The Tooth Fairy Offsets Vampires, But the Winnowing Fan Belongs to Jesus Christ

A very short time ago our youngest, Marcus, lost his first tooth. It had slowly been coming out for some time, and was hanging by a thread at the end, when it finally did come once and for all.

Thereupon we got a pretty glass, made of glass. He filled it with water and dropped the tooth into it. He sprinkled the water which the tooth was soaking in with salt and pepper, a little trick which had come from my own childhood. Then he and two of his siblings had gotten out a TV tray, and had placed the glass upon it, and it became as a centerpiece over near to the kitchen. The tooth was looked upon with anticipation, for the kids knew that the tooth fairy would be bringing money in exchange for the tooth.

The next morning we all got up, and I happened to walk by and look upon the TV tray, as it was almost directly sitting in front of me as I walked along. I stopped short. "Oh, shoot," I thought with a hasty panic. "The tooth fairy forgot to come." I looked at the kids, who were sitting and standing there, looking at the cup of water, tooth at the bottom, and salt and pepper floating on the top.

" .... Ah ... the ... tooth fairy ..." I nonchalantly remarked.

"She didn't come," my nine year old informed me, matter of fact, as usual. "She comes in the morning, and we got up too early, so she couldn't."

"How do you know that?" I asked, challenging him. They explained to me that it had happened before. I should have remembered.

"She'll come later, when we're not around," Matthew concluded, dogmatically.

Later, as it happened, Tooth Fairy was alone in the kitchen area, and as fast as she could, she ran to her wallet and got out a dollar bill, thankful that one had been in there. She emptied the water, discarded the tooth, and slam dunked a dollar bill into the glass, just in time.

As I turned around to lay bacon out on the griddle (for a lunch of BLT's which I had been wishing and wishing for), little Marcus seemingly appeared out of nowhere, dashing across the room, straight for the glass. He whipped the dollar out of the cup so fast that I was taken aback by the speed of it all. He had come in right behind the slam dunk of the dollar going in, and I barely had had time to get out of the way.

"The tooth fairy!" he exclaimed with glee. "She came and brought me a dollar bill. I thought she would bring quarters, but she brought this dollar."

As I began frying the bacon, he was much admiring the green dollar bill and was looking it over and feeling it with great interest. Then he looked up at me with bright, loving eyes, and a big grin. Inside the frame of his wide smiling lips I could see the large gap where the little white tooth had been just the day before. He slowly shook his head from side to side, saying, with a drawl, "And I don't think a-n-y-b-o-d-y else brought this dollar, either."

I began to speak gibberish. The sweetness of his smile had melted my heart, and I was left speechless.

What is it that becomes so enchanting about little children? They certainly are of the human family, and share the traits. They certainly can be hard to bear at times. They will imitate the bad that they see, they will harass each other if it serves their own purposes; they will tussle over something that neither of them wants only a few moments later. They are without the will to carry out responsibility unless coaxed, they are loud and obnoxious at the wrong times. They definitely have their ungrateful and sullied moments. Why then, little children? What is it that makes them so special to those who see them for what lies beyond their childish antics?

With little children it is this: they are yet untouched by the sin of pride in any significant manner. They have within them the power to believe, to share what they believe so spontaneously, to tell the truth of the moment as they see it, with complete innocence and forthrightness. Little children imagine and dream, and they mix their little imaginations into each moment, which in essence becomes their moment of awakening, because the moment depicts the truth about them and what they know and where they stand, and who they are. Their little minds are not highly developed, and they are not civilized fully. For this nuance, they have nothing to obscure, nothing to twist for meeting societal standards, nothing to lose or to gain. They see the situation in the truth of how they really see it, and they are able to dream details into that, with the God given gift of their thought. This makes little children unique and adorable, so sweet and approachable. If only we could be more like them!

Whether they are dressing up as the most sinister ghost on Halloween or the most prolific Saint on all Saints Day, little children can imagine what it would be like. They have not been chiseled down to a dull, mediocre range of thought, developed but thwarted, and do not brandish darkened suspicions. They can play into an evening of suspense at will, and can imagine in innocence, because they have soft hearts and an effervescent spirit. Their hearts love and desire to be loved. Their enjoyment of life captures whatever it is that they do. This is their view of the world out there, whether on the coldest, darkest drama filled Halloween night of trick or treating, or whether they are safe in their own comfy beds, being tucked in by Mommy or Daddy after sincere prayers to their guardian angels for help in life. In any instance, they shall find a certain contentedness and peace which we could only hope for. If only we could be more like them!

It is a wicked age, throughout the ages, which takes away from children the softness of their hearts, the height of their imaginations, the wonder of their deductions about life. In our wickedness we take away from others that we might replace our own image upon them. This "taking away and replacing with our own masks" we do through the sin of pride, in imitation of what the serpent did to Adam and Eve. He too, managed to take away from them, and reduce God's image by magnifying his own. This we do to children too, in so many different ways. If only we could be more like them instead, the world would be a better place!

Halloween cannot be measured by masks, or spells, or the occult. Evil happens all days out of all years. We cannot give one day over to Satan, as if he somehow has a right to his own day. Jesus Christ came to conquer sin and death. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor, and gather wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12.).

Evil shall happen on that evening, unmistakeably; masks shall be worn, and the drama shall be played out in fairy tale fashion by children, not unlike a large theatrical performance. It was my own mother who taught me the response to ugly attitudes in the world, although this did not come naturally to me, daughter of Eve, who has had a few myself. She had, and still does have a way of "seeing" which impresses me to this day.

My mother has always been patient and mellow. Her words are both soft and shrewd. She had always loved Halloween, because she loves both children and candy a lot!

A few years ago, she found herself in the hospital, in bed, on Halloween. I was speaking to her on the phone.

"Mom," I said. "You know, it is Halloween tonight."

"Yes," she responded over the line. "Your dad has the candy all ready. It's been ready for a long time."

"I'm sure you wish that you could be there."

I could feel Mom's pleasant disposition over the lines.

"Yes, Halloween ... I cannot think of a more joyful evening than to have children coming to the door -- all dressed up."

My mom, and certainly my dad too, saw darling children behind those masks. Whether scary or not, they saw their little innocent faces and soft hearts through their costumes, and they saw that it was all good. It warmed their own hearts. They did not think about evil or good as some abstract concept to be taken lightly; they believed deeply in both. Therefore, on Halloween, they would be looking forward to the final Judgment too, and would hope to be included in the throngs of the Saints. Until that time they would live the part of Hope and Love in a darkened world, ever so glad that sweet little children, dressed in so many themes, had come to their home to share friendship and joy.

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In Genesis we read:

The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.' "(Genesis 3:2-3.).

The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it ... (Genesis 3:6.).

In Revelation we read:

When the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the boy. (Revelation 12:13.).

Enraged at her escape, the dragon went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep God's commandments and give witness to Jesus. (Revelation 12:17.),


It is by Halloween that we might be reminded of Eve, who became the mother "of all the living" (Genesis 3:20.), and who is our mother in the natural sense, in the sense of inherited flesh and blood, and all that makes us human. This mother, who was tested, brought sin, suffering, and death into the world through a proud, blasphemous spirit of disobedience, brought on by Satan -- the serpent of Genesis. She spoke of life, briefly, but begot sin for years to come, in succumbing to the serpent's word, rebelling violently against God from the depths of what had entered her heart. It was Satan who would find his place on this earth through her evil work, through the work of that mother of ours, Eve, who entrenched us in our human misery. We have all inherited her mistaken judgments and her proud spirit, because she is mother to us according to our human condition, in spite of our subsequent redemption, which has healed us but still left us weak and in need of God. (Let us not be so quick to blame others, then, this Halloween, making nasty accusations about all the evil out there, as if we cannot understand it for the life of us, because we have all, according to the Holy Bible and Church teaching, had a share in it through our very substance.)

It is by Christ's redemption that we were brought Salvation. We could not have had it the way in which it came, had it not been for our spiritual Mother, Mary, who heard God's Word and kept it. Her choice was to receive the Word. It was she who said, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." (Luke 1:38.). Immaculately conceived through a singular grace, her whole life was enacted upon this singular grace. She did not sin, ever, but she suffered in ways of which we could never dream of. Her spiritual cross bore for us the Savior of the world.

She was the Mother who closed in on the rebellion, through grace and suffering, and brought newness by her perfect obedience, which cost her immensely, in the depths of her heart, entangled with thorns and pierced with a lance. She was the mother who sought not for herself, but for God in all things. She humbled herself, and in this way, she was able to avert herself from Satan, in all ways: in her thoughts, in her deeds, and in her words. Her keen humility was her freedom from him, as opposed to Eve's arrogant pride, which was her beckoning toward him.

It is by Halloween then too that we might be reminded of Mary, our Mother in the spiritual realm. We belong to the world, but she has delivered us from it, just as she delivered the suffering Christ into this world of woe to save us from it. She has brought forth the feast of the Saints, the offspring of God, through her perfect obedience to His Word. In the midst of disobedience, division, and scorn, Mary's humility shines. We have belonged to the world, but through her great obedience we have been delivered from it, through Christ our Lord, the Son of God, who came to us through her.

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Our Work is Fruitful When Done in the Practice of Faith

"After hearing his words, many of his disciples remarked, 'This sort of talk is hard to endure! How can anyone take it seriously?' Jesus was fully aware that his disciples were murmuring in protest at what he had said. 'Does it shake your faith?' he asked them." (John 6:60-61.).


Although this verse is taken from Jesus' discourse on the Eucharist, which seemed preposterous to many of his disciples, we find that in Catholic thought, there is more than a little which is capable of "shaking our faith." Let us willingly submit, no matter how hard, as this will be the true test of our faith, to submit to the teachings of Holy Mother Church, finding Truth through belief and practice.


