Homily: Tuesday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Note: I didn't preach this homily today. Our celebrant decided to preach instead, which is his prerogative. It's no big deal since I always have a homily ready whenever I assist at Mass as the deacon. Sometimes I'm asked to preach, and sometimes I'm not. Anyway, this unpreached homily follows:

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Readings: 2 Cor 8:1-9; Ps 146; Mt 5:43-48

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On Sunday, one of my sons posted a Father’s Day note on Facebook. He began with a bunch of nice words about me, and then he added: “He wasn’t perfect, and he never said he was, unless he was joking.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but it got me thinking of what Jesus told us in today’s Gospel passage from the Sermon on the Mount.

“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I suspect these words have made a lot of Christians suddenly pay attention and scratch their heads. Did He really mean that? How can we, these obviously imperfect beings, be perfect. Yes, indeed, Jesus sure can make life difficult, can’t He? 

Back when we were young and doing well in the world, a lot of us thought we were…well, if not perfect, at least pretty good. I remember the first time I realized I harbored some major imperfections – things that separated me from what God wanted for me. 

I was a Navy pilot during the war in Vietnam. At the time, I flew search and rescue helicopters. All I wanted to do was pickup American pilots who’d been shot down, and get them to safety. But at the time, the Communists of both North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were doing their very best to kill me. And here’s Jesus telling me to “love your enemies.” Let me tell you, that ain’t so easy when they’re shooting at you. Yes, they were an easy enemy to hate. But hating them troubled me because I knew what Jesus had commanded of us.

And so, one day I paid a visit to the Catholic chaplain and asked how we could reconcile loving our enemies with this conflict in which we were engaged. I’ll always remember that conversation. I won’t go into our rather lengthy discussion on the just war doctrine. That’s a subject for another time. But I will tell you what this young priest had to say about enemies and hatred and love and forgiveness.

He began by saying that if our enemies are those we hate, we have ceased being Christians. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to hate no one. But if our enemies are those who hate us, then we will always have enemies. After all, Jesus had many enemies because He did the Father’s will: He spoke the truth and He loved. He loved all, especially those despised by the world, and He spoke the truth even when it upset people.

Our enemies decide how they will treat us. We decide only to love them or hate them. Love and hate, then, are not emotions. They’re decisions. Jesus calls us to love regardless of the evil others do. And He calls to exclude no one from our love.

These are hard words for us, aren’t they? Hard indeed…until we come face to face with the Cross, and we hear His words:

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” [Lk 23:34].

There, on the Cross, we encounter Divine Mercy: God’s perfect love, a love that demands forgiveness. Forgiveness is the only thing we can do to those we are called to love. If we refuse to forgive, we refuse to love.

About 30 years ago I saw the movie, “Dead Man Walking” about a convicted killer named Robert Willie who'd been sentenced to death. Well, one person you won’t see in the movie is Debbie Morris, the one victim who miraculously survived her horrific ordeal at the hands of Willie. After Willie’s execution, she said, “Justice didn’t do a thing to heal me. Forgiveness did.”

Yes, it’s easy to hate and scream for justice, for man’s justice, but it never really brings healing, or the so-called "closure" the world promises. Only forgiveness does that. Only forgiveness heals.

Yes, we can defend ourselves from evil, but in defending ourselves we must not produce even greater evils. The world will never run out of objects for our hatred, especially today when enemies abound. How did Paul put it to the Corinthians:

“…test the genuineness of your love by your concern for others” [2 Cor 8:8].

After all, we were created in God’s image and likeness, so He really does call us to perfection, to live up to His expectations for us, to live up to that image and likeness. He calls each of us to view this life as a pilgrimage of love, one in which we seek out others, finding Jesus Christ in each person we meet, and letting them recognize Jesus in us.

Let God be the one who will judge His creations. We need only love and forgive. I’ve long thought this is what Jesus means when He commands us to “be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Another Kilmer Poem - for Memorial Day

A few days ago I included Thanksgiving, a little poem by Joyce Kilmer, in another of my posts. It’s one of those poems that challenges us to rethink our understanding of the events and influences that can dominate the times of our lives. It also asks us to accept that nothing is simply coincidental, that God can bring good out of everything, even that which from an objective, human perspective can seem downright evil. I’ve always believed that as he wrote Thanksgiving, Kilmer might well have been thinking of St. Paul’s famous words to the Romans:

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” [Rom 8:28].

Kilmer certainly believed this, and realized God is always in control despite our foolish attempts to subvert His plan for humanity. Everything is a gift for those who love the Lord, even though we don’t understand how God will bring good from it. Believing this, we must then thank God for everything. 

The poet was also “called according to His purpose” in both his life and his death. Perhaps most fittingly, Kilmer wrote this poem from the trenches of World War One. Immersed in the chaotic horror of that war, Sergeant Kilmer faced death and destruction daily. He was highly respected by both the troops and the officers of his battalion. Sadly, Kilmer died in that war, killed instantly by a German sniper on July 30,1918. And yet, although an enlisted man, he was buried next to the officers with whom he served, a most unusual honor in those days. But in truth it was more of an honor for the officers than for Kilmer.

