Tough teachings: Purgatory

Last month, we spoke about hell, and a week ago, we spoke about heaven. (Again, please click on the orange banner above to be taken to a list of all previous posts.) 

One enters heaven either one of two ways:

a)      Immediately after death

b)      Through a purification, commonly called “purgatory”

Let’s make this point clear.  Everyone who goes into purgatory goes to heaven.  As the name implies, purgatory is purification.   Souls are cleansed of their sins and imperfections so they can enter into the glory that is the Blessed Trinity.  God is perfect in every way.  If we are to enter the divine life in Him forever, then we, too, must be perfect.  Therefore, we cannot have sin or the effects of sin on our souls.  Purgatory is a time when we are cleansed of those sins.

We have to remember that God is holy.  “Because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  (1 Peter 1:16)   In the Our Father, we say “hallowed be thy name.”  “Hallowed” means to recognize as holy.    Also, remember our destiny is eternal life in the Blessed Trinity (which we have spoken of in previous posts). We are not just going to be with God, we are going to be in God.   It is logical to believe, therefore, that we must, too, be holy to live forever in that divine life.  While it might be OK to be less than perfectly holy if we are going to be just alongside God, if we are going to live the inner divine life of the Blessed Trinity, then it just makes sense that sin, and even inclination to sin, cannot be any part of that.  

However, we all know we have sin on us.  So how can we enter heaven if sin cannot be there?  Well, in addition to being holy, God is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), and he gives us the gift of purgatory.  This gift allows us poor sinners to have hope of entering heaven, without diluting the glorious nature of heaven.

In purgatory, it is by a fire that we are cleansed.  “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:15)  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  (1 Peter 1:6-7.)

Even though the souls in purgatory are definitely going to heaven, our prayers for them can still help.  Praying for the dead has been a tradition from the beginning of the Church.  I am sure just about everyone reading this blog has been at a Mass or service where prayers for the dead are offered.   This is a tradition that goes back even into the Old Testament.  We read in 2 Maccabees 12:38-46. Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam. As the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the sabbath there. On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his companions went to gather up the bodies of the fallen and bury them with their kindred in their ancestral tombs. But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden.  Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection in mind; or if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin. 

Notice what we see here.  We see a believer, seeing a fellow believer had died, believing that he could rise again, but also seeing that the believer had sin on his soul, and deciding to do something to help the now deceased believer get purified so he could enter heaven.   He acted, as the Scripture says in a “very excellent and noble way.”   His care for his brother did not end just because the person had died.  Nor should it be for us.

But you might say "What can we do?"  The deceased person’s fate is already decided.  He or she is going to heaven.  So why do we need to pray for them?  Well, I would say a few things:

1)      Our prayers can help the souls get out of purgatory quicker.  When they feel our help, they might be able to endure more fire at once, and get it over quicker.  When God sees us praying for them, he might decide to apply the punishment for their sins to someone else who can handle it better, or wipe it away entirely, and therefore, the person we are praying for may be relieved of some punishment, and get home quicker.  Saint Padre Pio once said “Pray unceasingly, we must empty purgatory.”

2)      It may because of our prayers that someone might get to purgatory in the first place, and not hell.  God may see a soul that in and of its own cannot enter into heaven because of their sin, and would otherwise descend into hell.  However, if God sees that he or she will have people praying for him or her, and sees that with the help of those prayers, that person will have the ability to enter heaven, then God may decide to allow him or her into heaven, but only after purgatory.

3)  Praying for a soul in purgatory may shorten our own stay there someday.  The sacrifices we make for others can help with our own sanctification now, and therefore, may help us have less need of purification later.

What is it like for the soul in purgatory?  Well, there is suffering and pain to be sure.  Enduring a fire is never easy.  It is never easy to endure punishment or purification from one’s sins.  However, there is still joy, because the person knows he or she will be entering heaven at some point, and be there for all eternity.  There is definitely a “burning” desire to get out of there, and enter into the joy of the Master.   This desire is stronger than any we have on this side of the grave.  Therefore, would it not make sense for us, who loved them dearly while on Earth, to continue to love them by offering prayers for them after they die, so they can quickly as possible enter heaven, and have their suffering and purification ended, and their ever so deep and passionate desires fulfilled?

There are many prayers for the souls in purgatory that have developed in the tradition of the Church.   I will quote one notable one here, and that is the one attributed to Saint Gertrude.  According to tradition, Our Lord promised her that 1,000 souls would be released from purgatory every time it is prayed devoutly.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Having said all this, and despite the reality that purgatory is a wonderful gift, we should seek to avoid it, and be able to go straight to heaven, by living our lives in such a way that we atone for as much of our sin as possible while on Earth, by prayer and good works, by indeed, living holy lives.   We should be grateful for purgatory, but aim for heaven.   You can google “prayers to avoid purgatory” and find a few prayers to help with this goal. 