In light of the new encyclical Caritas in Veritate, we might want to go back to some of the sources from where it was taken, and to look at what has been said in regard to Catholic teaching in society. In particular, we might want to look at the encyclical Populorum Progressio, and make some dictates of conscience in what has been promulgated in regard to property rights. Being that I am not a scholar, or a paragon of perfection in judgment, I can only conjecture and work with what the Lord God has given to me, as a common bystander, to see and to look from a distinct angle. This I will do with gratitude as a response to the gifts that He has given to me. I would welcome comment and discussion, as well as disagreement.


An encyclical is a teaching tool. It is not declared an infallible document, and yet, the wisdom of the Doctors and Saints is defined, but not always justified by those who purport to be the executors of the works which come from them. In other words, we tend to want to read into documents our own wishes, but are held in responsibility to come to the nearest interpretation possible of what the intent behind the writer actually was. The latter course is that which I will try to take in my short discourse.


Here are two paragraphs which I have found interesting for discussion in accord with the social conditions in our own present day society. Below, then, these two, in red, are taken from the encyclical Populorum Progressio by Pope Paul VI:


22. "Fill the earth and subdue it": the Bible, from the first page on, teaches us that the whole of creation is for man, that it is his responsibility to develop it by intelligent effort and by means of his labor to perfect it, so to speak, for his use. If the world is made to furnish each individual with the means of livelihood and the instruments for his growth and progress, each man has therefore the right to find in the world what is necessary for himself. The recent Council reminded us of this: "God intended the earth and all that it contains for the use of every human being and people. Thus, as all men follow justice and unite in charity, created goods should abound for them on a reasonable basis". All other rights whatsoever, including those of property and of free commerce, are to be subordinated to this principle. They should not hinder but on the contrary favor its application. It is a grave and urgent social duty to redirect them to their primary finality.

In the above paragraph, Pope Paul VI is clearly speaking about appropriation for the common good in general and for those poor peoples of the world who are undernourished, underdeveloped, underestimated in worth. He is speaking of the materially poor who have no control over their situations, due to unjust distribution, or rather, the taking of a massive amount of goods by few people who are not willing to procure development with it. Here he is looking out for those poor who are unable to help themselves. Here he is exhorting humanity to justice and service.

In paragraph 22 it is interesting to read, "If the world is made to furnish each individual with the means of livelihood and the instruments for his growth and progress, each man has therefore the right to find in the world what is necessary for himself." In paragraph 23 he goes on to say, "[P]rivate property does not constitute for anyone an absolute and unconditioned right."

We see that Pope Paul VI is alluding to that callous attitude of ownership, the attitude that "I own by my own right everything of which I have, without gratitude." Such ownership cannot be so only because the Maker of this world's goods has given all as gift, whether or not we have worked to attain, or whether or not we deserve all that we have. Absolute ownership precludes me from responsibility toward others. However, graciously acquired and rightful ownership of individuals and families in the general sense of the term has always been allowed and propagated by Church teaching. In general, it is a right and also an obligation to acquire goods sparingly -- meaning here to use restraint rather than indulgence into a lifestyle of intemperance and unending luxury for oneself -- and to use those goods responsibly.

23. "If someone who has the riches of this world sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?."It is well known how strong were the words used by the Fathers of the Church to describe the proper attitude of persons who possess anything towards persons in need. To quote Saint Ambrose: "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. For what has been given in common for the use of all, you have arrogated to yourself. The world is given to all, and not only to the rich". That is, private property does not constitute for anyone an absolute and unconditioned right. No one is justified in keeping for his exclusive use what he does not need, when others lack necessities. In a word, "according to the traditional doctrine as found in the Fathers of the Church and the great theologians, the right to property must never be exercised to the detriment of the common good". If there should arise a conflict "between acquired private rights and primary community exigencies", it is the responsibility of public authorities "to look for a solution, with the active participation of individuals and social groups".

In regard to private property, then, there is a stipulation about "absolute" private ownership. That stipulation is not that private ownership is a bad thing -- rather, it is certainly a good thing -- but it cannot be absolute. The reason for this is simple: everyone has a right to this world's goods, and if the goods of human beings are being taken away from them by the usurpation of a few, then there is gross injustice. We all belong to the earth, and care for it, and live from it. That is as our Creator has intended. Simultaneously, we all have a right to the yield which comes from it, in one form or another. We have a right to fresh clean air, to clean water, to the abundance which comes from crops, and from the ocean. We, ourselves, are not property, we are the masters who have dominion over the earth. For those on earth to be put into a position of having no property, because others have it and have them as property -- that would entail a gross injustice against them.

Many of us would do well to remember the economic battles of these less fortunate peoples throughout the world, and to work toward justice for them to the best of our abilities. If we ourselves have only looked to our own needs, and have not done what we could in prayer and in service to the underdeveloped, then we shall have to make our accounting before God on the Day. And yet, it seems that for many of us, there is very little that can actually be done. In this case, prayer might be a main resort, along with other inspiration for helping which comes from the Lord. Upon a reflective note, one might insist upon the daily Rosary, which is so efficacious. It can reach all over the world because it implores God for all His children wherever they may be. It brings to us and them a spiritual closeness which can be felt through God's love.

And still, more needs to be done. There are many ideas about how to go about helping the poor, especially the most deserted poor who live in other lands. The recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate has promulgated much food for thought about justice and charity in these matters. These are being studied, and through the goodwill of civil folk, fruit will come with the labor. Directives of charity in purpose mingled with incentive for profit will prove true, for sure. It will be a matter of time, but surely, it will be His Will.

In philanthropy today, there are programs which look good on the surface, and yet if one scratches beneath the outer layer, one finds philosophy and ideology which cannot be tolerated in regard to our Faith. Some programs which speak of setting up farms in poor countries, sounding to be a wonderful endeavor, become feminist, environmentalist, and even communist when one searches into the pillars of their belief systems. These are certainly to be avoided by Catholics, and yet are touted by many Catholics to be fine charities, another example of the confusion which emanates from our almost heretical Catholic society in America.

In the Catechism it states:

2403 The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. The universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise.

2404 In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, int he sense that they can benefit others as well as himself." The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family.

It is interesting to note here that the Catechism speaks of one's own family as being first and foremost among the recipients of the goods of what Providence has given to persons. It is an error in judgment to assess that charity is something which is done outside of the home only. It is biblical that we must give and direct our wealth in a sacrificial manner. St. Paul himself, who exhorts giving to the Church and to the benefit of all, who also exhorts us most emphatically into service throughout our lives and in all facets of our lives, says, "Let us not grow weary of doing good ..." (Here though, we might debate about what good actually means!). Still, he states, In 2 Corinthians 8:13, after exhorting generous giving: "The willingness to give should accord with one's means, not go beyond them. The relief of others ought not to impoverish you; there should be a certain equality." We can see that our Lord is not asking us to give ourselves into complete poverty ourselves, as if that is what we deserve too, unless He has specifically called us to it by means of sacramental orders which require it, or by a special and blessed life lived for His sake. Yet, we are called to give all over to Him in spirit, so that He might use from us whatever it is that He needs. This is the total affirmation that all belongs to Christ.

Pope Paul VI was concerned about morality and honesty in dealings, first and foremost, in light of the truth that the goods of the earth must not perish before the many and be given to only the few. As pope he was passing on the Faith as such, whether we would like it or not. He did not treat, in his encyclical, Populorum Progressio, the evils of government as much as he tried to appeal to the ingenuity of those who were in industry and in the financial world. He appealed to them to care about those who were in poverty, to avoid using their sources in selfish ways, for individual gain only. He tried to get them to expand their thinking to include the firm conviction that economic wealth would be used properly when it worked to build on economic flourishing for future generations, throughout the whole world, and not only in certain parts or corners. He looked to the socialization of peoples as a means to further their own advancement.

And yet, In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read both the positive and the negative sides about socialization, with the negative as presenting real dangers into society:

1883 Socialization also presents dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative. The teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity, according to which a "community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good." (quotes from Quadragesimo anno I, Pope Pius XI.).

We read in paragraph 2429:

2429 Everyone has the right of economic initiative; everyone should make legitimate use of his talents to contribute to the abundance that will benefit all and to harvest the just fruits of his labor. He should seek to observe regulations issued by legitimate authority for the sake of the common good.

In paragraph 2425:

2425 The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market." Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended.

It is telling from the above paragraph that while the Church has rejected modern communism and socialism as atheistic forms, with capitalism it is only in part that there is rejection -- that of an individualism which excludes the framework of solidarity, by instead holding to the market place as having absolute finality in determining how economic wealth is distributed. "Unbridled capitalism" is what John Paul II called it when the market place becomes more powerful than the humans who cannot contain it, but who must ride on it or be trampled by it. When individualism is carried to extremes, the human factor is undermined by economic forces which seek to be served, rather than to serve. It is not that the individual cannot be free, and cannot be innovative, and cannot prosper or succeed, rather, unbridled capitalism, a facet of individualism, inhibits refined development of those who work in solidarity in lieu of strenuous competition for gain. An individual, then, should rightly be able to use God given talent, however common or rare, and should succeed from that, but individualism thwarts in order for a few to succeed. It reaches to destructive ends through excessive competition which is accelerated by market practices rather than being in accord with a constancy in human development, a more moderate flourishing which takes deeper root and brings more stability to the common people.

