Jesus said to his disciples:
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
We're starting to notice the mounting incidents of violence against Catholics in the United States. Ordinarily it's something we'd rather dismiss them as isolated, sporadic, and without significant pattern or intent. We don't need to be the victims of one more conspiracy theory.
But the occurrences of arson and assaults are rising, and the reasons are evident. The Catholic Church opposes abortion. Nor can we swallow obvious oxymorons like gay marriage and transsexuality. (We will nonetheless welcome those eunuchs who regret what they have done to themselves, or had done to them. There's scriptural precedent for that in Isaiah and the Acts of the Apostles.) And given the indissoluble union of the Lord and his spouse the Church, we cannot espouse divorce.
Let's face it, we're falling behind the world's lemming rush to the cliff. We still love life and sexuality; and we embrace the reality of death even with its distress, confusion, and suffering. And, having renounced the culture of death, we offer no easy answers.
We do, however, offer our presence with our concern, care, compassion, and prayers. We offer the Gospel which tells us that God Himself has lived, suffered, and died with us and for us; and that he would no more distance himself from us than a mother would from her baby. Where the world offers human sacrifice as if by killing the incarcerated and the innocent, they might save themselves, we offer our lives day by day in a prayerful sacrifice to the Living God.
We do not know whether these incidents of arson and assault will rise or subside; but we know we will remain here. For we must walk with the Savior to Calvary and Easter.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.