To Rid Ourselves of Legion We Must Get Rid of Our Pigs

Mark 5:1-13 relates the story of Legion, the crazy person Jesus meets in a cemetery. The first thing we notice is the name, “Legion.” It is not Hebrew or Aramaic. The Hebrew or Aramaic name would be either, “רבים מאיתנו,” “Rabbi May Ten You,” or “משוגע,” “Mishugana.”

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The Greek would be, “Οἱ πολλο,” or the “Hoi Polloi.” It is not even Latin. The Latin name is, “Multitudo de nobis.” Legion is a Latin word, but refers to a multitude of soldiers, Roman Legions.

Legion asks to go into a herd of pigs and the pigs then run to a bank and drown. Pigs are a non- kosher animal. They are one of only a few non-Kosher animals which are Kosher on the outside, but non-kosher on the inside. Professional soldiers are spit and polish, on the outside, but their reason for being is violence, being non-kosher, on the inside.

First century Israel desired to remove the Roman legions from Israel. St. Mark relates this story to explain how. In order to remove the Roman legions we must sacrifice our pigs, that which makes us non-kosher, not pure enough to enter the presence of God. Today, we ask ourselves what we must do to remove big government from our lives.

If only we could remove big government from our lives, we could release our creative energy and return to full employment. St. Mark tells us that first, we must remove our pigs; we must remove the need from big government in our lives. We must remove all the hatred, the poverty, the economic inequality, the pollution, the host of sins we commit everyday in the name of capitalism, rugged individualism, and the protestant work ethic.

Mark 12:13-17, the same chapter where Jesus gives us the Great Commandment, tells how some of the Separate Ones asked Jesus if it was proper to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asks for a coin and explains in essence, “Give to Lincoln (for those who live in Nebraska) what belongs to Lincoln, to Washington what belongs to Washington, and to God what belongs to God.”

Jesus cannot mean, “Give Lincoln and Washington allegiance and patriotism.” Israel asks how to remove the Roman Legions, from their lives. Jesus tells them, if Caesar’s image is on it, if Lincoln’s or Washington’s image is on it, you must return it. That includes the aqueducts, and the famous Roman roads. The Jewish people are co-dependent upon Rome at the same time the pray for their eviction. Jesus tells them that before he can evict Rome, they must remove their pigs. They must cease to be co-dependent. They must first become Jewish again.

There is only one person who gets the message, Judas, in Matthew 27:3, when he returns the 30 pieces of silver. In order to clean ourselves, we must remove our silver and gold and return to Torah, the love of God first, and neighbor second. We see the point in the Great Commandment. “Hear you who struggle with God, God is Almighty God is One; Love God with all your hearts, with all of your animate being, and with all of your measure.”

How do we love God? What do we give someone who already has everything?  We respect his property, his planet, and everything in it, in particular what he made in his image, each other. This also means respecting our neighbor’s obligation to do the same, his obligation to love us. Deuteronomy 30 tells us:

The Mitzvah I give you, this day, is not too remote for you. It is not in the heavens, for you to say, “Who will go up to the heavens to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?” Nor is it across the sea, for you to say, “Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?” It is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

“It is not those who hear the law who are צודק/charitable in the sight of God; rather, those who guard Torah will be  מוצדק/made charitable. When the Goim who do not have Torah by nature guard the prescriptions of Torah, they are Torah for themselves even though they do not have the Torah. They show that the demands of Torah are written in their hearts.” Romans 2:13-15

Torah really is just that simple. There really is not that much to it. It is all about guarding and tending the Garden of Eden, just as it was from the very beginning. Now, do we want to get rid of big government, or keep complaining about high taxes and excessive regulations? The choice is ours, not the government’s.

The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time gives us our definition of Wisdom

Who among you is educated and over-standing? Let him show his works by a beautiful turning back in the gentleness that comes from education.

Education from below is upon the earth, natural, and cancerous.

Education from above is pure, peaceable, reasonable, persuaded, full of mercy and noble fruits, without inconstancy or acting.

If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.

The fruit of צֶדֶק/charity sows itself in שלום/completeness for those who cultivate שלום/completeness.

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As we read the second reading for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we notice that “Wisdom,” “Education,” appears in every other line. Alternately, “Jealousy and selfish ambition,” appear in the alternate lines. Wisdom is of two kinds. On the one hand is Philosophy, loving Wisdom/the Holy Spirit. On the other hand is sophistry, pure academic wisdom, or the skill in using words to get what one wants.

