Sunday, December 20, 2020
Readings for Sunday, December 20, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for Sunday, December 20, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 11
Reading 1
2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’“
"'It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'”
Responsorial Psalm
PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2
ROM 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Alleluia
LK 1:38
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
LK 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Men have a role in families
This might sound like an obvious point to many, but in our modern society, this must be re-emphasized: Men have a major role to play in the family. Although I am married, I unfortunately do not yet have any children. I look around and see the lack of a role many men have in their children's lives or in the family in general. This must end immediately.
According to Catholic teaching, men are the heads of the household. They have the authority but also the responsibility to provide for all the needs of the family. This is different from the modern-day view of husband and wife having the same roles or the wife being the head of the family. Both of these positions are incorrect.
I'm not saying this as some kind of chauvinist. Rather, it is the proper ordering of things. God is the head of the Universe, Jesus Christ is our King, we have spiritual authorities such as priests, bishops, and the pope, and within the family God has chosen the man to be the head of the household. Women are above children in authority and they should listen to her.
So what does it mean for a man to have authority over a household? It means he is willing to sacrifice and even die for the sake of his family. It's not a power trip where he is treated like royalty. No, he has the authority and the responsibility to care for his family. In practical terms this means he looks after the overall good of the family, he provides for them, he ensures they have spiritual formation.
The problem nowadays is that many men take a backseat. They act like one of the children of the house. This isn't the role of a man. He is exhibiting sloth and a unwillingness to take his responsibilities seriously. Fr. Ripperger says that even household chores are the duty of men. The role of wives is to support their husbands. She is a helper to him. This is not an employer employee relationship, but it's about proper ordering. Therefore, a wife can help with the household chores but the ultimate responsibility is with the man. If possible, a woman should not work outside the home. This is not a hard and fast rule, but an ideal.
Men are asked to follow the example of Jesus. Jesus has ultimate authority, and he spoke with authority. Is anyone going to say his life on Earth was easy? Of course not. He was eventually crucified. But he established a Church and never waivered in his love for his people. He sacrificed everything. Men must have the same attitude.
Even though Jesus is the head, he assembled 12 men to assist him in carrying out his mission. Eventually the numbers grew and the Gospel was spread. The Apostles worked together in carrying out the mission of Christ. In a similar way, wives work with their husbands to carry out the good of the family. This of course is predicated on men being virtuous, holy, and self-giving.
So what do I mean when I say men have taken a back seat? One example is that women seem to be completely in charge of the upbringing of their children. Men are hardly aware of what is even going on. We can see the devastating consequences of this. Women are doing what they can, but men really need to step up.
We know that children who have no father are much more prone to drug abuse, poor relationships, being unemployed, and basically being affected by any number of other social ills. To a possibly lesser degree, the same goes for families where men stay on the sidelines. It's no surprise that as men take a lesser and lesser role in the raising of their children, many evils are increasing all the time.
One example of this is a huge increase in so-called gender confusion. Kids are starting to question whether they are even boys or girls. Boys think they're girls and vice versa. Some have even gotten creative and declared they are non-binary, and whatever other term they have coined. By and large, women are not providing any moral or ethical guidance in this area whatsoever. That's not really their fault, they aren't designed for that purpose. Women are designed to be unconditionally loving, and non-judgmental towards their children and others. The role of the man in the household is to set the moral example and provide strong guidance.
It's not a surprise that most of the kids who question their gender come from divorced or single-mother households. Matt Walsh recently spoke about this as he reviewed a documentary from Netflix which was actually in favour of transgender kids. He said a common theme which came up time and time again was that the father was not in the picture or the family had divorced.
I hear stories of kids who are very young who are "transitioning" or have declared they are another gender. I have rarely, if ever, seen a mother or woman in general say there was anything wrong with this. They mostly seem to just remain neutral and treat it like a matter of fact. Because they do not possess a certain moral authority over their family, they are unable to provide help and guidance to such children and instead revert to overt acceptance of it out of a distorted idea of love. Men are meant to make tough choices. The father must be there to provide solid moral teaching regardless of any backlash that he may receive. If he is treated with the respect he deserves, the children will be more likely to obey his authority. The man knows that although his child may be upset with him in the moment, he is ultimately helping them out for the future. A mother is nurturing and supportive but a father must sometimes provide strong guidance even if it means seeming unloving.