Giving myself over to a form of socialized government, I become lazy, without creed, without purpose. I exist to serve not God but man's ideals, whatever they may be; I work to serve not the common good, but man's ideals, whatever they may be. I become subservient to that large looming entity which consumes me should I buck. I shall ride quietly, holding onto not the reigns, but the horn of the saddle into which I am slumped, as I am reluctantly or willingly steered. Major decisions will ultimately be made for me, as I shall become a passive partaker in my own life. Some will be forced to give to what they don't believe in, others will receive only if they do the will of those who oppress. Tyranny is evil, and it is a great threat today, even in our present society. It excludes conscience because there is no room for that in the efficient utility which it seeks, even while it is most clumsy, overgrown, and downright unproductive.

We cannot underestimate the ingenuity of persons, and there is no direct and insightful way to do it all for others -- they must do it for themselves to a large extent, providing that a just atmosphere has been established. This is what we work for -- an atmosphere of justice. Inequality in practice is one of the cruel truths of sinful humanity.

It is not so much about intellect, or ability, or manner of knowing what to do as it is about giving one's hope over to trust in God alone, in habits, perseverance, and even largely it is about charity toward one's own family, developing and allowing development of those individuals closest to us, working our way out into the world from there.

Left to myself and my possessions as absolutes, I become selfish. Given over to ideology I become disconnected from myself. Much in the way of the common good does depend upon the common individual who acts in consistent manner toward one's own family and society, so we must never forget that each of us bears, in private and in public, responsibility before others and before God; we bear our part in that work and in that charity which begins in the home and moves outward, even to the ends of the earth.

As with all things we would do well to remember the words of our Lord which were spoken in the Catechism, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33.). In other words, let's implore the righteousness of God, on behalf of ourselves and the world. And then, let us work as if it all depends upon us too.

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The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of Our Own Faith Too

A Preface

Almost a few weeks ago my husband's mother died unexpectedly, and we made a long trip back home to help bury her and to give to her, on this earth, our last regards. Mary had lived a long life, almost 85 years, and had been in pretty good shape for most of that, having had open heart surgery some years back, but having recovered from it well. It was an aneurysm/stroke which took her quite suddenly, so up until the last days, she had tread the waters of life in pretty good shape. She was active at Church, and had left a host of friends and family descendants.

The priest came a day ahead of funeral time to visit the family. He seemed apt in what he did, in how he listened and responded, being warm and caring, yet matter-of-fact. He was there at the Rosary to conduct the service, allowing after wards time for a eulogy and reflection about her life as wife, mother, grandmother. In his sermon at the funeral -- in which he alluded to spiritual realities -- he spoke of the mysteries of the Rosary, and tied those into her life. My husband's and my three older daughters sang solemn but uplifting hymns from the balcony in the back, quite beautifully, to lead the congregation, and the Eucharist was celebrated on the altar in a setting which was both simplistic and ornate together, with lovely rich woods and intricate artwork and design in beautiful statues, formidably, two magnificent angels, which brought the eyes upward to the tabernacle and then to Jesus on the cross. The large, well-kept and lovely 100 year plus church, which had been refurbished with all the original transcending spirit, the stained glass windows and the exquisite interior paintings of things holy, was warm and inviting, with touches of modern amenities such as carpets and a good sound system. Mary's body was finally laid to rest in a cherry wood casket which had been put inside a vault, and set in the ground space next to her husband, who had died many years before. She looked serene, as if she had been ready to meet her Maker; her rosary was woven through her fingers as a sign of the faith to which she confessed. May God rest her soul. She has left her life's work: her family of children, and grandchildren, and darling little great grandchildren, who will hopefully inherit that great Faith with which she was graced from her own cradle, and in which she died peacefully and willingly in her old age.

Something about Mary which was intriguing to me since I had found out about it, was that she was descended from Guillaume Couture, and personally carried the Couture name before her marriage. Guillaume had made the journey over from Normandy in France around the same time as the great Jesuit martyrs, Saints Isaac Jogues, Daniel Brebeuf, Rene Goupil, and their holy and martyred companions, those who died violently trying to bring the grace of Jesus Christ to native warriors, with nothing else but Love for them as God's children who were also deserving of eternal Life. Guillaume Cou(s)ture had gone along, as one of the lay missionaries in company with the rest, to help and labor where he could. There had been frightful and stirring moments for all of them, even before the martyrdom of the great Saints of North America, and Guillaume himself had come into a short but fatalistic battle with one of the Iroquois, shooting him in what was spoken of to be self-defense, and thereby killing him. This episode is well documented in historical texts. He himself was subjected to beating and torture by the Iroquois, a violent tribal nation. These most unfriendly avengers, angry now about European immigration, were unlike the Huron tribal nation -- more meek and friendly -- who married into the French of North America to the point of producing with them the present day people of Quebec.

Surely, the whole situation during this awakening period was one not only of mission, but of honing new paths, of risk, gallant bravery, and with mistakes in the making too. If one who found himself attacked, suddenly, did not take to defense, then he was likely to die in the same vein as the heroic martyrs did, who were both tortured and put to violent deaths in the course of their torture, proclaiming the Love of Christ to the end, unfailingly, and forsaking all violence in return themselves. The heroic martyrs did not defend, they offered up their lives in service to Christ willingly.

It could be supposed that Guillaume was destined to marry, or, perhaps he married subsequently through what had proceeded in his life. By 1646 or '49, within a decade of coming over to New France, he was officially relieved of his service as a lay missionary and married Anne Aymart, who bore ten children in her union with him. That clan is now one of the largest in North America, if not the largest, and many do trace their roots back to the marriage of this French Canadian national hero who had been in personal combat with the Iroquois, who had been tortured by them, and who had been put into service for the dead man's widow for a period of years, according to agreement, as recompense for shooting the man. In later life, he was of service in a variety of civil affairs; still he retained and passed down the inheritance of his Faith, as he had presumably, throughout the years, complied with his obligations in accord with Mother Church. This fulfillment of obligations, mainly by way of the sacraments, is the means of the Faith being able to be passed down through familial generations. Without the sacraments in unity of their purpose, the Faith subjectively becomes lost in its integrity.


The Glory of the Great North American Martyrs

"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for those whom he loves." (John 5:13).

We might pause for a moment and reflect upon the great Light which comes from the Church. She asks for us as Martyrs, but She does not command that we cannot kill as an act of self-defense. To set matters aright, She raises to the loftiest degree those Martyrs, those who do not act in self-defense at the most critical times, but who submit to their own deaths in the Name of Christ, of He who died on the cross, violently, as the supreme Sin Offering, the one which was Worthy to the Father. And yet, these Martyrs have imitated Him most closely. They submitted and they died violently for Peace. Their bloodshed has graced our country and the Natives who found Christ in them; their zeal has graced our souls throughout the world. Our life long vocations, our sacrifices, our rosaries, our prayers, our charitable works, and the Masses heard are our good works; they are pleasing as incense to our Lord if done in a state of His grace, and they are full. Yet, for many of us, who do not perform to heroic degrees the love practiced by the Saints, our works are in comparison less full, even though full, and even in each their own stunning beauty and unique character. When put next to the glorious works for Christ that the Martyrs have brought in His Name -- those giants of Love -- there is a softer glimmer in the masses of ordinary but well loved servants of Christ.

The great North American Martyrs went the whole way for Christ, to the fullest extent possible. They gave up all, and will be honored for all eternity for their own bloodshed, and for acts of cannibalism against them too, in which heart matter was consumed by the native warriors, in their belief that they might too become brave as these priests were. These martyrs followed Christ with perfection; they did it Christ's way. These ones have set out to bring the Faith in all its fullness. They have denied themselves abundantly, giving all to Him so that He might be tasted and consumed in the Eucharist, on the day of rest, by future generations, by the posterity of those who did not want to hear the proclamation of His glorious Gospel of Life. Long live Christ in His Martyrs, those luminous beings who are honored on earth now, and who shall be honored so for all eternity as faithful sons and daughters!

Below, I have posted the names and dates of those most glorious spiritual pioneers of our great land, who stood the test of bravery for Christ himself, and not for any earthly personal gain but that of finding the great "Treasure in Heaven" which was promised to the rich man in the parable, upon a calling from Christ. (But the rich man had refused to submit, he would be good on his own terms, in his own way.) May we know how to imitate Christ in His Own Way, which is the true giving up of all that we possess, should He want it, according to how He calls each one of us.

It is of paramount importance that we come to know our Faith. One way in which to learn it is to study about the great feats of our holy Saints and Martyrs. There is much material on the internet itself in regard to them. Their holiness far surpasses that of the present day Pharisees, which are rampant in society. Let's try to imitate the holy ones more, and bad societal example less.

The feast for all these Saints is celebrated on October 19. Here are the dates of their glorious deaths.

St. Rene Goupil: September 29, 1642

St. Isaac Jogues: October 18, 1646

St. John de Laland: October 19, 1646

St. Anthony Daniel: July 4, 1648

St. John de Brebeuf: March 16, 1649

St. Gabriel Lalemant: March 17, 1649

St. Charles Garnier: December 7, 1649

St. Noel Chabenel: December 8, 1649

A prayer from Collect:

Father, you consecrated the first beginnings of the faith in North America by preaching and martyrdom of Sts. John and Isaac and their companions. By the help of their prayers may the Christian Faith continue to grow throughout the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.


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Justification is Through Christ's Merit and Our Baptism

In the Catechism it states:

The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through Baptism ... (CCC 1987.).

It is the Holy Spirit who cleanses us from sin, by the merits of Jesus Christ, Son of God the Father. We are made clean through His grace, through Baptism we are united to God by our very lives. Yet, we know that God's power can only work in us to the extent that we allow, to the extent that we are docile to Him. He has cleansed us, and made us instruments of His grace, and in addition to being docile we must bear witness by living within the confines of His Law with courage.

In paragraph 1989, we read:

The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17.) Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man." (Council of Trent, 1547.).

