Judgement Day for the Affordable Care Act

So, the Supreme Court of the United States has spoken and their judgment is that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional.  I know that many amongst my friends are now gnashing and grinding their teeth as they proclaim the sky is falling and the court has lost all credibility.  I've got one word for that view: "Uff-da!"

The bishops of the United States have been advocating for some sort of universal healthcare since 1919.  So, in a sense, I welcome movement in this direction.  That is not to ignore the fact that there are portions of this bill, now law, which are deeply flawed.  Bishop Callahan recognizes this in his latest blog entry.

But I would like to address first the idea that the sky is falling.  I looked outside.  It's still there!  The Lord hasn't come in glory yet either.  So, like many other issues in life, we learn how to live with this and continue the work of refining it so as to modify or be rid of those parts which are irredeemably odious (the HHS Mandate).

As for some people declaring the Chief Justice, John Roberts, a traitor, I can only say that we do him an injustice.  We don't know his thinking, which I'm sure will come out in the months to come.  But to doubt his patriotism or his faithfulness is downright cruel and lacking in justice and charity.  We were plenty happy with him when the Hosanna-Tabernacle case was decided as well as the Citizen's United decision.  In fact, when I heard that the Chief Justice was writing the decision I had a sneaking suspicion that the ACA would be upheld.  And yet, I didn't lose hope as a result.  This is because there is a precedent for chief justices siding with a majority with which they would not normally be expected to side precisely so that they could write the decision and thus formulate the grounds which will effect important precedents for battles yet to be fought.  In other words, except the results of this battle in order to win the war that many may not even be aware is looming or being fought.  George Will addresses this most aptly in his contribution for today.  If you are truly interested in some informed analysis of this decision you may want to visit the SCOTUSBlog.  There are a number of articles here which will be of great help in understanding the decision.

Does this mean that I personally and fundamentally agree with the Affordable Care Act?  No.  I'd like for employers, insurers, medical institutions, and individuals to all do the right thing.  The government should act as a safety net for those who are truly in need.  I also believe that government running just about anything is asking for inefficiency and corruption.  However, employers, insurers, medical institutions, and individuals don't always act with justice or prudence.  Therefore, the government HAS stepped in to force the issue.  Pray God the various branches of government can now turn their collective attention to improving the obvious, and not so obvious flaws present in the law as the rule-makers at HHS continue implementing it.

God bless America!

What to wear for a funeral???

An entry by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf over at WDTPRS concerning Bishop Morlino (Madison) and the color to be used for funerals has occasioned a memory and a response.

I was a student at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI when (then) Fr. Morlino was a much loved part time professor (he was also the rector of his home diocese's cathedral - what a guy!).  I recall clearly his talking about how his brother priests looked askance at his use of a purple stole for the annual Mass offered for the repose of the souls of the clergy who had died during the previous year.  His response to the dismay was: "Given what I believe about judgement, purgatory, heaven, & hell you're lucky I'm not wearing black!"  Such was the truthful humor of this faithful and pointedly jovial priest.  No wonder he was made a bishop!

I made a clear choice, in my own priestly ministry, to wear purple for funerals.  Because this is a choice made well within the boundaries of what is allowed by Holy Mother Church (One of my rules of thumb: "What is allowed by holy Mother is not to be disallowed") this is not a blog entry seeking to justify my own decision, nor am I seeking to start a debate.  I am simply adding my own humble insight, or at least, line of thinking to the conversation.

Colors mean something in the Church.  I teach my children that purple (violet) is a color for Preparation and for Penance.  In the English language this works out very well pedagogically because it's the rule of "P's"- Purple = Preparation & Penance.  I explain to the children that the funeral liturgy is also about these "P's".  This becomes most evident when one takes the time to study the orations for the "Funeral Mass outside of Easter".

