NO CatholIc Charities in Two Years!

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13461

Cardinal George: no Catholic hospitals in 2 years unless HHS mandate is rescinded

February 27, 2012

From Our Store: The Documents of the Second Vatican Council: A Summary and Guide (eBook)

Warning that the Church is being “despoiled of her institutions” as “freedom of conscience and of religion become a memory from a happier past,” Cardinal Francis George of Chicago observes that “the Catholic Church in the United States is being told she must ‘give up’ her health care institutions, her universities and many of her social service organizations.”

“So far in American history, our government has respected the freedom of individual conscience and of institutional integrity for all the many religious groups that shape our society,” he continues. “The government has not compelled them to perform or pay for what their faith tells them is immoral. That’s what we’ve meant by freedom of religion. That’s what we had believed was protected by the U.S. Constitution. Maybe we were foolish to believe so.”

Cardinal George adds:

What will happen if the HHS regulations are not rescinded? A Catholic institution, so far as I can see right now, will have one of four choices: 1) secularize itself, breaking its connection to the Church, her moral and social teachings and the oversight of its ministry by the local bishop. This is a form of theft. It means the Church will not be permitted to have an institutional voice in public life. 2) Pay exorbitant annual fines to avoid paying for insurance policies that cover abortifacient drugs, artificial contraception and sterilization. This is not economically sustainable. 3) Sell the institution to a non-Catholic group or to a local government. 4) Close down …

Freedom of worship was guaranteed in the Constitution of the former Soviet Union. You could go to church, if you could find one. The church, however, could do nothing except conduct religious rites in places of worship-no schools, religious publications, health care institutions, organized charity, ministry for justice and the works of mercy that flow naturally from a living faith. All of these were co-opted by the government. We fought a long cold war to defeat that vision of society.

The strangest accusation in this manipulated public discussion has the bishops not respecting the separation between church and state. The bishops would love to have the separation between church and state we thought we enjoyed just a few months ago, when we were free to run Catholic institutions in conformity with the demands of the Catholic faith, when the government couldn’t tell us which of our ministries are Catholic and which not, when the law protected rather than crushed conscience. The state is making itself into a church.

"If you haven't already purchased the Archdiocesan Directory for 2012, I would suggest you get one as a souvenir,” the cardinal continued, saying:

On page L-3, there is a complete list of Catholic hospitals and health care institutions in Cook and Lake counties. Each entry represents much sacrifice on the part of medical personnel, administrators and religious sponsors. Each name signifies the love of Christ to people of all classes and races and religions. Two Lents from now, unless something changes, that page will be blank.

We Were Born For Such a Time as This

Time of Trouble

Most Protestants I have spoken to glaze over when I bring up the topic of losing our religious liberty. They just assume everything will be okay. But, if you know me, I don't just allow things to be set aside. I tend to probe and confront and interrogate. I don't do that to be mean, but to understand why people are not more alarmed at what is going on in the U. S. today.

Oh, they are very upset, but all they can handle is "thinking positive" and hope for the best. If Obamacare goes through without a conscience clause, I ask, are they willing to engage in non-violence civil disobedience and even go to jail? That is when their faces dull over and they can't get their words out.

At first I was angry at these people's passivity until I listened to their lives.

Over the last few years, everyone I know is going through something tragic: divorce, spousal abuse, cancer, drug abuse, lost jobs and houses. Several of them have recently been diagnosed with some type of illness, either diabetes or heart disease or mental illness such as depression or bipolar disorder. Many people take drugs, legal and/or illegal, just to be able to survive their lives. It is just heartbreaking.

And with the majority, several of these high stress situations are happening at once. So many of our lives are catastrophic disasters at the moment and many feel since their lives seem hopeless--or if they have hope it is only by the thinnest string...

We are coming apart at the seems. No wonder a federal crisis doesn't even make it onto the radar screen of these people.

All I can cry out is Maranatha!

And I will pray for them.

What Are We To Do About the Contraception Mandate?

Worst Case Scenario:

I can see two worst case scenarios facing Catholics today about the Obama Healthcare Law.

