paul in Romans 5: 6-8 tells us the reason for Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.
“While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man – though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God showed his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
The drama of our salvation begins at the first Eucharist. In the upper room, Jesus gathered his apostles, took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to them and said, “This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” (Lk. 22:19).
He did the same with the cup, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.” Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, through the power of the Holy Spirit and our full and conscious participation, Christ’s life, death, and resurrection are made present.
Before Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the world was in darkness. Evil seemed to have had the upper hand. In fact, the people expected a Messiah who would conquer evil by the sword – something they were used to. Of course, the Messiah would have to be more powerful than Pilate and Herod.
The people wanted their freedom, more physical freedom than spiritual, to be won by the sword. Even Peter pulled out his sword and Jesus told him to put it away because it would only beget more violence. Jesus conquered hatred, violence, and death not by the sword but by love. Jesus, by going through the suffering, brought about a new reality, one where love has the last word.
Jesus takes us where we dared not go. The death and resurrection of Jesus is like the first man to climb Mount Everest. Before that, no one thought it possible.
Then, others began to climb because one man did it. Going up to the peak is painful and difficult, but the peak gives hope. The peak, so to speak, gives one the courage to keep climbing.
When a person is confronted with his or her own cross, there is fear and apprehension. Some people take their lives or ask someone else to do it for them.
The person of faith, however, unites his suffering to that of Jesus, and in doing so, that person is transformed. There is a newness of life and a deeper quality of life. One no longer fears death but accepts it, because there is a reality beyond death.
When faced with loving instead of hating, standing up for justice instead of standing by, or forgiving someone who has wronged us instead of withholding forgiveness, we can sometimes feel very much alone. However God gives us the grace and supports us through our brothers and sisters in faith.
Simon of Cyrene was called upon to help Jesus carry his cross. Though Simon was conscripted, he was transformed by the love of Christ. When we help our brothers and sisters who are suffering, we, too, are transformed. We experience God’s great love for us. Like Simon Peter, we are called to strengthen our brothers and sisters in their struggles so they will not give in to the evil one.
Everyone, including the disciples, thought that Jesus’ death was the end of their journey. It did not help their belief that he lay in the tomb for three days. In fact, the disciples went back home!
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that there are two aspects to Jesus’ death. By his death, Christ liberates us from sin, and by his resurrection, he opens for us a new life. The new life reinstates us in God’s grace.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans (6:4), he writes, “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we, too, might walk in the newness of life.”
There are some who deny the reality of the resurrection. Some even attempt to disprove the resurrection by scientific means. But the Scriptures recount what the eyewitnesses saw and heard.
In Luke (24: 5-6), the two angels met the women at the empty tomb and said, “Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here, he has risen!” The two discouraged disciples on their way to Emmaus were talking about what had happened, and Jesus appeared in their midst, although they did not recognize him at first.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, men and women of faith have witnessed the love of Christ.
Andrew Kim, the first native Korean priest, and 103 lay people died for the faith. Their martyrdom was to be tied to a cross and transported by oxcart to the place of execution, where they were stripped and beheaded.
Why would they not renounce their faith instead of enduring such torture? They believed Jesus had died and was raised for them.
St. Rose of Lima put it this way, “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” (Vita Mirabilis)
As we climb our own Mount Everest, let us be conscious that Jesus (at the peak) is pulling us, and other people of faith are encouraging us and giving us the needed push.
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Chrism Mass homily
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
My brother priests and I spent the afternoon in prayer and reflection on our priesthood. As we enter more deeply into the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus in whose priesthood we share, it is a good time to reflect on our call to bring Jesus to his people.
In the Gospel which we just heard, Jesus states the reason that he was sent by the Father. He says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim an acceptable year to the Lord.”
Unfortunately, the people, including his disciples, had something different in mind when Jesus proclaimed his mission. They were expecting physical healing, which he did, but they also wanted liberty from their enemies. They thought Jesus would accomplish his mission with the sword, but what Jesus had in mind was not the sword but love. This love would require him to suffer and die in order to conquer evil once and for all. This freedom was freedom from sin, hatred, violence, selfishness and greed.
There are numerous examples that one could glean from the life of Jesus to show how he went about bringing the Good News. Let me just cite two.
The Samaritan woman had come to draw water. She came with all of her worries and distress, and for a woman and a Samaritan, there were many. As is often the case with God’s grace, we do not know how or where it will be found. Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She responded, “You are a Jew.” Jews and Samaritans were not to mix. She tells Jesus he has no bucket. Then Jesus said, “Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again, but with the water I give you will never be thirsty.” She responded to Jesus and the grace he offered her, because she asked him for some of that water.
Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, heard that Jesus was to be in town. He wanted to meet this Jesus. So he climbed a tree to see, because he was short in stature. Jesus not only saw him but sensed what was in his heart and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down from the tree. I want to have dinner with you tonight.” After dinner Zacchaeus said, “I am going to give half of my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone I will pay him back four times.” Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.”
My brother priests, Jesus wanted to continue his mission, not in an impersonal way but in a personal way. He called us to continue to make him present in Word, in Sacrament, and in prayer.
In his pastoral letter, Pope John Paul II put it this way, “In the Church and on behalf of the Church priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ, the head shepherd, authoritatively proclaiming his word, repeating his acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation, particularly in Baptism, Penance, and the Eucharist, showing his loving concern to the point of total gift of self for the flock – in a word, priests exist and act in order to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to build up in the name and person of Christ the Head Shepherd.” We continue to bring Jesus to people today, like the Samaritan woman and Zacchaeus.
If Jesus is going to be effective and successful through us, his priests, then we must know and love him. We must take on his heart and his approach. The Church tells us that we configure Christ. When people see and encounter us, they should be able to see, at least, some of Christ in us. We must be men of prayer and the sacraments. Otherwise, Christ will not be effective through us. You might remember in the movie, “Rain Man,” starring Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, and Dustin Hoffman as his mentally challenged brother, Raymond. Raymond was a genius with numbers, and so Charlie took him to Las Vegas where they wiped out the house. But the point I want to make is long after playing the role, Hoffman had a hard time getting out of the character, Charlie. Charlie had become part of him. In a sense, that is the way it ought to be with us – that Christ is so much a part of us that we cannot put him on and off. But rather, we become more like him. As St. Paul said, “It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.”
