Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 11, 2017 News
Election. As I write this (Wednesday morning) I’m still recovering from the very disappointing news that Virginians have once again elected a pro-abortion, anti-marriage, anti-religious-freedom, anti-common-sense administration to govern us in Richmond. That is saddening, but not surprising, considering the voting trends in Virginia over the last 20 years. But what was surprising and more devastating than the results of the statewide races were the losses of strong pro-life, etc. candidates like Delegates Tim Hugo and Bob Marshall to pro-abortion etc. candidates. Marshall loss to a transgendered man (who calls himself a woman) was particularly troubling.
The media is trying to turn this into a rejection of conservative/traditional values by Virginia voters, but it seems pretty clear to me that the exit polls show that it was mainly a matter of voter turnout: the folks supporting abortion, etc., got their voters out in large numbers, while the folks supporting life, etc., did not. TURNOUT is the key in almost every election—Tim Hugo lost by just 68 votes!
Did you fail to vote? Or did you vote, but for the pro-abortion etc. candidates? Then maybe you need to go to confession this week.
In any case, while disappointed, I’m not going to get discouraged by this election. While I am not very optimistic about the immoral and illogical trends in our society and state, I remember that while a majority of voters voted pro-abortion etc., the facts remain that 1) it wasn’t a totality of voters, so that 45% of the voters voted pro-life etc., and 2) most of eligible voters didn’t vote. So, once again, a small minority of pro-abortion etc. voters are running our state. It doesn’t have to be that way. And with God’s grace, next time….
By the way, some people say I’m too political. But this is not about politics, per se, this is about the moral life, which is definitely my responsibility as a priest. When politics crosses into the moral life, we all have to stand up and speak—and vote.
Shooting in Texas Church. By now we’ve all heard about the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in the little town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, where 26 were killed and 20 injured during a Sunday service. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, and we pray for the souls of the dead, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We also pray for the soul of the killer—may God have mercy on his cold soul. And we pray for an end of this senseless violence.
I grew up only about 30 miles away from Sutherland Springs, in San Antonio, so I’m a familiar with the town and surrounding area. I know the good salt of the earth Texas Baptists, who don’t always understand Catholics, but share a great faith in and love of Jesus with us. So, I commend my fellow Texan Christians to the mercies of the Lord, who saw them massacred while worshiping Him, and perhaps to some extent even for worshipping Him. And I thank God for the simple bravery of the good old boys who armed themselves to stop and then chase down the crazed killer.
We may never know why the killer did what he did. It seems to me that he was clearly deranged. That derangement may have then focused on a domestic feud. It may also have focused on his atheistic/anti-Christian views, which may or may not have been fueled by the growing anti-Christian sentiment in some parts of society, especially in the media. I don’t know.
We can only ask the Lord Jesus to come to our aid in all these things, to protect us from those who hate us or mean us harm, and give us the hope and courage to move forward with Him. And to come to the aid of our brethren in Texas, and bring the souls of the dead into paradise.
Security Questions for Us. Every time something like this happens, especially a church shooting, I’m sure some of you wonder: “could that happen to me/us.” I remember after September 11, 2001, all sorts of rumors were making the circuit, including a rumor that a large church in my neighborhood was being targeted by terrorists. Thanks be to God, the rumors were completely unfounded. But ever since then I’ve thought a lot about church security, while at the same time refused to be controlled by fear of the unknown.
Could that happen here? Experience sadly shows that it can happen almost anywhere. But the odds of it happening in any particular church are so small it makes particular fears seem largely unreasonable.
Nevertheless, we want to take whatever precautions are reasonable and practical. But what should we do? I’ve discussed this issue with priests, parishioners and law enforcement folks, but no one has a definitive answer. Again, the possibility is so remote that it seems impractical and unreasonable to devote many resources to it. There is also the risk of stirring up undue fears that could distract people at Mass (especially children), or even discourage them from coming to Mass. Moreover, some proposals would seem unnecessarily unwelcoming to visitors.
Even so, we will try to take those precautions which seem reasonable in the circumstances. And if any of you have particular concerns or suggestions, I’m open to hearing them—feel free to contact me or Tom Browne in the office. Moreover, I always encourage you to be vigilant, and report anything clearly suspicious to the priests, staff or ushers. And at all times, I am greatly comforted to know that many of our parishioners are current or former law-enforcement officers or trained military veterans, and that many of them are constantly prepared to render proportionate forceful defense of their fellow parishioners. But above all I trust and pray that Jesus will send His angels to protect and defend us at all times.
Lighting and Mural Project. Thanks for all the overwhelming support so many of you are giving to our plans for the Lighting and Mural Project, both in your comments and in your donations. As of this morning (Wednesday) we have a total of just over $90,000 pledged. Excellent for the first 10 days. But we have a ways to go, so please consider making a pledge this week.
A few of you have expressed some concerns, or even disapproval of the project. I’m open to hearing from all you. One particular concern has been about the health ramifications of LED lights. We have discussed these with our lighting consultant, Chris Stroik, one of the leading lighting architects in the country. Until a few years ago, Mr. Stroik shared many of these concerns, but he assures us that from his extensive investigations and experience all those concerns have been addressed, so that now he exclusively recommends LED systems to his large-building clients. Moreover, the Diocesan construction office, which has overseen over a dozen similar lighting projects, reports no ill effects and few complaints related to LED lighting in other churches. If you have any further concerns about this, please contact Tom Browne in the office.
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles