“…because without me you can do nothing.”
Jn 15:5
Wednesday of Fifth Week of Easter
In recent homilies Bishop Patrick J. Zurek has put forth the Encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, as the standard for love and unity in our diocese. Today, let’s reflect upon paragraph #204 in that regard:
CHAPTER SIX
DIALOGUE AND FRIENDSHIP IN SOCIETY
SOCIAL DIALOGUE FOR A NEW CULTURE
Building together
204. There is a growing conviction that, together with specialized scientific advances, we are in need of greater interdisciplinary communication.
Although reality is one, it can be approached from various angles and with different methodologies.
“Respect for the dignity of human life and moral responsibility will be further eroded” with the bill’s passage, the letter added.
There is a risk that a single scientific advance will be seen as the only possible lens for viewing a particular aspect of life, society and the world.
“The Catholic Church teaches that every person is created in God’s image and must be valued, protected, and respected for the inherent dignity that he or she possesses. It is more important now than ever that our country continue to lead as we address this humanitarian emergency,”
Researchers who are expert in their own field, yet also familiar with the findings of other sciences and disciplines, are in a position to discern other aspects of the object of their study and thus to become open to a more comprehensive and integral knowledge of reality.
“We cannot watch this catastrophe unfold and not share the heartbreak and feel the need to help,”
Would I be acting confused if today I told you that I was anti-abortion, anti-capitalism, and anti-gun; but pro-immigration and pro-vaccine?
No, not confused; but Catholic!
Today my prayer is one of thanksgiving for Bishop Zurek and the bishops of Texas for opposing a bill pending in the state legislature that would allow people to carry handguns without a permit. I also pray that I remain faithful to the one -ism that is based on the Person of Christ, not an idea; because without Him, I can do nothing!
