Catholic Church Readings for Monday, January 25, 2021: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, January 25, 2021: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Lectionary: 519

Reading I

Acts 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,

but brought up in this city.

At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law

and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

I persecuted this Way to death,

binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.

Even the high priest and the whole council of elders

can testify on my behalf.

For from them I even received letters to the brothers

and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem

in chains for punishment those there as well.

“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,

about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,

‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’

And he said to me,

‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’

My companions saw the light

but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.

I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’

The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus,

and there you will be told about everything

appointed for you to do.’ 

Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,

I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,

and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

came to me and stood there and said,

‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’

And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.

Then he said,

‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,

to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;

for you will be his witness before all

to what you have seen and heard.

Now, why delay?

Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,

calling upon his name.’”

OR:

Acts 9:1-22

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,

went to the high priest and asked him

for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,

if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,

he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

On his  journey, as he was nearing Damascus,

a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

He said, “Who are you, sir?”

The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” 

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,

for they heard the voice but could see no one.

Saul got up from the ground,

but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;

so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.

For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,

and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias.”

He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight

and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. 

He is there praying,

and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias

come in and lay his hands on him,

that he may regain his sight.”

But Ananias replied,

“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,

what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.

And here he has authority from the chief priests

to imprison all who call upon your name.”

But the Lord said to him,

“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine

to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,

and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

So Ananias went and entered the house;

laying his hands on him, he said,

“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,

Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,

that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes

and he regained his sight.

He got up and was baptized,

and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,

and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,

that he is the Son of God.

All who heard him were astounded and said, 

“Is not this the man who in Jerusalem

ravaged those who call upon this name,

and came here expressly to take them back in chains

to the chief priests?”

But Saul grew all the stronger

and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus,

proving that this is the Christ.

Responsorial Psalm

117:1bc, 2

R.    (Mark 16:15)  Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

or:

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;

    glorify him, all you peoples!

R.    Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

or:

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,

    and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

R.    Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

or:

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia

See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,

to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:

“Go into the whole world

and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;

whoever does not believe will be condemned.

These signs will accompany those who believe:

in my name they will drive out demons,

they will speak new languages.

They will pick up serpents with their hands,

and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.

They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

You Can't Make this Up: NYT declares "President Biden is perhaps the most religiously observant commander in chief in half a century."

Is this some kind of a joke? It's not even April 1 yet.

The full tweet reads:

President Biden is perhaps the most religiously observant commander in chief in half a century. A different, more liberal Christianity grounds his life and his policies.

Wow. I can tell you one thing, this isn't written by an observant or devout Catholic. It is objectively false. Observant is defined as "adhering strictly to the rules of a particular religion". Joe Biden outright violates many tenets of his religion. As a Catholic, he is not permitted to advocate for things which are opposed to Catholicism. It is simply not permissible. Plus, we have no indication that Biden disagrees with his policies even on a personal level.

The two sentences actually contradict each other. The first says he is religiously observant. Well, since he says he is Catholic, it would imply he is a religiously observant Catholic. Well, that's not the case. But the second sentences goes on to say a "different, more liberal Christianity grounds his life and policies". Well, since Catholicism isn't a "different, more liberal Christianity", he cannot be an observant Catholic.

I mean, I suppose he could be an observant member of a "different, more liberal Christianity", but what value does that statement have? In other words, he's a strict adherent of an form of Christianity that he made up himself that happens to conform to his political beliefs? Who on earth doesn't adhere to their own beliefs? It's a meaningless tautology. The Church is meant to change our lives and better conform us to the will of God. It's not a pick-and-choose religion that you make up as you go along.

I think the media are operating under the belief that you just have to repeat a lie over and over until people eventually accept it. This is something a nazi once said anyway. The sad thing is people often just acquire their points of view from the media. The media declares over and over that Joe Biden is a "devout Catholic" and they just believe it.

