Author Archives: Joseph Kopacz

Testigos en nombre de la vida

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Este último domingo de la Palabra de Dios, el tercero del tiempo ordinario de cada año, escuchamos la llamada del Señor Jesús a sus primeros discípulos, Pedro, Andrés, Santiago y Juan, una llamada que es siempre antigua y siempre nueva. “Ya se cumplió el plazo señalado, y el reino de Dios está cerca. Vuélvanse a Dios y acepten con fe sus buenas noticias.” (Marcos 1:14-20). En el Evangelio de Marcos los eventos se desarrollan rápidamente.
En el espacio de la mitad del primer capítulo, el lector tiene la bendición de saber que la Buena Nueva se trata de Jesucristo, el Hijo de Dios, que luego fue bautizado, tentado en el desierto y lanzado a la vida diaria, siempre anunciando el Reino de Dios. Esta Buena Nueva se revela en el bautismo del Señor cuando la voz del cielo proclama amorosamente: “Tú eres mi Hijo amado en quien tengo complacencia”.
Reformar la vida se trata de escuchar al Señor, seguirlo por el camino de la vida, apartarnos del pecado y permitirle que transforme nuestros corazones y mentes. Este es el trabajo de toda una vida, pero el llamado a la santidad de la vida es diario.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

El corazón de la Buena Nueva es que aceptamos nuestra propia identidad como hijas e hijos amados de Dios, la corona de la creación, hecha a imagen y semejanza de nuestro creador tal como San Pablo, a quien Cristo tomó, escribe con valentía, “¿Qué más podremos decir? ¡Que si Dios está a nuestro favor, nadie podrá estar contra nosotros!“ (Romanos 8:31)
A medida que la iglesia comenzó a crecer y extenderse por todo el mundo antiguo, los primeros cristianos, enfrentados al martirio, pero con mentes y corazones transformados, fueron testigos de una nueva forma asombrosa de vida. De hecho, predicaron la Buena Nueva a los pobres, alimentaron a los hambrientos, dieron la bienvenida al extranjero, cuidaron a los enfermos y moribundos, enterraron a los muertos, evitaron la violencia y rechazaron las costumbres romanas del infanticidio y el aborto. Mientras adoraban al Señor que los llamó de las tinieblas a su luz maravillosa, también fueron testigos de un profundo respeto por la vida que creció orgánicamente a partir de la fe en su Señor crucificado y resucitado.
En cada generación, entonces, los discípulos del Señor, la iglesia, proclaman esta Buena Nueva de salvación, el don para el tiempo y la eternidad. En el contexto de tantas protestas violentas a lo largo de 2020, que culminaron con la protesta que se transformó en el vergonzoso asalto a los sagrados pasillos del gobierno, hoy 29 de enero se conmemora el aniversario de la Marcha por la Vida. Los peregrinos fieles en nombre de la vida han marchado pacíficamente durante casi cinco décadas, cientos de miles cada año. Gracias, activistas provida, por su testimonio en nombre de la vida y, en estos días, por su testimonio de la integridad de la primera enmienda de nuestra constitución, que defiende el derecho a reunirse pacíficamente. América, toma nota de ambos aspectos. En conclusión, la declaración de 2021 de la Marcha por la Vida que se realizará virtualmente refleja un profundo y completo respeto por la vida:
“La protección de todos los que participan en la Marcha anual, así como de los muchos miembros del personal de las fuerzas del orden público y otras personas que trabajan incansablemente cada año para garantizar un evento seguro y pacífico, es una de las principales prioridades de la Marcha por la Vida. A la luz del hecho de que estamos en medio de una pandemia que puede estar llegando a su punto máximo, y en vista de las mayores presiones que los agentes del orden y otras personas enfrentan actualmente en el Capitolio y sus alrededores, la Marcha por la Vida de este año se verá diferente. El mitin anual se llevará a cabo virtualmente y pedimos a todos los participantes que se queden en casa y se unan a la Marcha virtualmente. Invitaremos a un pequeño grupo de líderes provida de todo el país a marchar en Washington, DC este año. Estos líderes representarán a los estadounidenses provida en todas partes que, cada uno a su manera única, trabajan para hacer impensable el aborto y construir una cultura donde cada vida humana sea valorada y protegida. Estamos profundamente agradecidos por las innumerables mujeres, hombres y familias que se sacrifican para salir en tan gran número cada año como testigos de por vida, y esperamos estar juntos en persona el próximo año. En cuanto a la marcha de este año, esperamos estar con ustedes virtualmente. “El Reino de los Cielos está cerca, arrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio”.

