End of the Year - Just News

So much of what I read or view or hear in the news I simply ignore. Very little affects me directly, and even when it does, I find I can't do much about it. But then I encounter that which either gladdens or saddens and decide it's worth repeating. What follows are just a couple of news items that struck me in these final days of 2021. 

Richard Marcinko, R.I.P.  A truly remarkable man, Dick Marcinko left this world on Christmas Day at the age of 81. I am certain that a lot of people in present-day America did not like Dick Marcinko. In fact, I suspect he was (and still is) quietly hated by many of our military's senior leadership, much of the media, politicians of both sides, and certainly by the "woke" crowd that hates everything American. Dick, you see, was a full-blown, 100%, all-American, warrior. He despised those who despised America and devoted much of his life to protecting this country from the very worst of these. If he had one major fault, he was perhaps too much of a warrior, the kind of man who tended to ignore politically inspired "rules of engagement" when it came to both training and real warfare.

A Pennsylvania native, Dick enlisted in the Navy at 18 and eventually earned a commission. He held a B.A. in international relations from Auburn and a M.A. in political science from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. In fact, that's where I met Dick, as I made my own way through the school's postgraduate degree program. As I recall, we first met at the bar in the Officers Club. When he heard I was a helicopter pilot, he spent a half-hour questioning and instructing me on how helicopters could be best used to support special operators. Of course, he was a Navy SEAL and had spent some serious, heroic, almost legendary time in Vietnam. Anyway, that bar-stool meeting was the first of two rather brief encounters with this man. I never ran into him again, although I did exchange a couple of emails with him maybe ten years ago. 

The above photos show Dick as I knew him (center) as rogue warrior (left) and as long retired hero (right).

Perhaps Dick's greatest accomplishment was the establishment of SEAL Team Six. At the time the Navy had only two SEAL teams, but Dick thought it would confuse the Soviets, causing them to invest time and effort looking for non-existent teams three, four, and five. SEAL Team Six was designed to be the Navy's top counterterrorism unit and Dick commanded the unit during its first three years, from 1980 to 1983. 

Later he was given the task of testing the Navy's ability to detect and withstand terrorist infiltration at its most secure bases. His unit, called Red Cell, was composed of a handful of SEALS and a Recon Marine, but they were remarkably successful penetrating target bases and commands. This work and Red Cell's somewhat questionable tactics (not unlike the tactics terrorists would use) identified serious weaknesses in many commands. It also made Dick some powerful enemies within the Department of Defense, among them my first Commanding Officer, by then a Vice Admiral. He has since died, so I won't mention his name, but will say he always seemed to care more about his own career than the welfare of those under his command. After Dick retired as a Commander in 1989, he was charged with defrauding the federal government, eventually convicted, and served 15 months in federal prison. I've always believed Dick was railroaded because he made so many senior officers look absolutely foolish and incompetent. Here's a link to a request for a presidential pardon. It's worth reading: Petition: Presidential Pardon for Commander Richard Marcinko

None of this slowed Dick down, and as a civilian he wrote many best sellers, including his autobiography and several novels. He was also CEO of a private security firm, Red Cell International. In 2011, just a few weeks after Osama bin Laden was killed by SEAL Team Six, Dick was honored at an Alabama Sports Festival in Birmingham and answered a few questions. He gave some interesting responses: Marcinko Answers Questions

Despite Dick's faults, I salute him and thank him for all he did for this country.

The Perils of Nationalized Healthcare. Here's a horrible story that clearly depicts what a nation can expect once it turns its healthcare over to government bureaucrats and fiscal freaks whose primary concern has little to do with actual healthcare. It offers us a clear example of the culture of death in action. 

During the pandemic, the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom attempted to give special needs children, including those with learning disabilities, do not resuscitate notices (DNRs). Adults with learning disabilities and mental illnesses had also received such notices. DNRs tell healthcare workers to withhold special treatment that would keep an ill patient alive. Most often it's the elderly or those suffering from terminal diseases who will sign a DNR. But in the UK, the NHS policy states: "You must be told that a DNR-CPR form will be/has been completed for you, but a doctor does not need your consent." 

Isn't that wonderfully, bureaucratically deadly. Of course, applying DNRs to children with learning disabilities during a pandemic would make things a lot easier (and less costly) for the NHS. If they get COVID, forget the therapeutics and simply let them die. And as several parents discovered, when their children with learning disabilities were asked if they wanted a DNR, most children had no idea what it meant and accepted it. The lesson for us all: If we ultimately opt for government-run healthcare, this is what we can expect to encounter.

Archaeologists Stunned: Ancients Were Smarter Than They thought. I've always been amazed by archaeologists, historians, theologians, and other certifiably intelligent folks who seem to believe that today's human beings are much more intelligent than those who came before. It's really a form of temporal bias or prejudice resulting, I suppose, from scientific and technological advances that result from the advance of knowledge. They seem to think these advances somehow appeared spontaneously in modern times and did not result from the dedicated efforts of many very bright people of the past who built on the work of their predecessors over the centuries.

Yesterday I read an article describing the surprise of archaeologists who finally realized the meaning of a Babylonian artifact, known as Plimpton 322. First unearthed in 1894, it was sold to a collector, and later (in the 1930s) given to Columbia University. In 1945 researchers realized it contained what are called Pythagorean Triples, but then everyone simply forgot about it. This year, when an Australian scholar, Dr. Daniel Mansfield, was given access he quickly realized the importance of the artifact. In his words it provided "Evidence ancient Babylonians were far more advanced than we thought." He went on to describe it as the "most interesting, most sophisticated mathematical document from the ancient world."

Yes, indeed, those ancients were actually pretty bright, and it seems the Mesopotamians had a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of Pythagorean Triples. The Babylonians, then, understood the geometry of right triangles and rectangles a thousand years before the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras came up with his theorem in the 5th-century B.C. The artifact, probably used as a device to assist in the art of surveying, shows that the ancients were avid appliers of science and mathematics. It makes us wonder how many similar advances were made by the ancients, but will never be known.

