Index:
In Memoriam
Psalm 23
If you wish to make a donation in memory of Fr. Jim
Funeral Homily by Fr.
Paul Burchat
Fr. Jim Whalen C.V.
I had the distinct
pleasure of being with Fr. Jim in his final moments
Fr. Jim Whalen's last
mission talk (in English)
In Spanish
Prayer Cards
Fr. Jim's favourite reading books
Priests for
Life Canada main page.
In Memoriam
Fr. Jim Whalen, National Director of Priests for Life
Canada died suddenly while conducting a Pro-Life Parish Mission.
WHALEN, Reverend Father James: On Sunday, February 24, 2008, at
the age of 68, Fr. Jim Whalen, National Director of Priests for Life
Canada and son of the late Rita (Leblanc) and the late James Whalen,
passed away suddenly while conducting a Pro-life Parish Mission in
Thorold, ON (near Niagara Falls).
Father Jim has been pastor of Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Cumberland,
ON since 1992 and has been a priest with the Ottawa Archdiocese since
his ordination in 1972. He also served as the spiritual director of the
Legion of Mary Senatus and the Ottawa area Catholic Home Schoolers
Association. He has been the founding National Director since 1996.
Fr. Jim contributed thirty years assisting the native people of Canada
as chaplain for Native Peoples of Ottawa and founded the Odawa Native
Friendship Center. He will always be remembered as a strong advocate for
the unborn, believing strongly in building a culture of life and a
civilization of love, truth, and justice.
Fr. Jim is survived by his three sisters: Isabelle Patry, Montreal, QC,
Joanne Taylor, North Bay, ON, and Patricia Whalen, North Bay, ON.
Wake services were conducted at Fr. Jim’s own parish of St. Margaret
Mary, Cumberland, Ontario on Thursday, February 28th. The funeral
service was held on Friday, February 29th at Divine Infant Church,
Orleans, Ontario with a capacity crowd of over 750. Msgr. Kenin Beach
presided in the absence of Archbishop Terrance Prendergast. Fr. Paul
Burchat, former Chairman of Priests for Life Canada presented the
homily. A reception followed the Mass. Interment followed the funeral
Mass at Hope Cemetery, Ottawa. Fr. Jim was laid to rest alongside his
mother.
The pro-life movement will greatly miss one of the greatest Canadian
advocates for life.
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PSALM 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul,
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
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Jim":
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P.O. Box 43
Cumberland, ON K4C 1E5
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Funeral Homily by Fr. Paul Burchat,
a Priest of Madonna House and founding Chairman of Priests for Life
Canada
(Readings: Wis. 3:1-4, 4b, 5, 9 Eph. 5:8-14 Jn. 6: 35-40)
Divine Infant Parish, Orleans, Ontario, Friday, March 7, 2008 With the
passing of Fr. Jim our country has lost one of its most dedicated
priests working on behalf of pro-life. He was passionate, knowledgeable,
single-minded, devoted, and courageous - all the things you would look
for in someone to head an organization such as Priests for Life Canada.
Knowing Fr. Jim I can only imagine that the manner of his death was
exactly as he would have planned if he could have had any say in the
matter (i.e., during the preaching of a pro-life mission).
The readings refer to the two aspects of his faith which were so central
to his life and his work, namely his seeking for truth and justice and
an unwillingness to compromise with evil, and secondly his great love of
and devotion to the Eucharist.
I first met him when we, as a steering committee, were looking for
someone to be the director for our organization and Archbishop Marcel
Gervais put his name forward as a possible candidate. My relationship
with him on the one hand was quite stable and durable. We both were of
one mind when it came to our standing squarely on the Church’s teaching
with regards to beginning and end of life issues, human sexuality,
marriage, and family, and our conviction about the need to promote
prayer for pro-life work. However, when it came to the details of how we
should run Priests for Life Canada, that frequently generated some very
lively discussions at our board of directors meetings. Through it all we
grew in mutual respect and did enjoy many light-hearted moments
together. The last time I saw him was one such occasion. We traveled
together to Prince Edward Island last fall for our annual symposium and
I found it to be a very relaxing time in spite of all the work that had
to be done over that weekend. It was a time to reminisce and reflect on
what God had done with our work over the last twelve years and to laugh
at some of the seemingly absurd situations we found ourselves in over
the course of that time. A sense of humour is critical in order to
survive when working in this type of ministry.
| The other
aspect of our being here, besides mourning the loss of Fr. Jim, is
to reaffirm our hope, which as the first reading says is "full of
immortality". |
The other aspect of our being here, besides mourning the loss of Fr.
Jim, is to reaffirm our hope, which as the first reading says is “full
of immortality”. Hope, of course, is the belief that God will be
faithful to what He has promised, provided of course, that we do our
part. It is not based on wishful thinking or the notion that how I live
my life will have no bearing on my eternal destiny, quite the opposite.
True religion is not about helping people to feel good about themselves
or to assuage a nagging conscience, but about helping them to face the
truth and to encounter the grace of God in the midst of their
difficulties and ultimately to reach heaven. We must never lose sight of
our priorities and the means to attain our goal, which entails living
well here. In this regard it is critical to remember that while we all
have a God-given, unconditional right to life we do not have an
automatic, unconditional right to eternal life! St. Paul reminds us of
this very clearly in Philippians when he says, “work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). Our world, however, seems to
believe otherwise - that no one has a right to life and that everyone is
going to heaven regardless of how they have lived. I cannot help but
suspect that some people may be in for a rude awakening.
In the book of Deuteronomy God clearly sets before us two ways, one
leading to life and the other to death (30:15-20). We need not be
intimidated by this reality. If we want life - and Jesus certainly
desires that we have it to the full (Jn 10:10) - it can be ours. If we
are willing to live, as God would have us live, our hopes will be
realized. The Lord is always faithful and merciful; we need never
despair. Our hope also is that we will again one day see our brother and
that our sorrow will turn to joy and our grief to happiness. As our
funeral liturgy reminds us and our faith tells us we know that life does
not end at the grave but rather it is changed. We hope and pray that for
all of us the change will be for the better.
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FR. JIM WHALEN C.V.
Father Jim,
pastor of Saint Margaret Mary bilingual parish in Cumberland, just
outside the City of Ottawa, Canada, was born in 1939 and has been a
priest with the Ottawa Archdiocese since 1972. Prior to becoming a
priest, Father Jim taught at all levels in the Ottawa Separate School
system.
Fr. Jim served as the spiritual director of The Senatus, the Governing
Body of the Legion of Mary, Northern Ontario. He has also contributed
thirty years assisting the Native people of Canada as Chaplain for
Native Peoples of Ottawa and as one of the founders of Odawa Native
Friendship Center. Further involvement includes his work assisting the
Ottawa area Catholic Home Schoolers, Association as Spiritual Advisor.
Fr. Jim also taught Religious Science for two years at the Ottawa
University.
Father Jim has a Masters in Psychology and a Doctorate in Philosophy
(Spirituality). His Doctoral Thesis in Formative Spirituality and
Psychology is presently being used as a textbook at Duquesne University,
Pittsburgh.
Fr. Jim is not new to the pro-life movement. In the past, he was the
designated Pro-Life Researcher and Analyst for the Archdiocese of
Ottawa. Those who know him will quickly tell you that his struggle to
advocate for the unborn and other attacks on human life goes back many
years.