Pharaoh uses the later kind in Exodus 1:10 as he addresses the Hebrew people. King Solomon asks for the later kind when he asks God for Wisdom. He asks for the physical skill to govern well, not necessarily the spiritual skill to start with a love of God.

After receiving wisdom, God commands him, “If you walk in my ways, keeping my customs and Mitzvah, as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” Wisdom is not necessarily the same as following the word of God. Solomon at that time already has one foreign wife and the people already follow idolatrous ways, which Solomon does not correct.

St. Paul speaks of earthly wisdom in the first chapter of I Corinthians, “Where is the wise one? Where is the grammarian? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish…? It was the will of God to save those who have faith. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom. We proclaim Christ crucified, an obstacle to Jews, foolishness to Goim.

Earthly wisdom has no referent. Neal Diamond says it well in “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show,”

Brothers,  I said Brothers, Now you got yourself two good hands, and when your brother is troubled you got to reach out your one hand for him,” ‘Cause that’s what it’s there for. (King Solomon had this part right. He forgot…) When your heart is troubled you got to reach out your other hand reach it out to the man up there ‘Cause that’s what he’s there for.”

Most knowledgeable people think they know the Ten Commandments. We rattle them off at will, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.”

In Mark 10, as quoted above, Jesus only the last six, intentionally. As the debate continues, Jesus will point to the first four, which Jesus left out, and we all tend to forget:

(1) Hear, you who quarrel with God, the customs and correct judicial precedents, I proclaim in your hearing, this day, that you may learn them and guard to observe them. The Personal Name, our Almighty Judge, made a Brit/Social Contract with us at Mt. Sword; not with our fathers did the Personal Name cut this Brit/Social Contract, but with us, each of us, alive, here, this day… (Remember,) I am The Personal Name, your Almighty Judge, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of menial labor.

(2)You shall not have other saviors before my face.

(3) You will not invoke the name of The Personal Name, your Almighty Judge, in vain.

(4) Guard Sabbath. Keep it dedicated, as The Personal Name, your Almighty Judge, commanded.

It is one thing to govern justly. It is another to govern justly for a reason. King Solomon did not understand the reason. Pharaoh, thinking he was a god himself, did not know the reason. Jesus knows the reason and he asks us to know the reason. God rescued us first. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” That is the concept of Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5, and John 15:16.

If we keep the first commandment, in the process we will keep the rest. If we remember what it was like to suffer, and we remember our rescue, we will be too busy making sure others do not suffer to desire to hurt them in any way. Father and Mother are God’s representatives. In deference to God, we honor his representatives, which include all made in his image and his likeness. We will not attribute our rescue to anyone but him. We will not take his name lightly, nor do things to cause others to take his name lightly. We will celebrate a weekly anniversary of our salvation, Sunday. On that day we remember our rescue.

The Jewish Community has the concept of the Physical Presence. “The Personal Name cut this Brit/Social Contract, with us, each of us, alive, here, this day…” Each time the Jewish community celebrates Passover, they celebrate their liberation from Egypt, for the first time. The Physical Presence of the Exodus appears each time they celebrate Passover. Our Passover is the Eucharist.

We celebrate our escape through the Passion and Death of Jesus, physically present for the first time, each time we celebrate the Eucharist. When we live this event out in our daily lives, we become Shalom, complete. Others see our completeness and desire to join us. Is this how we live our lives?

American decides between King Saul and King David part 2

Mr. Breuggemann is correct in pointing out how the times were changing and Israel would have to change with them if they were to survive. In addition, the early ‘60s were a time of great change. Because of World War II and its aftermath, America found itself in the role of major world power in geo-politics. The world was watching as the students said in Chicago in ’68.

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To this date, American is deciding between King Saul and King David. Breuggemann relates how King Saul was a war chief who represents the Articles of Confederation and the old Confederacy. His idea of government was as a warrior chief and no more. We have a political party who views government the same way. It is to defend America from foreign invaders and not much more. They call it minimalist government.

Psalm 72 and Psalm 82 show God and King David had a far bigger role in mind for government. Psalm 72 begins, “לִשְׁלֹמֹה,” “To Solomon.” It ends, “The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.” The context is clearly King David telling King Solomon what the proper role of government is. It includes, “Judging/Dan God’s people with צֶדֶק/charity, and his poor with correct judicial precedent. It includes giving correct judicial precedent for the poor of the people, and saving the children of the needy, and crushes the oppressor.” King David mentions this several times.

