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2005 Issue Three
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Priests for Life Canada 2005 Issue Three We can rely on our patrons Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph & St. Michael |
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PRO-LIFE
STEWARDSHIP |
| In This Issue: PRO-LIFE STEWARDSHIP
THOUGHT CRIME BECOMES A REALITY IN CANADA ACTION ALERT: Whom Should I Support??? SIXTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND THE GOSPEL OF LIFE HOMILY GIVEN AT THE MARCH FOR LIFE 2005, OTTAWA by Archbishop Marcel Gervais THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO REMEMBERED PRIESTS FOR LIFE CANADA IN THEIR WILL.
CANADIAN BISHOPS DEFEND THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE (after the approval of Bill C38. |
PRIESTS FOR LIFE CANADA
and the presents in Halifax, Nova Scotia AND THE GOSPEL
OF LIFE
Special Guest: Most Rev. Bishop Smith Bishop of Pembroke, Ontario Saturday,
October 22, 2005, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
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Our Lady of Guadalupe
Patroness
of the Americas
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learn more about Our Lady of Guadalupe and why
she is the
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Stewardship is not an option for pro-life disciples. It is a necessity. It means responding to a personal call to “choose life” and imitate Christ, no matter what the cost. Catholics have a duty to be stewards of human life - Jesus did not hesitate to carry out His mission and expects no less from his followers: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly...” (Jn 10:10). Living as a pro-life steward means collaborating with God in His work of creation and cooperating with God in His work of redemption. A pro-life Christian steward is one who recognizes, receives, and respects God’s gifts of life thankfully - taking care, cherishing them in a responsible and accountable manner, sharing them in love and justice with others, and returning them with increase to the ‘Giver of Life’. A pro-life steward recognizes God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, and the source of all they have, are, and will be. Once human beings have accepted their lives as gifts, the Spirit can use them as instruments to spread the ‘Gospel of Life’.
It is difficult to be a pro-life steward in the ‘Culture of Death’ society that surrounds and suffocates us. The contraceptive mentality we live in is due largely to the strong influences of materialism, relativism, hedonism, individualism, and consumerism. There is a strong tendency to marginalize faith, confining it to hearts and homes, excluding it from the media and marketplace, from where policy is often formed, where many acquire their view of life and its meaning. There is a lack of charity, a lack of love, and a selfishness which pervades our world. There are extreme disparities in wealth and power that hinder unity and communion. There is a need for solidarity and contributive justice, for the measurement of productivity by fulfillment of basic needs, employment levels, patterns of discrimination, and a sense of community. There is a persistence of religious conflicts and divisions. There is a need for mercy, forgiveness, and truth,
Stewardship of life, the Lord’s way, is not about comfortable living, feeling good, or pleasant experiences. It means surrendering ourselves through grace and choice.
It is not an illusion.It is not cheap grace.
It is real.
It is costly.
It is demanding.
We become stewards of life by grace, starting with our Baptism, which makes us into a royal priesthood and members of God’s family. This means sharing in the priestly work of Jesus and acting on His behalf. This means imitating Him. “For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things for Him, making peace by the blood of His Cross” (Col 1:19-20). It means putting aside the desire for possession, control and domination. It means seeking grace because it confers true liberation and eternal life. It also means the condemnation of sin and reparation: living a life of grace, reaching out, and accepting the call to greater conversion. It means accepting the divine mandate given to our first parents: “Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). We are challenged to work, to cultivate, and to care for the gifts of creation, for life, and all living things. This is fundamental to our human vocation and necessary for human happiness and fulfillment. Vatican II emphasizes our task - the surpassing ministry of safeguarding life: “From the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the greatest care...” (Gaudium et Spes, #51).
The principle of stewardship applies to all believers. In this age of unbelief we are asked to follow Christ, step by step, in the service of human life: “Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others” (1 Pet 4:10). We must give to God all that is due to Him. We must in charity and justice give to human persons all that is due to them. This means not only giving of ourselves and embracing pro-life discipleship whole-heartedly and cheerfully, but also in realizing our responsibility, we must also give the full amount for which we are accountable. “I will demand an account of every man’s life from his fellowmen” (Gen 9:5).
As stewards our first and foremost responsibility is to give ourselves - our lives. Jesus made this very clear: “Whoever shall save his life [live for self], shall lose it, but whoever shall lose his life [live for Christ and neighbour] for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it [in following Christ]” (Mk 8:34-35).
Pro-life stewardship means giving priority to God and our neighbor. The Holy Scriptures point us in the right direction:
- Loving God and others ( Deut 6:5).
- Be found faithful (l Cor 4:2).
- Choose Life (Deut 30:19).