In the summer of 1996, Fr. Jim was asked by a group of people in the
Diocese of Pembroke to take on the role of National Director for a newly
created organization called Priests for Life Canada. Without hesitation,
Fr. Jim accepted. When asked why he was so open to taking on this
challenge, Fr. Jim answered, “As a priest, we cannot ‘not be involved’.
We must use all the forces available to us to attack the problems of
contraception, abortion, and euthanasia”.
Likely the most asked question about this particular organization is:
“Is there really a need for a Priests for Life organization? Aren’t all
Catholic priests pro-life?” Ask Fr. Jim and he’ll tell you that, without
a doubt, the vast majority if not all Catholic priests are pro-life, but
we also recognize the tremendous role a priest has in leading and
educating his people in pro-life matters. Contraception, abortion, and
euthanasia are the greatest direct attacks against humanity of all time.
Isn’t it only right that we support and encourage our priests in this
role? Isn’t it important that all priests and all Catholics unite in
this common struggle to attack the ‘Culture of Death’ so prevalent in
today’s society? That is the purpose of Priests for Life, not just to
encourage our Priests ‘to be actively pro-life’ but to also assist them
in their efforts to bring back a total respect for life from conception
to natural death, and to assist them in revealing the ‘whole truth’
about pro-life issues while focusing on Moral Relativism and Secular
Humanism - the anti-life heresies of our day. Fr. Jim worked tirelessly
to promote “Total Christianity” and to build a culture of life, a
civilization of love, truth, and justice.
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I
had the distinct pleasure
of being with Fr. Jim
on his last day.
Now who’s
going to give me that morning wake-up call at about 7:50 a.m. each
morning? I knew that Fr. Jim often rose early... like about 5 a.m., and
sometimes even earlier. I could picture him sitting by his telephone
waiting impatiently for the clock to tick closer to 8 a.m. when he knew
I’d be up and around. The odd time he would wait for the clock to
advance beyond 8 a.m., but not often. When Fr. Jim had something on his
mind, it was time to get down to business.
A few weeks prior to our visit to Holy Rosary Parish in Thorold,
Ontario, Fr. Jim had been complaining about being out of breath if he
climbed just a few stairs. He said he would see his family doctor just
as soon as he could. But, Fr. Jim was not one to give his doctor any
more business than was absolutely necessary. The “natural way” was his
way of easing aches and pains. He would often call his sister, Joanne, a
former nurse, and depend on her for natural remedies. Being educated in
the art of medicine, she couldn’t offer many natural cures but Fr. Jim
still appreciated the advice she gave him. He would also look upwards
for relief of aches and pains (though he was not often sick). He had
told me how he was a good friend of Lilian Bernas, a seer whom he had a
lot of faith in, and that she had cured him some years ago of an
ailment.
Fr. Jim was extremely dedicated to the pro-life movement. He had served
many years as the pro-life advocate for the Archdiocese of Ottawa. In
1996, Archbishop Gervais was pleased to recommend him for the position
of founding National Director of Priests for Life Canada. It would
provide Fr. Jim the opportunity to become very involved in pro-life
work. The timing was perfect as Priests for Life Canada could not have
found a more qualified leader.
On our trip to the Niagara Region, I asked Fr. Jim if he had had a
recent physical. He thought that he might have. Yes, he had them
regularly, at least every 10-20 years. I asked him if he had one of those machines to check blood
pressure. He said, yes, I think I have one somewhere.
Fr. Jim loved the outdoors. During the summer months he would spend most
weekdays at his cottage in Quebec. Deacon John Poirier (a member on the
board of Priests for Life Canada) had his cottage nearby. It was great
to have Fr. Jim come to his cottage and say Mass. I don’t think Fr. Jim
ever missed his daily Mass. Neither would he miss saying a “prayer for
the road”, even if he was only driving to the corner store. Go any
further, and it was necessary to pray the entire Rosary, at least once.
Fr. Jim loved his food. Though he tried to eat “healthy foods”
I saw most food of any kind pass his lips. On the way to Niagara we
stopped at a Thai restaurant in Hamilton. He called it “thigh” food.
“There’s meat in this”, said Fr. Jim. “No, sir”, said the waiter. “You
insisted on no meat” (it was Friday). “That’s tofu”. “O.K. then”, said
Fr. Jim, “it’s delicious”. He was right about the thigh food. As soon as
summer comes and he’s able to visit his cottage regularly, he said he
would resume his vigorous exercising and reduce weight. He felt that it
was lack of exercise that caused his shortness of breath. What an avid
swimmer he was. At the cottage he would swim the lake between his
cottage and John’s.
The Eucharist was the love of Fr. Jim’s life. He so loved the Eucharist
that he initiated the Cor Jesu Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in his
parish. “Perpetual means twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week”, he
would say. “O.K. but who’s going to fill in the hours during storms,
sickness, etc.”, I had asked him. The answer was obvious. It was no
accident that the chapel was located right in the basement of his parish
home. He spent many hours there and loved it. The Eucharist was the
centre of his life and his parish and pro-life ministry prospered
because of it. He rarely missed an opportunity to promote Eucharistic
Adoration. In his little parish of 200 he had little problem filling the
scheduled hours. He had a way of encouraging his many parishioners, the
CWL, and the Parish Council to participate. If you saw Fr. Jim coming,
and you lived anywhere within driving distance of Cumberland, you knew
he would corner you into taking part.
Contraception. Was it easy to talk to Fr. Jim about contraception? No it
wasn’t. When it comes to contraception there are no grey areas. The
Church’s position on contraception is clear and there is little need to
discuss it. Just follow the teachings. Contraception is immoral and
intrinsically evil, and that’s that. Fr. Jim believed that contraception
is likely the greatest evil in the world and that abortion stems from
the contraceptive mentality. Very few of Fr. Jim’s writings missed
bringing home that point. He knew that over 80% of Catholics in Canada
contracept and this would hurt him greatly. He lamented that more
pro-life groups did not make this issue a priority. Get rid of the
contraceptive mentality and we’ll get rid of abortion was his approach.
We arrived at Holy Rosary Parish at about 8 p.m. on Friday, February
22nd. He was feeling fine. I left him there and went to stay with family
in Fort Erie. My wife and I met Fr. Jim at the parish on Saturday at
about 3:30 p.m. because we needed time to set up the pro-life display
table at the back of the church before the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Fr. Jim
insisted that his beautiful tapestry of Our Lady of Guadalupe was
prominently displayed. We couldn’t find anything to hang it on so he
found a trifold emergency privacy screen to hang it on. If there was an
emergency, and anyone needed it badly, we just might have to give it up.
Fr. Jim concelebrated Mass and gave his 20-minute pro-life homily. This
audience got away lucky - he actually cut it short. Fr. Jim wasn’t one
to stop before he said what he had to say. After Mass Fr. Moser, the
parish pastor, invited us into his rectory for supper. The stew was
great. Fr. Jim told him about the thigh food and about his seer friend,
Lilian Bernas, who lived in the Niagara area. It was a great evening.