One of the titles to Saint Joseph in the litany to him is “patron of the dying”.   He is that because he is the foster father of the Eternal Judge, he is the terror of demons, and he died a happy death himself in the arms of Jesus and Mary.  It is never too early to start praying to him for a happy death, so that upon death, we can enter heaven immediately, or worst case scenario, have to go to purgatory before entering heaven.  This is my speculation, but I think if we pray to Saint Joseph often, and live holy lives, we can be assured of, at worst, a short stay in purgatory, especially if we have friends and loved ones praying for us, as well.

O St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus Christ and true spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us and for the suffering and dying of today.

Connection between contraception and abortion

I have spoken in recent posts about some sensitive and tough teaching of the Church in several areas.  These have included the issues of abortion and contraception.

There are many people of faith, Catholic and Protestant, who are against abortion, but who are ambivalent about contraception.  Yet, if you recall from a previous post, the Catholic Church teaches that contraception, like abortion, is an “intrinsic evil” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 2370) Contraception is just as serious as sin as abortion is.  I know that will be tough for many to hear, but it is the truth.  Keep in mind, though, that not so long ago, people did indeed view contraception as an evil.  Here is a quote from Teddy Roosevelt:  Contraception is the one sin for which the penalty is national death, race death; a sin for which there is no atonement.

It is important to note that until 1930, every mainline Christian church taught that contraception was a sin.  From the time of Our Lord, until then, every Catholic and Protestant believed that using contraception was a sin.  The Anglican church broke with tradition that year, and other soon follow.   This, and not the Roe v Wade decision of 1973, is when the “right” to abortion truly began to take root.   We need to stop speaking of Roe vs Wade as the beginning of the slippery slope. No, the seeds for that took root much earlier in the 20^th century.

It is with contraception, and not abortion, that the slippery slope begins.   When one contracepts, one wishes to enjoy the sexual act without all the responsibility that comes with it.  If the contraception fails, then the child is not seen as a gift from God, but rather as an inconvenience, or even a “failure”.  Then, abortion is seen as the back-up to the contraception not working.   Abortion, when you think about it, is really the ultimate form of birth control.

A misguided notion today is that using contraception should lead to fewer abortions.  However, the more contraception is used, the more sexually active people are, and therefore, the more contraceptive failures there will be, and so, therefore, there will be more “need” of abortion as a backup plan. 

Some forms of contraception are actually what are called abortifacients.  Abortifacients do the same thing as medically induced abortions do, they end the life of a fully realized human person.  Some, like IUD, prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.  (When an egg is fertilized, that is conception, and this when human life begins.)   Some, like RU 486, actually abort an intact fetus inside the woman’s body.   So, really, if we wish to speak about the evil of abortion, we have to talk about all forms, including ones fostered by various forms of contraceptives.

The majority of abortions are not incurred because one fears for the health and life of the mother.  Nor are the incurred because of rape or incest.  No, they are incurred because men and women, who are not looking to have children, are having sexual intercourse and are facing a pregnancy they did not plan or want.  Again, the child is viewed as a “failure” or “inconvenience”.  It is frightening we think that way.

Contraception fosters attitudes and behavior that lead to abortion.   The sexual revolution would not be possible without contraception because the sexual revolution has no room for babies.  If there are no contraceptives, there is no sexual revolution.  This revolution was all about the men and women who have sex, and when and how they have it. . It was definitely not about the fruits of sex, the babies.  The revolution teaches that we, not God, are the masters of sex.   The sexual revolution stated we could have sex whenever we wanted.  It was disassociated with love and responsibility.   It became “casual” or “recreational”.   The deep meaning of sex, ingrained by the Creator, was lost.  No longer was sex a result, or a deepening, of true love, but rather, sex was used to try to create love, or maybe not even love, but maybe some kind of high feeling, like a drug.  That is not what sex was designed for. 

This lack of a realization and/or education of the connection between abortion and contraception is one of the biggest reasons, I feel, why the pro-life movement, over the many years since the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision, despite the isolated successes here and there with saving babies (which we thank God for), has, in the big picture legislative wise, not been very successful.  The abortion laws remain pretty much the same since the movement started.   The pro-life movement must begin speaking of the damage and sin of contraception, and tie the abortion issue into the larger realm of Church teaching of sexual ethics in general.  Only with the full force of Catholic truth can the good people of the pro-life movement have a chance of succeeding in overcoming the evil of abortion in society.