Making Christ present today is not an easy task. The world is not receptive to the Lord’s way of life. Materialism, secularism, it would seem, have the upper hand. For us here, during the last three-and-a-half years, it has been very challenging. We had to deal with five hurricanes, three directly – Rita, Humberto and Ike. As we and our people try to recover, it is very stressful. But it is important to remember that we minister in the name of Christ. It was not easy for him either. If you read further the Gospel for today, they were ready to throw him off the cliff. They had not understood the real purpose of his mission. We must collaborate and strengthen one another in our ministry. Our participation in the presbyterate is a great source of love and support, especially reaching out to our brothers who are having a difficult time. They should not be afraid to ask for help nor should we be afraid to offer help.
In a few minutes, you will join me in blessing the oils which will be used to anoint the sick, the catechumens and those to be baptized and confirmed. These sacramentals are available to God’s people to heal them.
Part of our ceremony tonight is the renewal of your priestly commitment. As you renew your commitment, we pray that daily you become more like Christ.
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Wall Street or the Gospel
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
At a talk at Georgetown University, President Obama, using a passage from Scripture, tried to have Americans think, not short-term economics, but long term. He said that what got us into the present economic crisis is short-term gains, greed, and irresponsibility of the part of the consumer and seller.
He said, “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house on a rock. We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity – a foundation that will move us from an era of borrow and spend to one of save and invest, where we consume less at home and send more exports abroad.”
Mr. Obama is calling upon the tradition of Americans who used to save money to buy a home or field equipment. It was bought within their means and ability to pay back.
Unfortunately, to change our desire for more no matter what the cost, which is what we are used to, will not be easy. This change will be especially hard on young people, because they have not experienced anything but boom. Their parents have made available to them everything they want.
In fact, some parents say, “I will not have my child deprived (of things) the way I was deprived.” So, the young expect what they have and even more. This “living in abundance” leads us to see ourselves as the focus. It leads us to search for immediate satisfaction, leaving the future to take care of itself. Embryonic Stem Cell use fits into this consumer mentality in that what is most important is that my life is saved at the expense of another. We have made abortion a right for the mother (to abort) but not a right for the child (to live). It seems to me this is part of building our society on sand. It is very short-sighted. It is far removed from our traditional moral and religious values which are the rock of our society.
If there is going to be a fundamental change in our society, then people will have to work at it in a consistent and sacrificial way. Change does not come about easily.
The idea of a person making a fundamental change in life, which must begin with the individual, does not happen all of a sudden. It takes time and effort. The Church has confronted these issues for a long time.
Even secular societies have had to deal with giving people another view because the old was no longer working. Some societies do this in a violent way. For instance, during the Chinese revolution, the former leaders were killed, and schools were set up to indoctrinate the people.
From a Christian perspective, I would suggest that we practice the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. These virtues are not bloody, and when practiced do change a person’s outlook.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a virtue as a habitual and firm disposition to do good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but also to give the best of oneself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions (CCC #1803). By practicing and praying about the virtues, one is gradually transformed. Let us take a brief look at the four cardinal virtues.
Prudence: This virtue guides a person to discern, figure out, the true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it. The prudent person thinks about where he is going. A prudent person does not drive a bus and text at the same time. A prudent parent will not drink and then drive a car load of children while talking on a cell phone. Recent media reports have already shown that these two events had disastrous consequences. A prudent person will not charge on a credit card something he “wants” (not “needs”) unless he has the income to pay for it in a short period of time.
Temperance: This virtue is understanding our desires and bringing them into self-critical awareness. Desires want everything; they are never satisfied. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion. Temperance helps to restrain the appetites. One might want a million dollar house but can only afford a $200,000 house.
Fortitude: This virtue strengthens the resolve to resist the temptation that desire pulls us into and helps us to overcome obstacles in moral life. Fortitude helps us to say “no,” even if that means sacrifice. Parents often have to say “no” out of love to their children who request something that will be dangerous to them. In reference to fortitude, Psalm 70 states, “The Lord is my strength.” John 16: 23 states, “In the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Justice: This virtue helps us to give to God and our neighbor what is due. For instance, it is unjust to use embryonic stem cells to save the life of another because of the injustice to the unborn child. He or she has a right to live. Justice disposes one to respect the rights of all to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and the common good.
Laws alone will not correct the greed and manipulation that has taken place in the market place. The practice of the cardinal virtues accompanied by prayer can change the hearts and lifestyle of people. This will be much more conducive to the long-term vision and the common good. It will help us to come to terms with priorities and decide whether the quality of our life is measured by Wall Street & Main Street OR by the Gospel.
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No justice without forgiveness
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
Last week Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He said that he hoped his visit would help to bring peace to the Middle East. He said that he went to the Middle East, not representing a political institution, but a spiritual institution, namely the Catholic Church, which promotes peace.
Another momentum behind this pilgrimage is that this is the Year of St. Paul, who had much to say about reconciliation and peace. In addition, the United Nations has designated this year as the Year of Reconciliation. Hopefully, these three events will help to bring to the Middle East and other war-torn areas of the world the impetus for reconciliation that leads to peace.
True peace is based on justice. Justice is the right ordering of individual or communal relationships with God and one another. In other words, everyone should receive what is due them. Reconciliation in the biblical sense means restoring justice when it is broken.
Injustice is often the result of greed, pride, and selfishness. Nations go to war because justice is not done or because one nation wants to impose its ideology on another. As always, it is innocent citizens of both nations who suffer from the conflict.
