Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 1, 2017

Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from his height in the tree by Niels Larsen Stevns.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 1, 2017
Lectionary: 136

Reading 1  EZiKiel 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD:  You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"  Hear now, house of Israel:  Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?  When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.  But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial PsalmPS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice, 
and teaches the humble his way.

R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading 2  Philippians 2:1-11

Brothers and sisters:  If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.  Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.  Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he  humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Alleluia  JohN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  MaTthew 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:  "What is your opinion?  A man had two sons.  He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'  He said in reply, 'I will not, ' but afterwards changed his mind and went.  The man came to the other son and gave the same order.  He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, 'but did not go.  Which of the two did his father's will?"  They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.  When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did.  Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

421 REGULATING CONCEPTION

YOUCAT Lesson 421, July 17, 2015

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

421  Why are all methods of preventing the conception of a child not equally good?

The Church recommends the refined methods of self-observation and natural family planning (NFP) as methods of deliberately regulating conception.  These are in keeping with the dignity of man and woman; they respect the innate laws of the female body; they demand mutual affection and consideration and therefore are a school of love.  [2370-2372, 2399]

The Prophet Jeremiah by Michelangelo Buonarroti.  The artwork is in the Sistine Chapel ceiling. ….. 421

The word of the LORD came to me:  Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. –Jeremiah 1:4

The Church pays careful attention to the order of nature and sees in it a deep meaning.  For her it is therefore not a matter of indifference whether a couple manipulates the woman’s fertility or instead makes us of the natural alternation of fertile and infertile days.  It is no accident that Natural Family Planning is called natural: it is ecological, holistic, healthy, and an exercise in partnership.  On the other hand, the Church rejects all artificial means of contraception—namely, chemical methods (the “Pill”), mechanical methods (for example, condom, intra-uterine device, or IUD), and surgical methods (sterilization)—since these attempt to separate the sexual act from its procreative potential and block the total self-giving of husband and wife.  Such methods can even endanger the woman’s health, have an abortifacient effect (=cause a very early abortion), and in the long run be detrimental to the couple’s love life.

Pope John Paul II describes “contraception” (as opposed to “the regulation of births”) as follows:  “When couples (have) recourse to contraception…they manipulate and degrade human sexuality—and with it themselves and their married partner—by altering its value of total self-giving.  Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other.  This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality.”  Pope John Paul II (1920-2005), Apostolic Exhortation: “Familiaris Consortio, #32”

[2370-2372, 2399]

The fecundity of marriage

2370 Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. (Humanae Vitae 16.)¹⁵⁸ These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil: (Humanae Vitae 14.)¹⁵⁹ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality. (Familiaris Consortio 32.)¹⁶⁰ –CCC

2371 "Let all be convinced that human life and the duty of transmitting it are not limited by the horizons of this life only: their true evaluation and full significance can be understood only in reference to man's eternal destiny." (Gaudium et Spes 51 § 4.)¹⁶¹ –CCC

2372 The state has a responsibility for its citizens' well-being. In this capacity it is legitimate for it to intervene to orient the demography of the population. This can be done by means of objective and respectful information, but certainly not by authoritarian, coercive measures. The state may not legitimately usurp the initiative of spouses, who have the primary responsibility for the procreation and education of their children. (Compare Humanae Vitae 23; Populorum Progressio 37.)¹⁶² In this area, it is not authorized to employ means contrary to the moral law. –CCC

IN BRIEF

2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception). --CCC

420 CHILDREN IN A FAMILY

YOUCAT Lesson 420

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

420  May a Christian married couple regulate the number of children they have?

Yes, a Christian married couple may and should be responsible in using the gift and privilege of transmitting life.  [2368-2369, 2399]

Four of my grandchildren in younger years. (L) Beth and Kenneth Bragg with (R) Emma and Michael Hurlburt. Since this photo was taken two more grandkids arrived also eligible for this lineup: Stephen Bragg and Leila Hurlburt! ….. 420

Sometimes social, psychological, and medical conditions are such that in the given circumstances an additional child would be a big, almost superhuman challenge for the couple.  Hence there are clear criteria that the married couple must observe: Regulating births, in the first place, must not mean that the couple is avoiding conception as a matter of principle.  Second, it must not mean avoiding children for selfish reasons.  Third, it must not mean that external coercion is involved (if, for example, the State were to decide how many children a couple could have).  Fourth, it must not mean that any and every means may be used.

“Natural family planning is nothing more than self-control out of love for each other.”  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), Nobel Prize speech, 1979

Natural Family Planning (NFP):  A general term for methods of regulating conception that use the signs of the woman’s fertility cycle and knowledge about the fertility of the man and woman together so as to achieve or avoid pregnancy.

