To whom shall we go?
Purple Catholic Saturday Post
This week, I joined Dr. Marcus Peter on Ave Maria in the Afternoon to discuss some of the reaction to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Two things can be true at the same time:
UnitedHealthcare and other insurance companies like it may have questionable business practices that work in their favor and not patients
Murder is wrong
Thompson, if was a part of anything illegal regarding UnitedHealthcare, would not have faced the death penalty. Anyone celebrating his murder as somehow good for society needs to take a serious look at their outlook on life.
If this becomes the standard and vigilante justice is to be hailed, we are headed down a very dangerous path.
I do not typically share publications on this website that I believe are not helpful to fostering a holier Church. For that reason I typically exclude publications such as the National Catholic Reporter.
The Reporter has a long history of pushing a progressive form of Catholicism that features op-eds from theologians who want to uproot the Church’s teaching on marriage, sexuality, ordination, and abortion. Some of their columnists have written that discussing one’s eligibility to receive the Eucharist is “weaponization,” despite the fact that such a prohibition is codified in Canon Law.
That all being said, I have shared an interview they conducted this week with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She shared her reaction to her bishop’s declaration (Archbishop Salvatore Corleone, San Francisco, California) that after repeated refusals to dialogue with her, she was prohibited from receiving the Eucharist in San Francisco.
Pelosi says that it was “his problem, not mine” and that the bishops “have nothing to do” with her faith.
If I were born yesterday and had no knowledge of Pelosi’s politics, I might assume she were a rad trad based on her apparent disdain for decisions by her bishop.
This language that is used by those who constantly find themselves at odds with Church teaching, both on the right and the left, is destructive and unhelpful when it comes to building up the Church.
How are we any different from our protestant brethren or those who present themselves as “nones” when we constantly promote our own single interpretations of the faith as the only “true” way?
When we start to go our own way, we might find that it is easier in the short run. But soon we get lost and the only way to start to find our way back is admit we are lost. If we start to work on finding our way back (as we all have to do at some point because we are sinners), we will eventually come to the conclusion that there is no other way than to follow Jesus and the Church.
Remember the words of St. Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
Third Sunday of Advent
This week we are entering the Second Sunday of Advent. This Sunday we will hear readings from Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; and Luke 3:10-18.
Here are some resources to help you prep for the readings this Sunday:
The Peace that the World Can’t Give - Bishop Robert Barron (Winona-Rochest, Minnesota)
Rejoice in the Presence of the Lord - Monsignor Charles Pope
In the Liturgy of the Hours, we are in Psalter Week III. In the Office of Readings we are continuing our readings from Isaiah.
We enter a privileged season this week for the Liturgy of the Hours. Between December 17-24, there are no obligatory memorials; any such memorials are automatically optional. In the current American edition of the Liturgy of the Hours (four volume version), these memorials are labeled as “Commemorations.”
Here is a calendar for the rest of the week:
Saturday, 21 December - Memorial of St. Peter Canisius, priest and doctor (optional)
[You] shall be called the priests of the Lord,
men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their riches you shall glory.
Isaiah 61:6
In the news:
The United States
‘Blue Bloods’: The Most Catholic Network TV Series Bids Farewell - National Catholic Register
Francis pushes end to death penalty as Biden commutes 1500, but none on death row - Crux
The Vatican
Vatican Jubilee office denies LGBT calendar posting - The Pillar
Later admits it and says it could be reinstated - The Pillar
Pope Francis meets Palestinian leader Abbas amid Gaza crisis - Catholic News Agency
Pope at Audience: May the Spirit help us “abound in hope” - Vatican News
Vatican opens first day care for employees’ children - Catholic News Agency
The World
Lay “episcopal delegate” added to Eucharistic Prayer in Belgian province - The Pillar
Have a good weekend,
Matthew