How I Spent Four Hours On A Yellow School Bus Today

Thankfully, I had the foresight to bring a book along with me today on the field trip. My new son-in-law passed it along to me on Sunday, and I grabbed it as I headed out the door this morning a little after seven AM. Peggy Noonan's inspiring prose is elegantly woven together in a complete work entitled John Paul the Great. Like the title and the beloved pope, the books itself is great.


It is appropriate to leave you with a quote, taken from JPII himself, on his first visit to Poland after being named pope (found on page 32).


As a bishop does in the sacrament of Confirmation so do I today extend my hands in that apostolic gesture over all who are gathered here today, my compatriots. And so I speak for Christ himself: "Receive the Holy Spirit!"


I speak, too, for St. Paul: "Do not quench the Spirit!"


I speak again for St. Paul: "Do not grieve the Spirit!"


Now, just days before we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, these words of John Paul II are as appropriate as ever.


And if you have four hours to pass on a big yellow school bus with some sixty elementary-aged kids, I highly recommend taking along Ms. Noonan's book. It almost turns a field trip into a pilgrimage - almost.

How I Spent Four Hours On A Yellow School Bus Today

When Doubts Arise - Death Penalty

I must admit that my initial doubts about the death penalty were the result of a movement in my spirit which I could not explain. I could not say that the death penalty was always wrong. All I could say was that I had my doubts.

I alluded to the changes in my spirit in another post, and I received such a thorough response from one reader that I realized that I couldn’t have a general doubt about it; I had to find out what the Church says.

The writer had quoted some important people, but I know it is possible to take almost anything out of context and make it support one’s position. And so, I went to the place I trust.

I knew it was time to find an encyclical that addressed the topic. It is appropriate for a faithful Catholic to go to a faithful Pope for direction, especially when that Holy Father is writing an encyclical. Isn’t that what we believe as Catholics? So, here are some things I have turned up so far:

From Evangelium Vitae Section 9 (Pope John Paul II quoting Holy Scripture)

And yet God, who is always merciful even when he punishes, "put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him" (Gen 4:15). He thus gave him a distinctive sign, not to condemn him to the hatred of others, but to protect and defend him from those wishing to kill him, even out of a desire to avenge Abel's death. Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God himself pledges to guarantee this.

(St. Ambrose quoted in that same paragraph)

“God drove Cain out of his presence and sent him into exile far away from his native land, so that he passed from a life of human kindness to one which was more akin to the rude existence of a wild beast. God, who preferred the correction rather than the death of a sinner, did not desire that a homicide be punished by the exaction of another act of homicide.”




So, my doubts in the death penalty remain. I still cannot say that the death penalty is always wrong. But I do believe that it is almost never right. AmericanCatholic.org has posted this: The Catholic Church opposes the death penalty in nearly all cases. Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders throughout the world have spoken out against capital punishment as act that stands in contradiction to the belief that all human life is sacred.

It is wonderful when something our spirit suspects is captured in words – and it is even better when those words come from a source we completely trust (an encyclical written by the Holy Father and supported by our bishops).

That said, how can anyone have doubts about the death penalty but continue to vote for a politician who supports abortion (or promises to keep abortion legal)? It seems like everyone, conservative and liberal, would have to acknowledge that the completely innocent deserve full protection under the law.

It is unlikely that the death penalty will end in the United States because, if it ever does come to an end, there will be no logical or rational argument left for taking the life of a completely innocent unborn baby.

When Doubts Arise - Death Penalty

Unity in the Call to Come and Reason Together

Okay, it is time for a reality check. By now, you must be saying I have deliberately overlooked some scandalous times in Catholic Church history. You may even be thinking of a few Catholics that you know and feel quite certain that they are the last Christians you want to emulate.

And guess what? You are right.

On March 12, 2000, Pope John Paul II stunned the world when he asked for forgiveness for the errors and sin of some Catholics throughout history. With great humility, he reached out to people of every faith and culture and said I’m sorry, please forgive us. Is it any wonder that so many paid their respects when he passed away? Indeed, the whole world mourned.

The truth is, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Catholics included.

But the Truth is, Our Lord promised that the Church would survive and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Look at the Saints of the Ages and judge the Church – if you must. But be careful; do not judge Her based on some who call themselves Catholic. The wheat and the weeds will grow up together (Matthew 13:24-30). And so they have.

When I was young, my mom had a record that was very special to her. She came from a very musical family, and one of her cousins had produced and directed the album. Mom’s favorite song was a translation of Isaiah 1:18 - Come let us reason together.

I have been thinking about that a lot these past few months and doing a fair bit of reasoning with the Lord. If the prayer of Our Lord is ever to be actualized and if we are ever to be One as He and the Heavenly Father are One, then we must seriously pause and consider the state of Christendom. Can any other denomination or Christian organization forge a path to complete Christian unity? Imagine the impact the Church could have (even beyond what I’ve described) if we were One – truly and completely One – all Christians everywhere. The world would stand up and take notice – and realize that Jesus is the Son, sent by the Father to redeem a lost world. Think it’s a pipe dream? Well, it was Our Lord’s dream (and prayer) first. So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me - John 17:20-23.

Come, let us reason together. There is much to forgive on both sides. And yet, there is much to be gained if we come together once again. Perhaps the greatest gain is the fulfillment of what Our Lord prayed for when He was headed to Calvary. Father, make them One as We are One.

Unity in the Call to Come and Reason Together