Fr. Jim has a sincere and dedicated devotion to the Angels and Saints...
not the modern Hollywood kind but the traditional Angels and Saints we
read about in the Holy Book. St. Joseph was at the top of his list of
saints. His devotion to St. Joseph showed in his commitment to an
informal group called “The Friends of St. Joseph”. Since 1993 this group
have met on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and in their sunrise procession
they honoured the Passion of Our Lord, The Divine Mercy, and St. Joseph
whose powerful intercession, as Canada’s Patron Saint, was sought to
obtain God’s blessings on Canada. This meant getting up really early for
Fr. Jim as he was nearly always there to lead the 6:15 a.m. commencement
prayers. The dedicated people who take part in these novenas will carry
on this most important work.
On the ride to Thorold, we spoke about the future of Priests for Life
Canada and his parish work. He was only 68 and not about to retire.
“Retirement age in my diocese is 75”, said Fr. Jim. Asked if he would
retire at 75 and possibly then work full-time for Priests for Life
Canada, Fr. Jim said, “No way”. He loved his parish work and would
continue to do both as long as he was able. I envied his looks as he
always looked young for his age. I wished that I could duplicate his
energy.
During his parish mission at Holy Rosary, Fr. Jim was scheduled to meet
with a newly-formed parish Legion of Mary. This was to take place on the
Monday. His love for Mary was without question. As Spiritual Director of
The Senatus, the Governing Body of the Legion of Mary, Northern Ontario,
he made sure that devotion to Our Lady was a priority. He insisted that
members in his area take part in both the Cor Jesu Perpetual Adoration
Chapel as well as devote time to helping as volunteers at Priests for
Life Canada. Fr. Jim was good at delegating work. He was a priest and
would meet the spiritual needs of the parish but parishioners would have
to do the upkeep of the parish. He had no problem convincing
parishioners to support the parish, both financially and maintenance
wise. This little bi-lingual parish (the only bilingual parish in the
Archdiocese of Ottawa) held its own. Fr. Jim hoped that the work the
Legion of Mary and the Cor Jesu Perpetual Adoration Chapel would go on
if he was ever moved. He had been in the parish for 16 years.
The first Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary in Thorold (there are four) is an
early one. It starts at 7:45 a.m. I arrived at about 7:30 a.m. Fr. Jim
came to me at the back of the Church and we spoke briefly before Mass.
He was feeling OK but had not slept all night. The bed was too soft. He
did, however, appreciate the shower in the rectory. He had said on his
way to Thorold that he was looking forward to the shower because the one
in his own home had little water pressure. Fr. Jim never complained
about little things. He was too busy looking after the spiritual needs
of the parish.
Fr. Jim didn’t concelebrate the first Mass that morning but he presented
his homily as vigorously as the night before. Even more so. These
parishioners would get the full length of his homily. By the end of Mass
people were gathering at the back of the Church waiting for the 9 a.m.
Mass. Fr. Jim left the altar shortly after his homily and sat in the
Sacristy where he had a conversation with Fr. Moser. Just at the final
blessing I could see Fr. Moser rushing down the isle towards me (I was
at the back of the Church). I thought he was rushing to be there to
greet parishioners who were about to leave after Mass. Instead he came
directly to me and said that something was wrong with Fr. Jim. We both
rushed to the Sacristy and tried to attend to Fr. Jim. A nurse from the
congregation also came and tried CPR. Firemen, police, and an ambulance
crew also tried. It was too late. A massive stroke had already taken Fr.
Jim to meet the Lord. The passage had been instant and peaceful.
If Fr. Jim had planned it, his time on earth would not have ended any
differently. He was conducting a pro-life mission; he had just given a
pro-life homily; he was at a parish named in honour of Our Lady; a
priest was present; he received the final anointment; parishioners were
praying the Holy Rosary for him; and he was in the presence of friends.
The honour and glory was all Fr. Jim’s.
Though his presence will be missed dearly, it was an honour for me to be
with him when he died. Now who will I argue with? He was a great man of
God and an outstanding pro-life leader. From Darlene Dalton (office
secretary of Priests for Life Canada), and her family who became very
close friends of Fr. Jim, myself, and all the board members of Priests
for Life Canada, we say “Good-bye dear friend”.
Michael Vande Wiel
Operations Manager
Priests for Life Canada
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Fr.
Jim Whalen's last talk given at a Pro-Life Lenten Mission
at Holy Rosary Parish, Thorold, Ontario
February 23-24, 2008.
Picture:
Fr. Jim Whalen, National Director
of
Priests for Life Canada distributing
Holy
Communion at St. Dunstan’s Basilica,
Charlottetown PE. October 13, 2007
Jesus creates a crisis in His public ministry, a moment of truth, a
moment of decision, to an anonymous Samaritan woman. She has to decide
to say “yes” or “no” to Jesus and to what He offers her. She has to
decide to reject or accept the offer of living water - the truth. If she
rejects the living water and continues with well water, her life will
not change. She will continue in her old ways of changing husbands and
lovers every so often, running, hiding, and paying lip service to her
faith. If she accepts the living water, she will be a changed woman, a
new woman, a born again woman, and a new creation. She must decide to
reject or accept the truth.
The ministry of Jesus continues today in our world. The woman at the
well is the woman seeking lethal services at the local abortion clinic.
She is running from a mistake, an error, a sin. She is running from a
future with a child, trying to escape from a troublesome relationship,
abandoned by her husband or a current lover. This is the woman at the
well today, a woman in need of the truth, a woman in need of the Church,
a woman in need of you and me. She has been misled or misinformed about
the truth of abortion. Jesus wants us to be there for the woman at the
well today, offering her support, offering her the truth, and helping
her to decide to save, not to take the life, of the little one within
her as well as her own immortal soul.
A pastor
thought he would get the message of truth across to his parishioners so
he asked them to prepare for the following week’s service by reading
Mark 17. The following week the pastor asked those who had done their
homework to raise their hands. Many did. In response, the pastor told
them that there was no Mark 17. The lesson of truth had been taught.
Jesus is
single-minded. The woman needed to become single-minded. We need to
become single-minded when it comes to the proclamation of truth. The
absence of God and truth in her life had been watered down, compromised,
and subjected to the world, in man the creature who blatantly rejects
the plans of his Creator, our God. We all need to be reminded of the
truth. Pope John Paul II directs us to the Scriptures: “We must refuse
any compromise or ambiguity which might conform us to the world’s way of
thinking: ‘Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is
good, pleasing, and perfect’” (Rom 12:2).
The truth has often been separated from freedom and faith leaving a
trail of confusion: “When freedom is detached from objective truth it
becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational
basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of an
unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of
public authority” (Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 1991, #17;
Evangelium Vitae #96).
Pro-lifers must be men and women of truth. In some instances leaders
have replaced conscience with comfort and convenience and do not teach
the whole truth. Their norm of conduct is to follow whatever course of
action is most opportune or most convenient or least upsetting. They do
not act in accordance with the whole truth. Pro-lifers must shut out
anything that smacks of dissimulation, hypocrisy, timidity, and
duplicity, and keep our commitment to the whole teaching of the Church.
Anything less is a disservice and misleading. The alternative is not
acceptable: “How many weaknesses, how much opportunism, how much
conformity, how much vileness” (Address by Pope Paul VI, Feb. 17, 1965).
What is more important is that the person whose life is not guided by
sincerity separates herself or himself from any possibility of
communicating with God. Love for the truth will direct us to be sincere
with ourselves, help us to keep a clear conscience, and keep us from
deceiving ourselves. If we as Catholic pro-lifers avoid or hesitate to
speak the truth about pro-life issues such as contraception, and water
it down so as not to offend someone, how are we helping them? Should we
not be more concerned about offending God? How can we say we love our
brothers and sisters and allow them to live in error and ignorance when
we know the truth?