Until we can more clearly see the thread between contraception and abortion, as long as we continue to try to fight abortion with one hand behind our back, we cannot expect to bear fruit.  If we wish to defeat abortion, we must also defeat contraception.  Everything that the Church teaches as intrinsically evil must be defeated.   We have to fight against all evil, not just some.   When the evil of contraception is finally realized, many of us will see that the forces of evil are much more prevalent in our lives than we realized before.   Those who thought they were OK because their contraception “worked”, and/or for other reasons, have never had to have an abortion, will realize they still sinned.   Sin is not just on the nightly news, it is in our bedrooms.   Sin can exist just as easily in a quiet suburban home as it can in the inner city, or in a rich person’s mansion.   With this conviction of sin, we can then repent, receive the grace of the mercy of God, and be given the strength to fight the battle, so that others are not led down that same path.

If you wish to learn more, simply google the connection between abortion and contraception (or birth control), and you can see articles and quotes from people who have studied this issue in depth.  Hopefully, before it is too late, our hearts and minds are opened to this truth, and we see more clearly how the sin of using contraception is closely connected with the sin of abortion, and how we cannot stop abortion until we stop contraception. 

To help us in this battle, both in the public arena, and in our own individual lives, we can turn to Saint Joseph, whose most chaste heart is often venerated

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Tough teachings : Heaven

Heaven is a "tough teaching"?  Really?  Topics we have covered before like hell, and some of the controversial life issues, are perhaps easier to see why I labeled them as "tough teaching".  But heaven is wonderful and perfect, how can that be a "tough teaching" we might ask?



Well, I think it is, and let me list the reasons why based on what is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.   (For everyone's information, the topic of heaven is discussed in Part One, Article 12, paragraphs 1023-1032.)     Again, as I stated last post, any emphasis is mine, and let’s assume that will be the case for any future post, too.

1)      According to paragraph 1023, Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face.   This is important language.  We cannot earn heaven on our own.  We need the grace of God.  This is bad news for anyone who thinks he or she can, by being a good person, or working hard, get to heaven.  Therefore, this is not good news for people who think just because Johnny or Suzy was a “good person” that he or she is in heaven, and therefore, we can celebrate their funeral Mass like a canonization rite.  No, grace is absolutely necessary to get into heaven.  If we don’t acknowledge that, if we don’t ask for it, if we don’t seek to remove sin from our lives which can block grace, heaven will indeed be a very difficult place to get into.

2)      Likewise, we need to be friends with God in order to get into heaven.  What are some crucial elements of a friend?   We know them, and they know us.  Do we know God?  Would he recognize us (lest we think it automatic that He would, remember the Gospel line (Luke 13:27) where Jesus says to someone who tries to enter heaven who has not lived a good life, “'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'”  Friends do things for one another.  Have we allowed God to do things for us?  Have we done things for God? We may have done things for ourselves, our family, our friends, our work, etc., and that is all well and good, but have we done things for God?  WE must be able to answer yes to this question to even have a chance of entering heaven.

3)      Paragraph 1024 states: This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.  God is Three Persons, the Trinity. It is a mystery.  If we spend our lives denying the divinity of Jesus, or dismissing the power of the Holy Spirit, heaven may not be such a nice place for us, and we may have to therefore spend eternity somewhere else.  The same holds true if we have spent our life ignoring or devaluing the Mother of God, or have consistently ignored or denied the reality of angels.

4)      Paragraph 1025 states:  To live in heaven is "to be with Christ." The elect live "in Christ,"600 but they retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.  Notice it doesn’t say “everyone”, “all”, or even “many”.  It says the “elect”, which means just a select few.  Our Lord himself said in Matthew 7:14, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  Ponder that reality.

5)      Paragraph 1026 states:  By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has "opened" heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.  We already touched on the need to believe in Jesus in order to get into heaven. Here, something else is added.  We need to “remain faithful to his will”.  We need to remain faithful.  It does not matter if we are faithful now, are we faithful to the end?  That will be the question.  Faithful to what? Faithful to his will, not ours.  Will we?  That is not an easy question, but we will be called to give an answer to that before we can possibly enter heaven.

