November 2, 2008

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

Tuesday, November 4 will be an eventful day for our country and me personally. For the first time in its history, our country will either elect its first African American president or its first female vice president. On Tuesday, my 65th birthday, I will officially become eligible for Medicare.

Most pundants said that this would never be possible. But they underestimated my ability to keep on living. O yeah. They were wrong on the election too.

My column today offers some thoughts on the conundrum faced by people of faith as they vote on Tuesday. The thoughts are in large part taken from the Faithful Citizenship document offered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

I have become a serious political junkie over the past year and will probably experience profound political withdrawal symptoms regardless of who wins.

Halloween nights, production of War of the Worlds went well. I portrayed Orson Wells. While I needed no physical changes to convey Welles' abundant girth - I did darken the color of my hair and beard from snow white to salt and pepper for the performance. Lest anyone be concerned - absolutely no Martians were harmed in the making of this production.

On this All Saints/All Souls weekend, my prayers will be with those of you whose loved one have completed their earthly journey over the past year.

TRAVEL WITH US IN 2009
Pat and I invite you to join us on a "Lands of the Bible Cruise" that we've scheduled for November 11, 2009. Follow the link below to download our itinerary. Then, if you are interested, drop me an email and I'll send you a brochures and registration form. (http://www.deaconray.com/travel.htm)

This Week's Column: November 2, 2008: Faithful Citizenship

The voter registration deadline has passed, the presidential candidates have staged their final debate, and only a few days are left before this most exciting national election comes to a close. The political ads have intensified over the past few weeks, and finally on Tuesday, the decision will be made.

I am sure that most of you already know which party and candidate best speaks to your issues, but if you are still in the undecided column, perhaps it is time that you look at the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ document, “Faithful Citizenship” for some direction: www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

As Catholic Americans, it is our civic duty and religious responsibility to exercise our vote on November 4th. It is also a privilege of a democratic society; do not take it for granted. In “Faithful Citizenship”, our bishops acknowledge that no political party or candidate will perfectly line up with our Catholic social teachings. This voter guide recognizes the difficulty of applying moral absolutes to civic life. “Sometimes morally flawed laws already exist”, the document states. “In this situation, the process of framing legislation to protect life is subject to prudential judgment and ‘the art of the possible.’ At times this process may restore justice only partially or gradually”.

That reasoning stems from Pope John Paul II, who wrote in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, that when a government official who fully opposes abortion cannot succeed in completely overturning a pro-abortion law, he or she may work to approve protection for unborn life, “limiting the harm done by such a law” and lessening its negative impact as much as possible. Such language is meant to protect the political process from the paralyzing effects of extremists.

As we all know our democracy is a great blessing, but with this freedom comes the reality that we are seldom able to live or vote as purists. There are simply too many competing values at play.

This year its notable that both Senators Obama and McCain support expanded stem cell research, one of the Catholic “non-negotiables”. While the bishops fear that stem cell research may result in even more abortions, they acknowledge that taking the most extreme view – that Catholics could never vote for someone who held such a position – would require Catholics to refrain from voting for either major party. That is simply irresponsible. The issues in this election are far too important.

Besides abortion and stem cell research, “Respecting Life” issues also include capital punishment, war, economic injustice, and treatment of the poor and most vulnerable among us. In order to make the best decision in the voting booth this year, we need to be informed. Rather than be distracted by rhetoric, we must instead examine the facts and familiarize ourselves with the party platforms and the candidates’ true positions on moral issues. Then vote our conscience. Cultivating an informed conscience is a life-long effort, anchored in prayerful reflection, and nourished in our faith community.

It is for this reason that I’m including with today’s bulletin an insert from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) - The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. Please join me in prayerfully reading this document, then make an informed, good-conscience decision about our options at the polls this year.

Bishop Clark to Undergo Knee Replacement Surgery
Bishop Matthew H. Clark is scheduled to undergo replacement of his right knee on Tuesday. The surgery will be performed at Highland Hospital in Rochester. The surgical team is the same that replaced Bishop Clark's left hip in the spring of this year. After a brief hospital stay and initial rehabilitative therapy, which is common in such procedures, the Bishop hopes to return to work as soon as his doctor allows.

Here’s an address for those wishing to send a card:
Bishop Matthew Clark, 1150 Buffalo Road
Rochester, NY 14624

Celebrate Deacon Ed’s 25th
Next Friday night, I hope you will join us in celebrating Deacon Ed Wight’s 25 Years as a Permanent Deacon. The parish will gather for a dish to pass supper at 6:00 p.m. in O’Malley Hall.

Have a good week. Serve each other well.

Deacon Ray

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Bulletin: November 2nd, 2008