The world community has established International Tribunals, such as the one in The Hague, to try leaders who perpetuate war crimes. There are also Truth Commissions, such as the one established in South Africa after Apartheid. The purpose of these Truth Commissions is to allow the victims to express to their perpetrators the pain they suffered personally or after the murder of a loved one. The perpetrators likewise have an opportunity to express sorrow or ask for forgiveness
If lasting peace and right relationship are to be restored between enemies, then it is necessary to go beyond International Tribunals and Truth Commissions and move toward forgiveness. That is the message that Pope Benedict wanted to bring to the Middle East.
Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, stated it this way: “No justice without forgiveness.”
Forgiveness is the act of being restored to a good relationship with God, others, and self after straying on the path of sin – injustice. Through forgiveness, the sinner accepts God’s mercy, in and through Jesus Christ, and extends that mercy to others. The essential component that forgiveness brings is help to break the cycle of hatred, selfishness, and pride. Those asking for forgiveness and those giving forgiveness are transformed by the grace of God. Although there is a need for International Tribunals and Truth Commissions to confront and call to accountability those who have harmed others, these legal avenues do not go far enough to lead enemies to become neighbors and live in peace. Forgiveness wipes away the blindness caused by armed conflict and war so that enemies can see clearly that they have a common humanity created in the image of God. With this insight, they can accept each other once again as brothers and sisters
On the flight to Jordan the Holy Father said, “As believers, we are convinced that prayer is a true force. It opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and that He can act in human history. I think that if millions of people – believers – would pray, it could really be a force that could influence and contribute to the advancement of peace.” Let us continue to pray that wounded hearts can forgive and find true peace.
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Let your spirit lead me on a level path
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
During the months of May and June, we celebrate Spirit-filled events in our faith tradition. We celebrate First Communion, Confirmation and graduations. These celebratory events bring much joy to the children and their parents.
Yet, in the midst of those Spirit-filled times, there is still fear and anxiety. Everyday in the news we hear about the tensions and conflicts in the world, for example, the North Korea situation, or the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
And then, here at home, we hear about and are affected by the economic downturn, with many people losing their jobs and homes and wondering if they will be able to provide for their family. As we continue to recover from “Ike,” we enter another hurricane season and anxiously stay tuned to weather reports.
At the end of May we celebrated a momentous Spiritfilled occasion – the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room. Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, is a feast of hope, not of fear and anxiety.
Following the ascension of Jesus, the disciples were gathered in the upper room, filled with fear and anxiety about what would happen to them. They did not know how the future would turn out for them. Yes, Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit to be their helper and guide, but, like us, they focused more on the immediate challenges and not on the promise.
We can imagine that they were talking about how to get out of their threatening dilemma. Had they made a mistake? Was Jesus a slick salesman whose pitch they fell for? Would Jesus’ “way” of love be more powerful than the sword?
The words of Jesus to Peter, “Put away your sword because those who live by the sword will die by the sword,” must have rung hollow because Jesus, who lived by love, had died by the sword. They were hoping and praying for a level path.
However, in the midst of their fears and anxieties, suddenly there was a noisy, strong, driving wind that filled the upper room. And on each one of them rested a tongue of fire coming from the one source.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit. Their fears and anxieties were no more. Something happened to them. They were transformed. They began to remember what Jesus had told them. The two disciples on the way to Emmaus felt a burning in their hearts as Jesus walked with them and explained what had happened and what he had taught them. The Holy Spirit set their hearts on fire with the love of God. With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, they would get back on the level path.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord to keep us on the level path so that we will not stumble during troubled times. The Spirit helps us to look at ourselves and the world, not with the eyes of greed, selfishness, and selfcenteredness but with goodness and hope.
I was inspired by the story of Susan Boyle, the Scottish woman who appeared on the British TV show, “Britain’s Got Talent.” She is a stocky, 47- year-old woman who lives at home alone with her cat. She sings in the Church choir. She is the kind of person the world makes fun of, and she probably felt rejected, with little to offer others. When she went on the stage, she was initially dismissed, laughed at, and ridiculed. This was easy to see in the faces of the judges and the audience who fell into the trap of judging only from external appearances.
When Susan Boyle began to sing, however, the judges and audience were stunned. Deep from within her came forth the most beautiful and powerful gift of God which had been given to her but which was largely dormant because of her external appearances and how she was looked upon by others.
Somehow she received the courage, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to take the risk and present her gift to the world.
Like Susan Boyle, we, too, must be open to receive the gifts of the Spirit and take the risk to offer those gifts to the world in whatever way we can. We need the guidance of the Spirit to stay on the level path, and so we call upon the Holy Spirit, “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.”
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‘A priest is not a priest for himself but for you’ (Curé of Ars)
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
At Vespers on June 19, the feast of the Sacred Heart, our Holy Father inaugurated the “Year for Priests.” This year is also the 150th anniversary of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests.
In his homily the Holy Father said he wished that all priests, with the prayers and support of the laity, would reinvigorate their commitment to Christ and grow more intimately with him. The Holy Father used the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus because priests are ordained to share the love of Jesus which emanates from Christ’s heart.
The Holy Father put it this way:
“In order to be ministers at the service of the Gospel, study and careful, ongoing pastoral and theological formation are useful and necessary, but even more necessary is that ‘knowledge of love’ which can only be learned in a ‘heart to heart’ encounter with Christ.”
Much time is spent by priests developing pastoral skills. However, this year should be spent more in prayer, adoration, and reflection on the love of Jesus which priests are called to make present and to share with their parishioners and those under their care. Because of the busyness of pastoral ministry, the foundation can be neglected. The more intimate the priest is with Jesus the more effective will be his ministry.
St. John Vianney explained well the importance of priesthood: “Without the sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in the tabernacle? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it the strength for the journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God? The priest.”
To carry out his duties, St. John Vianney visited the sick and their families, organized missions, collected and managed funds for charitable and missionary work. He truly exemplified that a priest is for the people entrusted to him.
All of you have been touched and guided by our priests. They preach the Word and celebrate the sacraments, sometimes under difficult circumstances, such as poor health or lack of resources for ministry. But they are there. They minister to you in health and in sickness, in good times and in bad, and they witness by their lives that they are priests for you.