Full immersion as beloved children of God

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Emerging from the Christmas season we hope and pray that we are blessed in spirit in the knowledge that our faith in the Son of God “conquers the world” as we proclaimed in the scriptures on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

This metanoia is so much more than any and all new year’s resolutions that too often fold and crumple like discarded wrapping paper. Rather, it is a renewed perspective alive in the Spirit of God who hovers, enlightening our minds, hearts and imaginations in the awareness that we are God’s children now, beloved in a way that surpasses all understanding.

On that first Christmas night, the heavens were opened with the chorus of angels singing, “glory to God in the highest.” Years later they were torn asunder at the Baptism in the Jordan River by the voice of the God of eternal glory, revealing that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of history and the beloved Son of the Father, the Word made flesh. “You are my beloved Son; on you my favor rests.”

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

In this time of raging pandemic, appalling civil strife and violence, and seemingly intractable rancor and division, where do we find the light and the power to live a life worthy of our calling as God’s children?

Look no further than to the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel, a Christmas day proclamation, which is resplendent with hope in the beloved Son of God, the eternal Word, for our unstable and disturbed times. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
Even now, the darkness has not overcome this divine life and light. Unfortunately, this vision for our lives can easily be lost in the assault of shadows, darkness and death.

Nonetheless, the Christmas season was a celebration of the light shining in the darkness, inviting us to renew our vision to see that God is with us, Emmanuel. The Incarnation raises us up to heaven’s door, and the Baptism of the Lord speaks of God’s full immersion in all things human, who lays aside his glory and humbly joins us in our sinfulness. Like the Blessed Mother, it behooves us to cherish the gift of faith in the manner she embraced the Christ child in her arms, pondering what this treasure means for our lives.
The mystery of our faith that conquers the world reveals to us that the wood of the manger is never separated from the wood of the Cross. The baptism of Jesus at the Jordan is inseparable from the crucifixion; his immersion in water anticipates his immolation on the Cross. It dawns upon us when we take these things to heart that the entire New Testament was written in the aftermath of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.

How then does our baptism unite us to the beloved Son of God, the Light that shines in the darkness?
A passage that is often selected from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans for the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism and at many funeral liturgies unfolds the mystery. “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.” (Romans 6:3-6)

Forgiveness of sin, growth in the Lord, no longer slaves to sin, fear and hopelessness, and newness of life are essential signs that we are living a life worthy of our calling. It is a humble awareness inspired by the Holy Spirit, cleansed by waters made holy, and blood poured out on the Cross, that we belong ultimately to God.

We are beloved sons and daughters of God grafted onto the living vine, the Body of Christ, the church. The love of Christ impels us to live our baptism, our vocation, our discipleship growing in the power of faith to know that we are God’s beloved children, fully immersed in this world, committed to greater justice and peace for all, and always leaving an opening for eternal life to hover close to our daily preoccupations and decisions.

Holy longing for Lord Jesus

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
“The Spirit and the Bride say, come! The one who inspires faith says, Yes, I am coming soon. Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus!” The Bible ends with these words from the Book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse, expressing the holy longing that we cultivate during this sacred season of Advent leading up to Christmas. These heartfelt words have been the prayer of the church every day for nearly 2000 years, a long stretch of time, for sure.
However, we heard from the letter of Peter last Sunday that “for the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day.” (2Peter 3:8) Since we are just about to begin the third day following the death and resurrection of Jesus there is no reason why this great mystery and drama of salvation should ever grow old. It remains ever ancient and ever new.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

We pray for the grace of the hunger and thirst of St. Augustine during these Advent days. “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you.” (Confessions) It is a stretch to measure a millennium in our imagination, and it is incomprehensible to grasp eternity, but we can, and we must seize the opportunity that each day offers to rediscover the ancient and new grace of God in its manifold expressions.
In the moment, John the Baptist is our guide. Prepare the way of the Lord, are the words of the voice who echoes down the centuries. He, whose pulpit is the doorstep of the desert, clears the way for the eternal Word made Flesh. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the opening words of the Gospel of Mark from the second Sunday of Advent. Believing this, what sort of lives are we to live, brothers and sisters, is the question from St. Peter in his letter.
The answer to this eternal question is found in the gathering at the Jordan River where the people were coming to John the Baptist to confess their sins and to be baptized by him in the Jordan river. The first step forward in the knowledge of our salvation is the forgiveness of our sins. (Luke 1:76-77), as expressed in the Benedictus, the glorious prayer of Zacharias, the father of the Baptist. Returning to the letter of Peter again from last Sunday we hear that “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance… But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
Biblical righteousness is grounded in reconciliation with God and getting it “right” with one another. The gift we receive is then given as a gift. (Matthew 10:8). In the midst of this distressing pandemic, the prophet Isaiah’s exhortation is compelling. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (40:1) So many people have lost so much throughout this past year. Righteous living inspires us to take many steps forward by giving comfort, by restoring hope, by providing support in whatever ways we can. To be reconciled with God is to unite heaven and earth. To create by God’s grace a “new heaven and a new earth” each day is within our power. Last Sunday’s psalm response conveys God’s vision and our goal. “Kindness and truth shall embrace; Justice and peace shall kiss! Truth shall spring from the earth, and justice will look down from heaven.” (85:10)
Indeed, we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit as John the Baptist prophesied at the Jordan River, an anointing and an indwelling that is the pledge of eternal life and the inspiration to build up the Kingdom of God today, and every day. In doing so we will have an impact for 1000 years. “Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!”