There has been a lot of talk about toxic masculinity. Those who define this term are completely wrong about everything. However, we must define what real toxic masculinity is. Toxic masculinity in a nut-shell is not being a man. Ironically those who use the term usually mean the opposite. When they use the term "toxic", they mean men NOT being men is good, but men being men is toxic! Anyway, not being a man is toxic. Being lazy is toxic, being weak is toxic, not standing for what is morally good is toxic, not providing for one's family is toxic.
I must also note however that many modern-day associations with masculinity are in fact toxic. For example, there is nothing wrong with sports, especially playing sports for health. But some men have turned sports into an all-out obsession. They live for sports. That's toxic. Sports can be a pastime or hobby, but they can't be a major issue in your life as a man. Getting drunk all the time is toxic masculinity. Violating the 6th commandment and being unchaste is also toxic. This is an area I can agree on with the modern-day "toxic" crowd.
So as you can see, a traditional man is one who is loving, willing to sacrifice, religious and spiritual and exerts wise authority over his family. Men need to step up and be like this, including myself.
Happy Feast Day of Pope St. Urban V - December 19 in the Catholic Church
Information from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-pope-urban-v-89
Blessed Pope Urban V was born Guillaume de Grimoard at Grisac in Languedoc, 1310. He studied canon law and theology in Avignon and became a Benedictine monk. He was named abbot of his monastery in 1352, and served as a papal diplomat and was eventually sent as an ambassodor to various locations. He also served as a bishop around Italy and throughout Europe. He was elected pope in 1362 while on diplomatic business, even though he was not a cardinal. His reign was blessed by his peacekeeping activity between the French and Italian kings, the founding of many universities, his zeal for the crusades and his decision to return the papacy to Rome and end the Avignon exile of the popes. However, the breakout of war between England and France forced him to return to Avignon on a peacekeeping mission
He died on his return to Avignon, and his body, which had been buried at Avignon, was then transferred to Marseille according to his own wishes, and his tomb became the site of many miracles. He died on December 19, 1370. He always had a Benedictine spirit, and even wore his monk’s habit as Pope. His virtue and honesty were noted, especially in a Europe plagued by scandal and corruption.
It is said that as he lay dying he called the people to surround his deathbed, saying “the people must see how popes die.”
Readings for Saturday, December 19, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for Saturday, December 19, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 195
Reading 1
JGS 13:2-7, 24-25A
There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah.
His wife was barren and had borne no children.
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
“Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son.
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines.”
The woman went and told her husband,
“A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
‘You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.’”
The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 71:3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17
R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
LK 1:5-25
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
Friday, December 18, 2020
Matt Walsh explains why sex work isn't real work
Work? What is it? Matt Walsh offers several definitions. Whether or not "sex work is work" is really irrelevant. I mean someone could put in a lot of time and effort to harm people. Would that be work? Perhaps technically. You can still call certain types of work evil. So there is no conflict there. But again, the left boils everything down to a slogan. "Sex work is work". They hope you will just get their implication that sex work is just like any other type of work. But we know it's not good work and it harms people.
Here's Matt Walsh's article on it:
Pope Francis will be featured in a new documentary by Netflix, yay........
I just can't wait to see what Netflix produces in conjunction with the pope. I mean you have to ask, if Netflix is allowing this documentary, knowing their standards for evaluating things like this, what can we possibly expect?
I don't expect this documentary to provide really any value whatsoever. I hate to say this, really I do. I wish Netflix would produce morally good content, things which could uplift and edify people of faith. But they don't and they have strict policies against anything which appears to disagree with their extremist ideology.
So Pope Francis is teaming up with this outfit. We don't know precisely what this documentary will look like. It's described as:
a documentary series based on "Sharing the Wisdom of Time," a book in which Pope Francis called for creating "an alliance between the young and old people" by sharing their stories.
One very telling part for me was
"The elders chosen for the documentary come from different ethnic groups and religious traditions, according to the Netflix press release, but their stories demonstrate how in every part of the world and in every culture people are concerned with the same issues: "love, struggle, work and dreams."
Why is Pope Francis promoting other religious traditions? That's not his job. His job is to promote and promulgate the Catholic Faith around the world. That is literally his job. Why does Pope Francis continually try to muddy the waters and create confusion. The Church is universal, but the Church is also missionary. We must reach out to evangelize people.
This will surely just be another confusing, content-free, feel-good, emotional documentary that will offer little value.
