This is my reflection on the Mass readings of the 22nd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year A – August 31, 2014
Mass Readings: Jer 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27
“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God” (Psalm 63:2). Gentle in tone and unadorned in expression, the human yearning for God, as reflected in the antiphon of this Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, belies the zeal and vigour simmering deep in the psalmist’s heart. In fact, his longing for God is so overpowering that it makes him feel “like a land parched, lifeless, and without water” (Psalm 63:2b).
As a volunteer of the FLL ministry, I am constantly amazed by the same zeal and vigour that many fellow volunteers and staff members display in conducting their day-to-day FLL activities: people who travel and incur expenses due to ministry work without seeking reimbursements; people who stay late and get up in the wee hours in order to meet project or event deadlines; volunteers who have taken on so much work that their “voluntary positions” at FLL have effectively turned into full-time jobs with no pay; staff members who willingly accept a smaller salary in order to engage in more meaningful pursuits at FLL; leaders so dedicated to achieving the FLL vision and mission that their personal savings, life styles, daily needs, future plans, etc. have become mere after thoughts. Stories such as these are not uncommon in the FLL ministry.
In this Sunday’s readings, we find out the reason for these people’s dedication. True followers of Christ are driven not by earthly fame and fortunes, but by the love of Christ. “For the love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14)! They share prophet Jeremiah’s passion: They cannot suppress God’s compelling love, nor can they resist the opportunity to proclaim His name. Any attempt to do so will trigger some kind of uneasiness that “becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones” (Jer. 20:9), causing frustrations that are hard to endure. In other words, if these FLL volunteers and staff members work like men/women possessed, it is because what possesses them – what consumes their hearts and souls - is the love of God.
However, their dedication is not without its moments of doubts and wavering. Jesus, who was determined to accept his final suffering at the hands of “the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes” in Jerusalem (Mt. 16:21), heard voices, coming from none other than the future Church leader he had just appointed. “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you,” said Peter (Mt. 16:22). The committed FLL volunteers and staff hear voices too. But when they do, one voice that always stands out is Jesus’ exhortation following his rebuke of Peter: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 16:24-25).
The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder's craft (Psalm 19:2). elodocuments is an English/Chinese bi-lingual blog that shares based on the Catholic faith.高天陳述天主的光榮，穹蒼宣揚祂手的化工(詠19:2)。elodocuments 是個用中英語分享天主教信仰的網誌。
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Robin Williams: "What Will Your Verse Be?"
We don't read and write poetry because it's cute.
We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.
And the human race is filled with passion.
And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.
But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
To quote from Whitman,
"O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish;
what good amid these, O me, O life?"
Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity;
that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.
That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse.
What will your verse be?
(Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society, 1989)
My thoughts on the morning after Mr. Williams' death:
The legends are like a tornado in a good way: its real impact cannot be measured until it’s gone.
The legends are like a good book: you don’t want it to end; and when it does, both the author and the reader realize that what they have experienced together will never repeat itself.
Unlike a good book, which somehow can be accessed and read whenever you want, your opportunity to have a relationship of some kind with a living legend cannot be repeated if you missed it.
I am not into movies or TV. I must admit Robin Williams is one of the legends I missed with great regret. (Regret in the sense that I could have paid more attention to him and made him more a part of my life.) Elvis also comes to mind. If not for the grace of God, St. John Paul II would have been another one.
In What Dreams May Come (1998), Mr. Williams said, “A human life is just a heartbeat in heaven”, which to me is another way of saying, “For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday or as a watch of the night” (Psalm 90:4).
Coming home from morning exercise and coffee, I heard on the radio the quote cited in the beginning of this post. I was able to find it on the internet. Mr. Williams deserves my deep admiration for just this quote alone! That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? - What an eloquent and powerful way to implore the meaning of life!
One final thought: In so many ways, Mr. Williams was an exceedingly kind and extraordinary human person. He had contributed his verse and played not a small role in this human drama still unfolding before our very eyes. And yet, like so many legends before him, he had his share of mishaps and failures: drugs, alcoholism, personal secrets lurking in the darkness of his private life which was ended in a tragic manner all too soon. We know more or less how Hollywood sees him, and by and large how America and the world see him. But how is God going to judge him? The more I think about it, the more the Catholic doctrine of purgatory makes sense to me.