This “Year for Priests” will also be a graced moment for all of us to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It is a proven fact that vocations come from young men and women who are inspired and encouraged by their parish priest, by their parents, and by living in a home of prayer and service.
During this “Year for Priests” I have scheduled several events to focus on this special year, and I am asking the entire diocese to participate. For the first event Tuesday, Aug. 25, I will celebrate a diocesan Mass opening the “Year for Priests” throughout our diocese. The Mass will be celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Nederland, at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception. This will give us an opportunity to express our solidarity with our priests as they strive to grow more intimately with Jesus, as well to express our gratitude to them for being priests for us.
At the second event Tuesday, Sept. 15, I will celebrate a Holy Hour with my brother priests, followed by a dinner with them. [Although this event is for priests only, everyone throughout the diocese can be united this day in prayer for their priests.
St. John Vianney taught his people how to pray through adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and by making frequent visits. He said, “We know Jesus is there in the tabernacle; let us open our hearts to him. Let us rejoice in his sacred presence.”
The third event will be on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica. This will be a liturgy for the entire diocese to remember our deceased priests who have ministered to us and who are now with God in heaven.
Another major event will be on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, when we will celebrate the Chrism Mass. At this Mass I will bless the oils that are used in the sacraments, and the priests will renew their priestly commitment.
These are the main diocesewide activities.
You will find these and other scheduled events on our diocesan website (www.dioceseofbmt.org) by clicking on the homepage link, “Year for Priests.”
I am asking you as parishioners to begin planning your own activities in your parish. In addition to praying for your pastor, you might consider sending him a letter of appreciation or honoring him in a special way on his priesthood ordination anniversary. More suggestions will be forthcoming.
I am also asking our diocesan offices to highlight the “Year for Priests” in their activities and programs.
By celebrating this “Year for Priests,” all of us will be spiritually enriched because our priests will be more effective with an affective heart in being a priest for us.
The myth about the ‘last rites’
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
One of the Scriptural foundations for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick is found in the letter of St. James: “Are there any sick persons among you? They should ask for the presbyters of the Church. They in turn are to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the Name [of the Lord]. This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim those who are ill, and the Lord will restore them to health. If they have committed any sins, forgiveness will be theirs.” (James 5: 14-15)
Church teaching and law have clearly stated that only a priest can minister the sacrament of the sick because of the connection of the sacrament to the forgiveness of sins.
It is a standard teaching of theologians and canonists that a person must be in the state of grace to receive the sacraments of both the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick. Since only a priest can hear confessions and grant absolution, the restriction on the administration of the anointing to priests is pastorally necessary to allow persons in grave sin an opportunity to confess before being anointed and receiving the Eucharist.
A lack of priests need not result in a lack of liturgical and pastoral ministrations to the sick and dying, especially not to the dying.
Anointing of the sick is not a sacrament of the dying; it is only administered to dying persons in exceptional circumstances (“when there is a genuine necessity, for example, when sudden illness or an accident or some other cause has placed one of the faithful in the proximate or immediate danger of death” – Pastoral Care of the Sick [PCS] #232).
The sacrament for the dying is holy Viaticum. Ordinarily, the sacraments of penance and anointing of the sick should be celebrated before death is imminent. The ritual plainly states, “The sacrament of the anointing of the sick should be celebrated at the beginning of a serious illness. Viaticum, celebrated when death is close, will then be better understood as the last sacrament of Christian life.” (PCS #175)
There is a strongly rooted idea in Catholic culture that the anointing of the sick is the last sacrament (the “Last Rite”) celebrated just before death or at the point of death.
The persistence of this idea is partly due to this very practice for many centuries, in keeping with a theology of the sacrament that regarded it as the extreme, or last, unction. However, the reasons for this persistence lie deeper than the practice. They lie in a deep-seated Catholic myth – the belief that, if a person is anointed just before death, he or she will go straight to heaven.
This belief has no foundation in the doctrine of the Church. In both the epistle of James and the Church’s teaching, anointing is connected to the forgiveness ofsins (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1520), but the Church has never taught that anointing alone is a “free ticket” to heaven.
We cannot conclude that the pastoral care of sick and dying persons will be neglected due to a shortage of priests. The Church has several liturgical rites that comprise a vital part of its pastoral care of the sick and dying. A deacon or lay minister, as well as a priest, may preside at all these rites, except penance and the anointing of the sick.
The problem is not the lack of sacraments and sacramentals that deacons and lay ministers can administer to the sick and dying. The problem is the persistent myth that a priest must be summoned when a person is dying to administer the anointing of the sick as a guarantee that the dying person, who is oftenunconscious or too weak to confess, will have a “direct flight” to heaven.
It is a serious pastoral challenge to help the faithful to see that their contrition for grave sins is absolutely necessary for salvation; the anointing of the sick is not.
If no priest is available for a person in danger of death, deacons and lay ministers who cooperate in the pastoral care of the sick and dying must be prepared to help the dying person to make an act of perfect contrition.
Our pastors have tried to inform their parishioners not to wait too long for the sacrament of the sick. The optimal time is at the beginning of a serious illness, not at the end of life. That is why we occasionally publish in the East Texas Catholic a notice encouraging persons to go to their parish priest for the sacrament of the sick before entering the hospital.
We also clarify that, once anointed, it is not necessary to be anointed again during the same illness unless a period of several months has passed.
Health care reform – a moral issue
Normally during the summer in Southeast Texas life is a bit more relaxed. It is a time to vacation or barbeque in the back yard with family and friends and to pray and watch the weather to track any storms or hurricanes. However, during this summer, heated debates have been taking place over health care reform. Some of those town hall meetings were uncivil, but most were productive because the attendees were reasonable people. Here in Southeast Texas at one gathering there were over 500 people in attendance, and they conducted themselves civilly and responsibly.
