When I give talks on stem cell research or in vitro fertilization, people invariably ask, “What should be done with all the frozen embryos?”
It is usually asked with a sense of urgency, even desperation, as they reflect on the fate of the hundreds of thousands of human embryos cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen at fertility clinics.
I am losing my husband of 62 years. But I think that I am one of the lucky ones. Little by little he is slipping away into a dark place in his mind to what I hope will be a place of peace and light. I feel blessed to have that “Long Goodbye” that the Alzheimer studies talk about and the opportunity to learn to live alone.
There is so much irony in all of this. The man who made his living as a speaker and teacher, a national consultant to a textbook publisher, can now barely finish a sentence.
And I, who griped all those years that with 10 kids at home I could barely finish a thought, now have hours on end of time to think . . . and remember wistfully those glorious days of noise and confusion.
St. John Mary Vianney once said, “All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, because they are the works of men, but the Mass is the work of God. Even martyrdom is nothing in comparison, for it is but the sacrifice of man to God, but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.”
Marking the 150th anniversary of St. John Vianney’s death, Pope Benedict XVI has announced a “Year for Priests” beginning this June 19th. It is meant to be, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
Pentecost. “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Those familiar words from the Mass accompany the action called the epiclesis, Greek for “to call forth.” The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says more about the understanding of these words, which, by the way, are spoken as the priest extends his hands over the bread and wine being offered.
Haven’t you always wanted to visit the Holy Land? To see for yourself where Jesus was born and died? And Cana where he turned water into wine? And the upper room where the apostles received the Holy Spirit in fiery tongues? And the Jordan where Jesus was baptized? And all of those places from Scripture?
Well, yes, you say, BUT: I am not wealthy enough to afford a trip like that, and, besides, I am too old and crippled up now to do all that walking.
Well, guess what! I am doing it now . . . every day!
Money, money, money — it’s a rich man’s world. After the past year, let’s think again. Even the rich have been swept up in the chaos of the worldwide economic downturn.
Read all about it wherever you look. Read all about it in Sacred Scripture. Parables are a good source. Jesus uses them to instruct us. They are meant to turn us upside down, make us think in a new way; make us ask, what is Jesus talking about? Guess what?
Dear Friends,
My great affection for the University of Notre Dame, growing out of the years that I spent there and my deep respect for the president, Father Jenkins, have, thus far, led me not to weigh in, in writing, on the whole matter of President Obama’s coming to speak and receiving an honorary degree at this year’s commencement. But, I think the time has come when I must, nonetheless, do so.
In the first place, let me say that were I the president of the University of Notre Dame, I would never have invited President Obama to speak at a commencement and to be honored with a Doctor of Laws Degree — I would simply never have done that and anyone who knows me would know that.
President Obama, on March 9, 2009, signed an important executive order that vastly expanded federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research and crossed a significant and troubling ethical line.
This decision, and the rhetoric during the signing, encouraged scientists and researchers to enter the moral quagmire of taking some human lives in order to benefit others. During his signing speech, in order to support his decision, the president invoked the name of Christopher Reeve and other patients desperate to find cures for their ailments.
Desperation, however, rarely makes for good ethics.
I once heard a true story that brought this point home for me in a dramatic way. The story involved a father and his two young sons.
World Day of Prayer for Vocations this weekend along with the Holy Father’s recent announcement of the Jubilee Year of the Priest to begin on June 19 both coincide nicely with ordination anniversaries this time of year.
As we priests reflect on the privilege and joy of our vocations, the countless people who have been Christ to us come to mind. Celebrating God’s love in our various parish communities is key for making us feel like we belong.
Dear Friends,
This past Sunday we celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday, which, as you know, is a joyous celebration for us on the Second Sunday of Easter to consider the tremendous mercy of God, poured out for us. And so, I think, I would like to draw upon my homily for this past Sunday and to reflect upon the Gospel we read. I should also note, however, that this past Sunday we also celebrated the fourth anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s election as the Successor of St. Peter, and this week we’ll celebrate the anniversary of his installation. So, let’s keep our Holy Father especially in prayer this week.