Anyway, all this thinking and writing about Joyce Kilmer, brought to mind another of his brief poems that I read years ago. I’d forgotten the name of the poem, so I had to do a little searching, and finally found it. I had mistakenly remembered its title as “Princes,” but it turned out to be “Kings.” I thought it particularly relevant for our world today, especially Kilmer’s description of the perversion of power. Yes, indeed, the “Kings of the earth” will be so very surprised when in their powerlessness they are called to account by the Prince of Peace. Here’s the poem:

                       Kings

The Kings of the earth are men of might,

And cities are burned for their delight,

And the skies rain death in the silent night,

And the hills belch death all day!

But the King of Heaven, Who made them all,

Is fair and gentle, and very small;

He lies in the straw, by the oxen's stall -- 

Let them think of Him to-day!

It’s evident why so many critics disliked Kilmer. He was simply too simple. He wrote for everyone, unlike so many poets who wrote only for each other and for the literati who could get them published in all the right journals. Kilmer also didn’t disguise his Christianity which he displayed prominently in so much of his work. No doubt this was a major irritant to the faithless denizens of New York’s literary circles. 

Of course, as simple as I am, I’ve always enjoyed his poetry. Some of this appreciation for Kilmer might stem from a few rather vague connections. I was brought up in Larchmont, a suburb of New York City, a village where Kilmer also lived for a time. Of course, he died long before I was born, and 30 years before we moved to Larchmont, but we were both parishioners of St. Augustine Parish. Because of this parish connection, he was somewhat of a local celebrity and the Dominican sisters who taught in the parish school introduced us to his poetry early, in the fifth or sixth grade. My parents were also friends with an older woman, who had known Kilmer as a young man. Apparently, her family had lived next door to Kilmer. She spoke about him often and waxed eloquently about the “handsome, young poet.” So, I suppose I was primed to like him and his work, but I think that’s true of most of our earliest influences. 

Today though, on this Memorial Day, we can pray that the "Kings of the earth" will someday actually approach the Prince of Peace on their knees in repentance. But in the meantime, I am called to remember and thank God for so many of my friends and comrades who sacrificed their lives for you and for me and for generations to come. Because of my own involvement, I especially thank God for those who died during the Vietnam conflict. But I also thank God for those who died in so many other conflicts, including Sergeant Joyce Kilmer, another hero who served a nation and its people and selflessly sacrificed his life for us. 

May Almighty God bless them all and keep them.

May His face shine upon them and be gracious to them.

May He look upon them with kindness and give them peace.

May Almighty God bless them, 

   in the name of the Father,

   and of the Son,

   and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Vets - Vietnam Era

In the photo below JFK, President and combat veteran, was speaking to our USNA Class of 1967 during our Plebe Summer on August 1, 1963. We had reported to the Academy just a few weeks earlier on June 26, thus beginning our four-year grind as Midshipmen. This was, of course, a necessary prelude to the careers that many would follow. Sadly, President Kennedy died just a few months later in Dallas. 

Normally I don’t do this, but a Naval Academy classmate, Bruce Wright, posted the following on FaceBook today, so I decided to share it. It pretty much sums up what many of us experienced back in 1967 and in the years that followed. It’s a bit “stream-of-consciousness” but tells the story well. 

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We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure. We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives. We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew. We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth. We found new friends and a new family. We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race, or creed. We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times. We didn’t get enough sleep. We smoked and drank too much. We picked up both good and bad habits. We worked hard and played harder. We didn’t earn a great wage. We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events. We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again. We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all. We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others. 

Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t. Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t. Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare. We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical. We participated in time-honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie. We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all. We have dealt with victory and tragedy. We have celebrated and mourned. We lost a few along the way. When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new, and some of us never came home at all. We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures. 

A bunch of us: Navy and Marine helicopter pilots

We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand. We speak highly of our own branch of service and poke fun at the other branches. We know, however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat. Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away. It has no monetary value, but at the same time, it is a priceless gift. People see a Veteran and they thank them for their service. When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not. 

So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country. Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times. Share your stories. But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a Veteran. I’m a VETERAN! If you are a Veteran, please Stand Tall and Proud.

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And let me add just a thought: to all the veterans who read Bruce’s words, be thankful that God gave you the opportunity to serve others. You and I survived, but that was God’s doing, not ours. But through it all, we were willing to do as Jesus reminded us: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” [Jn 15:13]. When you come right down to it, that’s what we were all willing to do. Blessings and God’s Peace.