Why is health care such an emotional issue? The reasons are many and valid. There are 46 million Americans without health insurance. Some who have insurance are at a point where they can no longer afford it, and some are underinsured. There are those who are insured but are dropped once the insurance discovers that they have a preexisting condition. There are families where some members have insurance and others do not. In some cases, family members exhaust their savings or salaries to pay for the insurance or medical costs for another family member. These are only some of the reasons why people are concerned. However, it seems that most Americans want some kind of health care reform.
I encourage every Catholic to become involved in the discussion and to communicate to your Congress person what you think. As a Catholic, your ideas should be guided by Catholic teaching and principles. These are the Catholic principles that should guide us:
1. Access to basic, quality health care is a universal human right, not a privilege. Justas education is a right, so is health care.
2. A universal health care policy must respect all human life and dignity, from conception to natural death.
3. A good health care policy will contain a “freedom of conscience” clause, such that tax payers who are pro-life do not have to pay for another person’s abortion. Furthermore, a conscience clause would not force doctors to do abortions nor force Catholic hospitals to perform the procedure. The Hyde Amendment (1976; barring the use of federal funding for abortion, with few exceptions, or any health benefits package that includes abortion) should not only be kept in place but also be applied to new federal programs.
4. Legal immigrants should be covered in the health care bill because they pay taxes and contribute to the U.S. economy and social life in the same way as U.S. citizens.
5. You may be asked about illegal immigrants. On this issue we should be guided by the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is not by accident that Jesus said that the priest and deacon looked the other way when they saw the foreigner lying in the ditch.
6. Yes, health care is expensive, and the funding should be equitable so that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Everyone should pay something. The burden of payment should be shared by all, though some will pay more because they have more.
Following these principles, I urge all Catholics in Southeast Texas to call, write, fax, e-mail, or text your Congress person and let him or her know your ideas, guided by Catholic principles. This is so that the one out of three Americans under the age of 65 will not be without health insurance. Of these, four out of five are from working families.
The Bishops’ Conference has already submitted to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance its statement advocating comprehensive health care reform that leads to accessible and affordable health care for all. In addition to the above Catholic principles, the statement ends with the following, “The moral measure of any health care reform proposal is whether it offers affordable and accessible health care to all, beginning with those most in need. This can be a matter of life or death, of dignity or deprivation.” Let us remember that we are all the People of God, brothers and sisters to each other, and, thus, we are to advocate, not only for our good, but also for the good of all.
Natural law and civility
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
There is a Sufi story told of an elderly woman who daily would meditate on the bank of the Ganges River. One morning as she was meditating she noticed right before her a scorpion entangled in the weeds. The scorpion unsuccessfully struggled to untangle itself. So, the elderly lady stooped down and touched the scorpion, trying to untangle it, but as soon as she touched it, the scorpion stung her. She withdrew her hand, but then she tried a second time, and, again, she was stung. Her hand began to swell, and she was in great pain, but she tried again. A young lady passing by noticed what was happening and told the elderly lady, “What is wrong with you, fool? Do you want the scorpion to kill you?” Looking at her, the elderly lady responded, “Because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting, I will not deny my nature to save it.”
The point the elderly lady was trying to make was that the natural inclination to save — to do good — was so strong and so much a part of her that she was willing to risk her own well-being, and even face death. This desire to do good is called the natural law.
The natural law is defined by St. Thomas Aquinas in this way, “The natural law is nothing other than the light of understanding placed in us by God; through it we know what we must do and what we must avoid. God has given this light or law at creation.” The moral and civil law is based on the natural law to help us become more holy, more authentic, and more human.
This natural law placed in the person is universal, and it is what binds the human race. It is a special kind of knowledge, not about God, but about human beings and human nature. Through human reason reflecting on human nature, human beings can determine what is for their own good and at the same time what God requires. Within human reason is the natural inclination of human beings to their appropriate actions and end.
According to the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, we discover the natural law in the depths of our conscience. It is a law which we do not impose upon ourselves, and yet it holds us to obedience. It summons us to love the good and avoid what is evil, to do this and not do that.
The erosion of this natural inclination to the good has become evident in our human behavior. The incivility that we have read about and seen in the media lately leads us to wonder if we have not done away with the orientation to do good. We have seen this incivility manifested in all walks of life—in politics, sports, entertainment, in the home, and in the Church. Even though the one who has seriously breached common courtesy and respect may utter an apology after being pressured by the outrage of others, the obnoxious and rude actions of the person speak louder than the words of reluctant remorse.
It is important to remember that natural law has to be assisted and shaped by the grace of God. Recall the principle: “Grace builds on nature.” When we cooperate with and respond to God’s grace, we live and act under the fruits of the Spirit—charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The Spirit orients us to seek the common good. When we are too focused onour own good, our own selfinterest or ideology, we tend to become overly protective and defensive, and this is a breeding ground for incivility and lack of respect for others.
Jesus Christ, through his life, death, and resurrection has given us a new law, and it is called the law of love. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church this new law is called a law of love “because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments…” (CCC, #1972) Does some of our incivility come from fear? True love removes fear.
St. Paul calls the Galatian community (and us!) to live in freedom, but not a freedom that gives free rein to sinful inclinations. “Out of love, place yourselves at one another’s service. If you go on biting and tearing one another to pieces, take care! You will end up in mutual destruction!” (Gal. 5: 13, 15). St. Paul also admonished the Ephesians: “Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things people need to hear, things that will really help them. Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.” (Eph. 4: 29-32) These words also challenge each of us and direct us how we are to treat one another.
As we observe the first anniversary of Hurricane Ike, we will do well to remember the compassion and generosity of so many people: people who took into their homes those who lost everything; young people helping the elderly to clean debris from homes and yards; people contributing funds to help others with repairs; people searching out those stranded and bringing them to safety. These actions manifest the natural inclination to do good and show that the law of love builds on that natural inclination.
