June 30, 2013
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Opening Prayer
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Psalm: 16:1-2,5,7-11
Second Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:51-62
QUESTIONS:
Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 557, 544
Our labor here is brief, but the reward is eternal. Do not be disturbed by the clamor of the world which passes like a shadow. Do not let the false delights of a deceptive world deceive you.
-St. Clare of Assisi
Civil or Sacramental?
(An attempt to throw my hat in the ring of a very crucial issue)
It is an undeniable fact, that no matter how “functional or dysfunctional” (pardon the psych language) any one family may be, if one member of that family has a problem or reaches a level of success, every member of that family feels its effects.
For example, imagine one member of that family wins the lottery. Every member of that family will be affected by that one member’s win. It is assumed the Father of the family would spread his wealth around for the benefit of everyone.
If one member is sick, perhaps seriously ill, every member is likewise touched by that illness. If it were a parent, the children have a responsibility to care for the aging or infirmed parent in some way. At such a stressful time the values, morals and ethics of a family come in to play.
If one member has an addiction with alcohol or one parent is unfaithful to their spouse, it isn’t just that one spouse who is hurt or the one person whose life is threatened by over consumption of whatever addiction is present – it’s every member of that family who feels the affect.
We are not islands apart from each other blissfully enjoying our own individual lives. We are social creatures whose very human development is based upon human contact and regular interaction. We cannot put our heads in the sand ostrich style and just assume that the concerns of my brothers and sisters have no effect on me. They do.
To say that changes in public policy have no effect on those who do not agree with that policy, our case in point, “marriage equality” rights, is not correct. What happened with our Supreme Court the other day giving a green light to continue the redefinition of marriage and family as humankind has always known it, touches all of us. It has changed our culture and the perceptions of citizens. We are at a point where there is likely no going back.
That drastic cultural shift changes the culture with a never before imagined construct that strikes at the heart of human relationship – the family and parenting. Pope Francis when Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aries, Argentina in 2010 said it clearly: "Let’s not be naïve, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.” Powerful words indeed.
As culture changes so also do the perceptions and agreement of its citizens but it begs the phrase: “Just because it’s legal does not mean it’s right.” This attempt to redefine marriage sets up a shift in truth that is essentially a lie. The union of two persons of the same gender is not marriage as the Church understands the intent of God for humanity and it never will be. That defies the voice of the Church, in its counter-cultural message of the Gospel and creates a new challenge for all believers.
In this culture in which the rights of the individual are paramount over the common good, our culture, the human family, has been and will continue to be effected by the power of the few.
The push for same-sex “marriage” really has everything to do with the popular culture. This effort to change the culture of prevailing society is, seems to me, more of a social experiment. It is an experiment that has never been tried before and we have no idea what its effect will ultimately be. It is not a place the Church wants to or even can go because it flies in the face of all we hold dear – the sacramental life of the Catholic Church and the faith life of other religious organizations that see marriage as we do, not to mention the threat to the very fabric of human society.
The green light given by the American Supreme Court which failed to stand up in defense of marriage as it has been since humans were given a memory once again reinforces the truth that the official voice(s) of the Catholic Church are pretty much dismissed and ineffective on the secular culture stage. If words change culture, then no one is effectively listening to the words of the Church in a serious sort of way. The reason why it seems to me the Church has lost its’ effective voice on culture is not the fault of the Bishops. Their voice(s) are courageous, clear, articulate, passionate, and inspiring.
The reason why is because the other competing voices are louder, more in-your-face, richer, flashier, intolerant, judgmental, impatient, and they have the power of the secular media through radio, television, the internet, and a host of other contacts in schools and universities that have drowned out that of our Church leaders. So, what are we to do?
The position of the faith community has nothing to do with bigotry or being anti-gay. That’s a smoke cloud being successfully spread. It has everything to do with what we as Catholics call the sacrament of matrimony. Our language speaks of vocation, covenant, holiness, God’s intention, gift and grace, the extension of the ministry of Christ. No one in the Church claims that we invented marriage and that we are vociferously defending our creation.
God created marriage and family life and it all began in the Garden of Eden. While the forms of marriage have varied over the centuries in the sense of reasons why a man and woman entered married life, the very nature of it hasn’t. Royal couples would marry for political and economic reasons, not necessarily for love. Likewise many marriages were arranged for the benefit of the bride and the relationship of the families involved. Marriage for love is a relatively new reason but obviously a very good one.
Yet, the nature of the marriage covenant is based in both scripture and tradition and that has created a Catholic culture for all those in the Church. The wider culture in which the Church finds itself now speaks a different language and poses a different understanding. It wasn’t always that way in the day when the voice of faith and the Catholic Church in particular was more respected and welcome in the dialogue.
Now it seems the ultimate aim is to silence the Church all together. However, the more achievable aim is to simply ignore the voices of faith and marginalize those opinions -to speak with a voice that is louder, flashier, and more in line with popular fad. What can we do? Of all that has been written this week, I found one suggestion very attractive that has been heard before but maybe now is the time to think seriously about it.
It’s time the line is drawn in a way that the Church accepts its’ mission as a witness to the truth revealed to humanity by God. The secular government can call “marriage” whatever it wants to but we as a people of faith don’t want anything to do with that. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are maybe an alternative but it’s clear that is not the agenda. The legal union of two persons of the same gender is not marriage in the Christian sense.
We as a Catholic Church want out. We seek a divorce from our requirements for a couple to obtain a legal marriage license from the state before they marry in the Church. We will perform marriages in our Churches, in that sacred setting where God and humanity meet in sacred worship – where we will protect marriage and families as intended by God.
If you want to be married in the Church we offer the Sacrament of Matrimony to all opposite sex couples who seek such. With all the expectations that the Church hopes for all married in the Church we offer no legal rights, privileges or tax advantages. That’s the business of the State. If you want that for your marriage, then you deal with the secular government in that regard. We offer the Gospel of Christ and the preservation of the truth. If you simply want to be married then any Court House or Judge can provide that for you.
It is not at all out of the realm of possibility that the government will demand, on the basis of non-discrimination, that if a same-sex couple want to be married in our Churches we would be legally required to do so. Thereby, we are coerced in violation of our religious principles, our scriptures, our tradition and our conscience. If we do not do so, the Church would be penalized. However, if we have no requirement for a couple to produce a legal marriage license, then we are free to administer marriage according to our sacramental beliefs.
Finally, I believe that this may be a challenge from God; a work of the Spirit through divine toleration which now calls the Church and individual Catholics to re-examine their Catholic faith. In particular all couples who entered a valid, sacramental marriage in Christ must ask themselves what it means for them to be a Catholic couple. How have they shared the life of faith with their children? What does it mean for all of us to truly be Catholic in a world that is both tolerant and hostile? How can I as a person married in the Church or whatever vocation I have embraced and living the life of faith as a Christian man and woman find holiness in my marriage or other vocation? How can we as a community of faith and love affect the culture around us in a way that will change minds and hearts to reconsider the divine proposition of the Gospel?
And so it goes on. Feel free to comment and have your say:
Fr. Tim
