Tuesday 26 January 2016

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last Sunday we heard the start of Jesus programmatic sermon at Nazareth. today we hear the response of the congregation. Initially they were positive as they heard the "gracious words that came from his mouth" (Lk 4: 22) yet this all turns sour. For a start they cannot reconcile these words and the fact that Jesus is one of them, in fact, the son of Joseph (so they thought). Secondly, he has the temerity to tell them that the scripture being fulfilled in their presence does away with their exclusively relationship with God as the door of salvation is opened to the Gentiles. In the end their snobbery, elitism and pride prevent the congregation from taking on board Jesus' message. Not only that they try to kill him by throwing him off the "brow of the hill on which their town was built." (Lk 4: 29) In doing this they prefigure the ultimate execution of Jesus on the Cross outside the walls of Jerusalem. All of this speaks not just of the drama of Jesus sermon in Nazareth and his rejection by the people but also of the rejection of Christ and Christianity by the Jews as a whole which had taken place by the time of Luke's writing of his Gospel. Can we even see a parallel in our own time where people acknowledge Jesus to speak wisdom and for Christianity to have created things of beauty. However, in the next moment they reject them, for similar reasons to those of the Nazareth congregation enraged by Jesus. The Church's support for the unborn, immigrants, the unemployed and elderly people who are abandoned and vulnerable all speak of a prophetic stance that challenges those who regard themselves as the arbiters of public morality and seek to exclude Christianity from public discourse altogether.

Tuesday 19 January 2016

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel for today joins the opening sentence of the Gospel of Luke and skipping over the Infancy Narratives plunges us into the programmatic homily of Jesus at his home town of Nazareth. Luke tells Theophilus of his "orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us" (Lk 1: 1) and in his homily Jesus tells the congregation "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk 4: 21). When we listen to this in the light not only of the gospel but also of the companion volume the Acts of the Apostles we realise that the Gospel is not just a part of history but is being fulfilled in our time and place. We, along with Theophilus, belong to a generation who has not seen the Lord in person yet we believe. We also are brought to believe that the same Jesus, now risen, is active with, in and through us. the Gospel is alive and the power of the Spirit enables the followers of Jesus to continue his mission and do as the first disciples of Jesus did. This means that despite all of the challenges of our time we, too, can be a Peter or a Paul of today.

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Gospel today we are able to perceive one of the consequences of the Incarnation we celebrated on 25 December. There is a "reversal of the ritual current" - previously, as we see most clearly in the Book of Leviticus, ritually clean objects or individuals are made unclean by contact with the ritually unclean; now, Jesus, going about his earthly ministry, makes everything he comes into contact with clean and sacred. Later we will see how he touches biers, lepers, bleeding women, corpses and so forth and cures them. He goes about restoring the status of individuals who are marginalised, persecuted or despised: sinners are forgiven, the sick are healed and the possessed are freed from demonic possession. The Kingdom of Satan is under attack and Jesus will not stop until he has destroyed it. Today he attends a wedding and thereby makes it and all of the other aspects of it, including sex, family and children a part of the sacramental economy and therefore his reign. As a result, we Christians are not anxious about the possibility of the triumph of evil. We know that Christ, in the resurrection, completed and made secure his victory over sin and death for all time. My task is to cooperate with his grace and vindicate his victory and ever-expanding reign in my own life, families and society until all is fulfilled: "Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15: 24-26)

Sunday 3 January 2016

Baptism of the Lord

How can I compare my baptism with that of Jesus Christ? Christ came to the Jordan as an adult and requested baptism whereas my parents brought me to the church and requested the gift of baptism for me; both baptisms were with water however it was Jesus who made the Jordan holy whereas the priest blessed the water used on me; Jesus was baptised in a river whereas I was baptised in a font in a Catholic Church; both baptisms required someone else to perform it however in Jesus case he was John's superior whereas I was not superior to the priest nor did I pre-exist him; Christ was baptised by John whereas I was baptised by Christ through the instrument of a priest acting in the person of Christ the Head (in Persona Christi capitis); both of us were has a baptism of repentance however Jesus acted on behalf of Israel whereas my parents spoke on my behalf; Jesus had no need to be freed from Original Sin but I did; Jesus was baptised for the sake of propriety whereas I was baptised into his Passion, death and Resurrection; Christ embodied the people of God whereas I was made a member of the People of God through baptism; both of us are children of God but Jesus was Son of God for all eternity whereas I was adopted in baptism to have God as Abba - Father; Jesus taught his disciples to pray Our Father whereas my parents, baptised themselves, taught me; Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit after baptism with the Oil of Gladness whereas I was anointed with chrism after baptism to share in Christ's mission; Jesus received directly the declaration of the Father's love whereas I received the mediation of God's love through the Church and my parents; Christ is revealed as the light to the nations whereas I received a candle as a symbol of the light of Christ; Jesus was baptised and instituted the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist whereas I received those from him through the Church as a completion of the initiation started in baptism; Jesus was also baptised by his sacrifice on the Cross whereas I was baptised into his death so as to receive the promise of eternal life with him forever with all the other baptised and those who have loved God.