As I showed in a previous blog post, Joe Biden will be bad for Catholicism. He is one of the most pro-abortion presidents ever and wants to fund international abortion. This is already a grave moral evil. He wants to force nuns to pay for contraception and abortion. He's not good on religious freedom either. So how exactly can anyone say Joe Biden is a good Catholic or advances Catholic causes? He doesn't. I can't judge his soul, I can only judge the public actions he is taking.

What I also find funny is how on Twitter and elsewhere, non-Catholic liberals are all clamoring to say how devout and observant Joe really is. What do they know? They oppose everything the Church stands for. Why do they feel able to tell anyone whether or not Joe is a devout Catholic?

The Catholic Church has strict and specific morals. It's not just a general set of guidelines which Catholics are free to apply or disregard at will depending on their own personal beliefs. It doesn't work that way.

St. Augustine said it best:

If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, January 24, 2021: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, January 24, 2021: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday of the Word of God

Lectionary: 68

Reading I

Jon 3:1-5, 10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:

“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,

and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”

So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,

according to the LORD’S bidding.

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;

it took three days to go through it.

Jonah began his journey through the city,

and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing,

“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “

when the people of Nineveh believed God;

they proclaimed a fast

and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,

he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;

he did not carry it out.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (4a) Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

    teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are God my savior.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,

    and your love are from of old.

In your kindness remember me,

    because of your goodness, O LORD.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;

    thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice

    and teaches the humble his way.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Reading II

1 Cor 7:29-31

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.

From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,

those weeping as not weeping,

those rejoicing as not rejoicing,

those buying as not owning, 

those using the world as not using it fully.

For the world in its present form is passing away.

Alleluia

Mk 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:

“This is the time of fulfillment.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

Catholic Church Readings for January 23, 2021: Saturday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for January 23, 2021: Saturday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 316

Reading I

Heb 9:2-3, 11-14

A tabernacle was constructed, the outer one,

in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; 

this is called the Holy Place.

Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. 

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, 

passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, 

that is, not belonging to this creation, 

he entered once for all into the sanctuary, 

not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own Blood, 

thus obtaining eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes 

can sanctify those who are defiled 

so that their flesh is cleansed, 

how much more will the Blood of Christ, 

who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

Responsorial Psalm

47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All you peoples, clap your hands,

shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

is the great king over all the earth.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;

the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

For king of all the earth is God:

sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations,

God sits upon his holy throne.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

Alleluia

See Acts 16:14b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Open our hearts, O Lord,

to listen to the words of your Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 3:20-21

Jesus came with his disciples into the house.

Again the crowd gathered,

making it impossible for them even to eat.

When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, 

for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 

What People have to say about National Day of Prayer for the Unborn - Catholic

Today is the National Day of Prayer for the Unborn in the United States. It marks the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade which magically discovered a new right to abortion.

What did national leaders and well-known Catholics have to say today? Here are a few:

USCCB:

Cardinal Dolan of New York:

It's a somber day as we remember January 22, 1973 and the disastrous Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. It has led to the brutal abortion license here in the country we love. We bishops have designated today a national day of prayer for the legal protection of the unborn.

Phoenix Diocese:

Today is the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and has been recognized as a National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Join us in prayer and fasting for the protection of the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters.

Society of GK Chesterton:

Fr. Frank Pavone:

On this day that we remember the terrible Supreme Court decision in 1973 that legalized the killing of unborn babies, We must not remain silent. 

We are their Voice!

Fr. Frank Pavone

Does it take seeing the baby girl in the womb to make you want to defend her? She has no voice yet. Will you be her voice? #prolife

I want to celebrate the Day we ENDED LEGAL ABORTION!

EWTN:

Not sure when this was written, but this is:

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer For The Unborn

Lord Jesus, 

You who faithfully visit and fulfill with your Presence the Church and the history of men; You who in the miraculous Sacrament of your Body and Blood render us participants in divine Life and allow us a foretaste of the joy of eternal Life; We adore and bless you.

Prostrated before You, source and lover of Life, truly present and alive among us, we beg you.

Reawaken in us respect for every unborn life, make us capable of seeing in the fruit of the maternal womb the miraculous work of the Creator, open our hearts to generously welcoming every child that comes into life.