We must be clear on this point: “Lying opposes truth just as light
opposes darkness, as piety opposes impiety, as justice opposes iniquity,
as goodness opposes sin, as health opposes sickness, and life opposes
death” (Against Lying, a Doctrinal Treatise of St. Augustine’s
translation by Rev. C.L. Cornish, M.A.). “It is a matter of telling the
whole truth, love truth in itself, and for itself” (St. Francis de
Sales, Introduction to Devout Life, Part III, #30). Truth, light, and
sincerity are unambiguous. We will never defeat the Culture of Death by
avoiding key issues such as contraception. We will never build a Culture
of Life by teaching only part of the truth and avoiding difficult issues
for fear of offending others. We should fear rather that by not speaking
the truth we are offending truth: Jesus Himself. Responsible parenthood
is a truthful way; a must for Catholics. Natural Family Planning is not
another method of contraception as some would have you believe. It is a
method of fertility awareness, responsible parenthood. It does not
attack fertility; it does not withhold the gift of oneself from ones
spouse; it does not block the procreative nature of the conjugal act. To
leave this matter to individual consciences that have not been informed
by the teaching magisterium of the Catholic Church or objective truth of
God’s will is to evade one’s responsibility. Life cannot be treated as a
product as in the case of procreative techniques that turn embryos into
objects and at the same time violate human dignity. This would be
completely against one’s conscience.
Conscience is more than personal preference or replacing truth by
progress. A man of conscience is one who never acquires tolerance, well
being, success, public standing, and approval on the part of prevailing
opinion, at the expense of truth. It requires searching out,
understanding, and striving to conform to Catholic Church teaching,
objective morality, and truth. The great duty of the Church today is to
proclaim the truth to the world. It is Christ Himself who is the
Incarnate Truth. His life and teachings are resplendent of that truth.
A critical area of concern to pro-lifers that needs to be reviewed is
the importance of evangelization in our overall strategy. “The Gospel is
meant to permeate all cultures and give them life from within so that
they may express the full truth about the human person and about human
life… We are called to serve life in all its truth (E.V. #95). “Before
the world, united action in society on the part of Christians has the
clear value of a joint witness in the name of the Lord… It is also a
form of proclamation, since it reveals the face of Christ” (Pope John
Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, #75, p. 85). The reality we face today is that
pro-life organizations that began as an attempt to reach out and involve
people of other faiths in their effort to defend life, held back from
promoting the whole truth for fear of offending individuals or fear of
losing or limiting membership. The fact is that doctrinal disagreements
place a limit on cooperation.
In this Lenten Season it is important to make a reality check. What is
truth? What are we up against? Is this cultural death? Looking at world
poverty we find according to World Bank statistics that 840 million
suffer from hunger in the world today - 200 million are children and
over 30 thousand children die each day from hunger. Twenty percent of
the world’s population consumes eighty-six percent of all its goods. 1.3
million people live on less than $1.00 a day. There has been an increase
of over 200% of families living in poverty in the U.S. between 1960 and
1990. Pope John Paul II on October 17, 2002, commenting on world hunger,
reminds us “Freeing people from hunger is an expression of the right to
life and respect for human dignity”.
When we witness to abortion, we witness to crime becoming a right: 55
million abortions a year take place in the world, over 3.5 million were
killed in Canada in the past 35 years, over one thousand teenagers every
day have abortions in America. One out of every four unborn children are
murdered. There are over 300 abortions each day in Canada with
one-fourth of these performed on teenagers (Statistics Canada, 1990).
Every 20 seconds, somewhere in the world, one of our brothers or sisters
is being killed. This makes abortion a new tragedy every minute of every
hour of every day.
Over 60 million people in the world use birth control pills. Over 40% of
couples in the world use contraception or sterilization every year: 340
million out of 880 million. Ninety percent of sexually active couples
practice contraception. The divorce rate in the U.S. went up 260%
between 1960 and 1975 (over 50% of marriages). Over 40 million people in
the world were affected by the AIDS virus between 1990 and 1997. Over
880 million have no access to health services. There are over 250
million chemical abortions in the world each year. In Canada there are
over 300 surgical abortions each and every day.
The statistics for family decline is overwhelming: increased rate of
unmarried women giving birth is up by 310% since 1950; rise of 337% of
unmarried teenagers living together; the number of unmarried couple
households in 1992 in the U.S. was 3.3 million (Saluter, 1992).
Ninety-nine percent of homeless children come from fatherless families (McChesney,
1995). Pope Paul VI’s encyclical called Humanae Vitae warned about these
possible consequences.
Among the great crisis the Church faces today is that of morals. The
truth of the human person is obscured, and so the family disintegrates;
the order of creation is twisted; freedom is abused; and life is not
respected. Society has gone morally bankrupt. This is evident in child
abuse: mothers killing children; children killing children; teen
suicides have tripled; violence has increased by 500% in the last three
decades; television is dominated by extramarital sex acts; scientists
experiment with embryos, genetic engineering, stem cells, and
establishing exclusive criterion outside ethical principles: playing
God; there has been an upsurge in the occult and new age living;
pornography is rampant; loopholes in Canadian laws have put Canadian
children at risk (the age of consent for sexual activity is presently
set at 14 years) and “artistic merit” claims taking pictures of these
activities is O.K.; legal recognition of de facto unions in various
versions and stages and unnatural unions are common; increased divorces;
and loss of respect for women. Dr. Henry Morgentaler claims an income of
$17 million a year from abortions.
If we look around us what do we see? If we go to the establishment of
the mighty we observe the prostration of the many oppressed before the
wealthy few. There is control over life and death. Planned Parenthood
Federation profits $20.9 million from abortion clinics and $45 million
from birth control pills. When we look at the Cross of Christ, what do
we see?
If we look at the political world we see nations jealous of nations,
trade rivaling trade, and armies and fleets matched against each other.
We see the striving of the ambitious, the intrigues of the crafty, the
laws or lack of laws that allow the killing of the unborn, and in some
cases the euthanizing of the helpless and vulnerable. What is the end of
all this turmoil and travesty? The grave! What is the result of all
this? The answer is clear: The Cross is the final measure.
When we look at the world of science and intellect we see the countless
discoveries, the variety of arts, and the power and confidence in
reason. What are the consequences when man goes too far, when he tries
to prevent conception by contraceptive means and devices, experiments
with human embryos, seeks even to clone mankind. The Cross is the
ultimate measure.
When we look at the misery of mankind; the destitution of the homeless;
the oppression of the unborn child, branded as non-human; the
handicapped as well as the elderly, considered by many as useless and as
burdens, what do we think? When we consider the pain and suffering of
the chronically ill, how do we rate their value? The Cross is the final
measure. It is in the Cross that all things meet; all things subserve
it; all things need it. It is here all things are interpreted. It is
here Jesus Christ was lifted upon it that He might draw all human life
and all things unto Him. The doctrine of the Cross reminds us of the
price paid for our souls. The doctrine of the Cross challenges us to
change, to convert, to be transformed by Christ’s word, Christ’s
example, and Christ’s life. It is a living principle, when received into
the faithful heart. In the same way as the heart is the principle of
motion, heat, and activity, the sacred doctrine of Christ’s sacrifice on
the Cross is the vital principle on which the Christian lives. It
presupposes belief in Christ’s divinity and humanity and His true
incarnation. It prepares us for the life-gift of His redeeming Body and
Blood in the Eucharist. This doctrine of atonement is to be lived not
just talked about. In this Lenten mission this Cross leads us to
repentance, prayer, and fasting. It is a promise of what is to come.