People are most familiar with purple vestments in the context of the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent.  In these seasons we prepare for, and make a journey (a Pilgrimage!) towards the great seasons of Christmas and Easter wherein we celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption.  Thus, while purple is not a color of exultation/rejoicing, neither is it a color of despair/horror/misery.  It's somewhere in the middle, not in a "I can't make up my mind" way, but rather in a way that recognizes that I have a "well-founded hope in the resurrection" but my loved one maybe isn't there quite yet and so I need to pray for him and for the forgiveness of his sins.

Thus, we come to penance.  Advent and Lent, especially Lent, are well remembered as a particular time of penance for sins.  We do penance for our sins to demonstrate our awareness that we have fallen short of God's grace and as an effort to do what little we can to make things aright; which, in cooperation with God's grace, is actually quite a lot!

In the context of the funeral liturgy we recognize that we are indeed gathered to assist our dear departed on their journey to heaven.  Through the sacred rites we offer prayers and sacrifice for our departed loved ones for the forgiveness of sins.  One sees very quickly that for the period outside of Easter the prayers direct us very pointedly to ask God for the forgiveness of the sins and vestiges of sin (near-occasions of sin, desire to sin, etc.) left on the soul of the one's we love.

In the seasons of Advent and Lent we are called upon to undertake a holy pilgrimage, a pilgrimage being a sacred journey to a holy place as a physical demonstration of our journey to salvation - the kingdom of heaven.  Is not death the last stage, the last mile if you will, of our journey to heaven.  And in taking that journey, this definitive pilgrimage, do we not take our final steps into everlasting beatitude?
All this being said, there is one time when I will wear white for a funeral - the Easter Season.  As I said above, color speaks.  When one examines the orations for a funeral Mass during the Easter Season there is a firm change in focus away from the forgiveness of sins and towards the resurrection.  I will also wear white during the octave of Christmas, although, I'm not married to that one yet.  It just seems, on a visceral level, to be appropriate.  However, I'm open to arguments either way on that one.
So, these are my thoughts on funeral colors.  Am I against black?  No.  I just don't see it speaking to our contemporary culture in a way that is going to effectively evangelize.  But, again, I'm open to it.  If I ever begin offering the sacred rites in the extraordinary form I'll most definitely find myself in black, and I'm still contemplating it for next All Soul's Day.  We shall see.
Your comments are invited.  Please be charitable.
Blessings!

Fortnight for Freedom - 4

Went to a presentation at UW-La Crosse last night given by Hannah Smith, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.  An excellent presentation on the dangers to our religious liberty beyond the current spot-light on the HHS mandate.  The evening was marred only by the insistent rantings of a couple of our local atheist-freethinkers.  Thankfully, our diocesan director of ministries, who was emceeing the evening, handled the issue firmly.  Thanks to the Office of Ministries, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the Roncalli-Newman Catholic Parish at UW-La Crosse for sponsoring this event.

My only regret is that we didn't fill the hall, which holds about 800 people.  There were probably a little over 500 folks in attendance.  It seems that our Catholic population, and others of good will, are still not aware of how important this issue is.  Thankfully, our bishops are united and will continue to push the issue in the foreseeable future.

There are a couple of links that might be of use to those who are already interested in this issue.  The first is the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington law firm which handles religious liberty cases exclusively.  I notice a number of articles on this website regarding religious freedom and, of course, the HHS mandate (they're representing a number of the suits against the administration in this matter).  The other is a blog from the Ruth Institute, which is dedicated to the defense of marriage.  They have been publishing a series of well-written articles on religious liberty.

Fortnight for Freedom - 3

Some excellent articles on the "Fortnight for Freedom".  First, from the Witherspoon Institute by Messirs Franck & Simon traces the arc from Sts. Thomas More and John Fischer to the founding of the United States.  As some of you know, I consider George Weigel to be always worth reading and so here's something from Crisis Magazine Online.  So, read, enjoy, and PRAY!