I shall conclude this reflection with a prayer for Mr. Williams using Psalm 86:15, a prayer that always warms my heart and gives me hope when I think of all the good people, including my beloved mother, who have come and gone before me, leaving their footprints in my heart - footprints that look so beautiful and yet on close examination are full of defects.
"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity." (Psalm 86:15)
May God in his infinite mercy receive Mr. Williams into His bosom of eternal bliss,
not because of Mr. Williams’ contribution to humanity,
as dazzling an artist and comedian as he was on this great stage of human drama,
but on the merit of the salvific grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen!
Saturday, August 9, 2014
「跨越希望的門檻」是甚麼意思？
然而，在歷史跨越希望的門檻，進入救恩的新時代的這一刻，天主要親自前來「告訴心怯的人說：鼓起勇氣來，不要畏懼！」(依35：4；cf. 則24:11) 。身為天主聖子的耶穌，遂特別給門徒保證說：「放心吧！是我。不必害怕！」(瑪14:27) 。
(引自甲年常年期十九主日(2014年8月10日)彌撒讀經的反思，英語原文在八月四日發表於elodocuments，中文翻譯見八月八日《恩泉啟迪》。)
上述反思中，「跨越希望的門檻」一詞是甚麼意思？
相信熟識前教宗聖若望保祿二世的人，都知道《跨越希望的門檻》，是一本有關這位聖人的書的名稱，其內容用訪問形式帶出。
上述反思借用這書名，因為耶穌是天主，即聖三的第二位格，他的出現是整個人類歷史的高峯；是人神隔絕的境況終於被打破的時刻；是人從罪惡和敗壞，步入聖善和完美的分界線。耶穌的出現，代表著聖言成了血肉，進入了人類歷史和時空 (cf. 若1:14) ；是前無古人，後無來者的奧蹟 。
多少年來，從亞當開始至聖子降生，受造物一直被屈伏在敗壞狀態之下，一同歎息，同受產痛；但仍懷有希望，期望脫離敗壞的控制 (cf. 羅8:20-23) 。多少年來，人類活在罪惡的奴役中，就像在埃及為奴四佰年的以色列人般，渴望著自由的曙光。現在期望終於實現了!依撒意亞先知和其它先知所言，天主要親自前來拯救人類的預告，終於成了事實! 所以上述反思要用「歷史跨越希望的門檻，進入救恩的新時代」去形容這重要的時刻。
因著基督，本來是瀕臨絕境的人類，竟能充滿希望(cf. 創3:15)；也因著基督，人從活在希望中，變成活在真實中。這真實就是脫離罪惡的奴役，成為天主子女「獲得那為你們已存留在天上的不壞、無瑕、不朽的產業」(伯後1:4) 的事實。
上述討論還帶來另一問題，就是第四世紀的異端亞略主義(Arianism) 否定耶穌是天主的問題；到今天這異端的遺害，仍存留部份自稱是基督徒的團體中。如果耶穌不是天主，上述依撒意亞先知的預言，即天主要親自前來拯救人類的預言，便落了空；所謂「歷史跨越希望的門檻，進入救恩的新時代」的歡欣，也成了自欺欺人的夢想。這樣的基督信仰，縱使仍存歡樂成份，這歡樂是重重打了折扣的，是不完滿的，與耶穌的允許「為使我的喜樂存在你們內，使你們的喜樂圓滿無缺」(若15:11) ，是完全兩回事。
(引自甲年常年期十九主日(2014年8月10日)彌撒讀經的反思，英語原文在八月四日發表於elodocuments，中文翻譯見八月八日《恩泉啟迪》。)
上述反思中，「跨越希望的門檻」一詞是甚麼意思？
相信熟識前教宗聖若望保祿二世的人，都知道《跨越希望的門檻》，是一本有關這位聖人的書的名稱，其內容用訪問形式帶出。
上述反思借用這書名，因為耶穌是天主，即聖三的第二位格，他的出現是整個人類歷史的高峯；是人神隔絕的境況終於被打破的時刻；是人從罪惡和敗壞，步入聖善和完美的分界線。耶穌的出現，代表著聖言成了血肉，進入了人類歷史和時空 (cf. 若1:14) ；是前無古人，後無來者的奧蹟 。
多少年來，從亞當開始至聖子降生，受造物一直被屈伏在敗壞狀態之下，一同歎息，同受產痛；但仍懷有希望，期望脫離敗壞的控制 (cf. 羅8:20-23) 。多少年來，人類活在罪惡的奴役中，就像在埃及為奴四佰年的以色列人般，渴望著自由的曙光。現在期望終於實現了!依撒意亞先知和其它先知所言，天主要親自前來拯救人類的預告，終於成了事實! 所以上述反思要用「歷史跨越希望的門檻，進入救恩的新時代」去形容這重要的時刻。
因著基督，本來是瀕臨絕境的人類，竟能充滿希望(cf. 創3:15)；也因著基督，人從活在希望中，變成活在真實中。這真實就是脫離罪惡的奴役，成為天主子女「獲得那為你們已存留在天上的不壞、無瑕、不朽的產業」(伯後1:4) 的事實。
上述討論還帶來另一問題，就是第四世紀的異端亞略主義(Arianism) 否定耶穌是天主的問題；到今天這異端的遺害，仍存留部份自稱是基督徒的團體中。如果耶穌不是天主，上述依撒意亞先知的預言，即天主要親自前來拯救人類的預言，便落了空；所謂「歷史跨越希望的門檻，進入救恩的新時代」的歡欣，也成了自欺欺人的夢想。這樣的基督信仰，縱使仍存歡樂成份，這歡樂是重重打了折扣的，是不完滿的，與耶穌的允許「為使我的喜樂存在你們內，使你們的喜樂圓滿無缺」(若15:11) ，是完全兩回事。
Monday, August 4, 2014
O You Of Little Faith, Why Did You Doubt? (Mt. 14:31)
This is my reflection on the Mass readings of Sunday, August 10, 2014