6)      Paragraph 1027 states: This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise: "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him."  There is nothing really necessarily “tough” here; in fact this is a pretty beautiful, glorious passage.  However, I would say this: a lot of us try to envision what heaven is like.  This passage states that is an impossible task.  Now it is indeed good to think about it once in a while, but sometimes you hear people say things like “Well, when I get to the pearly gates, I will…”  Besides the presumption clearly evident in that phrase, the other thing wrong with it is that it gives the idea that once we get into heaven, we can continue to do what we want.  Well, that is true to a degree, but only because in heaven, our will will be aligned with God’s perfectly, and what we want to do will be what God wants us to do.  Rather than try to speculate what heaven is like on our own, we should rather rest in the Lord, and be joyful in the reality that heaven will be beyond what any of us can possibly imagine.

7)      Paragraph 1028 states: Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to man's immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory "the beatific vision”.  In Exodus 33:20, we read: “But," (God) said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."  If we saw God as He is, in all His glory, our finite selves would not be able to stand it.  If we think we are in control, if we think we have all the power, if we think we are arbiters of everything, we will have a strong rebuke coming.  We are in for a big surprise.  So, we have to humble ourselves, realize we are nowhere near God’s majesty, and ask Him to give us the capacity to see Him.  Only if we do that do we have a chance of entering heaven and experiencing the beatific vision, perfect happiness.

8)      Finally, paragraph 1029 states: In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God's will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him "they shall reign for ever and ever."  We will still have to deal with other people in heaven!  That’s “tough”!  OK, that’s kind of a joke there, but it is still something we definitely need to consider.   When we get to heaven, there will be two surprises, among others. First off, there will be people we though would be there who will not be (either they are in hell, or they are still being purified in purgatory).  Second, there will be people there we never thought had a chance of being there.  Are we ready for that?

So while Church teaching on heaven is indeed beautiful, as you can see here by the words from the Catechism, it is not an easy teaching by any stretch of the imagination.  Let’s be humble now until the end, let’s do good for God now until the end, let’s love Jesus, Mary, the Holy Spirit, the saints, and the angels, now until the end, and above all, let’s be faithful now until the end.  If we do all those, we can be confident God will give us the necessary graces to enter heaven, and we will hear these blessed words.  “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master’s house.”  (Matthew 25:23).



Joseph most faithful, pray for us.

Why I have decided to vote for Donald Trump

This post will have two parts.  The first will deal with why I cannot and will not vote for Ms. Clinton, and why no faithful Catholic can, either.   The second will deal with why, out of the other options available, I have decided to vote for Mr. Trump.

Several posts ago, I indicated that I felt no Catholic in good conscience could vote for Ms. Clinton for President (well, I did not refer to her by name by then, but I will now.)  This was long before any of the recent leaks that revealed anti-Catholic bias on the part of some of her top advisers.  I gave my reasons then, and will again in a moment.

Now there are some in the Church who are saying that what was said in these leaks is not a big deal at all, that it was only targeting "conservative" Catholics.  What they meant by "conservative" is “faithful".   They were referring to those Catholics who actually believe what the Church teaches about contraception, abortion, and same sex marriage, that each of those are intrinsic evils that cannot be supported under any circumstances.   (As you know, I recently devoted a post to each of those three issues, so click on the orange banner above and you can see a list of all the posts.)

Ms. Clinton clearly supports each of these intrinsically evil acts.  She wants no change to Roe vs Wade.  She supports continued government funding of Planned Parenthood, and forcing employers to cover birth control as part of their health care coverage.  She supports same sex marriage.  I cannot support her.  No faithful Catholic can. 

We all know too well that there are many who call themselves Catholic nowadays who dissent from the Church teaching on those core issues.  They often refer to themselves as "progressive Catholics”; in fact, one such person involved in the email scandal referred to himself as such in his response this week to the scandal.   Those Catholics, as voiced through the pages of "progressive" Catholic media outlets, such as the National Catholic Reporter, are stating this week that the leaks this week do not really reveal "anti-Catholic" bias because so many Catholics disagree with Church teaching.  No, it is bias because to be Catholic, one is required to assent to all her teachings, including the most difficult ones.  It is absolutely valid to call something anti-Catholic if it voices dissent against fundamental Church teaching, even if some people who consider themselves Catholic do not agree with it.

It is clear that Ms. Clinton is surrounded by people who are anti-Catholic, and that will likely be the case afterwards if she is elected President.  If someone who calls him or herself Catholic, and goes to the poll and supports a candidate such as Ms. Clinton who supports things the Church considers intrinsically immoral, and surrounds herself with people who think likewise, then he or she is not fulfilling their God-given obligations as a Catholic, and will have to answer for that.

As I stated before, I devoted a post to each of these issues previously, but just to recap, here is direct quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on each of these issues.  (Any emphasis is mine.)

On contraception:

(p. 2370) Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil:

Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality.

