\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Pope John Paul II said: “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the challenge left to us as we close out this special year that was dedicated to St. Paul- to pass our faith on, and so, to strengthen it in ourselves.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, we just heard Paul’s conversion story.\u00c2\u00a0 Here was a man who hated Christians, and voraciously persecuted them. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Even as he headed towards Damascus and was struck down, he was on a Mission to destroy the Christians there.\u00c2\u00a0 But, Jesus turned Paul around, and Paul became the great evangelizer of the Gentiles.\u00c2\u00a0 This proves that if, if you listen to the voice of God in your life, you can be converted to do His will. \u00c2\u00a0All of us get those calls- \u00c2\u00a0the catalyst may be a wake-up call from God like Paul had, or in the inspiration of someone in our lives, a relative or caretaker, or the messages we hear from the Church at the Liturgies.\u00c2\u00a0 But all of us are called to evangelize, just like Paul.\u00c2\u00a0 The Gospel makes that very clear:\u00c2\u00a0 “Go into the whole World and proclaim the Gospel to all creatures”.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are two related messages in today’s scripture I’d like to pursue.\u00c2\u00a0 First, it is never too late to convert someone, no matter how hard hearted; no matter how stubborn.\u00c2\u00a0 You and I can do it.\u00c2\u00a0 You can, with God’s help convert the most stubborn of souls.\u00c2\u00a0 You do it by sticking up for our faith with conviction and consistency, and through prayer- fervent prayer, even in the face of what seems like insurmountable obstacles.\u00c2\u00a0 There are many examples.\u00c2\u00a0 Take St, Augustine for example.\u00c2\u00a0 Augustine was a sinner who was a womanizer.\u00c2\u00a0 But his mother St. Monica prayed constantly for his conversion.\u00c2\u00a0 He was converted, as was Paul, in a moment of enlightenment sparked by a child on the seashore.\u00c2\u00a0 And he went on to become a great Doctor of the Church, proving that nothing is impossible for God for those who believe.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Second, everyone is called to evangelize, and because God isn’t just kidding about everyone’s call, it is God’s intent that everyone’s work will have an effect.\u00c2\u00a0 Jesus words in the Gospel are not just directed to the Apostles.\u00c2\u00a0 They are directed towards all of you. \u00c2\u00a0The example set by the early Christians- the martyrs who died for their faith; and the great early Christians who showed their love, converted Western civilization to Christianity.\u00c2\u00a0 So, everyone can, and does have an effect.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now there’s a specific mission that our Bishops are calling us all to take on this weekend. \u00c2\u00a0This mission is a great example of how these two messages can be applied with good effect.\u00c2\u00a0 As you may have already heard, the US Bishops are conducting a postcard campaign this weekend \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0To fight efforts to pass the Freedom of Choice Act, or FOCA.\u00c2\u00a0 This act, disguised as an effort to add to our freedoms, would actually hurt freedom by any reasonable measure.\u00c2\u00a0 Here is what FOCA would do:\u00c2\u00a0 FOCA would greatly extend the reaches of Roe v. Wade in both its legislative scope and its promotion of abortion rights.\u00c2\u00a0 FOCA would invalidate existing laws which protect a woman from unsafe abortion clinics and require that they be given adequate information about the risks of abortive surgery.\u00c2\u00a0 FOCA would require federal funds to pay for abortions- your taxpayer money. \u00c2\u00a0FOCA, because it would be federal legislation, would force the states to allow “partial-birth” and other late-term abortions even if there were state laws against them.\u00c2\u00a0 FOCA would require states to offer abortions by non-physicians.\u00c2\u00a0 FOCA would bar laws that protect the right of conscientious objection to abortion by a medical provider. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0FOCA would deny parents an opportunity to be involved or informed about their daughter’s decision to have an abortion, even when under age.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new Congress has many more pro-choice advocates than before.\u00c2\u00a0 And so, our Bishops are rightfully concerned that abortion advocates will push for FOCA.\u00c2\u00a0 Yet, polls continue to show that most Americans oppose abortion.\u00c2\u00a0 It is a national disgrace that 4,000 babies are aborted every day in this country,\u00c2\u00a0 Especially since only 5% of these have been shown to be the infamous “exceptions” that we hear so much fuss about.\u00c2\u00a0 Exceptions like rape and incest and the health of the mother are just an excuse for the other 95% of the abortions.\u00c2\u00a0 So we, the majority, need to stand up and be counted.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition, President Obama has vowed, yes that is vowed, to sign FOCA if it passes Congress.\u00c2\u00a0 Mr. Obama has said publicly that it is beyond his pay grade to determine when life begins, and has opposed measures to safeguard surviving near full term fetuses plucked out of the womb by an abortionist.\u00c2\u00a0 President Obama has the worst pro-life voting record in the senate.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, I propose a twofold mission that is a direct application of the two messages in today’s scriptures.\u00c2\u00a0 First, we all need to stand up for what is right, and evangelize in deed.\u00c2\u00a0 That you can all do, and see the effects of your actions, by participating in the Bishops postcard campaign against FOCA.\u00c2\u00a0 I will tell you how in just a few moments.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Second, we need to convert Mr. Obama to a right to life advocate!\u00c2\u00a0 Hard as that may seem, we can do it by our prayer, and dedication to the principles of life.\u00c2\u00a0 We can hope, and pray, that the example set by millions of Catholics in the postcard campaign, and the efforts of many of our Evangelical and other Christian brethren who oppose this bad law, will prevail, and that Mr. Obama will see, as we firmly believe, that Life begins at conception.\u00c2\u00a0 But let’s not forget the power of our collective prayer.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0When we finish this communion service today,\u00c2\u00a0 I have postcards for you.\u00c2\u00a0 These postcards are already addressed to your two senators, Martinez and Nelson and your Congressman, Alan Grayson.\u00c2\u00a0 All of you who are registered voters can help.\u00c2\u00a0 Just take one of the post card card sets and pen.\u00c2\u00a0 Sign these cards in the three places designated, and add your contact information in three places- address and telephone number.\u00c2\u00a0 Then leave the cards with me.\u00c2\u00a0 I will add them to our Parish’s postcards.\u00c2\u00a0 Our parish goal is 3000 postcard sets, by the way.\u00c2\u00a0 Imagine, with thousands of parishes throughout the USA, what an impact that we can all have- millions of postcards testifying to our faith and our commitment to Pro-Life.\u00c2\u00a0 Indeed, “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”- your faith as well.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00c2\u00a0 January 25, 2009 Conversion of St. Paul Acts 9: 1-22: 1 Cor 7: 29-31 ;Mk 16:15-18 Dc. Larry Brockman As Pope John Paul II said: “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the challenge left to us as we close out this special year that was dedicated to St. Paul- […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}