Original Sin has existed in all human beings born of woman and man. It is that brokenness which has been handed on to us from our first parents who willingly disobeyed God in search of becoming gods themselves. Christ came to restore us and to make us, furthermore, the very children of God through His Divine Life. The Father loved us too much to abandon us. Let us be grateful.

Infant Baptism, in correlation to Grace, heals the soul. The soul cannot know old age because it is eternal. This eternal soul will no longer need to taste a certain darkness at the end of bodily life, but will be offered the hope to eternal Life with God, in His Glory. All have been redeemed by Christ, and we shall pray for the Salvation of all besides.

There, in Baptism, in union with Christ's very death, which pierced heaven for an outpouring of Grace, our souls are made fertile for fruitful works, for prayer, for study of the ways of God. The newly Baptized person is open to receive God, to manifest that Grace on earth, from that outpouring of heaven, which was obtained by the piercing death of Christ. In infants who are Baptized, God's Grace, also, is poured into their souls, a new heavenly creation. The fruits of Christ's merits, then, are poured into their souls, regardless of age or status. The Faith of the parents themselves, within the bosom of Holy Mother Church, Christ's bride, passes naturally to the child, provided that there is a living Faith and ample instruction in the home, the domestic Church. This is the working of Grace upon natural man. It is, ultimately, an article of belief, of whether or not we believe in our hearts, and confess with our lips, and love God willfully, passing that belief system on to the next generation in a most natural manner.

In the Catechism we read:

1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals.

Through grave sin, the living Grace which connects the human person to God becomes cut away, "through my own fault". Yet, through the Sacrament of Penance, Christ forgives sins from the hand of the ordained priest, who will, in a bestowing of God's Grace, bring man and woman back to the fertile state of original Baptismal sanctification. For those who remain united to God, and yet who ultimately need forgiveness for daily wrongdoing in lesser areas and in general lack of charity, the Sacrament of Penance is still a requirement for spiritual growth to flourish. Forgiveness for even seemingly small offenses is brought to the individual, and the person is allowed to reconcile spiritually with God at deeper levels of participation. Yes, the Catholic Church, in her Sacraments, has had the effect of producing the great Saints who were supreme Servants of Christ, who were able to partake of God's mercy at profound levels. Our Pope, Benedict XVI, has given us short lessons on these great men and women regularly in his talks, edifying us gracefully, especially in temptations toward hopelessness. We have seen in them examples of unending mercy and forgiveness, and have been given theretofore the trust to request forgiveness from God himself, who is their source.

1991 Justification is ... the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. (...) With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

In living out our daily lives, we are now predisposed to God and to His commandments and precepts. He shall discover the meaning for our lives in service to Him. We shall look, and we shall find His Will for our lives, one day at a time, by fruitfully following in His footsteps to Calvary when necessary and to climbing the heights in search of His Ways. We are able to seek Him in prayer, in Spirit, in study, in works, and in love at any and all moments. Our lives might then become a living example of His love to humanity. We shall obey Him to death. This obedience lies deep within our hearts. It is not superficial acts, or jumps and starts, but a profound, abiding grace.

1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith ...

Baptism has brought us into His death, and now we must eat of His new Life. The Eucharist is food for our souls, which are fully alive and restored, ready to receive from God a nourishment of Life for eternal salvation.

Christ was the living Victim, the paschal Lamb who was slain, and now we shall partake in the sacrifice by eating His Body and drinking His Blood. His Body and His Blood will make our souls like His. Just as He has become like us, so might we become like Him. The Gift is unfathomable. How can God love us that much? His Divine food will nourish us forever. We will become like Him as sharers in His Divine Life.

1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent ...

After receiving Baptism, the first seal on our souls, Eucharist, and Confirmation, that Sacrament of the Holy Spirit which seals our souls a second time, God has not left us to ourselves. We have the other Sacraments too, but even in addition to them, God continues to inspire us to make choices in keeping with His divine Grace and Gift. We invariably turn away, and He calls us back, and it is through this conversion back to him by which we attain understanding of what He expects out of us. Conversion renews us and strengthens us at deeper levels of understanding, that we might grow in charity. It is an effort on our part to do His Will with more love, more precision, more care, and more prayer. Good works cannot be accomplished without our own cooperation in God's mighty work within us. He has given it all, and yet we are to turn, to hear, to work ourselves in light of what He shows to us, bearing upon us His Truth.

In the Catechism we read:

1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit ...

1995 The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the "inner man," justification entails the sanctification of his whole being ...

It is not solely in the insignificant details of our day to day living which concerns God. Rather, He is looking, on the whole, to bring us in movement toward Himself for our own sanctification, and is using every opportunity to move us in that direction. This, He desires because He desires us intensely and completely. He will use our shortcomings, our nuisances, our gifts, our accomplishments, and our own desires to manifest Himself in our mundane daily lives, or in our spectacular eventful moments. He will use whatever we give Him and whatever He can get, so that we become fruitful in Him. Thus, our great need for daily prayer, for the Eucharist which unites us to Him in substance, for an understanding heart willing to serve and to be open to avenues which invite Him to share more fully in our own lives at each prescribed moment. Our Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished it, and yet this one act lives abidingly in us even as we live and breathe 2000 years later.

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Some members of the Sanhedrin, a Governor, and Some Criminals Support Truth

(Scriptural reflections with prose in fictional style.)

Let us compare and contrast to find God's Truth to the best of our abilities. Let us see that love is stronger than death, bringing life and freedom, that perfection comes through our own weakness, but with God's strength, that human power flourishes for a short time, and then without love it dies. Let us know the voice of God from St. Paul himself, who described that folly of the cross so well, "When I am powerless, then I am strong."


Pilate asked him, "Do you not know that I have the power to release you and the power to crucify you?" Jesus answered: "You would have no power over me whatever unless it were given you from above. That is why he who handed me over to you is guilty of the greater sin." (John 19:10-11.).


"One of the criminals hanging in crucifixion blasphemed him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Then save yourself and us." But the other one rebuked him: "Have you no fear of God, seeing you are under the same sentence? We deserve it, after all. We are only paying for what we've done, but this man has done nothing wrong." He then said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter upon your reign." And Jesus replied, "I assure you: this day you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 22:39-43.).


Jesus is outside of the political atmosphere of his time. He is overtaken by the Romans, and yet, they would have no interest in Him if it were not for the members of His own People. Through the warfare of religious division, Jesus is given over to His political enemy for a solution -- the man who cared little about the whole matter, who had much more important things to tend to -- but who in the end would order the death sentence. It was needed in the name of religion, by those who had felt threatened of His Word and His Works. He had caused an uprising within the ranks of those who knew and served the Almighty God, but who could not accept Him as their King, the Messiah which they had hoped for, since He was a disappointment, not serving in any sound political capacity, nor having any astute authority given to him by men, although he was "Rabbi". As for the leaders of this religious people, Jesus brought into the midst of their hope a paradox, a God who was somehow lowly. This was an enigma, not what they had anticipated and they could not accept it as it was. He imposed himself onto them as Truth would have it, and they rejected Him and what He was doing to them. He was taking away a certain grandeur of power and hope which the Jewish people had felt in their hearts and in their heritage so gladly, this spilling out into nationalistic leanings by necessity and by choice. These people had marveled at the magnificence of their Creator, the One God, and the promises He had given to them, and they wanted it to be shared in their national sense as well as in their own blood lines.

God had not changed, but He was doing what He does more magnificently than the human mind was able to grasp. The Son of God was bending to the lowliest in deep and tangible ways. He loved the people, the crowds, and the glory and honor was His for this, and He accepted it as the worthy Son who had come through the insignificant little handmaid, Mary. The leaders could not accept it. Their jealousy escalated. Their concerns were many, but their own healing was void. They wanted not Christ, the Messiah, but a political magnate; their nation was strong but needed a leader to let them go and become powerful. They wanted -- in sentimental ways -- Moses to lead them, but this Jesus, He was a curse to their hope for a worldly status of power.

Since they could not control the situation, being of the Chosen People who were living and loving the true God, some of those who were underhanded in spirit and deed finally pounced on the situation, to bring this lowly God-Man, who spoke with perfect authority, under their own sinister yoke. They would have to turn to political causes to do so, since this was their way, and so, they opened the doors, bringing darkness into the Light they had received from the One Lord. They brought the State directly into their affairs to straighten the situation out, since they could not do it without political backing, and since they were too weak to do it themselves. They were weak, and they needed help. Help was on its way.

Jesus, the King, would now be turned over to Pontius Pilate, who would take control of the situation as a political authority. He was a man well disposed toward observation and was esteemed for correct judgment, and had moved up into the ranks by his own merits. But how to do it? He would allow a certain amount of dialogue, he would contact those other important authorities, he would make compromises, and then he would like to let him go ... Pontius Pilate was a man governed by a sense of proper justice. He saw the innocence of Jesus and knew that such a shedding of blood could not be found justifiable. He wanted Him scourged, for the appeasement of the people, to be taught a lesson, but he wanted to save Him in the end.

He met with Jesus, and this sufficed his curiosity. Pilate made his own importance felt as Jesus sat before him, a mocked man, the scourge of His people. Pilate found nothing, really, to say, except that he himself had been endowed with power over Jesus. He failed to recognize Jesus Christ while he lorded it over Him. Pilate, it seems, would have the final say about what Is and who Is, ignoring his own wife's cautions in the process, since she had had that disturbing dream. He was mighty and severe, and would not listen to women folk, even while he was reserved and looked to sound judgment in discourse.

Unfortunately for Pilate, though, the obvious circumstances began to impose themselves upon him. He became enmeshed in his own fear. He did not believe Jesus to be guilty of anything that amounted to much, but still, he was fearful of the outcome of what his own decision might do. Pilate, at heart, was afraid of the very people he ruled.