Another Fall

On 30 April 1975 I was a Navy lieutenant, a helicopter pilot, who was then repaying the Navy for my graduate degree by teaching computer science at the U.S. Naval Academy.  I remember watching the nightly news images of Navy and Marine helicopters lifting people from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Saigon and wondering how so many politicians could have been so remarkably stupid for so many years. If someone were to write a book on how to lose a war, part one would describe the military, diplomatic, and political actions taken by the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford administrations in Vietnam. Part two would relate our 20-year involvement in Afghanistan. It, too, has already been written, but by another four administrations: Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden. Makes you long for Ronald Reagan, doesn’t it?

It also makes you wonder. All the best and the brightest, the D.C. in-crowd, as well as the politicians we elect to implement the will of the people they represent, are really among the most clueless people in the country. I’d rather be represented by the average farmer here in rural Florida, or the guy who frequents one of our gun shops, or the vet enjoying a beer at the bar of the nearby American Legion hall. The nation’s civilian leadership at least has the excuse that they can’t be expected to understand military and national security issues because too many are lawyers, pragmatists who lack a solid moral foundation. Unfortunately, they’re certain they’re smarter than everyone else, so they’re unlikely to listen to anyone. They occasionally turn to the clever staffers they hire to advise them on issues that demand some degree of political and common sense. But, sadly, most hire in their own image and hear only echoes of their own skewed, highly malleable beliefs. Should they feel the need, they can also obtain counsel from military and national security professionals, but these too must share their opinions or they won’t be heard. The flag officers at the top of the military structure, if they really understand the strategic and national security issues involved — as most certainly do — have simply proven themselves to be moral cowards. If they had any backbone they would resign or at least retire when asked to implement decisions that imperil our national security. But they didn’t get to that level by being apolitical.

In mid-1976, a little more than a year after that 1975 debacle in Saigon, as a new Lieutenant Commander I reported aboard the USS Okinawa, a helicopter carrier that happened to be one of the key players in the fall of Saigon. Marine and Navy helicopters from the USS Okinawa were the primary vehicles that airlifted embassy personnel and others and flew them to the many ships off the coast. I was fortunate to talk with those who had piloted and crewed those helicopters. Their stories were heartbreaking because they realized so many loyal Vietnamese friends of the United States were left behind. As we later learned, those who managed to survive were either imprisoned or sent to “re-education camps” to become loyal communists. Those who could, escaped or became “boat people” and hoped they’d make it to safer shores.

As for Afghanistan, I suppose I’ve been influenced by my Vietnam involvement. As my wife Diane said to me today, “When I hear what’s happening now in Kabul, I immediately recall that horrible day in Saigon and how very tragic it was.” She said this with tears in her eyes. Memories like that remain, even after 46 years.

Twenty years ago, when President Bush stood before the rubble of the World Trade Center and in effect declared war on Al-Qaeda, few Americans disagreed with him. At the time I had hoped our plan was to take the battle to Afghanistan and attack the terrorists who had attacked us. And that’s exactly what we should have done. We should have done everything in our power to destroy Al-Qaeda and the Taliban who were harboring and supporting them. Once we had done that, we should have left the country and said, “People of Afghanistan, you brought this on yourselves. Don’t let terrorists use your country as a base of operations. If you do, we will come back again and you will not like it.” Instead, we tried to turn what is perhaps the most tribal, fractured, Islamic nation in the world into a Western democratic republic. What foolishness!

Then the American people elect as president a man who has been consistently wrong on every foreign policy issue for the past 40 years. And, guess what? Surprise, surprise, he’s wrong once again. 

As one vet put it yesterday: “Don’t blame the boots, blame the suits!”

Bumper Stickers and Other Signs

I've always enjoyed reading bumper stickers. I suppose the messages people attach to their back bumpers must be pretty important to them. Some messages are very clever, some generate a laugh or two, some are serious, some odd, and others are rather foolish. But every one tells you something about the person driving the car.

Here in The Villages, most folks fall on the conservative side of the political spectrum and so one sees a lot of "Trump 2020" bumper stickers on cars and golf carts. And although I've seen a few anti-Trump stickers, I've yet to see one with a "Biden 2020" message, at least not here in The Villages. I'm sure there are some, but I sure haven't seen one. This tells me that although some folks might not be too happy with our current president, they seem to have little enthusiasm for his opponent. 

Many of our local churches give their members bumper stickers or license plate frames advertising their church. I like to see them because it indicates the importance folks place on their religious faith and their willingness to tell the world.

Every so often I see one of those "Coexist" bumper stickers with letters made up of various religious and other symbols. They've been around a while so I'm sure you've seen them. 

It's a message of "toleration" -- the kind that tries to tell us one religion's as good as another. I suppose it expresses a form of syncretism that strives to realize religious unity by ignoring the differences among various faiths based on an assumption that all religions are essentially the same. This, of course, denies the Great Commission Jesus gave the disciples immediately before His Ascension: 

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" [Mt 28:19-20]

For Christians, then, toleration cannot mean acceptance, for we are called to evangelize. Sometimes it's important to question that which seems okay when it's first encountered.