Are Covid and Climate Change the Greatest Threats to Christians?
In 2015, Pope Francis published his second (of so far three) encyclical called Laudato Si. The first encyclical was actually started by Pope Benedict, so it was not entirely chosen by Pope Francis. In Laudato Si, Pope Francis talks extensively about climate change and the dangers to the planet and people. He uses very strong language, denouncing many things in our modern society including fossil fuels, various types of development and progress, and more. He even gets into the nitty-gritty by denouncing air conditioners. In one part, the pope says:
The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.
Well, it doesn't seem that he is shying away from exaggeration. It seems he truly believes the earth is in a state of total ruin and we are destroying whatever is left of it.
Of course we are called to protect the Earth and not unreasonably destroy it, but the problem is that people are starting to worship the Earth, to see human beings as some kind of intruders. This attitude is diametrically opposed to our Catholic Faith. According to the Faith, human beings are the pinnacle of God's creation on Earth. We take care of the earth not for the sake of the earth as such, but for our own sake and the sake of future generations. It must be a human-centric approach to the environment.
Unfortunately this is not the message that is conveyed by Pope Francis. He has criticized people for having too many children or for trying to use the resources of the Earth to improve their lives. As usual, he creates a very black and white proposition. Either one is opposed to new technology, fossil fuels, or using the Earth's resources or they are bad people. But things aren't so simple.
For one thing, to say the Earth is getting much worse depends on one's perspective. The Earth and the environment are actually getting much better for humanity. How so? Well, the number of people dying from climate-related reasons is dropping dramatically. Because of fossil fuels and advances in technology, people can "weather" the storm of climate events much better than in the past. From a human-centric point of view, things are improving not getting worse.
On top of this, many factors are improving all the time such as air quality, water quality, and overall quality of life. Another important point is that technology advances in a somewhat predictable way, kind of like rungs on a ladder. If you remove rungs, people don't advance to the higher levels faster, they are prevented from ever getting there.
There was significantly more pollution in our environments during the industrial revolution than now. In the third world, many people cook indoors where huge amounts of soot and smoke fill their meagre homes. Forcing them to adopt solar energy before logically moving onto much cleaner forms of fossil fuels prevents millions of people from escaping their tiny smoke-filled hovels and moving into more modern homes. I see this all the time with aid agencies such as UN agencies. They mandate that in order for a poor country to receive aid, they must immediately implement the latest technology. Of course this technology is extremely expensive and so implementation takes very long and few people benefit. Electricity generated using coal may not be super clean, but it's better than cooking with dung or coal inside one's house.
From a human-centric point of view, it is much better to allow a country to progress naturally than to stunt its growth in order to implement ecofascist rules based on the elevation and possibly worship of the Earth.
Another "emergency" that the Holy Father has latched onto recently is Covid. He has made it the subject of many sermons and appearances. Not only that, many in the Church have taken on the topic of Covid with great zeal and energy. Is it proportionate?
This is a subject I have been blogging about for some time now - the Church's response to Covid. There are many issues I have with it. Overall, I believe the reaction to this coronavirus is completely out of proportion to what it is. I'm not claiming Covid-19 doesn't exist or isn't dangerous, especially to some people, but I just don't think it merits a place of ultimate importance in the Church.
Every day at Church we hear not one but two announcements concerning Covid-19. I wrote about that here. I cannot think of any moral or theological issue which has been discussed to the same degree as Covid by a long shot. To me, it's as if disease and death did not exist until sometime in early 2020 when Covid became a topic of prominence. That's how ridiculous it has become. We not only give instructions, we hear special prayers to those affected by Covid, homilies on Covid, and the whole nine yards.
It's not a question of whether or not Covid should be taken seriously, it's a matter of degree. Should it be given pre-eminent importance over every other issue in the world?
Recently I was reading something by St. Alphonsus Liguori concerning the 4th commandment. He was discussed what constituted sins against the commandment to love our mother and father. He said that in the Old Testament those found guilty of grave offenses against mother and father were put to death. Then St. Alphonsus said something interesting. He said that although we do not now face the death penalty over dishonoring our parents, we potentially face something far worse: eternal damnation.
As a people of God whose home is not this Earth but rather heaven, this should mean something to us. We should not be so overly concerned about this temporal world. We don't dismiss it as if it's not real, but we don't place it as the most important thing in the universe.
