An Historic Day Indeed

With the inauguration of President Barack Obama, newspapers, reporters, and all types of media have heads turned and tuned into this historic occurrence that has blessed our life time. I use the term blessed because it is hard for some of us, my age group in particular, to realize the significance of such an event. Watching the event take place, I was filled with amazement as I saw such historic figures such as Muhammad Ali and Jesse Jackson. I heard constant reference to Dr. Martin Luther King and how unbelievable it is that an African-American is president of the United States. Folks of older generations stood in shock as they thought something like this would have never taken place in their lifetime.

It was an historic day indeed. But history was not made only with the inauguration of the highest office in this country. The second and third in command, so to speak, of this nation has fallen into the hands of Catholics. Catholics have been the victim of a silent bigotry in this country since colonization began. Anti-Catholicism is very prominent throughout American history and to this day we have only had one Catholic president. However the idea of a Catholic politician is something that raises eyebrows in this day in age.

After hearing a few blurbs on the radio about Nancy Pelosi’s comments about President Obama’s stimulus package regarding contraception, abortion, and other “healthcare” issues, I have been seriously thinking about the status of Catholicism in America. How can someone who claims to be “an ardent, practicing Catholic,” be so unaware of Church teachings? Has she chosen to ignore the teachings? Has her parish priests neglected to preach about these issues? Or has she simply become like the many other “cafeteria Christians” out there?

A term that is being used in Theology recently is “Baptized Non-believers.” This term is used to describe those who claim be raised Catholic but in one way or another have fallen away from the faith. (How many times have we heard that in conversation?) Has Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Biden fallen into this category? It seems remarkable to me that someone would claim to be an ardent and practicing Catholic, yet simultaneously actively promote laws and policies which are contrary to the Church teachings. (Government funded abortions, FOCA, Medicaid provided contraceptives, etc.)

Do not get me wrong, there are a few Catholic politicians who stand for what the Church teaches (Sam Brownback being one. He ran for nomination this past year, we can see how that went.) This ideology is not something that is exclusive to politicians. Ask anyone who claims to be Catholic what the Church has instituted since Vatican II or who their bishop is. Ask them what John Paul II taught about Theology of the Body. A majority of Americans who classify themselves as Catholic will not know the answers to these questions or even know where to look to find them.

The point of all this is not to say Catholics in America are stupid. The point is to show that there is so much to know about the Catholic Church. There are people who spend their entire lives studying the Church’s teachings and that is not long enough to know and understand it all. If Catholics knew what the Church called for in Vatican II, they would know that it is their duty to learn about their faith, love it, live it, and encourage others to do the same. When a question about the faith arises, do not dismiss it-ASK IT! If you do not agree with the answer, do not turn your back but ask more questions and come to understand your faith. As Catholics, we have come way to lackadaisical in our faith. We need to grow in our faith, not simply be complacent with it.

Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Biden may go to mass on Sundays and may have received the Sacraments of Initiation, but as Pope Paul VI said in his Apostolic Exhortation (fancy word for Papal Advice) “Above all the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness…they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values…” (Evangelii Nuntiandi “On Evangelization of the Modern World” paragraph 21) It is our duty as Catholics to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by example even when common belief says otherwise. I pose a question to all of the baptized non-believers, all of the cafeteria Catholics, all of the Nancy Pelosis and Joe Bidens: What type of witness are you giving the world?

The witness that American Catholics are getting and have been getting due to this cancer within the Church is one of untruth. The witness American Catholics receive from people in such a high office is this: “Catholicism and the Church teachings that have been around for over 2000 years don’t have to apply to you if you don’t want them to. You can pick and choose what you want to believe.” This could not be further from the truth. This false witness is leading God’s children to lives of hurt, loneliness, and pain. This false witness is leading a society towards a government funded culture of death. This false witness is causing our Church to suffer. It is a cancer. I pray for a cure.

Epiphany on the Epiphany

So during a long day of planning, prayer, and preparation with the student leaders of our Campus Ministry, something struck me in a profound way. I guess you can say I had an epiphany on the feast of the Epiphany. I had created the newest section of my “Meditations of a Modern Mystic” (a short book of Catholic/Christian meditations) It’s not yet published. Don’t steal my title or ideas! This meditation focuses on the three magi who visited the baby Jesus after following pagan astrology and ancient prophecies. These three kings, as they are often described, traveled through the desert for days following a star. This star led them to where the King of Kings was to be born and thus fulfill the prophecies which they dedicated their lives to studying.

These wise men may or may not have believed that the prophecies were true or that they would find a baby who would save the world lying in a manger. However they followed a star, blindly. They went on through sand storms and risk of danger and harm due to desert thieves and bandits. What made them continue on?

When they arrived, they found that all they had studied was true. Everything had come to be and they knelt before the King of Kings. They were among the first to participate in Adoration of our savior. They were the first Christians.

At this point in the meditation, is when I had my epiphany. I realized that God made pagan astronomers believe in Him. They were speechless. They fell to their knees in wonder and amazement at the sight of God made man-Emmanuel. They offered Him some of the finest gifts of the time. Why? God makes men and women do some pretty unexplainable things

For instance, St. Paul, formerly Saul, had Christians killed and God made him do a complete 180 and Paul began to evangelize the world. Mother Theresa cared for and loved the poorest and sickest of people. People wake up every Sunday morning and go to a building where they repeat prayers that have been said for thousands of years—prayers and words that are routed in scripture. These people eat and drink their God! Why?

The epiphany, my friends, is this. There is a reason why we call our faith a mystery. There is a reason why for thousands of years theologians and philosophers, believers and non-believers have been trying to explain God. He is just that AWE-some. In every sense of that word. That word is tosses around in frat houses and college campuses very frequently. But think about it—awesome—full of awe. God has an unexplainable presence that He reveals to us each and every day in the Eucharist. Why have we grown numb to the wonder and awe experienced by the wise kings 2000 years ago? Why do we not fall to our knees and offer Him all that we have and all that we are? Why are we struggling to go and spread the good news to all as the kings did and as St. Paul did?

My challenge for us all is this—1. Follow His guiding light, 2. Adore and praise the King who has come, 3. Offer Him all that we are, 4. GO HOME and bring Him to those we love.