A Missionary on one of his preaching missions told the congregation
that it’s important to offer up our crosses because they have real value
and merit. He asked all men in the congregation to stand and hold up all
their crosses for everyone to see. One man held up his wife and said,
“Take her Lord. See if you can do a better job than I did. She’s all
Yours”.
The true
Christian is one who never forgets the truth. Christ is lifted on the
Cross to draw all to Him. We can only truly enjoy the world if we have
first abstained from it. We can only truly feast if we have first
fasted. We can use the world wisely if we have learned not to abuse it.
We can inherit it when we have learned how to relinquish it and how to
be generous.
No one said it was easy to be a Christian. Our first conversions are
very significant but the later conversions are even more important and
more demanding. It is one thing to be pro-life but another to be
pro-life active. It is expected that we as Catholics believe in the
pro-life teachings of the Church. It is another to stand up for our
faith and oppose contraceptives and promote Humanae Vitae and Evangelium
Vitae. To get anywhere in pro-life requires growing in Christian life.
Some say I have done enough. Ask yourself the question: Have I resisted
evil to the point of going to prison for my littlest neighbour in the
womb? Am I generous in pro-life support and service? Whereas conversion
is the task of a moment, sanctification is the work of a life-time. If
we want to be converted we must ask the Lord to let us know Him and
ourselves better. The important thing is to always be with Jesus and to
live in His presence. He is the one to help us to make steady progress
in the conversion process.
We are living in a time of Eucharistic amazement, a great awakening, a
Eucharistic movement in the Church, focusing on Eucharistic need,
Eucharistic practice, and Eucharistic evangelization. It is an
opportunity for faith enrichment, for renewed hope, for pro-active
charity, building a culture of life, a culture of Eucharist, for a
civilization of love. In the school of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we
can learn how she offered her virginal womb for the incarnation of the
world, the Real Presence of Jesus. As Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of
the Americas and Star of the New Evangelization, we are to turn to her
in our pro-life mission to share the Bread of Life, the Bread of Truth.
She shows us a Eucharistic attitude and how our lives should become a
continuous magnificat of the Most Holy Trinity. Mary, our guide and
model, is a woman of the Eucharist in her whole life.
Pope Benedict XVI’s approach is to defeat relativism on its own turf: by
being realistic: remaining with and challenging the world with Christian
standards; by challenging all to seek holiness and sainthood; by a call
to centre our lives on the Eucharist at Mass and adoration before the
Blessed Sacrament; by a teaching thrust to expose the false promises of
relativism; by political intervention, reminding legislators of
objective truth; by advocating the values of democracy, human rights and
tolerance, as rooted in Christian heritage; by establishing new
communities and movements, with an alternative vision of life rooted in
Christian faith (e.g., Focolare Movement, Neo-Catechumenal Way,
Maximilian Kolbe Apostolate, Couples for Christ, and the Marian
Catechist Apostolate).
A priest
is talking to his favourite barber. The priest told him that he was
going to Rome and would be visiting with the Pope and that he would
bring back a personal message for him. The barber was delighted but
indicated to the priest that he wouldn’t even get near the Pope. The
priest goes to Rome and returns to the barber with the personal message.
The barber asks what the message was. The priest said, “I spoke to the
Pope and he said, ‘Who gave you that terrible haircut?’”
Cardinal Marc
Ouellet reminds us of the coming Eucharistic Congress from June 15-22,
2008 in Quebec City as The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the
World. He writes, “We need to recover the Church’s mission… to keep the
Gospel vision of love alive. Only in this way can we ever hope to build
a Culture of the Eucharist for a Civilization of Love”. The Eucharist is
relevant to the world, but most of us suffer at some level with the “on
the road to Emmaus” problem. Our eyes need to be opened with the
breaking of the Bread of Life, the Bread of Truth, and recognize Christ
as fully alive and totally present as His self-gift for the life of the
world. He is present as He is in heaven, without leaving heaven, and all
of heaven is present with Him, the Holy Trinity, the angels, and the
saints. We are lifted out of time into eternity in the Mass. When Christ
gave us Himself in the Eucharist, He gave us everything. God, all
powerful and all wise, could not give us more.
Let us come as often as possible to the source of light and strength to
celebrate and live the Eucharist, here at Mass at the fountain of life,
streams of water where God gives us His gift of love in an ocean of
blessings and graces.
Back to index
In Spanish:
Última
plática del Padre Jim Whalen impartida durante la Misión Pro-Vida de
Cuaresma en la Parroquia del Santo Rosario
Thorold, Ontario
Febrero 23-24, 2008
Foto: Padre Jim Whalen, Director Nacional
de Sacerdotes por la Vida, Canadá, distribuyendo
la Santa Comunión en la Basílica de Sn. Dunstan
Charlottetown P.E. 13 de Octubre, 2007
Jesús crea una crisis durante su ministerio público; un
momento de verdad, un momento de decisión, con una mujer samaritana
anónima. Ella tiene que tomar la decisión de contestarle a Jesús “si” o
“no” a lo que Él le está ofreciendo. Ella tiene que decidir si rechaza o
acepta el ofrecimiento de ‘agua viva,’ de la verdad. Si ella rechaza el
‘agua viva’ y se queda con el agua del pozo, su vida no cambiará;
seguirá con su antigua costumbre de cambiar continuamente de esposos y
amantes; corriendo, escondiéndose y practicando una fe sólo de labios
para afuera. Pero si acepta el ‘agua viva,’ entonces será una mujer
renovada, una mujer nueva, una mujer que nace de nuevo y una nueva
creación. Ella debe decidir aceptar o rechazar la verdad.
El ministerio de Jesús continúa hoy en nuestro mundo. La
mujer en el pozo es aquella mujer que va en busca de los servicios
mortales que le ofrece la clínica local de abortos. Ella va huyendo de
una equivocación, de un error, de un pecado. Huye de un futuro con un
hijo, tratando de escapar de una relación problemática; abandonada por
su esposo o el amante en turno. Esta es la mujer en el pozo de nuestros
días: una mujer necesitada de la verdad; una mujer necesitada de la
Iglesia; una mujer necesitada de ti y de mí. Una mujer que ha sido mal
dirigida o mal informada sobre la verdad de lo que es un aborto. Jesús
quiere que estemos allí para la mujer del pozo actual ofreciéndole
apoyo, ofreciéndole la verdad y ayudándola a decidir a salvar, y no a
quitar, la vida del pequeño que lleva dentro de su vientre, así como la
de su propia alma inmortal.
Un sacerdote decidió transmitir a sus parroquianos
el mensaje de la verdad, por lo que les pidió que para el domingo de
la siguiente semana, se prepararan para la Misa leyendo el capítulo 17
de Marcos. A la siguiente semana, el pastor pidió que aquellos que
habían hecho su tarea levantaran la mano: muchos lo hicieron. Como
respuesta, el pastor les dijo que no había ningún capítulo 17 de
Marcos. La lección sobre la verdad se había impartido.
