The pictures of death this week were very disturbing. First were the pictures of the animals killed in Ohio. Appraently their owner took his own life after releasing the animals from their pens. I was especially saddened by the pictures of the tigers who were killed. Their situation in the world is so precarious as their numbers continue to dwindle. It is too bad that the law enforcement officials couldn't have tranquilized them instead but I understand the seriousness of the situation and they appear to have made the right decision based on protecting human life. The second more disturbing picture was that of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's lifeless body. Equally disturbing was the chorus of cheers when the images appeared to the public. The world seems to be embracing what Pope John Paul II described as the "Culture of Death." We know that President Obama is an adherent of this ideology as he demonstrated on his first day in office by allocating funds to murder babies. He also trumpeted the death of Gadhafi in a press conference. A pattern has emerged with him as this is the second national leader that Mr. Obama has claimed to have facilitated the operation and approved of the method. I understand the rules of engagement for war. Is this what we really want our world to be? I can't help but think of Jesus imploring us to be peacemakers in his sermon on the mount. Let me be clear. Gadhafi was an evil man. His atrocities have been well documented and he should not have been leading a country. His actions have led to misery and sadness for many people and it should have been ended a long time ago. That being said, we must stop and think deeply about how he was killed. Does this point to a more brutal world that handles its problems with violence? In John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jesus' way is not the way of the world and we are called to make a difference in this world. I pray that more peacemakers stand up and say "enough" to this culture of death.
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...
Comments
Post a Comment