Psalm 82 is the famous Psalm which has God talking with other Elohim. As the Psalm continues, who the other Elohim are becomes clear. I declare: “Gods though you be, offspring of the Most High all of you, As any mortal you shall die; like any prince you shall fall.” Deuteronomy 5 makes clear when it says, “Moses summoned all Israel and told them, Hear, Israel, the customs and correct judicial precedents which I proclaim in your hearing, this day, that you may learn them and guard to do them.”

Customs and correct judicial precedents by definition take time to develop. The word for “Correct judicial precedent,” “מִּשְׁפָּטִ,” comes from a root, which means “lip.” We are to view all the customs and correct judicial precedents as if they came from the lip of God himself. The Elohim of Psalm 82 are the people giving the customs and correct judicial precedents.

They stand as Elohim/gods, standing in the place of God. They are the princes, offspring of God, and Psalm 82 chastises them for not doing their job, playing the role of King Saul instead, and allowing the rich, the Russia, those who think themselves first, to exploit the poor. Supporting minimalist government, they support King Saul’s style of rule. They are the ones who interpret the Second Amendment as supporting their right to a militia. This is Articles of Confederation and Confederacy way of thinking. The proponents of Psalm 82 support King David’s style of rule.

As in America in the ‘60s, America was changing from a rural backwater and entering the world stage as a modern power. Those old enough still remember watching Tennessee Ernie Ford as he gawked at Lucile Ball as she pointed to a bathroom with indoor plumbing. In the skit, he could not get used to the idea. America has always been about the debate between King Saul and King David. The Civil War was also a major time of change. The Confederacy wanted limited government and the right to oppress the poor. The Civil War saw the first national draft and the first national currency. During the Civil War, military units were divided by states. Afterward, they were divided by function.

Before the war, rifles were smooth bored and breech loaded. The war saw the creation of bored rifles and bullets, hand grenades, aerial warfare/balloons, and the start of the industrial age with the railroad and the telegraph. Just like the Bronze Age turned into the Iron Age, and with it its own industrial revolution, the supporters of King Solomon did not understand the ramifications of what was coming. Some things never change. We still debate what the computer age means to the way governments must operate to defend their citizens against the rich and powerful.

This is part 2. Please click here for part 1

Suggested by the author:

• American is deciding between King Saul and King David
• The deaf man is not the deaf man says the lady in the harbor
• We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 5
• Molly wrote another novel
• There is a new writer in Reno

American decides between King Saul and King David part 1

Walter Breuggemann begins his chapter in “A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament,” on the “Rise of the Monarchy,” by discussing the story of Gideon. In our American History, our ancestors compared themselves to the ancient Hebrews.

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There are interesting corollaries and the story of Gideon is one of them. There are also clear distinctions. The Canaanites were the economically superior culture, although in the Hebrew telling, morally inferior. Our Native Americans were still hunter-gatherers, inferior in Western thinking, but in all so many ways, truly morally superior. This writer is Scotch-Irish/German.

Gideon plays the role of George Washington and plays it well. Gideon tells God, “Please, Kyrie, how can I save Israel? My family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” Judges 6:25 mentions the altar of Gideon’s father and the asherah beside it. Implied is that it is his father’s asherah.

Judges 6:27 tells us how Gideon has ten servants. This is the first clue that Gideon and his family were not the poorest people in Manasseh. They had at least ten servants, presumably poorer than they were.

Gideon had 70 sons, and many wives. This can make one poor, but it also presupposes he had the financial ability to take care of this extended family. Judges 7:1 and Judges 8:29 and verse 35 also tell us how Gideon’s real name was Jerubbaal. That is, “Warrior of Baal.” “Hannibal,” from Carthage who wages war with the Romans is John/Graciousness of Baal.” This tells us something of the religion of Gideon’s father as well. “Gideon” also means warrior. After his transformational experience, Gideon translates his name to remove “Baal.”