An angry mob was after Jesus, the King, who had entered Jerusalem shortly beforehand with cheers and gladness coming from those of His People who loved and even adored their Savior. It was this angry mob which threatened Pilate's self-confidence, not the other. He had wanted some peace, and was in a position to thereby gain respect, and more power, and he wanted to do something to make that mob happy. He could not lean on his own governance any longer, but must concede to the angry crowd he ruled. To keep his power, Pilate must obey, he must become weak for the men he ruled, even as he placed himself in apposition to the gods and the mighty.

These few angry men would resort to a justification for themselves by the very works which they hopelessly performed for themselves only, a demand of the very Life of Jesus. They would get rid of Jesus so that the status quo could resume. His religious significance, His love for the people who followed Him and believed in Him as the Messiah, His teaching of God's unbounded Truth -- none of it opened their eyes or brought insight. They could not dialogue, or learn anything from Him. They could see no good in the Man. They could not open their ears to hear His parables and to understand. They were, in our Lord's words, white washed tombs, beautiful to behold, but with nothing on the inside. And while their interior lives were empty, their pride thrived. They would take the law of Moses to their own ends, relying not even upon his ancient teaching in Truth.

They would find a weak lover of money to perform their deed, since this means was a cinch in working over those who have no sense, but who will work with Satan for even a small prize. They would turn to the impulsive Judas Iscariot, a man of low means, who wanted a cash flow, who wanted fame and fortune, and wasn't getting it properly in Jesus' group. When Judas came to his senses, he regretted and went into despair, knowing that he could not obtain the means to save Jesus, and knowing that for the love of money he had handed Him over. He feared the outcome and his own blasphemy, killing himself despite Jesus' constant teaching of forgiveness.

And so Jesus, King of the Jews, was marched up Calvary with the weeping and tears of many of the lowly and devout Jewish believers. There He was crucified with the two thieves. Those insurrectionists who brought about political and religious unrest were crucified next to the Man who had brought strength to all capacities and to grateful religious and political leaders.

It was fear which made the difference, after all.

• The insurrectionists were deplorable, and they were now beside Jesus. They were trouble makers, who had not a faith filled existence, but who had been working within the realm of a political atmosphere to bring about an unknown justice, which they were seeking without a civil system to back them up. They would do it themselves, take law into their own hands, even resorting to murder. And yet, we find that the criminal on the one side of Jesus scolded and chided Him, while the other refused to demean Him. The other, instead, opened up his heart and received, miraculously, the grace to fear the Lord God. This was all done at the late hour, on his death bed of straw deeds.

• Those few but vociferous proud and haughty religious leaders of the day had preserved God's Truth as sacrament, but they had not lived it out from their own beings. It had been an external justification only, relying not on God, but their own might and works. They had hearts of stone, not love. They feared for their own safe keeping and values, and acted on that. They paid lip service to the end, but their works were of no importance, except that which they are remembered by, the crucifixion of our Lord.

• The political leader, Pontius Pilate, was a man of honor who was skeptical of Truth. Truth to him was a relative thing. He was more inclined to be happily favored as a good governor. His works brought him success and opportunity, and it seemed good, although he feared the people, and an uprising, and acted on that. Jesus was handed over to Him out of fear, and was put to death by him, out of his own fear. He wanted to be spared for his works in the government, in politics, but yet, his works did not stand. They ignited and burned with Rome. Rome perished then, except for what Christ and His Church preserved of that ancient empire, as an everlasting tribute to the might of a God who mysteriously brought down the most powerful empire of the west by dying on the cross.

• Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, feared the outcome of his actions, and so he went into despair.

No, the criminal on the cross had not feared man. He had little fear, one might say. He had stirred up unrest in despicable ways. He was full of passion and ideas, acting upon that. But the criminal was brought low. He was made to wallow in his vain works; all the incitement brought no justice, but only widespread terror among innocent bystanders. Now he too was on the cross, in the day's justice. He could not sit on high seats making judgments upon Christ in his lowly position. He was rather dying with Him, but in his own sins, and for that, he found Christ and His strength, at that bleak moment. Miraculously, his eyes were opened, and he feared -- God -- and He feared what was to come when he was to come into the presence of God, soon, very soon. He turned to our Lord in love and humility, and requested salvation with a contrite heart, a sorrowing heart. His sins did not outweigh God's mercy, and it was granted from a suffering, disfigured Christ, who had the Power to do it, to bring him Life forever.



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When Faith and Politics Meet and Cross

God is the giver of all good things. He alone is good to us, whether we recognize Him or not. When we give good things to other human beings, we are in fact being moved by the Spirit. All goodness is of lasting value, and yet, that which is not good cannot stand up to reason and faith. It will fall below the standards of love and will not be of lasting benefit to the human person.

Faith and reason are those spiritual and human movements of the mind and heart, of the will, which cause us to seek God and goods for another human being.Without them, we become lost. A stubborn arbitrariness of will cannot allocate goodness; a human person made in the Divine image and likeness of God seeks for fruitfulness, not control. The faith filled human condition seeks for God's grace while abiding in moral and natural law. All is sought through these. To take to task "ideas" which do not fit into God's plan is to work against Him and ultimately against ourselves.


In the Catechism, it speaks of God's apparent powerlessness, and in the pain of suffering through the crosses in our lives, those crosses which cannot be obliterated once and for all on the face of this earth. We read:

"Faith in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by the experience of evil and suffering. God can sometimes seem to be absent and incapable of stopping evil. But in the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil. Christ crucified is thus 'the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.' (Eph 1:19-22.) It is in Christ's Resurrection and exaltation that the Father has shown forth 'the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe.' (CCC 272.).

The wisdom and the folly of the cross certainly represents an entering in and a passing through to find God. He is not to be found in material benefits alone, as if they have the power to make our lives good and right. As Catholics, we must never confuse helping the poor with simple forms of ideology, as if that is what will save. Suffering must be a part of life, and in it, we find salvation. We can work to make our lives move forward into the future, but we must never go outside the scope of moral and natural law in doing so, that God might be with us as we move along, therefore providing and helping us. To look to the outside and to think, "He is there!" is to move away from Him. If we do not abide in Him, we will not inherit the Kingdom. We must abide in moral Truth. Our Pope, our Holy Father, Benedict XVI has just written it for us in his latest encyclical.

If we look into the health care debate, we see all sorts of danger signals coming from the national health care portfolio. There are warnings, if we open our eyes, to see that pregnant mothers will be watched and encouraged to space children according to government funded program availability. There is the imminent danger of euthanasia, and there is that same old evil of killing the unborn, even if it is slipped through unnoticed. It is an evil plan, morally, whether that word "evil" is politically correct or not, and it is doubtful that it could be fixed. I want to say that I, for one, do not want nationalized health care anyway, and still feel that I am a Catholic in good standing with the Faith, at least objectively speaking. I think that there does need to be reforms, but this is a step in the wrong direction, and could become one of the greatest blunders for the good of man once we all start to become burdens on the system. And now, with all the hubbub coming from our country's bishops, who seem to know what is best for us on these material matters, and who seem to be pushing for it (at least some of them), since some of them jump on the bandwagon for any socialized institution which comes along, I am downtrodden and feeling as if I'm a bad Catholic, although I do not think that this is true. As for myself, I have had a number of babies without health care benefits, and God was particularly good to me through it all. After having good births, without any cesarean sections, I came to understand natural childbirth, and the power of how a mother is to give birth. Yes, I had a midwife who saw me through, and I put my trust in God, and it was He who was there for me, it was He who I turned to as a beggar, rather than to benefits and "health care". Oh yes, I know it was risky, but it taught me a lot about putting my trust into Him, rather than into those institutions and ideology, rather than making coverage a god. And although my family is presently covered by insurance benefits, (I am certainly not against health benefits) I still opt for God as the One to put my trust into. Furthermore, I do know that something could have gone wrong in those ordeals, and something did, but God saw us through and we were able to pay for it too. For us, and for many, all turns out well in the end, and the catastrophes are, in fact, few.

Doctors, institutions, and even good health care benefits are not infallible either; life can go wrong and is truly full of crosses and sufferings, no matter what, but God is always there, and He is always good amid trial and chaos. I have never found Him not to be good! And yet we see constantly how institutions fail and become evil in their designs by bringing the common people to a starvation of solid help and values, left in wontedness, but drugged into believing that their poverty is a good. To depend upon an imagined utopia as if that will save us is equal to wishing away those inevitable crosses which cause us to mature and which deepen our understanding about life and purpose, since there is value in suffering. Of course, I do wish for a good life for all, and do not want evil and avoidable suffering to happen to any either, and I would like to see health care reformed so as to be more affordable to the average patient. Yet, surely in a diverse society, a looser knit is a better quality.With the present health care plan, I think that we will most certainly encounter the gravest of evils eventually, since man, by man, will become dispensable and burdensome.