- Pray constantly (1 Thess 5:17).
- To Evangelize (Mt 28:19:20).
- Seek justice (Zeph 2:3).
- Put self on the altar of sacrifice (Rom l2:1).
- Be holy (l Thess 4:3).
- Resist and oppose evil to the point of shedding blood (Heb 12:4).
- Be forgiving (Eph 4:32).
- Imitate Mary’s Fiat (Lk l:38).
After Jesus, it is Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen and Mother of the Americas, Mother of Life, Star of the New Evangelization, Patroness of Life, who, by her example, teaches the meaning of stewardship. The essential elements are found in her life. She responded generously, creatively, and prudently to God’s call and gifts. She understood her role as handmaid in terms of service and fidelity. As Mother she was the first Protectrix of Jesus in the womb, and this continued on into infancy, childhood, and then adulthood - until the agony of Christ’s Passion and Death (Jn 19:25). As ‘Mother of the Church’ (Pope Paul VI, Discourse, 1964), Mary’s stewardship is articulated in the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium). She is “clearly the Mother of the members of Christ” (#53). She is invoked in the Church under these titles: Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatix (#62). Pope John Paul II explained her role in Redemptoris Mater: “Mary is one of the first who believed and precisely with her faith, as Spouse and Mother, she wishes to act upon all those who entrust themselves to her as children” (#46).
The pro-life disciple is called to share all he or she possesses as gifts and blessings with others for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Good stewards of life live with joy and gratitude for what they have received, living in communion with Christ and the Spirit and strive through diligence and hard work to multiply these blessings so as to offer them back to the Father. They have come to realize and understand their personal responsibility: “To each individual a manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (l Cor 12:7).
Pro-life stewardship is a position of trustworthiness and faithfulness. In many cases it is a matter of life or death choices. Of necessity, it implies competence and commitment to God and our neighbours. It involves proper use of initiative, talents, and abilities. It also means hard work and tremendous efforts. At times it includes taking appropriate risks courageously. It means accepting a sense of responsibility for one’s personal development: spiritual dimension, discipleship, etc.; for relationships within the family, the workplace and the wider community: follow the ‘Golden Rule’; for certain entrusted material, financial possessions, and resources: keeping promises, fulfilling expectations, loyalty, integrity, etc.
Catholics advocate that pro-life stewardship be Trinitarian, Eucharistic, Scriptural, Marian, and Magisterial. It means giving thanks to God for the gifts received and sharing them with others, “leading to works of charity and mutual help, as well as to missionary activity and to different forms of Christian witness” (Vatican II, Presbyterorum Ordinis, #6). It means living the fundamental pattern of stewards: “Serve one another through love..., bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal 5:13; 6:2). It means service of life by doing all for Jesus, through Mary, by doing all with Jesus and Mary (True Devotion, St Louis de Montfort).
One method of pro-life stewardship is to volunteer
for pro-life work. These are some of the Board Members
and volunteers of Priests for Life Canada at a recent
appreciation luncheon (June 2005).
Pro-life stewards are called to share the life of the Blessed Trinity: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations: baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Pro-life disciples model their lives on their Master, Jesus Christ, who said: “I have come not to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). +
NOTES: Information & ResearchStewardship, a Disciple’s Response, U.S.C.C.C.B. Publishing, 10th Anniversary Edition, Washington, DC, No. 5-465, 80 pp. See: www.usccb.org/publishing.
To be a Christian Steward, Summary U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, U.S.C.C.C.B. Publishing, No 568-2, 16 pp. See: www.usccb.org/publishing.
Go and Make Disciples, Evangelization Strategy, U.S. Catholic Bishops, No. 5-475, 104 pp. See: www.usccb.org/publishing.
Principles for Life, Robert Boyd, 1995, Chapter 12, Stewardship, pp. 109-114. +
Thought
Crime Becomes
Lost is our old simplicity of times;
the world abounds with laws
and teems with crimes.This anonymous aphorism, published in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1775, rings even truer of our times. Proliferating crime is endemic to contemporary democracies, it seems, and the Western world is awash in so many laws that one hardly dares guess what will next be made illegal. Strangest of all is that so much of the new legalism is directed not at criminals but at the moral structure of private life.
It is significant that during the two years preceding the passage of C-250, a number of “human rights” law suits were brought against traditional Christians and Jews. In their decisions, the courts generally sided against the churches and individuals who did not want to cooperate with the “gay agenda”. Clearly the new law will be used not so much to protect homosexual persons against unjust discrimination as it will be wielded as a cudgel to further intimidate those who simply disagree with them and to punish those who are outspoken about it. It will also be used as a wedge to invade the educational systems and potentially invade the life of all families, disrupting the formation of the coming generations. Under this law, how can we object?
