LUKE 3:1-6
THIS WEEK THE NATIONAL
CATHOLIC REPORTER CAME OUT WITH AN EDITORIAL THAT SAID THAT IT WAS
TIME FOR WOMEN PRIESTS. THE REASONS GIVEN WERE MANY, BUT ONE WAS
THAT “NO ONE” COULD SAY WHETHER A PERSON HAD RECEIVED A CALL TO
THE PRIESTHOOD, AND TO SAY THAT ANATOMY WAS SOMEHOW A BARRIER WAS TO
LIMIT THE POWER OF GOD. THE EDITORIAL WENT ON TO SAY THAT “THE
MAJORITY” OF THE FAITHFUL SUPPORT THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN.
IN 1996, 27% OF THE
POPULATION FELT THAT SAME SEX MARRIAGE SHOULD BE LEGALIZED. IN 2012,
49% FELT THAT WAY.
RECENTLY WHEN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION INSISTED THAT HEALTH INSURANCE COVER ARTIFICIAL BIRTH
CONTROL AND THE MORNING AFTER PILL, WHICH IS BASICALLY ABORTION, 39%
OF CATHOLICS AGREED WITH THAT POSITION; 56% AGREED WITH THE BISHOPS,
WHO CAME OUT STRONGLY AGAINST THIS PROVISION. ABOUT 33% OF PEOPLE
WHO CALL THEMSELVES CATHOLIC FEEL THAT ABORTION IS MORALLY ACCEPTABLE
IN SOME SITUATIONS. AND IN ANOTHER POLL, 55% OF PEOPLE IDENTIFYING
THEMSELVES AS CATHOLICS FELT THAT THERE WERE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN
ASSISTED SUICIDE WAS OK.
WE AMERICANS PRIDE
OURSELVES ON OUR INDEPENDENCE, AND WE AREN'T ABOUT TO LET ANYONE TELL
US WHAT TO BELIEVE – CATHOLICS INCLUDED, APPARENTLY. NOW I AM A
HARD-CORE CATHOLIC, AND EVEN I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THE POSITIONS ON
THESE ISSUES WHICH GO AGAINST THE CLEAR TEACHING OF THE CHURCH. THAT
DOESN'T MEAN I AGREE WITH THEM, BUT I CAN SEE WHERE THE CHURCH'S
POSITION CAN CAUSE SOME PEOPLE PAIN.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL, YOU
MIGHT BE STRUCK BY THE BEGINNING; “IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE
REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR....” WHY DID LUKE GO TO SO MUCH TROUBLE
TO PIN DOWN THE TIME? DOES IT ADD ANYTHING TO THE STATEMENT ABOUT
TIBERIUS TO THROW IN ALL THAT OTHER STUFF ABOUT TETRARCHS AND
GOVERNORS AND KINGS AND HIGH PRIESTS? IF YOU KNOW WHEN TIBERIUS
RULED, YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, DON'T YOU?
BUT I THINK LUKE IS NOT
JUST TELLING US WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED; HE IS SAYING THAT DESPITE ALL
THESE PEOPLE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS, BOTH CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS, THE
WORD OF GOD DID NOT GO TO THEM; INSTEAD, IT WENT TO THE WILDERNESS
AND SOUGHT OUT JOHN THE BAPTIST. AND IN THE SCRIPTURES WE READ ABOUT
VAST CROWDS THAT FOLLOWED JOHN. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN CROWDS OUT THERE
LISTENING TO HIM, BUT IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE TODAY, MOST PEOPLE JUST
WENT ON ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. THE SAME WAS TRUE OF JESUS; CROWDS
FOLLOWED HIM, BUT AS WE CAN SEE FROM THE STORY OF THE CRUCIFIXION,
CROWDS OPPOSED HIM AS WELL.
WE MAY PRIDE OURSELVES ON
OUR INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT, BUT THE STATISTICS ARE CLEAR; CATHOLICS
THINK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR SOCIETY. THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY
TO AGREE WITH BARACK OBAMA OR JOE BIDEN THAN WITH CARDINAL DOLAN.
AND YOUNG CATHOLICS ESPECIALLY, IF THEY STILL HAVE ANY ATTACHMENT AT
ALL TO THE CHURCH, ARE LIKELY TO EXPLAIN THEIR SO-CALLED ENLIGHTENED
ATTITUDES ABOUT SAME SEX MARRIAGE, ABORTION, ASSISTED SUICIDE,
ORDINATION OF WOMEN – ATTITUDES WHICH ARE DIAMETRICALLY APPOSED TO
WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES – BY SAYING THAT JESUS WOULD AGREE WITH
THEIR POSITION. WHY? BECAUSE HE HAS A SOFT HEART; HE HAS SYMPATHY
FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES; HE WOULD NEVER AGREE WITH A
CHURCH THAT TAUGHT THINGS THAT MIGHT CAUSE ANYONE PAIN. JESUS WAS
ALL ABOUT FORGIVENESS, FINDING THE LOST SHEEP, EATING WITH SINNERS,
TAKING SIDES AGAINST AUTHORITIES, BEING INCLUSIVE.