I've heard architects denigrate the architectural wonders of the ancient world, calling them primitive constructions. Such comments always lead me to question how many modern buildings, like the pyramids of ancient Egypt, will still be standing after 4,000 years. In the same way I find the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of the Psalms, or the novels of Jane Austen far better than today's imitators. Too often today so-called educators excise the past from the education of the young, depriving them of the knowledge and wisdom of those who came before us.  As Isaac Newton wisely stated, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Happy New Year.

Homily: 6th day within the Octave of the Nativity (December 30)

Readings: 1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96; Lk 2:22-35

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Christmas, of course, reminds us that Jesus chose to enter into the world just as helpless as you and I once were. He didn’t place Himself above us. He entered directly into the human story, sharing our humanity, our flesh and blood, and our physical mortality. Although a divine person, He accepted everything that came with His humanity, all the messiness, all the ordinariness, all its limitations. It was by accepting these limitations that He could “advance in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” [Lk 1:52]

In today’s Gospel passage Luke reminds us of both the humanity and divinity of our Lord.

According to Jewish law, a firstborn son belonged to God. And so, 40 days after his birth, parents would present their son in the Temple, in effect, buying him back with a sacrifice of turtledoves or pigeons. On that day, the new mother would also be ritually purified. Indeed, the feast was originally known as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin.

Here we see the Holy Family, a Jewish family, living under God’s Law, doing as the Law prescribed. You see, Jesus’ mission is rooted in God’s revelation, expressed in the Law and the Prophets. It’s there, in the Old Testament, that God’s plan of salvation is first revealed; a plan fulfilled and brought to completion by the Incarnation.

As Mary and Joseph enter the Temple to fulfil the law, they’re greeted by two people, Simeon and Anna, who amaze them with what they reveal. Like many of us here today, these two were very senior citizens. Yesterday, we heard what Simeon had to say, but in today’s passage Luke turns to Anna, whom he calls a prophetess, one who speaks for God.

At 84 Anna had lived in the Temple since becoming a widow at a young age. And so, for decades she “worshipped day and night with fasting and prayer.” [Lk 2:37]. She is, in fact, the patron saint of widows.

Like Simeon, Anna is filled with the Holy Spirit, and coming forward she gives thanks to God for the child, Jesus. Luke goes on to tell us she “spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” [Lk 2:38].

We see the birth of Christ revealed by very different kinds of witnesses, each in a different way: the shepherds, led by an angel; the Magi, guided by a star; and Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna inspired by the Holy Spirit. God chooses whomever He wishes to do great things; for the Spirit, though them, reveals Jesus Christ to the world.

The Spirit works in us as well, providing opportunities to take God’s love to others, an evangelization that begins right in our own families where holiness is first nurtured. In the midst of the chaos and messiness in our families there are glimpses of God’s presence, moments of grace when God reaches deep into the clutter of our lives and hands us a present we never expected.

When my mother died, our elder daughter, 6-years-old at the time, told Diane, “Don’t cry, Mommy. Grandma is with Jesus now, happy in heaven.” 

In moments like this God ignores the barriers and debris we place between ourselves and our redemption, reminding us we are called to holiness. In those moments, sticky hands are transformed into instruments of grace. Stories of the playground and classroom, or the words of a child to her mother become words of wisdom. In those moments, ordinary events take on new meaning and the dinner table becomes an altar.

These elusive, often sudden, and unexpected, moments are rarely captured on film or video. Sometimes, as with Mary and Joseph, they came in the form of words that amaze. Yes, Mary knew her Son was special. What had the angel revealed to her?

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High…the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” [Lk 1:32,35]

But to hear this and more in the Temple from Simeon and Anna…this too was something Mary would long ponder and cherish. Here we encounter an event that strikes a chord in all new parents who wonder and worry about the future of their child.

A story for every mother who looked into the face of her newborn, the face of innocence, and prayed that God would help her raise that child to holiness.

A story to remind us that as parents, along with the joys, we will experience disappointment, sorrow, sometimes great tragedy…but in the midst of it all we encounter Emmanuel, God with us.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph – pray for us.

Homily: Christmas Vigil - Year C

Readings: Is 62:1-5; Psalm 89; Acts 13:16-17,22-25; Mt 1:1-25

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People often wonder why the Church includes this Gospel passage, this rather long genealogy, in tonight’s liturgy. It does seem like a strange selection, doesn’t it? All those names scattered across the generations from Abraham to Moses, then on to David and Solomon, then to the traumatic exile of God’s People in Babylon, and finally to Joseph and Mary and Jesus Himself.

Yes indeed, it might seem a bit odd to have us listen to all those names on the night we celebrate the birth of our Savior. After all, isn’t the name of Jesus enough? Isn’t it enough to know that Jesus is the Son of God? Is it really necessary to tell us about these human ancestors spread out over the centuries from the time of Abraham?

Actually, yes! It is.

You see, Matthew is simply saying, “Welcome to God’s family! -- because Jesus’s family is also our family.” Tonight, we not only celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we also celebrate our own spiritual roots, deep roots that stretch back nearly 4,000 years to Abraham, our father in faith.

You can trace that spiritual lineage from the priest (or deacon) who baptized you, through the bishop who ordained him, all the way back to the apostles and to Jesus Himself. And then you need only turn to these opening verses of Matthew’s Gospel and follow the path all the way back to Abraham.

And do you know something else? You and I share these roots. That’s right – we all have that same family tree. What a gift this is! It’s one of the key messages of the Gospel, a message that takes us deeply into those spiritual roots, and binds us in a living connection with Jesus Christ Himself.

Each of the four Gospels begins by telling us who Jesus is, but each tells us in a different way.