Bless all families, sanctify the union of spouses, render fruitful their love.

Accompany the choices of legislative assemblies with the light of your Spirit, so that peoples and nations may recognize and respect the sacred nature of life, of every human life.

Guide the work of scientists and doctors, so that all progress contributes to the integral well-being of the person, and no one endures suppression or injustice.

Give creative charity to administrators and economists, so they may realize and promote sufficient conditions so that young families can serenely embrace the birth of new children.

Console the married couples who suffer because they are unable to have children and in Your goodness provide for them.

Teach us all to care for orphaned or abandoned children, so they may experience the warmth of your Charity, the consolation of your divine Heart.

Together with Mary, Your Mother, the great believer, in whose womb you took on our human nature, we wait to receive from You, our Only True Good and Savior, the strength to love and serve life, in anticipation of living forever in You, in communion with the Blessed Trinity.

Should we be Advertising Evil?

A thought that I've had over the past while is whether or not we should advertise evil things on purpose or inadvertently. It's a question without an easy answer.

At first, it seems obvious that we shouldn't advertise evil. Open and shut case. It becomes complicated in my opinion as we should condemn evil in our world and maybe alert people to evil, but how do we do so without making things worse?

I think there is definitely a balance, but how does one achieve this balance? Often I see Catholic news agencies or commentators bringing up evils that are happening in the world. These can include a general direction in which the country is headed or it could be a particular news story which features evil themes. Even this blog has delved into many of these topics. Is this wrong?

Another issue is giving voice to heretical and blasphemous religious figures including priests, and bishops. What should be done here. Again it's about balance.

I think all too often we err on the side of providing too much information as opposed to too little. I think when it comes to discussing issues of morality that are presented in the news, we should strive to the greatest degree we can to minimize the unnecessary specifics of what is occurring. Often things may not even really need to be reported at all. The question needs to be asked: who is this information helping?

Will the information being presented increase or decrease evil? It's a legitimate question. As Catholics, we should not spend a great deal of time thinking about and understanding evil. There is in fact a sin associated with this desire to know things which we ought not pursue. Thomas Aquinas simply calls it curiosity. It's the idea of delving too deeply into topics of evil.

I am speaking about this because it is such a prevalent issue. Evil is continually reported on many Catholic media outfits. I get it. Evil things and events get headlines. I'm not saying they shouldn't be reported. If the government is doing something evil, we should know about it. But often, the information isn't of value to the public and will help almost no one who finds out about it.

A similar idea is promoting heretical, blasphemous or otherwise dangerous clergy. Why give them a platform at all? That's what they crave. They don't care about the bad publicity, they just want publicity. Anything a conservative Catholic may say against them just gets chalked up to "hate" and they dismiss it. You aren't changing their minds. I think in these cases it's best to just ignore them. If no one knows about them, they cannot do damage.

Conservative media are often complicit, in my opinion, in promoting evil in the guise of exposing it. Someone does something immoral or blasphemous which probably would have never been known, but the conservative media uses it to condemn the way things are or are going. The intention is probably good, but I think overall it has a bad impact. Most of the "shocking" things reported by conservative media would probably be ignored by the rest of the media. I mean they don't themselves to look bad either. So if the conservative media doesn't report it, no one will, which will be much better.

The same goes for public figures who do and say evil things. Instead of promoting them by writing articles and publishing news stories, we should just ignore them. If they are ignored by faithful Catholics, probably no one will pay attention to them. They get pumped up because we spend so much time reporting on them.

Again, it's about balance. If we are reporting that Joe Biden has increased access to abortion, that isn't exactly a secret. That should be reported. The same goes for many things. I guess overall I would just ask people to consider the impact what they are writing has - is it good or bad?

Catholic Church Readings for January 22, 2021: Friday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for January 22, 2021: Friday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Lectionary: 315

Reading I

Heb 8:6-13

Brothers and sisters:

Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministry

as he is mediator of a better covenant, 

enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, 

no place would have been sought for a second one.