Fortnight for Freedom - 2

     As we continue now in the fourth day of this “Fortnight for Freedom” I trust that all of you have prayed daily in some way for the preservation of religious freedom in our country.  As Pope Benedict XVI has said, if the freedom to practice one’s religion can be curtailed in the United States, where can it NOT be curtailed to the point of being relegated to a ghetto or to some merely nice sense on the level of feelings or nostalgia?

     One of the issues that needs to be confronted head-on is the idea that this is about the Catholic Church desperately trying to hang on to some sort of sense of power or authority, particularly over our organs of civil governance.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Others would frame this as the Church trying to force people to do what She would judge to be moral in our free society.  This would also be a false reading of the situation (usually by those who want to force us into complicity with their acts of sinfulness).  There are those who would say that the Church is unduly partisan and, having lost the contraception fight with the President, are merely trying to muscle him out of office.  Finally, there are those who howl about the separation of Church and State – another canard.

     The truth of the matter is that the bishops tried very hard to work with the President on putting together a universal healthcare plan that would be truly workable for everybody.  The truth is also that at as this issue was developing, at the beginning of his term, President Obama assured the bishops, in a personal meeting at the White House, that he had great admiration for the work of the Church in our society and that he would do nothing that would make us compromise the work that we were doing or our faith.  Cardinal Dolan reminded him of that in a later phone call and, sadly, he had nothing to say.

     As Cardinal Dolan has said on a number of occasions, we did not pick this fight, we did not pick the timing of this fight, nor did we pick the battle ground over which this fight began.  Secular newspaper editorials across the spectrum have recognized that it was the administration that chose the fight, the timing, and the ground over which it would be fought.  The Church is merely refusing to back down, which is what we were universally expected to do.  Well, the time has come, the moment is here – to fight for freedom lest we lose this first freedom and discover to our horror that it is only the first of our cherished, constitutional freedoms to be lost.

     This is why our prayers and acts of abstinence and fasting are so very important!  It is always good to write letters to government officials and to talk of these things with our friends and neighbors.  However, at the end of the day, our freedoms are protected not by a president or congress or even the Supreme Court, but by our fidelity to almighty God who is the true author of these freedoms which the president and the congress have been tasked with defending in the political order by our Constitution.  It is important that a free people be clear about their freedoms and the responsibility that it lays on them in both living and defending them.  So…

Pray Well!

Fortnight for Freedom

Today begins the "Fortnight for Freedom" called for by the bishops of the United States.  I hope that all will join in this VERY important effort in: 1) Raising the awareness of Catholics and others of good-will as to the true and full meaning of "religious freedom"; 2) Galvanizing support in the Church's efforts to curb the constant attacks on the freedom of religion in this country, so that; 3) Helping the United States to again become a country that not only respects true religious freedom, and benefits by the actions of those motivated by the faith in God for the betterment of society, but also advocates for religious freedom abroad.

The bishops have a web-site which will be helpful in celebrating the Fortnight for Freedom.  You might also appreciate reading this column entitled: "How Religion Fosters Freedom" by Colleen Carroll Campbell, an excellent editorial writer from St. Louis, MO.  Of course, Cardinal Dolan, now president of the US Bishop's Conference, always has worthwhile points to make as does our own Bishop William Patrick Callahan.  Check them all out, but most importantly, pray, vote, stand up and be counted!

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty

O God our Creator,

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood 

                                                     and every danger overcome—
                                                     for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
                                                     and all who come after us—
                                                     this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
                                                     indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

                                                     We ask this through Christ our Lord.

                                                     Amen.

Wisconsin, Post-Recall: What to do?

     By the time this column is read the Wisconsin recall election will be history.  About half the state will be celebrating and the other half will be trying to understand what happened and why as well as trying to rub some salve into their wounds.