Let us open wide our hearts to Black Catholic history

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

In 1990 Black Catholic History month began to be celebrated in November in various parts of the United States. At the 30 year mark our Catholic people have grown to better understand that the Catholic Church in the United States and Black Catholic History are deeply intertwined.

Over the past 40 years the Bishops of the United States have produced three documents that resurrect the gift of the African American Catholic experience, and the unrelenting struggle to overcome the legacy of slavery and racism that afflict our nation and Church. Brothers and Sisters to Us 1979 — What we have Seen and Heard 1984 — Open Wide Our Hearts, The Enduring Call to Love 2018. In their 1979 document the Black Catholic bishops embraced the words of Pope Paul VI when he spoke at the Eucharistic Conference in Kampala, Uganda in 1969 – ”You must now be missionaries to yourselves, and you must give the gift of Blackness to the whole Church.”

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

“Do you know the gift?” is the title of the feature article by Richard Lane in the current edition of the Catholic TV Monthly. It provides, in part, a fascinating glimpse of the African presence in the church from the beginning. Three of our popes were of African origin, and Pope Melchiades held the Keys of Peter when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 ending the nearly three centuries of brutal martyrdom. This successor of Peter needs to be front and center when we recall this watershed moment in church history. Do we know the gift?

Remember that St. Monica and her son, St. Augustine hailed from Algeria, and remain models of parental devotion and intellectual prowess. Do we know the gift?

The Black bishops in their 1984 document portray a perspective of history that is easily overlooked. “Just as the church in our history was planted by the efforts of the Spaniards, the French and the English, so did she take root among Native Americans, Black slaves and the various racial mixtures of them all. Blacks whether Spanish speaking, French speaking or English speaking, built the churches, tilled church lands, and labored with those who labored in spreading the Gospel. From the earliest period of church history in our land, we have been the hands and arms that helped build the church from Baltimore to Bradstown, from New Orleans to Los Angeles, from Saint Augustine to Saint Louis. Too often neglected and too much betrayed, our faith was witnessed by Black voices and Black tongues — such as Pierre Toussaint, Elizabeth Lange, Henriette Delille and Augustus Tolton.”

The Bishops also point out in “What We Have Seen and Heard” that Catholic dioceses and religious communities across the country for years have committed selected personnel and substantial funds to relieve oppression and to correct injustices and have striven to bring the Gospel to the diverse racial groups in our land. The church has sought to aid the poor and downtrodden, who for the most part are also the victims of racial oppression. But this relationship has been and remains two-sided and reciprocal; for the initiative of racial minorities, clinging to their Catholic faith, has helped the church to grow, adapt, and become truly Catholic and remarkably diverse. Today in our own land the face of Catholicism is the face of all humanity – a face of many colors, a countenance of many cultural forms.”

All of this resonates with the history of the Catholic faith in Mississippi, and one of our own, Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, embodies our proud tradition. In February 2018, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson announced it has begun researching the life, writings and works of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, as a preliminary step in opening an official cause for sainthood.

Sister Thea’s story is well known and her amazing journey of faith from a star struck child in Holy Child School in Canton, Mississippi into the heart of the Catholic Church as a religious sister was pure grace. Her prophetic spirit, brilliant mind and boundless stamina inspired many, and became a beacon for the church to embrace more authentically the essence of Catholicity. Her suffering over the final years of her life from an incurable cancer united her to the Cross of the Lord Jesus, and served to deepen her love and her graceful spirit. Indeed, she lived until she died.

The 30th anniversary of her death was to have been celebrated with much love and fanfare, but the pandemic derailed the festivities. Nevertheless, Sister Thea was a gift to the church from the moment she set foot in Holy Child School right up to the moment when she addressed the United States Catholic Conference at Seton Hall toward the end of her life. She remains a gift in death. From a star struck child to a shooting star, her cause will be a beacon of light and hope for the church and for our nation.