But he finds fault with them and says:

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,

when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of 

Israel and the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers

the day I took them by the hand to lead 

them forth from the land of Egypt;

for they did not stand by my covenant

and I ignored them, says the Lord.

But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel

after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their minds

and I will write them upon their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,

“Know the Lord,”

for all shall know me, from least to greatest.

For I will forgive their evildoing

and remember their sins no more.

When he speaks of a “new” covenant, 

he declares the first one obsolete.

And what has become obsolete 

and has grown old is close to disappearing.

Responsorial Psalm

85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (11a) Kindness and truth shall meet.

Show us, O LORD, your mercy,

and grant us your salvation.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

R. Kindness and truth shall meet.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. Kindness and truth shall meet.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and salvation, along the way of his steps.

R. Kindness and truth shall meet.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted 

and they came to him.

He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,

that they might be with him

and he might send them forth to preach 

and to have authority to drive out demons:

He appointed the Twelve:

Simon, whom he named Peter; 

James, son of Zebedee, 

and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, 

that is, sons of thunder;

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; 

Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,

and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

USCCB Statement Upon the Inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States

Below is the USCCB statement in full which was issued on January 20, 2021 upon the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States. To see it on the USCCB website, click here.

Statement on the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as 46th President of the United States of America from Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

My prayers are with our new President and his family today.

I am praying that God grant him wisdom and courage to lead this great nation and that God help him to meet the tests of these times, to heal the wounds caused by this pandemic, to ease our intense political and cultural divisions, and to bring people together with renewed dedication to America’s founding purposes, to be one nation under God committed to liberty and equality for all.

Catholic bishops are not partisan players in our nation’s politics. We are pastors responsible for the souls of millions of Americans and we are advocates for the needs of all our neighbors. In every community across the country, Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals, and ministries form an essential culture of compassion and care, serving women, children, and the elderly, the poor and sick, the imprisoned, the migrant, and the marginalized, no matter what their race or religion.

When we speak on issues in American public life, we try to guide consciences, and we offer principles.  These principles are rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the social teachings of his Church. Jesus Christ revealed God’s plan of love for creation and revealed the truth about the human person, who is created in God’s image, endowed with God-given dignity, rights and responsibilities, and called to a transcendent destiny.

Based on these truths, which are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, the bishops and Catholic faithful carry out Christ’s commandment to love God and love our neighbors by working for an America that protects human dignity, expands equality and opportunities for every person, and is open-hearted towards the suffering and weak.

For many years now, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has tried to help Catholics and others of good will in their reflections on political issues through a publication we call Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. The most recent edition addresses a wide range of concerns. Among them: abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, immigration, racism, poverty, care for the environment, criminal justice reform, economic development, and international peace.

On these and other issues, our duty to love and our moral principles lead us to prudential judgments and positions that do not align neatly with the political categories of left or right or the platforms of our two major political parties. We work with every President and every Congress. On some issues we find ourselves more on the side of Democrats, while on others we find ourselves standing with Republicans. Our priorities are never partisan. We are Catholics first, seeking only to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and to advance his vision for human fraternity and community.

I look forward to working with President Biden and his administration, and the new Congress. As with every administration, there will be areas where we agree and work closely together and areas where we will have principled disagreement and strong opposition.

Working with President Biden will be unique, however, as he is our first president in 60 years to profess the Catholic faith. In a time of growing and aggressive secularism in American culture, when religious believers face many challenges, it will be refreshing to engage with a President who clearly understands, in a deep and personal way, the importance of religious faith and institutions. Mr. Biden’s piety and personal story, his moving witness to how his faith has brought him solace in times of darkness and tragedy, his longstanding commitment to the Gospel’s priority for the poor — all of this I find hopeful and inspiring.

At the same time, as pastors, the nation’s bishops are given the duty of proclaiming the Gospel in all its truth and power, in season and out of season, even when that teaching is inconvenient or when the Gospel’s truths run contrary to the directions of the wider society and culture. So, I must point out that our new President has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.

Our commitments on issues of human sexuality and the family, as with our commitments in every other area — such as abolishing the death penalty or seeking a health care system and economy that truly serves the human person — are guided by Christ’s great commandment to love and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable.