As for me, I’ve never been much of a bumper-sticker guy. I’ve stuck a few on my back bumper over the years, but generally I tend to avoid them. About 25 years ago, when I was working at Providence College, my bumper sported a sticker that read, "Choose Life, Your Mother Did." 

Naively I thought it was a nice sentiment, one that wouldn’t generate any controversy. After all, who wouldn’t be happy their mother didn’t abort them? 

Boy, was I wrong! Every day, as I drove my little Dodge Neon along I-195 on my rather long commute, a number of drivers would greet me with that all too common sign of highway hostility: a single finger raised high for all to see. Many, to ensure I knew the depth of their disagreement, would sound a simultaneous blast on their horns. I’ll admit I was surprised, but unbothered, by it all. I usually just smiled and waved as if they were old friends.

I can’t recall the exact wording of my next bumper sticker, but it supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an organization of Vietnam vets who strongly opposed John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election. John O’Neil, the group’s spokesman and one of its founders, is a Naval Academy classmate (1967) of mine and, unlike John Kerry, is a man of honor. As a Vietnam veteran myself, I had no reservations putting their sticker on my bumper. Of course, once the election was over, I removed it.

Today there's also a small sticker on the back window of my car indicating I'm a Vietnam veteran. It's there primarily to remind folks that we're still around and proud of our service in that conflict. 

The other day I placed a new bumper sticker on my current car, one that reads: "I Vote Pro-Life."  

I chose it because it states the truth. I have never voted for a candidate, at any level of government, who was not pro-life. I simply cannot vote for a person who supports the slaughter of the most innocent of human lives. On many occasions, because I lived in Massachusetts for 25 years, I’d be faced with two candidates who both supported abortion. When this happened I simply did not vote for either or I wrote in the name of another. 

I’ve actually had several priests tell me I shouldn't be so narrow in my views. As one lectured me, “Don’t be so abortion-focused. You can vote for the lesser of two evils. Anyway, there are other important issues.” Sadly, many of our bishops seem to agree with this. My only response? 

Over 60 million innocent American babies have been murdered since 1973. What could possibly be more important than that? 

And before you accuse me of ignoring capital punishment, you should know that I’m also against the death penalty. I simply do not trust our government — or any earthly government — and our very fallible systems of justice to get it right. Because human justice is inherently unjust, I see no reason to give it the power to take a life.

Another small decal on the back window of my car reads “Faith over Fear”.

What a fitting reminder to folks who seem overly worried about the COVID-19 pandemic; for so many are so very afraid. 

A week or so ago, in a conversation with a parishioner, I expressed my concern that many people, even many of our parishioners, live in fear because of the pandemic. Her response astounded me. Almost shouting, she said,  “Of course we’re afraid! This virus kills older people like us.” Wow! And this from a Christian.

In response I simply reminded her that yes, indeed, we are older and more susceptible to this virus. But that's nothing new. We're more susceptible to most ailments, and so we're far more likely to be dead in five or ten years from any number of causes. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, that really shouldn't bother us. After all, Jesus commanded us, again and again, to "Be not afraid" but to live our faith in trust. 

Every week at Sunday Mass we conclude the Liturgy of the Word by joining together and confessing our faith. And what are the last words of the Nicene Creed? 

"I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen." 

I suppose, then, that's the question for all of us. Do we really look forward to the life of the world to come, or do we instead fear the death that precedes it? 

The only folks who should really be afraid of death are committed atheists. After all, for them this life is all there is and old age must be a very scary thing.

I guess the things that are important to me include faith, life, and country; or at least that's what I'm telling others when they check out the back end of my car.


Note: By the way, John O'Neill, the Swift Boat veteran mentioned above, has written a wonderful book on the discovery of St. Peter's tomb far below the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It's an excellent read and I recommend it highly: The Fisherman's Tomb

Declaration of War: an Anniversary

Today is the 74th anniversary of D-Day, when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified beaches of Normandy, France. This successful invasion of occupied France was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany and its allies. We should honor all those brave men with prayers, thanking God for blessing them with the sacrificial courage they demonstrated on those beaches, especially those who sacrificed their lives so we could live in freedom today. Only a small remnant are still alive today.

D-Day at Normandy

On the Beach D-Day

But there's another little-known anniversary that was marked this week, one I believe is particularly relevant. June 4 was the 76th anniversary of the last time the Congress of the United States declared war. On June 4, 1942 the USA declared war on three nations: Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania. At the time all three were puppet states, allies of Nazi Germany. We had already declared war on Japan (December 8, 1941) and on Germany and Italy (December 11, 1941). Prior to these six declarations during World War Two, Congress had declared war only five times: with Great Britain (1812); with Mexico (1846); with Spain (1898); with Germany (1917); and with Austria-Hungary (1917). Despite all the conflicts in which we have engaged since that declaration of war 76 years ago, Congress has not declared a state of war with any nation. 