1. The President caves and includes in the contraception mandate a clause for religious organizations. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops breathe a sigh of relief and gives the green light to the Healthcare Bill. And they abandon all of us Catholic citizens who then are forced to purchase healthcare with abortifacients, sterilization and contraception for everyone else. Our individual consciences are shrugged off.

2. The President does not cave, wins the election and begins the Reign of Terror, American Style.

I am asking a very serious question. I do not want to hear "Cross that bridge when we come to it." We need to prepare as Catholics for the possibility that our eternal optimism is going to hit a brick wall. Hard.

What are we going to do?

As I see it, and I am very anxious to hear other options I have not yet thought of:

A. We can just pay the fee and be done with it. But my fear is that tax is going to go straight into the Healthcare coffers that I am conscienceously trying to avoid filling. Taking it from me and stuffing it into the back pocket of planned parenthood as opposed to handing it to them at a Culture of Death Fête doesn't help my predicament. So my best guess--that one's out. 

B. Go to jail. 

C. Leave the country and as a ex-patriot purchase healthcare overseas that doesn't include conscience-breaking mandates. 

D. What if we still are required to purchase AMERICA's healthcare living overseas? Renounce our citizenship?

Any other options? I am thinking..... 

Contraception and Church Epistemology

Ephesians One:

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit....

...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened... 

And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church,  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (vs.7-11, 13, 17, 22) 

Summation: Christ lavished upon His Body, the Church, His wisdom to unite all things. 

Within this first chapter of Ephesians, the great epistemological question is answered for all and for eternity. He has made known to us the mysteries of wisdom and salvation and knowledge and enlightenment and gave these things to His Body, the church.

Upon this rests the infrastructure, the first cause, the heart and core of how Catholics and Protestants differ in their thinking. Catholics have always read Ephesians one (and all of the New Testament) in the context of the church being visible, organized--one that is catholic and apostolic.(1)

 For Protestants this concept of a visible church organization, started by Christ that continues to today, is alien and utterly rejected. The body is an invisible group of believers.

I offer this post, not to convince or proselytize, but to clearly contrast the understanding of Catholic and Protestant world views. The way we imbibe the truths of Ephesians one will point out the differences in how Protestants and Catholics experience God. For the very way we experience God and Truth differ. For both of us it is richly multifaceted.

How We Experience God

Protestant(2) Perceptions: 

The Holy Spirit draws us to God through the beauties and complexities of nature, through other Christians in socialization and corporate worship, through divine instruction of scripture and through prayer. For Protestants the most intimate and immediate of spiritual connections with Christ for is through a direct relationship in prayer. The physical link for a Christian to Christ is a book, the Bible. It is the historical “paper trail,” the object, the evidence, the substance that attaches a reader to the author (God). 

Catholic Perceptions:

Catholics would not diminish the Protestant way of experiencing God but add to it a new dimension with the sacraments. Catholics most intimate spiritual connection with Christ is directly partaking in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist (Communion Service) as well as in prayer. The Church itself is the physical link that attaches a Christian to Christ. The Word of God in Flesh instructed the Apostles who transmitted His teachings to their successors by speaking and writing. Both are infallible records of the Truth. Catholics “paper trail,” the object and evidence that attaches the believer to the source is the Catholic Church itself (The Bible being an important part of her paper trail).

Catholic rites, rituals and prayers unify us with ancient worship. Through the Liturgy, we feel the blood of the early church coursing through our veins.

How we experience Truth

Protestants: 

The Holy Spirit guides the Christian in interpreting scripture and in gleaning from the trusted sources of Christian scholarship. The fullness of truth is entrusted to the believer’s conscience convicting him of good and evil. 

Catholics: 

The Holy Spirit guides His Bride in interpreting scripture and teaching the fullness of truth. The conscience must be formed by God’s Word passed down by the Apostles through the Catholic Church.

For the Protestant, this means of transmittal of truth is invisible, for the Catholic, visible. Analogies might include that Truth is received for the Protestant more like Wifi, the Catholics firewire. For the less computer savvy, Protestants use cellphones while Catholics use land lines or perhaps Protestants use Star Trek transport beams while Catholics use train tracks.

