Palm Sunday Reflections

It is my sincere hope that the season of Lent has brought you time for meaningful reflection and prayer as you look ahead to the joy of Easter.  I'd like to begin by sharing this Sunday's reading from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 21:1-11

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
“Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered,
and a colt with her.
Untie them and bring them here to me.
And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,
‘The master has need of them.’
Then he will send them at once.”
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet
might be fulfilled:Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,
and he sat upon them.
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and strewed them on the road.
The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied,
“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Amidst all the hectic activity and planning for next week's Easter celebration, it's essential to pause and reflect upon what Easter brings each of us.  The most Holy Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross gives us the awe-inspiring gift of eternal salvation, if we stand with Christ.  This grace is not something we've earned, but, if the grace of Christ exists within us, our outward behavior and actions will (imperfectly) reflect His heavenly light. 

Lent is a particularly wonderful time to strengthen our prayer life.  Even if it's just a few minutes on some days, I encourage you to find that niche of time every day that you can devote to prayer and reading of His Word.  When prayer life is improved (along with regular Mass attendance and partaking of the Sacraments), your spiritual strength through Him who is within you will be much better equipped to successfully engage those daily struggles and temptations.  Without a strong prayer life, you're denying yourself a relationship with your Creator.  And as Saint Jerome said concerning reading of the Bible, "Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ."

It's a silly analogy in many ways...but take a look at picture accompanying this blog post.  I photographed this inquisitive red fox last month on the west side of San Juan Island in Washington State.  I had seen him in the distance and stopped the van on a narrow island road to catch the photos.  To my surprise, he just began ambling towards us as soon as I stopped.  (I suspect drivers sometimes give handouts of tasty morsels.)  What I find interesting is the degree to which the fox's paws are covered with mud and dirt.  It struck me that sin clings to us in a similar way if we fail to seek forgiveness. (Pilgrim's Progress use of the heavy back on Christian's back is a much better illustration.)  


Furthermore, if we fail to make the effort to improve ourselves, to strengthen our hearts against evil, then we are like a hunted animal returning time and again to the place where he knows there is peril lying in wait.  Trust in God!  

A Few More Words on Sanger--and Life

Originally, I had planned to devote several blog posts to the abortion question, but I think I've covered most of what I set out to address.  In closing, I would urge readers on the fence about Planned Parenthood's mission today to read-up on her founder.  Besides reading excerpts of her works, her quotes quickly convey many of her personal "qualities."  There's this favorite, for example, which was taken from Women and the New Race.  "The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." 

Repeatedly, she refers to her desire for "thoroughbreds" when it comes to the generations to follow.  In other words, she is espousing eugenics.  This is the same belief which led to the rise to power of a certain German by the name of Hitler.  A good article on the September 1957 Mike Wallace interview of Sanger may be found at LifeSite News.  Also, I found the interview itself available courtesy the Harry Ransom Center, the University of Texas at Austin.  It's fascinating to watch this interview, to have the opportunity to not only analyze her words but also her mannerisms.

I'd like to move towards conclusion with a small quote a bit from the Fact Sheet for the Unborn Infant Pain Relief Act.  The information contained within the quote comes from the research of Dr. Paul Ranalli, neurologist, University of Toronto.

FACT:  Unborn children at 20 weeks 

gestation probably feel pain more      

intensely than adults. This is a 

“uniquely vulnerable time, since the 

pain system is fully established, yet the 

higher level pain-modifying system has 

barely begun to develop.”

I would also encourage readers to take a look at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say on the issue of abortion.  The eloquent words carry a clarity of thought and authority worthy of much deep thought and contemplation.  In short, I urge readers not to sit back and avoid taking a stand for the unborn. Some may say that the current state of affairs is as good as we're going to get. While that may sadly be true, this doesn't excuse the faithful from trying to do what they can for the most vulnerable persons among us.

What is the Legacy of Margaret Sanger?

With the topic of abortion being discussed on the airwaves so much lately, I thought it might be a good time to devote a blog entry or two to the issue.  When you hear people  making statements along the lines of "abortion on demand is a right of all women" or the particularly bewildering whine of "keep your laws off my body," * we're hearing echoes of Margaret Sanger's voice, but who was she?  