Korean "Police Action"

There was no declaration of war with communist North Korea -- or their communist allies, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union -- even though well over a million Americans took part in the conflict (1950-1953) resulting in nearly 150,000 killed or wounded. The Chinese communists actually fought alongside the North Koreans and the Soviet Union provided arms, training and air support to our enemy. President Truman called the conflict a "police action" under the auspices of the United Nations. And despite the fact that his stated objective was to free North Korea from communist rule, this was never achieved and today we are living with the results of that failure. No peace treaty was ever signed and the Koreas -- North and South -- have lived under a mere "cease fire" for the past 65 years. Thanks to President Trump, this may change. I encourage you to pray for peace on the Korean peninsula. Pray that the Holy Spirit enter the hearts of all who will take part in next week's summit and bring about a long-term solution.

President Donald Trump and Kim Jong In

Neither did we declare a state of war with North Vietnam, in a conflict that involved Americans for over 20 years, from 1954 to 1975. Vietnam was another conflict with ill-defined objectives and predictable results. Ostensibly we were involved to ensure the freedom of the Vietnamese people and yet the conflict ended with the communists overrunning the entire country. This was an American political failure, resulting from gross political weakness and a failure of leadership. It resulted in a strategic military failure despite the steady stream of tactical military successes by American troops. Of the more than 2.5 million Americans who served in Vietnam during the long conflict, over 10% of them were killed (58,169) or wounded (310,000). Vietnam, of course, remains a "conflict" since Congress never issued a formal declaration of war. Personally, I have always considered my involvement in the Vietnam conflict (I was a Navy helicopter pilot) as a particularly honorable part of my life. 

Vietnam: Helicopters Rule

Since then the United States has been involved in many other conflicts, including the so-called "Gulf War" (1990-91), our response to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. After the terrorist attack on the United States of September 11, 2001, we engaged in additional long-term conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite the wishes and delusions of many of our politicians, we remain involved in both of these conflicts along with several others spawned by our half-hearted "war on terror." Given what has been happening in the world, no one can honestly declare that we have won or are winning this pseudo war. 

Given all this I suppose one can make a reasonably good case for saying we have not won a major conflict since Word War Two, the last time the United States Congress declared the nation to be at war with an enemy. Would it make a difference if Congress actually declared war on all forms of Islamist Jihadism, on all groups or nations that use terrorism or support terrorists? A declaration of war gives the president very broad legal authority. He can stop the export of any products, even agricultural products; he can take complete control of the nation's transportation systems; and he can direct manufacturing plants to produce weapons and seize those that refuse. Such a declaration also makes anyone who supports the enemy an enemy agent and liable for prosecution. These are certainly substantial powers, but there is much legal precedent for granting the president such extensive powers during wartime.

The first problem is that a declaration of war presumes that the government intends to win the war, thus creating high expectations on the part of the electorate. Only Congress can declare war, but that means our senators and representatives must live with their decision and its results. And make no mistake, members of Congress prefer not to take responsibility for anything that might threaten their reelection. Without a declaration, failure can more easily be rationalized or simply ignored. 

The second, and perhaps greater, problem is that a declaration of war demands that Congress identify the enemy. One cannot officially declare a "war on terror" because such a declaration identifies no enemy entity. Terror is a tactic not an enemy. The real enemy is that segment of Islam that desires to destroy Western Civilization. Until our government and the people who put them in power can accept and declare this, we will continue as we have since Word War Two.

A Memory Almost Forgotten

Youth has the benefit of experiencing a kind of temporal slow-motion. Hoped-for events seem always so distant that when they finally arrive most of the expected enjoyment has already been savored. For a child the anticipation is nearly as wonderful as the reality. As we age, however, time seems to compress causing the future to collide with the present. We hardly have time to look forward to a future event because it has already arrived, or more likely, has joined the rest of our life in a jumble of memories. And the past is indeed a jumble.

This all came to mind yesterday as I approached a local railroad crossing. I've always enjoyed watching trains -- a delight I inherited from my father -- although these days I miss seeing the caboose, that final appendage to every freight train. The caboose, the train's exclamation point, let everyone know the train has passed. And as a child I could always count on a wave from the brakeman as the caboose roared by. But, sadly, technology has now eliminated the caboose, and today's children will suffer, if only mildly, the loss of that wave.

Anyway, as the barrier lowered, the lights flashed, and the warning alarm clanged, I obediently brought my Kia to a stop. I was the one and only car at the crossing and, looking to my left, I could see an oncoming freight train moving along at a good clip. Powered by three engines, the train consisted of 105 cars (I counted). I had even opened the car window so I could fully experience the noise, the smell, the sight of all those freight cars rumbling by as I waited more than patiently. And then it was gone. The barrier lifted and the train joined all those other experiences -- small, large, and in-between -- that make up my past. That train passing in front of me is really no different from the movement of the other events of my life as they pass from future to present to past.