Open Wide our Hearts, the Enduring Call to Love 2018 will direct the efforts of the Diocese of Jackson in the months ahead in our commitment to be faithful as disciples of the Lord Jesus. The Bishops in their 1984 document prophetically address the work of justice for which every generation must sacrifice. “The cause of justice and social concern are an essential part of evangelization. Our own history has taught us that preaching to the poor and to those who suffer injustice without concern for their plight and the systematic cause of their plight is to trivialize the Gospel and mock the cross. To preach to the powerful without denouncing oppression is to promise Easter without Calvary, forgiveness without conversion, and healing without cleansing the wound.”

May the words of the Prophet Micah burn brightly. “Do Justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with God.”

Citizenship in heaven

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We are inspired to remember that this Cloud of Witness who come from all nations and peoples, young and old, all shapes and sizes, are alive in
our midst as witnesses and intercessors.

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

Throughout the month of November and well into Advent the Word of God offers ample opportunity to contemplate our ultimate destiny as human beings, but especially as Christians. We can tweak light and darkness for an hour with daylight saving time, but we cannot halt the advance of time marching inevitably into the arms of eternity. More starkly, the Psalmist assures us, “who can live and not see death? No one can escape the grasp of the grave.” (Psalm 89:48)

Since March the pandemic has hammered home this reality with the loss of normalcy, the loss of life, and, tragically on far too many occasions, the enforced separation and isolation from loved ones at death. Without diminishing the suffering and agony on all fronts, the church faithfully proclaims the undying hope in the knowledge that all creation, times and seasons, and eternal life to follow, belong to the Lamb of God, the crucified and resurrected Lord. This is wonderfully pronounced as the Paschal Candle is prepared at the Easter Vigil.

Christ yesterday and today, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega. His are the times and ages. To Him be glory and dominion through all ages of eternity. Amen.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

On the feast of All Saints the church proclaims the power of memory, the potential in the present moment, and the hope of future glory. The past and future converge in St. John’s vision of timelessness in the Book of Revelation that reveals the saints in glory, a multitude too numerous to count, robed in white, their garments washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.

We are inspired to remember that this Cloud of Witness who come from all nations and peoples, young and old, all shapes and sizes, are alive in our midst as witnesses and intercessors. This is the parade of champions of which we boast who hold out to us the ultimate prize of our citizenship in heaven.

In the traditional imagery that extends back to the New Testament (Ephesians 6), we are the church militant who are to fight the good fight of faith and finish the race (1Timothy 6). There are many ways to express our dignity and destiny in the Lord, and on the Feast All Saints we heard from the first letter of John in the New Testament. “We are God’s children now. What we shall later be has not yet come to light. We know that when it does we will be like God because we shall see the Lord as he is. Meanwhile, for those of us who hold onto this hope are to keep ourselves pure.”

What exactly are the attitudes and actions that characterize God’s children in this world, Jesus unfolds throughout the Sermon on Mount (Matthew Chap. 5-7), beginning with the Beatitudes, the Gospel for All Saints. His words will echo for all time. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, the meek, the merciful, the sorrowful, the hungry and thirsty for justice, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and all who endure persecution, hostility rejection for the sake of the name.”
Phew, how blessed can one be? Jesus doesn’t follow it up by saying just hang in there for this too will pass. “Rather, rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

As usually is the case with the wisdom of God, we have to immerse ourselves in the Lord’s words, his eternal wisdom, over and again, to discover or to rediscover the mercy, peace and fulness of life that he promises, now and forever.

For months now the political world has engulfed us in messaging and with divergent directions for our society. Through it all we know that our citizenship requires our involvement at the ballot box and much more, by our commitment to the common good every day of the year. Without a doubt, at times, our citizenship in heaven is going to conflict with our citizenship on earth, and in those moments we will know where our loyalty abides. I believe that the values revealed by the Lord for all citizens of heaven would also be a blessing for the world and our nation. In season and out of season, we are to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and leaven for the bread of daily life. May the allotted time we have in this world be a gift for God’s glory.

Ciudadanía en el cielo

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Nos inspira a recordar que esta Nube de Testigos
que proviene de todas las naciones y pueblos,
jóvenes y viejos, de todas las formas y tamaños,
está viva entre nosotros como testigos e intercesores.

Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Durante todo el mes de noviembre y bien entrado el Adviento, la Palabra de Dios ofrece una amplia oportunidad para contemplar nuestro destino final como seres humanos, pero especialmente como cristianos. Podemos modificar la luz y la oscuridad durante una hora con el horario de verano, pero no podemos detener el avance del tiempo, que marcha inevitablemente hacia los brazos de la eternidad. Más crudamente, el salmista nos asegura, “¡Nadie puede vivir y no morir nunca! ¡Nadie puede librarse del poder de la muerte!” (Salmo 89:48)
Desde marzo, la pandemia ha machacado esta realidad con la pérdida de la normalidad, la pérdida de vidas y, trágicamente, en demasiadas ocasiones, la separación y el aislamiento forzados de los seres queridos al morir. Sin disminuir el sufrimiento y la agonía en todos los frentes, la iglesia proclama fielmente la esperanza eterna en el conocimiento de que toda la creación, los tiempos y las estaciones, y la vida eterna por venir, pertenecen al Cordero de Dios, el Señor crucificado y resucitado. Esto se pronuncia maravillosamente cuando se prepara el Cirio Pascual en la Vigilia Pascual.
Cristo ayer y hoy, Principio y Fin, Alfa y Omega. Suyos son los tiempos y las edades. A él sea la gloria y el dominio por todas las edades de la eternidad. Amén.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

En la fiesta de Todos los Santos, la iglesia proclama el poder de la memoria, el potencial en el momento presente y la esperanza de la gloria futura. El pasado y el futuro convergen en la visión de la atemporalidad de San Juan en el Libro del Apocalipsis que revela a los santos en la gloria, una multitud demasiado numerosa para contar, vestidos de blanco, sus vestiduras lavadas en la sangre del Cordero.
Nos inspira a recordar que esta Nube de Testigos que proviene de todas las naciones y pueblos, jóvenes y viejos, de todas las formas y tamaños, está viva entre nosotros como testigos e intercesores. Este es el desfile de campeones del que nos jactamos y que nos ofrecen el premio máximo de nuestra ciudadanía en el cielo.
En la imaginería tradicional que se remonta al Nuevo Testamento (Efesios 6), somos la iglesia militante que debe pelear la buena batalla de la fe y terminar la carrera (1 Timoteo 6). Hay muchas formas de expresar nuestra dignidad y destino en el Señor, y en la Fiesta de Todos los Santos, escuchamos de la primera carta de Juan en el Nuevo Testamento. “Queridos hermanos, ya somos hijos de Dios. Y aunque no se ve todavía lo que seremos después, sabemos que cuando Jesucristo aparezca seremos como él, porque lo veremos tal como es. 3 Y todo el que tiene esta esperanza en él, se purifica a sí mismo, de la misma manera que Jesucristo es puro.”(1 Juan 3:2-3)
¿Cuáles son exactamente las actitudes y acciones que caracterizan a los hijos de Dios en este mundo? Jesús las desarrolla a lo largo del Sermón del Monte (Mateo cap. 5-7), comenzando con las Bienaventuranzas, el Evangelio para Todos los Santos. Sus palabras resonarán para siempre. “Bienaventurados los pobres de espíritu, los de corazón limpio, los pacificadores, los mansos, los misericordiosos, los afligidos, los que tienen hambre y sed de justicia, los perseguidos por hacer lo que es justo y todos los que soportan persecución, hostilidad, rechazo por el por el nombre.”
¡Ah!, ¿cuán bendecido puede ser uno? Jesús no lo dice solo pidiendo simplemente algo como ‘…aguanta porque esto también pasará,’ más bien como “regocíjense y estén orgullosos, porque su recompensa será grande en los cielos.”
Como suele ocurrir con la sabiduría de Dios, tenemos que sumergirnos en las palabras del Señor, su sabiduría eterna, una y otra vez, para descubrir o redescubrir la misericordia, la paz y la plenitud de vida que él promete, ahora y siempre.
Desde hace meses, el mundo político nos ha envuelto en mensajes y con direcciones divergentes para nuestra sociedad. A pesar de todo, sabemos que nuestra ciudadanía requiere nuestra participación en las urnas y mucho más, por nuestro compromiso con el bien común todos los días del año. Sin duda, en ocasiones, nuestra ciudadanía en el cielo va a entrar en conflicto con nuestra ciudadanía en la tierra, y en esos momentos sabremos dónde mora nuestra lealtad. Creo que los valores revelados por el Señor para todos los ciudadanos del cielo también serían una bendición para el mundo y nuestra nación.
A tiempo y fuera de tiempo, seremos la sal de la tierra, la luz del mundo y la levadura del pan de la vida diaria. Que el tiempo asignado que tenemos en este mundo sea un regalo para la gloria de Dios.