(Year A Ordinary Time 19th Sunday)
Mass Readings: 1 Kgs 19:9, 11-13; Rom 9:1-5; Mt. 14:22-33
One can’t help but notice the similarities of the experiences of Elijah and Jesus’ disciples as described in the first and the Gospel readings. In both cases, men experienced frightening scenes – Elijah experienced “a strong and heavy wind”, “crushing rocks”, “earthquake”, “fire”; the disciples’ boat was “being tossed about by the waves for the wind was against it”; “they were terrified” and “cried out in fear” – before God appeared and calmness set in.
Like Elijah, we look for God in terrifying and difficult moments of our lives. More often than not, it appears He is not there just when we need Him most, leaving us to flounder in fear and anxiety!
Jesus’ disciples fared no better in their moments of difficulty: “they were terrified…they cried out in fear” (Mt. 14:26). However, with history crossing over the threshold of hope and entering into a new era of salvation in which God would come personally to “say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4; cf. Eze 24:11), the disciples were given a special assurance from Jesus, the Son of God: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Mt. 14:27). “It is I” – literally, “I am” – Jesus revealed himself by alluding to God’s self-revelation at the burning bush (Ex 3:14)! Yes, God has come indeed! “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” John affirmed (John 1:14).
But why do we often fail to find God in our moments of distress? Men’s collective failure is epitomized in the person of Peter and his aborted attempt to walk on the water. Jesus told Peter, and through him to all of us, why his failure was all but certain: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt. 14:31).
To think about it: Isn’t this the same problem that brought about the demise of our first parents when they doubted God who said of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, “You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die”? (Genesis 3:3) So many years after Adam and Eve, we continue to make the same mistake, while Jesus’ reproachful question to Peter - “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” – continues to resonate in our hearts.
We must conclude from this reflection that when God, out of great wrath, called Israel a “stiff-necked” people (cf. Ex. 32:9), His anger was directed not only at Israel but also at us. Aren’t we just as “stiff-necked” as Israel, if not more? Our only way out, which was also the only way out for Peter in the midst of a raging sea, is to reach out in faith to Jesus, who will catch us the way he stretched out his hand to catch the sinking Peter.