It's unlikely I will actually recall this experience as a unique event that occurred early one February morning in 2018. It will probably merge with dozens of similar experiences joining all those other trains I've watched over the years. But memory is a strange thing, and some experiences, so intense or so meaningful, will always stand out as unique events, never to be forgotten or absorbed into a mass of like incidents. And as I drove through that railroad crossing, I suddenly thought of Henry Wright and said aloud, "Oh, my gosh, I forgot February 6th, the day Henry was killed."

I am ever amazed how the memory of such events is triggered. Why did I think of Henry yesterday morning? I haven't a clue. But as soon as I got home I went directly to a thick book just published by my U. S. Naval Academy class of 1967 as a remembrance of the 50th anniversary of our graduation. It contains biographical sketches of most of my classmates, living and dead. I turned to Henry's entry just to ensure I had the date right. I did. His entry is below. Click on it for a larger image.

Henry Arthur Wright was a 1967 classmate who, along with me and a couple of dozen other classmates, spent four years together in the same company. (The Brigade of Midshipman was divided into 36 companies.) 

Henry was a remarkable young man, a true over-achiever determined to prove, if only to himself, that he had what it takes to do great things. Henry didn't need to prove this to those who knew him, because we were already convinced of his capabilities. The photo below is his USNA yearbook photo.

Henry Arthur Wright

Henry chose to become an officer in the U. S. Marine Corps and at graduation was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. Like every new Marine officer, he spent the next few months at The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia. On January 5, 1968, just six months after graduation from the Naval Academy, Henry was in Vietnam as a platoon commander. One month later, on February 6, Henry was mortally wounded leading his platoon in relief of a company of Marines near Da Nang. He was the first of our classmates to sacrifice his life in combat. And it truly was a sacrificial act, for his bravery under fire was recognized by the award of a posthumous Bronze Star and, of course, a Purple Heart. Among the youngest members of our USNA class, Henry was just 21 years old at the time of his death. He is indeed "forever young."

We lost too many classmates in the Vietnam conflict. They were all remarkable men, true heroes every one. But to me Henry was special -- not simply because he was the first to lose his life, but because I knew him so well. He was indeed a friend. (Henry's profile on the Virtual Wall: Panel 37#, Line 76)

Marines Near Da Nang

A few months ago, a TV show recalling the Tet Offensive brought Henry to mind and I could hardly believe it had been 50 years since his death. I promised myself that on February 6 of this year, I would remember February 6, 1968 by having a Mass celebrated in Henry's name for the repose of his soul. And then, of course, in the busy-ness and unceasing movement of life, I simply forgot. I will make up for that lapse this week. Fortunately, Henry is now in eternity where time and memory presumably have less meaning. But these are still meaningful to me and to all those who knew this wonderful young man.

Rest in peace, Henry. We will never forget you.

Homily: Saturday, First Week of Lent

Readings: Dt 26:16-19; Ps 119; Mt 5:43-48

As a Navy pilot during the war in Vietnam, I flew search and rescue helicopters. We were stationed aboard ships in the Tonkin Gulf and most of our rescue work involved picking up fighter and attack pilots who had been shot down. Although we were armed with a .30 caliber machine gun mounted in the cabin door, and we all carried small arms, these light weapons really provided very little protection. Anyway, our goal was to avoid detection. We just wanted to get in, pick up any survivors, and get out as quickly as possible. On the few occasions that one of our helicopter crews actually fired their weapons, I don’t think they ever hit anybody. I suppose they made us feel safer though.

The enemy, of course, were the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong communists. As my POW friends will attest, they were not nice people. And as my many Marine friends discovered when they liberated the ancient city of Hue, the communists had tortured and murdered over 7,000 men, women, and children during their month-long occupation. Yes, they were an easy enemy to hate.

But hating them troubled me because I had read the Sermon on the Mount and knew what Jesus had commanded of us. And so one day I paid a visit to the Catholic chaplain and asked him how we could reconcile the command to love our enemies with this conflict in which we were engaged. I’ll always remember that conversation.

It was a long conversation. I won’t go into our lengthy discussion on the just war doctrine. That’s a subject for another time. But I will tell you what he had to say about enemies and hatred and love and forgiveness.

He began by saying that if our enemies are those we hate, we have ceased being Christians. As disciples of Jesus Christ we are to hate no one. But if our enemies are those who hate us, then we will always have enemies.

After all, Jesus had many enemies, simply because He loved everyone, especially those despised by the world, and He spoke the truth even when it upset people, and did the Father’s will. Yes, Jesus had enemies, but He hated no one.

Our enemies decide how they will treat us. We decide only to love them or to hate them. Love and hate, you see, are not emotions. They’re decisions. Jesus calls us to make the decision to love regardless of the evil others do. And He calls to exclude no one from our love.

These are hard words for us, aren’t they? Hard indeed… until we come face to face with the Cross, and we hear His words, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” [Lk 23:34]. It’s there, on the Cross, that we encounter Divine Mercy: God’s perfect  love, a love that demands forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the only thing we can do to those we are called to love. If we refuse to forgive, we are refusing to love.

