The Home
Stretch
I have spent the last ten days spreading
the Gospel of Life in Hawaii. Yes, sometimes our ministry demands
that we take up even the most difficult of missions!
All joking aside, it has been a wonderful
and fruitful tour, and I've had the pleasure of speaking to
hundreds of Hawaiians in Churches and other venues. While it is
difficult to imagine climate and ethnic traditions more distinct
from Rome, it is always a blessing to find fellow faithful
Catholics whose hospitality and faithfulness help one to feel at
home.
What a zeal for life I have experienced
here among the Catholics and Protestants (indeed, it sometimes
seems as if Protestants outshine Catholics in their outspokenness
in defense of life)! The other day I was especially moved by the
stirring testament of a Jewish convert who spoke eloquently of his
commitment to defending life and family.
The high point of the trip, however, was
being able to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in St. Philomena
Church, a small chapel built by St. Damien of Molokai. His was such
a powerful witness to life and holiness and his influence still
permeates the people and the island where he sacrificed so much to
serve and evangelize those cast aside by society.
St. Damien's holy courage is so needed
today. As one of the newer saints of the Church, his example of
sacrifice and bold proclamation of the truth is especially timely
for us. Talk about a man who lived his faith in a coherent manner:
he famously risked his own health, and ultimately gave his life, to
care for many who suffered the ravages of leprosy and were shunned
by society. But he never saw his service as being limited to mere
physical comfort and healing: he knew that to comfort the body
while doing nothing to save the souls of those given to him would
be unjust. The Church sees the human person as being a unity of
body and soul, not merely a physical being or just a soul with a
body attached to it. To truly serve the human person, we must not
only address his physical needs, but must address his spiritual
needs as well, by living and preaching our faith.
Again, what a consistent example of our
faith we see in St. Damien. And this example applies to how we live
our faith in so many ways. Next Tuesday, Americans have the
opportunity to rally against truly unprecedented the assaults on
life and freedom that we have seen since the most recent change in
political leadership. We have been discussing how our faith applies
to the relevant issues (see here, here and here) and insisting that
Catholics and all Christians strive to live their faith coherently,
including in how they vote.
To be sure, our vote is only one facet of
how we must live our faith in public, but when our moment comes we
owe it to ourselves and to the One who gave us this great gift of
freedom to make the most of it. If we do not take this key
opportunity to select representatives who will defend all human
life and dignity, who will defend natural marriage and traditional
family, and who will take a stand against ruinous and immoral
economic policy, we abuse our freedom. Neglect is a form of abuse.
Imagine if all Christians who truly believed in their faith would
do everything they could to vote in a manner consistent with their
faith, and help others who had difficulty in voting to do so as
well. Now that would be change that we could believe in.
St. Damien's example of lived, consistent,
courageous faith shows what happens when one gives himself entirely
to Christ. This kind of extreme courage is a gift to be sure, but
in every moral choice we make, we are either preparing ourselves to
shoulder more courage, or we are turning away. Our Lord wants to
give us all the kind of courage he gave to Damien, and it is up to
us to ask for it in prayer, and live in a way that shows that we
can handle it and the other virtues we need to be more like
Him.
Your vote next Tuesday is one small way to
step up to your responsibilities. See also if there is anyone in
your community who may have difficulty voting, and see what you can
do to help them get educated about the choices and cast their vote.
Finally, pray that the will of God be done in this very important
election: that truth, life, family and marriage be honored in the
choices made by our fellow Christians and all people of good
will.
Saint Damien, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pray for us.
Saint Thomas More, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for
us.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Monsignor Ignacio
Barreiro-Car�mbula
Interim President, Human Life International
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