Much controversy surrounds Sanger, the founder of today’s Planned Parenthood.  Born into a large family in 1883, she devoted her life to a variety of causes, but birth control was consistently at the top of her list.  It is the relationship and motivation between her causes which appears to be one of the keys in understanding this figure.  For example, she was a strong proponent of eugenics and appears to have been racist in regards to those of African heritage.  She wrote derisively about the poor and those of African heritage in works such as the Pivot of Civilization.  H. G. Wells penned the following within the introduction to this chilling book. “We want fewer and better children who can be reared up to their full possibilities in unencumbered homes, and we cannot make the social life and the world-peace we are determined to make, with the ill-bred, ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens that you inflict upon us.”   

What is Sanger’s continuing legacy?  As Pope John Paul II characterized this general movement towards moral entropy in 1995, it has become a “culture of death”. The culture of death represents a formidable obstacle to be overcome if Christians are to be successful in curtailing the moral and demographic injury inflicted through abortion on demand.  The Christian should peacefully do what is within his power to make individuals aware of alternatives to and the finality of abortion—finality everywhere, that is, but within the grieving mother’s own heart and mind over the coming years.  The enduring legacy of Margaret Sanger is seen in the fact that (at last check) a quarter of all pregnancies in the United States today ends in abortion.  This means that our nation loses 1.31 million unborn persons with each passing year.  

The Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church in 1930 reversed itself and approved the first uses of contraception for its members.  Other Protestant denominations quickly jumped on this bandwagon.  Less than a quarter century later, the field of eugenics was reaching its height of popularity.  Catholic writers such as G.K. Chesterton warned that this was a dangerous road to travel down, but many began to believe that it was society’s right and duty to improve upon God’s creation.  A number of state laws were passed, for example, which required sterilization of those persons who were deemed inferior to the rest of society, “for the greater good”.  This desire to exercise increased direction and control upon procreation soon led to even more effective birth control methods such as the pill, which was introduced in the United States in 1965.  A year later, abortion, something abhorred by the Church since the First Century, began to be seen as yet another birth control alternative.

Believers are warned in Leviticus 18:21,"Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."  As G.K. Chesterton wrote in The Everlasting Man, the devouring diety called Moloch might have never existed, but "his meal was not a myth."  The reader is reminded of God's love and intimate knowledge of the unborn child in passages such as Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:15-16.  Both the Christian and the Jew have the duty to present an opposite force for good and life in the world.  Because, as Saint Augustine wrote in Confessions, God “is life itself, immutable.” 

* As beings in possession of physical natures, this particular line of reasonsing would be amusing--except for the lack of critical thinking it betrays.  All laws concern our behavior, and all behavior is externalized through our physical form--e.g. thoughts lead to actions.  Does the speaker perhaps wish only our thoughts be subject to law?  




The above photo was taken at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, WA.

Does Misery Love Company?

I think it must...  I recently wrote a simple analysis concerning why a particular state government money-saving proposal is doomed to failure.  (When aren't they?)  The specifics aren't really relevant, but what I found really intriguing was the common thread running through the public comments concerning this analysis.  The majority of the negative comments seemed to come all from an emotional rather than rational perspective.  There wasn't really any attempt to argue or debate a particular point I raised, but most of these people simply wanted yours truly to be hung out to dry for raining on their parade.


The bottom line seemed to be that the content of my analysis didn't matter in the least.  All that mattered was that I was judged not to truly "feel their pain."  It seems that we've all become so accustomed to the constant white noise of whining that certain kinds of individuals no longer even attempt to articulate their differences in a clear and concise argument.  It's much simpler to attack one's opponent personally, accusing them of a lack of empathy--or worse.  I guess some people won't be happy until we all say that, yes, we are indeed as miserable and forlorn as you are.  Problem is...I'm not.


As a university friend of mine used to say in the late '80s when he was at a loss for words, "Sigh."  I think that about sums it up for tonight.




By the way, I took the above photo last month from a Washington State Ferry.  I don't mean to imply that the photo is forlorn or sad.  I happen to think it's beautiful.

Pastor Jones' Koran Burning

I shared the open letter to Pastor Jones below early last September.  Given the recent murders in Afghanistan, I thought this was a timely moment to re-visit the lessons of this terribly predictable tragedy.