Mark, in his usual Sergeant Friday, just-the-facts-Ma’am approach, wastes neither time nor words and identifies Jesus from the beginning: 

“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…” [Mk 1:1]

Luke's a bit more subtle. He takes half a chapter before he finally gets to Jesus, and then he lets the Archangel Gabriel do th honors:

“Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God' [Lk 1:35].

And John? He echoes the opening words of the Book of Genesis and proclaims the eternal divinity of the Logos, of Jesus, the creative Word of God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” [Jn 1:1].

But Matthew is different. Writing to a Jewish audience, he offers them a very Jewish family tree of Jesus Christ, true God and true man. He begins by proclaiming:

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” [Mt 1:1].

Any Jew would recognize these titles, for they are Messianic titles. At the very start, Matthew is declaring Jesus to be the Messiah, the chosen one. Then, filled with the Spirit, he presents us with a family tree, one generation after another…right here in the very first verses of the New Testament. It’s as if God can’t wait to tell us all about His family.

Realize first that Matthew didn’t intend his genealogy to be complete. And his Jewish readers would know this too. No, Matthew wants to make a point. He wants his readers to understand and accept Jesus’s messianic roots. And so, he divides his genealogy into three sections of 14 names, or 6 sections, each with 7 names.

To the Jew 7 and 14 symbolized completion or perfection. Matthew, then, completes his genealogy with the first and only name in the 7^th group of 7: the name of Jesus. For a Jew this was as perfect as you could get.

Although some of these names may sound a bit strange to us, they’re all real people and offer a glimpse into the entire history of God’s Chosen People. As we run through that list of names we encounter every aspect of human life, and not just the good parts, but also murder, treachery, incest, adultery, prostitution…

We also meet five women, something rarely encountered in ancient genealogies. The last of these is Mary herself, but the first four – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba – are all Gentiles: 2 Canaanites, a Moabite, and a Hittite. Yes, Jesus’s family wasn’t so purely Jewish, was it? Those Gentiles among His ancestors highlight the fact that He came from all of us, and for all of us. How did Isaiah put it?

"Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name, pronounced by the mouth of the Lord" [Is 62:2.

Yes, it’s a global family, but it’s also a family of sinners.

Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to fool her father-in-law, Judah, and ending up giving birth to his twin sons.

Rahab was a prostitute, and yet become a faithful woman who served the God of Israel.

And Bathsheba? King David watched her bathing from his rooftop, invited her in, seduced her, and had her husband killed, so he could marry her. Solomon, their son, started right with God, but then joined his many wives in worshipping idols.

Some members, like Mary and Joseph, are extraordinary; others, Ruth and Josiah, are faithful; some, like Manasseh and Rehoboam, are despicable; others, like Eliud and Azor, are anonymous, nondescript, men about which we know nothing.

Welcome to my family, Jesus tells us, welcome to my world. It’s the world we encounter when we open the Bible and realize how forgiving our God is. Jesus’s family is a human family and like most human families, has its share of saints and sinners. And from this, we learn that God’s plan was accomplished through them all, and that He continues to work through us, His people.

Notice, too, the genealogy relates father to son, father to son, father to son…except at the very end. Matthew completes the genealogy with the words:

“Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.” [Mt 1:16]

For Matthew doesn’t declare Joseph to be the father of Jesus. Jesus, the Christ, is born of Mary, the virgin, with God as His Father. Again, what a gift – to be members of God’s eternal family!

Indeed, what a gift all of Revelation is! Do you realize how blessed we are to be Catholic Christians? What we believe and how we worship are not things we’ve concocted. For Christianity is really a revelation rather than a religion. Christianity is God’s Word and Work, not something we came up with. It’s not a collection of man’s feeble attempts to placate some higher power. It comes totally from God Himself.

We believe God revealed Himself through the many generations Matthew enumerates in his genealogy. It’s a Revelation that runs from Abraham to Moses to David through all the prophets and eventually to Jesus Himself – Who is the fulfillment of it all. It’s a revelation that reaches its climax in the Incarnation when Mary gives birth, as Matthew describes it, to “Jesus, who is called the Christ.”

You see, brothers and sisters, it’s all a gift. As St. Paul asked the Corinthians:

"What do you possess that you have not received?" [1 Cor 4:7]

The answer, of course, is “Nothing!”

And right there at the top of the list of God’s gifts, is that which we receive through our Baptism: the gift of adoption. We became sons and daughters of the Father, part of the Family of God.

And so, we join Jesus on that family tree described by Matthew. We are heirs and inherit the fruit of God’s promises made to Abraham and to those who followed him. But as members of God’s family, we must behave as any good son or daughter would behave. We must live in a way that honors the father, in a way that doesn’t dishonor the family.

Another great gift that comes out of this adoption is the privilege of eating at the table of the Family of God.  We can take part in the Eucharistic Feast, the Mass. And what a gift this is! For here, at this altar, Jesus Christ, gives Himself to us, body and blood, soul and divinity, and allows us, the members of His family, to join Him in the most intimate way imaginable.

Here, as we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we also join each other in a unique Communion in which the Church is most completely herself. Eucharist – the word itself means thanksgiving – is like a great family dinner, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners all rolled into one… and yet far more wonderful and fulfilling.

Brothers and sisters, we are sons and daughters of God!  These roots are deeper, stronger, and longer lasting than any human family roots. Indeed, they’re so strong they’ll carry us all the way to eternal life.

And so tonight, as we rejoice in the birth of our Savior, let us also rejoice that our names are written in heaven, as members of the family of Jesus Christ.

"Come, Lord Jesus!" [Rev 22:20]

 

Homily: Monday, 30 December - Year 2

Readings: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24; Lk 1:26-38

Don’t you just love Isaiah? The prophet talks a lot about fulfillment, and usually does so fearlessly, even when he must challenge worldly powers. King Ahaz for example, was not a good man. Indeed, he was especially bad, following pagan abominable practices like human sacrifice, even sacrificing his own son. He did many more nasty things which I won’t go into here. Judah was being attacked by the Syrians on one side and the Assyrians on the other, and Isaiah encourages Ahaz to ask God for a sign. Ahaz rejects the idea, but this displeases God and through Isaiah God gives Ahaz a sign anyway.

