September 3, 2008

Feast of Pope St. Gregory the Great

Let me tell you a little something about myself. Years ago I lost my family, and the love of my life, to abortion. I have publicly spoken about this loss and have co-edited a book on the matter which is now being read worldwide. So, I am against abortion, and euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research, etc. etc. etc. I am against these things because they go against the will of God that is expressed in the Faith, and I know that when one disobeys God, there are bad consequences.

In the last few years, I have come to realize and understand a lot about abortion and just how God works. And I know that He is not a juke box where we put in a quarter and get the song we want. We must pray for the right things -- things that are not necessarily of this world but come from Him all the same.

Abortion is a symptom of a deeper problem. Pope Leo XIII said it best when he wrote "A religious error is the main root of all social and political evils." (Inscrutabili Dei Consilio 1878). While we can ask God for an end to abortion, or for rain, or for a new car, we should more properly ask for the conversion of sinners and protection against evil. We should also ask for the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts, for the strength to carry our crosses for Him, to know His will. The 40 days of prayer and fasting is erroneous in several ways, and so I cannot support it, but I do propose an alternative. I base my comments on research I have done which includes websites/pamphlets produced by the effort and conversations with Roman Catholics around the country. I have also prayed and thought about this whole matter.

First, it appears to be a form of magic. It goes like this: if you follow this scripture, and say these prayers, for such and such a time, then good things happen. I believe that this is also an attempt, albeit veiled, to show people that the God of the Protestant is superior to all others.

Second, why only 40 days, and then why right before the election? Why not year round even when there is not an election? There is something nefarious here with people invoking prayer and God's name at this time and in this manner. There is another agenda here and it involves the exercise of earthly power by people who detest the Roman Catholic Church and the Faith.

Third, the form of public praying this effort involves, I fear, violates the admonitions of Our Lord in Matthew 6:5: "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them." I think of St. Rose of Lima for some reason -- she prayed in the privacy of a shack away from everyone she knew and endured the most strenuous fasts, all by herself. And, these kind of gatherings inevitably devolve into Protestant charismatic praying – which is made up stuff and is just neither holy nor Catholic. Also, I am concerned that people attend these things expecting "miracles" or what someone has called "spiritual goosings." People will come to expect more of these things and so will be lead away from the real meaning of prayer: deep communication with God.

Now I am sure some would accuse me of not being ecumenical, which can truly be a heinous charge nowadays. But ecumenism must carry with it the element of calling the non-Catholics, the non-believers, to the Faith. Many think that we can be Roman Catholics and not tell anyone about it, but I think that is too much like lighting a lamp and hiding it under a bushel basket. When Mother Theresa worked in the Indian slums, she was visibly and unashamedly a Roman Catholic. These events with Protestants always end up with everyone trying to be like something they are not out of fear of offending others. We cannot presuppose, nor act like, there is unity when there is not.

I suppose I can also be falsely accused of not wanting to change things in American society. Well, I am guilty of the belief that politics and empty displays of piety are certainly not the way. Conversion of non-believers, and building real, and legitimate communities is the way. The fundamental requirements for that is developing and embracing an identity and requesting the help of God as generations of Roman Catholics before us have done. When we live and act and pray in accordance with what generations of Roman Catholics before us have done, we stay in community and their voices and hearts are joined to our efforts.

A good Roman Catholic response to abortion is the 40 hours devotion. We can invite non-Catholics to attend and watch. The 40 hour devotion is one that the Church has approved and employed time after time. It involves humility and keeping Our Lord company while others ignore Him. It is a deep conversation with Him. I am willing to set that up and I will gladly take the toughest shift -- usually about 3 a.m. in the morning. Of course, I am aware that the flashier and "sexier" 40 days of prayer and fasting – endorsed by a host of celebrities -- will draw away support from the Catholic response to evil that I am proposing. And that is a tragedy.