Jesus is transfigured in glory, giving his astonished disciples at his feet a glimpse of the glory of the Resurrection awaiting all who follow him. Jesus’ outstretched arms in the form of the cross remind us that it is through the cross, Jesus comes to the unfading glory of heaven. Moses and Elias in the upper part of the fresco tell us that Jesus’ death and Resurrection are not an accident of history, but God’s plan already foreshadowed in the Law and the Prophets.
In the midst of our present crisis, there is a haunting question that keeps intruding itself into our thoughts. A disturbing interrogative. Not new. Not uncommon. In fact, it is found in the biblical narrative of Judges. It is Gideon’s question: “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” How could God allow so many people to suffer and die from an illness that knows no age, no race, no nationality? If God is all powerful, why does he allow this? Why does he not intervene?
Mosques, synagogues and churches across the country have closed their doors to public gatherings for worship. Faced with the fast spreading, contagious and sometimes fatal coronavirus, many religious leaders of every faith have chosen to use caution in safeguarding the health and life of their faithful. But not all agree.
In 1957, pop sociologist Vance Packard made the New York Times best-seller list for an entire year. His book
The Hidden Persuaders explored the dark side of advertising. He exposed the use of motivational psychology that companies were using to advertise their products and entice people to buy them. His point was well taken. People respond to what promises them comfort and security, health and happiness.
In 1635, the Boston Latin School was the first public school to open in the colonies. And it is today the oldest public school in the nation. Throughout the 17th century, the colonies opened public schools. But, unlike our public schools today, these schools concentrated not so much on mathematics and science, but on reading. And they used the Bible as their textbook. They tried to inculcate in their students discipline and virtue, respect for family and community. They were unashamed to emphasize the practice of religion as essential for a good life and a sound community.
In its 1962 landmark Engel v. Vitale case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that prayer in public schools was unconstitutional. The court judged it a violation of the First Amendment clause forbidding the establishment of a government religion. In subsequent decisions, prayer was also banned at school graduations and sports events.
Hilaire Belloc was one of England’s most prolific writers in the 20th century. He was a poet, writer, orator, historian, BBC Radio commentator, and political activist. He was a friend of Winston Churchill and a student of St. John Henry Newman. Ernest Hemingway held him in high esteem and even imitated his style. Belloc was most especially known as an apologist renowned for his Catholic faith.
Recorded history and archaeology have uncovered the sad fact that abortion and infanticide are not modern phenomena. Peoples across the centuries have terminated the life of children in the womb of their mothers and have exposed children already born to death. Whether it was to eliminate children with deformities, to conceal illicit sexual behavior, to avoid the expenses of raising a family, innocent lives have been discarded. Some societies such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans, the Carthaginians, and the Canaanites even tried to appease their false gods by sacrificing their children.
Among the original 13 colonies that seeded our great country, Philadelphia was the fastest growing city. And it was not without its problems. Benjamin Franklin noted the increasing number of mentally ill and homeless people wandering the city streets. With the help of his Quaker friends, in 1751 he opened the doors of America’s first hospital to care for such people. Homelessness has been a part of our national story from its very beginning.
I am taking the opportunity of this Christmastide to offer you my special gratitude and encouragement for your lives as priests. While the secular world around us strips away its Christmas ornaments, we keep the light of Christmas burning brightly in our churches.