Here’s a better, but more extensive metaphor:

Protestants see themselves as little tributaries being fed by the rain from heaven. Coming together they create a great river bringing Truth to the world. Catholics see the great Truth river as the Catholic Church fed by God’s rain. They are the trees planted by it, absorbing its waters and producing fruit. Truth is received by drinking.

Does that mean the Catholic church thinks unless you drink from her river you have no truth? Absolutely not. The rain of truth falls on the just and the unjust. It is freely given to all and you can find truth in pagan cultures, in atheists, world religions and everywhere. But the fullness of truth is not in a droplet or pond. God gave the river of truth to the Catholic Church. 

Protestants, of course, protested that claim, hence their name. Having been a Protestant the vast majority of my life, I can see how that claim comes across arrogant and totalitarian. I will not attempt an apologetic here, rather I think it necessary for both sides to understand each other and their way of getting to God and His truth.

To understand Catholics you need to see where they find the source of Truth. They see the fullness of Truth not directly implanted into our hearts and minds (via Holy Spirit inspired Bible study) as individuals, but given to the Apostles to hand down, infallible, pure and unadulterated within the structure of a visible organized church.

For unity sake, the Catholics would say that though Christians have the Holy Spirit bringing us truth, God never promised that each would have all, the entirety, of truth. Rather believers have a piece of the puzzle and only together as a Body of Christ will the whole be seen perfectly. That limitation is supposed to brings humility and harmony. 

So, let’s step out of philosophical worldviews and into a current tangible example of what I am describing.

Most Protestants interpret scripture in a way that does not oppose contraceptives, so their consciences are not violated by using them. They would also dismiss as dictatorial a church attempting to impose such a view. 

The Catholic Church can point to certain passages in scripture that reinforce what they teach, however, the Bible is not the source of their knowledge, but its proof. They received the information verbally by Christ, their Head and Groom. It was transmitted to the church by the Apostles and some of what they learned was put in inerrant, God-breathed written form--the New Testament.

Catholics claim that Christ instructed His Apostles that contraception is a grave moral sin and they are obligated to pass on that information. Catholics do not invent or formulate their dogmas, they believe they received it and then are required by God to pass it on. Catholic dogmas and doctrines are not their opinions and can never be changed by a pope, a magisterium, by democratic vote, etc. When people tell the church it needs to update its doctrines, they do not understand Catholic thought. The doctrines were never theirs, they were commissioned only to preserve them and teach them, they can’t change them.

When a new problems such as cloning and in vitro fertilization arise about which Christ didn’t specifically teach, the church doesn’t take an opinion poll, it doesn’t take the pulse of the cultural norms, they don’t even ask the pope and let him decide. When the Catholic Church today makes disciplinary statements they convene the magisterium who then do mountains of research in the church archives learning what all the church fathers passed down in order to follow the spirit of the written and oral Word of God.

The Catholic Church recognizes that no personal interpretation of scriptures is infallible, so the church studies the situation in the context of what the 2,000 years of inspiration and call upon the promise the Lord made to His church, that the gates of hell cannot prevail against her and that whatsoever she binds will be bound in heaven, and then the magisterium follows the Holy Spirit’s guidance in teaching about faith and morals. 

Protestants will of course disagree, but this is what Catholics truly believe and teach. 

The Catholic Church believes that Christ gave Truth to His Bride to unify and not divide. Wisdom and insight was lavished upon us “making known to us the mystery of His will.” That in the fullness of time He gave the church, “which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1)

In today’s climate, it is important for the government and Protestants to understand how the Catholic Church thinks, that we might have a better understanding and respect for each other.

1. Which would include the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

2. It would be impossible to describe each Protestant denomination's beliefs, so this is a general statement.

The Joys of a Good Confession

I think people hold a lot of guilt inside them, even after they have privately confessed to Jesus on their knees. Coming from a Protestant background, it is wonderful to simply throw yourself on your knees within seconds of having watched something you shouldn't have, or said something disrespectful or vulgar, or whatever temptation you fell to and ask for forgiveness. 

