Grand Knights Message – November 2012
Dear Brother Knights, Family Members, and Honored Clergy,
In October, being Respect Life month, our council participated in the following Respect Life activities:
- Monthly first Saturday abortion clinic rosary.
- 40 Days for Life – the day for St Paul’s participation was at the same clinic and happened to fall on the first Saturday as well. Excellent turn-out by our parish as well as several council members taking the early hours of the morning. In the rain I might add.
- A day of pro-life events on October 20:
- Mass at St Patrick
- Prayer at the Founder’s Abortion Clinic
- Coffee & Donuts
- Tour of the Women’s Care Center which ministers to crises pregnancies
- STOP HHS Rally at City Hall
The Women’s Care Center is an awesome Catholic ministry that helps young women choose life, through education, preparation, nutrition, and providing for the mother and the baby’s basic needs. This center has an ultrasound machine and in that room are life-size, life-weight fetuses in development. Holding one of these models gives you a very good, life-like sense of the baby as it develops in the womb. The center also has a baby store, where women, through the earning of points by attending classes, are able to purchase brand new clothing, diapers, and other baby needs. This is a wonderful system that really enhances a young lady’s self-esteem.
October is also the month that we honor the most holy rosary. Many rosaries were said during the pro-life events as well as our council’s participation in Holy Rosary day at Christ the King church. Our Worthy Chaplain, Father Hinterschied, led one of the Glorious Mysteries.
This month we held our second breakfast of the fraternal year. Good turnout and many brothers assisted in cooking, serving, and clean up. Once again, thank you Brother Knights for all that you do for this council.
Looking forward to November, we will participate once again in an important event – the General Elections. We are admonished by our Pope, our Bishops, and our Supreme Knight to stay faithful to our Catholic roots in forming the proper conscience in making our selections. Remember that we are Catholics first, Americans second, and thirdly we identify with our chosen political party.
In his address to the European Union, on March 30, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said:
“As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable. Among these the following emerge clearly today:
- Protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death;
- Recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family – as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage – and its defence from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role;
- The protection of the right of parents to educate their children.
These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity. The Church’s action in promoting them is therefore not confessional in character, but is addressed to all people, prescinding from any religious affiliation they may have. On the contrary, such action is all the more necessary the more these principles are denied or misunderstood, because this constitutes an offence against the truth of the human person, a grave wound inflicted onto justice itself.”
Our Bishops remind us of the challenges that face us in our country today:
“The moral and human challenges outlined in the second half of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship remain pressing national issues. In particular, our Conference is focused on several current and fundamental problems, some involving opposition to intrinsic evils and others raising serious moral questions:
- Continuing destruction of unborn children through abortion and other threats to the lives and dignity of others who are vulnerable, sick, or unwanted;
- Renewed efforts to force Catholic ministries—in health care, education, and social services—to violate their consciences or stop serving those in need;
- Intensifying efforts to redefine marriage and enact measures which undermine marriage as the permanent, faithful, and fruitful union of one man and one woman and a fundamental moral and social institution essential to the common good;
- An economic crisis which has devastated lives and livelihoods, increasing national and global unemployment, poverty, and hunger; increasing deficits and debt and the duty to respond in ways which protect those who are poor and vulnerable as well as future generations;
- The failure to repair a broken immigration system with comprehensive measures that promote true respect for law, protect the human rights and dignity of immigrants and refugees, recognize their contributions to our nation, keep families together, and advance the common good;
- Wars, terror, and violence which raise serious moral questions on the use of force and its human and moral costs in a dangerous world, particularly the absence of justice, security, and peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.”
and of our duty to participate in this election:
“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do.”
Our Supreme Knight reminds us of our solidarity to our clergy, in particular to the Pope. Carl Anderson has laid a plan on our participation in the political process to be Faithful Citizens, and Faithful Knights, but most importantly how to participate in a manner that transcends partisanship (allow me to paraphrase):
Civility
The person that has an opposing view will, hopefully, someday be in heaven with you. Now is the time to make peace with him by engaging in civil discourse. Encourage dialogue in a manner that respects the other person.
Charity
There is no greater bonding mechanism between fellow men than when one helps another out in whatever situation that allows us the opportunity to give of ourselves for the good of others. This brings in the aspect of fraternal brotherhood that promotes national unity.
Commitment to the Church’s Social Teaching
Our faith’s social teaching has a very strong attraction, as it is based on love and truth, that crosses party lines. We continue to work on truly implementing Catholic Social Teaching in our environment today. One of the things we need to work on is to NOT COMPROMISE. It is not enough to choose between the lesser of two evils. Why are we allowing the political process to provide us choices that continue, in one form or another, to make us compromise our faith? We as Catholics, should be dictating to the candidates, that if they want our vote, it must follow the truth, the way of agape, and fidelity to what our faith teaches us.
Transform Politics
Executing the above three points, we have the capability the transform politics by making our voices heard and our choices have impact, while remaining faithful to church teaching. No political party can be successful by ignoring the Catholic vote, if we all vote consistently. As Catholics and as Americans, we have the responsibility to make this happen
Gentlemen, be informed, pray for guidance, and exercise your right to make your choice in this election.
Oremus Pro Inviciem,
Sebastian Mauricio