For the nation’s bishops, the continued injustice of abortion remains the “preeminent priority.” Preeminent does not mean “only.” We have deep concerns about many threats to human life and dignity in our society. But as Pope Francis teaches, we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion.

Abortion is a direct attack on life that also wounds the woman and undermines the family. It is not only a private matter, it raises troubling and fundamental questions of fraternity, solidarity, and inclusion in the human community. It is also a matter of social justice. We cannot ignore the reality that abortion rates are much higher among the poor and minorities, and that the procedure is regularly used to eliminate children who would be born with disabilities.

Rather than impose further expansions of abortion and contraception, as he has promised, I am hopeful that the new President and his administration will work with the Church and others of good will. My hope is that we can begin a dialogue to address the complicated cultural and economic factors that are driving abortion and discouraging families. My hope, too, is that we can work together to finally put in place a coherent family policy in this country, one that acknowledges the crucial importance of strong marriages and parenting to the well-being of children and the stability of communities. If the President, with full respect for the Church’s religious freedom, were to engage in this conversation, it would go a long way toward restoring the civil balance and healing our country’s needs.

President Biden’s call for national healing and unity is welcome on all levels. It is urgently needed as we confront the trauma in our country caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the social isolation that has only worsened the intense and long-simmering divisions among our fellow citizens.

As believers, we understand that healing is a gift that we can only receive from the hand of God. We know, too, that real reconciliation requires patient listening to those who disagree with us and a willingness to forgive and move beyond desires for reprisal. Christian love calls us to love our enemies and bless those who oppose us, and to treat others with the same compassion that we want for ourselves. 

We are all under the watchful eye of God, who alone knows and can judge the intentions of our hearts. I pray that God will give our new President, and all of us, the grace to seek the common good with all sincerity.

I entrust all our hopes and anxieties in this new moment to the tender heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ and the patroness of this exceptional nation. May she guide us in the ways of peace and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.

Blessed are the Poor, but who are they?

I'm definitely no expert in this area, but we often hear about the poor and how we ought to help them. I just wanted to offer a few thoughts on this.

First I want to say I don't think people should be classified as a category. It seems very permanent. Sometimes we lump poor people into a group and thinking of them as a collective. Or we see an individual as a poor person. I don't usually agree with political correctness as I think it has gone much too far, but a good point is not to categorize people in a one-dimensional way. Instead of saying "he's a poor person", it's better to say he is someone who is poor. Why do I say that? Because he could be poor at the moment, maybe he's hard on his luck, maybe he lost his job or has a substance abuse problem, who knows? But his poverty should not define who he is as a person. Beyond the financial poverty, he is a human being with an intellect, emotions, and aspirations, etc.

Also, just calling someone a poor person can tend to categorize them along with all the other poor people in the world. Rather than a specific circumstance this person finds himself, it becomes his collective identity and we start to think everyone who is poor is identical in almost every way.

Another trend I have noticed in the church is to refer to places like the Global South as being poor. This is a terrible way of thinking as it implies that everyone in the south of the globe has no choice but to be poor, and thus we must be their guardians and financial supporters or else there is nothing they can do.

I tend to take the approach that we all came here after thousands of generations. To get here, our ancestors had to carve out an existence. Often this happened in extremely difficult and grueling circumstances. We have endured famines, disasters, disease outbreaks, etc. and yet here we are to tell our story. Everyone has come from such a lineage. Therefore, we cannot think of entire groups of people as being completely incompetent and unable to make their own life. I think almost anyone can make something of themselves with the right kind of help, love, and support.

But an even bigger question is "who is poor?" It might seem easy to classify anyone with little money as being poor. But one thing I have come across many times in spiritual writings is the pre-eminence of spiritual matters over temporal ones. As people living in a secular world, we tend to focus on the material, the immediate, the visible, and less on the immaterial and invisible.

The poorest person is the one who has the least connection with God, ultimately. Our goal as human beings is to enter into communion with God. Many saints had no money at all, many had little food and would fast for extended periods of time, yet because of their closeness and love of God, they were the richest people on Earth. If we think primarily in terms of spiritual matters, then things become a lot more clear.