I bring this up because during all of these announcements regarding Covid, amidst all the strict regulations we must follow while in Church such as keeping our distance, wearing a mask, not receiving the Blessed Sacrament on the tongue, etc, we rarely if ever hear about sin. We rarely hear about being in a state of Grace, which is a state of Friendship with God Almighty. We hear so much about the temporal passing world, and this one particular disease, but we pay far less attention to something far more dangerous which is sin. Over 99% of people will survive Covid, especially those who are young. Aren't eternal truths far more important?
I remembering reading an account of a priest during a plague outbreak in Europe. During this pandemic which was vastly more dangerous than Covid, some priests would fearlessly attend to their flocks. I will attempt to recall by memory a story I heard recounted from many centuries ago. In the midst of a vast plague that was extremely dangerous, a priest was out looking for people in need of the sacraments. While walking, a man who was assumed to be dead and had been thrown into a pit of corpses (which was to be burned) arose, and upon seeing the priest called out and asked to receive the Last Rites. He was given Viaticum and Extreme Unction. So great was the faith of this man and the priest.
I believe the Church in North America and other places is far too subservient to the state. We must demand absolute autonomy. Why should the Church, instituted by Christ 2000 years ago, bow before the state which ebbs and flows like the tide and is in constant flux, prompted not by love of God, but by political gain. I believe the Church would do a much better job of protecting both the physical safety as well as the spiritual safety of her people.
The Church has a responsibility, in my opinion, to demonstrate that her primary and in fact only obligation is towards the spiritual well being of her people. It must also be shown that spiritual concerns always trump temporal, physical concerns. "You are dust and unto dust you shall return" but our souls are eternal. This is the message which must be strongly promoted.
Readings for Friday, December 18, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 194
Reading 1
JER 23:5-8
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
MT 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
#JohnCandy is trending on Twitter in Canada today
#JohnCandy is trending in Canada on Twitter today. I am not sure why. I really loved John Candy movies. He seemed like a genuinely funny and nice guy. He was also Catholic! He definitely left us too soon!
This photo comes from one of my favorite movies of his: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Candy's funeral was held at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles.
The New Religion of Covid Compliance
It seems a new religion has emerged. First it was Climate Change and now it's Covid Compliance. People are using very religious language when it comes to this whole pandemic and our obligations to conform. It's actually really strange to be honest. To make things worse, the new Covid religion is being advocated to the injury to other religions. Let me explain how.
I see posts all over the place - Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, various websites, etc - demanding compliance to all the Covid protocols. These posts don't stop at simply asking people to keep distance from one another or to wear a mask. They get right into moralizing and self-praise.
People are getting very self-righteous. "I don't wear a mask to protect me, I wear one to protect you." Some twist the words of Jesus to love one's enemy by making a similar point in the context of the pandemic. "I may not like you, but I will wear a mask to protect you." Oh wow, truly we're living in the time of the Beatitudes!
Anyone not complying to the letter of the ever-changing laws of Covid is deemed to be selfish and immoral. On the other hand, those who comply praise themselves as being loving, caring, and overall great people.
Must be nice to think you are a morally virtuous person because you wear a piece of cotton over your face in public. Every year it seems there is a new morality among the non-religious. One year it's climate change with people proclaiming their moral superiority because they are decrying "others" who pollute. Another year people are patting themselves on the back for being "woke" when it comes to gender. Whatever the topic of the day happens to be, there is an army of people clamoring to show just how virtuous and righteous they are with regards to their ever-changing moral code.
These are all things we have come to expect. But one thing that is new is how these newfangled zealots are not satisfied with simply promoting their cause du jour. They must now intrude on what everyone else is doing and try to stop that as well. It's like they aren't satisfied to live and let live. Perhaps it's out of jealousy. I'm not sure.
So what exactly am I talking about? I'm referring to politicians and others mocking traditional Christianity and telling Christians to just stay home. Using an extremely condescending tone, they are suddenly theological experts who feel qualified to pronounce that you don't need to pray in a church, God is everywhere, you can just pray to him from your house! Yes, because these people know so much about God!
First of all, I feel compelled to respond to this line of reasoning. Should Christians be satisfied to simply "stay home" because God is everywhere and can hear your prayers? Let's break it down. Yes, God is absolutely everywhere. Yes, we can pray to God from anywhere. However, we must delve into the Catholic understanding of worship. The what and the Who.