However, from my observations, even after that there is something that begins to build up inside--as if we painted over  the top of a rusty old metal shed, instead of sanding it down first. Like plaque in your arteries, sin layers in your subconscious leaving your heart restless, even if, through faith, you know God has forgiven you. 

Sin weights on us. And I hate to have to write this down, but I think it true enough to just plunge in and admit--I think we need to feel the scrape of the sandpaper against us as we get rid of the rust. We need to experience the wound of sin even if just a moment of it.

I think men in particular. 

Christians need to grieve our sins. There is something alien to the baptized soul who has been born into a new life that falls into the mire and there is no rite nor ritual in which we can grieve this unnatural defeat.

Even for Catholic priests, I have noticed that they downplay sins in their attempt to be merciful. Like a mother, they want to coddle and coo with us and make us not feel guilty anymore. And indeed we shouldn't when we leave, but there is a sense of something is missing when you gain the courage to enter the confessional booth and you are told to brush it off. In a way, it is like a bit of a letdown, for you are going in there to violently expunge this horror that has grasped you and you feel a huge spiritual fight about to erupt and then all of sudden, the battle is over.

Our psyche hasn't caught up with the announcement and it felt more like a white flag than a real win.

Something inside us cries out for sin to be made a big deal of.... even if we are terrified of anyone knowing and we want to have the battle somewhere in a deep closet where no one knows.

We need to feel the blow, we need to feel as if we have fought back, and often (as a female anyway) I need to cry about it--grieve the sin.

In my personal opinion, priest need to continue the love (for they are all loving beyond belief!) but do not trivialize the sin. 

For instance, when I became a Catholic, God unveiled for me how much He hated birth control. I was in shock. Having been a Protestant I had always used it thinking I was being responsible. The weight of the children I should have had, those little lives I never bore-- my heart cried out for,  those babies were never to be because of my husband's and my sin. I needed to grieve, for my sorrow was great. 

I have spoken to several priests about it and none understood my need to reach out to God in the confessional and grieve WITH Him about it. Emotion seems to unnerve us, but rather I think we would all  be better off if we covered ourselves with ashes and sackcloth for our sins. 

Our little evils are a big deal and the evil we see in our society is an incredibly big deal. Sin is incompatible with our Christian heart and should alarm our conscience. We should recoil at the monstrosity of wickedness and rejoice at the miracle of the deep healing of confession. 

When no one acknowledges the authenticity of the spiritual battle that wages within us, there really isn't a reason to glory in a victory.... and in each confession... there is a true victory. 

Just look at a crucifix.

Lavish Love

Receiving Lavish Love

You have seen those big, innocent eyes look up at you while handing you some adorable gift of love, weather it be a crayon scribble or a dripping peanut butter sandwich a five-year-old made for you. All over his or her little face is unqualified, unbounded love. 

Unfortunately, many people learn to restrict that emotional, uninhibited expenditure of love, because it is not appreciated, it is refused or deflected by the recipient. We may feel terribly uncomfortable in the presence of lavish love and we cannot accept it. Our hearts are teflon and compliments slide off. Generally, we mask our inability to accept such touching and heartfelt praise behind a pseudo humility which responds, “Give the glory to God” or “It’s not big deal.”

Without realizing it, in our uncomfortableness in embracing other’s praise, we hurt and insult those who have expended the emotional effort and vulnerability to give us such a gift. Inadvertently, we are being very selfish by demeaning other’s offering to us. At those moments, it takes effort to stop our automatic response and  accept the gift of love with an attitude of appreciation. When we do that, when we are excited about the gift of love, we are actually complimenting the person back. We are saying to them, “Wow. A gift from someone as precious and I value as much as you! You have made my day!!”

It’s a win-win situation. 

Giving Lavish Love

Giving love via compliments can feel at times like giving blood; we are pouring out, sacrificing and sometimes even depleting our inner emotional resources for another. There are reasons we at times do not give unreserved love; we will measure our compliments.

An older generation taught us that you will fill someone with vainglory and pride if given unreserved compliments. Rather, perhaps, we should think of it this way. All of us are wounded by life and pride is really a parasitic creature that feeds off of insecurities. True, lavish love given unconditionally, actually pours upon the soul and washes away that parasite. Love heals.

