Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - Special Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person
[Colossians 3:12-15 and Matthew 5:38-48]Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another... You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil...... You have heard that it was daid, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you....
January 22nd is the anniversary date of the infamous decision of the U. S. Supreme Court in the case, Rowe v. Wade, that had the effect of authorizing elective abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy. The United States bishops have decided that each year the Catholic Church in this country will on this date observe a day of penance in response to all violations to the dignity of the human person. As terrible as abortion is, it is not the only violation of human dignity that is routinely permitted by law in this country (capital punishment and failure to provide adequate housing, nutrition, gainful employment and health care for the very poor are examples), and certainly there are violations that are the result of illegal acts (drug abuse, child abuse, spouse abuse, etc.). Whether an action is legal or illegal, a violation of human dignity is a moral offense, whether it be the act of an individual or group or any governmental agency. The clear teaching of the gospel should impel us to observe such a day. The moment we turn another person into an enemy or unwanted person, we target them for elimination or violence. This extends to the child in the womb as well as the elderly in nursing homes and those awaiting execution by legal revenge, or the undocumented alien among many categories of persons that are commonly subject to individual as well as state-sponsored violence. Nothing in the gospel justifies violence. Jesus died a violent death because he was a threat to existing religious/political powers. His actions upon being arrested and tortured are examples of his preaching in the Sermon on the Mount, quoted above. Those examples are meant for us to ponder and live. The teaching of the popes from Leo XIII at the end of the 19th century to the present day have consistently defended the dignity of the human person. This is no abstraction. It is physically manifest in all human life from beginning to end. The choice of observance is left to the individual. It may be traditional in the form of fasting or prayer. It may be something like taking part in a public program or demonstration. The idea is to raise the consciousness of the People of God to the incredible amount of violence in our land or committed by our country in other lands. Unless we all defend human dignity, our own is at risk from any government, individual, or interest group. We cannot ignore the gospel and expect to be justified. AMEN
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