Today we have a recurring guest blogger: Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, pastor of PRESENTATION OF THE B.V.M CHURCH, PORT EWEN AND SACRED HEART CHURCH, ESOPUS. For more information on this parish, check out their website at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary & Sacred Heart Churches - Port Ewen - Esopus, NY (presentationsacredheart.org
Submission to the blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella for the III Sunday of Easter
by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas © All Rights Reserved Personally by Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, April 3, 2024 ©
Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Second Sunday of Easter | USCCB
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.
What a contrast from the humble, penitential attitude of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and its associated Novena which concludes today (Divine Mercy Sunday) to the arrogant, blasphemous decree from the White House attempting to push aside the importance of Easter Sunday a week ago by inserting on the same day “Transgender Visibility Day,” a celebration of a certified mental disorder (cf. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association) as an event effectively equal in importance. Maybe not, however, because I understand that at the Easter egg hunt at the official residence of the President of the United States, religiously themed Easter eggs were forbidden. Truly our country has become a post-Christian country when the President of the United States, one who is said to be Catholic, changes the ongoing practice since 1878 at the White House firstly to imply an equivalence between the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, the Truth incarnate, with a great lie about human nature, and then to banish any sign of Christianity on the Easter eggs. Thus, Christianity is to be made invisible so that a big lie about the image and nature of mankind, to cite a technique used by a totalitarian party in western Europe in the 20th century, may become more visible and acceptable to society. As attributed to the pagan Tacitus, a Roman historian and politician of the first century A.D., “If you know who controls, you see who you may not criticize.”
In light of this outrage, the recent description of the same President by Wilton Cardinal Gregory of Washington, D.C. as a “cafeteria Catholic” who shies away from challenging aspects of our faith fits well with the end of the second reading of today. “The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:1-6. Moreover, the recent observations of Gerhard Cardinal Muller may lead us to recall the line in the first reading, “With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,” Acts 4:33a. Just as important, however, is that ordinary Catholics in every state of life give witness – even in something simple as a greeting as Byzantine Catholics do in Easter – to Whom gives meaning to Easter Sunday and the Easter season and to the hope for us and all mankind from the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ in body and soul. With prayer, such as the Chaplet and Novena of Divine Mercy, with our lived faith at home and every sphere of life, our defense of the true, the good, and the beautiful, with sacrifice, and with acts of charity (which include the correction of each other and the high and mighty), you and I may help each other and others “come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His name.” Jn 20:31 (the end of today’s Gospel).
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! Alleluia!
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteAlthough the USA is a country founded on religious freedom in which there is no state religion & it is a country of religious pluralism, in which all Americans are free to practice the religion (or even no religion) of their choice, there was a very strong Judeo-Christian influence in the founding principles of our country & Christianity in its various forms (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant & Evangelical) has had a predominant influence on our country for most of our US history, despite our country's many great sins, such as mistreatment of Native Americans, slavery, racism & our great sin of modern times, abortion. Until recently most Americans have been proud to claim that our nation is "one nation under GOD, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all."
It seems, tragically, that in the USA the "religion" that is vying for first place in the minds & hearts of many Americans & in some of our political leaders--even among those who call themselves Catholic--is not a religion at all but POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. This goes beyond giving people who are not committed Christians the right to practice their religion or even no religion & to respect their rights & free will & enters the area of denying expressions of our Christian faith in order not to give offense to people who do not share our Christian beliefs & Christian morals. The great "virtue"--and perhaps the only "virtue" that is upheld in high esteem is a distorted definition of "TOLERANCE', which goes beyond acceptance of people with whom we disagree & their right to disagree but has become synonymous with moral relativism so that only criticism of us who wish to uphold the Christian faith & a Christian moral consensus is allowed. The only behavior that is chastised is either "INTOLERANCE" or "JUDGING". And that does not only mean, as Christianity teaches, that we cannot judge people's hearts or condemn them or make assumptions regarding their eternal destiny, because only GOD knows the condition of each person's heart & the circumstances of each person's life, but that we are not even supposed to judge whether a behavior is good or evil (except, of course, if it is deemed hypocrisy or intolerance or being judgmental).
It is true that sometimes we as Christians (myself included) have engaged in self-righteous & judgmental speech & attitudes & might seem hypocritical because we sometimes focus more on the speck in the eye of others & neglect our own faults & sins, & for that we must repent & seek to avoid these sins.
But to try to bring people to honor Our LORD JESUS CHRIST & uphold a moral consensus based on the Judeo-Christian ethic is not intolerant or judgmental but seeking the good of all.
We need to be good witnesses by "preaching the Gospel always" by providing an authentic example of good & holy lives & avoiding sin & then being ready to use words to share the reason for our hope & pray for our country that we may become a nation that honors GOD & allows Him to direct our lives & the path that our country should follow.