Regrettably, we live in a culture that tends towards a self-conscious judiciousness when we give love, as if this shows how level-headed we are. We will always add a contingency to our compliments such as “You are so smart! Now, that’s not to mean I don’t ever disagree with you, but all in all, your a smart person.” “Keep that up and your bound to be pretty good some day.” “You cleaned this kitchen very well, and you don’t always do that.”

Christians are especially worried that if we compliment someone living in open sin they will get the idea that our words somehow sanction and approve the sin. This is where we go very wrong. Just because you tell your son he is the kindest husband you have ever witnessed doesn’t translate into his brain as you now approve his pot smoking.

What the person hears is measured love and measured love leads to pot smoking, not unmeasured love. Love covers a multitude of sin and heals it. Unconditional love is what all sinners need, not just from God but from us. Lavish love is powerful enough to change, even without our caveat of qualifying words. 

Another problem with unmeasured compliments is that it is exhausting. There is just so much of ourselves we can give and then we are spent. So we disburse our compliments, ration them, out of expediency. 

However, I am learning that the more we are connected to Christ, the more we pray, He renews our cup of love to overflowing and then, all of a sudden, there is no need to budget our compliments. Lavish loves begins to overflow on to others. Our source of love becomes the eternal fountain and therefore is everlasting.

If your feeling stingy in compliments, if you moderate your praise and thankfulness towards others, do not feel guilty; do not condemn yourself, for often we need a little gentle praise ourselves! Go to Christ for some deep hydrotherapy of lavish love, drink deeply of His tenderness and be washed in His cleansing water of affection and you will be refreshed and ready to go out and flow out His love upon others.

READ IN TODAY'S MASS!

From the Diocese of Raleigh, Office of the Bishop, January 30, 2012

Italics are my commentary. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write regarding a matter of grave [usually that word in Catholic-speak means of salvific nature as it kills grace in our souls!] concern which strikes at our fundamental rights as Americans to religious liberty and freedom of conscience. On January 20, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [run by treacherous and CATHOLIC Kathleen Sebelius betrayer of her God, her faith and her church. May God have mercy on her soul] issued a ruling requiring most employers, including Catholic employers, to include coverage for sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs and contraception in the health insurance provided for their employees. With rare exception, health insurers will also be forced to include coverage in health policies they provide. Additionally, nearly all individuals will be forced to buy coverage as part of their health insurance policy, even if this payment for such coverage is contrary to their religious beliefs.

In making this ruling, our government has denied Catholics the fundamental freedom afforded to us by the Constitution of the United States, which secures our religious liberty. Under directive, we will be compelled either to violate our on science or to drop health coverage for our employees and then suffer penalties for doing so.

And the letter goes on... and signed Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh.
----------------------------

So many thoughts.

1. We should have seen this coming. Late, but not too late. Now we are discovering that elections have consequences.

2. PROUD and THRILLED my beloved Bishops are taking a stand now. I will stand with them to jail if necessary--and beyond......

3. Okay, so, we have to ask ourselves, why now? Why would the Obama administration float this right now when there is an upcoming election? What is the strategy?

BISHOPS better wake up and smell the political campaign coffee. Everything in DC is political strategizing. NO GULLIBILITY CAN BE CLAIMED after this.

My guess is the Obama's campaign strategy is that he wants to see what response Catholics will give. How big a deal are they going to make about it? Will the Catholics support their bishops? If not... as one bishop said it, "to hell with the Catholics" and then who cares if the healthcare law is constitutional or not. No pushback, more power for the administration. So long Catholic rights-of-conscience.

But if their IS a huge backlash....

Hmmmm.... I predict that before the election a "last minute deal" will be made with Obama, he will promise that he will add a conscience clause and gets to be the heroic Dudley Doright coming to the rescue of his Christians brother and sisters. And voila President Obama--another four years.

Will the conscience clause do any real good? Naw... Because offering an agenda of death to a culture of death is easy.

Either way, Catholics... better make in impact now to stop this, or.... I don't know, is Poland still Catholic?

Actually, this is what my brother told me, so I can't take credit for his political savvy.