What we get is a messianic prophecy: a king and heir to David will bring salvation to God’s people. And He will come to the world uniquely:

“…the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” [Is 7:14]

Emmanuel: "God is with us."  Our Savior, then, will come to us as a child. God will take human form, becoming one of us. This Child not only blesses the world with God's miraculous and divine liberation, but through Him, God becomes present among humanity and the promises heard so often before come true:

“I will be their God and they will be my people” [Jer 32:38]

This fulfillment is proclaimed to us by Luke as Mary is invited to be the Mother of the Savior of the world. This Jesus will be both God's Son and hers. I doubt that Isaiah ever dreamed of this: that the Word would be made flesh and live among us as one of us.

And so, you and I, the entire world, are thrust into the greatest event in all human history: the God of Creation becomes one of us. And what does God do? He makes it all depend on the agreement of a teenage, Jewish girl, simply to convince us that “nothing will be impossible for God” [Lk 1:47].

That’s just how God works: always calling the weakest to greatness. How did Andrew, the future apostle, put it?

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” [Jn 1:46]

Nothing much, other than the Savior of the World, our Blessed Mother, and the obedient, God-fearing Joseph who devotes his life to protecting his family, protecting God’s family. Yes, indeed, nothing good comes from Nazareth except the Holy Family, except God Himself. And it’s here in Nazareth, not in Rome, or Athens, or Alexandria, where God chooses to enter our world. He appears in a tiny, forgettable Galilean village, in a backwater of the Roman Empire.

But as the prophecies remind us, it’s all been long prepared, a part of God’s unerring plan, so when Gabriel says, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” [Lk 1:28], we know Mary has been chosen from the beginning of time itself.

“Do not be afraid” [Lk 1:30], Gabriel says, and Mary sheds her fears. But the angel’s words echo down through the ages to our own times.

So many today are filled with fears, fears that try to overcome their faith.

So many have forgotten their calling as Christians, to give birth to Jesus in their lives and the lives of others.

Like Mary we have been called to give an unconditional “Yes” to God’s presence in our lives.

Like Mary, we too must ponder and reflect to discern what God is asking of us.

Like Mary at the foot of the Cross, we can be plagued with questions that seem unanswerable.

But like Mary, we, too, can hear and accept Gabriel’s words, “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

Wonderful, hopeful words that bring us peace as we welcome the Prince of Peace.

Homily: Saturday, December 18 - Year 2

Readings: Jer 23:5-7; Psalm 72; Mt 1:18-25

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Don't you just love the language of Jeremiah?

"I will raise up a righteous shoot of David...This is the name they give him: 'The LORD our justice'" [Jer 23:5-6].

And then the words of Psalm 72:

"He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment... the lives of the poor he shall save... And blessed forever be his glorious name; may the whole earth be filled with his glory" [Ps 72:2,13,19].

These words, this Word of God, like the entirety of the Old Testament, point to one thing, the coming of a Savior. Yes, the revealed Word of God points to the incarnate Word of God, a revelation fulfilled in today's Gospel passage from Matthew. Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy tracing 2,000 years of the human ancestry of Jesus from Abraham to Mary.

But then Matthew's focus changes. No longer does he look down on Israel through the long lens of history. Quite suddenly, Matthew entered the lives of two people in the little Galilean village of Nazareth. And just as suddenly, these two lives, the lives of Mary and Joseph, were changed by the Word of God, a Word that echoed throughout the entire created universe.

In Luke's Gospel the angel announces this Word to Mary, a Word she accepts into her very being. Indeed, her womb now becomes the center of that universe. But in Matthew we witness another annunciation, this time in a dream to Joseph, who responds in full obedience. Yes, Joseph, goes on to protect, to name, to decide, to nurture, to accept all that God reveals to him...for Joseph is a man of deep faith.

But did you notice, in both annunciations, the angel's appearance begins with the words, "Be not afraid"? The angel wouldn't have said those words unless fear were present. And its presence is understandable. God entered into these two lives in an incomprehensible, a fearful way, in a way that even today, after 2,000 years of theological study and speculation, we still don't fully understand.

Yes, the Incarnation is a mystery, the manifestation of the revelation to Joseph:

"...they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us'" [Mt 1:23]. 

But what a promise this is! Brothers and sisters, God is with us!

When we see the world shrouded in so much darkness, like Joseph we can trust completely in the light of Christ to guide us, for God is with us.

When we experience deep discouragement in our lives, when we're overcome by fears or worries, when the challenges seem too great to face, we need only recall God is with us...for we are not alone. Like Joseph, we need only accept God's presence. Turn to Jesus today and let Him enter your heart. Push aside the obstacles that you and world place in His path. 

Pope Francis wrote that many today act as if God doesn't exist.  A "practical relativism", he called it, "a lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security, or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost." 

Say no to selfishness. Avoid the pragmatism that transforms us into "mummies" - lifeless beings who deny the reality and the hope of Jesus Christ. In the pope's words: "Our faith is challenged to discern how wine can come from water and how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds...Say yes to a new relationship with Jesus."

This is our Advent call: to open our hearts to Jesus' coming today, in the midst of our darkness, often a very personal darkness. If you and I let Him love us, forgive us, tell us we’re not alone, then we can face any challenge with hope, even when our union with Jesus leads us to the Cross, we are with him on the path to eternal life.

"Come, Lord Jesus" [Rev 22:20], into our hearts today.