Gideon chops down the proverbial cherry tree. This gives another clue as to his family finances. His father does not complain about the loss of the tree. The neighbors do. This must have been one huge oak tree. Its loss disgruntled the whole neighborhood. Terebinth is a type of oak tree. It also takes ten men to cut the stupid thing down. The story has striking corollaries to Abraham and the angels in Genesis 18. He is by his oak tree, a fatted calf is sacrificed, and Gideon displays considerable negotiation skills for a member of the poorest family in Manasseh.

This brings us to another example of how Gideon is so much like George Washington. George Washington did not want to be commander in chief of the American Army, but went to the continental congress everyday with his uniform on. Gideon does not want to be king, but names his son “Abimelech,” “My Dad is king,” two short verses later.

This brings us to another place where Israel at the time of King Saul and King David were so much like our own. Walter Breuggemann in his chapter on the “Rise of the Monarchy,” in “A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament,” mentions how times were changing during the time of King Saul and King David.

On page 229 of the text, Walter Breuggemann gives us a chart with some very interesting dates, 1961 and 1993. The first date is the date John F. Kennedy was sworn in as President. The second date is the date Bill Clinton became President. Like each of these two presidents, King David had a great domestic policy, and a not so good home life. JFK and King David also had great foreign policies.

Mr. Breuggemann does not discuss these dates. He discusses the reigns David becomes king/ melech at Hebron and over all Israel. King David takes the reins of power at the end of the late Bronze Age. He dies in the beginning of the Iron Age. Mr. Breuggemann relates how during the reins of Gideon and King/Molech Saul, the main enemies were city-states. King David must wage war with nation states. Nation states did exist before King Saul. We need look no further than Egypt and the Hittites.

Mr. Breuggemann is correct in pointing out how the times were changing and Israel would have to change with them if they were to survive. In addition, the early ‘60s were a time of great change. Because of World War II and its aftermath, America found itself in the role of major world power in geo-politics. The world was watching as the students said in Chicago in ’68.

Suggested by the author:

• The deaf man is not the deaf man says the lady in the harbor
• We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 5
• Molly wrote another novel
• There is a new writer in Reno
• We are in debate in Reno

The deaf man is not the deaf man says the lady in the harbor

The readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time read loud and clear, to those who understand that there are no unnecessary words in the dedicated writings. The Gospel reading is the healing of the deaf man, exactly one chapter before the healing of the blind man. In both stories Jesus uses the same technique for healing. He spits.

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The reason for this becomes clear when we realize that the Hebrew and Aramaic word for spit, רִירוalso means to be moist, saturated, refreshing, delightful, and intoxicated. What is present in these stories is an allusion to the Eucharist, the blood of Christ.

There are also some fine points of doctrine Jesus tries to teach us with the use of this technique. First, it is the important of being moist, soft, kind, caring. Second, is the importance of noticing how the presenting problem is that he is both deaf and mute. Most people who are deaf are also mute. If they cannot hear, how can they learn to speak properly? If people are not able to hear, how can they hear their own voice to moderate timber, pitch, and volume? Most important, if people cannot hear, how can they learn the words, the language of other people? How can people have meaningful dialogue with another if they do not hear other people?

In our first reading we see the same thing. Isaiah relates how people see first, then their ears open, and only then are they able to speak. It is not the deaf man who is deaf, and it is not the blind man who is blind. The sighted people and those who hear, but do not listen are blind and deaf. We see this in chapter 8, with the story of the blind man. In this story, the healing is intentionally a two step process. The first time the blind man complains the people he now sees look like walking trees. The Hebrew word for tree is עֵץand the Hebrew word for a counselor, an old stodgy person who gave up his humanity to be a professional עֵץ is. The first time Jesus heals the blind man he only sees the outside of the person. They look like counselors. He only sees their exterior. The second time, he sees them as real people with hopes and fears, as people made in the image of God, yet having original sin.

In the healing of the deaf mute, Jesus only heals his deafness. His deformity of speech disappears when he learns to listen, listening with the heart to those around him. When we as a society learn to do the same as the blind and the deaf man, we will all leap like a stag, we will all sing like the deaf. We will all see streams as they burst out into the desert sand, and rivers in the steppe. We will all see the burning sands as they transform into pools, and the thirsty ground as it springs life giving water.

Of course, with St. James, we will no longer see the gold rings and fine clothes as they enter into our humble assembly. We will no longer see the shabby clothes as they hang on the poor man. We will see the poor man, and then as a man, created in the image of God.