So I think we need to change our attitude about poverty, in my opinion. Spiritual poverty is the greatest kind. When it comes to financial poverty, we cannot save the world on our own. I don't think God has designed us that way. Instead, he asks us to care for those around us and to do what we can to bring about the Kingdom of God. I think all too often people get caught up in the concept of saving the world and they start to believe they can actually do so. People donate money to distant charities while neglecting those around them. But this isn't how we are built.

I'm not saying we shouldn't donate to far off causes, but I think we need to humanize people and focus on those around us. Plus, we must realize that spiritual poverty is much worse than material poverty. With that point of view, we help the "poor" a lot more by growing in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and spreading the joy that comes with it, than by only throwing money at things.

Catholic Church Readings for January 21, 2021: Thursday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for January 21, 2021: Thursday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Lectionary: 314

Reading I

Heb 7:25—8:6

Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,

since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: 

holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, 

higher than the heavens.

He has no need, as did the high priests, 

to offer sacrifice day after day,

first for his own sins and then for those of the people; 

he did that once for all when he offered himself.

For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, 

but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, 

appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.

The main point of what has been said is this: 

we have such a high priest, 

who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne

of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary 

and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.

Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; 

thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.

If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest, 

since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.

They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,

as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.

For God says, “See that you make everything 

according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry 

as he is mediator of a better covenant, 

enacted on better promises.

Responsorial Psalm

40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

R.    (8a and 9a)  Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,

    but ears open to obedience you gave me.

Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;

    then said I, “Behold I come.”

R.    Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,

To do your will, O my God, is my delight,

    and your law is within my heart!”

R.    Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;

    I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. 

R.    Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

May all who seek you

    exult and be glad in you,

And may those who love your salvation

    say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”

R.    Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Alleluia

See 2 Tm 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death

and brought life to light through the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.

A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.

Hearing what he was doing, 

a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, 

from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, 

and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.

He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, 

so that they would not crush him.

He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases

were pressing upon him to touch him.

And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him 

and shout, “You are the Son of God.”

He warned them sternly not to make him known.

What does Joe Biden's Presidency Mean for Catholics?

First we must get something straight. Catholic politicians cannot simply put aside their beliefs as a Catholic when entering into the political arena. That is simply not an option. For major moral issues that everyone agrees on, this is an obvious statement of fact. If a politician were to say "I'm personally opposed to killing innocent people for no reason, but I'm not going to try to pass a law outlawing it!" most people would be shocked and dismayed.

Yet when it comes to controversial issues, there seems to be confusion. This is because of several distortions, but basically our morality comes from God, and God established his one true Church which is the Catholic Church and therefore the moral law is complete within the Catholic Church. Purposely violating any of these moral laws is a sin. It doesn't matter if an issue is controversial or whether or not others agree with you. You either believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church and follow them no matter what your role or you don't. You don't get to pick and choose.

We must now look at Joe Biden and some of the things he has promised with regards to being president. We will see that his presidency will not be good for the Catholic Faith. On top of the commitments that Biden has already made, we can conjecture as to other paths this president may take. Remember, some people are accused of slippery slope thinking, but who would have thought a year ago that the actual president of the United States would be banned from virtually all forms of social media while still in office? Who would have thought that credit card companies would stop conservative groups from using their payment system? If anyone had predicted these things, they'd be termed a conspiracy theorist, and an extreme one at that. So to just simply notice where things are heading isn't some kind of reckless activity.

Now on to the specifics. Much of the information that I will use for this article comes from a great article written by Peter Wolfgang for the Catholic Herald, which can be found here. I highly encourage you to check it out. But, as a loyal fan of this blog (obviously!) I would love for you to keep reading!