(Year A Ordinary Time 19th Sunday)
Mass Readings: 1 Kgs 19:9, 11-13; Rom 9:1-5; Mt. 14:22-33
One can’t help but notice the similarities of the experiences of Elijah and Jesus’ disciples as described in the first and the Gospel readings. In both cases, men experienced frightening scenes – Elijah experienced “a strong and heavy wind”, “crushing rocks”, “earthquake”, “fire”; the disciples’ boat was “being tossed about by the waves for the wind was against it”; “they were terrified” and “cried out in fear” – before God appeared and calmness set in.
Like Elijah, we look for God in terrifying and difficult moments of our lives. More often than not, it appears He is not there just when we need Him most, leaving us to flounder in fear and anxiety!
Jesus’ disciples fared no better in their moments of difficulty: “they were terrified…they cried out in fear” (Mt. 14:26). However, with history crossing over the threshold of hope and entering into a new era of salvation in which God would come personally to “say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4; cf. Eze 24:11), the disciples were given a special assurance from Jesus, the Son of God: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Mt. 14:27). “It is I” – literally, “I am” – Jesus revealed himself by alluding to God’s self-revelation at the burning bush (Ex 3:14)! Yes, God has come indeed! “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” John affirmed (John 1:14).
But why do we often fail to find God in our moments of distress? Men’s collective failure is epitomized in the person of Peter and his aborted attempt to walk on the water. Jesus told Peter, and through him to all of us, why his failure was all but certain: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt. 14:31).
To think about it: Isn’t this the same problem that brought about the demise of our first parents when they doubted God who said of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, “You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die”? (Genesis 3:3) So many years after Adam and Eve, we continue to make the same mistake, while Jesus’ reproachful question to Peter - “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” – continues to resonate in our hearts.
We must conclude from this reflection that when God, out of great wrath, called Israel a “stiff-necked” people (cf. Ex. 32:9), His anger was directed not only at Israel but also at us. Aren’t we just as “stiff-necked” as Israel, if not more? Our only way out, which was also the only way out for Peter in the midst of a raging sea, is to reach out in faith to Jesus, who will catch us the way he stretched out his hand to catch the sinking Peter.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
順流逆流
我很少唱karaoke 。從15歲開始，我已習慣了用結他自彈自唱。
我沒有手提電話。我喜歡用地線電話，可以傳神和投入地交談。當我獨自在戶外活動時，也可以好好享用個人的寧靜和空間，不用受外界騷擾。
從沒想過要用iPad或iPhone等手機。我喜歡常常抬起頭做人，與四週的人保持視覺上的接觸(縱使是單方面的) ，不讓自己時時刻刻活在個人世界中，也不讓自己的行動和思念，受控於手心一塊電子板。
我對流行的 social media和WhatsApp總提不起興趣。曾多次因福傳需要而嘗試用Facebook和Twitter，但總有嘔心的感覺。我深信語言和溝通，除了實用的需要，還要顧及文學和藝術價值。人不是雀鳥，只會吱吱喳喳；也不是街頭犬隻，只管亂叫亂吠。我認為多花一點腦筋和心思，有技巧地，有層次地，有深度地表達自己，是人溝通應有的基本元素。
到今天，我仍然抗拒將月曆的每一天填得滿滿，讓自己忙得不可開交。很多人喜歡這樣做，以顯示自己生活得充實和有意義 (請參閱《忙，站在人身旁，顯得很了不起! 》)。更多人忙是因為自己不懂得好好安排和利用時間，而將自己弄得終日團團轉 (多年在教會環境中工作的經驗告訴我：八成以上的會議是不需要的!) 。所以，我「無情地」推卻不少活動和應酬，緊守宗旨，將有限的時間、資源和心思，重點地放在自己專注的事情上，深信重要的是質不是量。
繁忙的生活節奏容易使人心靈窒息，要做好事情，我需要平和閒靜的心。平和能生大智，使人明悟真理；閒靜能敏銳心靈，讓人洞察天主聖意。常說「願袮的旨意奉行在人間」，若不能洞察天主旨意，談何奉行？常說要恆常祈禱，與造物主建立密切的關係，若時常心煩意亂，來去匆匆，祈禱關係何從建立？
順流逆流是每一個人必須做的選擇，抗潮而行永遠是不容易的。如果你願意在生活上爭取主動，如果你像我一樣覺得需要一點閒靜和思考的空間，不妨嘗試放下你的手提電話、iPad、iPhone等手機；也不要花時間將晚飯餸菜照片放上Facebook或在 WhatsApp七咀八舌；嘗試在溝通上多化心思去尋求突破，更清晰和更有深度地表達自己。漸漸地你會發覺，自己的言行思想被提升到另一層面，整個人脫胎換骨，如立高山，只覺心曠神怡，視野清晰，天地萬象，一目了然!
