Stewardship of office – truth, wisdom & humilty

STEWARDSHIP OF OFFICE:  TRUTH, WISDOM & HUMILITY.  “…politicians keep pandering to people’s worst instincts, relying on the politics of fear…” in order to frighten us into voting in ways that are advantageous to them, or to their parties, and not to us, the people they claim to represent.  This assessment does not apply uniquely to the events covered by the article linked below.  It applies to a very large part of today’s political news.

Indeed, it may be the central theme, the central problem, of our time.  The only answer is to help one another hear and listen to the voice of the Shepherd.

In ways that are historically unique, we have been given, by those who went before us, the gift of self-governance by means of democracy.  And we have been warned many times that if we are not careful with democracy, we will lose it.  By allowing ourselves to be distracted by the popular culture of self-indulgence, for example, by wallowing in consumerism and self-centeredness, we open ourselves to manipulation by unscrupulous politicians.  And if we give them a chance, there are those who will take democracy away from us.

In the specific instance covered by the article, it is true, as the author points out, that leaders of the major political parties in Ontario have not strayed so far as their Quebec counterparts.  Overall, however, they are doing no better:  their incessant bickering, mutual threats and innuendo, and open struggles to gain and keep power in the province, regardless of truth, common interest, or any vision of a better future, are all too typical of modern politicians.

Regardless of our geographic locations or our party inclinations, we must become involved.  We must participate in all stages of the political process, and insist that our parties elect better leaders and identify better candidates.  We must insist that parties adopt and adhere to real platforms that define appropriate visions for society, and benefit all of the people they claim to represent, rather than themselves.

And we must learn to assess the truth of things that are said to us.  This involves education and staying informed.  We need to identify, consult, and support responsible news sources, so that when opportunities are offered we can make better choices.

There are good politicians, good people who would like to lead us appropriately, if given a chance.  Let’s try to find them, try to work with them.  Let’s get them into office, so that they can work together for the good of all.

For that, let’s pray together from the Gospel of John, that we might listen only to the proper voice, the voice of the Shepherd and his loved disciples:

LORD, you are the gate and the keeper.  You call us, your sheep, by name, and we hear you.  We know you by your voice, and we follow you where you lead.

There are others who call to us, but we do not recognize their voices because they are thieves and robbers, and they come to steal and slaughter and destroy.  You call us so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

You are the good shepherd, who has lain down his life for us.  You know us, and we know you.  We know also that you have other sheep that belong to other folds, and that you must lead them as well.  We pray that they will hear your voice, so that there will be one flock, one shepherd.

We rejoice that the Father has given us to you, and that no one can take us out of the Father’s hand.  Call us, lead us, guide us, protect us.

We pray these things earnestly, through Mary our mutual Mother, for the victory of your Holy Cross through her Immaculate Heart.

Amen.  Ave Maria!

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/10/20/how-ontario-politicians-avoided-quebecs-burka-backlash-cohn.html

What does it mean to be anti-abortion in modern Canada?

ABORTION: THE SANCTITY OF LIFE.  The inviolability of life, from conception to natural death, is a central teaching of the Catholic Church.  Yet in western democracies, and even within the Church, the topic of abortion has become deeply passionate, deeply divisive.  So fundamental, so emotional, is this issue that for decades it has enabled some politicians to unscrupulously manipulate Catholic voters in order to gain other political ends.

One side of the issue – often referred to as the ‘pro-choice’ side – is capably and passionately presented in the linked article by columnist and author Michael Coren.  A remarkable indicator of the depth of emotion aroused by the abortion debate, however, and an excellent example of the manner in which the issue is bent to political purposes unrelated to the sanctity of life, is the following point, penned every bit as passionately in support of the opposite side of the argument by the very same author, just six years previously – prior to an argument that prompted him to leave the Catholic Church.  In his 2011 book “Why Catholics are Right,” Mr. Coren wrote:

“Some basic science first.  At the moment of conception, a male sperm unites with a female ovum to fertilize it, and the single-celled organism formed is called a zygote, an intricate and sophisticated repository of biological information of both parents… At conception a child has a unique DNA and genomic character and is already unlike anyone who has ever been conceived or born before or anyone who will be conceived or born afterwards.  It is a distinct human life and like all human life in a civilized society should have a right to exist.”

The long-held position of the Church was most recently affirmed by Pope Francis, at paragraph 83 of his 2016 exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“the Joy of Love):

“Here I feel it urgent to state that, if the family is the sanctuary of life, the place where life is conceived and cared for, it is a horrendous contradiction when it becomes a place where life is rejected and destroyed… So great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right to one’s own body can justify a decision to terminate that life, which is an end in itself and which can never be considered the “property” of another human being.”

It was God himself who handed down to us, through Moses, the unqualified commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Behind heated debates about the rights of unwilling mothers, society, and many others, it would serve us well to consider that too often the life that is terminated is that of the only individual involved who is unable to speak for her- or himself.

Yet, we should also bear firmly in mind at all times the clear injunctions of our Holy Father, our Church, and our Lord Jesus Christ that judgment is not ours to dispense, but belongs to God; and that instead it is our place to dispense mercy.

Rather than attempting to browbeat or coerce others into sharing our beliefs, perhaps, in simple and humble acknowledgement that abortion is wrong, we should focus on seeking alternative ways of approaching the issue, of enabling unwilling mothers and unwanted children to find safety and encouragement, and to nurture them as they grow and to thrive – in loving alternative homes, for example.

And we ought to do our best to ensure that unscrupulous politicians, who seek to take advantage of others and their office for other purposes, are unable to manipulate us as voters, simply by paying lip service to a single issue that is of primary importance to us.

We need to shift the entire conversation.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/10/10/what-does-it-mean-to-be-anti-abortion-in-modern-canada-coren.html

A reminder of the central importance of Christian love

The difference between Christianity and other religions can be expressed in terms of a two-dimensional love: while all religions, by definition, involve love between the individual and the creator, Christ ensured the distinctiveness of his followers by making the admonishment that they ‘love one another as I have loved you’ the central, defining instruction of their mission. Christ placed no limitations on the love that we are to show to one another.

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/conservative-catholics-should-try-listening-to-jesus-love-thy-neighbour/article36284383/

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