Reflections on the Pope's Interview

Reflections on the Pope’s Interview

 

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There has been quite a firestorm following the interview Pope Francis gave last week.  Initially, the mainstream media, intentionally or not, misrepresented the comments of the pope, suggesting that he was urging Catholics to stop focusing on issues like abortion, homosexual “marriage” and contraception.  Most Catholics by now should have recognized the truth, that the pope is not moving the Church away from her teachings on these issues, especially since the day after the interview Pope Francis made his strongest comments against abortion since his election.

Still, some Catholics have been concerned about the tone the holy father has set and the direction they think he may be taking the Church.  Now it’s true that there is no charism guaranteeing the pope will say everything perfectly eloquently or that every decision he makes will be the best.  However, this is a holy and learned man, who happens to be our chief shepherd, so I do think it’s important that we reflect on what the pope did say.

The issue, I think, is context.  Pope John Paul II coined the phrase “The Culture of Death.”  It was imperative that the Church respond forcefully, consistently and often to the great evils of the day.  It still is.  But perhaps Pope Francis is concerned that the culture has begun defining the terms of our message.

The pope is clearly concerned about the right to life and has spoken as archbishop against homosexual “marriage.”  He made it clear in his interview that he has no intention of moving the Church away from her teachings on these issues.

However, he spoke of the primary necessity of showing the Person of Jesus Christ to the world.  This, he said, is the essential of evangelization.  He called to mind the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how their encounter with Christ caused their hearts to burn within them.  In this age of the New Evangelization, when many people think Christianity is merely noise that can be dismissed, though the consistent witness against the evils of our time is essential (the pope is not calling on any of us to slow our pro-life work), it is easily ignored.

An encounter with Jesus Christ, however, can not be ignored.  I believe the pope is calling on all of us to remember that our witness begins and ends with Him.  We can not witness to the issues of life and marriage apart from that context.  And the Church needs to offer the world her Lord.  Then hearts will be opened to all else besides.

This is my take on the pope’s interview.  Agree with it or not, I would pray that we all listen to Pope Francis as a father, and at least take his message to prayer, so that we can be truly effective sons and daughters of the Church, and servants of our Lord.

Pope Francis on Abortion

Pope Francis on Abortion

“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world”

“Our response to this mentality [the 'throwaway culture' that abortion promotes] is a ‘yes’ to life, decisive and without hesitation. ‘The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are precious, but this one is fundamental –- the condition for all the others’”



“On the one hand we see progress in the field of medicine, thanks to the work of scientists who passionately and unreservedly dedicate themselves to the search for new cures. On the other hand, however, we also encounter the risk that doctors lose sight of their identity in the service of life.”



“While new rights are attributed to or indeed almost presumed by the individual, life is not always protected as the primary value and the primordial right of every human being. The ultimate aim of medicine remains the defense and promotion of life.”

CD - Our Lady of Good Success

CD – Our Lady of Good Success

 

The latest offering from Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club is Matthew Arnold’s presentation on Our Lady of Good Success.  Although devotion to Our Lady of Good Success has a long history in South America, it is only becoming widely known now, though it is fully approved by the Church.

In 1594, Mary appeared to a Conception sister, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, in Quito, Ecuador under the title of Our Lady of Good Success.  The title can be a little misleading, as if it is a Catholic version of the “health and wealth gospel,” which it is not.  It refers to the promise of a happy ending, or a joyful outcome, which is one of the reasons people originally asked for Our Lady’s intercession under this title when they were expecting a child.

Mary appeared to Mother Mariana over the period of a number of years with requests, prophecies and miracles.  One of the incredible things about these apparitions is that many of the events they foretold refer to our times.

Mary requested that a statue be fashioned of her, holding the Infant Jesus in her left arm and in her right, a crosier and the keys to the convent.  She desired people to come to her, “for I shall lead them to Him.”