 

Christmas Grinches: Secular and Ecclesial

I can't speak for anyone but myself, and the older I get the more apparent this becomes. I can't believe, however, that most people, certainly most Christians, would not agree with me as I challenge several rather important people who appear to delight in trying to make this season of joy almost joyless. To me such people epitomize the infamous Grinch of cartoon fame.

My first target happens to be the President of these United States, Joe Biden. That's right, the President, speaking to the American people the other day, threatened some of them with a "severe winter of illness and death" from the Omicron strain of the COVID virus. I find this particularly interesting since so far, worldwide, only one person with Omicron has died, and that person was in the UK. In fact, to our knowledge they didn't die from the virus but from other causes and happened to test positive with Omicron. Most people infected with Omicron have very mild cases that resemble a bad cold. And yet, the power-hungry just continue to create fear and panic among the population, forcing businesses, schools, and government offices to close. Yes, it will indeed be a severe winter and those we have elected, aided by the bureaucrats, will ensure it's as severe as they can make it.

Here's a video of President Biden's little pep talk from the other day:  

https://youtu.be/A4IPfBWN-rQ

As I heard Joe Biden lecture us on the dangers of Omicron, and the bleak winter we will face, I couldn't help but recall a wonderful scene from one of my favorite movies, "Groundhog Day." If you saw the movie, I'm sure you remember how Phil, the weathermen, offered his equally glum prediction of winter. Here's a link to a brief video:

https://youtu.be/vBeGQAvabOE

Sadly, the other Grinch is a Catholic bishop in Sicily, Bishop Antonio Stagliano of the diocese of Noto, who told a group of children that Santa Claus does not exist. His intent, apparently, was to reinforce the religious meaning of Christmas and lessen its commercial aspects. 

Unfortunately, I think the good bishop went about it in a way that only damaged the innocence of children and infuriated their parents. He could have (should have) focused on Santa's origins, the kindly and charitable Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in 4th-century Asia Minor, who is still with us in the Mystical Body of Christ, encouraging us to follow his example of care for those in need. 

As a result of the bishop's comments, the diocese was forced to apologize and "spin" what the bishop actually said. Maybe on Christmas Eve he should put on a Santa suit (which, by the way, he said was a product of Christmas commercialization by the Coca Cola Company) and visit the poor children of his diocese armed with gifts.

Here's a link to the video explaining all this:

https://youtu.be/dsRyPzf9Hkc

In the meantime, with only six shopping or, rather, six joyful praying and giving days until Christmas, have a blessed, peaceful, Grinch-less Holy Day.

Just In Case You Missed It

I haven't written much lately about the persecution of Christians and other religious groups, so I decided to share a few recent news stories that describe this growing worldwide trend. Some of these stories address real persecution by governments or other religious groups, while others describe the increased societal rejection of religious values, even in nominally Christian countries. Of course, life for believing, practicing Christians is almost intolerable in most Muslim and Communist nations.

I don't intend to offer much detail since you can simply click on the links I've provided and visit the original news stories. Here goes...

In Africa, Uganda has seen its share of violent persecution. Just last month a Christian pastor was murdered outside his church, in front of his daughter, by three Muslim attackers who demanded he destroy his church because it was too close to the local mosque. Because he refused, he was beaten and slashed with machetes after being told, "Today you will face the wrath from Allah." Sadly, it's just one more story of violent anti-Christian attacks -- read more here.

In Nigeria, a country which has experienced far too much anti-Christian persecution, a Muslim militia group attacked a Christian community, killing 49 residents and kidnapping another 27. Read more about the almost daily attacks on Nigerian Christians here. 

Things are no better in Asia. In Myanmar, for example, the military has been attacking Christian settlements, destroying churches, burning homes, and even murdering clergy. In Afghanistan, hundreds of Christians have fled because of the intolerant, murderous policies of the Taliban toward other faiths. Many more, however, remain in the country, unable to make their way to a safe refuge. Based on experience with the Taliban, many of these will no doubt be slaughtered. Life was never easy for Afghan Christians, but our grossly incompetent exit from the country has made things far worse and will certainly lead to more persecution of these courageous, faithful people. 

French Catholics Threatened With Death. On December 8 a small group of about 30 Catholics in the Paris suburb of Nanterre were taking part in a torchlight procession celebrating the Immaculate Conception when they were accosted by perhaps a dozen Muslims. The Muslims shouted out threats to "the infidels" and called for the death of the priest leading the procession. This is just another example of similar attacks by anti-Christian groups that have become more common in France. Not long ago Leftist Antifa radicals violently attacked a similar procession in Paris. Between the years 2008 and 2019 attacks against Christians in France have increased by 285%.

Christianity: The #1 Target of Hate Crimes. Click on the link and read Raymond Ibrahim's article describing the disturbing growth of attacks on Christianity in Europe. Even though many European countries do not keep track of anti-Christian attacks, such attacks outnumber hate crimes against any other religion. Ibrahim, by the way, is always worth reading. He is among the most knowledgeable scholars and commentators on the Middle East.

Dying Catholic MP, Sir David Amess, Denied Sacraments by Police. On October 15 Sir David Amess, a Catholic Member of Parliament in the UK, was meeting with constituents in a local church hall when he was attacked by a Muslim and stabbed to death. His pastor, Fr. Jeffrey Woolnough, hearing what had happened drove to the scene with the intention of offering the sacraments to Sir David in the event the MP was in danger of death. As it turned out, he was, but the police refused to allow the priest access to the dying man declaring it was a crime scene. Priests, of course, are fully aware of the necessity to avoid causing problems with crime scenes, but the UK has become so officially irreligious that police and other authorities see no reason to accommodate clergy who desire only to minister to the dying. 

President Biden's Build Back Better legislation discriminates against religious facilities. The bill, which includes federal funds to improve child-care facilities, prohibits the use of these funds by religious based childcare facilities. This will no doubt lead to increased costs for these church-based facilities and end up forcing many of them to close, unable to compete with better funded secular facilities. It's just another form of subtle religious persecution by the Biden administration.

