Cardinal Dolan and his report on the Synod

In the Newspaper for the Catholic archdiocese of New York, Cardinal Dolan writes a column relating to his experience and insights from the recently concluded Synod on the Family, of which he was a member.

He addresses his experiences with the Holy Father, the universal nature of the Church and the Synod, the witness of Family Life, two challenges from the Synod, as well as several other points.

I was struck by his relating Cardinal Collins' intervention about Emmaus (Luke 24).  Cardinal Dolan writes:

Cardinal Collins takes us through it well. Jesus drew near. He accompanied them with His loving presence. He asked them about their situation. He listened to their experience. He rebuked them for their mistakes. He taught them about the truth of the Scriptures. He revealed Himself in the Eucharist. He thus restored their hope and led them to conversion.

It is a lengthy column, much longer than his blog posts during the Synod, and well worth reading.

Sanders and the Free Exercise of Religion

David Marcus at The Federalist has written an article about Bernie Sanders' debt to Religious Freedom.  After noting Sanders' draft status during the Vietnam war, he writes:

In the 1965 Seeger decision the Supreme Court extended conscientious objector status to pacifists whose beliefs were not based on any orthodox religion.

All this leads to an intriguing question: if Sanders didn't have to fight in Vietnam because of his beliefs, why do business owners have to participate in Gay weddings in spite of theirs?

That is a most serious question to be posed to the rabid advocates for so-called marriage equality.

It also brings us back to my point made several times in this blog:  without the design established by the Creator, there are no human rights.

There's no one here to save -- a song

In my previous post, I wrote about an upside down perspective that is quite common in our culture today.  Specifically the view that God is looking for an opportunity to send us to Hell.

It is coupled with the perspective that "we don't need no saving."  It's often stated as "I'm okay, you're okay."  I think this perspective is captured in this song by Sara Bareilles which was popular about 5 years ago.

Sara Bareilles  -- King of Anything

reflection -- 24 Oct 2015

The GospelAcclamation from today's Mass caught my attention today:

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.

 I remember this from the prologue to the Rule of St Benedict,
which I first read about 25 years ago.


It is completely upsidedown from the usual perspective.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard people talk about God as though he were a policeman.  For the phrase "God is watching you,"  they seem to think that He's looking for an opportunity to send us to Hell.

It's as though they thought God was saying "Aha!  I've caught you now.  Now you're going to Hell."

But that is the complete opposite of the situation.

Cardinal Dolan from the Synod

I recently read a couple of Cardinal Dolan's blog posts from the synod on the family.  He is the archbishop of New York.

In the first one he remarks on one theme from the Synod: inclusion.

He writes:

A very refreshing consistent theme of the synod has been inclusion.  The church, our spiritual family, welcomes everyone, especially those who may feel excluded.

Reflection -- Gospel Reading 17 Oct 2015

The readings from today's Mass include:

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" in paragraph 1864:

1864 "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."¹³⁶ There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.¹³⁷ Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.

Let us always be willing to repent of the evil we have done, clinging to the Cross of Christ, and changing immorality into Immortality.

Poem: Autumn Leaves

The following poem I wrote for my sister's birthday 21 years ago:

                        Autumn Leaves

                        Autumn Leaves have filled the hills

                           With amber, gold, and red

                        Biting breeze nips noses still

                           And blows hair 'bout your head

                        Pumpkins, cornstalks, chilling rain

                           Leaves tumble to the ground

                        Falls upon us once again

                           Each steps a crunching sound

                        Scamp'ring squirr'ls cavort aloft

                           October's in the air

                        Fallen leaves crunch, oh so good

                           But cling within your hair

                        A country walk's a lovely date

                           For couples who have style

                        Across the fields, or by the lake

                           Just walk ... and talk awhile.





American Principles project and Obergefell

The American Principles Project  has published a Statement regarding the recent Supreme Court Decision Obergefell.  It is signed by a number of noted individuals from a wide range of Universities and Law Schools. 

After noting four (4) clear results of Obergefell that stand out, they say:

Any decision that brings about such evils would be questionable. One lacking anything remotely resembling a warrant in the text, logic, structure, or original understanding of the Constitution must be judged anti-constitutional and illegitimate. Obergefell should be declared to be such, and treated as such, by the other branches of government and by citizens of the United States.

That is a very sharp statement.  They then cite Madison and Lincoln, and declare that Obergefell cannot be taken to have settled the law of the United States.

They then call upon office holders to refuse to accept it as binding precedent, and other specific legal actions.

Robert Barron, Pope Francis and Divine Mercy

Bishop Robert Barron writes at The National Catholic Register (and also at RealClearReligion) about Pope Francis and his perception by the American Media.

He takes issue with their impression that Francis is a revolutionary change from his predecessors. He writes:

Often, I heard words such as "revolutionary" and "game-changing" in regard to Pope Francis, and one commentator sighed that she couldn't imagine going back to the Church as it was before the current pontiff.