Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The way our culture currently recognizes Halloween is more than scary… it is wrong. Let me attempt to clarify a few things. This week we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, which is celebrated every November 1st. This celebration dates back to the fourth century. It was originally called the Feast of All Martyrs and it was celebrated on May 13th. The words "martyr" and "saint" originally meant basically the same thing — someone who is a witness to Christ even unto death.
The early Christians usually placed the body of the martyr, someone who had been killed for the faith, in a tomb that was easily accessible. Then on the anniversary of that martyr's death, the faithful would come and pray and celebrate the Eucharist on or near the tomb of this Christian hero or heroine. That is why many altars have a relic of a saint located in the altar. St. Joan of Arc altars do not have any relics. Eventually, these celebrations were held in local churches to commemorate not just one martyr, but all who had given their lives for the faith. By the fifth century, this feast of "All Saints" was held on the Friday of Easter week.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sadly, the unwillingness to offer real sacrifices and the lack of true love has led many people to believe that life is disposable. This tragic way of thinking has impacted our world in many negative ways i.e., marriages, families, workplaces, government, the economy, communities and even the Church. Many people live with a darkened intellect and in ignorance of the love of God for all His children. We live in a world where many people fail to see that true love includes personal sacrifice. It is so easy to become puffed up with pride and a false sense of self-reliance; many selfishly choose their own path; many seek to maximize pleasure and avoid giving of themselves and therefore miss the beauty of God's creation all together.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we celebrate Respect Life throughout the month of October, Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every life. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:
"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can, under any circumstance, claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being"
—CCC 2258
And "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life"
—CCC 2270
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Everyone is impacted by the evil and violence. Many Americans know of the culture of death that is so prevalent in our country.
As Americans, we are impacted and saddened by acts of terrorism (the Boston Marathon bombing), mass shootings (a movie theater in Aurora, CO; an elementary school in Newtown, CT, at a Navy base in Washington, DC), 532 murders in Chicago in 2012, and over a million children killed each year by abortion (its brutality was seen in the trial of Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortion provider).
We can become frustrated. We can think thoughts like, "Why hasn't God intervened to stop the killing and why haven't we been unable to stop it ourselves through our legal system" I feel frustrated at times but frustration that is ignored accomplishes nothing. Frustration distracts us from the two things Our Lord asks of us, the two things needed to overcome violence and evil: faith in God and the loving witness of our lives. Hope in action overcomes frustration.
There are so many beautiful examples of people who choose life by not giving in to the frustration. For example, there are more martyrs today than in the early centuries of the Church. These men and women around the world go bravely to their deaths, witnessing to the faith. Their witness can inspire us to witness to the right to life and inherent dignity of every person. Be not afraid!
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