The Catholic Faith isn't only about a one-to-one relationship with God, where we don't listen to anyone else and we are just free-floating autonomous agents in the world. Rather, we worship both individually and communally. In fact, community is a central part of our faith. In the creed, recited since the earliest days of our Faith, we declare that we believe in the communion of saints. The saints in heaven pray for us here on Earth. We also believe in a communion of believers. This is why we say someone is in communion with Rome. We, the members of the Church, are united to the visible head of Church on Earth who is the Roman Pontiff.
It goes even beyond this. Jesus Christ gave us his body, blood, soul, and divinity in the form of bread and wine so that we can partake of him weekly or even daily. Jesus Christ literally dwells within those who partake of this great gift and sacrament.
“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” – John 6:56
Some people are unable or unwilling to attend Mass in person. For many, this is a painful reality. In many places, people are dispensed from their Sunday obligation. I can definitely understand where these people are coming from. There is nothing shameful or wrong about being unable to attend Mass.
However, it is not up to random politicians to decide how important the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to Catholics. It just really annoys me when some guy or girl, who may or may not even be the slightest bit religious, decides they know what's best in terms our relationship with God Almighty. That is not up to them! How dare someone project their personal beliefs on me when it comes to God. No one gets to say how important in-person worship is to me. That's not for them to decide.
This attitude just represents such unbelievable levels of arrogance. Not only arrogant in that they think they know what's best for everyone else, but also arrogant in they assume the role of speaking for God. I wouldn't even mind as much if they approached the subject with humility but they don't. They approach it with condescension, and even mockery. But God will not be mocked.
It was always my understanding that religion enjoyed a special privilege in society, especially in Canada and the US. It is an inalienable right. And yet, when the slightest thing happens, the slightest infectious disease spreads, all of a sudden our most basic fundamental human rights are thrown out the window for our "safety". We need to really stand up against these tyrants, big and small, if we hope to maintain any shred of independence and religious freedom.
In the early days of the Church, Christians were asked to just make a small "reasonable" offering to a false Roman deity and be on their way. They refused because they did not want to break the first commandment of not having strange Gods before the one true God. Because of this, many of them were martyred. They had such great faith and many are revered to this day. Are we willing to stand up against the tyranny of little dictators in our government?
P.S. I just want to say this is a difficult subject. I'm not setting myself up as an example of someone who always opposes the government. I wear my mask in public places. I am simply saying we need to stand up for our rights and it's not up to politicians to decide for us how important our churches and sacraments are in our spiritual lives.
St. Joseph does not speak in the Bible [meme]
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21263948-catholic-memes
Readings for Thursday, December 17, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Readings for Thursday, December 17, 2020 in the Catholic Church
Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 193
Reading 1
GN 49:2, 8-10
Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”
Responsorial Psalm
PS 72:1-2, 3-4AB, 7-8, 17
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
MT 1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Andrew Coyne on how Assisted Suicide
This is a very well-written essay by Andrew Coyne. He makes the point that assisted suicide went from being barely tolerated in certain rare cases, to being applied in a far broader way. Coyne argues that the way this new "right" is defined, there is no way it will not end up becoming more and more available.
I will post his article in its entirety. It is very shocking and eye-opening:
Our cautious start to assisted suicide is now an accelerating drive toward death-on-demand - December 11, 2020
Full Article:
Six years ago, before the Supreme Court discovered a right to die in the constitution’s guarantee of the right to life, what most people understood as the case for assisted suicide was something like the following: a mentally competent adult, suffering acute pain from a terminal illness and facing more of the same to the end, comes to a firm and unwavering decision to kill herself – but is physically unable, by virtue of the same illness, to do so unaided, or fears she will be unable to when the time comes.
That was the condition of Sue Rodriguez, whose 1993 Supreme Court appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Criminal Code prohibition on assisting in a suicide, though unsuccessful, first brought the issue to public attention. It was also the condition of Gloria Taylor, the woman on whose case the Court based its 2015 decision legalizing the practice (Lee Carter, whose name is attached to the decision’s short-form title, was merely a co-appellant).
Had you predicted then that the right to an assisted suicide would soon come to apply, not only in cases of physical pain but psychological, and not only to patients in the last agonizing stages of death but those who were nowhere near it – had you predicted, indeed, that a patient’s request to be killed would not even have to be repeated and persistent for a doctor to act on it, that the whole process could be telescoped into a single day – you would have been accused of “slippery slope” thinking.