In the linked article from Mr. Wolfgang, he says the following:

He moved heaven and earth to put three originalist judges on the U.S. Supreme Court in four years and appointed hundreds more to other federal courts. He allowed states to defund Planned Parenthood, he defunded the pro-abortion U.N. Population Fund, he restored and expanded the Mexico City policy, he protected groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor against oppressive Obamacare rules, and he supported the nuns in their Supreme Court fight. He implemented the Protect Life Rule, which prohibits federal funds from going to facilities that perform on-site abortions.

Those are positive actions taken by Mr. Trump during his presidency which Joe Biden will seek, to the best of his ability, to undo as soon as possible. Donald Trump was the most pro-life president the United States has ever had. How can I make such a bold statement? Well I think it's probably true since prior to the 1970s, practically everyone thought abortion was wrong anyway. So to say they were anti-abortion or pro-life prior to that would simply mean they were normal people with normal morality.

The difference with Donald Trump is that he was pro-life in an era when doing so is politically and socially dangerous. It's not a topic for which there is automatic agreement among the masses. If he wanted to advance his political career more, he could have been a more standard pro-life-by-default Republican. But he wasn't. He went out of his way to speak about life issues, to defend the innocent. He spoke, in person, at the March for Life - the first time ever for a president.

With Biden, this goes out the window. He is blatantly ignoring his Church's teachings and will seek to increase access to abortion, rather than limit it.

Biden says he will not allow an exception for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the case of paying for abortion and artificial contraception. Think about that for a minute. He will not let a group of nuns with a vow of poverty to not pay for something they are morally opposed to. I can't believe anyone thinks that's okay.

Biden is obviously looking to end the Mexico City Policy which is an American policy of not giving foreign aid to groups in other countries who perform abortion. Basically not funding abortion abroad. If you read the misleading critics, they will claim that by banning this funding you are doing all kinds of other harm. That's an invalid moral argument and meant to muddy the moral waters.

Trump has done innumerable good things when it comes to preventing or slowing down abortion. Biden seems set to abandon them all.

When it comes to free speech and freedom of religion, Trump was one of the best modern-day presidents. Biden, in line with Democrat policies, will crack down on speech he disagrees with and will be a major threat to religious freedom.

In virtually any area that a serious Catholic cares about, Biden is set to make things much worse.

Some people bring up the detention camps on the border and the overall policies concerning refugees as reasons why Catholics should favor Biden. There are many issues with this proposition. First of all, the camps on the border (that were set up by Obama) are not torture chambers, they are processing facilities for people illegally entering into the country without permission.

Think what you will about these facilities, it is not a specific Catholic moral issue. There is legitimate debate about immigration policy. Catholic teaching has things to say about it, but it's not a cut-and-dry case such as with abortion, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Some people seem to think unless the US allows anyone and everyone into the country without question, Catholics must oppose it. This is simply not the case which is affirmed by centuries of writings by saints and theologians.

We have no idea how bad things can get. The plans which have already been announced by Biden are frightening and it will only get worse from here. Catholics have good reason to not be welcoming to a Joe Biden administration.

Problems with the Week for Christian Unity

In 1054, Pope Leo IX sent Cardinal Humber from Rome to Constantinople to bring the two halves of the Church together. Unfortunately the opposite happened when the cardinal excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople and the patriarch returned the favor to the cardinal. That's when things got bad and haven't been fully resolved since.

Why did the schism occur? Well, to our modern-day sensibilities, the reasons seem very minor. There were differences in opinion when it came to the Primacy of the Roman Pontiff. There were some differences in belief regarding the use of leavened vs. unleavened bread during the Eucharist. Throw in the mix the controversy surrounding the filioque clause, which is a controversy over whether we should say the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son, or just the Father, in the Nicene Creed.

These theological differences created a rift which ultimately created what is known as the Great Schism of 1054. Historians will say tensions were accumulating in the preceding centuries and that this schism was really a massive overreaction. Modern-day popes have all attempted, along with Eastern Patriarchs, to mend the schism and reunite these who parts of the Church. Partial reunions have resulted in what are known as Eastern Catholic Churches.

