A spirit of anxiety and uncertainty is building in our nation as we experience the continued rise of gasoline prices and the consequences of that.  So many other areas of our lives are affected.  Even something as basic as food is going up because of delivery prices.  Then there is the ever present campaign for the nomination to run for the presidency of our nation in the Democratic party.  Both candidates are scary to look at from a Catholic moral point of view because of their clear support of abortion.  When the former mayor of New York City, Guiliani, went to Communion at the Mass with the Pope in Yankee Stadium, it made the headlines.  Guiliani is very clear in his support for abortion, an act that the Church clearly condemns and calls murder.  One cannot be Catholic and support such a practice.  One of the comments made by newscasters when the Pope landed in Washington, D.C.  and was greeted by President Bush was that the Catholic vote probably put him over the top and into office.  As much as we are looked at with suspicion and opposition at times, as a group we have power and clout. How can we use our power to be true to who we are and good citizens of our nation?

One of the challenges we face as a nation and as a Church is to find unity in our diversity.  There are so many comments, ideas and beliefs that are different and at times contradict one another.  At times of confusion and disagreement it is good to go back to our roots.  As a nation we were founded by people who left their homelands seeking religious freedom.  One of our rights as Americans is the freedom to worship without interference from the government.  As Catholics we do not have the right to impose our faith on all people, but we do have the responsibility and right to point out what is harmful to our nation and to work to overcome those evils.  Abortion is put forth as a right to choose, but as we know it is choosing to take the life of a defenseless human being who has no voice.  The most innocent and vulnerable among us are those who need our care, support, concern and love the most.  We would be remiss as Catholics and as Americans if we did not speak up and use whatever power we have to stop an evil such as abortion.  In the moral history of the world we will go down as a nation that has taken the lives of more than 40 million children since abortion was legalized in 1973.  One of the clear places we have a voice is in the voting booth.  The candidates are running to be public servants, not to impose their will or ideas on us, but to do what is best for us and those who will come after us.  They will only listen to us if we make a loud clear statement.  The voting booth is where we go as individuals, but at the same time, as Americans and Catholics to do what is best for our nation.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, the coming of the promised Holy Spirit on the followers of Jesus after his Resurrection and Ascension.  Filled with that Holy Spirit, those followers left the safety and security of their closed gathering and went out to preach and be the good news of Jesus by their words and actions.  The barriers of fear, language and nationality were shattered.  The Spirit of God enabled them to do what previous to that was fearful and scary.  We are here today as Catholic Christians because of their courage to live and speak the truth of God’s love.  We are their descendants.  The Holy Spirit has been poured into us through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.  He comes with his gifts of courage and wisdom to sustain and guide us in our journey through this world.  In one of the prayers that I say everyday in morning prayer from the breviary it says, “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Wherever people are persecuted or abused, there is darkness and the shadow of death.  It is only the way of Jesus that brings us into the light that leads to peace in our hearts, our Church, our nation and our world.  I encourage you to join with me and all priests and religious in saying this brief prayer everyday:

You, my child shall be called the prophet of the most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Father Walden