On abortion

(p 2270) Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.

(p.2271) Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

On homosexuality

(p.2357) Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

Since I know this last issue particularly is a sensitive subject, I will go ahead and quote the next paragraph of the Catechism, even though it is not particularly germane to the discussion at hand here of Church teaching and voting.

(p.2358) The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

We must indeed treat all peoples with respect.  We must continue to love all those who have used birth control, had or been involved procuring an abortion, as well as those who engage in homosexual sex.  However, part of that love needs to be calling them to repent of these acts, and under no circumstances, can we condone these acts, or support persons in office who do.

Before we move on, I want to express my frustration with those liberal or progressive voices in the Church, which include some clergy unfortunately, expressed in media outlets such as the aforementioned National Catholic Reporter, who lambast those of us who seem "obsessed" with "single issues".   Excuse me, when the issue at stake is something the Church teaches is intrinsically evil, then it is perfectly OK to be focused on single issues.

So, as I have stated, voting for Ms. Clinton is not an option for Catholics.  So, what are other options?  There are only two.

1) Vote for someone else.

2) Do not vote at all.

Does the Catechism have anything to say on this?  Here is what it says regarding voting, which is little, but it does say something (again any emphasis is mine).

(p. 2239) It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

(p.2240) Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country.

This last paragraph is the only space where the Catechism speaks directly on the issue of voting.  However, the United States Bishops as a body, and individual Bishops as a whole, have put out many documents over the years in which they speak more on the issue, more than I can speak to here.   You can go on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, or to the website of your own Diocese, to find out more.

I personally, when I look at that quote above, see a mandate to vote if we can. It says we are morally obligated to "exercise the right to vote" which is slightly different from saying we are morally obligated “to vote".   If there is someone we can in good conscience support, we need to vote for that person.  If there is not, we are not morally obligated to vote.  However, to decide not to vote at all is a serious decision that can only be made when every available option is exhausted, for we are called to exercise the right to vote if we can.

So who are the candidates out there whom a Catholic could support?  A gentleman named Evan McMullin jumped in the race quite late.  He is an Independent.  He has worked for the CIA and in the Congress.  He is pro-life.  He is only on the ballot in a handful of states, as of this writing, but he can be written in on most others.  He is one such person a Catholic could support.   His website is definitely worth a visit.  Unfortunately, other than write-ins, there are no other pro-life candidates on the ballot.   The Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, and the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, both are pro-choice.

Therefore, a faithful Catholic can only do one of the following:

1) Vote for Evan McMullin.

2) Write in someone else who is pro-life who you wish was running for office.

3) Stay home and do not vote.

4) Vote for Donald Trump.

As the title of this post indicates, I have chosen the fourth option, and will be voting for Mr. Trump.  I will now explain why I have come to this decision.

Throughout most of this year, I have been debating whether or not to vote for Trump or to vote for a third party or independent candidate, such as Mr. McMullin.  For me personally, staying home and not voting is not an option this year since there are qualified pro-life candidates to vote for.   Those candidates I could consider voting for are Mr. McMullin and Mr. Trump. For most of the year, I was leaning towards voting for Mr. McMullin, whether he is on the ballot, or as a write-in.  However, in the last few weeks, I have decided to vote for Mr. Trump.  Here are the reasons why.

1) I have become sympathetic towards him because of the media treatment of him.   There is clear evidence that at least some of the current charges against him are false and/or were purposely timed to be released at a time when it would deliver the most political damage to him.   I cannot help but think of the Gospel scene where the religious leaders are throwing stones at the woman caught in adultery and Our Lord tells them that  "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7)    I cannot help see today's media as the stone throwers of old.  Only, unfortunately, they are not listening to Our Lord and continue to throw stones.  They want to bury him in his past and sin.  Like the woman caught in adultery, Mr. Trump is more than just a man who commits sin.  He is a man, like her, who can and has repented, and received forgiveness.  Some Evangelical leaders like Franklin Graham have noted this (his repentance) publically, and asked Christians to consider that.  Sadly, to me, it seems few Catholic leaders have been willing to do the same.  The time spent by the mainstream media on Mr. Trump's private and personal indiscretions, many years ago, compared to the time they have spent on the numerous serious issues raised by the leaked emails, issues that involve people serving in public office and are much more recent, and is just indefensible in my opinion.  The media, many rich people, and the powers of government are all aligned with Ms. Clinton.  Mr. Trump is all alone out there.  He has gotten my sympathy.