Do you remember the movie, “Dead Man Walking”? Well, one person you won’t see in the movie is Debbie Morris, the one victim who miraculously survived kidnapping, rape and torture -- a horrific ordeal at the hands of Robert Willie. He was executed based largely on her testimony. But after a long healing process, she said, “Justice didn’t do a thing to heal me. Forgiveness did.”

Yes, it’s easy to hate and scream for justice, for man’s justice, but it never brings healing. It never brings the closure the world promises. Only forgiveness can do that. Only forgiveness can heal.

The world will never run out of objects for our hatred, especially today when enemies abound. If we hope to become the people Moses spoke of in our first reading, “a people sacred to the LORD” [Dt 26:19], we must live up to God’s expectations for us, we who were created in His image and likeness.

And so He calls each of us to view this life as a pilgrimage of love, one in which we seek out others, finding Jesus Christ in each person we meet, and letting them recognize Jesus in us.

Let God be the one who will judge His creations.

We need only love.

Swapping a Deserter for Five War Criminals

I won't speculate as to why the president felt it was necessary to release five very nasty war criminals from Guantanamo in exchange for the release of an American soldier who deserted his post and his comrades. Sadly, there also seems to be fairly strong evidence that Sgt Bergdahl engaged in some level of collaboration with the enemy. As one wag observed, "We traded five grenades for one water pistol." There certainly doesn't appear to be any national security rational for this "deal," which will likely return these five nasties to active involvement in the conflict. If anything, our willingness to negotiate with these terrorists will only energize them to seek out high-value Americans and kidnap them knowing that they can expect to be rewarded.

The Five War Criminals

The Deserter

To my knowledge all of the president's senior military advisers were completely against the swap, which appears to have been supported only by his political team. The reasons offered by the White House, specious reasons which seem to dribble out anew every few hours, aren't very likely. For someone supposedly on death's door, Sgt Bergdahl appeared to be in reasonably good health. Even Senator Feinstein, a Democrat and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated that she believed there was no "credible threat" against the life of Bergdahl. Not surprisingly national security advisor Susan Rice was intent on once again making a fool of herself on national tv by claiming that this deserter "served with honor and distinction." And then the president went public and attributed any opposition to the deal to politics, which I find especially odd since a growing number of his own party publicly oppose him on this. I suppose he's hoping that most of the public won't know this and will just accept whatever he and the mainstream media tell them. Unfortunately, he's probably right.

According to the Obama administration the five released Taliban commanders would be subject to “restrictions on their movement and activities." In other words the government of Qatar would keep a tight rein on these terrorists and ensure that they would not re-enter the conflict, for at least a year.  And then come the reports from Qatar. The released terrorists will have no restrictions on their movements within the Arab Emirate. Such a good deal!

But more disturbing than all this misinformation are the reports issuing from the administration that the sergeant's platoon-mates, who have come out strongly against him, are perhaps a group of undisciplined psychopaths. These accusations are absolutely despicable and are certainly unworthy of the commander in chief. As someone who wore the uniform of our nation for nearly 30 years, I just don't know what to make of it. I simply cannot conceive of a commander in chief who would do such a thing. 

Vice Admiral James Stockdale

I'll make one prediction: Sgt Bergdahl will not face a court martial. I base this opinion on the precedent set at the end of the war in Vietnam. In addition to the hundreds of unbelievably brave POWs, several of whom I knew personally,  there were a tiny handful who collaborated with their communist captors and accepted special treatment, including early release. When the other POWs were finally released, their senior officer, Vice Admiral James Stockdale, brought charges against those who had collaborated. Stockdale who earned the medal of honor for his heroism as a POW, was rebuffed by the Department of Defense. DOD decided not to prosecute, believing that doing so would only result in more division in a country already polarized because of the war. 

I can't believe that our current administration will act any differently.

Homily: Wednesday, 5th Week of Lent

Readings: Dan 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dan 3:52-56; John 8:31-42
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Torture at the Hanoi Hilton

A US Navy pilot who’d been shot down over North Vietnam was once more dragged from his prison cell, interrogated, beaten and tortured, and then interrogated again. The first thing his interrogator asked him was, “Wouldn’t you like to go home? Wouldn’t you like to be free?”

Barely able to stand, the American looked down at him and said, “I don’t understand your question. I am free.”

“Free? You call this free? Are you a fool? Do you understand nothing? Don’t you realize you are under our total control?”

“Well,” the young officer replied, “you do have control over my body, and my surroundings, but nothing more.”

“There is nothing more.”

“Ah, spoken like a true communist. Sadly for you, you’re wrong. There is so much more. There is the Good News of Jesus Christ, the truth of the Gospel. Because I believe in that truth, I am free. But because you don’t believe, you remain a slave.”

His interrogator shouted at him, “You dare to call me a slave. You’re the one in chains.”

“Yes, and I thank you for the leg irons. They remind me of how much Jesus suffered for us all…for you too. Maybe that’s why I’m here: to help you find him.” And with that the session ended. He was again beaten and dragged back to his cell where he spent the next five years.