Consider that in its hate propaganda provisions, the new law states that in order to be found guilty of an indictable offense, a person must communicate statements in a public place which “incite hatred against an identifiable group” in such a way that there will “likely be a breach of the peace”. However, terms such as “inciting hatred,” “public place”, “likelihood” and “breach of the peace” are largely undefined, ambiguities so broad that one could drive a battleship through them. It will be left to the courts to do the dirty work of interpreting, condemning, and imprisoning. They have already proved themselves quite willing to do so, and the new law offers them added incentives. The new “hate crimes” law and the “same-sex marriage” law are an incestuous partnership, the sole purpose of which is to bring about the forced restructuring of the nature of human society itself. It is a top-down revolution, and none of the federal and provincial governments’ pantomime gestures in imitation of a genuine parliamentary democracy will make it anything other than what it is. Both bills have been pushed through the legislative process only by violating the basic procedures of democracy, and against the will of an overwhelming majority of citizens in this country. The present federal government has reassured us that there is no need to be alarmed about the matter, that freedom of conscience will be respected, that the law is only designed to ensure the well-being and civil rights of a small minority, and as such will not affect other people in our society. This argument is more than a case of intelligent people having a lapse into naïvete. This a ruling oligarchy trying to impose a ‘diktat’, but doing it “nicely”, which is the Canadian way. The consequences will not be so “nice”. As Aristotle points out in his classic politics, democracies degenerate into oligarchies, and we in the enlightened twenty-first century are merely following the long established pattern of decay. This process can be reversed, but it will take effort and courage. Unless there is a renewal of farseeing thought in our elected representatives, the new “same-sex marriage” bill will indeed pass into law, bringing about negative consequences for generations to come. If it passes, it will be due to the government’s policy of maintaining the surface appearance of democracy while undermining its principles. [Please note that these laws have now received Royal assent].
The social revolution is far from over. Crucial choices have arrived and more are approaching. The abortion and euthanasia issues are the ugliest of these crises, but they are symptoms of something deeper, and that “something” is no less than the auto-demolition of a civilization, beginning with the eradication of its moral foundations. The homosexual revolution, institutionalized by the powers of the State, is but one component in this ongoing process. Polygamy and “paedophilic marriage” are on the horizon. Euthanasia is already a widespread practice, which in all probability will be legitimized by new laws, given enough time and media propaganda. Malcolm Muggeridge once pointed out that the only reason it has been slow in coming is that it was one of the war crimes condemned at Nürnberg. We should note carefully, he said, that in the modern age it takes little more than one generation to turn a war crime into an “act of compassion”.
Though we do not yet have the benefit of full hindsight regarding our own nation, we would do well to exercise some foresight and reflect upon what is next, because there will be a “next” as the social revolution presses onward toward its concept of total victory. We must ask ourselves if, in a few short years from now, the uncooperative Christian or Jew or Muslim (or, for that matter, the non-religious classical democrat) will be considered “an enemy of the people”. And will those families which fail to conform to State-defined notions of social hygiene be categorized as “dysfunctional”, and thus undeserving of custody of their children? If we should wake up some morning to find that a massive infrastructure of conditioners has accomplished the total re-engineering of society, will we look back upon the present as the last brief period in which it was still possible to reverse the tide? +
* * *
The complete contents of this article, titled “Same-Sex “Marriage”, “Hate Crimes”, and the New Totalitarianism” can be found on the internet at: www.studiobrien.com.
* * *
Canadian artist and author, Michael O’Brien, has written seven novels including the widely-acclaimed Father Elijah, and A Cry of Stone. His forthcoming novel, Sophia House, deals in part with the issue of homosexuality. It was published in March of 2005 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco. Notable among his non-fiction books are The Family and the New Totalitarianism. His writings on the new totalitarianism can be found on his website: www.studiobrien.com.
This image is copyrighted (©).
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WHOM SHOULD I SUPPORT??? |
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Annual
March for Life by Archbishop Marcel Gervais, Archbishop of Ottawa |
A document known as the Didache, from about 140-160 AD, has this to say:
‘There are two ways, one of life and one of death: and great is the difference between the two ways. The way of life is this: first, you shall love God, who created you; second, your neighbour as yourself. ...Bless those who curse you and pray for your enemies’. (The text goes on to say several things and then we have this passage) ‘You shall not murder.... You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a newborn child.’ This from the very origins of the Church.