Faithful Citizenship and our political responsibility

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“In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote. Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election.” – Faithful Citizenship

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
JACKSON – With the elections on national, state and local levels on the near horizon, the Catholic Church in the United States once again is active in the political process to foster the common good: a culture of life, justice and peace. There is obvious division in the church and in the nation over the candidates and the issues, perhaps more strident nowadays, but certainly nothing new. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle incessantly heap coals on the fires of partisanship that burn no less intense that those consuming millions of square miles in the western states. Unfortunately, then, politics in our country often can be a contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites and media hype. Yet, as Pope Francis reminds us, “Politics though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity inasmuch as it seeks the common good.” In this spirit the church seeks to be a trustworthy compass for voting in November, an appeal to faith and reason in the stillness of one’s conscience.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

Included in this issue of the paper is the introduction to the bishops’ document, entitled “Faithful Citizenship.” It is a document, refined over decades of election cycles, that has been forged in the fire of Gospel truth and the church’s teaching for nearly 2000 years. The bishops state: “The Catholic community brings important assets to the political dialogue about our nation’s future. We bring a consistent moral framework, drawn from basic human reason that is illuminated by Scripture and the teaching of the church, for assessing issues, political platforms and campaigns. We also bring broad experience in serving those in need and educating the young.” From this abundant and fruitful tradition of faith, social action and education, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good … As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.” CCC 1913-15

“In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote. Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election.” Faithful Citizenship further states: Conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil.

Finally, prayerful reflection is essential to discern the will of God.” Clergy and laity have complementary roles in public life. We bishops have the primary responsibility to hand on the church’s moral and social teaching, and as Pope Benedict taught in Deus Caritas Est, “The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society is proper to the lay faithful.” #29

To form consciences and to promote a just ordering of society the church’s teaching rests upon four pillars: the dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God – fostering the common good which is a commitment to establishing conditions where all can thrive — solidarity, springing from the conviction as children of God, that unity built upon cooperation and collaboration wherever possible is the goal — subsidiarity, the empowerment of individuals, families and local entities. Based on these principles we pray, work, serve and vote to do good and avoid evil.

The following excerpts from Faithful Citizenship go to the heart of the matter for voting citizens. “Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. That is why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed conscience. A Catholic is not in good conscience if voting for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, unjust war, subjecting workers to subhuman living conditions, torture, racist behavior, e.g. if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.” At the same time, “there may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unacceptable position, even on policies promoting an intrinsically evil act, may responsibly decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons. Voting in this way would be permissible only for truly grave moral reasons, not to advance narrow interests or partisan preferences or to ignore fundamental moral evil.”

It is in our DNA as Catholics to be “all in” in every dimension of life, including the political realm. The Lord Jesus calls us to be “salt and light,” in order to create societies of life, justice and peace. Pope Francis reminds us. “An authentic faith always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth better than we found it. We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, we love the human family that God has put here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths, and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters.”

Faithful guardians of human life

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Whenever darkness overshadows the goodness of God’s creation, it is tragic, because each day we are to be guardians of the world entrusted to us, especially on behalf of human life.

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
JACKSON – During the month of October we celebrate Respect for Life, a reality that we foster as Catholics and disciples of the Lord Jesus every day of the year but with greater focus this month.

At the outset of this month we celebrate the lives of two remarkable saints, Therese and Francis, and positioned deftly between them is the commemoration of the Guardian Angels. Without a doubt, Therese of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi upheld the integrity of our tradition of faith as guardians of the Gospel and guiding lights for an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord of history.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

The Guardian Angels provide a wonderful lens through which we can deepen our commitment to life and the mystery of God’s glory, everywhere present. On an occasion when Jesus was teaching he embraced the opportunity to welcome children and to reveal the ministry of guardian angels in God’s plan of salvation. “See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

Immediately before this marvelous revelation Jesus ardently stated that “unless you become like little children you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (18:3) In other words, our vision will be stunted, we will be unable to see the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ, and our capacity to embrace and respect life will be diminished. Whenever darkness overshadows the goodness of God’s creation, it is tragic, because each day we are to be guardians of the world entrusted to us, especially on behalf of human life.

The church remains ardent guardians of unborn life, a commitment that can be traced to the earliest sources in our Catholic tradition. It is the fullness of understanding of the Lord’s words and gestures to embrace and welcome the little one, because in doing so we see the glory of God on the face of newborn life. In our prayer and teaching, in our advocacy and loving service we have been faithful guardians of life in the womb with the most profound respect. This is the foundation of life and it is to be set upon the rock of God’s plan, not the sand of a throwaway culture.

