29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners,

We have a lot on our minds lately. Not only do we have the day to day difficulties that we all face in our family life, but then we have the big picture items that we worry about. The number of natural disasters that have struck North America lately are over whelming. We also have the shootings in Las Vegas that were so horrific. We all wonder what to think.

Another situation that touches close to home is the health care debate. What does the church say about this? How does that guide us?

The church teaches that there are basic human rights. We have the traditional right to food, clothing and shelter, but then there are further rights that have been articulated in Catholic social teaching. One such right is the right to medical care.

This right was first mentioned in a very overt way in 1963 when John XXIII wrote about this right in Pacem et Terris three months before he died. This teaching has been reiterated by succeeding Popes over and over. Our American Catholic Bishops have come out strongly time after time saying that everyone in our society should have affordable health care. One does not have to search very far to find church documents that say this so I will not start listing them. There is not enough space here to mention them all.

As we move toward the end of Pro-life month, it is good to remember that the church seeks not only to protect life from its beginnings at conception until its natural end, but the church also fights to protect the quality of each man and woman’s life. Decent medical care is a necessity for all of us and a right.

Blessings,

Fr. Mark