And so now we fast-forward forty years or so and find ourselves worried about all sorts of things, earthly things, imagining the worst, and forgetting the truth. Too many people today are like that interrogator in Hanoi. They look around them and they see nothing more. Like Pontius Pilate they can look at the Son of God and sneer, “What is truth?”

Pope Francis: "Pray for me..."

Yes, so many folks today deny the very existence of truth. Pope Benedict aptly called it, the “dictatorship of relativism,” a kind of radical political correctness that forces itself on the world and screams, “How dare you claim to have the truth.”

It has infected even the Church. Christians want to take the Gospel, rewrite it to fit their own personal wants, and get rid of that pesky Cross. Pope Francis, in the very first homily of his papacy, a homily preached to the cardinals who elected him, stated:

“When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly; we are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, but not disciples of the Lord.”

Yes, the truth, the Cross of Jesus Christ, can be very inconvenient; for if we really accept it, we must come face to face with our own lives, our own sinfulness, our own slavery. But to accept the truth of the Gospel is to change. To accept the truth is to become a disciple. That’s why Jesus could say,

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” [Jn 8:31-32].

The truth not only sets us free, but we are free only in truth. It’s common for people to think freedom means the right to choose good or evil. But that’s not what Jesus tells us. True freedom is only the freedom to choose what is good – for once we choose evil, we cease being free. Instead we become slaves, slaves to that evil, slaves to sin.

King Nebuchadnezzar's Fiery Furnace

Brothers and sisters, our lives are marked by thousands of everyday decisions and actions, but at crucial moments in our lives we are expected to be heroic. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace, like that young pilot in Hanoi, if we want to be truly free, we have no other choice. It’s then, when we act in true freedom, that our true selves emerge most fully, most courageously, most divinely.

Do you believe that? Really believe it? I hope so because it’s the truth. And the truth – the truth of that deep divine life we are all called to share -- will set us free.

God's peace.

Things Unreported

I don't spend a lot of my time roaming the worldwide web because I actually have much better things to do. But if one is judicious the web is perhaps the only place one can access the important news that most media outlets ignore. And so every few days I check out a few favorite sites just to see what's really new in the world. Here are a few items I came across this morning. I doubt that you'll see them on the evening network news.

From American Thinker: Will the Real Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Please Stand Up? Includes some interesting facts about the Arab/Muslim world's treatment of Palestinians.

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From Pajamas Media: The eminent classicist and historian, now gentleman farmer, Victor Davis Hanson, gives us his thoughts on societal decline: With a Whimper or a Bang -- or Not at All.

From Front Page Magazine: If you thought China was just an economic superpower, check out this analysis of the Pentagon's 2010 report on China's extraordinary military buildup. Are we once again all prepared for the last war instead of the next? China Rising.

From Catholic Online: Deacon Keith Fournier tells us about the demise of the last Catholic adoption agency in the UK. Catholic Care will no longer offer adoptions because they refused to compromise Church teaching and arrange adoptions for homosexual couples. The 2007 Equality Act Sexual Orientation Regulations demand that Catholic Care accede to these regulations or close it doors. Last Catholic Adoption Agency in UK Refuses to Compromise With Caesar.

From The Catholic Thing: If you want to learn about the persecution of Christians throughout the world,  don't bother looking in the mainstream media because it's not there. But here's an interesting story about Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) who, along with several colleagues, is demanding an investigation of an incident in which Vietnamese government authorities used deadly force against a religious procession. US Lawmakers Urge Probe on Vietnam Catholic Clash.

One morning's collection of interesting unreported news...

More Good News...

In addition to the news about the Church welcoming Anglicans into full communion (see my previous post), other good things are happening throughout the world, proving the the Holy Spirit is always at work and will never leave us orphans.

Conversions in Vietnam. The Catholic Church's primary task, the work of evangelization in the world, continues to bear fruit, even in the most unlikely of places. For example, in Vietnam, a country where the Church is openly and regularly persecuted by the nation's Communist government, 30,000 Montagnards from the central highlands were baptized in 2008 and 20,000 more are preparing for baptism and entry into the Catholic Church. The Bishop of Kontum, Michael Hoang Duc Oanh, stated simply, "It is the work of the Holy Spirit..."

Pakistani Children Pray the Rosary for Peace and Unity. That's right...in Pakistan, a nation that is no stranger to terrorism and is home to some of the more violent forms of Islamist activity, Catholic children are praying the rosary for peace. Inspired by St. Pio, who said that the recitation of the rosary by a million children would bring many graces throughout the world, these children have turned to Our Blessed Mother to intercede for the world during these days of war and terrorism. Out of darkness...light!


More on Anglicans. For an interesting series of updates on the news out of Rome on the acceptance of Anglicans into full communion, check out the Anchoress' blog on First Things' website. She pulls together a wide variety of comments on this issue from a broad selection of folks...certainly worth reading. Click here.