Upon this foundation the Catholic church throughout the world, in our nation, and in our diocese labors unceasingly for greater justice and decency across the life span and in all social contexts, again through prayer and teaching, advocacy and loving service. We embrace community, solidarity and the common good. We strive to be faithful guardians to assure that a solid structure of justice and peace sits upon a firm foundation of life.

Throughout this month we will highlight and celebrate much of what is done on behalf of life, evidence that we are members of the household of God. “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

A key component of our respect for life these days is our ongoing vigilance during the pandemic. Although the dispensation for Sunday Mass is still in effect, the commandment to keep the Lord’s Day holy is never dispensed from. Whether at home or in church be faithful guardians of your faith. Know that our churches are maintaining the strict protocol of sanitizing, distancing and mask wearing. This is respect for one another’s lives. In closing, I encourage you to remain holy, vigilant, and respectful, and to be guardians of all that is sacred and precious, especially the gift of life.

Fieles guardianes de la vida humana

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Durante el mes de octubre celebramos el Respeto por la Vida, una realidad que fomentamos como católicos y discípulos del Señor Jesús todos los días del año, pero con un mayor enfoque en este mes.

A principios de este mes, celebramos la vida de dos santos notables, Teresa y Francisco, y entre ellos se encuentra la conmemoración de los Ángeles de la Guarda. Sin duda, Teresa de Lisieux y Francisco de Asís mantuvieron la integridad de nuestra tradición de fe como guardianes del Evangelio y luces orientadoras para un encuentro con Jesús de Nazaret, el Señor de la historia.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Los Ángeles de la Guarda proporcionan una lente maravillosa a través de la cual podemos profundizar nuestro compromiso con la vida y el misterio de la gloria de Dios, presente en todas partes. En una ocasión en que Jesús estaba enseñando, aprovechó la oportunidad de dar la bienvenida a los niños y de revelar el ministerio de los ángeles de la guarda en el plan de salvación de Dios. “No desprecien a ninguno de estos pequeños. Pues les digo que en el cielo los ángeles de ellos están mirando siempre el rostro de mi Padre celestial.” (Mateo 18:10)

Inmediatamente antes de esta maravillosa revelación, Jesús declaró con ardor que “ si ustedes no cambian y se vuelven como niños, no entrarán en el reino de los cielos.” (Mateo 18:3) En otras palabras, nuestra visión se atrofiará, seremos incapaces de ver la gloria de Dios en el rostro de Jesucristo y nuestra capacidad para abrazar y respetar la vida disminuirá. Siempre que la oscuridad eclipsa la bondad de la creación de Dios, es trágico, porque cada día debemos ser guardianes del mundo que se nos ha confiado, especialmente en nombre de la vida humana.

La iglesia sigue siendo guardiana ferviente de la vida por nacer, un compromiso que se remonta a las fuentes más antiguas de nuestra tradición católica. Es la plenitud del entendimiento de las palabras y los gestos del Señor para abrazar y acoger al pequeño porque al hacerlo vemos la gloria de Dios en el rostro de la vida del recién nacido. En nuestra oración y enseñanza, en nuestra defensa y amoroso servicio, hemos sido fieles guardianes de la vida en el útero con el más profundo respeto. Este es el fundamento de la vida y debe asentarse sobre la roca del plan de Dios, no sobre la arena de una cultura de usar y tirar.

Sobre esta base, la iglesia católica en todo el mundo, en nuestra nación y en nuestra diócesis trabaja incesantemente por una mayor justicia y decencia a lo largo de la vida y en todos los contextos sociales, nuevamente a través de la oración y la enseñanza, la defensa y el servicio amoroso. Abrazamos la comunidad, la solidaridad y el bien común. Nos esforzamos por ser fieles guardianes para asegurar que una estructura sólida de justicia y paz se asiente sobre una base firme de vida.