Jesús tiene claridad de propósito. La mujer tenía que
adquirir esa claridad de propósitos, y nosotros también hemos de estar
muy bien definidos cuando de proclamar la verdad se trate. La ausencia
de Dios y de la verdad en su vida se había diluido, se había
comprometido y sujetado al mundo, al hombre, a la criatura que rechaza
desafiante los planes de su Creador, de nuestro Dios. Todos necesitamos
que se nos recuerde la verdad. El Papa Juan Pablo II nos conduce a las
Sagradas Escrituras: “No os conforméis a este siglo, sino
transformaos por medio de la renovación de vuestro entendimiento, para
que comprobéis cuál sea la buena voluntad de Dios, agradable y perfecta”
(Rm 12,2).
Con mucha frecuencia, a la verdad se la ha separado de
la libertad y de la fe, dejando con ello un mar de confusiones:
“Cuando la libertad se separa de la verdad objetiva, se hace imposible
establecer los derechos personales sobre una base racional firme, y se
sientan las bases para que la sociedad se encuentre a merced de la
voluntad desenfrenada de los individuos o del totalitarismo opresivo de
la autoridad pública”
(Papa Juan Pablo II, Centesimus
Annus, 1991, #17; Evangelium Vitae # 96).
Los activistas pro-vida han de ser hombres y mujeres que
caminen en pos de la verdad. En algunos casos, los líderes han
reemplazado la conciencia con el confort y la conveniencia y no enseñan
toda la verdad. Su norma de conducta es seguir cualquier curso de acción
que resulte más oportuno o más conveniente o menos incómodo, y no actúan
conforme a la verdad plena. Los activistas pro-vida han de rechazar todo
aquello que tenga un tinte de simulación, hipocresía, timidez y
duplicidad, manteniendo el compromiso que tenemos con el Magisterio de
la Iglesia. Menos que esto traería como resultados prestar un servicio
perjudicial y extraviado; esta alternativa no es aceptable: “Cuántas
debilidades, cuánto oportunismo, cuánta conformidad, cuánta vileza”
(Discurso del Papa Paulo
VI, 17 de Febrero, 1965).
Más importante aún es que aquella persona cuya vida no
se guía por la sinceridad, se separa de toda posibilidad de comunicación
con Dios. El amor a la verdad nos dirigirá en la sinceridad con nosotros
mismos; nos ayudará a mantener una consciencia clara evitando el auto
engaño. Si nosotros como católicos a favor de la vida evitamos o dudamos
en decir la verdad en temas pro-vida, tales como los anticonceptivos, y
lo minimizamos como para no ofender a otra persona, ¿de qué manera los
estamos ayudando? ¿No debería interesarnos más no ofender a Dios? ¿Cómo
podemos decir que amamos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas si permitimos
que vivan en el error y la ignorancia sabiendo nosotros la verdad?
En este punto debemos ser muy claros: “La mentira es
contraria a la verdad, así como la luz es contraria a la oscuridad; como
la piedad es contraria a la impiedad; como la justicia es contraria a la
iniquidad; como la bondad es contraria al pecado; como la salud es
contraria a la enfermedad; como la vida es contraria a la muerte”
(Contra la Mentira;
Tratado Doctrinal de la traducción de Sn. Agustín por el Rev. C.L.
Cornisa, M.A.).
“Es cuestión de decir toda la verdad, amar la verdad
en sí y por sí misma”
(Sn. Francisco de Sales,
Introducción a la Vida Devota, Parte III, # 30).
Verdad, luz y sinceridad no son conceptos ambiguos. Jamás podremos
combatir la ‘cultura de la muerte’ si evitamos temas álgidos como la
anticoncepción. Jamás construiremos una ‘cultura de la vida’ si
enseñamos sólo una parte de la verdad y evitamos los temas difíciles por
temor a ofender a los demás. Antes al contrario, nuestro temor debería
ser que al no decir la verdad estamos ofendiendo a la Verdad misma, es
decir, a Jesús en persona.
La responsabilidad que tienen los padres es un camino de
verdad; es un deber de los católicos. La Planeación Familiar Natural no
es otro método anticonceptivo como algunos pretenden hacer creer, sino
que es un método que ayuda a tomar consciencia de la fertilidad; de una
paternidad responsable. No es un ataque contra la fertilidad; no impide
la donación de sí al cónyuge, ni bloquea la naturaleza creadora del acto
conyugal. Dejar este asunto a las consciencias individuales que no han
sido instruidas en la enseñanza del Magisterio de la Iglesia Católica, o
en la verdad objetiva de la voluntad de Dios, es evadir nuestra propia
responsabilidad. La vida no puede ser tratada como un producto, como en
el caso de las técnicas reproductivas que convierten a los embriones en
objetos y, al mismo tiempo, violan toda dignidad humana: eso va
totalmente en contra de la propia conciencia.
La conciencia va más allá de meras preferencias
personales, o el hecho de reemplazar la verdad por el progreso. Un
hombre de conciencia es aquel que nunca acepta la tolerancia, el
bienestar, el éxito, las posiciones públicas y la aprobación por parte
de la opinión general a expensas de la verdad. Se requiere de la
investigación, comprensión y búsqueda para conformarse con las
enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica, con una moralidad objetiva y con la
verdad. La Iglesia contemporánea tiene la gran responsabilidad de
proclamar la verdad al mundo. Cristo mismo es la Verdad encarnada: su
vida y sus enseñanzas hacen que esa verdad resplandezca.
Uno de los aspectos críticos por el que los activistas
pro-vida han de preocuparse –y que necesita ser revisado- es la
importancia de la evangelización dentro de nuestra estrategia global.
“El Evangelio debe permear todas las culturas y darles vida desde dentro
para que puedan expresar la plenitud de la verdad sobre la persona y la
vida humanas…Estamos llamados a servir a la vida en toda la plenitud de
la verdad” (E.V. #
95).
“Ante el mundo, la acción unida de los cristianos en
la sociedad tiene el claro valor de un mismo testimonio en nombre del
Señor…También es una forma de proclamación, puesto que revela el rostro
de Cristo”
(Papa Juan Pablo II, Ut Unum
Sint, # 75, p.85).
La realidad que nos enfrentamos hoy en día es que las
organizaciones pro-vida que se iniciaron como un esfuerzo por llegar a
involucrar a personas de otros credos en sus esfuerzos por defender la
vida, se abstuvieron de promover la verdad tal cual es por el temor de
ofender a individuos o por el miedo a perder o el temor de que su
membresía se viera limitada. El hecho es que los desacuerdos doctrinales
ponen un límite a la cooperación.
En esta época de Cuaresma es importante hacer un examen
de la realidad. ¿Cuál es la verdad? ¿En contra de qué estamos? ¿Es ésta
una muerte cultural? Mirando la pobreza del mundo, encontramos que,
según estadísticas del Banco Mundial, actualmente 840 millones de
personas sufren de hambre en el mundo -200 millones son niños, y más de
30 mil niños mueren diario de hambre-. 20% de la población mundial
consume el 80% de todos sus bienes. 1.3 millones de personas viven con
menos de $1.00 (dólar americano) al día. Entre 1960 y 1990, en Estados
Unidos se ha incrementado más de 200% las familias que viven en la
pobreza. El Papa Juan Pablo II comentando sobre la hambruna mundial el
17 de Octubre del 2002, nos recordó que “Liberar a la gente del
hambre es una expresión del derecho a la vida y el respeto por la
dignidad humana.”