Had you predicted that, by 2019, just the third full year after it was legalized, nearly one in 50 deaths in the country would be by assisted suicide, even on the (almost certainly underreported) official numbers; and that, this having been accomplished, talk would turn to extending the procedure – not just to competent adults, but the mentally ill and even children – you would have been carted off.
Yet that, incredibly, is where we are. The cautious, limited exceptions that people understood the issue to involve at the start – what most people understand it to involve even now – have been overtaken by an accelerating drive toward death-on-demand. Had the public known this was where we were headed, they might have objected. Instead it has been done in stages, a series of bait-and-switch routines in which the courts and legislatures have taken equal part.
The irony is that the very foundation of the Supreme Court’s decision in Carter was that there was no such slippery slope. Perhaps assisted suicide, once legalized, might have spread and metastasized in other countries, barbaric places such as Belgium and the Netherlands, to include children, people suffering depression, prisoners serving life sentences, and so on – but that, the Court was certain, could not happen here. The evidence was “anecdotal.” The “medico-legal culture” was altogether different.
And yet the Court immediately undermined its own premise. Though the decision ostensibly applied only “in the factual circumstances of this case,” i.e. to “people like Ms. Taylor” or “persons in her situation,” i.e. “wracked with pain” and near the “end of life,” by the time the Court got around to working out the general principle to be applied in such cases it had ditched any requirement that a patient’s condition be either terminal or physical; rather just “grievous and irremediable.”
Still, the decision did not preclude governments from imposing such a rule, even if the court declined to do so – if not that death be at hand, then at least “reasonably foreseeable,” in the language the Trudeau government adopted in subsequent legislation. So when a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled that provision unconstitutional in September, 2019, she was essentially freelancing.
The government had ample grounds to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Instead, it drafted legislation – Bill C-7, which it is now attempting to rush through the House of Commons in time for Christmas – that obediently accepted the Quebec court’s opinion as its own. Worse, it went further.
No longer would there be a mandatory 10-day waiting period between a request for assisted suicide and its execution, to allow for a change of heart. (According to Health Canada, 263 such requests were withdrawn in 2019.) Neither would two witnesses be required: henceforth, one would suffice.
And the Justice Minister promises more: to the objections of some that the bill excluded those suffering exclusively from a mental illness, the minister promises this will be the subject of a forthcoming review. As will the idea of extending it to “mature minors.”
Well, of course it will. It was obvious it would from the start. This is the point “moderate” proponents of assisted suicide are either unable to recognize, or unwilling to disclose. There is a fundamental disjoint between the idea, on the one hand, that people have an absolute right to autonomy over their own lives, and on the other, that this can be hedged about with all sorts of limitations.
Assisted suicide was sold, initially, as a sort of conditional right, like the right to drink or drive or vote, which could be limited to certain sorts of people. But the logic of assisted suicide does not permit it. It presents suicide not as a tragedy we should wish at all costs to prevent, but as a blessing, a release from intolerable suffering – so much so, that we should not merely allow people to end their own lives, but others to do so on their behalf; and not merely allow it, but require it – even subsidize it. So it is that, in the space of a few years, assisted suicide has gone from a crime to a right to a public service.
It could not be otherwise. And if such a right is not conditional, but inherent, a basic human right, how can it be limited: whether by the severity of the pain, or the proximity of death, or the identity of the sufferer? On what principle of justice do we tell a person they may seek relief from endless torment on the basis of a physical disability, but not mental illness? How do we extend such mercy to an adult, but not a child?
Perhaps once, we might have held the line. But it is too late for that now.
Congratulations to Hungary on recognizing traditional families!
Hungary has taken the morally good step to recognizing the true definition of marriage and family. This continues a trend in the country to create a Christian and specifically Catholic society. They are not welcoming in droves of Muslim immigrants, and they are now defining marriage and families as they ought to be: a man and a woman raising children.
There are other aspects to the laws being passed:
- The law recognises that a child’s sex as it appears on their birth cert is the one which should be honoured.
- It recognised that ‘The mother is a woman, the father is a man’.
- Adoption could only go to couples that involved men and women, with singles having to apply for special permission to adopt a child.
George Soros, who is Hungarian, tried to derail this legislation and turn the country away from its Christian heritage, and he has failed. The rest of the world should take note!
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