2) Mr. Trump has said some things that cannot be defended, but has he actually DONE those things?  Has he actually sexually assaulted a woman?  I do not see evidence that he has. Even if I am wrong, and let's say I am presented clear and compelling evidence of a severe sinful sexual act by Mr. Trump between now and the election, then what?  Well, if it happened over 10 years ago, and he has repented of it, I will still consider him qualified.  We have had more than one President who has been accused of it, either before or during their Presidency.  It is sad, but this alone cannot disqualify him, as long as he has repented, and sufficient time has passed since the act.  I cannot help but think of when the sexual abuse crisis hit the Church, and we had priests who committed sexual sins 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, and had long repented, but were crucified and had their names dragged through the mud, and were removed from their office.  We can debate whether that was necessary, but I think we can all agree it was a sad time.  

3) Mr. Trump has surrounded himself with good Catholic advisers, and has reached out to Catholics directly for their support.  The list of Catholics he put on board on his campaign was impressive, some good solid people on there like Rick Santorum, Frank Pavone, Sam Brownback, and Austin Rose. This leads me to believe he will surround himself with good people if he becomes President.  On the contrary, we see in these leaks, the kind of anti-Catholic and yes bigoted people Ms. Clinton is surrounded with, and who would surround her, too, should she become President.  There is no comparison between the two groups.   The kind of people who would be working with someone is something I feel strongly one must consider when deciding to vote for him or her.  Who will be in that person's Cabinet?  Who will be advising him or her?  These are very important questions to ask.  Also, Mr. Trump has sent out a direct letter to Catholics, pleading for their help.  I sent a link to it in a post on my Facebook page recently, it is worth the read.  I have seen no such letter from Ms. Clinton, and if it does, I am sure it invites dissent from fundamental Church teaching.

4) As time has gone on, the reality of a Clinton victory has become more imminent and scary, and only voting for Mr. Trump can stop that.  I think my decision was made final this week when I saw that Mr. McMullin actually has a chance to beat Mr. Trump in Utah, and perhaps cost him that state.  I was not happy.  I felt awful, instead.  It was then that I knew I was being led to vote for Mr. Trump.  If instead I had felt happy for Mr. McMullin then perhaps I would still be leaning to vote for him, but instead, I felt the opposite, and so I will vote for Mr. Trump.  I think I felt that way, because indeed, Mr. Trump has become a sympathetic figure for me, for the reasons outlined in my first point above, and because seeing the polls the way they are now, I realize cannot afford to lose any states if we do not wish Ms. Clinton to be President.  I cannot vote for a man, however much I respect him, and even if it is morally permissible for a Catholic to vote for him, who could cost Mr. Trump a state, and with it, the election, and get Ms. Clinton into office. 

5) America will look very different if Mr. Trump does not win.  Mr. Trump is warning us in his campaign speeches that this is our last chance to "save America".  I agree with him.  Borders will be open, taxes raised, jobs stifled, and security threatened further than it already is if she is elected President.  These are issues that go even beyond the non-negotiable issues we discussed earlier.

So for all these reasons, I have decided to vote for Donald Trump for President.

Now that I have stated this, I will admit, I see the polls where they are now.  It is looking more and more likely that Ms. Clinton will be elected President.  When I watch a Trump rally now, I am pumped up by optimistic vision he has of a great America again, and the way he includes all peoples in that vision (men, women, minorities, and yes, the unborn).  I see him also prophetically proclaim what a victory for her would mean (see above).  However, I am also sad when I watch him, because I fear that his great vision that he proclaims will likely go unrealized and his warnings will go unheeded because of the likely Clinton victory.  I see Mr. Trump more and more as a voice like John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness.  He speaks the truth.  I just hope more people listen than are now.  We need to listen, not judge, like the religious leaders did in Jesus' day who stoned the adulterous woman.

Having said that, we can still pray for a miracle.  It is perfectly OK to pray that a candidate who supports something the Church considers intrinsic evil not be elected President.  God can do anything.  We should not give up praying.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Please share with anyone you think might benefit from reading this.

Joseph, glory of home life and protector of Holy Church, pray for our homeland and pray for the Church.

The devil revisited

Back on December 5 of last year, after a series of shootings and bombings, I wrote a post about the devil and how he operates.  I feel it appropriate to repost here because I feel the devil is at work again in this electoral process. 
He is doing his 4 "D's" again that I spoke of back then; deception, division, diversion, and discouragement.  The biggest thing he is doing now is diverting our attention to issues that are less serious, to make us forget the more important issues.  He is deceiving us because he is making venial mishaps and character flaws look like serious mishaps and flaws, and serious mishaps and flaws look less or not serious at all.  He is making us discouraged.  We are divided like never before. 