Perhaps the incivility that is growing in our society will move us to reflect on our own behavior toward others and lead us to cooperate more with the grace of God. This will enable us to be more patient, kind, gentle, and self-controlled as we struggle to meet the challenges that bombard us daily. The Golden Rule is ever so relevant today: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
When one rejoices, we all rejoice
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
St. John Vianney said, “A priest is not a priest for himself but for you.”
During the past nine years that I have been in the diocese, I have noticed and heard from the faithful how much the priests and Religious have done for them individually and for the Church of Southeast Texas.
I thought there would be no better time than this “Year for Priests” to recognize our priests and Religious by bestowing honors on some. Those that are honored represent well the faithfulness, dedication, and love of the Church by all the priests and Religious of our diocese. And, as the Body of Christ, when one is honored, we are all honored.
On March 3, 2009, I requested of the Holy Father that he name Fathers Dempsey, Golasinski, Malain, Manger, McGrath, Montondon, Patillo and Vanderholt Prelates of Honor to His Holiness, Benedict XVI. My request was recently granted, and now these priests have the right to the title “Reverend Monsignor.” I also requested of the Holy Father that the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (Crossfor Church and Pope) be bestowed upon the following Men and Women Religious: Fathers: Blanco, OSA; Urizza, OSA; and Sisters: Dunegan, IWBS; and Bordages, OP.
I think you will all agree they are most deserving of these honors. Besides the good works of these men and women, I mentioned to the Holy Father that these honors would be spiritually uplifting for our diocese in the aftermath of dealing with five hurricanes in the past four years, either directly or indirectly.
Because of the shortage of priests and increasing pastoral demands, these men and women feel the tension of conflicting claims on their time, energies and talents.
They pastor large and small parishes, some with schools, and all with limited resources. They oversee educational and parish programs, religious education, the RCIA; they have numerous administrative responsibilities and committee and council meetings, preparation sessions for sacraments, celebrations of the sacraments, sick calls, funerals, etc.
What makes the ministry of our priests so effective is they realize Whom they make present in Word and Sacrament.
In other words, they are grounded in the essence of priesthood, as so well expressed in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, “Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before Christ, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. For this reason, he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins, as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but is called by God, just as Aaron was.” (Heb. 5: 1, 3-4)
The priest mediates and offers sacrifices to God on behalf of himself and the people, and, in turn, distributes to the people God’s gifts. St. Paul says that priests are the stewards of the mysteries of God. In addition, we are blessed to have Women and Men Religious serving in our diocese. They enrich the Diocese with the unique charism of their Religious Institute which serves the Church throughout the world. Their presence among us is a sign of the universality of the Church.
Through the years these priests and Religious have prayed for you, ministered to you in good times and in bad times, always conscious that it is Christ that ministers to you through them.
We opened the “Year for Priests” with a Mass at St. Charles Borromeo in Nederland, which was attended by priests, Religious and laity.
Then a few weeks ago, we priests spent a Holy Hour of adoration at St. Jude Thaddeus, Beaumont. Now, you have an opportunity to join me Nov. 23, 2009, for a Pontifical Mass of investiture of our honorees at 6 p.m. at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica. Since many of the honorees are pastors and since many parishioners may not be able to attend the Mass at the Cathedral Basilica, perhaps you can arrange a weekend celebration in your parish to honor your pastor.
When Pope Benedict promulgated the “Year for Priests,” he said, “In order to be ministers at the service of the Gospel, study and careful ongoing pastoral and theological formation are useful and necessary, but ever more necessary is that knowledge of love which can only be learned in a ‘heart to heart’ encounter with Christ.”
Let us pray for and congratulate our priests and Religious so they will continue to minister to us effectively with an affective heart, and, through their faithfulness and example, to inspire more men and women to answer the call to priesthood and religious life.
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’Til death do us part
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
I have been invited by young couples planning to get married either to witness their exchange of consent or to be present at their wedding. Needless to say, as much as I would like to attend these happy occasions, I am unable due to my full schedule.
However, I try to get together with the couple and talk about their hopes and plans as a married couple. Never do they talk about not being together for life. Rather, they talk about the promises of marriage: love, companionship, support, a stable home and children. These are their hopes and dreams as they go into marriage. Unfortunately for many, those hopes and dreams often end in divorce.
Yet, many couples are successful in their marriage. On Oct. 11, we celebrated the 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries in our diocese. A large number joyfully participated. You might ask what their secret is. In talking to some of them, I found that they have the right understanding of marriage as taught by the Church.
God is the author of marriage and established it for the good of the couple, for their mutual self-giving, to witness the love of God on earth, to help each other become holy and save their soul, and to bring children into a home of love. Marriage is not an end in itself; rather, it is a means to salvation.
In Scripture we read that man and woman were created for each other. Genesis 2:18 states, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The woman, “flesh of his flesh,” his equal, the closest person to him, is given to him by God as a partner. It is for that reason that a man will leave parents and the two will become one flesh.
I am reminded of the tradition, which is probably not practiced too much today, in which the young man gets on his knees to ask the young lady to marry him. What he is saying in humility and honesty is that he is incomplete. She is incomplete, as well. The qualities they see in each other will complement each and make them holy.
Jesus’ first miracle was at Cana during a wedding reception. The Church sees in Jesus’ presence at the wedding a confirmation of the value of marriage. It considers Jesus’ presence as effectively bringing about the sacrament when both parties are baptized.
Furthermore, marriage is for life because God has determined it: “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Mt. 19:6)
[There are, however, situations in which an essential element was missing at the exchange of consent or an obstacle was present which invalidated consent and eventually caused the breakdown of the marriage. These painful situations shatter the hopes and dreams of the couple. The Church reaches out to them to help them in numerous ways, one being through the Tribunal, which studies the situation to determine if the consent was valid or not. If a declaration of invalidity is granted, this usually enables both parties to move on with their lives and to seek marriage in the Church.]
In loving each other and their children, married couples learn not only to love God more but also to see God as the source of their love. They participate in the divine love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their love of God and each other are a witness to other people.
