Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
I was blessed to spend the past weekend with young men from around our Archdiocese for a retreat sponsored by our Vocations Office to help them discern the Lord’s call. With the autumn beauty of Lake Buffalo on full display, the Holy Spirit had an easy job of touching hearts. I was deeply impressed by the young men’s sincerity, their generosity, and their love for the Church and her teaching.
There were a few common threads that united them. They came from families that gave them good examples of sacrifice and loving support, as well as service in their parish communities. Many, moreover, were involved in youth ministry in their parishes or expressed appreciation for the strong faith environments they had found in their Catholic schools. Others spoke of significant experiences at Extreme Faith Camp or at a Steubenville Conference. And many mentioned that they had been to the March for Life in Washington or St. Paul and resonated with the Church’s work to support the culture of life.
As in past years, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops had designated October as Respect Life Month, asking Catholics around the nation to pray for a deepening respect for human life at all stages, from the moment of conception to the moment one naturally passes from this life to the next. Our faith calls us to be attentive to dignity of the human person at all phases of life. This yearly commemoration reminds us to be attentive to the value of all life in all circumstances. Just as our faith prompts us to defend preborn life, so it calls us show respect for those who are homeless, weakened by illness, unemployed, away from their homelands, or even on death row. It’s that respect for life that at the same time motivates Pope Leo’s cries for peace and underlies our sorrow over the loss of life at this week’s school shooting in Oregon. It’s that same respect that motivated the strong statement that came from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the Archbishop of the Military Archdiocese, concerning the planned execution of the person convicted of the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood.
Given that respect for life is at the core of our understanding of the common good, it shouldn’t be surprising that it continues to be a major topic in the conversations leading up to next month’s election. As Christians and as faithful citizens, we always have to be concerned about the common good. Our faith prompts us to be engaged and speaks about voting as a responsibility.
We are really blessed here in our area by the steady and prudent efforts of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), the public policy arm of the bishops of the six dioceses of our State. Their resources consistently help us to be formed on key issues, find information about elections (at local, state and federal levels), and engage with legislators throughout each session in order to encourage them, as political leaders, to shape legislation that serves human dignity and the common good. While prayer (such as Adoration at the Capitol) remains an important component of faithful citizenship, we know that our responsibilities as Catholics do not end there.
I was happy to learn that the MCC and Our Lady of Grace parish will be hosting a “lunch and learn” this Wednesday to help local Catholics prepare for the upcoming mid-term elections. Please be sure to join me in praying for all public servants and for our community in the weeks ahead.
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