God, through us will secure justice for the oppressed, give bread to the hungry and set prisoners free; God, through us, will give sight to the blind, raise up those who are bowed and loves the charitable. God, through us will protect the resident alien, Hispanic, Arabic, Jewish, Oriental, and European. God through us, will come to the aid of the orphan and widow. God, through us, will thwart the way of the Russia/those who think themselves first. God, through us will say:

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 5

As individuals, Faithful Discipleship means looking for candidates who support all of Catholic moral teaching, and voting for them on Election Day. Are lawyers reading this article? If you support all of Catholic moral tradition, you have my vote. I ask my opponents in this debate, have you considered running for public office. If you support all of Catholic moral tradition, you have my vote.

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Our Encyclical Humanae Vitae tells us in section 14, “Sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good. It is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it. It is unlawful to do evil in the hope good may come from it.”

It may be acceptable to stay home on Election Day and tolerate a non-pro-life elected official. It is never lawful to elect a politician who supports the culture of death. Those opposed Catholic Action, as a nation, those who oppose helping the poor, as a nation, support a Culture of death.

The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, (Americanism) the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions. Papal Encyclical

We are leaves blowing in the wind. New opinions are new opinions, regardless of whether they come out of the mounts of Modernist Conservatives, or Liberals. Humanae Vitae came in 1968. We celebrate the 44th anniversary. Catholics were 22% of the U.S. adult population in 1948. We reached our high point in the late 1970s, when the U.S. population was nearly 30% Catholic. In the last several years, the Catholic percentage has been around 23%.”

After 40 years of engaging in talking points, the five non-negotiable points are still with us. All we have done is dropped 10% of the population from being Catholic. Insanity is repeating the same things, and expecting different results. I can hear the conservatives joining the cause now.

We as liberals are the ones calling for the changes. So argues the conservatives. We say, what changed is not Humanae Vitae, or Vatican II. They were in the ‘60s. Still something changed. It was no change in the content of our faith. That has not changed in four millennia. We were getting results in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and without changing our teaching. We do not have to look far to see what changed in the ‘80s.

The Pope wrote his Encyclical to modernist, wealthy Catholics in the 1880s who did not want to follow the Encyclicals leading up to Rerum Novarum, which came two years later. The name of the above Encyclical is Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, written in 1889. Conservatives want to use Five Non-negotiable teaching to abandon Rerum Novarum and related teachings and only follow Five Points. This is Americanism and it is a heresy.

We understand the appeal of this heresy. As men who are not doctors or researchers, there is no danger of us engaging in any of the sins of Five Points. All we have to do is not research our political candidates as they relate to pro-life issues, and vote for whomever we want. Because we have exchanged all of Creed, Sacrament, Ten Commandments, and Prayer with these Five Points, we are going to heaven. As Liberal Catholics, we say it is not that simple.

As liberal Catholics, we want results. We must decide, do we want to end abortion, and solve the other four non-negotiable points, or do we want to engage in an idle boxing match with the other side for another forty years.

There is the logical fallacy called false dilemma. We have 250 Catholic colleges and universities and 26 law schools, combined, graduating 70,000 students each year. There may well be lawyers watching this debate. Why do they not run for public office, supporting all of Catholic moral teaching? We cannot find 535 willing to run for Congress and for President?

We cannot find one? Are our universities failing that badly? Where are the Catholic/Christian candidates? “Faithful Discipleship as presented in the tradition of Catholic social teaching” means finding students in our colleges and universities, developing them into candidates, helping those candidates find the funding, and helping them into public office.

As individuals, Faithful Discipleship means looking for these candidates and voting for them on Election Day. Lawyers present? If you support all of Catholic moral tradition, you have my vote. I ask my opponent in this debate, have you considered running for public office. If you support all of Catholic moral tradition, you have my vote.

This is part 5. Please click here for part 4

Please click here for part 1.

We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 4

“Faithful Discipleship as presented in tradition of authoritative Catholic social teaching,” is all about creating this concordium, in English concord. A Hebrew word for God, is Abba, Father. Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Aramaic word for Lamb is “Omer.” The Aramaic word for “Word” is Omer. Lambs of course say, “Bah.” Bah is Hebrew for to come or the one who is to come. Ah Ha bah is the Hebrew word for Love.