Please ask the Holy Spirit not to allow the devil to deceive you, but rather, may you be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see post of May 15) to help you make correct decisions during this important time.

Below is the post from 12-5 in its entirety. 

There was another shooting this week in California, and it appears there may be another one now going on in Wisconsin. There was also the shooting in Colorado, the bombing in Paris, and the spree of shootings in Chicago. 

There is evil in the world.

There is a movie out now that is forcing us to relive the tragedy of the priest sex abuse scandal in the early 2000's. 

As the movie shows, there is evil in the Church.

Satan is at work, but I fear we are not noticing it.

 

There has been debate about other things besides the devil.  For example, there has been debate about gun control.  This blog does not have a strong feeling one way or the other on that issue. I respect those who want more gun control.  I do not feel that will really solve much. ( Perhaps that is a topic for another post.)   However, I do respect and will listen to any legislative push for more gun control, even if I may not support it.  There has been debate about religion, and this blog has and will continue to express thoughts on that.   There has also been debate about immigration, and as stated in a previous post, this blog does not have strong feelings one way or the other on that issue.

However, there has not been a lot of discussion about the devil.   There should be.

There are four common tactics the devil likes to use, and they can be easy to remember because they all begin with the letter "d".   They are deception, division, diversion, and discouragement. 

Deception. Think of how he worked with abortion and homosexual sex.   He deceives people into thinking they are good things.  Instead of "murder", he teases us by calling abortion a "reproductive right".  Instead of "sodomy", he calls homosexual sex "gay", which, in other meanings, means happy.  Now, perhaps, he is the one who is alluring people to militant Islam,  deceiving many with the promise of the 72 virgins for the male martyrs, and a faithful husband forever in heaven for the female martyrs.

Division.  Instead of fostering patience and fortitude to work through issues, Satan instead says, "The Church is corrupt, look at all the scandals; leave the Church.  Your family is boring; leave your wife and children. Your nation with its materialism and corruption is flawed; leave it, or fight against it from within."  He promises an easy way out.   When people leave a noble group or cause struggling to persevere, it is a sign that the devil is successfully fostering division.  Where are these people leaving going?  Many places, but surely, many of them are going to militant Islam.

Diversion. The devil may be successfully diverting our attention, using these tragedies, to really smaller issues, like gun control and immigration, when in fact, we should be focusing on the big picture, and be turning to Almighty God and strengthening our moral and spiritual lives as individuals, families, and as a nation.  The more we are distracted on smaller issues, the more he can work undetected.  The larger issue is a relaxation of our moral standards, a lack of a spiritual life, and a lack of reverence and awareness of the just, yet merciful God.

Discouragement.  He wants us to give up.  He wants us to give up on each other, give up on family life, and give up on the Church.   All these tragedies may be tempting some of us to give up on humanity.  That is exactly what he wants.  He wants us to be anxious.  He wants us to fear raising children in a world such as this, and not even consider starting families.   He loves the fact that our birthrate is so low (reasons discussed in a previous post), and we are being left defenseless against these acts of terror.

Yes, the devil is at work.  We cannot defeat him by our own power.  We need, rather, to turn to Christ, especially Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament.   The attached picture was taken at the Shrine yesterday.  As I mentioned in a previous post, every First Friday (in addition to every Saturday), they have Eucharistic Adoration.  

Only the light of Christ can cast out the darkness of the devil.

Devotion to Saint Joseph can also help.  Think of some lines from the litany to him:

Light of patriarchs  (his light, joined with that of Christ, can cast out the darkness of the devil)

Diligent protector of Christ  (he can protect us from the devil who wishes to harm us)

Joseph most prudent  (the devil definitely does not want us to act prudently, he rather wants us to act rashly and impulsively; Saint Joseph can help us not give in to his temptations)

Joseph most strong (we need to be strong in faith to fight the devil)

Mirror of patience (when times are tough, we need to be patient, and not just give up on things as the devil tries to tempt us to do)

Pillar of families (family life is a big target of the devil, as is the Church and our nation; Joseph can help us remain rock firm)

Terror of demons  Satan has his army of demons; if we cling to Saint Joseph and Christ, we can scare them away from us

Now is not the time to give up on the Church, to give on family life, to give up on humanity, to give up on our nation.   The devil wants us to.   Let's not ignore him, and let him do so.   Let's, rather, in humility, recognize his presence, but at the same time, recognize the presence of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the One Church that He founded, whose protector is Saint Joseph (another line in the Litany).  Let's fight the devil with the tools of real religion.
 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Tough times ahead for faithful Catholics

My last post was on the topic of hell.   I was initially thinking I would do a post on heaven as the follow-up post to that, and I will at some point.  However, events in the political world this week are forcing me to postpone that, and do this post instead.