I haven't addressed the severe persecution evident in communist countries such as China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. Perhaps in my next post.

Pray for persecuted Christians here and throughout the world. 

Alec Baldwin and His Trigger Finger

Okay, I’ll admit I own a few firearms, both handguns and long guns. I’m not a hunter, but I’ve always enjoyed shooting, not at people, but at targets. I once owned a single-action revolver not unlike that used by Alec Baldwin, but sold it over 30 years ago. Baldwin, as most people now know, used such a revolver when he shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42. 

For those who are not familiar with firearms, I suppose there’s one obvious question: Is shooting a firearm essentially dangerous? No it’s not. Shooting a firearm is really no more dangerous than driving a car, operating a circular saw, or really using any tool that has the capability of causing injury or death…unless — and it’s a very big unless — unless proper safety precautions are not always followed. 

From what we know, the firearm involved was an authentic single-action revolver, a “cowboy gun” for the unenlightened. Firing such a weapon normally involves a two-step process. First, the shooter manually cocks the hammer, usually with the thumb. As the hammer is engaged in the cocked position, the cylinder also rotates and sets up a fresh cartridge to be fired. Then, when the trigger is pulled, the weapon fires. Usually very little pressure is required to pull the trigger of a cocked revolver. Obviously, one normally does not want to carry a cocked revolver, for it can easily fire inadvertently.

There’s another issue that might be involved in this incident. Most single-action revolvers hold six cartridges, but for safety reasons shooters usually load only five rounds, leaving the chamber in front of the hammer empty. Doing this keeps the revolver from firing if it is dropped or if the hammer is pulled back and released before it is fully cocked. Baldwin, then, may have just lightly touched the trigger of a cocked revolver, or he may have let the hammer fall on a live round in the chamber. At this point, let’s see what Alec Baldwin had to say about his use of this firearm.

In a recent ABC News interview, presumably permitted by Baldwin’s attorneys, the actor said, “I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is. But I know it’s not me.” That’s right, Baldwin takes no responsibility for the tragic and totally unnecessary death of Ms. Hutchins.  

He claimed Hutchins was directing him to pull back the revolver’s hammer as far as he could without cocking it. "I’m just showing her, I go, ‘How about that? Does that work? Do you see that?' ... She said, 'yeah, that's good.'" 

Baldwin then made this remarkable admission, “I let go of the hammer — Bang! The gun goes off." He also added, "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”

Almost everyone in the media has been calling this tragedy an “accident.” But when it comes to firearms safety, there’s no such thing. It always boils down to one of two things: it was either an intentional shooting, or it was a case of negligence abetted by ignorance of normal firearms safety rules. Perhaps, at this point, it would be useful to review some very basic rules regarding the use of firearms. All of us who use firearms responsibly know and always follow these four rules:

Based on what Alex Baldwin stated in his ABC interview with George Stephanoupolis, it appears he broke every one of these four rules. 

1. Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction. Baldwin not only intentionally pointed the revolver in an unsafe direction, but actually pointed it directly at Halyna Hutchins. This cannot be denied because Hutchins was struck by the bullet fired from the revolver.  
2. Treat every firearm as if it is fully loaded. Baldwin obviously did not know whether the firearm was loaded or unloaded, but apparently simply accepted what someone else told him. Sorry, Alec, but the only way you can be certain your firearm is unloaded is to examine the firearm yourself. It’s important to recognize that “blanks” can also be dangerous. They are not completely blank, but can cause injury, even death. Besides the explosive gasses that make the “bang,” anything in the cartridge, like wadding or wax filler, will be propelled at high velocity. At close range this can cause serious injury or worse. Apparently, in this instance, however, the round that killed Hutchins was a live round, a bullet not a blank.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the intended target. Baldwin claims he “didn’t pull the trigger.” This assertion leads to a couple of possibilities. First of all, he might actually have fully cocked the revolver but didn’t realize it because of his distracting ongoing conversation with Hutchins. Then, just touching the trigger lightly might well have fired the revolver. Or perhaps the revolver was actually fully loaded, with a live round in the chamber immediately in front of the hammer. Then, when Baldwin released the uncocked hammer, it went forward and fired the round in the chamber. Anyway, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, “It is possible that the gun can fire at any time, or even later when you release the safety, without you ever touching the trigger again.” Things are even trickier with a single-action revolver which has no safety. It’s always critical to know if a live round is in the chamber under the hammer.
4. Always be sure of your target and what’s behind it. Baldwin was fully aware that he was pointing the firearm at Hutchins. This is apparent by the nature of the conversation he had with Hutchins, a conversation he described during his interview on ABC News.

Alec Baldwin broke every rule of firearms safety and his ignorance or willful negligence should not protect him from prosecution. I believe Baldwin’s attorneys made a serious error by allowing the actor to grant that interview. If he is charged, and he might well be accused of some form of involuntary manslaughter, any competent prosecutor will certainly address all the issues I’ve included above (and many others) in order to educate the jurors on firearms safety. 

Should Baldwin be convicted and sentenced to some time in prison? I certainly can’t say, but I hope for his sake he thinks about this woman’s life and accepts his responsibility for her death. In the meantime, we pray for her soul and for his.

Politicians, Truth, and Hypocrisy

Politicians are a unique breed, especially those who turn politics into a lifelong career. And don’t you just love those pols who speak of their dedicated career of “public service” when we all know their true goal is their re-election? I’ll admit, we all sometimes place our own needs over the needs of those we serve, but politicians seem to have turned this into a true science. They assume — too often, correctly — that we voters will forget their past indiscretions and self-indulgence and instead focus only on the government funds tossed our way. But their most serious sin, at least from my perspective, is their blatant hypocrisy. 