We Catholics need to ask ourselves, "Do we believe?" Those of us who are Christians may not have the faith which we speak of with our lips, we may be speaking of faith on the one hand, and still putting our faith in human entities alone on the other. How many of the bishops in this country, one must seriously wonder, spend as much time invoking God as they do in convoking, and in evoking our government officials for sustenance? For years, their paradigms and solutions to ending abortion never made their way into churches on Sunday mornings, at all, and now we hear incessantly about their concern for a good government health care plan. Whereas before, they would have been fulfilling their moral duty, now, it seems, that they are plastered with affection for political entrepreneurship. Possibly they have confused their roles as Servants of God with that of legislation lobbyists.And now I want to say something which sounds not nice, but which will make me feel better and worse: Mr. Bishop, please don't expect politics to do your job of ministering to the poor, so that you might spend more time cavorting in rich environments. Get out there and do it yourself. Be a bit more like the holy and good Mother Teresa, and a bit less like a politician who is looking for justification and approval. Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, pray for God's blessings on this country, and be there for us in Moral teaching and Faith instruction. Find ways within the Catholic environment and the concerns of Faith to help your poor. You might be surprised at the fruits of your own labors. You are not a health care politician, part of the government staff in working for its own benighted justice, but a Moral guide. You were chosen to spread the Gospel of Life, and to minister to the poor within that very context, thereby working for real justice and fruit. Make the Faith and Morals your priority, Your Excellency. Then you will see clearly enough to feed the poor in ways which actually benefit them spiritually and materially, just as our Lord Jesus Christ so instructed and showed by His own example.

Today, it seems, even heavily among Catholics themselves, there is a reasoning of "faith" put into the politics themselves, as if they are coming from some mighty and understanding spirit, and which we are somehow beholden to adoring. There is that attitude which says, "god saves", although we are speaking here of politics and not the Almighty Creator, or our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have replaced God with mere mortal man, with man alone, but backed up by a mighty institution, man who neither sees nor hears God and institutions which have faulty programs. We have wanted for security, and we have found it in the political world, whether it works or not. Catholics have become political entities in the name of religion.

Love cannot endure, cannot manifest itself when all is being lost through certain key manifesto practices without being beholden to Faith and reason, to the Church of Christ. We cannot know the happiness and the peace to come when we seek for good apart from God, as if He is only a bystander, and not really to be invoked, since we imagine that He cannot hear us anyway, and therefore we must move ahead into the future ourselves without Him. We can hope for Providence to supply food and shelter, through the work of our human hands, or we can be waiting for politicians and institutions to do it all for us. Politics itself is necessary for a healthy society, but it must not replace God and His Law, or replace what is required of us. To do so is to undermine His plan for our lives.

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When They Have No Bread, "Let Them Eat Cake": How Marie Antoinette Hoped for Change!

Sometime after we were married we had come to the realization that I would need to get an extra job, just part time in the summer as a fill in. I applied at a few places, and one of these places was a grocery store, not a supermarket, but a grocery store. This market, as it was called, was over by the railroad tracks, on the less respectable side of town, and yet it was not the slums by any means. It appeared to be of a lower middle class type of neighborhood, but was a well known grocery store. I liked my new job well, and loved pushing the buttons fast on the cash register.

Since the supermarkets were closed on Sundays, this store remained open as a convenience shopping store, and got lots of business on that day, which was the day that I was scheduled to work, once a week, so that some other employee could have Sunday off to be with his or her family. This market was well stocked and fairly spacious. All that was required for grocery shopping was contained within, but probably at prices which could be beat in those larger supermarkets. The staff, on my first day there, was friendly and courteous, and remained so for the duration of my work.

We scheduled Mass attendance around my work day, going early, or on Saturday evening. My new husband would drop me off at work in the morning, and then at three o'clock on the dot he would be there to pick me up, and we would drive to a large lake about an hour away so that he could fish for the evening. He had that urge to catch a fish to feed us, but fishing was not usually too good at that time.

Upon my first moments at the till on my first day, the woman who trained me in gave me a major clue about what I would be doing. She spoke of the button -- which I was to press among the usual buttons -- for food stamps. Whenever someone paid with food stamps, I was to make note of it by pressing that particular button on the till to open it. Now I had never seen food stamps before, and had very little impression about them, positive or negative, but in general I think that I did not imagine that they were actually "good" since they represented a lacking in society. I vaguely envisioned sheets of stamps with "food" written on them, or something of the like. I had thought that perhaps each stamp would be designated for some type of food, and wondered why they needed a stamp, thinking of something along the lines of "Green Stamps" which would go into a book for a final earned prize. To my surprise, I was rather impressed to see that, by golly, food stamps were rather like money coupons. Yes, they were similar to the fake money that we kids had used growing up, when we played store and cash register in our living room at home, after pulling the canned goods and grocery bags out of the kitchen to set up our own little store in the living room. But not to worry, I have come to the conclusion that Federal money is a bit like fake money anymore, since there isn't a lot of substance to back that up either, and they just keep printing extra.

As I thought of those days, counting play money and bagging canned goods, my new, real job began. I took my place behind that counter, facing the large window, behind the counter which was right next to the exit. Behind me were all the cigarettes, which people were to ask for, to buy. All the brands were stacked in their places: Winston, Salem, Camel, Marlboro, Virginia Slims and others. Now I must admit, I had taken a liking to cigarette smoke, having been around it a lot with my dad smoking, and had always wished for a Virginia Slims cigarette to puff on, and felt that tinge of desire now that I was actually selling them. The Virginia Slims ad, which had hit popularity with "You've come a long way, baby ... " had made a favorable impression on me personally. I loved the sleek looking models and the thinness of the cigarette. The tune was catchy, and I had often wished ....

As an early teen, my friend, Vickie, and I smoked cigarette butts, only once in a while, usually in a parked car in the driveway, but still unsuspected to others, since one could just be listening to the radio and talking as a pretense. On one particular, warm, sunny day we were sitting in the car, probably after "laying out" in the sun as we often did in the morning, out on the lawn, but maybe before our favorite soap opera, Days of Our Lives. At my house, in our car, we smoked the Winston butts, since that brand was what my dad smoked, and in her car we got the Salem butts, which her dad had left, but either way, we were careful not to smoke the filter, since we heard it could cause lip cancer.

On this one occasion, however, we had gotten our little punishment, and I would chuckle to think that it was from God himself, that He had cared that much about us. We had been sitting in the front seat, and both of us had our feet up on the dash of the car while we leaned back, relaxing and listening to music while puffing butts right to the edge of the filter. I was most likely trying to blow perfectly formed smoke rings into the air, as it was a favorite trick. Vickie finished one, and chose another, sifting through the butts and ashes in the ashtray. We did not mind and did not give much thought to poking through what was in essence other people's garbage. She pressed the lighter in and pulled it out, red hot, after finding a good butt to light. As she lifted her hand, she suddenly fumbled and dropped the lighter, which got caught in the inside hem of her shorts, next to her thigh. She reacted by jerking her seat off the car seat, with the shock of the burn. The lighter naturally rolled backward into the seat of her pants from the downward angle of her thigh, as her feet had been up on the dashboard. The lighter lodged there, sending her into a gasping and crying frenzy as she frantically thrashed and kicked in response to the burns it was producing on her own derriere. I watched helplessly, gasping with her, as she cried out in pain and terror. Just as quickly as the lighter heated though, it had cooled down, and she was able to retrieve it with a deep sigh of relief. It took us a moment to recover from the moment, and brought our activity to a swift halt. As she got out of the car, and limped toward the house, I could see the large burn welts, starting on her upper thigh and working themselves up. She was going for a cold bath. No doctor was called, of course, as we did not speak of it again, being rather tough girls in essence. Many years later we have both had a good laugh about it, and neither of us smokes, by the way.

The urge to smoke stayed with me for some time, though, since I liked my dad's second hand smoke well. But I didn't feel right stealing cigarettes from him, knowing that it would be wrong to take things which were not explicitly intended for me, hence, the digging through the refuse for butts when young. When I had gotten to college, I had then thought that perhaps I could start smoking, but found that the cigarettes did not fit into my budget once hair and make up products were added onto room, board, tuition, and clothes purchases, which all drained me down to quarters in change. Even though cigarettes were then cheap, I was extremely frugal and felt to be quite poor, and thought those cigarettes to be quite expensive. There were some friends of mine who smoked, and they occasionally offered cigarettes to me. Yet, I had to come to terms with the whole "bumming" issue. I knew that there were twenty cigarettes in a pack, and reasoned that if I bummed a cigarette twenty times, then I should have counted a personal savings of one whole free pack of cigarettes, and that somehow didn't seem right. Then also there was the parent factor. Although my dad smoked, I thought that my parents would be greatly disappointed in me smoking, and reasoned that I would not be able to actually do it in front of them. After weighing the pros and cons, I soon felt compelled to abandon the idea of smoking, since I had no ways and means.

Yet, I had informally come to insight, in my new job at the market, that the ways and the means for excess and even vice are sometimes provided officially, and with authority, in the name of helping people. Informally, I had seen and been taught a lesson about human nature that I have never forgotten. At some point during the course of this work, I began to notice something which seemed a little bizarre to me. It was this: I began to see that I could tell beforehand whether the customers were going to pay with food stamps or their own real cash. One could look at the food placed on the counter belt, and ironically, one could know immediately how the customer would pay. As the customers approached the counter, I could look at them as persons, but by looking at them as persons, I could not distinguish the method of payment that they would use. All the customers here seemed to dress in similar fashion. For the most part they were blue jean babies just as I was. It was the groceries alone which gave away the method of payment. This tell-tale sign, which was the groceries to be purchased and nothing more, was so distinct, was so obvious, that it was unmistakable every single time. It was so obvious that I began to play with it. I began my game of guessing about the pay before the transaction, and if memory serves me correctly, I was not wrong once, although it could have happened one or twice altogether, I suppose, but certainly not any more than that.

The customer typically would come to the counter and lay all the food items upon it. Immediately, I would view the food and make a guess to myself as to how the customer would pay. If there was hamburger, chicken, a bag of potatoes, canned and frozen vegetables, bread, milk, juice, and salad in the items, with little to no sweets, I would say to myself, "This person will buy food with his own cash." If the counter was full of donuts, soft drinks, chips, some kind of exotic, expensive fruit, a pail of ice cream, and Twinkies, I would comment, to myself, "This will be a food stamp purchase." As he or she paid, I would say, "Yep, food stamps." If there was meat in the food stamp purchases, they were always the most expensive roasts or seafood available, or the fanciest cuts of steak, such as a $10 New York cut, which would have taken me, in those days, over 25 years ago, more than three hours of employed service to pay for, given the minimum wage that I was making.