It is welcoming each other into our communities with all of our faults and all of our failures. St. John tells us in 1 John 4:7, “Love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”

In Mark 12:29 Jesus discusses the great commandment, “Hear Israel, God is Almighty; God is One. You will have loved God with all your hearts, with all of your animate being, and with all of your measure.) The Hebrew word, “Hearts,” is plural. It is addressed to the entire community, not individuals. We have we each have many hearts, inclinations, some of which are good and some of which are not. God calls us to love him with all of our inclinations. God calls us to love him with all of our measure. If we measure ourselves with our patriotism, God calls us to love him with that.

How do we love God? What do we give someone who literally has everything? We love him by taking care of and respecting his property, his garden. We especially love him by taking care of what he made in his image and in his likeness, each other. Jesus also tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means our neighbor has an obligation to love and respect us.

We need to see ourselves, or the ground within us as part of God’s garden. We must be people other people will find easy to love and respect. This is faithful discipleship. The Greek version of Genesis calls the Garden of Eden by its Persian name, Paradise. When Jesus dies, he tells another prisoner, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.”

The command to guard and keep the garden never changes. If God cannot trust us to take care of his garden and the animate beings, including each other on this planet, how can he reasonably expect us to take care of the next one. Faithful discipleship means taking care of this garden, in particular each other. It includes using patriotism, the way we vote.

Jesus relates in Matthew 25:31 through 26:1, “As you do to the least of these my brothers, you do it to me.” Then the Passion comes. As we take care of those who hunger, thirst, are naked, in hospitals, and are in prison, we participate in the Passion.

We are all in the game of life. All bring to the game our resources, knowledge and skills. We all come to the game to get something out of it. Some requests are reasonable; some are not. Demanding that the poorest 50% live on 19% of all income so that the richest 20% can live on 80% of all income is not reasonable. The job of St. Augustine’s conductor is to make sure the tuba does not drown out the flute. St. Augustine’s conductor is our leadership, in private enterprise and in government. As Deuteronomy, 17:14 tells us, the conductor is not some mythical entity. He is one of us. He must know how many homes and cars he owns, how much a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, gasoline, and the like costs.

Our Lamb, our faith is all about promoting life; life lived to its fullest. That is what “Life” means. We look to St. Joseph, a carpenter. A retired worker is still a worker, just a retired one. When we say we are no longer working people, we cut ourselves off from community. The Ten Commandments no longer apply to us, but neither does the reward, eternal life.

As we look to our Liturgy of the Hours, we will meditate upon the Magnificat and just how The Mighty One has done great things for our Blessed Virgin? “He dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with nobility and the rich he sent away empty.” Those were revolutionary words then and they are revolutionary words now.

“Mystery” is church language for Sacrament. The sacrament is the great mystery handed on to us through the Ten Commandments, prayer and the creed. It is about Christ who comes to us through his Physical Presence in the body and the blood of the Eucharist.

This is part 4; Please click here for part 3

We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 3

Conservatives believe some men, corporate CEOs, and business owners are by nature good and do not need regulation. Liberals believe the writings of John Locke who noted that no man is a fair judge in his own case. That includes the corporate CEO, our religious leaders, the union chiefs, and our political leaders.

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St. Augustine whose mural is on our altar gave us our vocabulary, “original sin.” We are all imperfect human beings trying to get from conception to the grave in one piece. God made us all in his image, as our Catholic doctrine has always taught. This brings us to the third definition of “Life.” It relates how God made us in his image and likeness. How we treat our neighbor, is how we treat God who is in our neighbor. Genesis 4:10. This definition takes up where the prior definition leaves off. Deuteronomy 30:

This Mitzvah I give you today is not too wondrous or remote for you… It is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart… Choose life, that you and your descendants may live.”

This is one of the famous 613 Mitzvah of Jewish traditions. How is this Mitzvah? All life is life in potentiality. Exodus 20:26 tells us, ‘You will not ascend to my altar by steps.’ Either we are going up or we are going down. Either we increase life in all of its potentiality or we decrease it. We will use this definition of life throughout the remainder of the debate.

God made us all in his image and likeness, liberal and conservative. Catholic Catechism, section 1701. “Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1929.

When we stand before the Eucharistic altar, we see how this works. Little Flower parish makes the scene a little clearer. We descend from the back of the church until we reach the steps to the altar. At our Cathedral, we again see steps. This reminds us of our trip to Mt. Sinai, and our trip up to the transfiguration. We walk up and down hills and valleys until we arrive at the promised mountain. Mt. Sinai is a volcano, and we represent this with incense. We stand at Sinai, again, for the first time, each time we attend Mass.

