True Freedom is Never Really “Free”

Dear Parishioners,

The Fourth of July concludes the Fortnight for Freedom that was urged by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  I hope that you took the time to read and to educate yourselves through the materials that the bishops posted on their web site, some of which was also available in the vestibule of our Church these past two weeks.  More importantly, I hope that you made time to pray for this most urgent cause.

Recently, Standing Together for Religious Freedom:  An Open Letter to All Americans was released.  This letter was signed by a wide variety of over 100 prominent national religious leaders and scholars from various denominations.  The letter calls on the Administration and Congress to respect conscience rights and religious freedom.  I quote from the press release:

The open letter highlights the threat to conscience posed by the Administration's mandate that almost all employers cover contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs and devices in their health insurance plans.  As the signatories write, freedom of religion goes beyond mere freedom of worship and extends to believers' roles as citizen and employer.

"The doctrines of our respective faiths require something of us beyond the walls of our churches, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship," the signers said.  "Those faith convictions manifest themselves through our daily interactions among family, neighbors, strangers and institutions."

Many of us will celebrate this Independence Day weekend not really thinking about the price that was paid and is still being paid so that we may live, work, speak, write, worship, etc. in a free society.  Some of our finest men and woman have sacrificed their lives over the years for this country and its principles of freedom.  Whether it be in the military, through law enforcement or other means of public service, the dedication and commitment to keeping our country “free” is evidenced by those who continue to step up in service to this nation.  Thank you for all that you do to serve and protect us.

Also remember that it is God who has given us all the gift of free choice.  We are created with the ability to think, to reason and to choose.  The choices that we make should be in such a way that we respect our God-given dignity as children of God.  Our gift of free choice should lead us to love God because He has first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19) into existence.  Our free choice also enables us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mk. 12:31) as Jesus commands us.

It was Jesus who freely chose to suffer and to die for us.  He showed us that the right choice is not necessarily the easy choice or the popular choice.  His choice to free us from sin and death saw Him make the ultimate sacrifice of His life for us.

No, true freedom is never really “free.”  Is it?

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Little Sisters of the Poor

Dear Parishioners,

As I write today, I am visiting a classmate from Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  The trip was more than social.  Fr. Bob was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer and is preparing to undergo treatment.  He is currently living with the Little Sisters of the Poor in their home for the aged just outside of Richmond, Virginia.  Please keep him in your prayers.

This morning I went to pray in the chapel centrally located in the home.  It is such a blessing to begin my day being able to spend quiet time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  No matter where I have travelled throughout the world, whenever I am with the Blessed Sacrament, I am truly home.

I watched as the sisters came into the chapel at varying times early in the morning to pray.  I was edified to see their love, reverence and devotion for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Recently, it was this religious order, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who caught national attention by their lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services Mandate (HHS), part of the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”) requiring the sisters to provide contraceptive, abortion and sterilization services to their employees against their core religious beliefs.  On January 24, 2014 the Supreme Court sided with the sisters and has enjoined the federal government from enforcing the HHS mandate against the sisters, pending their appeal.

This HHS mandate has a direct impact on all religious believers—not just Catholics.  Regarding the mandate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has written the following:  “. . . With its coercive HHS mandate, the government is refusing to uphold its obligation to respect the rights of religious believers.”  The First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion without government interference (known as the Free Exercise Clause).  The US bishops have continually stated that the US government has clearly overstepped its bounds by this mandate.

The foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Jeanne Jugan, so cared for the poor and elderly of her time in France that she was able to establish a religious community respecting the life and dignity of every person, regardless of wealth or age.  To mandate a religious order such as this to provide anti-life procedures (contraception, abortion and sterilization) railing against their core belief (respect for the life and dignity of every human person) should make us all take note and become more vigilant regarding legislation which apparently violates both our US constitution and our religious beliefs as US citizens living in a free society.

I know that the power of prayer can do more than we could ever imagine.  I wonder how many silent prayers of these dedicated sisters have been lifted up to God early each morning on behalf of the sick and dying, the poor and the elderly whom they have chosen to serve?  Isn’t it strange that a lawsuit filed on behalf of these humble sisters resulted in an injunction with the unanimous support of the US Supreme Court?

Thank you sisters for your dedication to the poor, for your sacrificial love for Jesus and for the humble prayers you offer each day.  I pray that many other women be inspired to follow your example and the example set by your foundress and consider joining the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

  

Fortnight for Freedom

Dear Parishioners,

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has declared the fourteen days from June 21 to July 4 as a “fortnight for freedom.”

The fortnight began with the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More and continues to Independence Day.  The bishops remind us that “Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome.”

 

It is a special time dedicated to prayer, study, catechesis as well as public action emphasizing “both our Christian and our American heritage of liberty.”

Why now?

According to the Catholic News Agency, “The initiative was created in response to several moves by the Obama administration that are threatening the Church’s religious freedom.  The most well-known action is the Health and Human Services mandate that requires employers to cover birth control and other services that Catholics and other believers find morally objectionable.”

Various forces in the media and in politics have tried to make it appear that this issue is only about the Catholic Church’s opposition to artificial birth control or abortion.  This is truly not what the matter is all about.  It concerns our ability as Catholics to practice our faith freely and in the manner in which we see fit.  No government can mandate what we can or should believe and how we must practice our beliefs.  The entire situation seems to be an attempt to confuse and to split the ranks of Catholics—in essence, to divide and conquer.

I urge you to become more informed about the issue by reading information supplied by the USCCB (http://www.usccb.org) or similar resources.  Be aware of how the secular media and certain groups, organizations or factions may try to slant or spin the issue to suit their own purposes—political or otherwise.

This matter has become a slippery slope and a grave danger to all believers where our government has overstepped its bounds and attacked religious liberty in the land of the free.

We should be worried.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor