Fr. Jaime Bueno at St. Mary Magdalen
Today, I am in Evanston, at St. Mary Magdalen parish, and will also celebrate Mass with the community of St. Helen in Ft. Bridger later in the morning. There are a number of interesting lines in the readings this weekend, but the one I will offer a brief thought on, as Tuesday is election day, regards the crowd preventing Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. (Luke 19:1-10)
We see that Zacchaeus was “seeking to see who Jesus was”, but, “he could not see him because of the crowd”. The primary reason for this was that Zacchaeus was “small in stature”. However, I think an interesting symbolic reading of this is applicable in our time.
How often does “the crowd” prevent us from seeing Jesus? For example, the strong philosophy of our culture and time, even legal legislation regarding the dignity and sanctity of life? Certainly, the taking of an unborn life is a moral evil, and cannot be pleasing to God, and yet, it is legal in this country. Surely this legal possibility prevents our nation from seeing Jesus.
Or for example, the practice of euthenasia, which is the taking of human life that is seen to no longer have any value? All life has value in the eyes of God. All life is sacred and carries within an inherent dignity. Anytime we take life, whether through capital punishment, or euthenasia, or abortion, or even the life that is destroyed through embryonic stem cell research we make it more and more difficult for us as a nation to see Jesus.
I pray that as we go to the polls this Tuesday, we will keep this moral principles in mind, and have a clear understanding of where the various candidates stand with regard to these important values. We must take a stand for Gospel values. We want to see Jesus, as did Zacchaeus. Let us seek Jesus as we cast our votes this Tuesday, that we as a nation may continue to defend the dignity and sanctity of all human life.
God bless,
+PDE
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