Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
July 22, 2024 Column Father De Celles
I’m writing this on Sunday, the 14th, before I go out of town for the week. I do this as we follow the news surrounding the attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump on the 13th. I ask you to please keep all concerned in prayer, especially Pres. Trump and those killed and wounded in the tragedy. And pray for peace and tranquility in our Nation.
St. Mary Magdalene. Tomorrow, Monday, July 22, we celebrate the feast of this great saint. “The Magdalene” is a great example for our times, as a woman once mired in a life of debauchery and filled with all seven deadly sins, who was finally lifted up and transformed by the love of Christ and her faith in Him to be repentant, faithful and grace-filled servant of the Lord Jesus. We look to her example for hope in the power of Christ to “make all things new,” and pray for her intercession for our culture and our families.
My devotion to this great saint began as I grew up in St. Mary Magdalene Parish in San Antonio—I was baptized, confirmed, received First Holy Communion and first discovered my priestly vocation altar serving there. I remember as a boy praying in front of the stained-glass window of the Magdalene washing our Lord’s feet with her tears. My devotion has only grown through the years as I have seen our society increasingly degrade women through false feminism and sexual exploitation—the redeemed sinner Magdalene is a sign to all of us of the true dignity of women and the hope all sinners have in Christ. Finally, my devotion was deepened 22 years ago when, by her intercession, I was miraculously cured on my death bed on her feast day.
And of course, she is patroness of the Dominicans (Order of Preachers) of which our own St. Raymond of Peñafort was the third Master General.
So, needless to say, I continue to commend her to your devotions, and you to her protection. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.
Humanae Vitae. This coming Thursday, July 25, is the anniversary of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical reaffirming the ancient and apostolic teaching of the Church that contraception is a grave sin. In the years since, his words have been largely ignored by the world, even by Catholics. But they still remain as true today as ever. Moreover, his explanations of the reasons for and the consequences of disregarding this teaching have been proven out over the years. He warned that it would lead to increased sexual infidelity and “the general lowering of morality,” especially among young men, and that eventually men would lose respect for women, seeing them only as object of selfish enjoyment. Elsewhere he would specifically point to the immediate connection between contraception and abortion.
Over the last 56 years we have seen this all bear out as we’ve seen the dramatic and catastrophic increase in divorce, marital infidelity, pornography, abortion, prostitution, teenage pregnancy and promiscuity, child abuse, wife abuse, and acceptance of homosexuality and transgenderism.
But Pope Paul also recognized that it was morally acceptable, for a “just reason,” to “regulate birth” using methods that take into account the “natural rhythms” of the fertility cycle of women. Today several highly scientific methods are available to couples in this regard, usually referred to as “Natural Family Planning” (NFP). These are very effective in both postponing and promoting conception. They have the full approval of the Church.
Good News in the News. Did you see these stories in media?
Anti-Woman Nomination Rejected. As reported by Redstate: “Women in America were given a massive victory by the Senate Judiciary Committee after it torpedoed the nomination of Sarah Netburn and the Democrats’ bid to have her sit on the U.S. District Court in New York’s Southern District.
“To give you a reminder about how radical Netburn is, this was the judge who allowed a man named William McClain to transfer to a women’s prison after he simply renamed himself July Justine Shelby and identified as a woman despite undergoing no real changes to his body. McClain had pleaded guilty to molesting a nine-year-old boy and raping a 17-year-old girl.
“Netburn reversed a decision by the Board of Prisons to deny McClain his request, stating McClain was hormonally a female and should be transferred to a women’s prison as soon as possible…
“Fast-forward to Thursday, and the Judiciary Committee nuked any chances Netburn had, and not only that, Cruz gave one of the fieriest speeches I have ever seen from the man, not only bringing down the hammer on Netburn but daring any Democrat to defend her….
“‘This is an opportunity to every senator to demonstrate whether you’ll stand up for the rights of women or not,’ said Cruz, staring straight at his colleagues. ‘I sadly expect a party-line vote on this, but I will say this; if we do have a party-line vote, Mr. Chairman, I’m going to make a request. I’m going to ask, Mr. Chairman, that you ask Majority Leader Schumer to expedite a floor vote on this judge on the floor.
“‘I want to see Senator Tester vote on whether a six-foot-two man should go to a women’s prison,’ continued Cruz. ‘I want to see Senator Brown — I want to see every Democrat go on record. Do you give a damn about the women in your state, or not?’
“Sadly, Cruz was right. It was an 11-10 party-line vote with one exception. According to The Hill, Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff split with his party to vote alongside Republicans to deny Netburn.”
Knights in Shining Armor. As reported by The Pillar:
“The Knights of Columbus announced Thursday that mosaics by the disgraced religious artist Fr. Marko Rupnik will be covered at two prominent chapels under the Knights’ care.
“The fraternal organization said the artwork could be permanently plastered over, after the conclusion of a Vatican penal process against the priest.
“In a July 11 statement, the Knights of Columbus said that installations by Rupnik at the at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and Holy Family Chapel at the organization’s’ headquarters in New Haven will be covered, after a ‘a careful and thorough process’ to review of the future of the mosaics, which included consultation with clerical sexual abuse victims, art experts, and bishops.
“‘The Knights of Columbus has decided to cover these mosaics because our first concern must be for victims of sexual abuse, who have already suffered immensely, and who may be further injured by the ongoing display of the mosaics at the Shrine,’ said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly.
“‘This decision is rooted in a foundational purpose of the Knights of Columbus, which is to protect families, especially women and children, and those who are vulnerable and voiceless.’
“Rupnik has been accused of sexually abusing some 30 religious sisters. Some of the allegations involve claims of sexual abuse, which reportedly occurred directly in the context of designing and creating his works of art. Rupnik was previously convicted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of sexual crimes related to the sacrament of penance, and the priest was briefly excommunicated. …