Construction of the statue began in 1610.  When the sculptor went to Spain to get the paint he needed to finish, however, Mother Marianne had a vision of archangels finishing the work.  When the sculptor returned and saw the statue finished, he declared that, “no human hand has done this.” 

Pilgrims may notice that the quality of the statue of Jesus is less than that of Mary.  The reason is that one of the sisters hid the original Infant statue when the convent was at risk of being destroyed by government soldiers and died before she revealed where it was hidden, so Mary now holds a replacement.

Numerous miracles surround the devotion.  In 1941 when Ecuador was at war with Peru, the bishop asked for people to come make a novena for peace.  On the fifth day of the novena, the statue moved.  It looked down at the people praying and then up to Heaven.  The miracle, completely documented at the time, continued into the night, and the war ended that very day.

Another time, the sisters were told by the government that soldiers were coming to close and confiscate the convent.  On the prescribed day, no one came – the government was overthrown in a coup.

The many prophecies Our Lady made to Mother Mariana catch many people’s attention.  Many had to do with Ecuador – the revolution, and the Catholic presidency of Don Gabriel Garcia Moreno and his martyrdom.  She also prophesied many of the details of the pontificate of Pius IX.

But her most stunning prophecies were those of our day, particularly beginning in the second half of the 20^th century.  She prophesied a great crisis of faith, and the loss of innocence in children.  Marriage would be attacked, she said, and evil laws would make it easy for people to live in sin.  Many children would be born out of wedlock and denied baptism.  Vocations would plummet and there would be scandals among the clergy that would try the strength of faithful priests.  Last Rites would be widely ignored, the Eucharist would be profaned, and there would be many sacrilegious Communions.

“Wealthy and powerful Catholics won’t do a thing about it,” she said.  They would fail to use their wealth or influence to stop the slide.  Mother Mariana, when she had a vision of these days, said that without a special grace, she would have died of shock.

These prophecies, made 400 years ago, have all come true, all but one.  When it seems that evil has triumphed, Our Lady said, that is when satan will be dethroned and trampled underfoot.  Ultimately Our Lady of Good Success is about hope.  She foretold a great restoration of the Church.  Mother Mariana, in fact, offered herself as a victim soul for our times.

The promised restoration is coming.  The devotion, prophesied not to become widely known until the end of the 20^th century, is spreading, and it should bring us hope. 

Matthew Arnold, a brilliant storyteller of all things Catholic and historical, does a wonderful job in this CD of giving detailed information about Our Lady of Good Success and documenting reasons for hope.  To order the CD, please go to lighthousecatholicmedia.org, or the online store in the sidebar.

To learn more about the CD of the Month Club, and to sign up to receive a new inspiring talk from a dynamic Catholic speaker every month, for yourself or as a gift, click here.  Also, see Mr. Arnold’s Web site, for more information on Our Lady of Good Success.

Kathy Ireland on Being Pro-Life

Kathy Ireland on Being Pro-Life

 

Praying with the Heart of St. Paul

Praying with the Heart of St. Paul

This Sunday’s second reading (1Tim2:1-8) really caught my attention. It has long pricked my conscience, but I heard parts of it I never noticed before. I would welcome feedback from any priest or theologian regarding the comments I make here.

In verse 2, we are told to offer prayers “for kings and for all in authority.” This I have done, but it has been a challenge, especially since 2008. Readers of this blog have heard me bemoan the policies of the Obama administration many times, as many Christians have. But I have consistently prayed for him.

After the disaster of 2012, and an election I do not believe was validly conducted, it became even harder to do. I have wondered, were Germans supposed to pray for Hitler? We are to pray for our enemies, I know, and I do not compare Mr. Obama to Hitler, but how am I supposed to pray for this man by name every day, I wondered? I have taken to praying specifically for his conversion, which I know is what is most important for any soul. But still I wondered, am I embracing fully the command of the Gospel?

Then I heard this reading at Mass this week, both on Tuesday and again on Sunday, and something caught my attention that never had before. After St. Paul asks for prayers to be offered for kings and those in authority, he says, “that we may be able to lead undisturbed and tranquil lives in perfect piety and dignity.”

Is St. Paul especially asking for prayers for those in authority because they have the power to grant earthly peace to the Church? I have genuinely desired the salvation of Mr. Obama’s soul and yet I have been praying for his conversion particularly so that his persecution of Catholics (HHS mandate, for example) and promotion of anti-Christian values might end. This has caused me to feel a little self-serving, but I wonder if this is much of what St. Paul had in mind.

I have also wondered if my desire for “a tranquil life” is appropriate for a member of the Church Militant. Verse 3, however, says that “this is good and pleasing to God our savior.”

So I will continue to pray for the conversion of Mr. Obama, and for a tranquil life as a Catholic, with more confidence now. And I will also remember the last part of that sentence, which reminds us that even if we should find that tranquility, there are always battles to be won: “[God] wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”

Shocking!

Shocking!

As expected, the main stream media’s reporting of a recent interview by Pope Francis bears little resemblance to what the holy father actually said.  By taking a small quote from a big interview, totally out of context, they have been able to put adequate liberal spin on the pope’s words.  To read an unbiased article or the text of the actual interview itself, see the link below.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-focuses-on-the-bigger-picture-with-new-interview/

Confronting the Duties of our State

Confronting the Duties of our State

 

The world is full of tragedies.  Christian churches are being torched daily in Egypt, civilians were recently gassed in Syria, there are senseless killings daily in the United States, and that’s barely scratching the surface.

These tragedies raise all sorts of issues and feelings among people.  Sometimes they can even make us question the validity of our own pursuits and struggles.  An example:

I am faced with the prospect of leaving my job in the semi-near future and I have no idea what I will do then.  The plans I had been pursuing seem to have fallen apart.  I also do not know what to do about health insurance.  Obamacare will make insurance completely unaffordable, and many of my options will be morally objectionable.  I thought medical sharing would be a solution, but my son’s medical condition precludes that as a realistic option.

I have been taking these issues to prayer often, and they have consumed much of my thoughts recently.  And yet, I remember, there are families in Syria whose dreams were wiped away in an instant.  Many people wonder how they will feed their children; I certainly don’t have that worry.  It definitely helps keep things in perspective.

But it can have a negative effect, too.  I can at times feel as though my concerns do not warrant so much attention.  It can feel selfish of me to focus so much of my energy on these needs of my family when so many others are facing so much worse.

But I believe that is the wrong approach to take.  It is true I must remain grateful for the blessings I have; I pray often for those suffering around the world, and try to be generous with my time, treasure and talent.  But though it is good to keep things in perspective, the grave concerns of others do not render my own insignificant.

My wife and family are my vocation.  Providing for them is my responsibility.  That is the charge that God has given me; none is more pressing.  I would be remiss in my duties if I were to lessen the importance of the responsibilities of my personal vocation out of some misplaced humility.  I trust that God will provide, but He has given me a definite work to do, and it begins with my family.

Very often people miss the blessings of what they have been given by focusing on what they lack.  I think we can sometimes fall into the complementary trap of missing the responsibilities we have because of the many troubles in the world we can not fix.

We can forget the charity we are to extend to our neighbor because of the plight of “the poor.”  We can fall into the trap of thinking that since people are suffering grievously in the Middle East, God certainly can not be interested in our problems.

Suffering remains a mystery.  But we have to believe that God has the suffering refugees in His Hand as much as He has us, and that, though we can not see it, He is providing the grace they need to obtain His promises, remembering that Heaven is the greatest promise.

We are called to alleviate the suffering of our brothers as much as we are able, and we are also called to fulfill the duties of our state in life.  We are called to prayerfully discern and live our vocation; nothing is more important.

Professor Peter Kreeft says that it is easy to love humanity, but difficult to love our neighbor.  The same may be said about our vocation.  It is easy to care about the needs of the world’s suffering, but difficult to tend to the needs of those God has put in our lives.  With His grace, may we do both.