我沒有手提電話。我喜歡用地線電話，可以傳神和投入地交談。當我獨自在戶外活動時，也可以好好享用個人的寧靜和空間，不用受外界騷擾。
從沒想過要用iPad或iPhone等手機。我喜歡常常抬起頭做人，與四週的人保持視覺上的接觸(縱使是單方面的) ，不讓自己時時刻刻活在個人世界中，也不讓自己的行動和思念，受控於手心一塊電子板。
我對流行的 social media和WhatsApp總提不起興趣。曾多次因福傳需要而嘗試用Facebook和Twitter，但總有嘔心的感覺。我深信語言和溝通，除了實用的需要，還要顧及文學和藝術價值。人不是雀鳥，只會吱吱喳喳；也不是街頭犬隻，只管亂叫亂吠。我認為多花一點腦筋和心思，有技巧地，有層次地，有深度地表達自己，是人溝通應有的基本元素。
到今天，我仍然抗拒將月曆的每一天填得滿滿，讓自己忙得不可開交。很多人喜歡這樣做，以顯示自己生活得充實和有意義 (請參閱《忙，站在人身旁，顯得很了不起! 》)。更多人忙是因為自己不懂得好好安排和利用時間，而將自己弄得終日團團轉 (多年在教會環境中工作的經驗告訴我：八成以上的會議是不需要的!) 。所以，我「無情地」推卻不少活動和應酬，緊守宗旨，將有限的時間、資源和心思，重點地放在自己專注的事情上，深信重要的是質不是量。
繁忙的生活節奏容易使人心靈窒息，要做好事情，我需要平和閒靜的心。平和能生大智，使人明悟真理；閒靜能敏銳心靈，讓人洞察天主聖意。常說「願袮的旨意奉行在人間」，若不能洞察天主旨意，談何奉行？常說要恆常祈禱，與造物主建立密切的關係，若時常心煩意亂，來去匆匆，祈禱關係何從建立？
順流逆流是每一個人必須做的選擇，抗潮而行永遠是不容易的。如果你願意在生活上爭取主動，如果你像我一樣覺得需要一點閒靜和思考的空間，不妨嘗試放下你的手提電話、iPad、iPhone等手機；也不要花時間將晚飯餸菜照片放上Facebook或在 WhatsApp七咀八舌；嘗試在溝通上多化心思去尋求突破，更清晰和更有深度地表達自己。漸漸地你會發覺，自己的言行思想被提升到另一層面，整個人脫胎換骨，如立高山，只覺心曠神怡，視野清晰，天地萬象，一目了然!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
"Lord, You Are Good and Forgiving!" (Psalm 86:5) - Our Real Reason For Hope
This is my reflection on the Mass readings of Sunday, July 20, 2014
Year A Ordinary Time 16th Sunday
Mass Readings: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43
“Lord, you are good and forgiving!” Captured in the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm is the heart of the message of this Sunday’s Mass readings – an amazing message that punctuates every action taken by God in the history of salvation, a wonderful message that gives us the real reason to be hopeful and joyful.
God “gave [His] sons good ground for hope that [He] would permit repentance for their sins” (Wis 12:19), intoned the inspired writer in the first reading.
“Let them grow together until harvest” (Mt. 13:30), replied the kind and patient householder in Jesus’ parable in response to his servant’s request to pull up the weeds that grew through the wheat, for he didn’t want the uprooting of the weeds to endanger the wheat.
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity!” (Ex. 34:6) God revealed His loving, patient, and merciful nature to Israel as soon as He entered into a covenant with them.
This brings to mind a story that has touched so many hearts.
