Yesterday morning I was standing outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic and, as we prayed the rosary, I was reminded of a video I saw a few weeks ago and I made a mental note to share it here today. The video was of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, an American Politician, being interviewed about her children…
Here’s a transcript of the interview with my comments interspersed:
Interviewer: In your opinion, were [your children] human beings before they were born?
This is a simple question. It deserves a simple “Yes” or “No” answer. Of course, the answer is obvious: yes! Of course, they were human beings before they were born, it’s a simple matter of biology. They were living organisms with human DNA – they were therefore human.
Schultz: You know, I believe that every woman has the right to make their own reproductive choices.
Notice how a simple question was completely avoided. Instead of an answer, we were treated to a political slogan.
Interviewer: But what did you believe about your children?
The question is politely repeated…
Schultz: That I had the right to make my own reproductive choices, which I was glad to have and which I was proud to have.
Again the question is avoided. However, her response dresses in very nice language her rather distressing viewpoint, that she had the right to kill her children if she had so desired.
Interviewer: So were they human beings? Just yes or no.
Yet again, the question is politely repeated…
Schultz: They’re human beings today, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to make my own reproductive choices, as — a right that every woman has and should maintain.
So if they’re human beings today, what on earth were they before? Ants? Elephants? Dolphins? What species transitions into humanity? Aren’t we pro-lifers meant to be the ones who are unscientific? Sheesh…
I look back over this interview and marvel. I understand why this politician responds in the way she does – her philosophy demands it…even if it makes her look rather silly. Since she is in favour of “reproductive choices”, she is forced to avoid answering basic biological questions…because to do so honestly would bring her worldview into sharp conflict with reality.
In case you haven’t seen them, this last week Brandon Vogt shared some guidance on helping those we love return to the Catholic Church. He did this through a series of four videos and I have included below my favourite of those videos:
These videos have been teasers for a larger video series which Brandon has now released. You can purchase them here and they’ll be available at a sale price until Thursday.
“….throughout the short history of Protestant-styled Christianity, Evangelicals have identified the single antichrist as many entities: Queen Mary, Ronald Reagan, Adolph Hitler, Islam, Henry Kissinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Saddam Hussein, Barrack Obama, George Soros, even the Visa Corporation, and many others.
“When false teachings and imaginary enemies are revealed as simple Evangelical speculation, the system is rebooted and the title of antichrist defaults to the pope. It is expected; Jesus was accused of being demon-possessed. It is fitting for the Vicar of Christ to share some labels”
One of the books I read on sabbatical was St. Francis and the Cross by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. In the book they reflected on “The Testament of St. Francis”, a work which the great Saint dictated to a scribe shortly before his death.
I have, on occasion, met Anglican Franciscans, but after having read Francis’ Testament, I don’t really understand how one could wish to embrace Franciscan in spirituality and yet not become part of the Catholic Church. Below is the document in its entirety.
On the occasion of the publication of the new Bible for youth, Pope Francis has written a very personal account of his own relationship with Scripture.
Writing the prologue to the new German edition of the Youcat Bible, which will be published Oct. 21, Pope Francis speaks lovingly of an old, worn-out Bible he has carried around for half his life.
He counsels young people on the best approach to reading the Bible so it brings the Light of the World into their lives and doesn’t end up on a shelf. It is, he reminds readers, a “dangerous” book in certain parts of the world: owning one can lead to jail or torture.
And he quotes Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “You Christians have in your hands a book containing enough dynamite to shatter all civilization.”
I’m winding down for the evening, but I wanted to quickly share something from Divine Liturgy this morning. The Gospel today on the Byzantine Calendar was the healing of the woman with a haemorrhage:
And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.”And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. – Mark 5:25-29
As I heard the Scriptures proclaimed today I had an epiphany, seeing an Old Testament connection to this passage which I had not previously seen:
And when [the priests] go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, lest they communicate holiness to the people with their garments – Ezekiel 44:19
As you can see, in the Old Covenant the garments of the priests where to be kept away from the rest of Israel, but what a wonderful reversal we have with the New Covenant! Jesus, “our Great High Priest”, goes about among His flock, freely available to the people, with His vestments bringing healing and holiness.
There’s a beautiful practice in the Eastern Churches which is inspired by today’s Gospel. I first saw it at my old Ruthenian parish, but I’m told that it’s more common in Melkite and Antiochian churches. As the priest passes along the aisles, you’ll occasionally see members of the congregation reach out and touch the priest’s vestments, made holy not by his own sanctity, but by virtue of the office given to him by Christ through the Church.
In case you haven’t seen them, this last week 
