My turn

My turn now because I've been uncharacteristically quiet lately about big things happening in the world, the Church and the way the news covers things.  Increasingly, as I meet with Catholics, whether individually or as couples, preparing families for Baptisms, couples for marriage and even interviewing confirmation students, our faith & individual beliefs are shaped by the secular world.

I guess what follows will be a kind of litany according to the Deacon.  Today we heard the verdict from a secular jury against Dr. Gosnell who now is a convicted killer.  His crime: killing those babies who somehow made it out of an abortion attempt alive.  In other words, in the process of killing a baby, he messes up, the baby lives, outside the womb, and still he kills them.  It is wholly good that he was found guilty.  But make no mistake, if the abortion would have been successful, meaning a baby dies in the womb, there is no crime; it is a choice.  This choice, which always results in the death of a baby, is fully and completely sanctioned by the federal government of the United States of America.  From the infamous and heinous Roe v. Wade decision, through all the resulting horrors since, babies are killed in this once proud nation.  In some way, should not today's development concerning Gosnell simply confirm for us that we are a nation and a people who kills babies.  We kill babies.  Recent advancements in ultra sound technology, especially high definition 3D, reveal attributes of the child in the womb that clearly trump the worn out argument that "that" is not a baby but a blob of tissue.  Even the most hardened hearted human being must acknowledge that a baby is being killed.

Before I leave this subject, let me remind one and all that as Catholics we are to reject abortion at every turn.  The decision is sinful, the act is sinful and the support of those who defend abortion, from politicians to groups like planned parenthood to any industry related support is also sinful.  Catholics need to stand up and follow the teaching of the Church; abortion is wrong; always.

Lately I have seen so much garbage on the internet and in various blogs and other sources concerning the Church being out of touch because of efforts to redefine marriage.  Same-sex marriage is a complete and total rejection of natural law, Scripture and thousands upon thousands of years of human development.  From the earliest pages of Scripture it is obvious that man and woman were meant for a complimentary relationship that brings about the recreation of the human race.  Jesus further sacramentalizes marriage at Cana.  St. Paul goes on to stress that men desiring men is unnatural.  Marriage can only be for one man and one woman.  And lest we forget, sex is only meant for that one man + one woman inside the bonds of marriage.  So here's the deal; while the homosexual agenda tells is that the whole world must conform to what they want, we are called to transform ourselves to the obedience of God's will.  Now, in doing so, those of us who fully understand God's will concerning marriage, we are not called to yell and scream and demean any human being.  And in no way can we let the argument be hijacked whereby the secular world and lame stream media tell us that we are intolerant and non-loving.  May I offer here a holy and respectable b.s.  As the Church we love everyone, sinners all.  But our love extends beyond the feel good love of this world and let's just all accept the everything goes mentality to the love that loves my brother and sister all the way to heaven.  ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN.  And before I leave this subject, the overly accepted reality of living in a sexual active relationship outside of marriage among heterosexuals is sinful too and needs to be called out; without failing to love the sinner all the way to heaven as well.

As Catholics when will we get it about the death penalty.  Yes, crime is horrible; crime is unacceptable.  And so is the death penalty as applied today in the United States of America.  It is a revenge thing; it is a make us feel better thing.  It is a good vs. evil thing as defined by the media and government goons.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the death penalty can only be reserved for those instances when there is no other way for a civil society to be safe; to be protected from the guilty individual.  But we crave revenge, we crave justice as we define it and disallow God's plan for justice.  Pope John Paul II literally called out the US of A years ago in explaining the Catechism's teaching on the death penalty when he said in a country like the USA it should never be used.  Catholics are very quick, in this ever changing day and age, to reject political folk who support abortion(a good thing) but embrace full throated those who, for political expediency hawk the death penalty.  C'mon Catholics; can we be consistent.  Going back to my first story above, I pray I see not one Pro-Life advocate now support the death penalty for convicted murderer Dr. Gosnell.  Understand?  I hope so!

Finally, over the course of the past six weeks I have read more than a few stories about some women who have been "ordained" as Catholic Priests, even though this is not recognized by the Vatican.  So the story goes that these ladies are having hands laid on them by Ms. Bishop X and Ms. Priest Y.  So be it.  But let's be clear since the media cannot be clear: there is no ordination to the Priesthood going on in these stories of disobedient, prideful and sinful women.  There is no authority anywhere to ordain women to the Priesthood of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.  These women are doing little more that playing dress-up.  And existing members of the Catholic "faithful" give their support to these "ordinations" they too are committing grave sin. 

Last point, I have no individual authority to declare anyone personally a sinner because I acknowledge that I too am a sinner.  I am working out my own salvation in fear and trembling, as Scripture reminds us, but I strive daily to affirm, support and uphold the teachings of Holy Mother Church, of which I am blessed to be an ordained minister in the Order of the Diaconate.

This was my turn; and I pray this does nothing but give honor and glory to God and helps just one person, just one, to drill down deeper, to plumb the depths of God's mercy & love and turn hearts and soul to Him!!!