We all like to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic, for which it stands. Catholics need to define just what we mean by a republic. St. Augustine gives Catholics our definition of a republic:

As among the different sounds, which proceed from lyres, flutes, and the human voice, a conductor maintains a certain harmony, which a cultivated ear cannot endure to hear disturbed. He elicits this in full, absolute concordiam by the modulation of voices unlike one another. Where we allow reason to modulate the diverse elements of the state, we obtain perfect concord from the upper, lower, and middle classes as from various sounds. What musicians call harmony, is concord in matters of state, the strictest bond and best security of any republic, and which by no ingenuity can be retained where justice is extinct.

“Faithful Discipleship as presented in tradition of authoritative Catholic social teaching,” is all about creating this concordium, in English concord. A Hebrew word for God, is Abba, Father. Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Aramaic word for Lamb is “Omer.” The Aramaic word for “Word” is Omer. Lambs of course say, “Bah.” Bah is Hebrew for to come or the one who is to come. Ah Ha bah is the Hebrew word for Love.

It is welcoming each other into our communities with all of our faults and all of our failures. St. John tells us in 1 John 4:7, “Love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”

This is part 3 of a series. Please click here for part 2

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We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 2

The predicate for “He who governs least governs best,” is also in our Prologue to the Ten Commandments. St. Augustine made his count available through his text, “Questions of Exodus.” Here is our Catholic Catechism on the history of the 10 Commandments:

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2066 “The division and numbering of the Commandments have varied in the course of history. The present catechism follows the division of the Commandments established by St. Augustine, which has become traditional in the Catholic Church.”

Our Catechism tells us there is more than one count for the Ten Commandments. We follow St. Augustine’s count, but we are open to dialogue with other counts. This begins the Jewish count:

Moses called all those who struggle with God, and told them, “Hear, you who struggle with God, the customs and correct judicial precedents I speak in your ears, this day, that you may learn them, and guard to do them.

The Personal Name our Almighty Judge cut a Social Contract with us at Mt. Sword. Not with our fathers did The Personal Name our Almighty Judge cut this Social Contract, but with us, each of us, alive, here, this day… I am The Personal Name your Almighty Judge, who brought thee out of the land of Oppression, out of the house of menial labor. You will have no other Almighty Judge before My face.

In Mark 10, Jesus quotes the last six of the Ten Commandments, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear vain witness; you shall not defraud; hold as important father and mother.” Jesus starts with the last five, and then moves back to grab the fifth commandment, as he understood them. The first one is the one listed above. It is the call to community, personally remembering what oppression is like, and taking action when we see others suffer. Ultimately, it is the call to Eucharist.

How can God give customs and correct judicial precedents at Sinai, which by definition develop over time? We are to view customs and judicial precedents as if they came from the lips of God himself. The root word for judicial precedent means “Lip.” When our religious and political leaders speak the word of God, we are to view them as coming from the lips of God.

Deuteronomy 5 begins as an address to the community, all who are at Mt. Sinai. God rescues those who struggle with God/Israel, as a community. He calls us to love him, as a community. He calls us to remember what oppression is like, as a community. God tells us, as a community, The Personal Name our Almighty Judge cut a Social Contract with us at Mt. Sword. Not with our fathers did The Personal Name our Almighty Judge cut this Social Contract, but with us, each of us, alive, here, this day…

The concept of the Physical Presence is here. The Jewish community relives for the first time, each time, they celebrate Passover their escape from Oppression. We remember, as community, for the first time, each time, we celebrate the Mass our escape through the resurrection of Jesus.

Faithful Discipleship means intuiting our world through the eyes of faith. This faith begins at Mt. Sinai and the cross, seeing the world through past suffering, & bringing our salvation to others. If we do this, we can forget the other commandments. This is because we will be too busy helping our neighbor to violate any of the other commandments. Our Declaration of Independence states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Torah gives several definitions of life. The second definition of life states life is blood. Anything with blood is life. Anything with two cells has blood, therefore life. Our discussion is about what life is in between one cell and death at the end of our natural lives.