If the purchases left $5 or under to be given back, we were to refund the amount in plain, real cash. This was often the case. Occasionally a person would buy a pack of cigarettes with the extra, but on one occasion the man bought the whole $5 in cigarettes. He looked triumphant as he turned to walk away. As he smirked, I winced. Surely, he knew and I knew that food stamps were not meant to provide free cigarettes, and yet the sloppy, impersonal method of these coupons made it tempting for any who received cash back, and some did it with glee.

In the larger scope of things, such a small occurrence could not be comparable to other huge wastes in the system, which would dwarf this particular little annoyance. Yet, moral judgment is not connected directly to the object, but also to the intent and the means used, to the condition of the heart's standards, be it healthy or warped. A cognition of Truth in morality forces the heart to come clean, and frees it from the weights that hold it down into that slavery of searching for what one should not have or do. With this gleeful man, by getting away with something so simple, he was in fact inviting slavery into his own household. It might not hurt the taxpayers so much, a simple carton of cigarettes, but the method he was using was hurting himself; little unnecessary and well-meant freebies were enslaving him, little unnecessary and well-meant freebies were making him a child of the state rather than a mature provider. He was becoming dependent, and upon whom? He was becoming dependent, not upon God and other caring family members, but upon an impersonal institution, full of those self-righteous, haughty officials who care little for God or man, but who seek power through all ways and means.

Directly outside the store were the dumpster bums, who were going through the trash, trying to salvage something for themselves. On one occasion while I was there, one of them came into the store to make a purchase. He had a few dollars in cash, which was obviously a hand out, and had chosen to buy Lysol spray, to drink, as it was rumored, and which logically seemed to be true. He was dependent, not upon God and the work of his own human hands, but upon chemicals and handouts, upon garbage, and looked to have been in this condition for years. As I checked him out, I dared not reprove him for it. Seeing the wretched state he was in, I did not know how to properly love him, and therefore, I did fore-go doing anything about it. I had to restrain myself from holding my nose -- to be polite -- because the stench around his person was thick and heavy, very repugnant. He was filthy dirty, thin, gaunt with hard folds of skin in the form of thick wrinkles, and rags draping from his precious body, which at one time was surely cuddled and fondled by some affectionate mommy, hoping for his good future. There had been no food stamps for him; he had fallen through the cracks of government programs, this parasite of a man who desperately needed God, and who needed us to bring him to Him, this man who had no bread, and who was given no cake to eat either. But we were all busy living our lives, and no one, including Uncle Sam, had time for the most needy, despised and rejected among us. After all, it is quite unlikely that dumpster bums vote. And as it happened, parish priests and nuns were finally finding themselves and their new freedoms, and they too, had no time.

As usual, at three o'clock precisely, I left the store, and climbed into the passenger side of the car, so we could go fishing. We were going fishing for our bread, or at least my husband was, since I didn't enjoy holding a rod, and would rather bask in the hot sun, and try at cooking later, something that wasn't coming easily to me. The drive was an hour away, and fishing licenses were expensive, or so I thought, and the huge lake was seemingly empty of fish. It was a long haul, a lot of time and a certain amount of work, and yet, we caught little. Perhaps Uncle Sam should have spent more time trying to multiply real food, like fish, grains, and cattle, opening up avenues to private industry and more jobs, so that lakes could have been better stocked with fish, and jobs could have been more abundant in the poor economy of the very early 80's. Perhaps Uncle Sam, the provider, should not have listened to and taken the advice of Marie Antoinette upon realizing that the common people had no bread, thereby making cake their meals, and obesity their outcome. Perhaps cigarettes wouldn't need to be so heavily taxed to recover the funds spent giving them away years ago. Lastly, perhaps the common people should be moral people, who are honest in their dealings, and upright in their consciences.

Perhaps "We the People" need God to get us out of the maze we have put ourselves in. Surely, we don't need Uncle Sam doing it for us, since He cannot do what Jesus does in providing inspired choices, and in tending to personal consequences and fulfillment. Uncle Sam is not a personal advocate. Policy comes from the organized State, and it can open up avenues of service and production, but policy is a road map, not a person, not a personal do provider. Structured policy can be building blocks, and yet, it cannot build. It is only a plan. It cannot heal either. Let's remember that.

To the great disappointment of some, we must hereby acknowledge that our best uncle, the famous Uncle Sam doesn't exist. He doesn't love, he doesn't care, he doesn't save. It is God who loves us first, and it is we who are to love one another, being there, personally for other human beings in their need. The human society is based upon family and love, and without these, it becomes impersonal, sterile, and indifferent to life. Uncle Sam cannot love and save, just as Marie Antoinette herself could not bring herself to do so, in a personal way. Uncle Sam cannot encounter and serve us in those very personal ways. Only people who have the freedom to love can do that. Furthermore, Uncle Sam cannot be inspired to heal. He cannot be our own personal healer, because he knows us not, and has no way of encountering us, or of loving us, personally. Policy can open avenues for medical care, but is not perceptible. Human love itself is free, and makes human beings, who serve personally, perceptible to each unique situation. Policy is not perceptible, it cannot love or have concerns. It must never dictate human prognosis!

To conclude, the human encounter demands that we seek and toil, that we plan and labor, that we work for what we get. It is the same with God and with food, we must seek and labor to find. He will reward us, in His ways, and in His time, and with His Wisdom for expressing ourselves with the human skills that He has given to us in order to encounter both the material and the spiritual gifts, depending upon Him entirely through prayer, asking for His grace to receive freely, and yet working through our natural human condition, so that we might achieve it ourselves too, through our own personal work, through our prayers, and through our ardent love, based in Truth, yes that Caritatis in Veritate.


On our first anniversary we were poor, and so we ate cake.

Fish were hard to come by, but my husband managed to provide.



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More Excerpts from the Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Chapter six

The Development of Peoples and Technology

68. The development of peoples is intimately linked to the development of individuals. The human person by nature is actively involved in his own development. (...) No one shapes his own conscience arbitrarily, but we all build our own "I" on the basis of a "self" which is given to us. ... [E]ach one of us is outside his or her own control. A person's development is compromised if he claims to be solely responsible for producing what he becomes. By analogy, the development of people's goes awry if humanity thinks it can re-create itself through the "wonders" of technology, just as economic development is exposed as a destructive sham if it relies on the "wonders" of finance in order to sustain unnatural and consumerist growth ... [O]ur love for ... freedom ... is not merely arbitrary, but is rendered truly human by acknowledgment of the good that underlies it. To this end, man needs to look inside himself to recognize the fundamental norms of the natural moral law which God has written on our hearts.


Comment: The development of humankind is grounded in "that moral law which God has written on our hearts". This moral law lifts us up in keeping with our human dignity. To be arbitrary is to move on a downward slope, negating true development and undermining dignity.

69. The challenge of development today is closely linked to technological progress, with its astounding applications in the field of biology. Technology — it is worth emphasizing — is a profoundly human reality, linked to the autonomy and freedom of man. In technology we express and confirm the hegemony of the spirit over matter. (...) [Technology] touches the heart of the vocation of human labor: in technology, seen as the product of his genius, man recognizes himself and forges his own humanity. (...) For this reason, technology is never merely technology. It reveals man and his aspirations towards development, it expresses the inner tension that impels him gradually to overcome material limitations. Technology, in this sense, is a response to God's command to till and to keep the land (cf. Gen 2:15) that he has entrusted to humanity, and it must serve to reinforce the covenant between human beings and the environment, a covenant that should mirror God's creative love.

Comment: Technology links us to development, especially in our own day and age. It is a good to be pursued, but needs to be done in a way reflective of our worth as children of the human family under one God.

70. Technological development can give rise to the idea that technology is self-sufficient when too much attention is given to the “how” questions, and not enough to the many “why” questions underlying human activity. For this reason technology can appear ambivalent. (...) The process of globalization could replace ideologies with technology ( from Apostolic Letter, Octogesima Adveniens) allowing the latter to become an ideological power that threatens to confine us within an a priori that holds us back from encountering being and truth. Were that to happen, we would all know, evaluate and make decisions about our life situations from within a technocratic cultural perspective to which we would belong structurally, without ever being able to discover a meaning that is not of our own making. The “technical” worldview that follows from this vision is now so dominant that truth has come to be seen as coinciding with the possible. But when the sole criterion of truth is efficiency and utility, development is automatically denied. True development does not consist primarily in “doing”. The key to development is a mind capable of thinking in technological terms and grasping the fully human meaning of human activities, within the context of the holistic meaning of the individual's being. Even when we work through satellites or through remote electronic impulses, our actions always remain human, an expression of our responsible freedom. Technology is highly attractive because it draws us out of our physical limitations and broadens our horizon. But human freedom is authentic only when it responds to the fascination of technology with decisions that are the fruit of moral responsibility.

Comment: Truth can be found in that which is possible, but technology opens up a host of possibilities which do not point to the Truth of humanity and nature, but rather a negation of them. Technology, therefore, can be positive or negative, just as actions can be good or bad. Mankind needs to think, and not just "do": He needs to evaluate, to weigh and measure. He needs to look for those outcomes which ultimately will be beyond his own control, thereby he needs to make choices which adhere to solid Truth and principle in regard to natural moral law. This love of law, which is sealed into nature and our own beings, will bring forth outcomes inherently beneficial to humanity.