Things might be changing, though. We the People are starting to awaken to the fact that politicians are supposed to represent us, our beliefs, our values, and our need to live free.  Just look at President Biden's current support. Citizens have begun to recognize and resent all the hypocrisy and all the lies. Here’s a very recent example that has generated a lot of comment:

___________________

The other day President Biden, in response to the identification of a new COVID variant, which arose in and is now spreading throughout much of southern Africa, issued a travel ban. Here is his tweet informing us of his decision:

“The WHO has identified a new COVID variant which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries.”  [2:38 PM.  Nov 26, 2021]

This seems a reasonable decision, as the president said, “until we have more information.” But how many Americans recall candidate Biden’s reaction when President Trump issued similar bans back in early 2020? On January 31, 2020, President Trump declared a public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic and temporarily restricted travel from China, where the virus originated. The very next day Joe Biden attacked President Trump by tweeting the following:

“We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science — not Donald trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency. [5:01 PM.  Feb 1, 2020]

In that same month, when President Trump added travel restrictions from several African and Asian nations — Nigeria, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Eritrea, Sudan, and Tanzania — the Democrats declared the president’s decision was “driven by hate.” Candidate Biden’s tweet was particularly interesting in light of his current actions:

“Trump further diminished the U.S. in the eyes of the world by expanding his travel ban. This new ‘African Ban’ is designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States. It’s a disgrace, and cannot let him succeed.” [10:16 PM   Feb 1, 2020]

The same day Kamala Harris hopped on the “Trump’s a racist” bandwagon by tweeting: 

“Trump’s extended Un-American travel ban undermines our nation’s core values. It is clearly driven by hate, not security.” [5:16 PM   Feb 1, 2020]

About a month later, on March 11, 2020, President Trump suspended travel from Europe, hoping to slow the spread of the virus. Once again, on the very next day, candidate Biden responded with:

“A wall will not stop the coronavirus. Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it.” [8:05 PM   Mar 12, 2020]

“...impact every nation and any person…” Did I detect a little fear-mongering in there? 

Of course, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to join the fray and label President Trump a cruel, bigoted, biased, callous person whose actions must be unconstitutional. Her actual statement is worth repeating:

“The Trump Administration's expansion of its outrageous, un-American travel ban threatens our security, our values and the rule of law. The sweeping rule, barring more than 350 million individuals from predominantly African nations from traveling to the United States, is discrimination disguised as policy.

“America's strength has always been as a beacon of hope and opportunity for people around the world, whose dreams and aspirations have enriched our nation and made America more American. With this latest callous decision, the President has doubled down on his cruelty and further undermined our global leadership, our Constitution and our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants.

“In the Congress and in the Courts, House Democrats will continue to oppose the Administration's dangerous anti-immigrant agenda. In the coming weeks, the House Judiciary Committee will mark-up and bring to the Floor the NO BAN Act to prohibit religious discrimination in our immigration system and limit the President's ability to impose such biased and bigoted restrictions. We will never allow hatred or bigotry to define our nation or destroy our values.”

Okay, what are the odds any Democrat, or any member of the mainstream media, will even hint that Joe Biden’s travel ban, aimed exclusively at Africans south of the Sahara, might be slightly hypocritical or worse, a racist policy designed to restrict immigration of black people? 

Homily: Saturday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time (Year 1)

Readings: Dn 7:15-27; Dn 3; Luke 21:34-36

Here I am, only a couple of years from 80, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time when anxiety and fear have filled the hearts of so many.

COVID has had its effect on a lot of folks, and yes, many in my age group have succumbed to the virus, but in truth most have survived. And yet, so many are overcome by fear. And now the world is panicking over a new variant out of Africa.

To add to our anxieties, we have obvious inflation and a rising cost of living. Then, as we look at our nation and the world, we see far too much division and hatred and threats. Yes, it seems to be a time of very fragile peace, a time of real uncertainty. And yet Jesus tells us, again and again, not to be afraid, but so many seem to ignore Him.

About 35 years ago, back when I was a business consultant, I used to travel a lot. One Sunday afternoon, driving my rental car through the hills of Arkansas, I heard a radio preacher tell his audience that we were only a few years, perhaps just months, from the tribulations and the Second Coming. As I recall, he was the minister of a Free Will Baptist Church. Let me paraphrase what he said that day:

“Jesus is coming, brothers and sisters. But first He’s gonna let the earth be scoured by Satan and his minions. Don’t you be afraid of them. Put away all those fears and get ready for Jesus. He’s coming soon, real soon, and you’d better stop all that sinning. If you don’t call on the Lord and repent, you just won’t be strong enough.”

I have to admit, I loved it. Of course, Jesus hasn’t returned yet, so his timing was off, by how much nobody but God Himself knows. But the preacher’s message was actually pretty good and mirrors the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. How did Jesus put it?

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life...Be vigilant... Pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations" [Lk 21:34,36].

I’ll admit, many years ago, the first time I thought about those words, I had a hard time picturing those first-century Jews out carousing. In truth, though, I suppose they weren’t much different from us. Even The Villages has its share of carousing and drunkenness, and certainly its share of anxiety.

But we’re all disciples of our Lord, Jesus Christ, so we must allow Him to take away our fears. After all, the Gospel is the Good News, the promise of an eternal life beyond anything we can imagine.

If the gospel message is good news, then why do so many oppose it with hostility and even violence? Jesus warns us that we’ll be confronted with persecution, evil, false teaching, and temptation. But how does He tell us to respond to all this? With love, with truth, with forgiveness.

Only His Way, His Way of peace, His way of love, can defeat bigotry, hatred, and envy, and all that would divide and tear us apart.

Only God’s truth, His revealed Word, can overcome the lies and confusion in the world.

And only God’s gift of life, eternal life, can carry us to the salvation He promises.

Only Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life can dissolve all those fears that plague so many today.

I don’t know if you and I will see those tribulations… probably not. But we are still called to proclaim the Gospel wherever God has placed us – called to be to be witnesses.

