A Confession

Once again, it has been a while since I have taken the time to blog. It isn't that I have had writer's block. I just simply haven't had time. To say my life has been a blur the last couple of months would be an understatement. In the past 7 months my wife and I had our first child, changed jobs, moved across the country and just this past weekend moved into a new home. However, last night something shook me from my hectic life.

I was trying to unwind from a long day. Channel surfing like it was my job, I was trying to find something worthwhile to fall asleep to. I came across the story of Troy Davis on one of the many news channels. If you haven't been keeping up with the story, Davis was accused of murder and sentenced to the death penalty. He claimed innocence till the end, and despite a lack of physical evidence against him, he was executed last night and pronounced dead at 11:08 pm EDT.

It’s a controversial story. Some rejoiced. Others wept. As for me, I just kept on channel surfing. It wasn't until I turned off the TV and reflected on the day that I realized my actions. A man was led to his death and I was more interested in finding a show that could entertain me for 30 minutes. I am sure I am not the only person to have done that last night. And I am certainly not trying to condemn anyone who did. But for me, my lack of concern haunted me as I tried to fall asleep. I have attempted to rationalize my indifference: I don't know the whole story; I didn't know Davis or the victim's family; and I'm not really in a place of power where I could stop such an event. But...does any of that really account for my apathetic gesture last night? Again, a man was exectued last night. In the year 2011, in the land of the free and the brave, how can things still end like this? Please don't get me wrong. I love my country and if Davis was guilty of murder than justice should be served, but not like this. The Catholic Church has a very clear stance on capital punishment:

Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically nonexistent." CCC 2267

To be pro-life is much more than soley being anti-abortion. As Catholics we are called to respect and defend life from conception to natural death. I didn't do a great job of that yesterday. Realistically, I know I probably couldn't have done anything to change the final outcome of the night but does that doesn't mean I/we have permission to sit around doing nothing?

I thought about ending this blog with some scripture verses, or even some inspirational quotes about taking action from some of the world's great thinkers. I even thought about adding some links to sites that are committed to ending capital punishment in the States. But, instead, I am going to end this blog by asking you to just take a moment to pray. Pray for our country. Pray for the repose of the soul of Troy Davis. Pray for the soul of Mark MacPhail, the victim, and his family. Pray for our country that we may someday become a country that cherishes life and the dignity of the person. And lastly, pray for me, and pray for you, that we may know how to best value each other and the life that God has given us.

May God have mercy on us all.

Refocused

Time just flies by, doesn't it? It seems like my life gets more busy with each passing day. I'm not complaining. I would rather be busy than bored. But, I couldn't believe it the other day when I realized that we are already at the halfway mark for this Lenten season!

There are tons of great resources to reflect on the purpose and meaning of Lent (My friend Jonathan wrote a great reflection on Lent that you should really check out), so I don't think I need to add anything to what has already been said. But, I think something weird happens around this halfway point. I don't know if you are anything like me, but I usually try to fire myself up for the start of Lent; and, for the first couple of weeks, things go decently well. The fasting and abstaining are difficult, but I manage to get through it and it usually makes me feel closer to God (which is the point, right?). But I've started to realize that around this time I get somewhat comfortable with my fasting and sacrifices and I get into a "Lenten routine". I still manage to practice my fast but soon it is more mechanical than prayerful, and that closeness to God begins to fade away.

No meat on Fridays? Not a problem, I'll get a cheese pizza.
Gave up candy? I'll just eat an apple, it's healthier anyway.
Not watching TV? I don't even miss it anymore.

I'm not saying there is anything bad with eating cheese pizza in place of meat on a Friday, or having an energy drink to substitue for a coffee when you need a pick-me-up. However, I think there is a tendency to fall into a complacency where we begin to focus more on keeping our sacrifices than on the true purpose behind them. It reminds me a bit of the story of Martha and Mary from the Gospel of Luke.

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." Luke 10: 38-42.

Easter is just a few short weeks away and, to be honest, there are days when I am just counting down until I can go back to drinking that sweet, sweet nectar called Starbucks Coffee. But we need to keep in mind the purpose of Lent and the goal of our sacrifice. At this point, are you more of a Martha or more of a Mary? Are you more focused on the sacrifice, or are you sitting and drawing nearer to Christ? I hope and pray that we can find the grace to be like Mary for the remainder of this Lenten season.

Peace