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We need to define what life is to follow our Declaration of Independence Part 1

The collectors of the temple tax approached Peter asking, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” Peter replied, “Yes.” Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth tax, from their subjects or from foreigners?” Peter replied, “From foreigners,” Jesus replied, “The subjects are exempt.” Matthew 17:24

Jesus told them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors. Among you, it shall not be so. Allow the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. Who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? It is not the one seated at table! I am among you as the one who serves.”Luke 22:24

If there is anything, which separates liberals from conservatives it is the conservative quoting, “He who governs least governs best.” Henry Thoreau said this. The question is, “He who governs least governs best to do what?” The socialist thinks government control of everything is governing the least. The capitalist, the communist, and the anarchist believe it is no government.

Without a goal in, “He who governs least governs best,” government regulation falls upon those who are foreign to us. For the rich, it is the poor. For the poor it is the rich. A liberal Congress pushes taxes and regulations upon the rich. The conservatives do the same to the poor. We are leaves blowing in the wind. Jesus, in Luke 22:24, calls us to act better.

The topic of this discussion is “Faithful Discipleship as presented in the tradition of Catholic social teaching.” How do we prepare for the next election in four years? Our role is not to bring solutions, only a framework for understanding the question.

If there is anything, which separates liberals from conservatives it is Thomas Jefferson’s, “He who governs least governs best.” Thomas Jefferson never said this; Henry Thoreau did. The socialist thinks government control of everything is governing the least. The capitalist, the communist, and the anarchist believe it is no government at all. The phrase, “He who governs least governs best,” needs a predicate, the least to do what?”

Without answering the “To do what,” government falls upon the foreigner, those who are foreign to us. For the rich, the poor need more government. For the poor, it is the rich. When the liberals control Congress, they push more government upon the rich and when the conservatives are in power, we see the reverse. We are not one nation, but two, one black, one white, one enslaved by wealth, one by poverty. We have liberty for the rich and the best justice money can buy.

We are leaves blowing in the wind. Humanae Vitae came in 1968. Roe V. Wade came in 1973. We come to the 40th anniversary of the latter event. Catholics were 22% of the U.S. adult population in 1948. We reached our high point in the late 1970s, when the U.S. population was nearly 30% Catholic. In the last several years, the Catholic percentage has been around 23%.”

After 40 years of engaging in talking points, the five non-negotiable points are still with us. All we have done is dropped 10% of the population from being Catholic. It is said that insanity is repeating the same things, and expecting different results. As liberal Catholics, we want results. We must decide, do we want to end abortion, and solve the other four non-negotiable points, or do we want to engage in an idle boxing match with the other side for another forty years.

Jesus, in Luke 22:24, calls us to act better than being leaves blowing in the wind, choosing between the left and the right. There is no reason for Matthew 17 applying to our nation. There is no reason for the rich viewing the poor as foreigners, or the poor for viewing the rich as foreign.

The mural at our Cathedral provides our predicate; at the upper right of the mural stands Pope Pious X who wrote about Catholic Action. Pope Benedict said this about Pope Pious X:

The faith as such is always the same. The Catechism of Saint Pius X always preserves its value. Ways of transmitting the contents of the faith can change instead..” I remember reading staunch anti-Catholics argue that Vatican II changed nothing. Our current Pope agrees. Referring to Torah St. James wrote in James 1:17:

All noble giving and every complete gift are from above, coming down from the Father of lights. Through him, there is no alteration or shadow caused by change…

The packaging changes; the truth remains the same. In IL FERMO PROPOSITO Pope Pious X writes: We take to heart the interests of the people, especially those of the working and agricultural classes by endeavoring to dry their tears, to alleviate their sufferings, and to improve their economic condition by wise measures. We strive, to make public laws conformable to justice. (7) All these works… constitute what is known by “Catholic Action.” (8)

All Catholics must prepare themselves prudently and seriously for political life in case they may be called. It is of the utmost importance that the same activity be extended to a suitable preparation and organization for political life. (19)

All those works which directly come to the aid of the spiritual and pastoral ministry of the Church and which labor religiously for the good of souls must be subordinated to the authority of the Church and also to the authority of the Bishops placed by the Holy Spirit to rule the Church of God in the dioceses assigned to them. (22)

We all have the obligation to be educated on political matters, and we must subordinate our efforts under our Bishops. Our Bishops have the obligation to help us educate ourselves and to prepare us for Catholic Action. This includes preparing political leaders who will support all of Catholic Social Doctrine.

This is part 1. Please click here for part 2