BUT IS THAT THE REAL
JESUS? IT'S PART OF HIM,THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT HE IS ALSO THE ONE WHO
SAID, “LISTEN TO THE PHARISEES AND THE SCRIBES, BECAUSE THEY SIT ON
THE SEAT OF MOSES; BUT DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DO.” AND HE SAID, “FOR
TRULY I SAY TO YOU, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, NOT THE
SMALLEST LETTER OR STROKE SHALL PASS FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL IS
ACCOMPLISHED.” AND HE SAID, “UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY
CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.” AND
HE SAID, “WHATSOEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN,
AND WHAT YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.”
THERE WAS AN INTERESTING
ANSWER TO THE EDITORIAL OF THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER. THE
WRITER SAID, “IF WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE PRIESTS BELIEVE THAT THE
CHURCH IS WRONG IN ITS REASONED POSITION WHICH IT HAS HELD FOR 2000
YEARS, THEN WHY DESIRE TO BECOME CATHOLIC PRIESTS? IF THE CHURCH IS
WRONG ABOUT THIS, IT'S PROBABLY WRONG ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, AND
MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THOSE WOMEN TO FIND A CHURCH THAT DOES
ORDAIN WOMEN TO THE PRIESTHOOD, OR THE MINISTRY. AFTER ALL, THERE
ARE SEVERAL, INCLUDING THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. BUT IF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH IS THE TRUE CHURCH FOUNDED BY CHRIST AND PROTECTED BY THE HOLY
SPIRIT, THEN WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES IS THE TEACHING OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF YOU WANT TO BE A CATHOLIC, GET ON
BOARD.
THE PEOPLE WHO LISTENED
TO JOHN THE BAPTIST WERE THE REAL INDEPENDENT THINKERS. WHEN THEY
LISTENED TO HIM, THEY KNEW IN THEIR HEARTS THAT HE HAD THE WORD OF
GOD. SOMETIMES THE WORD WAS DIFFICULT TO HEAR – JOHN CONDEMNED
HEROD FOR MARRYING HIS BROTHER'S WIFE, WHICH LED TO HIS EXECUTION. A
MODERN CATHOLIC WOULD SAY, “WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? THE BROTHER HAD
DIED. SO WHAT IF GOD'S LAW SAID OTHERWISE? WHY SHOULD HEROD AND
HERODIAS HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF A LAW?” JOHN INSISTED ON
OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW. HE TOLD SOLDIERS TO BE CONTENT WITH THEIR PAY,
TAX COLLECTORS TO ONLY COLLECT WHAT THEY WERE ENTITLED TO – THESE
WERE RULES HE WAS LAYING DOWN. WE MODERN PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA THAT
THE EARLY CHRISTIANS, INDEED, EARLY CHRISTIANITY, OVERTHREW THE LAW.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ MUCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BEFORE YOU
REALIZE THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW WAS STILL BEING PREACHED BY
PETER, PAUL, AND THE OTHER EARLY LEADERS.
JEWISH LAW HAD ITS
ABUSES, BUT IF ANYTHING THE REAL ABUSE WAS USUALLY TO TAKE THE WORD
OF GOD AND THINK THROUGH HOW IT COULD BE APPLIED TO EVERY SITUATION
IMAGINABLE; AND SOMETIMES THAT SOUNDED SILLY. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS
DID NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER, BUT INSTEAD, SAW THAT
THERE WAS A CERTAIN CORE OF MORAL BEHAVIOR THAT EXISTED IN JEWISH
LAW. THIS THEY KEPT.
IF YOU ARE A MODERN
CATHOLIC AND YOU THINK THAT THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH ARE JUST THE
RAMBLINGS OF OLD MEN IN LONG ROBES TRYING TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT, THE
MOST LIKELY THING IS THAT YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO LEARN WHY THE
CHURCH TEACHES WHAT IT TEACHES. IN THE YEAR OF THE FAITH PROCLAIMED
BY OUR HOLY FATHER, IT IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO STUDY THESE ISSUES.
YOUR CHOICE IS TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT THINKER AND BEGIN WITH THE
WORD OF GOD, OR TO GO ALONG WITH WHATEVER THE PREVAILING OPINION IS.
GOD DOES NOT CHANGE, AND
HIS TEACHINGS DON'T CHANGE.