A lo largo de este mes destacaremos y celebraremos mucho de lo que se hace a favor de la vida, evidencia de que somos miembros de la familia de Dios. “Por eso, ustedes ya no son extranjeros, ya no están fuera de su tierra, sino que ahora comparten con el pueblo santo los mismos derechos, y son miembros de la familia de Dios. Ustedes son como un edificio levantado sobre los fundamentos que son los apóstoles y los profetas, y Jesucristo mismo es la piedra principal. En Cristo, todo el edificio va levantándose en todas y cada una de sus partes, hasta llegar a ser, en el Señor, un templo santo. En él también ustedes se unen todos entre sí para llegar a ser un templo en el cual Dios vive por medio de su Espíritu.” (Efesios 2:19-22)

Un componente clave de nuestro respeto por la vida en estos días es nuestra vigilancia constante durante la pandemia. Aunque la dispensa de la Misa dominical todavía está en vigor, el mandamiento de santificar el día del Señor nunca se dispensa. Ya sea en casa o en la iglesia, sean fieles guardianes de su fe. Sepa que nuestras iglesias mantienen el estricto protocolo de desinfección, distanciamiento y uso de máscaras. Esto también es respeto por la vida de los demás. Para terminar, los animo a permanecer santos, vigilantes y respetuosos, y a ser guardianes de todo lo sagrado y precioso, especialmente el don de la vida.


Working within God’s providence

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
JACKSON – Over the Labor Day holiday as I enjoyed the blessings of a long weekend, I mulled over the surge that occurred in unemployment due to COVID-19 over the past six months. At its peak, the furloughed were at the astronomical figure of 33%, a level not seen since the great depression in the 1930s. The present hardship and anxiety over the future that afflicts many families are heavy burdens. Fortunately, the unemployment figures have dropped back down below double digits; yet far too many are pushed to the edge or beyond. This free fall in the work force makes it crystal clear how essential work is as a vital component of what it means to be human, more than just a job.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century the Church has taught extensively on the nature, dignity and necessity of work beginning with Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum, on the New Order of Things, right up to the present day with the exhortations of Pope Francis. In doing so, the church always returns to the biblical source in Genesis when God worked for six days on the progression of creation with rest following on the seventh. God then ordained that the crown of his creation, male and female, was to subdue the earth and exercise dominion over this amazing planet. (Genesis 1:28) However, this task is not a license to be high-handed or reckless. On the contrary in it is a matter of cultivating and caring for the magnificent garden that has been entrusted to us. (Genesis 2:15) The material world was not created by humankind but is bestowed upon us as a precious gift that the Creator placed under our responsibility. Therefore, all work can be a participation in and furtherance of the will of God and the gift of creation.

Within the perspective of faith, the fruits of our labor are for our own wellbeing, for those who depend on us, especially the family, for the common good, for a just society and for the glory of God. It is not just a job. The family, therefore, must rightfully be an essential agent of economic life, guided not solely by the market mentality but by the logic of sharing and solidarity among generations. Justice is the virtue that governs the social order, and the market must aim for a standard of living to maintain a family and to allow it to live decently. (Pius XI) The demand for justice precedes concern for profit. “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” (Proverbs 16:8)

The leisure of Labor Day, an oxymoron of sorts, portrays the intricate web of life that God intends. Jesus a man of work, devoted most of his years on earth to manual labor at the carpenter’s bench. (John Paul II) In his teachings Jesus regularly refers to the reality of work to unfold the mystery of the Kingdom of God. He praises the faithful and prudent servant whom the Master finds hard at work at the duties entrusted to him (Mt 24:46), and condemns the behavior of the useless servant, who hides his talent in the ground. (Mt 25:14ff) He describes his own mission as that of working. “My father is working still, and I am working.” (Jn 5:17) His disciples are workers in the harvest of the Lord (Mt 9:37-38), and the laborer deserves his wage.” (Lk 10:7)

Work in the home or in the marketplace is an essential part of being human. The awareness that “the form of the world is passing away” (1Cor 7:31) is not an exoneration from being involved in work. (2Thes 3:7-15) No Christian, believing that he belongs to others and to God, has the right not to work and to live at the expense of others. All are charged by the Apostle Paul to make it a point of honor to work, to be dependent on nobody. (1Thes 4:12), and to practice a solidarity by sharing the fruits of their labors with those in need. (Eph 4:28) St. James defends the trampled rights of workers: “Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the Lord of host.” (Jas 5:4)

Yet there needs to be balance. In his preaching, Jesus teaches man and woman not to be enslaved by work. Before all else they must be concerned about their souls. Gaining the whole world is not the purpose of life. (Mk 18:36) The treasures of earth are consumed, while those in heaven are imperishable. It is on these latter treasures that men and women must set their hearts. (Mt 6:19-21) For we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen. For what is seen is transitory; what is unseen is eternal. (2Cor 4:18) This is the gift of Sabbath rest on the Lord’s Day, a time for healing, a time dedicated to God and others, cultivating relationships that allow humanity to set out on the path to the eternal Sabbath.

For many, the pandemic has incited a crisis and we hope that they can remain steady through the storm. For many more who are fine materially, yet restricted socially, we hope that the opportunity will not be lost to restore lasting balance in their lives within God’s creative providence.