Cuando atestiguamos el aborto, somos testigos del crimen
convirtiéndose en un derecho: 55 millones de abortos se llevan a cabo
cada año en el mundo. En los últimos 35 años en Canadá, más de 3.5
millones fueron matados; y en América más de mil jóvenes por día pasan
por un aborto. Uno de cada cuatro niños no nacidos es asesinado.
En Canadá se practican más de 300 abortos diarios, y de éstos la cuarta
parte son de jóvenes (Estadísticas Canada, 1990). Cada 20 segundos
alguno de nuestros hermanos o hermanas está siendo asesinado(a) en el
mundo. Esto hace del aborto una nueva tragedia a cada minuto de cada
hora de cada día.
A nivel mundial, más de 60 millones de personas toman
pastillas anticonceptivas. Más del 40% de las parejas en el mundo
utilizan anticonceptivos o esterilización al año: 340 millones de 880
millones. El 90% de las parejas sexualmente activas usan los
anticonceptivos. La tasa de divorcio en los Estados Unidos subió un 260%
entre 1960 y 1975 (más del 50% de los matrimonios). Más de 40 millones
de personas en el mundo fueron afectadas con el virus del SIDA entre
1990 y 1997. Más de 880 millones no tienen acceso a servicios de salud.
Cada año se practican más de 250 millones de abortos químicos en el
mundo. En Canadá se practican más de 300 abortos quirúrgicos diarios.
Las estadísticas de la disminución familiar son
alarmantes: una tasa cada vez mayor de madres solteras se ha
incrementado en un 310% desde 1950. Los jóvenes viviendo en unión libre
se ha incrementado en un 337% -en 1992 en Estados Unidos el número de
parejas que vivían en unión libre era de 3.3 millones (Saluter, 1992)-.
El 90% de los niños indigentes proviene de familias sin un padre
(McChesney, 1995). La Encíclica del Papa Paulo VI, Humanae Vitae, ya nos
advertía de estas posibles consecuencias.
Una de las grandes crisis que enfrenta la Iglesia de hoy
es la de la moral. La verdad de la persona humana ha sido oscurecida,
por lo que la familia se desintegra. El orden de la creación ha sido
tergiversado: se abusa de la libertad y no se respeta la vida. La
sociedad, moralmente, está en quiebra. Prueba de ello es el abuso
infantil: las madres que matan a sus hijos; los niños matando niños; el
suicidio de los jóvenes triplicado. Además, la violencia se ha
incrementado en un 500% en las últimas tres décadas; la televisión está
dominada por actos de sexo extra maritales; los científicos experimentan
con embriones, ingeniería genética, células madre, y establecen
criterios exclusivos que salen de los principios éticos, es decir,
juegan a ser Dios.
Ha habido un resurgimiento de lo oculto y de la vida
‘new age.’ La pornografía es rampante; los vacíos en las leyes
canadienses han puesto a los niños canadienses en riesgo (actualmente,
la edad permitida para tener actividad sexual es de 14 años), y el
‘mérito artístico’ argumenta que no tiene nada de malo tomar fotografías
de estas actividades. El reconocimiento legal de las uniones ‘de facto’
en sus varias versiones y etapas, y en uniones antinaturales son
comunes. Los divorcios se han incrementado y el respeto hacia la mujer
se ha perdido. El Dr. Henry Morgentaler afirma tener un ingreso anual de
$17 millones (de dólares americanos) por prácticas abortivas.
De cara al mundo político, vemos a naciones celosas de
otras naciones; el comercio rivalizando con el comercio; y las armadas y
flotas peleándose entre ellas. Vemos los esfuerzos de los ambiciosos;
las intrigas de los mañosos; las leyes -o carencia de ellas- permitiendo
el asesinato de los no nacidos; y, en algunos casos, la eutanasia
practicada en los desvalidos y vulnerables.
¿Cuál es el fin de todo este desorden y parodia? ¡La
tumba! ¿Cuál es el resultado de todo esto? La respuesta es clara: la
medida final es la Cruz.
Si miramos al mundo de la ciencia y el intelecto,
veremos los innumerables descubrimientos, la variedad en las artes y el
poder y la confianza en la razón. ¿Cuáles son las consecuencias cuando
el hombre va demasiado lejos? ¿Cuando intenta prevenir la concepción por
métodos anticonceptivos y aparatos; experimentos con embriones humanos
buscando, incluso, clonar a la humanidad? La última medida es la Cruz.
Cuando observamos la miseria de la humanidad; la
destitución de los indigentes; la opresión de aquel niño que no nació
etiquetado como ‘no humano’; los discapacitados y los ancianos
considerados por muchos como inútiles y estorbos, ¿qué es lo que
pensamos? Cuando consideramos el dolor y el sufrimiento de los enfermos
crónicos, ¿cómo tasamos su valor? La Cruz es la medida final. Es en la
Cruz donde todas las cosas se encuentran; todas las cosas están al
servicio de ella; todas las cosas la necesitan: es aquí donde todas las
cosas son interpretadas. Es en la Cruz donde Jesucristo fue levantado
para atraer hacia Sí toda vida humana y todas las cosas.
La doctrina de la Cruz nos recuerda el precio que se
pagó por nuestras almas. La doctrina de la Cruz nos reta a tener un
cambio, una conversión, a ser transformados por la palabra de Cristo,
por el ejemplo de Cristo y la vida de Cristo. Es un principio de vida
cuando se recibe con un corazón lleno de fe. De la misma forma que el
corazón es el origen del movimiento, del calor y la actividad, la
sagrada doctrina del sacrificio de Cristo en la Cruz es el principio
vital bajo el que se rige el cristiano. Presupone creer en la divinidad
y humanidad de Cristo y su verdadera Encarnación. Nos prepara para
recibir el don de vida: su Cuerpo y Sangre redentoras presentes en la
Eucaristía. Esta doctrina de reparación debe ser vivida y no sólo
explicada. En esta Misión de Cuaresma, la Cruz nos lleva al
arrepentimiento, a la oración y al ayuno. Es promesa de lo que habrá de
venir.
Un misionero en una de sus predicaciones durante la
misión, le dijo a la congregación que era importante ofrecer nuestras
cruces porque tenían verdadero valor y mérito. Pidió a todos los
hombres en la congregación ponerse de pie y levantar sus cruces para
que todos las vieran. Un hombre levantó a su esposa y dijo, “Tómala
Señor. A ver si tú puedes hacer algo mejor que yo. Es toda tuya.”
Un verdadero cristiano es aquel que nunca olvida la
verdad. Cristo fue levantado sobre la Cruz para atraer a todos hacia Él.
Podremos disfrutar verdaderamente del mundo únicamente si antes nos
hemos abstenido de él. Podremos celebrar verdaderamente sólo si antes
hemos ayunado. Podremos usar el mundo sabiamente si hemos aprendido a no
abusar de él. Podremos heredarlo cuando hayamos aprendido a despojarnos
de él y ser generosos.
