It is also at odds with the opinions of many of my fellow Catholics with regard to JFKs famous campaign speech to a group of baptist ministers. A speech which has revived much more attention than it deserves most recently by His Grace Arch Bishop Chaput. The Archbishop uses Kennedy's speech as teh main impetus for democrat's current support of abortion and gay marriage. As he Chaput and many others in the fanatical wing of the pro-life movement grasp at any emotion to demonize the misguided, so he uses Kennedy's words as the turning point in the democratic party. It was not. It was a campaign speech and no democratic politician has ever used that speech as a reason for supporting pro-choice legislation or gay marriage. The idea Chaput puts forth is that had not JFK made the speech that allegedly distances himself from his faith in public life than others who followed hi would not be able to do the same.
Please accept my apologizes for being critical of an archbishop. And please remember it is not him I criticize but his thoughts and words on a particular subject. Let it also be noted that when the Archbishop made the remarks I am referring to, he said he was not speaking as the bishop of Denver. Had he not said he was not speaking as bishop ( the irony here on what he accuses Kennedy of and his own actions is not lost on this writer) I would never question what he said nor his conclusion. There are two problems with the Archbishop's understanding of the Kennedy speech, one as I have already mentioned no politician has used the speech as a cover for their support of gay rights or abortion. the speech was a champaign speech not policy. The Archbishop as some many of the fanatical pro-lifers simply suspends reason and assumes that since Kennedy made the speech that politicians since that time follow his "lead" and separate religion from who they are when they vote. As if starting with Kennedy politicians were somehow no longer whole complete individuals but split in two by Kennedy's speech. This is ludicrous , simplistic, and fanatical; and when spoken by an Archbishop about a man who has been dead for 50 years and thus cannot defend himself -- dare I say sinful. Kennedy made a campaign speech to baptist ministers during a time of anti-catholic sentiment. He did not write the majority opinion for roe v. wade. Nor did his policies or actions in office ever reflect a non-catholic perspective. Quite the contrary. Kennedy's Catholicism defined him before and after the speech, and as the film "Lombardi" points out, no matter what a man says you cannot separate the faith from the man nor from his job. Lombardi was a Kennedy Democrat.
I've had to look for some alliterative means of employment, since I will be student teaching through May. But at the end of that road is God's calling for me, to teach, eventually in a high needs Catholic School. I am attending the MAT@USC program. And even though USC is a secular private school, and there are many good Catholic colleges to learn to teach, I wanted the best education I could get and MAT@USC is state of the art. I am also a writer and I like to publish works by others. Please remember in your prayers the soul of Bunnie Collins of Sacramento, whom I have published on one of my sites. She was a tireless worker in the pro-life movement. She wrote copied and handed out many tracts. I met here at a celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in Sacramento, Ca. She handed me one of her tracts and I published it. I wanted to continue publishing her work.
So, I was talking to my mom about my journey back to the Catholic Church, although I never really left, or more precisely it never really left me. Mom and dad made sure of that by sending me to Catholic school through seventh grade and thus insuring my confirmation. Having received the sacraments of Baptism, reconciliation. communion, and confirmation; one may leave the Church, but the Church never leaves us. That as been what I have experienced, and I cannot believe that others do not experience the same sort of grace.
Our Lord and Our Lady dispense it so freely to those who take the sacraments.
At some point though I decided to go exploring. I wanted to understand the bible, thinking for some reason that I did not, and I wanted to live like a first century Christian. Sorry I have to laugh now when I think that my journey took me precisely away from where I said I wanted to be. But for some reason God gave me this gift of exploration. I am grateful for what I have learned. It makes me a much better apologist and evangelist.
On the encouragement of a co-worker I went to some services at Calvary Chapel hoping to worship according to first century or real Christian values as defined in the Bible. Almost simultaneously I started attending Trinity Cathedral, services and then classes to become an Episcopalian (all of the ceremony and none of the guilt). I learned a great deal from both places.
What I learned most was to appreciate my Roman Catholic training and faith. At some point I began to taste the body of Our Lord in the back of my throat. When I listened to these pastors the Dean at Trinity Cathedral and the pastor at Calvary chapel, and when I attended their bible studies; I noticed two things.
First, I had already heard these things, and second they were telling them incorrectly. Their interpretation of Holy Scripture upon which their whole faith is based was simply incorrect. I who thought I knew nothing of the bible, began to realize that I knew more than what I was hearing from these pastors. I am grateful that this journey got me to read the old testament from beginning to end. I had not read theses books before, but even most of these stories I already knew. I began to understand why God sent His son to start the Catholic Church. The kingdom of God/Heaven on earth. As the old testment points out ie and again the Jews, god's chosen people just were not getting it.
Today we celebrate Christmas. This is a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour for sure, but it is also a recognition and a celebration of the Holy Family. Jesus could have chosen to come to earth fully formed as a 33 year old man. But he did not he chose Blessed Mother and St. Joseph from the beginning of time to be His earthly parents, with all that that implies. The Immaculate conception, the unselfishness and holiness of St. Joseph (special among all the saints next to Our Lady is St. Joesph, we often forget this, but isn't that the way with fathers, we often forget our earthy fathers). If the family is the Church in microcosm then the Holy Family is certainly the model for us all.
Yes, I personally listened to the fundies berate the Catholic Church and the Pope and I wanted to defend the Church, but what I was hearing was ignorance and not Christian at all. And now I am armed with the truth and the ability to stand tow to toe with any protestant on any theological discussion and with the grace of the Holy spirit come out on toe
So the journey has brought me closer to God, to the understanding of Jesus' mission and it completed the work that the grace of confirmation started -- I am now unafraid to challenge protestant members and pastors alike. What I found in my journey is that I know more than either protestant members and I know more than their pastors who have gone to so called bible colleges.
I am a confirmed Catholic, I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit sacramentally. I am related in an unbroken chain by this sacrament to the apostles and Jesus. For confirmation adds me to the lineage of apostolic succession. When I speak to protestants and their pastors I am filled with the truth but also with the grace of the Holy Spirit. who provides me with the words. I never back down, and I always end up winning the argument or discussion. This is particularly amazing when I discus the Church and the Bible with a pastor in front of his congregation. It gives me particular joy to watch them paint themselves into a corner and have to agree to the truth of Catholic teaching.
So as Dorthy in the wizard of OZ, I can truly say there is no place like home.
And to all other confirmed Catholics, I say it is our duty to spread the truth. Be not Afraid.
copyright 2010 fred celio
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