Pleased To Meet You...
In lieu of an introduction, I believe this piece I wrote with regard to Terri Schiavo, her ordeal, and its effect on us can best convey who I am. Pray for Terri and for all in her condition, but mostly pray that governments of, by, and for the people don't take their God-given responsibility for granted as they have in Florida.
WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE, AMERICA--April 1, 2005
We now live in a nation where the state ordered murder of its own innocents is not only legal but encouraged. The bumper sticker 'Dude, Where's My Country?' is very apropos today. The apathy that we Americans have shown at the ballot box, in our town halls, and in our state capitals has come for its reckoning. Our toleration of incremental steps toward this culture of death, and by allusion, the blood that comes with it, is on OUR hands. We all have it and it ain't gonna wash off.
We've elected men and women on misguided and amoral/immoral principles and we have not held them accountable. We have trusted them with much more authority than they are capable of handling and, sadly, have not learned from our mistakes. We continue to dredge up candidates who are spineless, deceptive, and fundamentally lacking in what their job, their authority, and their obligation is. We bow to the political machines who submit these candidates rather than taking the machine apart and rebuilding it in God's image.
The expression, 'I'll worry about it when it affects me.' is very common in our people. It's as if we are holding up a single rock--the one that affects us if it falls--while every other rock around us is plummeting to the ground and smashing those who held them up. The bottom line is that we do not INSIST upon looking at things from an eternal perspective, but merely from a temporal one. Does it cause ME pain? Does it take more money out of MY pocket? If not, then I'll get back to my chores and my favorite reality show.
A woman who was not dying was cruelly punished for no crime except being inconvenient. What part did WE play in it? The disabled, in our society, now are stigmatized and targeted for extermination upon judicial and legislative whim. How did WE contribute to their demise? Every authority, from the President on down to Michael Schiavo have, via their action or inaction, turned America into a nation which is no better than Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia. Is this a strong statement? You bet. The nation has taken on, by its judicial decisions and legislative actions, a disregard for its citizens which I'm sure no member of the politburo or Nazi parliament could complain about. Sure, we can point to our free society as a clear distinction from these others but it's possible and, in this case, a reality that the same regard for life exists here.
As the rock group The Who says, 'We won't get fooled again!'. This is a call to every Catholic. A call to every person who still has a conscience. A call to every person that has a heart that beats in their chest. The effect of our apathy in the public square has wrought horrible consequences in which you, your disabled children, your most vulnerable friends, are in danger. PLEASE stay connected and hold your elected officials to morality in all they do. PLEASE do not shirk your responsibility to demand justice in our society. PLEASE read and understand the Catechism and its explanation of our duties as citizens or as elected officials. We all have some responsibility for Terri's situation and the situations of many others. Let us ask ourselves during this Triduum if we are doing all we must in fulfilling Jesus' wish of feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, and honoring the lives of our people as God's masterpieces. If we are not, then let us find inspiration and determination in our sacraments and in the example of our Lord and follow through with unyielding action. If we are, let us pray for the grace to make even greater sacrifices for our nation.
An interesting thing that Pope John Paul II has said in his writings is that when Jesus comes again and the Kingdom is initiated on Earth, all evil will be wiped away but the good things we did in life will be integrated into the Kingdom. Let this Easter become the dawn of a new time for our people. It is a time in which Christ performed the ultimate sacrifice for His people and a time of calling to us to follow. He calls us to be partakers in His divine nature and to bring about the Kingdom of God. If we fail, then evil, as it has in Florida, will have its day. Luckily, we know how the story ends--with Jesus reigning in justice. Let’s make our nation a collection of god-fearing people who defend morality at EVERY turn. Give no quarter to sin and understand that our life here is not a game. As Father John Corapi says, at the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or Hell, period. If we cannot even get to the battlefield, how are we going to fight?
WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE, AMERICA--April 1, 2005
We now live in a nation where the state ordered murder of its own innocents is not only legal but encouraged. The bumper sticker 'Dude, Where's My Country?' is very apropos today. The apathy that we Americans have shown at the ballot box, in our town halls, and in our state capitals has come for its reckoning. Our toleration of incremental steps toward this culture of death, and by allusion, the blood that comes with it, is on OUR hands. We all have it and it ain't gonna wash off.
We've elected men and women on misguided and amoral/immoral principles and we have not held them accountable. We have trusted them with much more authority than they are capable of handling and, sadly, have not learned from our mistakes. We continue to dredge up candidates who are spineless, deceptive, and fundamentally lacking in what their job, their authority, and their obligation is. We bow to the political machines who submit these candidates rather than taking the machine apart and rebuilding it in God's image.
The expression, 'I'll worry about it when it affects me.' is very common in our people. It's as if we are holding up a single rock--the one that affects us if it falls--while every other rock around us is plummeting to the ground and smashing those who held them up. The bottom line is that we do not INSIST upon looking at things from an eternal perspective, but merely from a temporal one. Does it cause ME pain? Does it take more money out of MY pocket? If not, then I'll get back to my chores and my favorite reality show.
A woman who was not dying was cruelly punished for no crime except being inconvenient. What part did WE play in it? The disabled, in our society, now are stigmatized and targeted for extermination upon judicial and legislative whim. How did WE contribute to their demise? Every authority, from the President on down to Michael Schiavo have, via their action or inaction, turned America into a nation which is no better than Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia. Is this a strong statement? You bet. The nation has taken on, by its judicial decisions and legislative actions, a disregard for its citizens which I'm sure no member of the politburo or Nazi parliament could complain about. Sure, we can point to our free society as a clear distinction from these others but it's possible and, in this case, a reality that the same regard for life exists here.
As the rock group The Who says, 'We won't get fooled again!'. This is a call to every Catholic. A call to every person who still has a conscience. A call to every person that has a heart that beats in their chest. The effect of our apathy in the public square has wrought horrible consequences in which you, your disabled children, your most vulnerable friends, are in danger. PLEASE stay connected and hold your elected officials to morality in all they do. PLEASE do not shirk your responsibility to demand justice in our society. PLEASE read and understand the Catechism and its explanation of our duties as citizens or as elected officials. We all have some responsibility for Terri's situation and the situations of many others. Let us ask ourselves during this Triduum if we are doing all we must in fulfilling Jesus' wish of feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, and honoring the lives of our people as God's masterpieces. If we are not, then let us find inspiration and determination in our sacraments and in the example of our Lord and follow through with unyielding action. If we are, let us pray for the grace to make even greater sacrifices for our nation.
An interesting thing that Pope John Paul II has said in his writings is that when Jesus comes again and the Kingdom is initiated on Earth, all evil will be wiped away but the good things we did in life will be integrated into the Kingdom. Let this Easter become the dawn of a new time for our people. It is a time in which Christ performed the ultimate sacrifice for His people and a time of calling to us to follow. He calls us to be partakers in His divine nature and to bring about the Kingdom of God. If we fail, then evil, as it has in Florida, will have its day. Luckily, we know how the story ends--with Jesus reigning in justice. Let’s make our nation a collection of god-fearing people who defend morality at EVERY turn. Give no quarter to sin and understand that our life here is not a game. As Father John Corapi says, at the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or Hell, period. If we cannot even get to the battlefield, how are we going to fight?
posted by Ron at 3:08 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home