     Whatever the outcome, one thing that I truly hope does not happen is another endless round of recriminations and breast beating over how the results of this election are a disaster of epic proportions for the state, the country, and all of the civilized world.  We don’t need more stalling from the losers or crowing about “mandates” and “I told you so” from the victors.  Governing is serious business and a sacred trust.  Now is the time to recognize the signs of the times and then get busy with the business of healing the many relationships that have been strained or even broken over these past two years.

     We must always remember that life is ultimately about relationships – first with God, and then with our neighbor.  As we continue in the month dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we must recognize – as if our very salvation depended on it – that charity, “love”, is the first and last criteria by which we will be judged for entry into eternal happiness.  Wait!  OUR SALVATION DOES DEPEND ON IT!

     So, wherever you came down on the issues at stake, if the past several months have strained any of your relationships, shake it off – even if it hurt – and let us be a community that is recognized, by our love for one another, as belonging to Christ.  That is, after all, how Christ said we would be recognized.  It is also that to which He gave witness from the throne of his holy cross!

     Sunday, June 10, we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Christ.  This feast, in which we recognize the reality of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, not in some fuzzy, spiritual sense, but rather in a sacramental and very real sense, is particularly appropriate and providential as we seek to come together in love.  Think about what Christ suffered in order to bring us this gift of love, this gift of communion with Him, and through Him – with the Most Blessed Trinity.

     As I mentioned above, Christ has given us an example of being a true and living witness to the virtue of Love (charity) from his holy cross.  The sacrifice of the cross is made present to us in the most holy Eucharist.  Thus, in our reception of this most Blessed Sacrament, we are incorporated into something more than a fuzzy sense of mystery.  We are in fact incorporated into the Body of Christ with all of its resurrected glory as well as its human suffering.  In this most Blessed Sacrament we are given the grace to make Christ’s own response to persecution and suffering present in our very difficult reality.

     Having been given this grace through the most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, it becomes incumbent upon us to use the power of this grace well and for the purpose for which it was given – that is, for the salvation of the world through the continuing and ever more perfect establishment of Christ’s Kingdom of Love within it.  Not always an easy thing to do.  However, I’m sure all will agree that it is the truly necessary thing to do!

"Everything old is new again!"

Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

     “What’s old becomes new again” is all I can say in response to a letter sent to the priests of the Diocese of La Crosse by our Ordinary, Bishop Callahan, this week.  Bishop Callahan is joining many of his brother bishops in re-instituting the practice of praying the prayer to St. Michael at the end of Mass in the Diocese of La Crosse.  And so, in response to our bishop’s direction we will begin this practice in all of our parishes within our tri-parish cluster next week – giving me time to get cards printed and giving you time to digest and prepare spiritually for this change in practice.

     The obvious first question is: “Why is this being done?”  The answer is that the bishop’s, following the lead of Pope Benedict XVI continue to rely on the Church’s firm belief that prayer must be our first remedy for the ills we experience in our lives and in society.  We must also never forget that the foundation for action, if it is to be godly and effective, must be prayer.

     Over time the ills we face in society change.  When Pope Leo XIII first wrotethe prayer he had just experienced a vision of a conversation between Christ and Satan.  He immediately sat down and wrote the longer version of this prayer and asked that priests pray it is often as possible for the salvation of souls.  (The longer version is four pages long!  I offer it for our parishes each Saturday evening.  The shorter version that we have all learned growing up I offer every day.)  Starting in the 20’s many parishes began offering this prayer more specifically for the conversion of Russia and other countries being taken over by Communism.  My own parents recall offering this prayer for the release of Cardinal József Mindszenty.

     Today we are asked to pray for the Freedom of Religion which has been under attack for some time before the recent HHS mandate situation.  In addition to the mandate, the Obama administration tried a little over a year ago to force a Catholic school in Indiana, to take back a teacher who was clearly inappropriate to hold her position.  It went all the way to the United States Supreme Court where, thankfully, the Church prevailed.  It has also happened recently that the state of Alabama passed a law forbidding clergy (including Catholic priests) to baptize or in any other way serve those who may be undocumented aliens.  Obviously, this is a completely unacceptable infringement on our freedom to practice our religion.  I am not an agent of the government.  My only concern, and it SHOULD be my only concern, is whether or not someone wants to know Jesus Christ.  And if a baptized Catholic comes seeking my assistance I, of course, have a moral obligation to serve them.  I am an agent of GOD, not Caesar!