At a time when abortions were procured and infants were deliberately exposed to die, we had a group of people for whom killing the unborn or the newborn was absolutely forbidden. Christians, and before them the Jews, promoted a culture of life, not a culture of death. So we are here trying to promote life in a world which is becoming increasingly devoted to death. It accepts abortion, even abortion of infants about to be born. It tolerates euthanasia and promotes it as being a very humane way of dealing with certain people.[in French]
We are promoting a culture of life, not a culture of death, and this from the origins of the Church. We are doing it today against the general trend because our society is becoming increasingly devoted to death. It accepts abortion, even abortion of infants about to be born. It tolerates euthanasia and promotes it as being a very humane way of dealing with certain people. We are asked to offer an alternative - life. We have in Pope Benedict XVI a firm and determined ally.
In such a world, we are asked to present an alternative - life. It is a good thing we have Pope Benedict XVI who sees clearly and speaks loudly about the characteristics of our world. Quoting his sermon at the opening of the Conclave, ‘We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.
We however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. An adult faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth. We must develop this adult faith: we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith. And it is this faith - only faith - that creates unity and is fulfilled in love.’
We have these words in today’s Gospel, words that were spoken to us by Christ, words that are eternal in value. Christ spoke them to us just before he was arrested and put to death. He said this prayer for His apostles, who were there with him, but then he adds these words: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one” (Jn 17:20-21). He is speaking of us, we who have come to believe because we have listened to the words of the apostles, and we are still listening to the words of the descendants of the apostles. And so we are one with the people who have come before us and we will be one with the people who come after us. We believe the same thing, we hold the same truths. We are one.
[in French]
We must remain united because we hold the same truth, the truth Jesus himself has been teaching us and which has been handed over to us through the centuries by the descendants of the apostles. We can rejoice over this reality which we sometimes forget: Christ is with us, He dwells in us because of the love He has for us. Jesus knows us in a very personal way and He constantly tells us of the love of the Father. We are one with the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. God loves the unborn with the same love He is manifesting for us. Praised be to God for the life within us and for His promise of eternal life.
Now we want to enjoy a fact that we too often take for granted - that Christ Jesus is with us, and that He is in us because of His love for us.
This love is not a generality. It is in particular, it is specialized in each and every one of us. Jesus knows our name, the colour of our eyes, how we sleep, how we wake, and how we walk through life. He knows us, he loves us, and He assures us that the Father loves us as He loves us. And so we are one with the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.
He also loves every unborn child with the same love. He counts their heartbeats and he knows their every movement. Blessed be God who leads us into life and who wants us to be with him in eternity. We pray for all mothers and fathers that they may have even a little of the love of God for their children both born and unborn. +
PRIESTS FOR LIFE CANADA
and the
OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
ARCHDIOCESE OF HALIFAX
PRESENTS
SYMPOSIUM ON
THE HOLY EUCHARIST
AND THE GOSPEL OF LIFE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2005 - 9 a.m.
to 5:15 p.m.
St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Featuring: Archbishop Terrance Prendergast
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A
sincere thanks to the following
John Laverty |
20 July 2005
Comment by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
on the approval of Bill C-38,
An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil
purposes
Although Bill C-38, An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes, has now been approved as federal legislation in Canada, the fundamental and universal reality of marriage remains the exclusive union of a man and a woman for life. From the perspective of the Catholic Church, the new federal statute falsifies moral values and principles. Catholics are to continue to oppose it, and to ensure that all provincial and territorial regulations on the solemnization of marriages provide full protection for freedom of conscience and religion, as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops notes with deep gratitude and respect the efforts that so many Canadians of all faiths and also of no religious adherence have invested, and continue to invest, in ensuring that the universal definition of marriage is maintained and protected. A number of citizens, including public officials, have defended the true reality of marriage with great courage and considerable personal sacrifice, even at the risk of their own careers.
Unfortunately, there are also some Catholics who have promoted the redefinition of marriage, including politicians who have voted in its favour. In this regard, they are in dissent from the teaching of the Church as enunciated by the Holy Father and the Bishops. This is a serious and problematic matter.
Canadians in general have been and remain deeply divided about changing the nature of marriage and altering its basic meaning. It is clear this debate is far from over, and that it will be a significant issue in the upcoming federal election.
The Roman and Eastern Catholic Bishops of Canada will be studying the immediate ramifications of these decisions. Pastors and all the faithful can be assured there will be further reflections by this Conference and from individual Bishops to assist in the ongoing defence of marriage and family life.
With respect to homosexual persons, they must always be treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity. At the same time that the universal and traditional definition of marriage is to be upheld, every unjust discrimination in their regard is to be avoided (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2358). +
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
[Emphasis is from the internet site of the CCCB: www.cccb.ca].
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Take
part in praying the International Perpetual Rosary for Life
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