While I respect the free speech rights of the pastor, Terry Jones, the proposed Koran burning raises grave concerns for many Christians--including myself, a Catholic.  I would submit to Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove Outreach Center that actions of this nature move many down a slippery slope, making some of us guilty of religious intolerance ourselves.  While this pales in the magnitude of intolerance and hatred of radical Islam, it is unhelpful within the current environment.  It’s clear that this kind of action doesn’t change minds or hearts, but it does have a way of polarizing everyone.  It’s pouring gasoline on a fire when what’s needed is water.

Just like the proposed construction of the mosque / community center in the shadow of the open wound that is the 9-11 memorial, often the things we can do are far removed from the things we should do.  Instead of burning the Korans on September 11th, I encourage all Christians instead to pray for their brothers and sisters who suffer such terrible religious persecution within Muslim countries every day.  Let’s remember the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  This profound truth is reflected in both the Old and New Testaments.  If the Koran burning places one soldier or Christian in harm’s way or encourages the burning of the Holy Bible, Pastor Jones meaningless and vitriolic message has sadly reaped its true reward.

On Coming Home

On the way back yesterday from seeing a great movie with the family (True Grit), I noticed a young man wheeling a floral-patterned suitcase down the sidewalk.  (I presume he was heading towards I-5.)  He was downcast and obviously upset about something.  Suddenly, a young woman appeared a block away, running towards him with a look of quiet desperation.  Sadly, I couldn't watch to see how this particular drama played out, but I hope that they're homelife is doing better. 


It was a poignant snapshot of life, and it got me to thinking of our coming home to the Catholic Church at the Easter Mass of 2005.  With the exception of childhood, this is about the longest we've ever been at the same church, and there's no inclination to search or "church hop" around again either.  We've found our church home, and we're profoundly thankful to be done with the endless church searching of our past years.


Here's the link for a Thirst for Reverence, which appeared in Catholic Answers' magazine, This Rock.  I hope you find it interesting, and I look forward to answering any questions you may have concerning our spiritual journey.  I will add that I never was completely happy with how this article was edited.  Most of the positive elements associated with our evangelical upbringing were de-emphasized, while the negative elements received greater emphasis as a result.  Still, it conveys a clear picture of why we crossed the Tiber for the fullness of the Catholic Church.


I took the accompanying photo while on a recent trip to Friday Harbor, Washington State situated on San Juan Island.  The photo is of the Saint Francis Catholic Church.

It's All About Me?

We just returned from a whirlwind vacation taking us from Seattle to Anacortes and the San Juan Islands.  The beauty was incredible, but I wish there had been a little more time.  Still, the days were  a rewarding and energizing time for all of us.  One area we particularly enjoyed  exploring was Lime Kiln Point State Park on the southwest side of San Juan Island (directly across the Strait of Georgia from beautiful Victoria, BC).    

While standing at a viewpoint and just taking all the scenery in last Saturday afternoon, I happened to overhear the young man and woman's conversation beside us.  His remarks resonated with me, because they seemed so at odds with everything around us.  He was explaining to his companion how this was such a great place to really think about one's self and meditate.  (I guess the meditation qualities of the place must have been off that day, as the couple ended-up tailgating us aggressively back all the way to Friday Harbor in their aging compact bearing California plates.)  How can such a display of God's handiwork turn us inward in such a silly display of self-absorption?

So, this raises the question: Is it really all about me?  Is my self worth the most important thing, or is the Christian called to embrace the death of self, sacrificing himself for God and our fellow man?  I remember being a Protestant in a Catholic school where the well-meaning teacher was attempting to instill in us students a value of self.  A friend asked me later what I thought about the discussion.  I pointed out the fallacy of the teacher's reasoning with a simple question.  I asked my friend if that was the attitude Christ had when He went to the Cross?  Was self the most important thing to Him when He allowed himself to be taken and crucified?  Obviously, the answer is a resounding NO! .  If that had been Christ's focus, He would have removed himself from the situation, refusing to sacrifice himself for sinners.

If we are to follow the example and teachings of Christ, in verses such as Galations 2:20, then we must ignore the teachings of the day and deny ourselves for He who saved us.  It's through that daily denial and death of self that we become the people He created us to be.