Dear Friends,
Much has already been said about the awful events of January 6th. I do not need to repeat those here. I could provide a litany of condemnation and prayers for our country from Catholic Bishops and other leaders, but you can probably find those quotes yourselves. Let me simply join the chorus and say that this was an outrage. It is contrary to everything this country stands for and represents a clear and present danger to the constitutional order of this country. We are a country of laws and they are to be followed. If we do not agree with the law, then we work through the process to have the law changed. That may take time, but that is the way our system of democracy works.
What concerns me as a Pastor was the involvement of Christians in the riot and their support of a human leader, rising to idolatrous levels. Some evangelical churches (and some Catholic bloggers) have been pushing end-time scenarios using their misinterpretation of Scripture. Some have been using fear and untruth to get people to act in ways contrary to the Gospel. A few have even been using the name of Jesus and the teachings of the Gospel to claim divine involvement in the actions of Mr. Trump and those who stormed the Capitol. The harm to the credibility of true Christian witness is deep and could be long-lasting.
Regardless of our party affiliation, we must always remember political heroes are not the savior, and our political enemies are children of God just like us, whom we are commanded to love as ourselves. Politics, political victory, and political power are not the end goal in either this life or the next. We belong to and follow Jesus Christ.
What is the duty of a Christian when it comes to politics? The Catholic Catechism puts it under the Fourth Commandment and teaches: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity” (CCC #2239).
In talking with a priest friend today, he was wondering if we, at a parish level, could get people with different political views to have conversations with each other where people would truly try to listen to and understand the other person. Maybe we could even find some common ground? In every parish there are people of every political persuasion. They may even share the same pew at Sunday Mass, but they simply have never shared their political thoughts with each other…too scary. Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. seemed to hint in that direction in his comment on the events, reminding believers they’re called to “acknowledge the human dignity of those with whom we disagree and seek to work with them to ensure the common good for all.”
The riot at the Capitol took place on January 6th, the traditional date of Epiphany. While people were breaking down barriers and breaking windows at the Capitol, Pope Francis was teaching about wise ones following and worshipping Jesus. He said,
“Worship involves making an exodus from the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself. Worship means putting the Lord at the center, not ourselves. It means giving things their rightful place, and giving the first place to God. Worship means making God’s plan more important than our personal time, our entitlements and our spaces. It is to accept the teaching of Scripture: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God’.
‘Your God’: worship means realizing that you and God belong together to one another. It means being able to speak to him freely and intimately. It means bringing our lives to him and letting him enter into them. It means letting his consolation come down to earth. Worship means discovering that, in order to pray, it is enough to say: ‘My Lord and my God!’, and to let ourselves be pervaded by his tender love.”
We may be tempted to feel like there is nothing we can do about this situation, but the truth is, with God’s grace, there is much we can do. Let us not begin with our own efforts but with His grace, for he, Jesus, is our Savior. Let us contemplate Jesus and let ourselves be caught up in his tender love, trusting that the best way to change the world is to stop trying to change others but instead let God’s love change us!
Peace,
Fr. Damian