I started as your pastor in August of last year – six months ago. Before I moved to Purcell, priests would say things to me such as “they deserve a good priest there” and “those are good people, salt of the earth”. My first funeral here was that of Bill Flueckiger, a rancher, husband and grandfather who was well-loved for his straight talk, his enormous sense of humor, and his unselfish generosity. There was no one that was “saltier” than Bill! But he was only a foreshadowing of the many more generous people whom I would meet in the two parishes of Our Lady of Victory (Purcell) and St. Catherine of Siena (Pauls Valley). How can I repay the goodness of the Lord that has been shown in the lives of his holy people? I am as grateful as Jacob in Genesis 28:12-22. After his visionary dream of the ladder of angels (Jacob's Ladder) and receiving a blessing from God, Jacob promises God a tenth of everything: "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ … Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God … And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” In this new year, I pledge to my two parishes - a tenth of my income, and all of who I am. - - - Fr. Jim

The Feast of St. Agnes was celebrated this week by the Church. Two churches in Rome bear the name of this young saint who was a virgin and martyr (at the age of 13) during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (304 CE). Agnes made a choice at a very young age to give herself totally to Christ as his bride alone, and not to any man. Because she would not offer sacrifice to the Roman pagan gods, she was thrown into jail and forced into slavery as a prostitute. But it is said that no man touched her because they saw her great holiness. While she was being led to her execution, she expressed such joy as a young woman being led to her wedding. As such, she had a tremendous influence on centuries of Christian men and women who chose to follow her lead and live lives of chastity in response to the call of Jesus to “Follow me”. Agnes did not choose death. She chose to commit herself wholly to Christ regardless of the costs. All of us are called to do the same. - - - Fr. Jim

At Christmas time, we celebrated the Incarnation, the coming of God among us as a human person. While Jesus walked this earth, we called him “Jesus”. After his resurrection, Jesus returned to his disciples for a brief time and walked among them. He was now the “Christ”, the Risen Lord! But the Incarnation continues. As St. Paul reminds us: “You are the body of Christ”.  We do not only represent Christ. We are Christ to the world! Teresa of Avila was a Spanish Carmelite nun who was a mystic and a Doctor of the Church.  Her prayer guides us to be the body of Christ in the world:

“Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion must look out on the world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks about doing good,
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.”

Good people of St. Catherine’s, let us be Christ to one another and to all those with whom we meet. - - - Fr. Jim

Because of a high standard of living and access to good health care, many of us who spend our adulthood in the U.S. can, on average, expect to live well into our 80s and beyond. Once we have reached these “golden years”, medical complications may require a decision whether or not to undergo a surgery or use aggressive medical treatment. If not clearly spelled out in an advance health care directive (living will) signed by the patient, families are often left making this difficult decision on their own. Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) that it needs to be determined whether the treatment suggested is proportional to the prospects for improvement and/or worth the risks, which are often greater for an elderly person. “To forego extraordinary or disproportionate means is not the equivalent of suicide or euthanasia. It rather expresses acceptance of the human condition in the face of death” (EV 68).  Palliative care alone which seeks to make the patient more comfortable in the final stages of an illness is certainly morally permissible and may be preferred. Quality of life decisions in the final years are best made slowly and deliberately and in consultation with several doctors and caregivers.  

Last week I wrote about the family as the “domestic Church”, and the home as the place where children first encounter the Word of God by both word and example. But what does the Word of God teach them? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is very specific about this: “The relationships within the family bring an affinity of feelings, affections and interests, arising from the members’ respect for one another….The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom.” Children from a good family become not only good members of the Church but also good citizens in society. They have learned how to value and respect the freedom of others and they have learned to work towards the common good, towards those things which are best shared with others. Regarding the duties of the children, “as long as a child lives at home, the child should obey his parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the family.” (CCC: 2217) This includes the cultivation of virtuous habits, such as attending Church and religious education. The Fourth Commandment is the only one that comes with a promise attached – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord gives you.” In other words, be obedient to your parents and you will live a long and prosperous life!” - - - Fr. Jim