Bob and Debbie were devout Catholics and loving parents who did everything possible to give their two children, Jack and Stephanie, a good Catholic upbringing. While Stephanie excelled in both her faith and career, Jack started to drift away from church soon after entering university. Soon after university, which he barely managed to complete, he was able to find a job. But his career went from blunder to blunder, changing jobs 4 times in a matter of 2 years. Eventually he became unemployed. He started drinking. One night he came home very drunk, messing up the bath room and waking up everyone in the house.
Stephanie, who was working on a company project that must be submitted the next morning, was very angry with her brother. Out of frustration, she demanded that her dad do something to “punish” him and “fix him up once and for all!” Bob, who had known for years that his son was suffering from a certain mental disorder that had been bothering him since he entered university, gave Stephanie a little hug and said, “Stephanie, you know how much mom and dad love you and how pleased we are that you continue to grow in faith. As for your brother Jack, the one who judges is the Lord (cf. 1 Cor 4:4) and we know the Lord is kind, patient, and merciful. Let’s just follow Jesus, who loves us not because we are good and righteous but because we are sinners. If Jesus forgives us even if we continue to sin against him, let’s also forgive your brother and love him even more in his times of hardship.”
Let’s conclude this Sunday reflection with a prayer:
Have mercy on us, O God!
Look not on our sins and destroy us not for the sake of Your Son’s sorrowful passion!
“If you, Lord, mark our sins, who can stand?” (Psalm 130:3)
Help us forgive those who trespass against us,
The way you forgive us who trespass against you!
Amen!
Year A Ordinary Time 16th Sunday
Mass Readings: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43
“Lord, you are good and forgiving!” Captured in the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm is the heart of the message of this Sunday’s Mass readings – an amazing message that punctuates every action taken by God in the history of salvation, a wonderful message that gives us the real reason to be hopeful and joyful.
God “gave [His] sons good ground for hope that [He] would permit repentance for their sins” (Wis 12:19), intoned the inspired writer in the first reading.
“Let them grow together until harvest” (Mt. 13:30), replied the kind and patient householder in Jesus’ parable in response to his servant’s request to pull up the weeds that grew through the wheat, for he didn’t want the uprooting of the weeds to endanger the wheat.
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity!” (Ex. 34:6) God revealed His loving, patient, and merciful nature to Israel as soon as He entered into a covenant with them.
This brings to mind a story that has touched so many hearts.
Bob and Debbie were devout Catholics and loving parents who did everything possible to give their two children, Jack and Stephanie, a good Catholic upbringing. While Stephanie excelled in both her faith and career, Jack started to drift away from church soon after entering university. Soon after university, which he barely managed to complete, he was able to find a job. But his career went from blunder to blunder, changing jobs 4 times in a matter of 2 years. Eventually he became unemployed. He started drinking. One night he came home very drunk, messing up the bath room and waking up everyone in the house.
Stephanie, who was working on a company project that must be submitted the next morning, was very angry with her brother. Out of frustration, she demanded that her dad do something to “punish” him and “fix him up once and for all!” Bob, who had known for years that his son was suffering from a certain mental disorder that had been bothering him since he entered university, gave Stephanie a little hug and said, “Stephanie, you know how much mom and dad love you and how pleased we are that you continue to grow in faith. As for your brother Jack, the one who judges is the Lord (cf. 1 Cor 4:4) and we know the Lord is kind, patient, and merciful. Let’s just follow Jesus, who loves us not because we are good and righteous but because we are sinners. If Jesus forgives us even if we continue to sin against him, let’s also forgive your brother and love him even more in his times of hardship.”
Let’s conclude this Sunday reflection with a prayer:
Have mercy on us, O God!
Look not on our sins and destroy us not for the sake of Your Son’s sorrowful passion!
“If you, Lord, mark our sins, who can stand?” (Psalm 130:3)
Help us forgive those who trespass against us,
The way you forgive us who trespass against you!
Amen!
Friday, July 11, 2014
Should Doctors Be Forced to Accept the Patients' Morality in Performing All Treatments, Including the Non-Emergency Ones?