71. This deviation from solid humanistic principles that a technical mindset can produce is seen today in certain technological applications in the fields of development and peace. Often the development of peoples is considered a matter of financial engineering, the freeing up of markets, the removal of tariffs, investment in production, and institutional reforms — in other words, a purely technical matter. All these factors are of great importance, but we have to ask why technical choices made thus far have yielded rather mixed results. We need to think hard about the cause. Development will never be fully guaranteed through automatic or impersonal forces, whether they derive from the market or from international politics. Development is impossible without upright men and women, without financiers and politicians whose consciences are finely attuned to the requirements of the common good. Both professional competence and moral consistency are necessary. When technology is allowed to take over, the result is confusion between ends and means, such that the sole criterion for action in business is thought to be the maximization of profit, in politics the consolidation of power, and in science the findings of research.

Comment: Our consciences become acting forces for good or evil through technology, finance, politics and other social means. Our Holy Father states, "Both professional competence and moral consistency are necessary."

72. Even peace can run the risk of being considered a technical product, merely the outcome of agreements between governments or of initiatives aimed at ensuring effective economic aid. It is true that peace-building requires the constant interplay of diplomatic contacts, economic, technological and cultural exchanges, agreements on common projects, as well as joint strategies to curb the threat of military conflict and to root out the underlying causes of terrorism. Nevertheless, if such efforts are to have lasting effects, they must be based on values rooted in the truth of human life. That is, the voice of the peoples affected must be heard ... Among them are members of the Christian faithful, involved in the great task of upholding the fully human dimension of development and peace.

Comment: Peace projects can become immaterial without firm foundations. Talk is unproductive when no crisis is solved in the end. Again, morality lays out the basis for all strategy.

73. Linked to technological development is the increasingly pervasive presence of the means of social communications. It is almost impossible today to imagine the life of the human family without them. For better or for worse, they are so integral a part of life today that it seems quite absurd to maintain that they are neutral — and hence unaffected by any moral considerations concerning people. Often such views, stressing the strictly technical nature of the media, effectively support their subordination to economic interests intent on dominating the market and, not least, to attempts to impose cultural models that serve ideological and political agendas. (...) Mirroring what is required for an ethical approach to globalization and development, so too the meaning and purpose of the media must be sought within an anthropological perspective. This means that they can have a civilizing effect not only when, thanks to technological development, they increase the possibilities of communicating information, but above all when they are geared towards a vision of the person and the common good that reflects truly universal values.

Comment: The media can be civilizing, but is often used for exploiting an agenda not in keeping with the common good and the true building up of society. Again, humankind must turn to the perspective of thoughtful consideration in the forms of media use, so that humanity may progress rather than erode in development.

74. A particularly crucial battleground in today's cultural struggle between the supremacy of technology and human moral responsibility is the field of bioethics, where the very possibility of integral human development is radically called into question. In this most delicate and critical area, the fundamental question asserts itself force-fully: is man the product of his own labors or does he depend on God? Scientific discoveries in this field and the possibilities of technological intervention seem so advanced as to force a choice between two types of reasoning: reason open to transcendence or reason closed within immanence. We are presented with a clear either/ or. Yet the rationality of a self-centered use of technology proves to be irrational because it implies a decisive rejection of meaning and value.

Comment: We can use this world's goods for selfish interests only, or as a desire to further the development of humanity. Reason which is open to transcendence transforms society toward development, using its natural goods. Closed-in reason only puffs up self-centered individuals who pursue "how to do" or "what to do", but by woefully destroying society in the end.

75. Following [the lead of Paul VI], we need to affirm today that the social question has become a radically anthropological question, in the sense that it concerns not just how life is conceived but also how it is manipulated, as bio-technology places it increasingly under man's control. In vitro fertilization, embryo research, the possibility of manufacturing clones and human hybrids: all this is now emerging and being promoted in today's highly disillusioned culture, which believes it has mastered every mystery, because the origin of life is now within our grasp. Here we see the clearest expression of technology's supremacy. In this type of culture, the conscience is simply invited to take note of technological possibilities. Yet we must not underestimate the disturbing scenarios that threaten our future, or the powerful new instruments that the “culture of death” has at its disposal. To the tragic and widespread scourge of abortion we may well have to add in the future — indeed it is already surreptitiously present — the systematic eugenic programming of births. At the other end of the spectrum, a pro-euthanasia mindset is making inroads as an equally damaging assertion of control over life that under certain circumstances is deemed no longer worth living. Underlying these scenarios are cultural viewpoints that deny human dignity. These practices in turn foster a materialistic and mechanistic understanding of human life. Who could measure the negative effects of this kind of mentality for development? How can we be surprised by the indifference shown towards situations of human degradation, when such indifference extends even to our attitude towards what is and is not human? What is astonishing is the arbitrary and selective determination of what to put forward today as worthy of respect. Insignificant matters are considered shocking, yet unprecedented injustices seem to be widely tolerated. While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks, on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human. God reveals man to himself; reason and faith work hand in hand to demonstrate to us what is good, provided we want to see it; the natural law, in which creative Reason shines forth, reveals our greatness, but also our wretchedness insofar as we fail to recognize the call to moral truth.

Comments: The darker side of human nature invites us to gossip, prattle, and be shocked about those things which mean very little in the end, while the important matters go unnoticed. We are as those who were spoken about in Scripture: we strain the gnat and then swallow the camel. We are wretched and proud. Our consciences are depraved. Our hearts are hard and yet we are full of emptiness. Our lives have lost meaning and so human life has become meaningless. We need God and His Truth; we need His moral Law. We need our dignity back!

76. One aspect of the contemporary technological mindset is the tendency to consider the problems and emotions of the interior life from a purely psychological point of view, even to the point of neurological reductionism. In this way man's interiority is emptied of its meaning and gradually our awareness of the human soul's ontological depths, as probed by the saints, is lost. The question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul, insofar as we often reduce the self to the psyche and confuse the soul's health with emotional well-being. (...) Development must include not just material growth but also spiritual growth ... The human being develops when he grows in the spirit, when his soul comes to know itself and the truths that God has implanted deep within, when he enters into dialogue with himself and his Creator. When he is far away from God, man is unsettled and ill at ease. Social and psychological alienation and the many neuroses that afflict affluent societies are attributable in part to spiritual factors. A prosperous society, highly developed in material terms but weighing heavily on the soul, is not of itself conducive to authentic development. There cannot be holistic development and universal common good unless people's spiritual and moral welfare is taken into account, considered in their totality as body and soul.

Comment: Psychology is deplete of its full meaning without God and the spiritual side of life. Humankind, being of both body and soul, is likewise in need of spiritual refreshment as well as human richness.

77. The supremacy of technology tends to prevent people from recognizing anything that cannot be explained in terms of matter alone. (...) Knowing is not simply a material act, since the object that is known always conceals something beyond the empirical datum. All our knowledge, even the most simple, is always a minor miracle, since it can never be fully explained by the material instruments that we apply to it. (...) The development of individuals and peoples is ... located on a height, if we consider the spiritual dimension that must be present if such development is to be authentic. It requires new eyes and a new heart, capable of rising above a materialistic vision of human events, capable of glimpsing in development the “beyond” that technology cannot give. By following this path, it is possible to pursue the integral human development that takes its direction from the driving force of charity in truth.

Comment: The "rising up" and viewing "beyond" is our human endowment from God. We are not mere plants or animals. We are capable of giving testimony to our Creator, and to our being made in His image.

Conclusion

78. Without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is. In the face of the enormous problems surrounding the development of peoples, which almost make us yield to discouragement, we find solace in the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who teaches us: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5) and then encourages us: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20). (...) Only if we are aware of our calling, as individuals and as a community, to be part of God's family as his sons and daughters, will we be able to generate a new vision and muster new energy in the service of a truly integral humanism. (...) A humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism. Only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life — structures, institutions, culture and ethos — without exposing us to the risk of becoming ensnared by the fashions of the moment. Awareness of God's undying love sustains us in our laborious and stimulating work for justice and the development of peoples ... God's love calls us to move beyond the limited and the ephemeral, it gives us the courage to continue seeking and working for the benefit of all, even if this cannot be achieved immediately...

79. Development needs Christians with their arms raised towards God in prayer, Christians moved by the knowledge that truth-filled love, caritas in veritate, from which authentic development proceeds, is not produced by us, but given to us. For this reason, even in the most difficult and complex times, besides recognizing what is happening, we must above all else turn to God's love. Development requires attention to the spiritual life, a serious consideration of the experiences of trust in God, spiritual fellowship in Christ, reliance upon God's providence and mercy, love and forgiveness, self-denial, acceptance of others, justice and peace. All this is essential if “hearts of stone” are to be transformed into “hearts of flesh” (Ezek 36:26), rendering life on earth “divine” and thus more worthy of humanity. All this is of man, because man is the subject of his own existence; and at the same time it is of God, because God is at the beginning and end of all that is good, all that leads to salvation: “the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's” (1 Cor 3:22-23). Christians long for the entire human family to call upon God as “Our Father!” In union with the only-begotten Son, may all people learn to pray to the Father and to ask him, in the words that Jesus himself taught us, for the grace to glorify him by living according to his will, to receive the daily bread that we need, to be understanding and generous towards our debtors, not to be tempted beyond our limits, and to be delivered from evil (cf. Mt 6:9-13).

At the conclusion of the Pauline Year, I gladly express this hope in the Apostle's own words, taken from the Letter to the Romans: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom 12:9-10). May the Virgin Mary — proclaimed Mater Ecclesiae by Paul VI and honored by Christians as Speculum Iustitiae and Regina Pacis — protect us and obtain for us, through her heavenly intercession, the strength, hope and joy necessary to continue to dedicate ourselves with generosity to the task of bringing about the “development of the whole man and of all men" (Popularum Progressio).