[2368-2369, 2399]

The fecundity of marriage

2368 A particular aspect of this responsibility concerns the regulation of procreation. For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. Moreover, they should conform their behavior to the objective criteria of morality: --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

When it is a question of harmonizing married love with the responsible transmission of life, the morality of the behavior does not depend on sincere intention and evaluation of motives alone; but it must be determined by objective criteria, criteria drawn from the nature of the person and his acts, criteria that respect the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love; this is possible only if the virtue of married chastity is practiced with sincerity of heart. (Gaudium et Spes 51 § 3.)¹⁵⁶ –CCC

2369 "By safeguarding both these essential aspects, the unitive and the procreative, the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of true mutual love and its orientation toward man's exalted vocation to parenthood." (Compare Humanae Vitae 12.)¹⁵⁷ --CCC

419 THE GIFT OF A CHILD

YOUCAT Lesson 419, July 15, 2015

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

419  How many children should a Christian married couple have?

A Christian married couple has as many children as God gives them and as they can take responsibility for.  [2373]

Sisters-in-Law sharing each other’s child: Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt with Stephen Bragg and Hope Bragg holding Leila Hurlburt about 2009. ….. 419

All children whom God sends are a grace and a great blessing.  That does not mean that a Christian couple is not supposed to consider how many children they can raise responsibly, given the health of each spouse and their economic or social situation.  When a child comes “nevertheless”, the child should be welcomed with joy and willingness and accepted with great love.  By trusting in God, many Christian couples find the courage to have a large family.

Responsible Parenthood: The Church affirms and defends a married couple’s right, within the context of natural family planning, to determine by themselves the number of their children and the distance between births.

[2373]

The gift of a child

2373 Sacred Scripture and the Church's traditional practice see in large families a sign of God's blessing and the parents' generosity. (Compare Gaudium et Spes 50 § 2.)¹⁶³

418 CHILDREN IN MARRIAGE

YOUCAT Lesson 418

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

418  What is the significance of the child in a marriage?

A child is a creature and a gift of God, which comes to the earth through the love of his parents.

 

Two of my grandchildren, Stephen and Beth. ….. 418

True love does not desire a couple to be self-contained.  Love opens up in the child.  A child that has been conceived and born is not something “made”, nor is he the sum of his paternal and maternal genes.  He is a completely new and unique creature of God, equipped with his own soul.  The child therefore does not belong to the parents and is not their property. [2378, 2398] 368, 372

“A child “has the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception.”  Instruction Donum Vitae II, 8

“ (Children) are blessings.”  William Shakespeare (1564-1616, English playwright)

“Every child is precious.  Every child is a creature of God.”  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

2378, 2398]

2378 A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. The "supreme gift of marriage" is a human person. A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged "right to a child" would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right "to be the fruit of the specific act of the conjugal love of his parents," and "the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception." (CDF, Donum vitae II,8.)¹⁷⁰ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

IN BRIEF

2398 Fecundity is a good, a gift and an end of marriage. By giving life, spouses participate in God's fatherhood. --CCC

417 THE SEXUAL ENCOUNTER

YOUCAT Lesson 417

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

417  What significance does the sexual encounter have within marriage?

According to God’s will, husband and wife should encounter each other in bodily union so as to be united ever more deeply with one another in love and to allow children to proceed from their love.  [2362-2367]

A Sudanese woman condemned for apostasy with her child receives a blessing from Pope Francis. …..417

In Christianity, the body, pleasure, and erotic joy enjoy a high status: “Christianity…believes that matter is good, that God Himself once took on a human body,  that some kind of body is going to be given to us even in Heaven and is going to be an essential part of our happiness, our beauty and our energy.  Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion: and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians.  If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once” (C.S. Lewis).  Pleasure, of course, is not an end in itself.  When the pleasure of a couple becomes self-enclosed and is not open to the new life that could result from it, it no longer corresponds to the nature of love.

“”For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one (flesh).’  So they are no longer two but one.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”  Matthew 19:5-6 (citing Genesis 2:24)

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”  1 Timothy 4:4

[2362-2367]

III. THE LOVE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE

2362 "The acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses takes place are noble and honorable; the truly human performance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude." (Gaudium et Spes 49 § 2.)¹⁴⁵ Sexuality is a source of joy and pleasure: --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

 The Creator himself . . . established that in the [generative] function, spouses should experience pleasure and enjoyment of body and spirit. Therefore, the spouses do nothing evil in seeking this pleasure and enjoyment. They accept what the Creator has intended for them. At the same time, spouses should know how to keep themselves within the limits of just moderation. (Pius XII, Discourse, October 29, 1951. )¹⁴⁶ --CCC

2363 The spouses' union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couple's spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family. –CCC

The conjugal love of man and woman thus stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity. –CCC

* Conjugal fidelity

2364 The married couple forms "the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws; it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent." (Gaudium et Spes 48 § 1.)¹⁴⁷ Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. The covenant they freely contracted imposes on the spouses the obligation to preserve it as unique and indissoluble. (Compare Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 1056.)¹⁴⁸ "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:9; compare Matthew 19:1-12; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11.)¹⁴⁹ –CCC

2365 Fidelity expresses constancy in keeping one's given word. God is faithful. The Sacrament of Matrimony enables man and woman to enter into Christ's fidelity for his Church. Through conjugal chastity, they bear witness to this mystery before the world. –CCC

St. John Chrysostom suggests that young husbands should say to their wives: I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us. . . . I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you. (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Eph. 20,8:Patrologia Graeca 62,146-147.)¹⁵⁰ –CCC

* The fecundity of marriage

2366 Fecundity is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. So the Church, which is "on the side of life," (Familiaris Consortio 30.)¹⁵¹ teaches that "it is necessary that each and every marriage act remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life." (Humanae Vitae 11.)¹⁵² "This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act." (Humanae Vitae 12; cf. Pius XI, encyclical, Casti connubii.)¹⁵³ –CCC

2367 Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God. (Compare Ephesians 3:14; Matthew 23:9. )¹⁵⁴ "Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility." (Gaudium et Spes 50 § 2.)¹⁵⁵ --CCC