     We must all remember that the freedom of religion is not the freedom to pray how we want.  It is the freedom to live according to our most fundamental beliefs – including the care and education of whomever is in need (remember the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy?).  Our nation was founded on this conviction and it is enshrined in writing in our Constitution (the First Amendement).  And so we follow our bishop’s lead and storm heaven in prayer, begging God’s mercy, wisdom, and fortitude on us as we step up to defend this most precious right for ourselves and our posterity.

TRADITION!

Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

     In the musical (and movie) “Fiddler on the Roof”, the main character – Tevya, sings a song about tradition.  He is pondering the problem of a daughter who wants to marry some idealistic dreamer, and has become caught up in his idealism herself, and who didn’t care about his permission to marry, they just wanted his blessing.  He ponders how things have changed so and how these changes all go against the traditions of his people.  He is caught between TRADITION! and his love for his daughter.  His love for his daughter wins out in the end and he gives his blessing and his permission.

     I had been thinking about this a fair bit this past week.  It was only about 11 years ago that the bishops of the Province of Milwaukee (the State of Wisconsin) voted to move the observance of the Ascension of our Lord to the following Sunday.  Their reasoning was that, having celebrated the Resurrection, it was important that people be present for the celebration of the Ascension (a Holy Day of Obligation) as an integral part of our overall celebration of the Paschal Mystery.  The bishops recognized that holy days of obligation had less of a hold on people’s sense of obligation and, as a result, many, many were not present for this important celebration.

     Along with (then) Bishop Burke, the only one of the six bishops to vote against this proposal, I questioned the wisdom of this move.  However, in obedience I happily celebrated the Ascension on the Sunday following the 40^th day after the Resurrection.  Like Tevya, I have struggled in the years since with the tension between TRADITION! and the love for my people.  And, like Tevya, I have come down in favor of the desire for my people to celebrate this very important mystery of our faith – even if not on the “proper” day.

     One of the graces in the years since has been the rehabilitation of the “Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite (AKA: the Latin Mass).  In allowing for the unfettered celebration of this form of the Roman Rite the Holy Father has, thus far, retained also the traditional calendar.  Thus, Catholics with a desire not to give in to modernity are easily able to do so.

     Another wonderful tradition, kept alive by the Extraordinary Form calendar has been the “Rogation Days”.  I discovered this when I all of a sudden heard chanting and discovered a procession going past my house!  The Rogation Days are days of penance and supplication to almighty God for a fruitful growing season and preservation from the forces of nature.  In the spring they fall on the three days beginning on April 25^th (the major rogation days) and the three days prior to Ascension Thursday (the minor rogation days).  I have for many years tried to revive this tradition, especially since I have typically been assigned to parishes with a strong farming culture.  However, once gone, especially after 40 years, it is very hard to revive a communal tradition.  Thankfully, in our little corner of the world, the Latin Mass community has kept this tradition alive.  Unfortunately, this year, it was not publicized in our Tri-Parish bulletin.  I have asked Fr. Gardner to be sure and do this in the future so that we all may have the opportunity to participate in these wonderful prayers and traditions.

     It is my great hope that, as we rediscover the wonderful and grace-filled traditions of our faith, our desire to celebrate them with vigor will be restored.  Who knows?  Maybe, with time, we will even all be celebrating the Feast of the Ascension on the 40^th day after the Resurrection once again.  However, whether we do, or we don’t, let us remember that “Love of God above all things” and “Love of our Neighbor as ourselves” is the reason for our existence and our motive in all things.  In love let us celebrate the great mysteries of our faith on whatever day they fall, and God’s great and gracious generosity to us in all things.