Submission to Select Committe Opposing Voluntary Euthanasia

Health Select Committee: ‘Petition of Hon Maryan Street and 8,974 others’

Submission by Fr Marcus Francis of Palmerston North

General Position: I am opposed to any legislation to legalise assisted voluntary suicide in New Zealand

1.      The factors that contribute to the desire to end one’s life
The desire to end one’s life is precisely that. It is not a thought out objective position based on all available scientific evidence and a wider sense of the consequences such an action will have for those closest to a person, the wider community or the fundamental dignity and worth of human life. It is a desire arising perhaps out of fear of pain or losing control of one’s life so as to be dependant on others. Alternatively, it might arise from a conviction that it is a high value to be in control of one’s body and destiny.
Whatever the motivation it is inevitably a subjective impulse that necessarily focuses on an individual. Yet, we know from the role of powers of attorney, the next of kin and others who are consulted at  various stages in the life of someone, who may suffer from a serious mental or physical illness, that the rights and obligations, including their fiduciary duties of care for the particular individual and other subjects of care, are involved. These people have desires too and the desire of one person to end his or her life can run in conflict with the desires and self-awareness of others.
How can a medical and care system sustain the contradiction of caring for others and yet being potentially implicated in assenting to and assisting in their death? Hard cases make bad law, That some people may place a high value on individual determination and control over one’s time of death cannot and should not compromise the absolute commitment of others who desire to do the best to assist others who may suffer: mentally handicapped, maimed in war or accident, mentally ill, affected by drug or alcohol dependancy, terminal illness, vulnerable elderly, senile, unplanned births and many others. Many of these cases are not able to adequately and clearly articulate their desires and are often influenced by many different external factors. This also applies to their carers who sometimes are consciously or subconsciously affected by their own financial and emotional interests.

2.      The effectiveness and support available to those who desire to end their own lives
In my professional capacity I have on many occasions visited Palmerston North Hospital and Arohanui Hospice. The inhouse and residential care offered by these providers is second to none. The dynamic which occurs as individuals receive care and love from those who wish the best for them is edifying and a priceless part of what makes our community a humane and giving society. If the individuals in their care felt that there was the possibility that they should consider ending their own life as an option with the assistance or approbation of others that would compromise the relationship at a profound level. Mental and psychological suffersing cannot be helped with painkillers but it is assuaged by love, care and compassion. The value of every human life, regardless of public utility, must be essential to makling our health system viable as a place for care rather than management of who is of most use to a society driven solely by economic imperatives.

3.      The attitudes of New Zealanders towards ending of one’s life and the current legal situation
The existence of the petition clearly shows that some New Zealanders support voluntary euthanasia. The media in general seems to assume it is only a matter of time before it is legislated for in this country. Both of the former base their attitudes on an unquestioning acceptance of radical individualism and a focus on tragic cases of individuals afflicted with conditions that have lead them to want to take their own lives. Both motivations are inadequate to deal with a complex society where individuals expectations and self-worth are affected by the judgements of others. The attitude that I have the right to take my own life and have others condone it and even effect this outcome also speaks of my attitude towards the lives of others. A person might say: “I think that I would take my own life in this circumstance so why is it that you, who have such a condition, have not taken yours?”. Individuals and carers will be brought to the point whereby they feel they must justify why they are still alive when the option of ending life is available to them. The obvious situation is that where the medical care or ongoing support of an individual is costing either families or the state a considerable amount of money. Just because someone in a certain situation feels despair does not mean that another in similar circumstances would feel the same way. Nevertheless, human reasoning tends to group like with like. The lack of an absolute ban on voluntary euthanasia would adversely affect the perception of other’s suffering as well as my own when it comes to the assessment of the treatment and care plan to be provided. This would certainly be the case in the lives of the most vulnerable categories of New Zealanders.

4.      International experiences
I do not have any special expertise or knowledge of the international experience of voluntary euthanasia. All I see is that which is generally avaiable to anyone who reads newspapers or consumes other media. It seems from this that the categories of individuals and situations eligible for voluntary euthanasia, including those made for individuals usually regarded as incapable of managing their own affairs in other aspects of life, is gradually widened in ways that are truly alarming. I recall that in 1975 it was thought that procured abortion would be done in rare cases and that the safeguards given by the Legislature would suffice to ensure that. We now have up to 18,000 abortions a year. What if we were to have 18,000 voluntary assisted suicides a year? Can that outcome be excluded  by the Health Select Committee? Would that be seen as desirable? The right to abortion, which trumps the right to life of the child in the womb, is based on similar argumentation to the right to take one’s own life, which trumps the dignity of life of all members of the wider community. In Belgium it is sought to allow for children as young as twelve to elect assisted suicide. Does the Committee desire that too? In New Zealand we have children being taken out of school, without their parents knowledge, to have procured abortions. Does the Legistaure think that a child who wishes to die can have such a wish fulfilled over the objections by the child’s parents. Maybe that can be done during a school lunch hour too? Is this impossible? Overseas experiences shows us that such bizarre develpments cannot be excluded for once a right is asserted the logical consequences of radical individualism will occur regardless of the safeguards given by legislation.


In conclusion, I assert my uncompromising and convinced opposition to the legalising in any way of voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand.

Saturday 2 January 2016

Feast of the Epiphany

The depiction of the "three wise men" evolved over time to show gorgeously caparisoned kings with a great retinue of servants which overwhelms the humble Christ child and his parents of humble means. Like programmes, in which we are dazzled by the fashions or looks of the characters rather than attending to the story line, we can miss the point. The wise men had all of the technology of the time at their disposal but they still needed the Jewish Scriptures. They may have been rich and learned yet it is a humble child to whom they must give homage. Importantly, once they have found Christ they no longer neeed riches nor the help of Herod nor the Jewish scriptures as they have Christ. They return to their home country by another way. Are we still hanging out for a salvation that comes other than from Christ? Are we scandalised by the Cross or the ordinariness of our everyday lives in which God's grace is present and active? Once we have Christ we need no other. What we need to do is journey deeper into the mystery of Christ and to experience his presence and grace in our lives on a daily basis. In that way we will not require self-help books and commentaries but we will be guided by Christ himself through the Scriptures the Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.