Did you know the Greek root of the word martyr means witness? The Book of Revelations calls Jesus “the faithful witness ...who freed us from our sins by his blood" [Rev 1:5]. 

St. Augustine spoke of this too: "The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered – and they multiplied!" Christians multiplied because the martyrs witnessed to the truth, to the joy and freedom of the Gospel; and they did so through the testimony of their lives.

So maybe, instead of fearing the world and its evils, we should just be joyful that we have heard the Good News, received the gift of faith, and are called to share it all with others. What brings others to Jesus Christ and His Church is seeing Christians loving their enemies; seeing us joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, forgiving of injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless.

This, brothers and sisters, is our calling.

Justice Repeated

Since the acquittal of a Kyle Rittenhouse many, all too many, mainstream media “experts” have claimed again and again that if Rittenhouse had been black he would certainly have been convicted. Remarkably, though, on the very same day of Rittenhouse’s acquittal, there was another acquittal, this one in a Florida courtroom. 

In 2017, A. J. Coffee IV, 27, who happens to be black, shot and killed a member of a Sheriff’s SWAT team that had forcibly entered his home. The SWAT team had broken a rear window and extended a pole used to detonate a “flash-bang.” Coffee thought he was being robbed, believed the pole was a rifle barrel, and admitted he shot through the open window, but claimed he acted only in self-defense. His girlfriend, a 21-year-old woman named Alteria Woods, was shot ten times by an officer and died as a result of her wounds.

Coffee was charged with felony second degree murder and three counts of attempted murder of a police officer. But like the Rittenhouse jury in Wisconsin the Florida jury of Coffee’s peers accepted his claims of self-defense and acquitted him of all charges, except his illegal gun possession charge. The irony, of course, is almost overwhelming. Not only is Mr. Coffee black, but he was acquitted in a Florida courtroom.

I suspect you have not seen or heard much about A.J. Coffee’s acquittal from the mainstream media. But we can expect little more from such ideologues. Happily, though, once again, a jury did its job and justice prevailed. The nation should be pleased that Justice remains blind…

 

Homily: Tuesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Wis 11:22-12:2; Ps 3; Lk 19:1-10

When I was growing up in suburban New York we had a wonderful tree in our front yard. A Japanese maple, maybe 30 feet high, it was the best climbing tree in the neighborhood. It had lots of branches, closely spaced so it was easy to climb. And about 15 feet up several branches formed a natural couch where I could stretch out comfortably and safely. In the spring and summer, I used to climb up there with a book, sit back, and read. Remarkably, even many of the local birds came to accept me and would often land on a branch just a foot or two away. I felt a bit like St. Francis perched up there. And because of the thick foliage that time of year I was virtually invisible, even though I could see and hear most that went on in the neighborhood.

My perch was my own personal hideout, my little neighborhood spy station. I was easily overlooked up there. That would’ve been neat if anything ever happened in our neighborhood, but of course nothing did. And whenever I read this Gospel passage from Luke, I remember sitting in that tree so many years ago.

Like me in the tree, poor Zacchaeus got no respect. He was short, but also a hated tax collector. Although a Jew, a son of Abraham, he worked for the Romans and made himself wealthy through extortion. In the eyes of his world, Zacchaeus had three strikes against him: he was short, he was rich, and probably a crook. They despised him.

But driven by the Spirit he just had to see Jesus. Thwarted by the crowd, he climbed a big sycamore, a fig tree, and gave himself a birds-eye view. He could have stayed on the ground and simply listened, hoping to catch a word or two as Jesus passed by. But there's something about seeing, about being up close and personal that connects you to the event, that makes you more than a face on the fringes. The crowd had failed to keep this public sinner away from Jesus, always an impossible task; for Jesus goes out of His way to attract sinners and the rest of humanity’s rejects.

But, of course, we’re all sinners, and Jesus still calls us all. He finds a way to help us find Him, just as He called Zacchaeus. How does Luke describe it?

“Zacchaeus…was seeking to see who Jesus was…” [Lk 19:3]

…asking the question Jesus later posed to the apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” [Mt 16:15]

This wasn’t mere curiosity. Zacchaeus climbed that tree, urged by the Holy Spirit, driven by a spiritual hunger to see Jesus, to see who He was, to know Him, to reach out to Him. And in those branches, hanging on for the Good News, he not only sees, but he is seen.

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house" [Lk 19:5].

Overwhelmed, Zacchaeus finds he is seen, known, and understood. Conversion has begun. For Jesus sees within each of us the glimmer of the divine, God’s mage and likeness, imprinted at creation, by a loving God. And that, brothers and sisters, is what this Gospel passage is all about. That’s what the entire Gospel, the Good News, is all about. It’s all about God’s call to conversion. Jesus calls out to us all:

“Repent and believe in the Gospel” [Mk 1:15].

And He loves to tease us, doesn’t He – even to scandalize us. He calls the most unlikely people: tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes, Roman soldiers, Pharisees like Nicodemus, pagans, Samaritans, the blind, the deaf, the halt, the lame, the deformed…a unlikely collection who will go on to become His disciples. Later, He even calls His sworn enemy to conversion, a man who persecuted those disciples, a Pharisee named Saul. Jesus overlooks no one. Unlike you and I, who love to pick and choose among those with whom we’ll associate or even tolerate, Jesus calls everyone.

Zacchaeus finds himself in the gaze of his Savior and realizes that his life so far has been a sham, far too small to hold all that Jesus has to offer. For Jesus brought and promised a priceless gift:

“Today salvation has come to this house…” [Lk 19:9]

Coming to see Jesus, to receive Him, is an experience that changes our whole way of seeing. How blessed we are to be able to see and receive right here in the Eucharist.

Climb the tree of life, brothers and sisters, where you will discover, that all along, you have been seen and known and understood and loved beyond all measure.

So, for us salvation sometimes means climbing a tree. After all, that’s exactly what Jesus does for us on the Cross.