Pray Well!

Paul Ryan: V

The guys over at Creative Minority Report posted this video of Bishop Morlino (Madison) defending Congressman Ryan.  Hurrah!  Bishop Morlino defending the morality of Congressman Ryan's application of Catholic Social Teaching carries huge weight with me since the good bishop is a moral theologian and was a favorite teacher of many peers at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit (my alma mater!)  Enjoy!  :)

Congressman Ryan: Part IV

An interesting article on Congressman Ryan's budget proposal by fellows of the Witherspoon Institute.  Very worthwhile.  Venerable Dorothy Day, Ora Pro Nobis!

The Worthy Reception of Holy Communion

This week's bulletin article is a continuation of what I wrote last week about the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.  This time scratching the surface of issues relating to the worthy reception of this most august sacrament.  Enjoy!  (Comments are always welcome! :))

Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

     Last week I discussed the reality of Holy Mother Church’s teaching on the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.  We were able to recognize the biblical foundations of this teaching of Jesus Christ as well as the early Church’s indisputable understanding as shown by Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.  This week, as promised, I want to discuss our worthy reception of this most august sacrament.

     First of all, we need to be fully aware that NO ONE is truly worthy to receive such a gift as the Lord’s own Body & Blood.  However, He gives his Flesh & Blood as a true GIFT so that we, that have shared with Him our humanity may share in his divinity. (priest’s secret prayer over the water & wine at the offertory)  He gives us this wonderful gift so that we may become worthy to enter into so close a communion with Him, and through Him – his Father, that we may share in his life both in this world as well as in the world to come.  Thus, there is a minimum preparation and sense of worthiness that must be present in order for us to receive this most precious gift profitably.  When we get to the core of this issue of worthiness it really comes down to this: “Do I really want to enter into a relationship with God and be a part of his family which in this life subsists in the Church?

     The first part of that question centers on our relationship with God.  So, how do we have a true relationship with someone?  First, it seems that we have to allow that person to reveal himself and not love them for what we can get from them. Nor can we try to re-define that person to suit our own level of comfort or sense of reality.  This is especially true when entering into a relationship with God Who, by his very nature, defines reality and sets the stage for that relationship.  And so further questions arise.  Do I love God or do I love what I expect Him to do for me?  Am I willing to put this relationship first in my life – before family & friends, work and recreation (i.e. vacations, athletic pursuits, etc.)  Will I spend time in cultivating this relationship through daily prayer, Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation?  Am I willing to recognize that when I have hurt God or his creation in some way I need to say that I am sorry and be reconciled not only to Him but to the whole of that creation which I have thrown into disorder by my sins?  If the answer to these questions is “YES!”, then so far – so good!

     The second part of that question centers on our relationship with our Holy Mother – the Church, through whom God enters into that relationship of love with us.  Our relationship with God doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  It happens within the context of a community of faith – a FAMILY!  Thus, it becomes critical that we come together AS A FAMILY in order to worship and to grow in our identity as the BODY OF CHRIST.  This also means that just as we put our relationship with God FIRST in our lives, our love for God turns us, not towards ourselves, but towards our brothers and sisters in faith and in the human family.  That is why we are told in scripture that if we say that we love God but then turn around and sin against our neighbor – we are liars. (cf. 1 John 4:20)  True love for God is shown in the love we have for our neighbor.  As Jesus said, this is how all will know that you are my disciples (followers), if you have love for one another. (John 14:35)  Thus, the sign of peace before our reception of Holy Communion becomes a beautiful demonstration of the communion which our reception of the Most Holy Eucharist brings about.

     This is discussion, of course, only begins to scratch the surface.  It does, however, get us started and covers the basics with regards to the worthy reception of Communion.  May God continue to provide for us this most awesome gift of love, and through it, perfect us in our love of God and our neighbor.

Pray Well!