Now to the modern day, where there isn't a single schism in the Catholic Church resulting in two slightly different but very similar churches agreeing on 99% of issues. Now we have tens of thousands of Christian churches all over the world with wildly different beliefs. Instead of arguing over the use of leavened vs. unleavened bread, most Protestant churches do not even believe in the Real Presence. Instead of debating Petrine Primacy, or the status of Pope as First Among Equal Patriarchs, most Christian communities outright reject any form of papacy whatsoever.

Yet, despite these facts, for centuries, the Catholic Church has strove to convert the Eastern Orthodox Church back to the Catholic Church established by Our Lord. There was a desire for unity in belief and purpose. There has always been respect between the East and the West, but yet always an underlying desire for reunification.

Fast-forward to now. We hardly ever hear about conversion. We don't hear about missionaries entering into non-Catholic areas to will souls to Christ. We now speak mainly of dialogue and "deep respect" for other "religious traditions". This isn't just for Protestant denominations but other non-Christian religions.

I think this new approach is very problematic. Christ gave us a mission to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. He did not say dialogue with other groups and just come to some kind of mutual respect. He told us to go out there and win converts. Of course, we are not the ones who do the converting, it's God himself.

To me, the new approach goes against the wishes of Jesus Christ who prayed that we be united as one, together. Furthermore, Our Lord tells us repeatedly that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Who are we to take all that Christ is saying and ignore it and tell him we know better.

I think all too often we see conversion as something negative, when it's only something positive. Our approach can certainly be negative, there is no doubt about that. We should meek, humble, and loving. Jesus himself said his followers should be recognized by their love. For this we must strive. However, at the same time, we cannot fall into a sense of indifferentism. It is a moral failing on our part to refuse to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God's love for us is a gift, and God himself became incarnate to teach us the way to eternal life. Who are we to withhold this most incredible gift from others out of a misplaced sense of respect? In a secular sense it would be like finding out our friend had a winning lottery ticket worth millions of dollars but refused to tell him about it because we didn't want to disrupt him.

If we truly believe that Jesus Christ came to Earth to die for our sins so that we may be united more closely with him in this life and the next, it would be incredibly wrong for us to prevent others from knowing about this.

I think about this sometimes when thinking about the idea of conversion. Sometimes as devout Catholics, the question comes up of whether we should tell others of Christianity because by doing so they are held to a higher standard whereas before they would perhaps be living with invincible ignorance and thus lack moral culpability.

However, this is the wrong question. Again, back to the analogy of the million-dollar lottery ticket. Would we refuse to tell someone about the millions they won because maybe they'd have to make decisions as to how to spend it? To prevent them from being burdened, we simply do not let them know.

Of course this is not a great analogy as many people do actually suffer from winning the lottery. However, no one has ever been worse off for coming closer to Jesus Christ.

That's why I have issues with some of the language used in the modern world when it comes to other religions. I agree that we must have the utmost respect towards other people, and we should never address the traditions of others in a derogatory way. We must be kind and humble. But being kind, humble, and respectful does not mean fully consenting or agreeing with others. We have a mission, we have an incredible gift. Christ tells us about a peace that only he can give. Who are we to stop others from receiving the peace of Christ?

Let your light shine and do not hide it from the world. Bring the message of Christ to the whole world. They deserve to know Our Lord like you do.

Catholic Church Readings for January 20, 2021: Wednesday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for January 20, 2021: Wednesday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 313

Reading I

Heb 7:1-3, 15-17

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,

met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings

and blessed him.

And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.

His name first means righteous king,

and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace.

Without father, mother, or ancestry,

without beginning of days or end of life,

thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up

after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,

not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent

but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.

For it is testified:

    You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

Responsorial Psalm

110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.    (4b)    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand

    till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:

    “Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;

    before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:

    “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R.    You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

 

Alleluia

See Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom

and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 3:1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue.

There was a man there who had a withered hand.

They watched Jesus closely

to see if he would cure him on the sabbath

so that they might accuse him.

He said to the man with the withered hand,

“Come up here before us.”

Then he said to the Pharisees,

“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,

to save life rather than to destroy it?”

But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger

and grieved at their hardness of heart,

Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel

with the Herodians against him to put him to death.