This was written by Father John Corapi over a year ago, but it's one of those reminders that has no expiration date.
An Unequivocal Moral Obligation for All Christians
by Rev. John Corapi, SOLT, STD
www.fathercorapi.com
Every Catholic and, indeed, every Christian faithful to the Gospel, has the moral obligation to bear witness to the truth, “in season and out of season, convenient or inconvenient,” accepted or rejected. This mandate is nothing new, of course. It’s as old as the Old Testament, and as new as the New Testament. Nonetheless, I’m afraid that it has become more necessary than ever to remind ourselves of it.
The Magisterium formally teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471, quoting Sacred Scripture, “Before [Pontius] Pilate, Christ proclaimed the He has ‘come into the world to bear witness to the truth’ (Jn 18:37).
The Christian is not to be ‘ashamed then of testifying to our Lord’ (2 Tm 1:8). In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep ‘a clear conscience toward God and toward men’” (Acts 24:16).
Let me give you one definition of equivocation: “A statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth; intentionally vague or ambiguous.” How about this for an example: “A woman has the right to choose.” Choose what? A less vague, ambiguous, and equivocal statement would be, “A woman (or man) has the right to choose to perpetrate homicide. Or, “A nation has the right to facilitate, enable, or legislate genocide.” Oh, excuse me, that would be an unpleasant truth, or maybe an “inconvenient truth,” as the inventor of the internet, Al Gore, might say.
The Catholic Church unambiguously and formally teaches:
The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them [IMPELS THEM] to act as witnesses of the Gospel and the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. WITNESS IS AN ACT OF JUSTICE THAT ESTABLISHES THE TRUTH OR MAKES IT KNOWN (see Matthew 18:16).
The recent travesty involving the University of Notre Dame’s invitation to the President of the United States to give the commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree is the antithesis of Catholic and Christian witness to the truth. A lawyer who vigorously, publicly, and consistently support an anti‐life and anti‐family litany of evils will now receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from what is arguably the most prestigious Catholic University in America. A picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed, what thousand words will be conveyed by the picture(s) of Mr. Obama receiving his honorary doctorate and sending off the graduating class at Notre Dame University?
This will be a dark day indeed for the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic Church that permitted it to happen. In the end the bishops have the right, and the duty, to decide if the University of Notre Dame can any longer claim “Catholic” credentials.
Father Corapi on the Notre Dame scandal
Meanwhile, the obligation to bear witness to the truth weighs more heavily than ever on each one of us. We have rapidly entered into a new era of persecution of the Church and the truth that she professes and teaches, reminding us again,
The disciple of Christ must not only keep faith and live on it, but also profess it,
confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: All however must be prepared to
confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst
the persecutions which the Church never lacks.” (Lumen gentius 42; Dignitatis
Humanae 14). Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation:
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32‐33).
Written by Rev. John Corapi on May 14th, 2009
www.fathercorapi.com
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Mi Amore
On very rare occasions you find two people that are inseparable from very first time they meet.
From an early age Adam and Jessica were two people that you knew were always meant to be together. From the first time they met in the second grade everyone could tell they were going to be "boyfriend and girlfriend" some day. As predicated, once they grew older they began dating in junior high school. Rarely did you ever see them apart.
Later, after Adam and Jessica graduated from high school they went on to college and dated all four years of college. It was not long after graduation that Adam proposed and they were married.
Adam and Jessica had a very special relationship. When people saw them together they would say (or think)... "That's the type of relationship that I want."
One evening they were driving home from a New Years Eve party and were hit by a drunk driver. Instantly Adam became a quadriplegic from the impact of the crash.
Jessica was only twenty-five years old at the time and no one would have blamed her if she decided to put Adam in a nursing home to handle the demanding need of a quadriplegic. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do for Adam. He would most likely remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, for Jessica, she had her entire life in front of her...with hopes and dreams that she still wanted to accomplish.
Jessica went to church and prayed for guidance on what to do. It was an extremely burdensome decision for a twenty-five year old. But Jessica had loved Adam from the first moment they met. After praying, she made the decision to put her faith in God and to not only be Adam's caretaker, but to remain his wife. At the young age of twenty-five she was the wife of a man who would never be able to move his arms or legs again.
Friends, family and others who became familiar with the situation could not believe the decision she made. However, it wasn't long before everyone began to understand how deep and loyal Jessica's love for Adam was. Through Adam and Jessica's trials, other people began see the true meaning of love. Through Jesscia's example of selfless love, others began to see how much they took their existing relationships for granted. Others began to pray and thank God for the wonderful gifts in their lives. Others began to pray asking to be blessed with the same depth of love that Jessica showed for Adam. Through Jessica's trials others began to turn toward God.
Out of tragedy, the glorification of God was mobilized through thousands of people as they heard this story of true love. Through Jessica's faith and obedience to God, I wonder how many souls were saved because of her decision?
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
From an early age Adam and Jessica were two people that you knew were always meant to be together. From the first time they met in the second grade everyone could tell they were going to be "boyfriend and girlfriend" some day. As predicated, once they grew older they began dating in junior high school. Rarely did you ever see them apart.
Later, after Adam and Jessica graduated from high school they went on to college and dated all four years of college. It was not long after graduation that Adam proposed and they were married.
Adam and Jessica had a very special relationship. When people saw them together they would say (or think)... "That's the type of relationship that I want."
One evening they were driving home from a New Years Eve party and were hit by a drunk driver. Instantly Adam became a quadriplegic from the impact of the crash.
Jessica was only twenty-five years old at the time and no one would have blamed her if she decided to put Adam in a nursing home to handle the demanding need of a quadriplegic. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do for Adam. He would most likely remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. However, for Jessica, she had her entire life in front of her...with hopes and dreams that she still wanted to accomplish.
Jessica went to church and prayed for guidance on what to do. It was an extremely burdensome decision for a twenty-five year old. But Jessica had loved Adam from the first moment they met. After praying, she made the decision to put her faith in God and to not only be Adam's caretaker, but to remain his wife. At the young age of twenty-five she was the wife of a man who would never be able to move his arms or legs again.
Friends, family and others who became familiar with the situation could not believe the decision she made. However, it wasn't long before everyone began to understand how deep and loyal Jessica's love for Adam was. Through Adam and Jessica's trials, other people began see the true meaning of love. Through Jesscia's example of selfless love, others began to see how much they took their existing relationships for granted. Others began to pray and thank God for the wonderful gifts in their lives. Others began to pray asking to be blessed with the same depth of love that Jessica showed for Adam. Through Jessica's trials others began to turn toward God.
Out of tragedy, the glorification of God was mobilized through thousands of people as they heard this story of true love. Through Jessica's faith and obedience to God, I wonder how many souls were saved because of her decision?
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
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