Many readers who share my Christian beliefs will agree with me that living in the world of liturgies, prayers, and Scriptures is peaceful and full of joy. But, as we have seen so many times and in so many places where people are persecuted and killed for no reason other than their religious convictions, our freedom to lead a religious and moral life that's grounded in Christian beliefs and morality should not be taken for granted. It needs to be defended. Sometimes, as so many martyrs and saints have done in the history of the Church, it may even require the shedding of blood and the sacrifice of lives.
"OK. I'll fight a good fight! I'll join the Church martyrs; I'm ready to die for Christ!" you say. Not so soon! And it's not so simple. Often times, it's the little battles that add up and eventually get us killed without us knowing it - much like a frog dying in the "warmth" of slow boiling water! Here's one of those battles we cannot afford to ignore.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is asking for public input as part of its regular review of policy guidelines. At issue in this current review is the right of doctors to refuse to provide certain treatments based on religious or moral grounds. The current CPSO policy allows doctors to refrain from performing non-emergency procedures should the procedures violate their individual conscience.
“Non-emergency procedures” refer to issues such as infant male circumcision, prescribed birth control, certain types of medications, medicinal marijuana, or an abortion procedure. (In the future, this list may very well include euthanasia or assisted suicide.) In other words, we are not talking about providing health-care services where a patient’s life is at risk.
If you believe, as I do, that CPSO should NOT be imposing morality on all physicians, to the point where doctors need to violate their own conscience in order to serve their patients’ need to do non-emergency procedures (as listed above), you should go to CPSO’s Quick Poll to vote YES on their question: “Do you think a physician should be allowed to refuse to provide a patient with a treatment or procedure because it conflicts with the physician’s religious or moral beliefs?”
While you are there, you may also want to submit a comment against CPSO’s attempt to impose their morality on all physicians. You can do so by posting your comment to the CPSO forum, or by emailing CPSO. Links are available on the CPSO Quick Poll to allow you to do both. Here’s the link to the CPSO Quick Poll (deadline for feedback is August 5, 2014):
CPSO Quick Poll
Should you be interested in researching more about this issue and why the answer to the CPSO Quick Poll question should be YES, I would recommend the following three articles:
1. Article by John Carpay
2. Article by David Bulgar
3. Article by Mike Schouten
(Acknowledgement: The content of this post is adopted partly from the Mike Schouten article with modification.)
"OK. I'll fight a good fight! I'll join the Church martyrs; I'm ready to die for Christ!" you say. Not so soon! And it's not so simple. Often times, it's the little battles that add up and eventually get us killed without us knowing it - much like a frog dying in the "warmth" of slow boiling water! Here's one of those battles we cannot afford to ignore.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is asking for public input as part of its regular review of policy guidelines. At issue in this current review is the right of doctors to refuse to provide certain treatments based on religious or moral grounds. The current CPSO policy allows doctors to refrain from performing non-emergency procedures should the procedures violate their individual conscience.
“Non-emergency procedures” refer to issues such as infant male circumcision, prescribed birth control, certain types of medications, medicinal marijuana, or an abortion procedure. (In the future, this list may very well include euthanasia or assisted suicide.) In other words, we are not talking about providing health-care services where a patient’s life is at risk.
If you believe, as I do, that CPSO should NOT be imposing morality on all physicians, to the point where doctors need to violate their own conscience in order to serve their patients’ need to do non-emergency procedures (as listed above), you should go to CPSO’s Quick Poll to vote YES on their question: “Do you think a physician should be allowed to refuse to provide a patient with a treatment or procedure because it conflicts with the physician’s religious or moral beliefs?”
While you are there, you may also want to submit a comment against CPSO’s attempt to impose their morality on all physicians. You can do so by posting your comment to the CPSO forum, or by emailing CPSO. Links are available on the CPSO Quick Poll to allow you to do both. Here’s the link to the CPSO Quick Poll (deadline for feedback is August 5, 2014):
CPSO Quick Poll
Should you be interested in researching more about this issue and why the answer to the CPSO Quick Poll question should be YES, I would recommend the following three articles:
1. Article by John Carpay
2. Article by David Bulgar
3. Article by Mike Schouten
(Acknowledgement: The content of this post is adopted partly from the Mike Schouten article with modification.)
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