David Letterman's recent outrageous display of poor taste and insensitivity regarding Sarah Palin's daughter, Willow, and the liberal press' defense of it, points to a larger cultural issue -- our nation has grown hard of heart.
Civility has been bartered for crudeness, courtesy for contempt, and politeness for self-aggrandisement. In the end, hardness of heart leads to a complete disregard for the human person and reduces him to nothing more than a joke's punchline -- or much worse.
Consider the incident involving the teens who attacked another teen this week, beat her up, and cut and torched her hair. Or the unconscionable murder of the Holocaust museum security guard, Stephen Johns, by James von Brunn.
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Some years ago I overheard a father talking to his child. It seems the little tyke had done something he shouldn't have done and the father was reprimanding him for his disobedient choice. What struck me about the conversation was the dad's choice of words, his gentle tone of voice and his loving disposition. It was clear that in the midst of the admonition this father was communicating to his son love, encouragement, faith, and hope.
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Seems like just about everybody in the Catholic world has his or her own definition of what "modesty" is.
If we look it up in the dictionary, we discover that modesty is
"the state or virtue of being unassuming and of humble behavior; lacking excess or pretentions; moderation, decency, decorum."
Father Peter Stravinskas agrees. In his
Catholic Dictionary he defines modesty as
"the virtue promoting manners and harmony with others, enabling one to control conversations, dress, and external actions. A defect of modesty causes boorishness and coarseness, while excess in this virtue leads to excessive delicacy and fastidiousness."
Another Catholic lexicographer concurs as well.
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Recently, I received an email from a person suffering from depression. She wrote this:
I am on medicine for depression and anxiety. I finally got to know Jesus [but] I still feel left out of the spiritual world. I love being charitable and doing for others…but feel at a dead end. I read somewhere that depressed people lead a life of low spirituality. Is this correct?
Following is my reply to this dear woman:
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I am pleased to announce a brand new service offered through Women of Grace® and Living His Life Abundantly® called
Grace Alerts. We are committed to bringing you important and relevant information that can help you live your faith in our day and time, and these "alerts" will help to do just that.
Grace Alerts will inform you of video presentations available to view free of charge on our website.
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I have come to believe that God is always about the business of revealing His will to us. He is always speaking to us. All we need do is have ears to hear. Today, He spoke through our radio broadcast.
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Today we honor all of the men and women who valiantly gave their lives for the freedom and privileges we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. We honor as well, all of those men and women who served us without falling victim to the battlefield, and those who continue to serve our nation here at home and abroad.
I especially remember my two vets: my son, Simon Benkovic, who served in both Korea and Iraq, and my husband, Anthony, who served during the Vietnam era. Both were proud to be veterans of the United States Army.
May those who gave their lives for the principles and truths expressed in the Constitution of the United States be at peace, and may they be experiencing the joy of eternal happiness in the presence of the Triune God.
Thank you for your service. Thank you for your lives.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And may the perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
Note: The above image is a photograph of the six American soldiers who hoisted our nation's flag on Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and the key battleground in the Pacific War. This historic photo renewed national morale and rapidly became the public symbol of the US WWII war effort. It remains a symbol of hope, freedom, inspiration, and national sovereignty.
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It is rare that the last one to arrive for Mass on Sunday is the priest, but such was the case at my church today. Father's tardiness was a simple human error that many of us have done at one time or another-- he set his alarm for the wrong time.
However, the fact that we were all gathered together waiting for our priest to arrive stirred a deep reflection in my soul. What if Father
didn't arrive? What if there wasn't a priest
to arrive? What if our priest was
legally prevented from arriving?
The fact of the matter is, in countries throughout the world -- including our own -- one or all of these circumstances do happen.
How much gratitude do we express for the priesthood? To what extent do we pray for vocations? If we have sons, do we pray that one of them, or all of them, will respond to God's call should He invite?
Have we taken seriously the blessing of freedom of religion? Do we actively engage in the cultural and political events of our day to preserve this privilege?
Remember: no priest, no Mass. No Mass, no Eucharist. No Eucharist, no Church.
Satan knows this. Do we?
When Father arrived and the processional hymn began, gratitude filled my heart. First, for Father and his vocation. Second, that he was well and with us. Third, for the gift that is the Mass and the privilege to celebrate it.
May none of us take for granted the priest, the gift, the privilege.
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Not long ago, my granddaughter of four came and nuzzled up close to me. "Good morning, Julia, " I said. No answer. "Julia?" Still no answer. "Something wrong?" I asked.
"Yes," came the quiet response.
"What's the matter?"
"I'm grumpy and I'm mad."
"Why are you grumpy and mad, sweet lady?" I asked.
"Because I didn't want to get up. I want to sleep some more," came the little response. Not being a morning person myself, I could certainly relate to her displeasure.
"Well, Julia" said I, "you have a whole day in front of you with lots of blessings and surprises. Let's ask Jesus to help you feel better and fill you with zip so you can enjoy it," I offered.
"Okay," came the less than enthusiatic response.
And so we did. I don't know if Julia felt better, but that little prayer sure helped me get my day going.
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Gypsy. The word itself conjures up images of campfires, reverie, and sometimes raucous behavior. Rarely, however, does it illicit thoughts of piety, holiness of life, and martyrdom. But such is the case of Blessed Ceferino Gimenez Malla, a man pronounced "Blessed" by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997. His witness to the faith is an inspiration for each one of us in this our day and time, and we would do well to ask for his prayerful intercession.
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