Many of the young couples I have spoken with have said that the witness of the love of their parents, grandparents and friends was an inspiration and proved that marriage can last until death. One of the points I stress is that God will give the couple the grace to face the challenges, responsibilities and difficulties of married life. Leaving God out of the marriage often results in disaster.
Love means accepting the other as he/she is, as a real person with weaknesses and limitations. God’s grace will help the couple to strengthen each other and not exploit each other’s weaknesses. Very often in an argument or disagreement, one spouse may exploit the weaknesses of the other in order to win or to dominate.
God gives the grace to avoid such tactics and to see the overall good qualities in each other. Furthermore, God gives the grace to forgive and ask for forgiveness, to sacrifice one’s own selfish desires for the good of the other.
The graces that God offers married couples must be sought, prayed for, and relied on. If couples seek God’s wisdom and guidance, they will be able to weather the storms of our modern day society and be faithful to each other “in good times and bad, in sickness and in health.” The couples who recently celebrated their 25th and 50th anniversary had grown in wisdom and grace, dependent on God to sustain them. In many ways they realized the promises of marriage that young couples today hope for and aspire to achieve.
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Saints and Souls on the journey
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
T h e Church has set aside the month of November for us to remember our loved ones who have gone to their eternal reward. We begin the month with the feast of All Saints on Nov. 1, followed by the feast of All Souls on Nov. 2.
Many people speak of dreaming about their loved ones or have an intuition that the loved one is present in their midst. One person said her mother appeared to her in a dream with a smile on her face and saying she was OK. Another person reported she was struggling with a difficult decision and felt her father’s presence.
We are all concerned about our loved ones. After all, they had been so much a part of our lives. In fact, all cultures have a respect and reverence for their dead. Our faith informs us that we are united in the communion of saints.
In the Preface for the feast of All Saints we pray, “Around your throne the saints, our brothers and sisters, sing your praise forever. Their glory fills us with joy, and their communion with us in your church gives us inspiration and strength as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith, eager to meet them.”
The saints intercede for us because they want us also to enjoy the full presence of the Lord, to see him face to face as he is. God wants us to be united to Him on earth and fully in heaven. It is for that reason that he has gone to prepare a place for us. But not only that, His Son has given us a roadmap to heaven.
On the feast of All Saints, the Gospel is always the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor …; blessed are they who hunger and thirst …, blessed are they when they insult you and persecute you …; rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven will be great.” The saints are those who internalize those values. When we internalize the Gospel values, they become more a part of us, and we see more clearly the way through life.
By analogy, consider the beautiful stained glass windows in our Cathedral Basilica. The colors and pictures can either be painted on the glass pane or the colors can be placed in the sand during the melting process to form the stained glass pieces that will shape the picture. The latter is the most beautiful, and as the sunlight passes through the stained glass, we can see and better appreciate the colors and figures.
The more we internalize Gospel values, the more transparent we are and the more we can reflect God’s love, goodness, and compassion.
The process of making stained glass reminds me of St. Ignatius of Antioch. On his way to Rome from Antioch, he wrote letters to several churches. “Let me be food to the wild beast. They are my way to God. I am God’s wheat to be grounded by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread.”
Such an attitude takes great faith! When we read about a person like this, we want to ask the Lord to increase our faith. We may not be asked to give up our lives, but we are asked daily to surrender to God’s grace so we can withstand the temptations of materialism, individualism, and relativism, which pull us away from God.
During times of death and funerals, we focus on the person’s passing from this life. It is not our place to pass judgment, since we believe in God’s mercy. God judges not from appearance but from what God sees in the heart.
On the feast of All Souls, we pray for those who have passed from this life and who are still in need of purification — a state we call Purgatory. Those who have died in the state of grace pass through a purification, preparing them to enter heaven. They are cleansed of their imperfections, venial sins, and faults. Purgatory is an intermediate state in which the departed souls can atone for unforgiven sins before receiving their final reward.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#959) states: “Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”
We do not want anyone to go to hell, even though we may wish that when we are in an angry state. The Scriptures are clear that hell is for those who consciously separate themselves from God.
The Catechism (#1033) states: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell.’” Jesus often refers to Gehenna – hell – as the place reserved for those who separate themselves from him.
This month of November is a time to remember and pray for our loved ones, and it is also a time to reflect upon our own destiny. We can choose to be with the saints (heaven) or to be separated from the presence of God forever (hell). In the first Eucharistic prayer we pray: “Father, accept this offering from your whole family. Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.”
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Where is the turning point?
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
In the Gospel, men come to arrest Jesus. Peter, out of anger, reacts by taking his sword and cutting off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s servant. Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword back into its scabbard. For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Mt. 26:52; Jn. 18:10)
With the daily reports of violence in our society, many are indeed not putting away their swords. It seems that our society is becoming more violent.
For us in Southeast Texas, a recent incident of violence hit close to home.
Sister Marguerite Bartz, a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, was found dead in her convent Nov. 1, 2009 (the Feast of All Saints!). She was raised in Beaumont and graduated from Msgr. Kelly Catholic High School. She ministered to my family in Mallet, La. Her mother and a few siblings still live here.
She dedicated her life to ministering to the poor and, since 1999, she ministered to the Navajo Indians in New Mexico. A short while after her death, an 18-year-old was charged with her murder.
Then, we received the tragic news that 12 soldiers and one civilian were gunned down, not in Iraq or Afghanistan, but in Fort Hood, Texas. Also, we heard about a disgruntled man who went into a school and took the principal hostage at gunpoint. He was angry about the way American soldiers were being treated.
A sensible person would ask Where is the turning point? how a principal at a school has anything to do with the treatment of military personnel. But that is how senseless and misguided violence can be. And then there is the less known violence that takes place every day, such as child abuse, spouse abuse, homophobia, rape, exploitation of workers, etc.
There are many reasons why violence is escalating, such as loss of employment, a sense of hopelessness, inability about how to resolve conflicts in a civil way, or the feeling of powerlessness. In addition there is also the reality that many persons in leadership positions (e.g. parents, clergy, church ministers, teachers, government officials) also ex-press their anger and frustrations in violent ways, some-times physically but also verbally. These leaders sometimes model poor behavior and lead the weak and impressionable toward violent behavior.
