The Great Jubilee, a New Springtime for the Church, and the HHS mandate

The Great Jubilee, a New Springtime for the Church, and the HHS mandate

02/15/2012

Hey everybody! Been a bit of a break again since my last blog. Between then and now, I went on a retreat, started swimming regularly (I have muscle!) and have been able to keep my head over water (pun intended) at both work and the job. God Be Praised! Plus, God has opened my eyes more and more everyday to this beautiful world and has pushed me to read more, think more and pray more. For that, to Him be the Glory!

Mom and Dad are now in Cali, which means I’m looking forward to a tan every Christmas! When my dad told me to bring swim trunks with me when I come next winter, I was surprised. But hey, I’m not going to complain about the new digs! My sibs are both doing well in their prospective lives, so there’s been a lot of blessing lately. And speaking of blessing, that’s what I want to talk about today, not just in light of my family, but in light of Mother Church.

A lot has happened in the past month (and especially the past week) to our government and our Church. There has been lots of discussion on the role of government, role of the Church, and the definition of religious freedom. I would to back many other Catholic Bloggers in agreeing that it’s been a lot to take in. It is obvious that there is disagreement about the use of contraception in the Church, and even on the Church’s stance of pro-life. But when a program was put forward that would force people to go against their beliefs, a vast majority of Catholics and even non-Catholics came forward in uproar. Our bishops came together as protectors of our flocks and our priests and laity took to the airwaves to defend the right of each person to have a conscious that they need not go against, even if formed poorly.

It seems as Christ’s promises for the Church are coming true again in another chance of renewal. As the year 2000 was approaching and the Great Jubilee was coming close, the Church paused to reflect on the possibilities of what God can do with such a opportunity for renewal. To quote John Paul II in Tertio Millennio Adveniente: “new springtime of Christian life will be revealed by the Great Jubilee if Christians are docile to the action of the Holy Spirit.” If we look back at the past 12 years, much has happened that we could rightly say is horrible and evil. Terrorism, abuse scandals, fraud and greed that crippled a country, etc. But each time, God seems to find a way to give us a chance to learn how to break down our walls and come closer together as a family in him.

For instance, look at the ruling of Roe vs Wade. The Church came out understanding that this was an attack on the dignity of life (for those of you who might be reading this and going “I disagree,” I am not here to argue the validity of this idea. Mostly, just follow the example out to its end). The Church then was able in a short period of time to come together for things like the March for Life, where I believe the Holy Spirit was able to show us what true communion and brotherhood looked like. God was able to bring people together in faith. For another example, for the last three years, each time a person has been brought to the death penalty or the Church has asked for its people to be aware of things like homelessness or poverty, students at Catholic U have come together to pray for a change. They remember those afflicted and in turn find communion in each other, Nothing could make me prouder to go here.

All this being said, what can and should we as Catholics do as we strive to keep our rights to conscious? I was talking to a brother in my fraternity, and he and I came to this conclusion: we have to pray. We have to live our lives with God and go out each day trying to live a life where we don’t ostracize, we don’t simply look out for ourselves. Instead we find communion in each other and allow the Spirit to bring the Kingdom of God closer to this world.

My prayer tonight is that we who have come together find ways not to drift apart again. God wants to give us opportunities to break down our walls and live the Gospel call. The question simply is: are we listening?

Pax

  Chris