This post will not be popular with many, but I have to make it for the sake of my own soul, and perhaps, for the souls of others.

I try to steer clear of politics, and directly endorsing any particular candidate.  No person, no Catholic, can be told who to vote for.  However, Catholics do have an obligation to not support candidates who support actions that go directly against Church teaching.   As I said in a previous post, it is the position of this blog that no faithful Catholic can in good conscience vote for the current Democratic candidate for President because of her position on abortion.  I will add here her position on contraception access, and same sex marriage, also preclude any Catholic from being able to vote for her.  These, as I have discussed in my "tough teaching" series, are all acts the Church considers intrinsically immoral, and cannot be supported under any circumstances.
This week, that candidate has begun pulling away in the polls, and the likelihood of a victory by her is growing.  I need to make it clear that any Catholic who votes for her for President puts his or her salvation at risk, and will have to answer for that act on judgment day.  I know this sounds harsh, but it has to be said.

If we believe any or all of the following, we are facing trial and tribulation if she is elected.

Abortion is wrong, and if one is involved in procuring one or more of them, and does not repent, he or she puts his or her salvation in jeopardy.

The use of contraception is wrong, and one who uses it, and does not repent, puts his or her salvation in jeopardy.

Gay sex, or "sodomy", is wrong, and those who practice it, and do not repent, put their salvation in jeopardy.

If this candidate is elected, we will be forced to support all these things, or face consequences.  We can see it happening already.  We see what happens when Catholic hospitals refuse to do an abortion.  We see what happens when Catholic employers do not want to include birth control in their insurance plans.  We see what happens when states want to define marriage as between one man and one woman.  We see what happens when bakers, and other industries involved in wedding planning, do not want to support a same sex marriage.  We see what happens when a Catholic adoption agency refuses to send a child to the home of a same sex couple  We see what happens when a Catholic school fires someone who lives not in accordance with Church teaching.  
These things are fought in the courts.  Sometimes we win, but usually we lose.  If the Democratic candidate is elected, and she gets to nominate judges, we will never win, and we will pay the price.  We will not be free to live our faith.   We will be prosecuted, and thrown in jail.  Religious rights will cease to exist.

Like I said, this persecution has begun now, but if this candidate is elected, it will be, as I heard someone say, "lights out" for the Catholic Church in the United States.  Our schools, hospitals, and other agencies may be forced to shut down, or go underground, because they are forced to support what they deem immoral practices. All the good that comes with them; education, health care, social services, charity, will be gone, or at minimum, hidden from public view.  Our churches, because they speak of good and evil, right and wrong, may lose their tax exempt status, and will become so financially strapped they have to shut down.  

No amount of good anyone does can offset the evil he or she supports.  Why would it matter on judgment day about one's policies on the environment, the economy, or health care, if he or she supports the butchering of children in the womb?  We should think of that before we support such a person being in political office.

So, if voting for this candidate is not an option, what is our recourse?   The other major party candidate, while far from perfect, has indicated support for judges who will support religious liberty.  Whatever we think of him, we know as Catholics we will be freer to live our faith under his administration than the other major party candidate.  Under his administration, we will better be able to continue to do the good we do, to do the good works, and lead people to salvation. 
If, despite this, we are not comfortable voting for him because of character or other issues, we can support other candidates who support at least more of Church teaching than does the current front runner.  If there is no such candidate we can support, we can decide not to vote.  However, this last option contributes to not making any positive contribution to the common good, which is hard to believe can be something defensible on judgment day, unless it can be proven that voting for anyone in a given election would diminish the common good, which I find hard to believe can be the case.

So, there it is.  If the polling is a predictor of how the election will turn out, faithful Catholics will have to get ready for really difficult times ahead.  Standing firm for the faith will cause more trial and tribulation for the believer than it has in a long time, if ever.   With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can stand firm, endure, and even have joy and peace in the midst of the trials, but the point is there will be trials.  Are we ready for them?  If we are, are we convinced our loved ones, and society is?  Will they persevere in the trial?  Will they avoid the trial by compromising their beliefs, and then, put their eternal salvation at risk?   I think the answer is no, most of us are not ready, most of are us are not spiritually equipped, many of us will compromise on our beliefs, and abandon the struggle, and put our souls at risk.  Therefore, we need to pray that the outcome of the election is not what the polls are indicating now, and we absolutely need to ensure we do not participate in procuring that outcome by voting for the current front runner.

Joseph most just, pray for us.