At what point do we, as Christians, say, “Enough” and take the risk to confront violence with a loving response?
Then, there is the violence portrayed in the media, in movie theaters and on the Internet, and that violence comes directly into our homes through television, movies, the computer, video games, etc. Our children grow up with this as an everyday companion, and they are “taught” that the violent way is the only way to behave – that no one is deserving of respect.
Consider the pornography industry that saturates the Internet and is accessible to anyone. Those who produce child pornography go after innocent children. Research has revealed that 90 percent of young people’s first exposure to pornography on the Internet is unintentional, but not the second exposure. The perpetrators know how to “capture” our children.
The greatest contributor to violence, however, is a lack of moral values and principles. Many in our society want to do away with religious and moral values because values get in the way of living a self-serving, materialistic, do-whatever-feels-good lifestyle. Ironically, some of the violence takes place in the name of religion! Regardless, all the major religions have a respect for life as a core value.
Consider the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, an African slave from Darfur in the Sudan. She was born in 1869, and at the age of 9 she was sold into slavery to a general. The general and his wife flogged her every day until she bled. Then in 1882 she was sold to an Italian Christian family. They treated her with respect and dignity. From this family she came to realize that she was loved by God. The love and kindness of this family enabled her to see beyond violence, where there is love and hope.
Another example we can learn from was reported on Sept. 17, 2009, in the Associated Press. In Reston, Vir., a Muslim congregation had out-grown its worship space. The members were looking for an-other place to worship. A Jewish congregation nearby heard about the situation and decided to offer the Muslims the use of the Synagogue. Both congregations came to know each other, starting with the Rabbi and the Imam, and a friendship developed.
In the past, churches, religious institutions, and society in general complemented parents and families in their primary role of passing on moral and religious principles to their children and adults. Unfortunately, today many families and institutions are fragile and broken and are no longer the bedrock foundation of a loving, healthy, moral environment. The sup-port for this type of family life is no longer present; in fact, our culture and society militate against the family.
Families, churches, and religious institutions have to re-claim the moral foundation that exemplifies respect for every-one and belief in the dignity of every human person.
Now is the time for each of us to turn away from violence – one person at a time; one action at a time; one thought at a time; one word at a time.
Perhaps we can begin to pray daily for ourselves and others: “Come, Holy Spirit! Come! Come! Heal our wounds, our strength renew; on our dryness pour your dew; wash the stains of guilt away; bend the stub-born heart and will; melt the frozen; warm the chill; guide the steps that go astray.” (Sequence for Pentecost)
Will the next decade be better?
Working Together
For Good in His Name
Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD
On the cover of the Nov. 30, 2009, issue of Time Magazine there was a picture of a small child sitting in trash and looking to the future. The title of the article was “The Decade From Hell and Why the Next One will be Better.”
The article concluded that the reason this past decade was from hell was because of neglect. Our leaders saw the signs that we were going to be attacked on 9/11 but ignored the signs. Had they responded to the signs, perhaps 9/11 would have been avoided, and we could have dealt with our enemies through dialogue instead of war.
The article also stated that greed was a cause for such a decade. People wanted to ac-cumulate treasure and material goods at the expense of the common good. It is better said this way: “I will get mine now, no matter what the cost to others.”
Self-interest (“What is important is me and my groups”) was another cause. We see this visibly on Capitol Hill when our leaders cannot go beyond their party line or ideologies and collaborate in passing laws that will benefit the common good. The question becomes, “Will the next decade be better?” It can be better if all of us empty ourselves of ourselves and internalize the values Christ gave us — values that our country was built on. How do we do that? Advent gives us an opportunity as we prepare for the birth of our Savior.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a renowned Lutheran minister and theologian. Rooted in Christian values, he challenged Adolph Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. For this he was imprisoned and eventually executed. While in prison one Advent, he wrote a letter to the woman to whom he was engaged, Maria Von Wedemeyer. He wrote: “I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem the more glorious; the emptier our hands, the better we understand what Luther meant by his dying words: ‘We are all beggars, it’s true. The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ’s home on earth.’
Why did we allow neglect, greed, and self-interest to put us in this world dilemma and economic downturn? It is an erroneous belief that things give us peace and happiness? This belief leads us to think that the less happy we are the more things we need to accumulate so we will become happy. Such faulty thinking leads us nowhere except into debt. Happiness and peace come when we empty our hearts of self-interest, greed, and neglect and replace them with the life-giving values of hope, sharing, love, and unselfishness — when we realize that we are all beggars before God. God gifted us with life and talents to make the world a better place, not just for ourselves but also for all humanity.
Of course, as Bonhoeffer found out, living those life-giving values will not be easy. Christ warned his disciples, and us, that the world will hate them because the world hated him first. Following Christ means being counter-cultural. For ex-ample, do we stop saying “Merry Christmas” because that is what the world tells us so we will not offend others? Do we omit the sign of the Cross and praying grace be-fore a meal because we are in a public restaurant? Do we passively and quietly stand by while our legislators draft health care legislation that will require us to fund abortions? The answer is “No.” We must live our Christian values with respect and civility toward others and not deny who we are. Secular society sometimes ridicules and demonizes those who believe that life is sacred from conception to the last natural breath or who believe that capital punishment is wrong. When we speak up and profess that every person has a right to life, education, food, clothing and shelter, not all will be in agreement with us.
Back to the child on the cover of Time Magazine – will the next decade be better? We can answer “Yes” if we are willing to empty ourselves of ourselves and welcome the one who died for us that we might have life to the full. Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. On this planet, we are all friends; we are all interdependent, partaking in the friendship of God in community with one another.
May this Christmas see enemies build bridges of dialogue, alienated family members for-give each other, neighbors look out for neighbors, and every one of us restored in right relationship with God. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACE TO YOU AND YOUR FAM-ILY as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Lord!
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