Nadie ha dicho que ser cristiano era fácil. Nuestras
primeras conversiones son muy significativas, pero las conversiones
posteriores son mucho más importantes y demandantes. Una cosa es estar a
favor de la vida, y otra es ser activista por la vida -como católicos,
nos suponemos creer en las enseñanzas a favor de la vida de la Iglesia-
y otra cosa es defender nuestra fe, oponernos a los anticonceptivos y
promover Humanae Vitae y Evangelium Vitae. Para alcanzar cualquier nivel
de pro-vida, es preciso crecer en la vida cristiana. Algunos dicen: ‘ya
he hecho suficiente,’ pero formúlate esta pregunta: ¿He rechazado el mal
a tal grado de ir a prisión por el más pequeño de mis prójimos que está
en el vientre? ¿Soy generoso en cuanto a apoyar y servir a favor de la
vida?’ Si bien la conversión es tarea de un momento, la santificación es
el trabajo de toda una vida. Si queremos la conversión, hemos de pedir
al Señor que nos permita conocerle a Él y a nosotros mismos de mejor
manera. Con todo, lo más importante es estar siempre con Jesús y vivir
en su presencia. Él es el único que nos ayudará a progresar firmemente
en el proceso de conversión.
Estamos viviendo en un tiempo de asombro eucarístico, un
gran despertar, un movimiento eucarístico en la Iglesia enfocado a la
necesidad de la Eucaristía, a la práctica eucarística y a la
evangelización eucarística. Es una oportunidad para enriquecer la fe,
para renovar la esperanza, para activar la caridad, para construir una
cultura de la vida, una cultura de la Eucaristía por una civilización
del amor. En la escuela de María, Madre de la Eucaristía, podemos
aprender cómo ella ofreció su vientre virginal para la Encarnación del
Verbo, la Presencia Real de Jesús. Debemos acudir a Nuestra Señora de
Guadalupe, Madre de las Americas y Estrella de la Nueva Evangelización,
para que nos ayude en nuestra misión por la vida compartiendo el Pan de
Vida, el Pan de la Verdad. Ella nos muestra una actitud eucarística y
cómo nuestra vida debe convertirse en un continuo magnificat a la
Santísima Trinidad. María, nuestra guía y modelo, es durante toda su
vida una mujer de la Eucaristía.
La propuesta del Papa Benedicto XVI es combatir el
relativismo en su propio ámbito, es decir, siendo realistas.
Manteniéndonos con, y desafiando a, el mundo con los estándares
cristianos; desafiando a todos a buscar todo lo bueno, la santidad;
haciendo un llamado a centrar nuestras vidas en la Eucaristía durante la
Misa y en la Adoración ante el Santísimo Sacramento; mediante una
acometida de evangelización en donde se expongan las falsas promesas del
relativismo; interviniendo en la política y recordando a los
legisladores la verdad objetiva; defendiendo los valores de la
democracia, los derechos humanos y la tolerancia que están enraizados en
la herencia cristiana; estableciendo comunidades y movimientos que
ofrezcan la alternativa de una visión de vida cimentada en la fe
cristiana (por ejemplo, el Movimiento Focolare; el Camino
Neo-Catecumenal; el Apostolado Maximiliano Kolbe; las Parejas de Cristo,
y el Apostolado Mariano de Catequistas).
Un sacerdote está platicando con su peluquero
favorito. El sacerdote le dice que se va a Roma en donde visitará al
Papa y que regresará con un mensaje personal para él. El peluquero se
muestra encantado, pero le dice al sacerdote que ni siquiera podrá
acercarse al Papa. El sacerdote se va a Roma y regresa con el
peluquero llevándole el mensaje personal. Éste pregunta cuál es el
mensaje y el sacerdote le contesta: “Hablé con el Papa y me dijo,
“¿Quién te hizo ese horrible corte de pelo?”
El Cardenal Marc Quellet nos recuerda que del 15 al 22
de Junio del 2008, se celebrará el próximo Congreso Eucarístico en la
Ciudad de Québec, intitulado “La Eucaristía, Don de Dios para la Vida
del Mundo,” y escribe: “Necesitamos recobrar la misión de
la Iglesia…mantener viva la visión evangélica del
amor. Es la única manera en que podemos
tener la esperanza de construir una cultura de
la Eucaristía para una civilización del amor.”
La Eucaristía es relevante para el mundo pero la mayoría de nosotros, en
un momento dado, sufrimos con el problema “del camino a Emaús.” Debemos
mantener los ojos abiertos al partirse el Pan de Vida, el Pan de la
Verdad, y reconocer a Cristo que está tan plenamente vivo y totalmente
presente como el Don de Sí Mismo para la vida del mundo. Él está
presente y está en el cielo, sin dejar el cielo, y todo el cielo está
presente con Él: la Santísima Trinidad, los ángeles y los santos.
Durante la Misa somos transportados fuera del tiempo hacia la eternidad.
Cuando Cristo se entregó a Sí Mismo en la Eucaristía, nos lo dio todo.
Dios, Todopoderoso y Omnisciente, no podría habernos dado más.
Acudamos tan frecuentemente como nos sea posible a la
fuente de la luz y la fortaleza para celebrar y vivir la Eucaristía,
aquí en la Misa, fuente de vida, en las corrientes de agua donde Dios
nos da el don de su amor en un océano de bendiciones y gracias.
TRADUCCIÓN NO OFICIAL
Leticia Gálvez
26 de Marzo, 2008
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May his soul, and all the souls of the
faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
Fr. Jim was an avid reader. Here are some
of his favourite books which sum up many of his feelings and beliefs.
Catechism on the Real Presence by
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. (1914 - 2000)
This catechism is based on the encyclical letter Mysterium Fidei
published by Pope Paul VI on the feast of Pope St. Pius X, the third of
September 1965. It faithfully presents the teachings of Mysterium Fidei
and also draws on the teachings of both Pope Paul VI and his successor
Pope John Paul II. Each answer is followed by the number of the section
of Mysterium Fidei, which is included as an Appendix to the Catechism
(71 pages) - $2.50 plus shipping.
With Us Today by Fr. John A. Hardon,
S.J. (1914 - 2000)
The years following the Second Vatican Council have witnessed a crisis
of faith in Christ Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. Lacking the
faith that Jesus is truly, physically present in the Eucharist,
Catholics today are often unable to understand the purpose of the Mass
and of the ordained priesthood. Fr. Hardon discusses the serious
implications of this decreasing faith in the Real Presence and how it is
linked to the crisis in the priesthood today (195 pages) - $15.00 plus
shipping.
Unborn Jesus Our Hope by George A.
Peate
This book takes the reader on a spiritual journey into the life of
Christ hidden within the virginal womb of Mary. The nine months that
Jesus spent in utero are in many ways so unique that they reverberate
throughout salvation history - and yet they also include the very same
experiences shared by every baby. All Christians will find comfort in
reading this profound meditation (173 pages) - $16.50 plus shipping.
An Informed Conscience: Walking with God
by Fr. Joseph Hattie, OMI
Today’s secular world of unproven philosophies, bad arguments,
uninformed opinions, and private agendas often attempts to create its
own reality – a subjective reality. In his book, “Informed Conscience:
Walking with God”, Fr. Joseph Hattie, OMI, draws on his own doctorate in
Theology, Pope John Paul II, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and provides a
clear guide to properly forming the conscience. Fr. Hattie, OMI, is a
member of the board of Priests for Life Canada (40 pages) - $3.00 plus
shipping.
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